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2019-01-11
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Digimon AU: Alternate Universe

Summary:

An original alternate universe full-Season story featuring characters and plot devices from past Seasons all rolled into one.

Tai, Davis, Takato, Takuya, TK, and Kari are all drawn into the Digital World. There they befriend Shoutmon, who claims to be the king of the Digital World. He agrees to help them find their way home, and gives them strange devices called Digivices. These strange objects give the teens the power to turn into Digimon for a limited time. On their journey, they will make friends and face enemies as they try to free the Digimon Sovereigns and save the Digital World from the tyranny of the 7 Demon Lords and their allies.

Adventure/Supernatural/Friendship/Fantasy/Drama/Romance/Family/Mystery/Humor/Angst/Hurt & Comfort/Sci-fi. Pairings: TK and Kari, Davis and Kari (one-sided), numerous other pairings. Rated for fight scenes.
STORY COMPLETE

Notes:

(A/N: Well, it has begun. This is my attempt at writing my very own season of Digimon. It's completely unrelated to the other Digimon fics I wrote. This isn't going to be like my other fics. It's not just a story, but an entire season I thought up. And it is going to be a looooong one, easily the longest fic I've ever written, and probably the longest one I'll ever write. So, I hope you're all ready for this, because I'm in it for the long haul. I will be using some plot elements, themes, and villains that have appeared in the different Seasons, especially towards the beginning, but overall, it will be an original series. This first chapter may be a little short and slow, but I promise it will improve the more the plot advances. So, without further ado, I present to you the first chapter of my very own Digimon Season.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter 1: A Digital Adventure Begins

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Originally posted on 07/29/15 - ??/??/?? at: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11413449/1/Digimon-AU-Alternate-Universe

 

 

 

 

"DIGIMON AU: ALTERNATE UNIVERSE"

Chapter 1: A Digital Adventure Begins

He didn't recognize the number that had come up on his cellphone. It didn't belong to his parents or any of his friends, not unless one of them had gotten a new cell number.

Normally, he would assume it was a wrong number and leave it at that, but the context of the message sounded like a distress call that read: The Digital World is in trouble. We need your help. Please go to the computer room.

Most likely, a message like this was either a prank or a teacher's attempt to get him to help with some computer work, but he decided to play it safe and just stop by the computer room to make sure everything was ok, even if it did mean he would be roped into having to work. He could already hear his friend Rika calling him a gullible goggle-head.

"Hey, goggles are trendy these days," he muttered out loud. And as he entered the computer room, he saw not one, but two other students wearing goggles on their heads as well. "Case and point."

There were four people total in the room, not including him, and they all looked up as he walked in. Right away, he recognized Taichi Kamiya, known simply as Tai for short. He was the captain of the soccer team for the school. The only girl in the room was his sister, whose name he couldn't remember. She was standing beside a blonde boy wearing a hat. The last person, who looked more like a relative of Tai's than the girl, he recognized as Davis Motomiya, another member of the soccer team.

"Hey there," Tai greeted him. "Did you get the text too?"

The newcomer nearly dropped his cellphone as he held it up to show them the message. "Oh, um, yeah. I don't know what it's about though."

"Neither do we," said the blonde boy. "It just told us to come here. By the way, I'm Takeru Takaishi, but everyone calls me TK."

The newcomer nodded to him in greeting. "Oh, um, I'm Takato Matsuki. Nice to meet you."

The girl gave him a smile. "Nice to meet you as well. My name's Hikari, but you can just call me Kari, everyone does. And this is my brother."

Tai nodded in greeting. "Hey, my name is-"

"Oh, believe me, I know who you are," Takato unintentionally interrupted. "You're as famous as around here as Yamato Ishida's band."

TK chuckled. "Funny you should say that since he's my older brother."

"Who my sister has a crush on," Davis added, rolling his eyes. "But if you know who Tai is, then you must know who I am. After all, I am the rising star on the team."

"Oh, brother," Tai and Kari silently muttered together.

Takato nodded. "Um, yes, I know who you are. Everyone knows everyone on the soccer team. It's said that it's the school's best team ever."

Grinning broadly, Davis made a muscle. "Well, I am on it after all."

Kari chuckled. "Doesn't Ken have, like, five times as many goals than you this semester?"

"Ouch," TK muttered. "That was cold."

Davis glared at him. "Yea, well, nobody asked you, TO."

TK blinked. "TO?"

"He forgot how to spell TK," Tai joked, earning a laugh from everyone except for his lookalike, who began fuming.

A knock on the door diverted their attention, and they turned to find another boy about the same age as Tai, who was also wearing goggles, standing in the doorway.

"Um, excuse me," he said, "my name is Takuya Kanbara. Uh," he held up his cellphone, "I got a text asking me to come here. Something about the Digital World being in trouble."

Davis took out his phone and looked at it. "Yeah, I got that too."

"So did I," said Kari.

"Looks like we all did," Tai observed.

With all six cellphones out, almost as if they were reacting to each either, the teens each simultaneously received another text. Upon reading them, they saw that they had once again gotten the same message with two options.

Will you help us? Yes/No.

Tai read the message out loud. "What's that supposed to mean? Help with what?"

"It sounds like a video game," Davis replied. "Help save the Digital World. I'm saying yes."

"They're probably just trying to sell you something," TK told him.

"But there's no charge listings," Davis told him, and selected Yes.

The moment he touched it, the computer closest to them turned on all by itself. Startled by the sound of it powering on, the teens jumped away from it in surprise.

"Whoa!" Tai exclaimed. "That's weird. It was off a minute ago."

But the computer hadn't just turned on, it was now running a program without anyone controlling it. The teens gave at it curious look as what appeared to be a type of gate or window appeared on the screen, beyond which laid a forest.

"What's up with that?" TK asked.

"Not sure," said Tai. "Izzy might have an idea, but he went home already."

The sound of another text message being received was heard, this one reading: Hold your cellphones up to the computer.

Takuya read the message for them before giving a confused look. "Just what is this supposed to be?"

"Not sure," said TK, "but it looks related to whatever program this computer is running. Could it be an app of some sort?"

"Or the game," Davis suggested. "Maybe we're supposed to download it from the Internet like this."

He held up his phone to the computer and waited for the program to transfer over to his phone.

"Wait," Kari said suddenly. "What if it's a scam? It might be trying to get all your contacts."

Before anyone could answer, they received another text. Read the following out loud: "Digi-Port Open."

Takato looked at his phone, speaking the phrase as a question. "Um, Digi-Port open?"

Instantly, a bright light flashed from the computer, filling the room. The teens cried out as they were blinded. A suction feeling engulfed them, drawing them forward towards the computer. The next thing they knew, they were falling through space and time. Incredible and fantastical distorted images flowed around them as they fell through what appeared to be a pixelated kaleidoscope.

The ride lasted for only a few seconds before they were surrounded by white light once again. When it faded, the six of them laid in a big heap on the floor. No, floor wasn't the right word for it. They were lying on grass. Somehow, they had ended up outside, though it took them a few moments to realize it.

"Ow," Takato grumbled. "I hit my head on something."

"Yeah," Davis complained, "my head. Get off of me!"

One by one, they got to their feet. Looking around, the very first thing they noticed was the obvious.

"Well," said Tai, "we're not in school anymore."

Kari suddenly cried out and grabbed him.

"Kari, what's wrong?" TK cried worriedly.

Slowly, she pointed up into the sky. "Forget the school, I don't think we're on Earth anymore!"

Following where her finger was pointing, they saw what indeed appeared to be the planet Earth floating high in the sky. It didn't look like any image of Earth they'd ever seen before though. It looked more like a 3-D digital model of it, completely pixelated and covered in a wireframe. Silver craters covered the surface, from which beams of pink light flowed out in different directions.

The teens stared at the floating planet, if that was indeed what it was, with gapping mouths. For one of them, the only possible explanation was that this was a dream, but a sharp pinch to the cheek shot down that theory.

"Ouch!" Davis yelped, releasing his cheek and rubbing it. "Well, this isn't a dream. So now I'm thinking either another planet or an alternate reality."

"Who cares?" Tai replied, looking around. "Lets just get out of here. Come on, Kari."

"Tai, wait!" she called to him as he stomped through the bushes.

He hadn't made it more than a few feet before coming to a halt. "Whoa, what the?"

Before him stood what seemed to be the remains of an abandoned highly-technological and futuristic city covered in vegetation, as if the forest were growing right on top of the metal surface. Or perhaps covered wasn't the right word for it. It was more like the technology and the plant life were a hybrid form.

The others came to join him. "Whoa is right," Takuya agreed. "Where the heck are we?"

"No signal," TK told them as he checked his phone. "I don't know where we are, but there's no phone service. Not even a single bar."

Davis dropped to the ground. "You mean we're stranded here in the middle of this desolate wasteland?"

Kari looked around at all the greenery. "Well, I wouldn't call it a wasteland, but we definitely seem to be stranded."

Takato fell back beside Davis. "Great. Now what are we supposed to do?"

Behind him, the bush he was sitting next to shook as if there were something inside it. He glanced at it curiously, seeing something inside, and he pushed some of the branches aside to be greeted by a slimy green creature with large eyes and an even larger mouth with huge teeth.

Crying out, Takato scrambled away from the creature as he shouted to the sky. "What the heck is going on?!"

Notes:

(A/N: The adventure has begun. Our heroes are in the Digital World, and a long and perilous journey is getting ready to unfold. I know this chapter was a little short and not much happened, but I promise things will get better. I decided to use the leaders from the first four Seasons, and TK and Kari. And let me clarify something on their ages. Davis, TK, and Kari are the same ages they were in Season 2, and Takato and Takuya are the ages they were in their respective Seasons. The only one whose age is off is Tai. I made him younger, so he'll be a little closer to the others' ages, but he's still the oldest of the bunch. I'll attempt to update every week, so look forward to that. It'd be like I really am releasing my own episodes for a new Season. Feel free to review, your comments are really encouraging.)

Chapter 2: Going Digital

Notes:

(A/N: Alright, I drew some attention. I knew it'd be a bit of a risk doing an AU, but it looks like it's paying off. Lets see if I can draw in some more readers. Now we'll be things will start to get underway. We last left our heroes stranded in the Digital World. Lets see where things go from here.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 2: Going Digital

The creature leapt out of the bush and, for lack of a better word, stood before the teens. It was a green blob with large eyeballs on stalks, and a big mouth containing huge teeth and a tongue that hung out.

The teens backed away from the creature in disgust and surprise.

"Whoa, what is that thing?" Tai asked no one in particular.

With its large mouth and enormous teeth, the creature was fully capable of biting off their heads, and as it loomed over Takato and Davis… two arm-like appendages pressed together as if it were praying or begging.

"Oh, please don't hurt me!" it cried. "I have noting to do with any of this!"

Takato just stared at the creature, dumbfounded. "Um, did that green thing just talk?"

The 'green thing', as Takato called it, took another look at them. "Hey, wait, you're not with…" It visibly relaxed. "Oh, thank goodness. You had me worried for a moment."

The others exchanged bewildered looks, uncertain what to make of this. Nothing had made sense ever since that strange light had flashed from the computer and brought them here.

"Um…" TK started, attempting to communicate with the creature, "excuse us, but do you understand what we're saying?"

The creature, which appeared to be male, shifted its large eyes towards him. "Of course I can understand you. What, can't you understand me?" It looked him up and down. "Speaking of which, what are you?"

Davis blinked. "I think that's our line."

The creature's eyes narrowed. "Well, obviously I'm Numemon. But everyone knows that. The question is, what are you supposed to be?"

Kari hesitated before answering. "We're, uh, we're human."

The creature, Numemon's eyes widened. "What? Human?"

At that moment, what sounded like an explosion came from behind them several yards away. The color drained from Numemon's face, leaving it a lighter shade of green, as it waved around the stumpy appendages that served as arms.

"Oh no! It's Ogremon! Run away, run away!"

For a creature without any legs, it certainly ran away fast. Another explosion was heard, closer this time, and the teens huddled together.

"Now what?" Takuya cried as yet another explosion went off.

From the direction of the explosions, another strange creature came running out of the greenery. It was very different from the blob monster that called itself Numemon. This one was red and white, and it resembled a miniature dragon-like creature wearing a yellow scarf. It came running up to them, and skidded to a halt, looking at them in disbelief.

"What? Humans?" it gasped in a voice that suggested it was male. "You're really here? I guess that voice was right."

From behind him, there was another explosion, followed by an angry cry. "Where are you, Shoutmon? Come on out, you coward!"

The creature looked back. "Crap, Ogremon." He turned back to the teens. "I suggest you run. And don't tell him where I am."

He took off running, leaving the teens behind as the owner of the angry voice got closer. A few moments later, a third monster came stomping out. This one was green like Numemon, but that was where the similarities ended. This creature, Ogremon, was a large goblin-like monster. He wielded a large bone-club that he slammed on the ground, which had been the source of the explosion-like sounds they had heard.

"Guys, are you seeing this?" Davis stammered.

Kari backed away. "I want to go home now."

Turning his gaze on the teens, Ogremon regarded them with interest. "Humans? In the Digital World? What are you doing here?"

"Believe me, mister, we'd like to know that too," Takato replied in a fearful voice.

The monster stared at them, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. "Something's fishy here. Where's Shoutmon?"

"W-What's a Shoutmon?" Kari asked, her voice trembling.

Ogremon growled and slammed his club on the ground. "Don't play dumb with me! Everyone knows Shoutmon, the so-called Digimon King. Small, red and white, pointy ears, wears a yellow scarf, possibly holding a microphone."

Even though they'd had their suspicions, it became apparent that he was talking about the creature that had taken off running seconds before Ogremon had arrived.

"We don't know what you're talking about," Tai told him. "We only got here a little while ago."

Ogremon just sneered. "Really? Well, we'll just see about that. I'll just have to pound the answers out of you."

TK held up his hands. "Hey, wait, we really don't know!"

Ogremon just chuckled. "If you don't know, then there's no harm done."

"I think your logic is seriously flawed," said Takato as panic crept into his voice.

"It works for me," Ogremon replied, lifting his club. "Bone Cud-"

"Rock and Roller!"

From out of the trees, the red and white creature that had hid from Ogremon earlier came leaping out, catching the green monster's attention. He was wielding what seemed to be a microphone on its stand, which he used to whack Ogremon over the head.

"Ouch!" the large beast grumbled, rubbing his head. "That was dirty."

"So was this," Shoutmon replied. "Fiery Fastball!"

He threw a ball of energy that exploded against Ogremon's face. While the monster was stunned, Shoutmon turned to the teens and motioned for them to follow him.

"Quick, this way!"

With Ogremon angrily waving around his club, it only took a moment for the teens to decide to follow him. Ogremon cried out furiously as he stomped after them.

"It's a dead end!" Tai cried as they came to a large metal wall.

"No, look here," said Shoutmon, moving aside some bushes to reveal a small hole in the wall. "We'll lose him through here."

"That's gonna be tight," TK noted. "Kari, you go first."

"Hey, I was gonna say that," Davis complained.

"Now's not the time," said Kari as she dropped to her stomach and crawled trough the small space. Each of the boys followed after her until only Shoutmon remained.

"Where do you think you're going?" Ogremon demanded as he caught up. "Pummel Whack!"

He fired a blast of dark energy from his fist. Shoutmon quickly dodged and scampered through the hole, joining the teens on the other side. A few seconds later, Ogremon's ugly face appeared, but he was much too large to fit through.

"Ha, ha!" Shoutmon mocked. "Guess you're too big-headed to get through."

Ogremon glared at him. "I'll get you for this, Shoutmon. You think you can come onto my turf without my permission?"

"Blah, blah, blah," Shoutmon muttered as he ripped up a bush. "Talk to the shrub."

He shoved the uprooted bush into the hole, then turned back to the teens, dusting his hands off. "Well, that takes care of that. And the next time I suggest that you run, you should run. Now come on, lets get out of here."

With that, he began walking away. The teens hesitated for a moment before following.

"Um, excuse me," said Takuya, catching up to him. "Shoutmon was it?"

"That's me."

"Right, uh, could you tell us what's going on here?"

Shoutmon halted mid-step, and turned around to give him a curious look. "You mean you don't know?"

"Know?" cried Davis. "We don't know where we are, what we're doing here, who you are, what you are, we don't know anything."

Shoutmon regarded him for a moment before crossing his arms. "Hmm, that complicates things a bit. I was hoping you could tell me."

"So you don't know either?" Kari asked.

Shoutmon sighed. "All I know is that a few weeks ago, I heard an ominous voice that told me to come here with the Digi-Cards."

He held out his hand, showing them what looked like USB flash drives, each with the picture of a different creature on each one.

"The voice told me I would meet six humans, and to attach these to their selfins."

Tai blinked. "Selfins? What are…? Oh, wait, you mean our cellphones?"

They each took out their cellphones.

"So, attaching these, Digi-Cards you called them, will give us some answers?" TK asked. "Do they have information on them or something?"

Shoutmon just shrugged. "The voice said it'll provide you with Digivices, whatever those are."

Tai stared at his phone. "Well, we're not getting any answers doing nothing. Lets see what happens."

One by one, they handed over their cellphones. Shoutmon took them and stuck a Digi-Card into each of the outlets.

"Ok, Agumon DDNA for you," he said, handing the phone back to Tai, Guilmon DDNA for you," he gave the phone to Takato, "Flamemon DDNA for this young man," Takuya took his phone back, "Patamon DDNA for you," TK received his, "Veemon DDNA for this guy," Davis got his, "and Salamon DDNA for the lovely lady," he winked as he handed Kari her phone.

"Great," said Davis, looking at the Digi-Card sticking out his phone. "So… what's DDNA?"

"Um, Digital DNA, duh," Shoutmon replied, as if this should be obvious. "It contains the Fractal Code of a Digimon."

Takato examined his phone. "Ok, what's a Fractal Code? And what's a Digi-"

He didn't get to finish his question as each of their cellphones began flashing brightly. Glowing with a white light, their phones changed shape in their hands to become unfamiliar devices as the light died down, the Digi-Cards seemingly having been integrated into the devices.

"Whoa, what are these?" Takuya asked in amazement.

TK examined his. "I guess these are those Digivice things."

"Well, what happened to my cell?" Davis demanded. "I paid good money for that phone."

They looked at Shoutmon for answers, but he just shrugged and shook his head. "Hey, don't look at me. I have no idea what's going on here either."

Tai placed his Digivice in his pocket. "Well, you obviously know more than we do, so how about you tell us what you do know, starting with where we are."

Shoutmon crossed his arms, contemplating this. "Well, for starters, this is the Digital World. It's a world that exists parallel to yours where everything is made up of data. It's inhabited by Digimon and other Digital life forms."

"Digi what?" Takato asked.

"Digimon. It's short for Digital Monster. And that's what I am. The name's Shoutmon, and I'm the king of the Digital World."

The others stared at him with hooded eyes, seemingly unconvinced by his last statement.

"You're the king of the entire world?" Takuya asked doubtfully.

Shoutmon arrogantly nodded. "You bet."

"Then why are you running from that Ogremon guy?"

A sweat-drop ran down the Digimon's head. "I'm just, uh… in a bit of a slump right now, but trust me, I'm the Digimon King."

"Found you!" came Ogremon's voice as he dropped down from up above. "Ha! Did you think that puny wall would keep you safe?"

The teens backed away from him, taking refuge behind Shoutmon.

"Ok, king," said Tai, "show us what you can do."

Ogremon laughed. "A mere Rookie like him beating a Champion like me? How utterly ridiculous."

Shoutmon's eyes narrowed. "I'll show you ridiculous. Fiery Fastball!"

Ogremon batted away the attack. "That won't work twice."

Shoutmon growled and produced his microphone. "Then how about this. Bellow Blaster!"

"Pummel Whack!"

As Shoutmon unleashed energy from his microphone, Ogremon fired another blast of dark energy from his fist. The attacks collided and exploded, but Ogremon's contained more power, and Shoutmon was knocked back.

"Bone Cudgel!" Ogremon cried, rushing towards Shoutmon and whacking him with his club.

The smaller Digimon went flying backwards. Tai lunged forward and caught him. Lifting him up, he carried the dazed Digimon in his arms as he ran towards the others. "Run for it!"

Not needing to be told twice, they ran from the large green monster. Ogremon laughed as he watched them flee, not even bothering to give chase just yet. "You think you can escape from me? Pummel Whack!"

He fired a blast of energy at their retreating forms. It struck the ground in front of them and exploded, the blast sending them flying. Tai kept hold of Shoutmon as he landed painfully on his side, protecting their new friend with his body.

In his arms, Shoutmon groaned. "Don't risk your lives for my sake," he told the human holding him. "Just get out of here while you still can."

"No way," Tai replied, his determination evident. "We don't leave our friends behind."

A weary smile crept up Shoutmon's face. "Friends… I forgot how nice it is to be with friends."

"How sweet," Ogremon grumbled as he marched over to the two of them. "I think I'm going to get a cavity."

Keeping hold of Shoutmon protectively, Tai scooted back. As he did so, something by his feet caught his eye. His Digivice had fallen out of his pocket and rested on the ground. He grabbed it and gave it a desperate look. "If this thing is supposed to do anything useful, now would be a pretty good time."

Ogremon stopped as he towered over the human and Digimon. "Stop jabbering and prepare to die."

Shoutmon glared up at him. "You first!"

He leapt out of Tai's arms to attack. Ogremon simple backhanded him, sending the dragon Digimon crashing into a tree, then fixed his red eyes on Tai. "You're about to learn why no good deed goes unpunished." He raised his club. "Say goodbye, human!"

"Tai!" Kari shouted, fearing for her brother's life, but unable to do anything to help. "Get out of there!"

As Ogremon brought down his club, the Digivice in Tai's hands suddenly flashed brightly, causing the big green Digimon to stumble back, seeing stars. "What's this now?" he demanded, shading his eyes from the light.

Tai was wondering the same thing as what appeared to be ribbons of bar code, like the kind found on sales products, flowed out of his Digivice. Seemingly made of light, these ribbons were light blue with hues of various other colors mixed in; they were truly beautiful. That is, until they began wrapping around him, forming a type of cocoon.

"What's happening?" he cried as the ribbons completely surrounded him.

He was now completely engulfed in an oval-shaped cocoon of ribbons. No, not an oval, more of an egg shape. The others stared in amazement at the shining egg shape the ribbons had formed.

"That's Fractal Code," Ogremon observed. "Just what's going on here?"

He was suddenly forced backwards as the "egg" grew to a much larger size. Once it reached its full size, it burst open, sending "shell" shards of Fractal Code flying everywhere before they disappeared.

Tai was gone. In his place was a large dinosaur-like creature. It resembled an orange Tyrannosaurus Rex with blue stripes, and it seemed to be wearing a horned brown skull helmet or mask over the upper portion of its face.

Breathing a cloud of smoke, the dinosaur opened its mouth, exposing long sharp teeth as it roared to the sky. "Greymon!"

Notes:

(A/N: Yes, I'm going with the Frontier theme of turning into Digimon. But that's it. There's not going to be any digitizing Fractal Code or purifying, no spirits, or any of that other stuff. It's mostly going to be like the first two Seasons with some Season 3 themes, and the ability of the DigiDestined to turn into Digimon. Though I'll be borrowing elements from the different Seasons, I'll be making the story my own, so I hope you'll all stay tuned. We've got a the first fight of many next chapter, so I hope to see you then.)

Shoutmon's attacks:

Fiery Fastball – Throws a fiery energy ball in the shape of an eighth note.

Bellow Blaster – Uses mic to amplify his emotions and bash his opponent with a heated blaze.

Rock and Roller – Uses mic as weapon.

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Numemon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Shoutmon_(King_Ver.)

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Ogremon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Agumon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Veemon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Guilmon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Flamemon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Salamon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Patamon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Greymon

Chapter 3: Digital Battle

Notes:

(A/N: Alrighty then, enough with the build up of anticipation. Time to get to some action. Lets see how Tai handles being a Digimon and how he fairs against Ogremon.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 3: Digital Battle

Tai felt different. His body felt strange, like it wasn't his own. And not just not his own, but also not even human. He didn't know how that was possible, but considering that he was now looking down at Ogremon, when just seconds ago he had been looking up, it was at least safe to say that he was now a giant.

His senses had changed too. He could see clearer, hear better, and smell a lot more. But, more than that, he felt powerful. It was a strength that couldn't even compare to being human, and it was amazing.

'What happened to me?' he wondered.

Glancing at his hands, he saw that they weren't hands anymore at all. They had transformed into claws, claws that looked as if they belonged to some type of dinosaur.

'What am I?'

The panicked thought raced through his mind as he realized he had become a monster.

'Greymon.' The name echoed inside his head. 'I am Greymon.'

He never even heard the name before, but he somehow instinctively knew that this was the name for this form, and he roared it to the sky.

Down below, Ogremon hesitated as he looked up at the dinosaur Digimon. "What kind of trickery is this?"

Leaning against the tree he crashed into, Shoutmon cracked open an eye. "He turned… into Greymon?" A humorous smile crept up his face. "Right, the Agumon DDNA I gave him. I think… I think I'm beginning to understand."

Ogremon pointed his club at Greymon. "I don't know what you did, but I'm still taking you down!"

He charged at the dinosaur Digimon. The Greymon that was Tai turned his attention towards him. Whatever had happened to him didn't matter right now. Ogremon was a threat, and he now had the strength to fight back and defend his friends. He could figure things out after he dealt with him.

His pupils shrinking to mere specks of black, he roared loudly and charged. Ogremon rushed to meet him. Even though he now had claws, Greymon punched downward, his fist shattering the hard ground as Ogremon leapt up in the air, flying over his head.

"Bone Cudgel!" he shouted, bringing his club down on Greymon's head.

Greymon nearly felt as if he would have gone cross-eyed if he had been hit any harder, and was eternally grateful for his bone-like head.

Turning, he chomped at Ogremon, but missed. The ogre Digimon jumped a safer distance away and fired his Pummel Whack, punching outward to fire dark energy from his fist. Greymon cried out as it blasted against him. Ogremon followed up with several more blasts, bombarding the dinosaur Digimon with more dark energy.

As Greymon struggled against the barrage of attacks, he felt something stirring up within him. It was a power not limited to his physical strength, and he somehow knew what it was called, just as he instinctively knew his name. This power was called-

"Nova Blast!"

A large fireball flew from his mouth. Ogremon's eyes widened as he ceased his attack and leapt away. He wasn't quite fast enough as the fireball exploded against the ground, and he was caught in the shockwave.

"Nova Blast!" Greymon shouted again. "Nova Blast!"

Ogremon cartwheeled out of the way of the first and maneuvered around the second. He leapt at dinosaur Digimon and swung his club, but Greymon's teeth clamped down on it.

"Hey, let go!"

Greymon shook his head, and Ogremon lost his grip, losing his club, and landing on his feet a distance away. Greymon bit down on the club, expecting it to shatter, but instead it surprised him by breaking down into data particles and disappearing.

"Damn you!" Ogremon seethed. "Now I have to materialize another one!"

"Good," Greymon replied, noting for the first time that his voice was different from his human form. "So why don't you run along and do that."

Ogremon's fists clenched. "Oh, I will, after I take you out. Strong Maul!"

He leapt at Greymon. The dinosaur Digimon instinctively felt another attack power well up within him, similar to what he felt when he fired his Nova Blast, only this one was more physical. He knew what this attack was called too, and he unleashed it.

"Tail Crash!" he cried, spinning around and swinging his tail. It slammed into Ogremon, sending the ogre Digimon crashing into the forest. Greymon stormed over to where he crashed, placing himself between Ogremon and his friends, ready to defend them should Ogremon attempt a sneak attack.

The ogre Digimon's ugly face reappeared, and he was sneering at Greymon. "Hey, look what I found."

He held up the creature they had met earlier, Numemon. The poor mollusk Digimon was shaking like a leaf in Ogremon's grasp, giving Greymon a pleading look. "Please help me!"

Greymon's eyes narrowed at Ogremon. "Let him go."

The ogre Digimon snickered. "Whatever you say."

He squeezed tightly, his claws digging into Numemon's flesh. The mollusk Digimon cried out, and was suddenly gone. His body seemed to burst apart into pixelated pieces and scatter. His data lingered behind for a few moments, floating in the air, and Ogremon held out his arms to it. The data then flowed towards him and entered his body as he sneered wickedly.

"Thanks for the power boost," he mockingly told the deceased Digimon, then pointed at his opponent. "You're next, big guy." He charged at Greymon again, leaping into the air and punching outward. "Feint Punch!"

Greymon saw the fist coming, but it disappeared before it hit him. He still felt the impact of Ogremon's fist though, and it immediately reappeared back at the ogre Digimon's side before he threw another.

The disappearing punches kept coming, knocking him farther and farther back until Ogremon hit him with a savage uppercut, knocking him off his feet. He had no idea how someone so much smaller in comparison could knock around someone as big as him, but clearly a great deal of strength could be packed into small bodies in this world.

This was demonstrated further by Ogremon grabbing him by the tail while he was down. He swung Greymon around and threw him into the air, and he came crashing down.

"Serves you right," he taunted "I'm not the ruler of this area for nothing." He turned to the teens, who had been watching the battle with open mouths. "And now you'll all pay for trespassing, starting with the pretty one."

Greymon stirred. The "pretty one", as Ogremon called her, could only be Kari. Like hell would he let that creep hurt his sister, or any of his friends for that matter. He may have only known Takato, Takuya, and Shoutmon for a short while, but he already considered them to be his friends, and he was not about to let them fall prey to this monster.

Jumping to his feet, he roared as he charged at Ogremon. The ogre Digimon turned to him again as Greymon opened his mouth to chomp down on him. Ogremon's hands shot out, grabbing his upper and lower jaws, holding his mouth open with great effort. His feet dug into the ground, halting Greymon's charge as he held him back.

"Do you think I would allow a human pretending to be a Digimon get the best of me?" he demanded.

As he held Greymon's mouth open, he noticed a light beginning to flicker in the back of the dinosaur Digimon's throat, and immediately realized his mistake. "Oh crap."

"Nova Blast!" Greymon bellowed, firing his attack upon Ogremon at point blank range. The ogre Digimon cried out as the attack blasted against him in a fiery explosion. Just as what happened with Numemon, his own body broke down into data and scattered. His data lingered around as well, waiting to be claimed, but Greymon was unaware of how to absorb a defeated opponent's data. After several seconds of no activity, the lingering data simply vanished.

Greymon stood up straight, victorious. That had been the most unusual fight he'd ever been in. It wasn't everyday you turned into a monster and fought against another. This was definitely an experience he would never forget.

Turning to his friends, he went to check on them. Fully aware that he may frighten them, he approached as carefully as he could so he wouldn't scare them off. "Hey, you guys ok?"

They stared at him, completely flabbergasted. With great effort, TK managed to find his voice. "T-Tai… is that really you?"

Greymon scratched his chin. "Um, yeah, I guess so. I have no idea what happened though. My Digivice somehow turned me into this."

Davis was the next to speak. "Dude… that was… awesome!" He looked at Shoutmon, who had limped over to them. "Hey, will I be able to do that too?"

Shoutmon just chuckled. "Well, I assume so."

"Sweet!"

Kari was still staring at her brother with a blank expression on her face. She cautiously approached, hesitantly reaching out for him. "Tai…?"

He leaned down to her. "Yeah, it's me, Kari."

His face was ground level now. She slowly moved to touch him, her hand grazing his nose before pulling back.

"It's ok," he reassured her. "I would never hurt you."

Slowly, she reached for him again. This time when she touched him, she did not pull away. After a few moments, she rested against his snout with tears in her eyes. "Mom's going to have a cow when she sees you like this."

Greymon chuckled humorlessly. "Yeah, that's for sure."

"Hey, I think it's an improvement," said Davis. The others gave him a look. "No, I'm serious. Look at you, you're a freakin' fire-breathing dinosaur! That's so cool!" He took out his own Digivice and began playing with it. "So, how do I turn into one too?"

Shoutmon walked over to them. "First of all, he's not a dinosaur, he's a Greymon, a Champion level Digimon. Second of all, before you even ask, no, I have no idea how this happened. If I had to guess, I'd say Agumon's Fractal Code somehow allowed you to turn into his Digivolved form."

Greymon turned to him curiously. "I'm not sure I understand all that, but do you know how I can change back?"

Shoutmon crossed his arms, thinking. "Hmm, that's hard to say. You're a human that turned into a Digimon, not a Digimon that Digivolved. This is completely unheard of. I suppose if you try to DeDigivolve, you'll resume your human form."

Greymin blinked. "DeDigi-what? All these Digi-words are confusing."

The dragon Digimon sighed. "Ok, just picture yourself in your human form. Imagine yourself changing back to it. While you're doing that, try and expel Greymon's data from your body. Just take all that power you got when you… um, transformed and push it out of your body."

Feeling uncertain, Greymon's scratched his chin. "Um, ok, I'll try."

He closed his eyes, imaging himself turning into a human once again while trying to force the power he now felt away. It appeared to be working as his body began glowing with a golden light. He felt his body losing its shape as he shrank down. The light faded as he became human once more, holding his Digivice in his hands.

"Hey, it worked!" he exclaimed, examining himself to make sure he was really back to normal.

"Oh, Tai!" Kari cried, wrapping her arms around him."

He patted her back reassuringly. "Hey, everything's ok. I'm fine."

"I'll say," said Takato. "You just took out that Ogremon guy, and you don't even have a scratch on you."

Yes, now that he mentioned it, he was perfectly fine. A little sore, but he didn't have any of the injuries he should have had after having taken a beating like that. It seemed that when he was Greymon, not only was his body much more durable, but also any injuries he obtained didn't directly carry over to his human form.

But there were still many questions they needed answers to, and so he turned his attention to Shoutmon. "I think it's time you told us everything that you know."

 

Notes:

(A/N: Our first fight. And it got a little emotional towards the end there with Kari and Greymon. I wanted to try and portray what would go on in Tai's head in his new body and how he would deal with everything that came with it. And as he pointed out, there are a lot of questions that need answering. Will Shoutmon be able to give them the answers they need? And what about getting home? Are they stranded in this strange new world? Find out next time.)

Greymon's attacks:

Nova Blast – Spews a fireball.

Great Horns Attack – Impales opponent with his horns.

Horn Impulse – Attacks with his horns.

Tail Crash – Hits with his tail.

Fire Wall – Spews a wall of fire to block attacks.

Fire Horn – Ignites horns with fire and attacks.

Bit Fire – Breaths fire.

Great Antler Bash – Headbutts.

Tail Whip – effects unknown

Horn Spiral– effects unknown

Grey Tooth – effects unknown

Great Tooth – effects unknown

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Greymon

Chapter 4: Sharing Stories

Notes:

(A/N: This chapter is mostly about the teens learning about the Digital World and about Digimon. I know we know about it, but they don't so they'll be getting a crash course.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 4: Sharing Stories

Shoutmon sighed. "I'm afraid you know just about as much as I do."

"But you're a resident of this, um, world," Takuya insisted. "Surely you must know something."

"I'm telling you, I don't. I've never even seen a real human before, let alone see one turn into a Digimon. This is completely unheard of."

"Ok, fair enough," Tai relented. "Then could you at least tell us how to get home?"

Shoutmon rolled his eyes. "Do I look like an expert on inter-dimensional travel?"

"Hey," Davis complained, "I thought you were supposed to be the king of this world. How can you not know?"

"Being king doesn't mean that I know everything. Does the king of your world know everything?"

"Actually," said TK, "we don't have a king of our world. We do have leaders of different nations, but none of them have all the answers either."

"See."

Takato looked up at the floating "Earth" in the sky. "Well, what about that?"

Shoutmon looked up. "Huh? That? That's nothing. It's more or less a giant floating landmass. Just watch out for those data streams. If you get caught up in one of those, you'll be transported to another location in the Digital World, and you'll never know where you'll end up."

"The Digital World," Takuya repeated. "Well, since we're strangers here, why don't you tell us about this place, and just what Digimon are."

Before Shoutmon could reply, there was a hideous shriek. Looking in the direction of the source, they saw a giant red insect Digimon flying around.

Shoutmon growled. "Oh, great, Kuwagamon."

"Who?" Tai asked.

At his question, their Digivices began beeping. Takato took out his and pressed the flashing red button on it. His Digivice immediately projected a hologram of the Digimon along with a written description, which he read out loud.

"Kuwagamon, Champion level, special attack Scissor Claw. Yikes, that's one nasty guy, and he's aggressive to boot."

"He must have been drawn here by the battle," Shoutmon replied. "Probably hoping to pick off the injured and weakened. Come on, let's get out of here before he finds us, I'll explain on the way."

Keeping low, they used the trees for cover as they attempted to remain hidden as they snuck away.

"So, what's with that guy?" Davis asked, referring to Kuwagamon. "Is he, like, a scavenger or something?"

Shoutmon shook his head. "No, he'll just pretty much slice apart anyone he comes across. It's in his nature. He probably just saw this as an easy way to get some data."

"What's that mean?" Tai asked, pushing some branches out of the way.

He received a strange look from the dragon Digimon. "Don't you know? You saw yourself when you fought Ogremon. Remember when he destroyed Numemon? He absorbed his data afterwards."

Tai recalled the way Numemon's body had broken down into small particles, and the way Ogremon had absorbed them. "Oh, so that's what that was. I was wondering."

Shoutmon nodded. "That's what we Digimon do. We battle in order to absorb an opponent's data to become stronger and Digivolve."

Takato seemed to take an interest in this. "Sounds kind of like Pokémon."

Shoutmon blinked. "What's that? A new type of Digimon? I never heard of him. Is he strong? What level is he?"

"What? No, it's not a Digimon, it's a video game. Also a card game, and an anime, and a manga, and a movie series, and a-"

Shoutmon held up his hand to stop him. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

TK couldn't help but chuckle. "So, what's Digivolving?"

"Oh, you don't know about that? It's a the process of transforming into a stronger and more advanced version of yourself once you obtain enough data."

"So it's like when a Pokémon evolves after gaining enough experience points," Takato noted.

"Enough with Pokémon," Davis told him.

"What? It's a good game. My favorite actually."

Shoutmon scowled. "I don't know who this Pokémon is, but Digimon battle isn't game. While most Digimon are content to live a life of peace, there are those that constantly seek battle."

"That's horrible," Kari replied. "So Ogremon murdered Numemon just to get stronger?"

Shoutmon just shrugged. "It happens, but he got his in the end, didn't he? Now he's got to start over too."

This earned him bewildered looks from the teens.

"What do you mean, 'start over'?" Takuya asked. "They're dead."

The dragon Digimon shrugged again. "Well, yeah, but they won't be for long." At their confused looks, he sighed. "Digimon are reborn when they die. They just revert to their egg forms. Don't you humans do that?"

TK shook his head. "No, once we die, we stay dead. And we don't come from eggs either."

Shoutmon scratched his head. "Really? Huh, that's strange. So you don't come from eggs and you stay dead when you die. Weird."

"So Digimon never really actually die?" Kari asked.

"Of course not, our data is just reconfigured."

Davis beamed. "Cool, so it's like they're immortal. How's that work?"

Shoutmon thought best how to explain it. "Well, you see, we Digimon possess what's called a Digi-Core. This core contains our basic data. We accumulate data and Digivolve over time, but when we die, all the data we've gathered over our lifetime is lost, and we're left with just our basic data contained in our Digi-Core. This data is then reconfigured into a Digi-Egg from which we hatch from and start our lives all over again."

Takuya nodded in understanding. "Ok, I think I'm getting it. Basically, when a Digimon dies, they have to start over from scratch."

"Boy, that's gotta be annoying," Davis mumbled. "It'd be like we live years of our lives trying to get better at soccer, but when we lose a single game, we have to regain those skills and experience all over again."

Shoutmon raised an eyebrow. "I don't know what soccer is, but it sounds like you've got the basic idea." He began counting off on his fingers. "We start out as Digi-Eggs, this is called the Digitama level. Once we hatch, we start at the Baby level, or Fresh level as it's sometimes called. Then we Digivolve to the In-Training level, followed by Rookie, Champion, Ultimate, and ending with Mega, that's the highest level we can reach. It is possible for some Digimon to Digivolve again after that, but they're still considered to be Megas."

He taped his chin. "Although there are some very rare occasions where when a Mega Digimon level Digivolves, the stage they reach is so high that it's no longer considered a Mega. We call that the Ultra level. Only, like, seven Digimon have ever managed to achieve it."

This got TK thinking. "Seven, huh? How many different types of Digimon are there?"

Shoutmon thought about it. "Um, that's hard to say. I believe the last official count consisted of 1,182."

"That many?" Takuya cried. "Jeez, talk about a variety of different species."

"And the number's growing," Shoutmon told them. "New stages are being discovered all the time. Different circumstances cause different Digimon to Digivolve to different stages."

"So what species of Digimon are you?" Kari asked curiously.

Shoutmon would have raised an eyebrow if he had one. "What do you mean? Obviously I'm a Shoutmon."

This time it was Tai who raised an eyebrow. "Wait, so you're a Shoutmon named Shoutmon?"

"Hey, that's also like Pokémon," Takato noted.

Davis' eye twitched, but he chose to ignore the Pokémon remark. "Doesn't that get confusing? I mean, how do you tell each other apart? Like if you were with a bunch of other Shoutmon and then someone comes along and calls for you, how do you know they're talking about you?"

Shoutmon scoffed at this. "We can detect the differences between us, obviously. Why? How does your kind tell who is who?"

"Well, we look different," Takato pointed out. "And we have different names too. Like me, I'm Takato."

"I'm Tai."

"Kari."

"TK."

"Davis."

"Takuya."

Shoutmon looked at each of them questioningly. "So you're names aren't what you are?" And it's Takato, not Takatomon?"

The boy shook his head. "No, no mon in it. We also have last names and middle names too."

The dragon Digimon seemed confused and turned away, looking weary. "Humans are strange."

"I think it'd be stranger to name yourself after what you are," Davis replied. "That'd be like referring to ourselves by our nationality, like that anime Hetalia."

Takato chuckled. "That show was classic."

Tai cleared his throat. "Lets just chalk it up to cultural differences. So, putting the subject of names on hold for now, I'm a little concerned about this rebirth thing." He glanced at the others. "Since we all have Digivices, I'm guessing that means that we all have the ability to turn into Digimon. If Digimon are reborn, what would happen to one of us if we died as a Digimon?"

Crossing his arms, Shoutmon gave this some serious thought. "That's hard to say. You're humans that turn into Digimon, but you're still humans. You lack Digi-Cores, and you're Digivices are what contain the data that allows you to become Digimon. If humans really stay dead when they die, then I would assume that if you're killed as Digimon, you would stay dead, but the data that turned you into Digimon would endure inside the Digivices, just like it would with a normal Digimon and their Digi-Core."

Takato sweat-dropped. "So what you're saying is that if we're killed, we would stay dead, even if we're Digimon at the time, but real Digimon always get to come back? That's not fair."

"Yeah," Davis agreed. "What's to stop Ogremon from taking his revenge on us tomorrow?"

But Shoutmon just waved this off. "I wouldn't worry about that. It takes time to Digivolve from one level to the next. Once a Digi-Egg rematerializes, it usually takes a few days to hatch. Then it usually takes a Baby Digimon several weeks to Digivolve to the In-Training level, and several years to reach the Rookie level."

He placed his hands behind his head as he leisurely strolled along. "We can usually reach the Rookie level on our own with time and training, but after that, in order to Digivolve further, we need to start absorbing data. Even so, it normally takes several decades to reach the Champion level, and several centuries to reach Ultimate. Most Digimon never make it to the Mega level, but it takes a long time for those that do unless there are extenuating circumstances most likely a millennium or two."

Takuya tried to process all this. "So, wait, you guys must have like a super long lifespan then."

Shoutmon gave him a strange look. "Unless we're killed, our lifespans are eternal. We're considered to be babies at the Baby and In-Training level, children at the Rookie level, and adults at the Champion and up, but it has no bearings on our ages."

Davis whistled. "Lucky. We humans only live about 80 or 90 years."

Shoutmon's mouth dropped open. "So you have limited lifespans and you stay dead. Sheesh, being human sucks."

"Hey!"

"Well," said Kari, "our souls live on after our deaths. Do you Digimon have souls?"

Shoutmon rolled his eyes. "Duh. Just what do you think our Digi-Cores are? It contains everything we are and will be. Or could be for that matter."

Tai's eyebrows rose with interest. "Could be?"

"Oh, sure. We Digimon have numerous Digivolution lines we can take. Each one has a different nature. When Ogremon's egg hatches, if he takes a different Digivolution path, he could become a really nice guy if it's in his form's nature."

"Wow," said TK, "talk about your different life choices. And I thought deciding what you want to be when you grew up was a hard decision." As an afterthought he added, "I always wanted to be a novelist."

Kari smiled. "I want to be a kindergarten teacher."

Davis puffed out his chest. "I want to open a noodle cart," he said proudly. This earned him strange looks from everyone, and he gave them a blank look. "What?"

"Well," said Tai, "in order to do that, we'll need to find a way home."

Shoutmon waved his arms. "I told you, I don't know how to get you home! I didn't even know it was possible to cross over!" His eyes widened and he snapped his fingers. "But I know someone that might. He may even be able to answer more of our questions, such as how you got here in the first place, and why you can turn into Digimon."

"Great," Takuya replied. "Who is it?"

Shoutmon grinned. "He's an old friend of mine, a wise and powerful Mega level Digimon named Cherubimon. He and I go way back. If anyone can help you out, he can."

Tai grasped the air excitedly. "Awesome. So how do we get to him?"

"Oh," Shoutmon replied. "He lives across the ocean, and over many miles of land."

That wasn't exactly what they had been hoping to hear, and his statement was met with silence until…

"Are you kidding me?" Davis shouted.

The dragon Digimon winced. "Hey, it's not my fault he's so far away. We are on an island after all."

"Perfect," Tai muttered sarcastically. "So how are we supposed to get there?"

A grin crept up Shoutmon's face and his eyes lit up. "Don't worry, I'll take you there. And along the way, I'll help you master your Digimon forms." He rubbed his hands together gleefully. 'And they can help me with a few of my problems as well.'

Kari gave him an appreciative smile. "Thanks, Shoutmon. We definitely owe you for this."

He grinned. "Actually, I'm the one who owes you guys for saving me from Ogremon," he pointed out. "So, as King of the Digital World, I hereby dub you six… um… the, uh, the DigiDestined Data Squad!"

Takato blinked. "Um, the Digi who now?"

"Digi Digi, mon mon," Davis complained. "What's with all these unoriginal names? Digimon, Digivolve, Digi-Port, Digi-Card, Digi-Core, Digi-Egg, Digivolution, Digitama, Digivice, DigiDestined. Am I leaving any out? And why does everyone's name end in 'mon'? What's that even mean?"

"Doesn't it mean 'monster'?" TK asked. He looked back at the dragon Digimon. "You're a Shoutmon, meaning you're a 'shout monster', right?"

"No, I'm a Rookie level dragon Digital Monster. You don't see me calling you 'TK human', or 'Takuya human', do you?"

Takuya blinked. "Hey, I didn't say anything; don't bring me into this."

"You guys, stop it," Tai interrupted. "What we need to worry about is how to get to this Cherubimon guy. Shoutmon, how do we get there?"

Before he could reply, several leaves and branches came falling down on top of them. Looking up, they saw Kuwagamon resting on the treetop, looking down at them with drool dripping from its jaws as its pincers snapped.

"Um, I think we have a bigger problem," TK muttered.

 

Notes:

(A/N: More trouble. I'm sure everyone remembers how nasty Kuwagamon can be. But at least our heroes have a new friend to help them out. And it's the supposed king of the Digital World too. But at least he's agreed to help. Going to see Cherubimon is a Season 4 theme, but it's not to defeat him in this. Also, as you've probably guessed, Takato's love for Digimon has been substituted for Pokémon. I also through in Guilmon's misunderstanding about adding the 'mon' at the end of their names. I also addressed a few of the things I always wondered about, like how Digimon tell each other apart. And yes, there are, as of now 1,182 different Digimon at this time, but that number will more than likely go up, especially with the upcoming Digimon Tri. And for when I was describing the Digivolution levels, that part about the Super Ultimate level also being known as the Ultra level is what the English dub are calling it. That'll take some getting used to. That's pretty much all I have to say. Sorry for the cliffhanger ending. I'll see you next time.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Cherubimon_(Good)

http://digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Kuwagamon

Chapter 5: Bug Off

Notes:

(A/N: Ok, we've got another battle scene coming up. This one will be longer and more action packed than the last one. So, any guesses as to who will become a Digimon this time and who they are?)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 5: Bug Off

Kuwagamon crawled down the tree, towering over them even taller than Ogremon, and looking far more ferocious.

"Darn it," Shoutmon grumbled. "I thought we got away from him." He cracked his knuckles. "Well, here goes nothing. Fiery Fastball!"

He threw the fireball, and it exploded against the insect Digimon's face, making it growl.

"Bad idea," he acknowledged nervously.

"Yeah, no kidding," said Tai.

Shoutmon materialized his microphone. "Fine then try this one on for size." He charged at Kuwagamon, raising his mic. "Rock and Ro-"

Kuwagamon backhanded him, sending the dragon Digimon flying until he disappeared into the sky.

"Some king," Davis muttered.

The insect Digimon's attention shifted to them, and his claw shot out. The teens dove out of the way as Kuwagamon's claw shattered the ground.

"Didn't we just get out of a situation like this?" Kari rhetorically asked.

"Hey, Tai," Takato called, "better turn into Greymon again."

He nodded. "Good idea."

"No, wait!" Davis cried, whipping out his Digivice. "I'll do it this time." He held up his Digivice. "Go, Digimon transformation!"

They waited, but nothing happened. Even Kuwagamon stared at them curiously, but quickly lost his patience and growled.

Davis frowned and began tapping his Digivice. "Hey, why isn't it working?"

With a snarl, Kuwagamon swiped at him. He ducked down, dropping his Digivice as the insect Digimon approached. Making a grab for it, he pulled it out of the way right before Kuwagamon would have stomped down on it.

"Quick, run!" TK shouted.

Davis didn't need to be told twice and quickly followed after the others. "I don't understand. Why didn't it work?"

"Who knows?" said Takato. "Maybe it takes longer for some to get started."

"Well, what did you do for yours, Tai?" Kari asked.

Still running, he looked down at his Digivice. "I have no idea. Maybe I hit a button or something."

"Better start pressing buttons then," TK suggested, "cause here he comes."

Snarling, Kuwagamon flew overhead, his pincers snapping together. Lashing out with his claws, he cried, "Scissors Claw!"

"Down!" Takuya shouted, and they all dropped to the ground.

Kuwagamon's claw swiped above them. And while the teens had stopped, the insect Digimon had kept flying. But he quickly doubled back, speeding towards them again.

"Quick, this way!" Kari cried, jumping to her feet and rushing into the trees.

Following her, they ran off the path and over to a denser part of the forest. Kuwagamon's pincers opened wide to grab them, but they slipped through a group of tightly packed trees with thick trunks. Kuwagamon slammed face first into a tree, a pincer on either side of the trunk, and remained still.

The teens waited a few moments for him to get up, but there was no movement, and they breathed sighs of relief.

"That was close," Tai muttered. "Good call, Kari."

"Yeah, I thought we were done for," said Takato.

Smirking, Davis marched over to the unconscious Kuwagamon. "Knocked yourself out cold, huh? Serves you right, you big bully."

He kicked one of the pincers, and they clamped down on the tree. As Davis yelped and jumped back, Kuwagamon rose to his feet, ripping the entire tree up with him. His pincers squeezed tightly, snapping the entire tree in half. With a vicious snarl, the insect Digimon began forcing his way through the gap he created.

"Now what?" Takato cried. "This guy just keeps coming!"

Tai looked at his Digivice again and began pressing buttons. "If only I could get this stupid thing to work again."

But it wasn't working. The screen remained blank. Becoming frustrated, he began slamming it against the tree. "Come on, you piece of junk! My friends and I are in trouble! We need you to work right now!"

He slammed it against the tree again… and it activated. The image of Agumon appeared on the screen, but the image was then swapped out for Greymon. A button at the top began flashing red, and the words Spirit Evolution appeared across the screen in bright green letters.

"It's working!" he exclaimed as Kuwagamon began to break through.

"Tai, do something!" Kari yelled.

He held up his Digivice, pressing the button at the top as he shouted "Spirit Evolution!"

It was the same as before. Bands of Fractal Code flowed out of the Digivice and wrapped around him in an egg-shaped cocoon. And when it burst open, Greymon had returned in Tai's place.

Kuwagamon was taken aback with the sudden appearance of the dinosaur Digimon. Greymon didn't give him time to look as he made a fist and punched the insect Digimon in its eyeless face, knocking it back out onto the path.

Bursting through the trees, Greymon growled as the insect Digimon got to its feet. "So, you thought you could pick on me and my friends. Well, I think you need a lesson in manners. Nova Blast!"

Kuwagamon jumped up and began flying, avoiding the attack. With a vicious snarl, he flew at Greymon. "Body Blow!"

He tackled the dinosaur Digimon, but Greymon dug his clawed feet into the ground, preventing him from being knocked over. "Fire Wall!"

He breathed fire again, but it was different from his Nova Blast. Fire seeped out of his mouth and fell to the ground before rising high into the air. A wall of fire now separated him and the insect Digimon, who recoiled from the flames.

"Greymon, you can do it!" Takuya shouted at him.

The dinosaur Digimon glanced at him. 'So they're actually calling me Greymon now?'

Noticing he was distracted, Kuwagamon flew in. Grabbing him by the horns, he lifted him up in the air. Greymon roared as all his lower bodyweight pulled at his neck. With a cackle, Kuwagamon flew them higher as Greymon struggled to get free.

"Let me go, you overgrown locust. Fire Horn!"

The very horns Kuwagamon was holding caught fire. He snarled loudly and dropped him. Greymon plummeted to the ground. Not yet used to his dinosaur body, he was unable to maneuver himself properly and he landed painfully on his back with a grunt.

Kuwagamon circled around overhead as Greymon cracked an eye open. Grumbling, he got to his feet, ignoring his aching back. This insect Digimon was proving to be even stronger than Ogremon, but he wasn't about to give up.

"Well, come on then!" he shouted up at him. "I'm still standing!"

Accepting his challenge, Kuwagamon swooped down towards him. Eyes narrowing, Greymon opened his mouth and fired a series Nova Blast attacks. But Kuwagamon was fast, and he maneuvered around them as he approached.

"Scissors Claw!"

Greymon raised his arms, feeling Kuwagamon's claws slash at his skin. He reached out as the insect Digimon flew by, grabbing his leg and pulling him back.

"Ready to go for a ride?"

He began spinning him around, then threw him against the trees. Kuwagamon surprised him though by using his wings to reduce his momentum and kick off a tree, speeding towards the dinosaur Digimon.

Pincers opening, Kuwagamon used his Trap Scissors attack. Greymon grabbed hold of them as they clamped down on his neck, barely preventing them from taking his head off. A feeling of déjà vu hit him as he recalled how he defeated Ogremon.

"Nova Bla-"

Kuwagamon's pincers tightened, squeezing Greymon's throat. He gagged on his attack, coughing out a cloud of smoke as he tried to pry off the insect Digimon's mandibles.

"Come on!" Davis shouted. "He's a bug, you're a dinosaur! This should be simple!"

'Easy for you to say,' Greymon thought irritably.

Realizing he wouldn't be able to get the insect Digimon off him, he leaned back, using his tail for balance. Kicking outward, he knocked his foe off him, feeling the sharp pincers scrape his neck.

Planting his feet on the ground, he lowered his head and charged at Kuwagamon, plowing into him with his Great Antler attack. This time it was Kuwagamon that caught him. The two struggled to push the other back as Kuwagamon used his extra arms, to punch Greymon in the side, earning him a painful grunt with each blow.

"Bit Fire!" Greymon roared, opening his mouth to breathe fire. Rather than a fireball, he unleashed a stream of fire. Kuwagamon cringed away from the flames, and Greymon used the opportunity to duck down and jab upwards with his Horn Impulse, impaling the insect Digimon on his horns and lifting him into the air.

"Alright, he got him now!" Takato cheered.

Greymon charged towards the trees, taking Kuwagamon with him, slamming the insect Digimon into the vegetation. Kuwagamon cried out and went down, but immediately started to get to his feet again once Greymon backed off.

"Just stay down," the dinosaur Digimon told him. "There's no point in dragging this out any longer."

In response, Kuwagamon lunged at him. The two became locked together, palms grasped, trying to push the other back, the insect Digimon's extra arms grasping and pushing at Greymon's horns.

"Power Guillotine!" Kuwagamon cried.

His pincers began glowing, and he snapped them at his opponent. Greymon leaned back as far as he could to avoid the glowing pincers, somehow knowing that they would be able to slice his head clean off.

"Nova Blast!"

He spat a fireball at the insect Digimon, and it exploded in his face. The insect Digimon stumbled back, and Greymon used the opportunity to spin around and use his Tail Crash attack to knock him back into the trees. He followed up with a series of Nova Blasts, firing off three more against the insect Digimon.

When the smoke cleared. Kuwagamon was standing once more, but he was in bad shape. Greymon was ready, preparing to fire another attack as the insect Digimon stepped forward, only to collapse to the ground. One last snarl escaped him before the breath left his body, and he went still. A moment later, his body burst into data, just as Ogremon's had upon his death, and he was gone.

The threat had passed, and Greymon dropped to a sitting position, exhausted. Remembering what Shoutmon had told him about DeDigivolving, he reverted back to his human form as his sister and his friends rushed over to him.

"Tai!" Kari cried, wrapping her arms around him. "Are you alright? Please tell me you're not hurt."

His hand came up and covered one of hers. "I'm ok, just a little sore. That guy was a lot stronger than Ogremon."

"Yeah, I thought he had you a few times," Takato admitted.

"No way!" Davis cried. "Tai's too awesome to let some overgrown bug take him down!"

Tai gave his look-alike a grateful but sad smile. "I appreciate the good faith, but this isn't a game. To be honest, that fight was pretty tough. And if Kuwagamon was only a Champion, I'd hate to think what an Ultimate is like, let alone a Mega."

TK nodded in agreement. "I say we find a way home before we run into one."

Takuya looked upon the horizon. "We'll need to meet up with this Cherubimon fellow in order to do that. And we need Shoutmon to take us there. We better go find the guy."

"Speaking of which," said Takato, looking around, "did anyone see where he landed?"

"Dude, I don't even know where we are," Davis replied. "I got totally turned around when Kuwagamon came after us."

Kari looked worried. "I hope he's ok. He got hit pretty hard."

Tai forced a smile. "I'm sure it's nothing the 'Digimon King' can't handle, but Takuya's right, we better go look for the little guy."

Holding up his hand to shade his eyes, Takato looked at the setting sun. "We better hurry then. It looks like it's going to be dark soon. I'd hate to be stuck out in the open at night."

TK frowned. "The sun's setting already? But we've only been here for a couple of hours. It shouldn't be getting dark already."

"Maybe the days are shorter here," Kari suggested. "Or maybe we arrived at a different time of day then when it was in Japan."

"That makes sense," her brother agreed. "Earth alone has several different time zones. If we're really in another world, it only makes sense that we'd most likely end up in another time zone than the one we were in, even if the days here are also 24 hours."

Feeling uncertain, Takato looked to the others. "So, should we go look for Shoutmon, or should we find some shelter?"

Takuya glanced at his watch. "I say we search for Shoutmon for a little bit. If we can't find him in about half an hour, we'll look for shelter."

Tai nodded in agreement. "Good idea. But stay together. The last thing we need is for someone else getting lost."

Notes:

(A/N: A tougher battle than the one with Ogremon. I bet you thought someone else was going to Spirit Evolve, huh? Well, not today. Tai still saved the day though. But now they're lost without a guide. What's become of Shoutmon? What will become of them? You'll have to stay tuned for more. Next chapter will be a bit more interesting. I am to update every week. See you then. And if you have any guesses as to who will Spirit Evolve next or of any Digimon they should fight, feel free to let me know. This is going to be a long ongoing fic, so I'm open for suggestions.)

Chapter 6: Little Devil

Notes:

(A/N: I had trouble logging on the past two days. Anyone else have that problem? Actually, that may have been my fault. I noticed that even though I was getting Reviews for my stories, the Hits weren't increasing. I contacted the site administrators, and two days later, the login wasn't working. I assumed they were fixing the problem. Anyway, apparently I can log in again. So, here's the next chapter, that I had an especially good time writing.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 6: Little Devil

The mini-devil Digimon kicked a rock as he wandered around the forest. He was completely and utterly bored. There wasn't anything he hated more than being bored. What he needed was some entertainment.

"I gotta get off this ruddy island and back into the world where all the real fun is," he muttered.

Picking up a random leaf, he set it ablaze, watching as it was reduced to ashes in less than a second. Playing with fire was fun to some degree, but he'd much rather have someone else to play with. He, however, would most likely be the only one having fun though.

A sleepy grunt drew his attention. He recognized the sleeping form of the Champion level vegetation Digimon known as Woodmon. Pouting, he hopped away from it, jumping into a tree. For a moment, he thought he'd found someone to amuse himself with, but he knew he was no match for a Champion.

"Being a Rookie is no fun. How can yous find anyone to pick on if they can all kick your butt, huh? Ba-boom."

He laid back with his arms behind his head, bending one knee as he let his other one hang over the side. Glancing back at Woodmon, he considered throwing a fireball in its face for a rude awakening and then making a run for it. Woodmon were known for having a temper though. If it found him, he might find himself as a Digi-Egg again. He'd only just become a Rookie a couple of weeks ago; he was in no hurry to become an egg again any time soon. But by the Sovereigns he was bored.

Before he could decide whether or not to risk it, he noticed a light in the distance. It was the light of a fire, he knew this for sure due to his experience with the element.

Jumping from tree branch to tree branch, he made his way closer to the light. He saw it was indeed coming from a fire, a campfire from to be more precise. There were a total of six strange creatures around it. Five were asleep while one remained awake, tending to the fire. He had no idea what these things were. Perhaps some new species of Digimon? Or maybe even an entirely different Digital life form altogether; there were a few non-Digimon Digital creatures in the world, such as the DigiGnomes.

A mischievous smile crept up his face. "Well, whatever these things are, I plan on havin' some fun with them, bada boom!"

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TK was on watch duty. It was decided that they would each take 90 minute shifts throughout the night to make sure that the fire didn't go out, and to make sure no one attacked them. Tai, whom all of them seemed to look to for leadership, had wanted to take the first watch, but after having fought twice today already, the other had insisted he go to bed, and it was decided that he would take the last shift.

Davis had had the previous shift, and he had barely woken up TK for his turn before he was out like a light, snoring loudly. So now he sat here, watching the fire burn, occasionally adding more wood to it. He thought about his parents and brother back in the Real World. They must be worried sick about him. He wished he could at least let them know he was ok and trying to get back to them.

They'd had no luck finding Shoutmon. None of them had wanted to admit it, but they had to consider the possibility that he was dead. He had gone flying pretty far after Kuwagamon had sent him "blasting off Team Rocket style", as Takato had put it. They had hoped that he had survived since Digimon were clearly far more durable than humans were, but even if he were dead, he wouldn't have even left a body behind for them to find since Digimon broke down into data upon death. And if that was the case, then they were lost in this strange world without any hope of getting back home.

"TK?"

He turned to find Kari awake. It was her shift now, and he was supposed to have woken her up 20 minutes ago, but he had decided to let her sleep a little longer.

"Hey," he greeted. "Sleep ok?"

She sat down on the log beside him. "As well as can be. I had hoped to wake up and find that everything had been a bad dream."

He'd been hoping for something similar. "Sorry, no such luck."

Beside him, there was a pile of apples they had collected from a tree while searching for Shoutmon. He picked one up and offered it to her, which she gratefully accepted, before biting into one himself.

"So what were you thinking about?" she asked.

He chuckled; she'd always been able to read him so well. "Just about everyone back home."

She smiled sadly. "Yeah, I guess you would be. Me too. They must be really worried about us." She took a bite of her apple. "You know no one is ever going to believe us."

That went without saying. What would they tell everyone when, and if, they made it back? "We'll figure something out. We've always been a great team."

This was true as well. He'd been close friends with Kari and Tai ever since they were little, and he and her had always had a special bond. If he had to choose anyone to be with him, aside from his brother, it would be the two of them. Davis too, to some extent. They'd met and become friends with him just last year, but he was a good guy if you overlooked his obnoxious attitude and many flaws.

As for Takato and Takuya, he hadn't met them until the day they were drawn into the Digital World. Takato seemed very cheerful and friendly, but came across as rather naïve, and Takuya was brave and caring, though a little stubborn and hotheaded at times. They both seemed like nice guys though. He hadn't had much time to get to know Shoutmon, but he didn't seem like a bad guy, and he was, currently, their only hope of getting home.

"I hope Shoutmon is ok," Kari said, seeming to read his thoughts.

Not wanting to dampen her spirits her spirits, he gave her a teasing smile. "Don't worry, Tai's right. I'm sure the 'Digimon King' can take care of himself."

Kari giggled at that. "Yeah, the Digimon King. Do you think it's really true?"

He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Sounds more like an ego trip to me. I wonder how long he'll keep up the act."

Kari frowned. TK's implication that he was alive brought on the fear that he wasn't. "What if he's gone? What if we can't get home?"

Instinctively, he reached over and placed his hand over hers. "Don't think that way. We'll make it; I know we will. I'll make sure you get home safely."

In response, she turned her hand over and grasped his. "You're always so hopeful, TK. Thanks."

He was glad to see her smiling again and gave her one of his own. "You know I'd do anything for you."

"TK…"

They suddenly found themselves leaning closer. TK wasn't sure who had begun to lean in first. The only thing he could think about was how beautiful she looked in the firelight. He wanted to…

"Bada Boom!"

The two of them sprang apart, yelping in surprise as a dark purple imp-like Digimon jumped down in front of them. They stared down at it in surprise as it crossed its arms and looked up at them.

"Yous two is making me sick with all that mushy stuff. And what's all this nonsense about getting home. Yous fellas lost or somethin'?" Snatching an apple from the pile, he bit the entire fruit in half. "Whatta yous deaf? I asked yous a question."

TK shook his head, getting over his surprise. "Excuse me, but who are you?"

Gulping down the rest of the apple, he grabbed another one. "The name's Impmon. Now, yous gonna answer me, or am I gonna have ta throw a Bada Boom in your kisser?"

"Oh," said Kari, snapping out of it, "yes, we're lost. We're actually humans that somehow came to this world."

Impmon finished his second apple and grabbed a third. "Hmm, humans, huh? Guess that's why yous guys is so funny lookin'."

Though TK wasn't one to judge others by their appearance, he didn't think the mini-devil Digimon had any right to call them funny looking; the guy had a sharp-tooth smiley face on his chest.

"Hey, um, you haven't seen a Digimon called Shoutmon anywhere around here, have you?" he asked.

Impmon didn't even bother to look at him as he snatched his fourth apple. "Nah, yous guys is the only losers I've seen around here."

He was certainly very rude, and he was eating all their food!

"Um, excuse me, Mr. Impmon," said Kari, "do you think you could stop eating our food, please? We need to share them for breakfast."

Impmon finished the apple and glared at her. "What, yous think you own all the apples in the world?" He held up a finger, and a flame appeared on the tip. "You wants somethin' ta eat, then eat this! Bada Boom!"

He threw the small fireball at her. TK managed to pull her out of the way, but Impmon was just getting started. "There's more where that came from. Pillars of Fire!"

Holding up his hand, little flames appeared at the ends of all six fingers and began flying around. TK and Kari cried out as the fireballs flew around their heads, Impmon laughing all the while. The noise finally managed to stir the others, and Tai, Takato, and Takuya all woke up while Davis continued snoring.

"Hey, what's all the racket?" Takato muttered sleepily.

Impmon turned to him, creating another fireball. "You wants some too, pipsqueak? Bada Boom!"

He threw the fireball, but Takato, suddenly wide-awake, ducked underneath it. Smirking, Impmon glanced at the still sleeping Davis. "Hey, pal, join the party. Bada Boom!"

The fireball hit Davis' rear end. For a few seconds he just continued to sleep, then he awoke screaming. Quickly identifying the problem, he smothered his flaming backside by rubbing it on the ground while Impmon laughed.

"I got enough for everyone. Infernal Funnel Fire!" Holding out his hand, a portal appeared by his feet. It opened up, and a much larger flame floated out.

The teens made a run for it as the large fireball flew at them, exploding against the ground where they had been. Impmon grinned as he hopped after them. "What's wrong? Yous don't like fire? Then how about some ice! Night of Blizzards!"

He thrust his hands outward, and everything began to freeze. Fortunately, the teens were able to outrun the attack, and the ice stopped a short distance behind them. Impmon just laughed and skated across the frozen ground before hopping after them, throwing Bada Boom after Bada Boom.

"Why is everyone trying to kill us?" Davis asked, avoiding another fireball. "Are all Digimon bad?"

"I think this guy is just a bully!" TK replied, running along side him. "Hey, Tai, you want to do that Spirit Evolution thing?"

Tai was already ahead of him. "I'm trying, but it's not working!"

"Just do what you did before," Takuya told him.

Tai shook his head. "No, it's different this time. It's like it doesn't have any power."

"Maybe you need to recharge it, or change the batteries," Takato suggested.

He glared at him. "Just how am I supposed to do that?"

Impmon, with his long jumps, was quickly catching up. "Whatta yous yappin' about? Machine Gun Kicks!"

He landed on Davis' back with a series of kicks, knocking him to the ground. With a sneer, he looked at the others and raised his hand. "Air Night of Fire!"

Flames shot through the air and came down in their path, cutting off their escape. Impmon snickered as Davis looked up at the little creature standing on his back, glaring at him. "Hey, get off my back, you little imp!"

The mini-devil Digimon scowled down at him and pressed his foot against Davis' cheek, pushing his face into the dirt. "You talkin' ta me, wise guy? If so, yous better be showin' the proper respect."

At least he wasn't throwing fireballs at them anymore.

"Why are you doing this?" Kari asked. "We didn't do anything to you."

He raised an eyebrow. "Why am I doin' this? It's very simple, toots, because I can. And when you can do somethin', yous should do it, otherwise yous might as well not do anythin', and I hate havin' nothin' ta do, ba-boom."

Tai blinked. "I'm not sure I agree with your logic."

Impmon glared at him. "Yeah? As if I care what yous think. Here's a little goin' away present for ya. Summon!"

A similar portal to the one he conjured earlier appeared, only when this one opened, a gathering of fire and ice rose up out if it and accumulated in front of him.

Takato gulped nervously. "We could really use Greymon right about now."

That much was obvious. Tai had managed to figure out how to activate his Digivice, which did not include banging it against a tree, but now it just wasn't working. TV static occupied the screen rather than Agumon's image, and he feared it might be broken.

"Kiss your keisters goodbye!" Impmon declared, motioning forward.

As the attack flew at the teens, movement came from behind. Leaping into the air over their heads was a small figure, rushing towards the mini-devil Digimon.

"Rock and Roller!"

Impmon's eyes widened in surprise as a microphone slammed into the side of his head, knocking him off Davis' back and sending his attack off course.

"Honestly," their rescuer muttered, "you guys wouldn't even last a day without me."

"Shoutmon!" Kari cried, happy to see their missing friend. "You're alive!"

He winked at her. "Of course I'm alive, sweetheart. Did you miss me?"

"Did we ever!" Takato replied. "We've been lost without you. Literally."

An angry growl came from Impmon as he got to his feet, glaring at the dragon Digimon. "Hey, that hurt, ya punk. Take this. Bada Boom!"

Shoutmon easily knocked the fireball away with his microphone. "Apparently, I didn't hit you hard enough."

"Yeah, well, same to you! Infernal Funnel Fire!"

"Fiery Fastball!" Shoutmon countered.

The two fireballs collided with each other. Shoutmon's was stronger, and it knocked away Impmon's attack. The mini-devil Digimon cried out as the attack exploded against him, and Impmon was sent tumbling away in a series of backwards summersaults until he slammed into the trunk of a tree.

Groaning, he reached up and grabbed his pointy ears, looking at the singed ends. "That's gonna sting for days," he pouted. Looking back at Shoutmon, his pout became a scowl as he angrily jumped to his feet and began shaking his fist. "Now listen here, pipsqueak, I ain't gonna fight yous if yous gonna fight back!"

With that, he jumped into the tree and began hopping from one to the other as he made his escape.

Shoutmon humphed as he converted his microphone back into data. "Ruddy coward." He smiled up at those he had officially dubbed the DigiDestined. "So, care to tell me where you've been."

TK blinked. "Wait, where've we've been?"

"Yeah, I've been looking all over for you."

"Excuse me?" Takuya exclaimed. "We're the one who have been looking for you."

"Yeah, what he said," said Davis as he got to his feet and dusted himself off. "We thought you might have been killed by Kuwagamon."

But Shoutmon just waved this off. "Please, as if I could be killed by some lousy bug. Speaking of which, what happened to him anyway?"

"Tai turned into Greymon again and saved us," TK replied.

Shoutmon just scoffed at this. "You mean to tell me that you beat Kuwagamon, but you couldn't handle that guy?"

"Hey, it's not my fault!" Tai objected. "The stupid Digivice isn't working, look."

He showed it to Shoutmon. The dragon Digimon examined it curiously, noting the static-filled screen.

"Any ideas why it's not working?" Takato asked.

"Hmm…" He tapped his chin. "I can't say for sure, but if I had to take a guess, I'd say it's out of power. Digimon do run out of energy, you know; our power isn't limitless. I'm sure it will start working again soon."

"Then what about ours?" Davis asked, holding up his to show the blank screen. "Why didn't I Spirit Evolve when I tried."

Shoutmon raised an eyebrow. "Spirit Evolve, huh? Is that what you're calling it?" He shrugged. "Well, whatever floats your boat, I suppose."

"Shoutmon!"

"How should I know why it's not working?" the dragon Digimon cried. "I didn't design the thing. Maybe the code just hasn't been activated yet. I don't know. Jeez, cut me some slack here. I told you before, if you want some real answers, you're going to have to ask Cherubimon."

"Fine, then," Tai mumbled, "we'll go see Cherubimon. Are you gonna take us there, or what?"

"Of course I am! I said I would!"

"Good, then lets go!"

"Yeah, lets go right now!" Davis added.

"Fine, we'll go right now!" Shoutmon snapped.

For a few seconds, the three of them just stared each other down, and then…

"Or we could go in the morning."

"Morning works."

"Yeah, we'll go in the morning."

The others sighed.

Notes:

(A/N: Well, they've been reunited with Shoutmon. Now the journey can get underway. But is Impmon gone for good? As you can probably guess, I got this chapter from the episodes Impmon made his debut in Season 3. His accent was annoying to write though. And speaking of annoying, he interrupted a Takari moment. But don't worry, there'll be others. On a more important note, Tai's Digivice isn't working. Is it simply out of power, or is it broken? There's a lot more to come, so stay tuned, the adventure is just beginning.)

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New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Impmon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Woodmon

Chapter 7: Shadows of Home

Notes:

(A/N: Alright, the chapters are getting longer as the adventure goes on. Things may get a little confusing in this chapter, and you're sure to have a lot of questions, but I think you'll figure out most of what's going on by the end of it. if not, you'll get your answers next chapter. So, lets begin.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 7: Shadows of Home

As it turned out, not all Digimon were hostile. Over the next two days, as they made their way towards the ocean, the group had run into others that hadn't attacked them. Some were rather nice, and most paid them no mind at all, except for being surprised at seeing humans in the Digital World.

"Many Digimon are peaceful," Shoutmon told them. "They just want to go about their everyday lives. When they do fight, it's either in self-defense or to obtain enough data to reach a level of strength in order to live peaceful lives."

"Putting it that way almost makes it sound like they're people trying to climb the corporate ladder," Tai noted, "only it's done through battle."

"I have no idea what you're talking about?" Shoutmon mumbled. "But there are some real evil Digimon too that really cause trouble. Especially…" He trailed off, seemingly lost in thought. "Never mind. Just know that the Digital World is in a real crisis right now due to some really bad Digimon. And lots of other Digimon are being recruited to their cause. Some out of fear, some because they want power, and others are simply following the masses."

"That's unsettling," Kari muttered. "Who are these bad Digimon?"

Shoutmon just shivered. "Trust me, you don't want to know."

He wouldn't say anything more on the subject, and instead diverted the conversation by asking them questions about their world. They answered as best as they could and described what the Real World and everyday life was like in great detail, often confusing the dragon Digimon.

"Humans are so weird," he said every so often.

It wasn't until later that they ran into a Digimon that resembled a giant cactus wearing boxing gloves. The Digivice, and Shoutmon, revealed it to be Togemon, a Champion level Digimon. The teens fully expected a fight when it came stomping over to them, but we're surprised when it addressed them in a kind voice.

"I would advice against going this way," the vegetation Digimon told them. "Beyond these trees, there's a canyon up ahead that's practically a maze. It'll take a few days, but you should really go around it."

Upon hearing this, the teens shared a look before Tai addressed the seemingly female Digimon. "We appreciate the suggestion, but we've already been in this world for a few days, and our parents are bound to be worried about us. We need to get home as soon as possible."

At his words, Shoutmon shifted uncomfortably. He'd been planning on telling them eventually, but didn't think he could put it off any longer. "Guys, I hate to tell you this, but it'll probably be a few months before we reach Cherubimon's palace."

His news brought looks of depression to the teens' faces, but they didn't look surprised.

"We already knew that," Takuya admitted.

"After all," said Tai, "you did say he lived thousands of miles away, and we're trying to get there on foot. We need to save as much time as possible.

Togemon just shrugged. "Well, I warned you. You're on your own from here."

Davis gave her a thumbs up. "Don't worry about it. If it's like a maze, we'll just do that keep your hand on the left side of the wall thing and we'll eventually find our way out."

The vegetation Digimon turned to leave. "Just be careful. There's a real nasty Digimon who lives in there too. Be on your guard."

"Great," Takato muttered. "Well, thanks for the warning, we'll keep it in mind."

With Togemon's warning appreciatively received, they continued onward. After a good ten more minutes of walking, they exited the forest and came across the entrance to the canyon the Vegetation Digimon had spoke of, the walls stretching up high at least a good 100 feet. Just looking at it, they could see tell it went on for several miles.

"We still going to do this?" Takuya asked.

"Of course we are," Davis replied. "And just to make sure we don't get lost, we can leave landmarks or something at every turn we take."

"I guess that'll work," TK agreed.

Kari looked hesitant. "But what about that Digimon Togemon warned us about?"

Tai placed a hand on her shoulder. "We'll be ok, Kari. We have Shoutmon with us, plus my Digivice is working again. Besides, if it's really like a maze in there, we probably won't run into anyone."

She smiled at that. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

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He had picked up on their scent almost as soon as they entered the canyon. The wind blowing through the rock walls carried the scent of any who entered. And with his sharp sense of smell, he had easily found them through the maze, even when they were miles away from him.

He'd been watching them for the better part of two hours now as they tried to find their way out; it was rather amusing. Though the canyon was indeed a pretty elaborate maze, it wasn't impossible to get out. He, however, knew this place inside and out, giving him an excellent advantage.

But still, he didn't know what those creatures were. One of them was a Shoutmon, he knew that. At the Rookie level, he could be easily dealt with, but if he could Digivolve, that might be a problem. The other creatures though, well, it wasn't wise to go after prey if you didn't know what it was.

Using a unique ability of his, he was able to glance into the minds of the strange creatures. Humans, were they? Rather weak creatures when compared to Digimon of the Rookie level and up, yet they made up for it with their intellect. However, that one with all the hair could somehow turn into a Greymon through the use of some strange device. That was interesting.

It didn't matter though. He was a master of deception and knew exactly what to do to catch someone off guard. These humans would be easy prey, but it would be best to separate them first. And inside this canyon, that wouldn't be a problem.

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"Looks like we've got a decision to make," said Tai as he looked at the five different paths they could take. "We better choose carefully, or else we might end up walking in a circle."

"We've already been walking for ages!" Davis complained. "Are we ever going to get out of here?"

"It's only been a couple of hours, Davis," TK told him. "And the canyon does go on for several miles. Even if we weren't in here, it would still take us a while to walk that distance."

Davis openly pouted. "Yeah, but at least we'd be out in the open."

"Hush!" Shoutmon snapped. "You're being too loud. We don't want to draw any attention to ourselves. For all we know, that Digimon that Togemon told us about could be around here."

Takato tensed up. "Where?"

"Right here!" A voice from up above cried, finding the opportunity too good to pass up. "Blast Coffin!"

A beam of dark energy flew from his mouth. His target wasn't the teens though, but the walls of the canyon. Rocks cracked and broke apart, falling to the ground as an avalanche commenced. With deranged laughter, the unknown Digimon unleashed his attack once more, firing it at the ground around the teens, stirring up a large dust cloud.

"Run!" Shoutmon shouted, rushing off with his hands over his head protectively as the rocks continued to fall.

The teens attempted to run after him, but couldn't see through all the dust. Occasionally, they would be cut off as another attack was fired at them, seemingly in an attempt to drive them apart.

Tai, being the oldest and fastest, was able to keep up with Shoutmon. They finally made it out of the dust cloud, coughing and sputtering as they waited for the others to catch up. But as the dust settled, it soon became apparent that no one else was coming. A large pile of rocks cut them off from the others, or worse, had crushed them to death.

"Kari!" Tai shouted, rushing to the rocks. "Kari! Kari! Kari!"

"Tai, what are you doing?" Shoutmon cried as Tai attempted to push the rocks aside.

"What do you think?" he demanded. "I have to get to Kari and the others!"

Shoutmon began waving his arms in warning. "Stop! Stop! Just look at what you're doing! You're going to make that whole pile fall on top of you!"

"I don't care! She's my sister; I have to help her!" His eyes widened. "I know," he took out his Digivice, "I'll just Spirit Evolve to Greymon and blast through!"

Shoutmon growled. "Will you just stop and think for a minute! If you do that, you'll just cause another avalanche. Now listen, I'm sure we all just got separated by taking different paths. We can meet up with them if we continue on."

"Kari…" Tai whispered, dropping to his knees as tears threatened to fall. "Kari…"

He began pounding his fist on the ground. He wasn't quite weeping, but continued to emit dry sobs as he worried over his sister.

Shoutmon let him be for a while, letting him get out his grief. He too was worried for their friends, but he also had more confidence in them. Once Tai recovered, they would go find them.

At least that was the plan, but he suddenly saw something that made his jaw drop. Or, more to the point, someone. This person walked right over to Tai and stood over him, waiting patiently.

Becoming conscious that he was being watched, Tai looked up. Standing before him was a girl of his age. The shock of it made him momentarily forget his grief as he stared. He couldn't believe what he was seeing because, not only did he knew her, but because she was supposed to be in the Real World.

"S-Sora?" he stammered.

The girl's face lit up. "Tai, it really is you!" she cried joyfully, dropping to her knees and hugging him.

Tai couldn't believe it. Of all people, what was his girlfriend doing here? How was she here? How was any of this possible? "Sora, what are you doing here? How'd you get here?"

She stepped back. "I've been here for days. Back in the Real World, I suddenly got this text message asking for help. The next thing I knew, I was in this world."

Tai's eyes widened. "That's exactly what happened to us." Mentioning the others got him over his shock of seeing her here. "The others! I have to get to them! They're on the other side of these rocks!"

Sora looked up at the massive pile of rocks. "Around these? I can take you there."

Tai's head snapped towards her. "You can?"

She smiled and nodded. "You bet. Come on, follow me."

Motioning for him to follow, she turned to leave, but stopped when Tai suddenly hugged her from behind. "I really missed you."

The surprised look left her face, and she smiled. "I really missed you too. Now come on, lets find your fiends."

Tai began to follow her, but Shoutmon grabbed his shirt, holding him back. "Um, Tai, don't you think it's just a little suspicious to find another human around?"

Noticing they weren't following, Sora turned back to them. "Hey, you guys coming?"

Tai hesitated before giving the dragon Digimon a reassuring look. "It's ok, I know her. We'll be fine."

He went after her while Shoutmon remained behind for a few moments. "If you say so," he said, and hurried after them.

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"Tai! Tai! Can you hear me?"

She had been calling for a while now, but there had been no response from anyone. It was very possible that one or more of their friends had been buried beneath the rockslide, but she refused to give up hope.

"Tai!" she shouted. "Davis! Takato! Takuya! Shoutmon! Anyone!"

TK placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's no good, they can't hear us. If they could, we should be able to hear them."

Kari hung her head. "This is awful. We can't be separated like this. We have to stay together."

"Don't worry, we'll find them. I'm sure that at any moment, Greymon will come blasting through that pile of rocks."

Kari pressed up against the wall and slid down. "I hope you're right."

TK gave her a reassuring smile, trying to be strong for her. "Everything will be all right." He looked down the path. "Hey, listen, I'm going to look ahead a little bit. Maybe I can find a way that doubles back. I won't go far."

She started to get up. "I'll go with you."

He shook his head. "No, one of us should stay here, just in case. I won't be gone long."

A worried look crossed her face. "Please be careful, TK. And keep an eye out for that Digimon."

TK's brow narrowed. That rotten creature had tried to kill them. "Yeah, you too. We don't know what it is yet."

"I caught a glimpse of it. It kind of looked like a dog."

"Really, a dog? All right, I'll keep my eyes open. Hey!" In an attempt to lighten the mood, he pulled out his Digivice. "Maybe if I manage to Spirit Evolve, I can get him to play dead."

Kari chuckled. "Now you're being silly."

He winked at her. "Just trying to make you smile. Really though, I'll be careful. See you later."

With great reluctance, he began following the path, constantly looking over his shoulder. He counted the turns he took so he wouldn't get lost. After the third turn, he decided to head back when he came to yet another dividing path. He immediately decided against taking either one, not wanting to lose his way and end up leaving Kari behind.

"So much for that," he muttered, turning to head back.

"So much for what?" came a familiar voice from one of the paths.

TK froze. He recognized that voice, it was one he could never forget. But how was it possible? It just couldn't be. He must be hearing things.

"You look like you're a bit lost, bro."

Now that he didn't imagine. Turning around, he saw his older brother, Yamato, walking towards him from down the left path, smiling at him.

Unable to believe his eyes, TK took a hesitant step towards him. "M-Matt? Is… Is that really you?"

The older brother just smirked. "Well, it sure isn't Ogremon."

"Matt!" TK cried, rushing towards him and enveloping him in a hug. "You're here! You're really here! But how?"

Chuckling, Matt returned the embrace. "Did you think I wouldn't come looking for you when you didn't come home? I searched for you at the school and ended up getting sucked into the computer."

"This is great!" TK exclaimed. "Well, not that you're stuck in this world too, I meant…"

Matt broke the hug. "I know what you mean, little bro. It's good to see you too. Now come on, lets get out of here. Is anyone else with you?"

TK's eyes widened. "Yes, Kari's with me. Hurry, lets get her."

He practically dragged his brother back the way they came. When he reached Kari, he found her hesitantly testing the support of the large pile of rocks to see if they could be climbed.

"Hey, Kari, look who I found!"

She turned to him, looking hopeful, and that hope quickly gave way to shock. "Matt? What are you doing here?"

He just smiled at her. "Nice to see you, too, Kari."

Her hand covered her mouth. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that. I was just surprised that-"

"It's cool," he interrupted. "I'd be just as surprised if I were you. Come on, I'll show you the way out. We can exchange stories along the way.

"Wait, you know the way out?" TK asked.

He winked and gave a thumbs up. "Yup, and I'm sure we'll find the others along the way." His smile widened. "Trust me."

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When it became obvious that the others wouldn't be able to get to him, Takuya had begun walking down the path. At the rate things were going, their best chance of meeting up would be to meet outside the canyon. With any luck, he could make it to the outside first and leave a message by the exit.

Of course, there was bound to be more than one exit, so he would have to walk along the outside and leave the same message multiple times.

"If I ever get out of here that is," he muttered darkly. For all he knew, the path he had ended up taking didn't even have an exit.

He also considered the complexity of the maze. How long could they be lost in here? They'd each filled up their water bottles before entering, which meant that they only had three days after they ran out before they died of thirst.

'Not sure how that works for Digimon though,' he wondered as he thought of Shoutmon.

As he walked further down the path, he heard what sounded like weeping. He could tell that it was female, and, thinking it was Kari, hurried down the path. As he ran, he realized it could also be a female Digimon, but at this rate, he'd settle for anyone.

He found the person curled up in a fetal position in the shadows of the rock wall. Unable to make out who they were, he cautiously approached. "Hey, are you all right?"

The person turned to him, and leapt out of the shadows. He caught a glimpse of blonde hair before they were hugging him tightly. "Takuya!"

He took a step back as the girl clung to him. "Whoa, what?"

"I found you!" she cried. "I found you!"

'No, it couldn't be.' He carefully pulled her off him and stared into her pretty face. "It is! Zoe!"

Her face scrunched up in a mixture of joy, anger, and sadness. "You idiot! I went looking for you at your school when you never showed up for our date and ended up here!"

Their date? That's right, they'd had a date that day. He was planning to meet her after school so they could go out. After getting that text message, he'd hoped to check it out real fast before meeting with her.

'She must have gotten sucked into the computer when she came looking for me. Was anyone else sucked in as well?'

He pulled her to him, holding her close. "I'm so sorry. A lot of stuff happened."

"Yeah, no kidding. I just want to get out of this place, but I hurt my ankle."

"You did?" He quickly dropped down and examined her foot, indeed finding it to be red and swollen, obviously sprained. A feeling of guilt assaulted him as he realized that he was the reason why she was in this mess. If he hadn't answered that stupid text message, if he'd just met up with her right away, he never would have come to this world, and she never would have come looking for him and been brought here either. Cause and affect could be a horrible thing.

Turning around, he motioned for her to get on his back. "Here, climb on. I'll carry you."

Zoe hesitated before climbing on. "You sure I'm not too heavy?"

He stood up, holding onto her legs around him for support. "Are you kidding? You're as light as a the wind."

She smiled, wrapping her arms around him, both as a means to hold on, and to simply hug him. "Thank you."

"No problem. Now lets find the way out of here. Hopefully we'll find the others along the way."

Zoe blinked. "Others?"

"Yeah, along with you and I, there's five more of us that were brought here, but we got separated."

Her face lit up. "Maybe they're the voices I heard. That's how I hurt my ankle. I got excited and ran towards the voices, but lost my footing and tripped." She pointed down the path. "They were that way!"

Grinning, Takuya adjusted her on his back. "All right, lets go!"

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The first rule of survival was to remain where you were. That way people would know where to look for you when you got lost. And this was why Takato was currently sitting down in the shade of the rock wall. When his friends came looking for him, they would search where they last saw him.

"Well, that's the theory anyway," he muttered.

It did occur to him that if they all followed that rule, then no one would find anyone, but he figured that Shoutmon, being a resident of this world, would be the one to find his own way out and get a flying Digimon to rescue them, or something like that.

Speaking of Digimon, they really should have taken Togemon's warning more seriously. But to run into a single Digimon in this entire maze-like canyon had seemed highly unlikely, so they had risked it.

"Yeah, big mistake," he told himself.

Well, there was nothing to be done about it now. Momentai, as his friend Henry would say since nothing would come from worrying, so he should just take it easy. Rika, however, would tell him to stop being a goggle-headed idiot and to get up and do something. Kazu and Kenta… well, they would just freak out. Ryou, he would have already come up with some kind of plan, the guy was the type to embrace his destiny. And Jeri…

"Oh, Jeri…" he whispered.

Along with his parents, he missed her most of all. He wondered when he would see her again. Would she believe him if he told her about this crazy adventure? Truthfully, she just might, and the thought brought a smile to his face.

"You always were rather gullible."

"Ruff!"

He jumped at the unexpected voice behind him. Looking over his shoulder, he saw a familiar dog puppet at the end of a hand.

"Bad, Takato! Bad!" the puppet said. "Jeri is not gullible."

He stumbled away from both the puppet and the puppeteer. "I didn't mean anything bad by it, Jeri! I think it's really great that you're so trusting! I just meant… Wha…?"

It suddenly registered to him who he was talking to, and he stared dumbfounded into the object of his affections' smiling face.

"J-Jeri? But you… How are you…? When did you…?"

She chuckled. "You're so silly, Takato." Holding up her puppet, she spoke in its voice once more. "Takato is very funny. He always makes Jeri laugh."

His finger slowly came up, pointing at her as he tried to find his voice. "But you… you're here. How are you here?"

"Ruff! Silly, Takato! Jeri is here because she's here." She resumed speaking in her own voice as she addressed the puppet as if it were alive. "That's right, we're all here."

"No, I mean how are you here in the Digital World?"

She blinked, looking genuinely confused. "Hmm? The Digital World? But this is just a dream, right? I mean, it has to be." She held up her puppet again. "Ruff! Of course it's a dream. Things like getting sucked into a computer can only happen in a dream."

'Oooook…' So she thought she was dreaming all this. He supposed that made sense. But how exactly was he going to break this to her? "Um, Jeri, I don't think you understand what's going on."

"Ruff, ruff! That's ok. Jeri is always happiest whenever she is with you, Takato."

He blushed. Maybe he shouldn't ruin her good mood. It might be better to tell her the truth once they met up with others. Hopefully, she wouldn't freak out if there were others around once she realized this wasn't a dream.

"I'm happy when I'm with you too, Jeri. So why don't we hang out until the others get here."

"Oh, I saw them," she said in her normal voice. "The captain if the school's soccer team and that other kid on the team that looks like him was there too."

Takato did a double take. "Wait, you saw Tai and Davis? Who else?"

She tapped her chin. "Hmm, lets see. There was also that girl who I'm pretty sure is the captain's sister. Then there was a blonde boy wearing a hat, and another boy wearing goggles, though they were different from yours. I didn't know either of them though. Oh, and they had this cute little red dinosaur with them."

Takato sweat-dropped. H wouldn't exactly call Shoutmon cute, more along the lines of cool. But then again, Jeri also thought Charmeleon, his favorite Pokémon, was cute too.

He shook his head; that wasn't important right now. It sounded like his friends were all together, now he just had to get to them. "Jeri, where did you see them?" he asked, grasping her shoulders. "Can you take me to them?"

She blinked. "Um, sure, they're down this way."

Takato followed as she led him through the canyon. They walked for about ten minutes before coming to an open area where several paths connected.

"They're in there," she told him.

"Really? Great, lets go!"

He hurried ahead, expecting Jeri to follow him. She did, at a much slower pace, an eerie smile creeping up her face. When he reached the middle of the opening, he skidded to a halt.

"W-What…? What is this?" He turned back to her. "Jeri, what's going…?"

He trailed off, the color draining from his face. Jeri had changed. She stilled looked like her, but her smile now extended ear to ear, with small pointy fangs poking out of her lips. Most disturbing of all, she had no eyes!

Lifting her puppet, she revealed that her eyes now seemed to be on it in place of its own button eyes, and the inside of its mouth was also aligned with fangs.

"What's wrong, Takato?" both Jeri and the puppet asked in distorted voices. "Aren't you happy to see everyone?"

Takato's cry echoed throughout the canyon.

 

Notes:

(A/N: Something is very wrong here, but I'm sure you realized that when all these other people started showing up. Clearly these aren't the people they know from the Real World. I admit that I kind of used this chapter as a way to show the couples I ship. They're pretty much all the official ones, except for Tai/Sora, but I like them better than Matt/Sora. I know you still have questions, but you'll have to wait until next time to get your answers. And even though that ending was like the dream Jeri had when she was held captive by the D-Reaper, this has nothing to down with the D-Reaper. By the way, does anyone have any guesses of who the Digimon is that attacked them? No looking it up though, that's cheating!)

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New Digimon that appear.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Togemon

Chapter 8: Davis Cries Wolf

Notes:

(A/N: For some reason, my computer hasn't been letting me upload new chapters, or even edit ones that I already have uploaded. Not sure why, but it's an issue that's been going on for over a week now. Has anyone else had this problem? Hopefully the issue will be resolved. Just know that if I don't update, that's the reason for my delay. For now, I was able to use a different computer to get this chapter up. Hopefully the issue will be resolved soon.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 8: Davis Cries Wolf

"This is bogus!" Davis complained as he tried climbing up the unsteady massive pile of rocks. "How am I supposed to get over this pile of- wah!"

He cried out as his weight caused the rocks to shift, nearly causing a rockslide. He held still as the rocks settled once more, breathing a sigh of relief. The last thing he needed was to have everything falling on top of him.

"Can't believe I got cut off from everyone like this. Why couldn't I have at least ended up with Kari? With my luck, she's probably cozying up with TP right now. That's no fair getting a head start like that!"

He stepped on a loose rock and it collapsed under him. There was a small shift in the pile beneath him, but he was up high enough not to be caught up in it.

"Phew, that was close." He looked up at how much farther he had to go. "Man, this is ridiculous! Why do I have to climb this thing? When I become a Digimon, I better be something with wings." He considered this as he continued climbing. "I wonder what I'll be. DinoSoccerPlayermon. Yeah, that sounds cool. I'll be the most awesome Digimon ever! AHHH!"

Another rockslide happened, and this one he did get caught up in. He tumbled all the way down the pile. Landing painfully on his chin and knees in a fetal position as rocks tumbled down around him, one rather large one landing on his head.

"Boy, good thing my head is so hard," he grumbled as he blinked back tears.

A foot came down in his line of vision as an older girl's voice asked, "What are you doing?"

Still dazed, he looked up to see another human standing over him. "Oh, hey, Jun."

The girl sighed. "Honestly, you're such a klutz, it's a wonder you're still in one piece."

"Says you. Why don't you just run off to your room and…" He suddenly realized who he was talking to and sprang to his feet. "AH! Jun, what are you doing here?"

Placing her hands on her hips, she glared at him. "Rescuing my ungrateful brat of a brother, of course. Do you know how worried Mom and Dad have been? Honestly, quit being so selfish all the time."

He stared at her, completely dumbfounded. "Hey, wait, you mean you came to look for me?"

"Of course I did! You may be a pain, but you're still my little brother. And I hope you appreciate it. I'm not fit for the wilderness. Do you know what a killer this place is going to be for my skin? What if I get a pimple? I can't go to Matt's concert with a zit! Then some other fan-girl will grab him, and I'll end up as a spinster!"

Davis sweat-dropped. "Please tell me you're not the only one here."

She blinked, pulling herself together. "Of course not. There's a whole rescue party here. We already found your friends. Now come on, lets head to the randevu point so we can get out of here."

Davis' face lit up. "Everyone's ok? That's awesome. I was afraid some of us might have gotten buried under the avalanche."

Without waiting for her, he took off down the path since it was the only way to go. He heard his sister running after him, but he wanted to make sure all his friends were ok. There was only one way to go, just one path his sister could have come from, so he followed it.

The open area was up ahead; he could see it now. He also saw several other passageways leading to it. The others must have found their way to this spot down whatever paths they had taken during the avalanche.

Speaking of which, now that he thought about it, whatever happened to the Digimon that caused it? Had it gotten crushed beneath its own avalanche? Did it get cut off from them as well? Or did it simply run off after causing some trouble for them?

'Whoever he was, he better make sure I never get my hands on him.'

Entering the clearing, he spotted the others sitting in a circle. His face lit up and he ran over to them, waving. "Hey, you're all right! That's great! Now we can all go home!"

He reached them, but none of them replied. They wouldn't even look at him, and instead simply stared at their laps.

"Hey, what's up with you guys?" he asked. "Are you upset because I was the last to arrive? Give me a break, the rescue party only just found me."

Still no answer, and it seemed to escape his notice that there was no one else of this supposed rescue party present. Davis' face scrunched up in irritation, and he bent down to their level. "Come on, we're finally going home. We should be celebrating. Hey."

He reached out and shook Tai's shoulder. The older boy's head fell back, revealing him to be unconscious. In fact, they all seemed to be completely out cold, having been propped up against each other to make it look like they were sitting up.

For a moment, Davis panicked as he quickly checked their pulses. Panic gave way to horror when he felt none, only to realize that he wouldn't feel anything with his gloves on.

From behind him, he heard his sister walk up, but something was wrong. He now sensed a sinister aura that wasn't there before.

"They were so easy to fool," she said. "All so hopeful for a chance to return home, so happy to see a loved one again that they didn't even think twice about trusting them. They never suspected that they were being deceived until it was too late."

Davis turned to face her. "You're not Jun. Who are you?" He'd already figured out that she wasn't his sister, and her now altered appearance supported this. Her hair was more wild and spiky, her eyes were narrowed slits pulled back in an evil stare, and she wore a sadistic grin filled with sharp fangs.

Her smile widened as she snickered evilly. "Your minds were all open books." A spiral of wind swirled around her, obscuring her from Davis's vision. When it ceased, Jun was gone, and Sora was in her place. "I simply showed each of you what you wanted to see, and you all followed me like a flock of Sheepmon." She changed again, becoming Jeri. "Taking the forms of loved ones works especially well, so I became those they held deep affection for." She changed again, becoming Matt. "Your desire to be with those you care for make you such easy prey." Another change, and Zoe stood in his place. "This just goes to show you that love, no matter what kind, makes you weak."

Davis' fists clenched. How dare this… this… thing deceive them like this. Not only had it taken advantage of their longings for their loved ones, it toyed with their hopes and feelings; it was unforgivable.

A groan came from behind him, and he turned to see Shoutmon crawling towards him, having regained consciousness, but still dazed and weary.

"Davis…" he grumbled, "be careful. This is an evil Digimon of legend. It preys on those that lose their way and takes on the forms of those they care for in order to get close to them. Don't trust anything it says."

The fake Zoe grinned. "What's wrong, Shoutmon? Are you feeling left out? Do you want to see someone you care for too?" She changed again, becoming a small purple Digimon. "How about your little buddy?"

Shoutmon growled. "You leave Gumdramon out of this!"

An evil chuckle escaped the false Gumdramon. "Why? Does it bring back memories of how you failed to protect him?" His persona changed, presumably to that of the Digimon he was imitating. "You were like a brother to me. I really looked up to you, but you weren't there when I needed you. Why, Shoutmon? Why?"

As Shoutmon covered his ears, Davis turned angrily towards the impersonator. "That's it, pal! Enough of your games! Show us who you really are!"

The imposter grinned. "Well, if you insist."

The spiral of wind spun around him once more, only this time when it dispersed, his true form was revealed. A large wolf Digimon with red fur, a long snout with razor sharp protruding fangs, and long purple claws now towered over Davis, staring at him hungrily. It was slender and skeletal thin, but not from starvation, and it stood tall and proud.

Davis was suddenly regretting having demanded to see the Digimon's true form. With shaky hands, he took out his Digivice and got a reading on it. "Fangmon, a Champion level demon beast type Digimon derived from the big bad wolf in fairytales that acts as an evil counterpart to Garurumon. He has the ability to take the forms of others, and his special attack is Blast Coffin. What? Blast Coffin? That's the attack that caused the avalanche!"

The wolf Digimon grinned, showing off the deadly fangs it was named after. "What's the problem, little human? I thought you wanted me to reveal my true form."

Davis gulped. "Well, yeah, but I didn't think you'd so big that you'd be able to bite me in half."

"Then allow me to alleviate your fears. Snipe Steal!"

He swiped at Davis with his claws. With what little strength he had left, Shoutmon lunged at Davis, knocking him out of the way. "Don't just stand there! Run!"

"Stay out of this," Fangmon growled. "Blast Coffin!"

He fired a beam of dark energy from his mouth. Davis quickly wrapped an arm around Shoutmon and rolled them out of the way, but the blast from the attack still knocked them away from each other.

Fangmon chuckled. "I will be eating well tonight. There is nothing better than fresh meat, and you humans will make a most exotic feast."

Shoutmon struggled to get to his feet. "As if I'd let that happen."

The wolf Digimon scowled and stalked over to him. Lifting his claw, he brought it down on the dragon Digimon, pressing him into the ground. "You can be the first to die. The so-called Digimon King will make a splendid meal."

"Choke on me!"

Fangmon grinned and opened his mouth. A rock suddenly hit his face, and he snarled at the distraction. Another one struck him, and he turned to Davis, scowling.

Scooping up another rock, Davis chucked it at him. "Picking on such a little guy, are you? Who'd have thought that the literal big bad wolf was such a coward?"

Gangmon growled and headed for him. "A coward, you say. That's rich coming from a child too afraid to be out in the Digital World on his own without his friends. Snipe Steal!"

Using his quick reflexes, Davis dodged the attack. "You've got it all wrong, pal. I wasn't desperate to get back to the others because I was afraid. I wanted to get back to them because they're my friends. I was worried and wanted to make sure they were safe. We're a team, and we look out for each other." He glanced at his unconscious friends. "I'd never abandoned them."

Fangmon bared his fangs. "How sweet. You're sure to give me indigestion." He leapt over Davis' head, then turned around to face him at a different angle. From this position, Davis now stood directly between Fangmon and the unconscious forms of his friends. "Lets see how loyal to them you really are. Blast Coffin!"

Davis suddenly realized that he was standing in the path of the attack. If he moved, it would take out his friends. There was simply no way around it.

"I'm not going anywhere!" he shouted. "I'll never abandon my friends!"

A chiming sound came from the Digivice in his hand. Light erupted from it, surrounding him, and Fangmon's attack dispersed upon coming in contact with it.

"What?" Fangmon snarled. "But how did you…?"

Davis looked at his Digivice. "Is this…?" The image of Veemon on his screen was swapped out for a different Digimon, and a familiar message came up as a button on the device began blinking.

Davis beamed. "All right! It's about time!" he cried, pressing the button. "Execute! Spirit Evolution… ExVeemon!"

The process had been the same as it had been with Tai. Fractal Code had flowed out of the Digivice to form an egg-shaped cocoon of data around him that grew and burst open to reveal a large blue dragon Digimon with an X shape on his chest and a set of wings.

Fangmon's already slit eyes narrowed even more. "What is going on?"

The dragon Digimon seemed startled at first, then began to examine his clawed hands. "Hey, did I just…?" He glanced over his shoulder. "Sweet, I got wings!" He flapped them, taking to the air. "And I know how to use them! Awesome!"

Down on the ground, with his face still buried in the dirt, Shoutmon gave him a thumbs up. "Nice job…"

Fangmon growled. "Don't get cocky. You may be a Digimon now, but you're still no match for me. Blast Coffin!"

The attack came up at him, but Davis, or ExVeemon as he now was, felt no need to avoid it. Instead, he felt a power growing in his chest. Tai had told them that Greymon's attacks had instinctually come to him. Now he knew what the older boy meant. He could feel the attack building up within him. It was called…

"Vee-Laser!"

Contradicting the attack's name, an X shaped ray of energy shot out of the mark on his chest. It collided with Fangmon's Blast Coffin, resulting in an explosion. ExVeemon strained his eyes to see through the cloud of smoke, yet couldn't make out any movement.

Fangmon came leaping out of it, having used the smoke as cover to make a surprise attack. He tackled ExVeemon out of the air, and they both went crashing to the ground, Fangmon on top of the dragon Digimon.

"Get off me!" ExVeemon growled, punching the wolf Digimon in the jaw.

Fangmon snarled and used his Snipe Steal attack, scratching ExVeemon across the chest. He grunted and fired another Vee-Laser, blasting the wolf Digimon back and taking to the air again.

"All right, Fangmon, prepare for some 'goodness gracious, great balls of fire' coming at you. Hearty Shatter!"

A shower of fireballs flew out of his mouth and rained down upon Fangmon. The wolf Digimon growled as he was bombarded by the fiery spheres. With an angry snarl, he fired his Blast Coffin, but, up in the air, ExVeemon easily avoided it.

"Ha, your aim is terrible!" he taunted.

Fangmon's fur stood on end in his anger. "The perhaps I should move on to some easier prey."

He took off at a run, heading for the unconscious teens. Shoutmon had gone over to them and was trying to rouse them, already having drawn a groan from Tai, hoping he would be able to help in the battle. Hearing the wolf Digimon approaching, he ceased trying to wake them and produced his mic, turning to face Fangmon.

"No!" ExVeemon cried, and swooped down.

Fangmon rushed towards Shoutmon, dark energy building up in his mouth. The little dragon Digimon gripped his mic, preparing for the attack just as ExVeemon collided with the wolf Digimon. He grabbed him, carrying him along, and slammed him into the canyon wall, cracking it.

"Critical Crunch!"

Fangmon howled like an actual wolf as ExVeemon's jaws chomped down on his torso. He lashed out with his claws, slicing three deep gashes into the dragon Digimon's side. ExVeemon released him and flew up in the sky. Fangmon glared up at him and began wildly and repeatedly firing his Blast Coffin at him.

As he dodged the beams of dark energy, ExVeemon's eyes shifted to the rock wall he'd slammed Fangmon against. Noting the large crack up its side, an idea formed in his mind.

'Well, turnabout is fair play,' he thought. "Vee-Laser!"

The X shaped laser flew from his chest and blasted against the wall. Rocks came tumbling down towards the wolf Digimon, who realized too late what ExVeemon had done. He snarled viciously as the rocks fell on him, burying him alive and crushing him under their weight.

"Good riddance," ExVeemon grumbled. "That was one nasty fellow." With the threat neutralized, he went and flew down by his friends. "How are they?"

Shoutmon glanced at him. "Still out cold. Oh, nice job beating Fangmon. That guy was bad news." He looked back at the unconscious teens. "Now if only we could wake these guys…" He snapped his fingers. "Hey, I got it."

Grabbing his mic, he held it right up to the teens' faces. As he took a deep breath, ExVeemon realized what he was about to do and quickly stuck his fingers in his ears.

"WAAAAAKE UUUUUP!" Shoutmon screamed into his mic.

It was rather comical, watching as the five of them got startled out of unconsciousness. TK and Takato ended up bonking heads, Kari ended up crawling over Tai, and Takuya attempted to jump to his feet, only to topple over onto all four of them.

Smirking, Shoutmon "put away" his mic reverting it back into data and pulling it into his body once more. "Glad to have you back."

Tai twisted his index finer in his ear, trying to dispel the ringing. "What was that for?" He blinked as he realized that things were different from before he lost consciousness. "Wait a minute, what happened?" It was then that he noticed ExVeemon. "Ah! And who's that?"

ExVeemon grinned. "What, you don't recognize me?" He made a muscle, showing off his biceps. "I guess I did go through some pretty big changes."

Behind him, the pile of rocks burst open, and a snarling Fangmon came crawling out, shaking the dust and stones off. Fixing his hate-filled eyes on ExVeemon, he opened his mouth to fire his Blast Coffin.

ExVeemon whirled around to face him. "Vee-Laser!"

The two attacks came at each other. ExVeemon's blast right through Fangmon's energy beam, striking the wolf Digimon. A loud, "Arooooooh!" escaped him, and his body burst into data, the evil Digimon finally defeated.

"Mine!" Shoutmon declared, running up and jumping into the lingering data, absorbing it. "I'll put this to good use."

"Stingy," ExVeemon joked with a grin.

"Um, hello!" Takuya cried. "Can someone please tell me what's going on?"

Recalling what Shoutmon had told Tai about returning to normal, ExVeemon concentrated on changing back to his human form. When he opened his eyes, he was human once more.

"Davis?" Kari exclaimed. "That was you?"

He gave her a thumbs up. "That's right. I was pretty awesome as ExVeemon, wasn't I?"

"ExVeemon?" Tai repeated. "Is that the name of your Digimon form?" He smiled. "Very cool."

Davis smirked. "I know, right! I totally kicked Fangmon's hairy butt."

"Who's Fangmon?" Takato asked. "That wolf Digimon? And what happened to Jeri? Or that thing that was pretending to be Jeri."

"Who's Jeri?" TK asked.

A deep blush filled Takato's face. "Huh? Well… uh… she's my… she's my, um… my girlfriend," he confessed, tapping his index fingers together.

Takuya's eyebrows rose. "You saw your girlfriend? So did I."

"And I saw Sora," Tai replied

Shoutmon nodded. "Yeah, I was with Tai, so I saw her too. That's what Fangmon does. He lures you in by taking on the forms of loved ones."

"So that's why I saw my brother," TK added.

Kari tapped her chin. "I saw Matt too, but I was with TK at the time, so I guess that made sense since Fangmon can only take on the form of one person at a time."

Davis looked at each of them. "Wait, so Kari and Shoutmon didn't see anyone because they weren't with the ones Fangmon was trying to deceive. Tai, Takato, and Takuya all saw their girlfriends, but TK only saw his brother?" He burst out laughing. "Wow, too bad for you, TQ! Not much luck with the ladies?"

TK cut his eyes at him. "And just who did you see?"

Davis abruptly stopped laughing, his mouth still hanging open as he sweat-dropped, remembering how he had seen his sister. "T-That's not important. We should focus on getting out of here. I'm pretty sure I got a good view of the way out from the sky. Come on, let's go."

He began walking away, but the others' curiosity had been sparked.

"Hey, wait, who'd you see?" TK asked again.

"It's not important."

"No really, I want to know."

"Yeah, I'm pretty curious myself," said Takato.

"Me too," Takuya added.

Tai glanced at Shoutmon. "Hey, you saw who it was, right?"

Shoutmon just shrugged. "I don't know. All you humans pretty much look the same to me."

"Let it go already!" Davis shouted over his shoulder.

"Come on, Davis," Kari called after him, "we wanna know. Tell us."

"I said leave it alone!"

Notes:

(A/N: Boy, Davis really put his foot in his mouth at the end there. But, hey, at least he can Spirit Evolve now. You probably saw that coming though. Any guesses as to who it will be next? And will they be able to escape from the maze-like valley? At least they won't need to worry about Fangmon anymore. I selected him as an enemy to give the characters a reminder of what was back in the Real World, and to provide some insight in their lives there as well. Hadn't realized he was a commonly used villain in fics. I'll have to read more. We've still got a lot more to go, so stay tuned.)

ExVeemon's attacks:

Vee-Laser – Fires a X shaped laser from chest.

Critical Crunch – Bites.

Hearty Shatter – Spits a series of fireballs.

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Sheepmon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Gumdramon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Fangmon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/ExVeemon

Chapter 9: Machine Tower

Notes:

(A/N: Ok, this inability to upload documents is really getting annoying. It works fine when I do it on this computer. I don't know what's up. I guess I'll just have to keep using this one until things get working again. Anyway, here's the next chapter. Enjoy.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 9: Machine Tower

A cruel smile crept up his face as he surveyed the land. This was his domain, and the time had finally come to claim it. Of all the areas in the Digital World, this island was, perhaps, one of the most important due to one specific location. It was for this reason he was here to claim it. And now that his master plan was ready to unfold, he could begin his takeover of the island.

Of course, there would be many who opposed him, but he had a way around that. He would use his secret weapon. Soon enough, everyone on this island would bow down to him and submit to his will.

"Such pitiful fools," he remarked.

Holding out his hand, he called for his secret weapon. From out of the darkness, a black circular object floated into his hand. Though harmless on its own, he'd discovered all its secrets and learned how to use it as an instrument of evil to force others to submit to him and his dark power.

But he had to be cautious. This was still untested, something he planned to rectify right now. He already had a targeted destination in mind, and with a flick of his hand, he sent the dark object out into the night. This was when the fun began.

"Go now, my black gear," he called after it, "show these insignificant fools the true power of the darkness.

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

"Whoa, now that's a tower," Davis remarked.

"It's got to be at least five times as tall as the Empire State Building," TK noted.

"I don't know about any state building," Shoutmon replied, "but what you're looking at it known as Machine Tower. It's a very technologically advanced place, even for the Digital World."

They had first spotted the enormous structure while still in the canyon. It had served as a beckon to help guide them out of the maze-like valley, using the tall structure as a reference to where they were. And once they finally made it out, they had continued onwards towards the tower.

"Many machine-type Digimon occupy it and work there," Shoutmon told them. "They hardly ever come out, and they're always adding to the top, making it taller and taller." He smirked. "Kind of makes you wonder how high they can make it before it finally falls over."

Davis chuckled. "Isn't there a game like that in the Real World?"

"How should I know?"

As they got closer, the ground transitioned from rock to metal flooring. It was around this time that Tai whipped out his handheld miniature telescope to get a closer look at the tower. "Hey, Shoutmon, you said that the machine Digimon hardly ever come out of the tower, right?"

"Yeah, what of it?"

"Well, from the looks of it, there are quite a few of them hanging around the base, and it doesn't look like they're making repairs."

The dragon Digimon's face scrunched up. "That's weird. Something must be wrong. We better check it out."

Davis looked confused. "Weren't we already going over there anyway?"

"Oh, brother," the others muttered.

Increasing their pace, they finally reached the base of the tower. They saw that Tai was right, there was indeed a large number of mechanical looking Digimon sitting around outside, and they all looked depressed.

"Hey, what's going on here?" Shoutmon demanded. "Why are the workers of the famous Machine Tower just sitting around?"

One of the Digimon, Guardromon according to the Digimon Analyzer built in their Digivices, spoke on behalf of the others. "We're not out here by choice. We were driven out."

"Driven out?" TK repeated. "By who?"

"One of our co-workers suddenly went bonkers," said a Digimon known as Kokuwamon. "We detected a collision in one section of the tower. He went to see what it was, and when he came back, he'd changed."

"Changed, changed," several of the machine Digimon chanted.

Shoutmon sighed. "Great. Well, as king, I suppose I should look into this. Whose in charge here?"

"That would be me." A non-machine-type Digimon stepped forward. His body seemed to be made of green wireframe, as if he were a 3-D model on the computer that had yet to be given its surface texture layer. "I'm the manager of Machine Tower, and I'm afraid it's true. One of our workers chased us out of the tower."

Kari checked who he was on her Digimon Analyzer. "Rockmon, Champion level, special attack Guardian Bomb. He's a rare wireframe version of Frigimon and Golemon, whoever they are."

"Rockmon, huh?" Takato repeated. "Doesn't look like much of a rock to me."

Takuya covered his friend's mouth, hoping the wireframe Digimon didn't take offense; there was just no telling with these creatures. "Um, sir, could you tell us about this Digimon that drove you out?"

Rockmon sighed. "His name is DarkVolumon. He uses sound waves to attack, making it very difficult to even approach him, let alone fight him."

Shoutmon's eyes narrowed. "I've heard of him. He's only a Champion, but he's a very powerful one, and completely ruthless."

Davis didn't look concerned. "Come on, how bad can someone named DarkVolumemon be?"

"It's DarkVolumon," a different Kokuwamon told him, "and to answer your question, he's very bad."

Rockmon nodded. "He's even captured our top technician, Datamon, and he's an Ultimate."

TK raised his hand. "Um, not to be critical, but why would you employ someone that bad and that powerful in the first place?"

"He wasn't always like that," Rockmon replied, his faceless head making it impossible to show what he was feeling. "He suddenly changed into his dark form, and we don't know why."

Tai looked at the others. "Well, I guess we should take a look at what's going on inside."

"Huh?" Takato exclaimed. "But what can we do?"

Tai just smiled. "Hey, don't worry, I'm sure Davis, Shoutmon, and I can handle just one guy."

The dragon Digimon gave him a look. "Shoutmon who?"

"Well, you did say that as king you should look into this, didn't you? If you're really the Digimon King, taking care of this should be one of your kingly duties."

Rockmon pressed his fingerless hands together. "Oh, thank you, kind sirs. We are truly in your debt. I shall accompany you and act as your guide."

"Sounds good to me," Davis agreed.

Tai looked at the others. "You guys should stay here. There's no point in putting yourselves in danger."

Takuya immediately became defensive. "No way, I want to help too."

"It could be dangerous," Tai argued.

"No offense," TK told him, "but this whole world is dangerous."

"He's right," Kari replied. "We should stick together.'

"Plus," Takato told him, "we could always end up getting attacked while out here."

Tai glanced at all the machine Digimon. From the looks of them, he didn't think any of them would attack his friends. But then again, if someone like Ogremon, Kuwagamon, or Fangmon showed up, he didn't think any of them would risk their lives to help his sister and friends.

With a sigh, he relented. "Alright, but stay close."

"Sure thing," Takuya agreed. "And who knows, maybe with all this technology, we'll be able to find a way to get us home."

That certainly made their spirits rise as they made their way inside with Rockmon leading them. Though the humans didn't seem all that worried, the two Digimon were noticeably anxious.

"Hey, guys, don't worry," Tai told them. "I'm sure it'll be fine."

Shoutmon glared at him. "That's easy for you to say; you don't know what we're getting ourselves into. DarkVolumon is seriously bad news. He may be a Champion, but he's on par with an Ultimate, and with the way he uses sound waves, he can even make a low powered Mega hesitate."

"Hey," said Davis, "since we're on the topic of different Digimon, did you get a look at the ones that looked like gears, Hagurumon and Solarmon?"

"Yeah, what about them?" Takato asked.

"They look exactly alike! They're just a different color."

Kari gave him a look of disapproval. "Davis, that rude."

"I'm just saying, one of them seems like a cheap rip-off of the other. It's like what those lazy developers do in video games where they just render an enemy a different color and pretend they're someone new."

The others stopped and stared at him, the humans with blank looks, Shoutmon with scorn, and Rockmon with no face to display his emotions.

Davis hesitated under their stares. "Just an observations."

Shoutmon scoffed. "You humans have no right to criticize us when you all look alike to us." He glanced back and forth between Tai and Davis before glaring at the latter. "Especially you."

Before an argument could escalate, the entire tower trembled as a sonic boom echoed from up above. The teens and the Digimon all covered their ears as the sound rang in their ears.

"What was that?" Takuya asked.

"That," said Rockmon, "was DarkVolumon. He probably found another worker that was hiding." He shook his fist at the ceiling. "You'll pay for this, DarkVolumon!"

"Shh!" Kari shushed him. "We don't want him to know we're here."

"He may already know," Rockmon replied. "We have monitors all over the place. It wouldn't take much for him to-"

"Boss?" a small voice interrupted. "Is that you?"

Rockmon looked around. "Huh? Who's there?"

An air vent popped open, and a tiny machine Digimon poked its head out. "Boss! It really is you!"

Several others stuck their heads out of the vent, others appearing in several other nooks and crannies.

"Ahh!" Davis cried, jumping back. "This place is infested!"

Rockmon looked at him with what probably would have been a glare if he had a face. "These are MetalKoromon. They get in the small spaces that we larger Digimon can't fit."

"Hmm, convenient," said TK, nodding in understanding.

"We've been hiding from DarkVolumon while trying to keep an eye on things," a MetalKoromon reported.

"And you've done very well," Rockmon assured him. "Would you happen to know where Datamon is?"

"Of course," said another. "We can lead you there without DarkVolumon knowing."

"Follow us! Follow us!" the others chanted.

Rockmon looked back at the teens. "Well, you heard them. Lets go."

"Um," Takato muttered as he reluctantly followed, "they do realize that we can't fit into small spaces like them, right?"

As it turned out, what the MetalKoromon had in mind was an elevator that had been broken during DarkVolumon's initial attack. It didn't work, but the ladder that ran along the inside of the shaft would allow them to climb up without alerting DarkVolumon to their presence.

"Datamon is on this floor," a MetalKoromon replied as it climbed along the wall while the others used the ladder. "But the doors won't open from the inside with the elevator broken down."

"Leave that to me," Rockmon replied, raising his fist.

TK's eyes widened. "No, wait!"

"Anti-Digi Beam!"

As the name of the attack suggested, a beam flew from his hand, blasting the doors open. When the smoke cleared, they were able to climb through the destroyed double-doors and onto the floor.

"Why'd you do that?" TK asked. "DarkVolumon probably heard that."

Rockmon sweat-dropped. "Yes, perhaps that wasn't the best course of action."

"It's too late now," Shoutmon replied. "Lets just do this fast."

"Maybe we should just fight this guy," Davis suggested. "It sounds like he needs a lesson in manners."

"But that's the problem," a MetalKoromon replied. "His sound waves makes us unable to approach him."

"How about we just save Datamon and get out of here without fighting anyone," Takato suggested.

"He's this way!" another MetalKoromon replied. "Down this hall."

Following the little machine Digimon, they were brought to a door that required a secret code in order to gain access inside. Kari turned to Rockmon questioningly. "Do you have the code?"

"Of course," he replied. "I run this place, remember. Stand back now; this code is top secret."

He waited for them to turn around before going to the keypad and entering the numbers 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, in that order, and the door opened for them.

The inside wasn't much different from the rest of the facility. The main difference was that numerous cables hung from the ceiling and the walls.

"Datamon!" Rockmon cried, hurrying into the room.

He rushed into the room and over to the wall. There, hanging from numerous cables, was what appeared to be a bazaar mechanism of some sorts. Had its eyes not been opened, the teens would have thought it was part of the tower.

"Hey, boss," the Digimon they presumed was called Datamon grumbled. "Thought I told you to get out of here."

"I did," the wireframe Digimon replied. "Now I'm back with the rescue party."

Datamon groaned again. "Sorry about this, boss. I couldn't fight against those sound waves."

"Hey, don't worry about it," Rockmon told him as he began removing the cables from his friends' body.

Reaching up, Datamon placed a hand on his shoulder. "Forget about me, boss. You have to go now."

"Not without you."

"No, right now, he's coming."

Squeals came from the MetalKoromon in the hall, and the group of little Digimon scattered.

"DarkVolumon! It's DarkVolumon!" they wailed.

The others turned to the door as the sound of heavy footsteps was heard, slowly getting closer. A shadow soon loomed across the floor, followed shortly by a machine-type Digimon filling the doorway. It turned to face them with glowing yellow eyes, containing a machine gun on either side and a large megaphone speaker on its chest.

"Oh, great," Shoutmon muttered.

"What?" Davis asked. "He doesn't look so tough."

"That may be," Rockmon replied, "just as long as he doesn't-"

"Doomsday Woofer!" DarkVolumon cried.

At some point in everyone's life, they would hear something far too loud that it would actually hurt their ears, but nothing could have prepared them for this. The noise that emitted from the speaker on DarkVolumon's chest unleashed an ultrasound wave so powerful and so intense that they could actually see the ripples and distortion in the air. The metal walls, ceiling, and floor twisted and tore, the cables being ripped out as if by physical force.

When the sound wave flowed over them, they were knocked off their feet. No, not just knocked off their feet, but literally thrown back, as if something had actually collided into them. And it hurt. Not just their ears, for the sound was too much for their ears to truly pick up the volume, but the sound waves were so intense that it hit them like a solid object.

Ears ringing, Takuya sat up, one hand going to his head. "W-What was that?"

Datamon groaned. "That was DarkVolumon's power. He unleashes destructive sound waves that can actually do physical damage."

"Doomsday Woofer!"

He unleashed another sound wave. Rockmon countered with his Anti-Digi Beam attack. When the sound wave flowed over the energy beam, it was as if the attack had struck a wall, blasting against it. The sound wave though, being just that, sound, continued onward, tearing up the room further, knocking back the occupants.

"It's no wonder he was able to drive everyone out," said TK. "How's anyone supposed to stand up to that?"

"Tai, Davis," said Takato, "you better Spirit Evolve."

Groaning, Tai tried to stand up. "We can't, not in here. This room is too narrow. We need to get out."

Shoutmon held his hands together, creating a fireball. "Then allow me to provide a distraction. Fiery Fastball!"

"Me too!" Rockmon declared. "Guardian Bomb!"

The two balls of energy flew at DarkVolumon. He unleashed his alternate sound wave attack, Heavy Speaker, that sent out his attack in a wave rather than a beam, causing the entire room to twist out of shape. The incoming attacks exploded before they reached him, but obscuring his vision with a wall of smoke. As he waited for it to clear, Tai and Davis rushed past him. He turned to the closest one as they ran by, emitting another sound wave that bent the metal doorframe out of shape, but missing his target.

Now in the much roomier hall, Tai whipped out his Digivice. "You ready, Davis?"

The younger boy held up his. "Lets do it. Execute! Spirit Evolution… ExVeemon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Greymon!"

DarkVolumon didn't even blink at this sudden transformation and simply unleashed another sound wave. ExVeemon took to the air while Greymon rolled to the side and fired a Nova Blast, but his rolling motion threw off his aim, and the attack exploded against the ground in front of the machine Digimon.

"My turn!" ExVeemon declared. "Vee-Laser!"

DarkVolumon shielded himself as the attack blasted against him. Then he turned his speaker on the dragon Digimon, emitting a sound wave that threw him back. ExVeemon used the opportunity to fire his Hearty Shooter, but DarkVolumon shifted the direction of his sound waves, causing the fireballs to burst against them, and sending the dragon Digimon crashing to the ceiling, pinning him there as wave after wave held him in place.

"Nova Blast!"

DarkVolumon couldn't redirect his sound waves in time, and the massive fireball blasted him back. He recovered quickly and roared angrily, unleashing sound wave after sound wave, seemingly intent on bringing down the whole tower. Metal rippled and bent from his destructive force as Greymon and ExVeemon covered their ears, unable to even approach.

"Gigantic Press!" Rockmon cried, doing a backflip and landing on DarkVolumon, body slamming him from behind. The machine Digimon fell flat on his stomach as Rockmon attempted to pin him down, but DarkVolumon fired his Doomsday Woofer, launching them upward. Rockmon was crushed between DarkVolumon's body and the ceiling before they fell back to the ground.

Reaching behind him, DarkVolumon grabbed the wireframe Digimon and used his Horn Breaker attack to fling him against the wall before firing another sound wave upon him, the wall bending out of shape behind Rockmon's body.

"Nano Spore!"

The attack came from behind as Datamon fired mini-bombs from his fingers, but they exploded against another sound wave DarkVolumon sent back at him before he returned his attention back to the dinosaur and dragon Digimon.

Datamon collapsed to his knees, and the teens attempted to help him. "I'm sorry," he groaned. "He drained all my power when he hooked those cables into my body."

"Don't blame yourself," Kari told him, "just focus on recovering your strength."

The machine Digimon chuckled humorlessly. "It's insulting, an Ultimate like me unable to take a Champion like him. But those sound waves…"

"We know," Shoutmon replied, "it's a unique ability that gives him an edge. Don't worry about it."

But Datamon still refused to give up. "Listen to me, I think I might know what the problem is." He pointed at DarkVolumon. "Look, look at his back. See that black gear sticking out of it?"

They looked at where he was pointing as DarkVolumon continued unleashing sound waves at Greymon and ExVeemon. There, sticking out of his back, was half of a large black gear, the other half buried in his metal body.

TK looked back at Datamon. "What about it?"

"It's not part of him. It shouldn't be there."

"Wait," said Takato, "so it doesn't belong to his anatomy? I thought it was just part of his body."

"No, he's right," Shoutmon replied. "I didn't notice it before, but that gear shouldn't be there."

"Well," said Takuya, "I guess if you had a large black gear stuck inside your body, you'd act a little crazy too."

Shoutmon nodded. "It must have forced him into his darker Digivolution form. I'll take care of this. Fiery Fastball!"

He threw the flaming ball of energy, aiming for the gear. DarkVolumon glanced back, saw the attack coming, and whirled around, smacking it aside. Shoutmon growled and produced his microphone before he charged at the machine Digimon.

"This is going to hurt me more than it hurts you," he told DarkVolumon. "Literally."

"Doomsday Woofer!" the machine Digimon shouted, unleashing a sound wave.

Shoutmon had been waiting for this and held out his mic. When the sound wave flowed over it, the mic amplified the volume and sent the sound wave out in every direction. Shoutmon cried out and was thrown back. The sound wave flowed back over DarkVolumon as well, and he went flying through the air, head over heels.

"Batter up!" Greymon declared.

Charging forward, he spun around and used his Tail Crash attack, striking the machine Digimon. DarkVolumon went crashing into the wall, then dropped down to the ground, laying on his stomach.

"Quickly!" Kari shouted. "Get rid of that black gear in his back!"

"You mean this?" ExVeemon asked, zeroing in on the gear. "I'm on it! Vee-Laser!"

The attack flew at the fallen Digimon, hitting the black object in his back. The gear dislodged itself and came out. Strangely enough, DarkVolumon's back was perfectly intact, the black gear having left no mark on him, as if it had simply fazed through his body rather than cut through it.

As for the gear itself, it spun on the floor for a few minutes like a coin that had been flipped before breaking down into data particles and disappearing. Whatever it was, it seemed they would never know the answers to their questions.

DarkVolumon groaned, and his body began to glow. The others watched in fascination as the glowing Digimon's body reshaped itself. When the light faded, a new Digimon, similar in appearance, but still different from DarkVolumon, now lay on the ground.

"Hey," Rockmon exclaimed, "it's Ballistamon, he's back!"

"Who's Ballistamon?" TK asked.

A MetalKoromon suddenly appeared. "He's DarkVolumon's alternate Champion level. This is the form he's been in since he started working here."

Shoutmon struggled to his feet, using his microphone for support. "That black gear must have forced him to Slide Evolution to his dark stage."

Takato glanced at him. "What's that mean?"

The dragon Digimon sighed. "A Digimon's Digivolution line has many options. When a Digimon Digivolves, there are various forms it can take. When a Digimon changes their stage from one form to another of the same level, it's called Sliding Evolution. This was what happened with Ballistamon when he became DarkVolumon, he swapped one Champion form for another."

"Oooook…"

With a groan, Ballistamon sat up. Rockmon helped him along, seemingly concerned for the machine Digimon "Are you ok, my friend?"

Ballistamon looked up at him. "Boss? What happened?"

"You mean you don't remember?" Datamon asked, making his way over to them.

Ballistamon rubbed his head. "I'm not sure. Everything is fuzzy, like I just woke up from a dream. I remember coming to check on a maintenance problem. We got a reading that something had collided with the tower. I came up to see what it was, and then…" His eyes widened. "Yes, and then that gear burst through the wall, and hit me in the back. It forced me to Slide Evolution. I couldn't stop myself. That's the last thing I remember in full. The rest are just bits and pieces. I wasn't in control of myself." He looked at them worriedly. "I didn't hurt anyone, did I?"

Greymon changed back to Tai. "Don't worry about it. It wasn't anything we couldn't handle."

ExVeemon landed beside him and became Davis again. "Yeah, no biggie. Just be more careful when making repairs next time."

This earned a laugh as the tension broke. But Shoutmon's laughter died quickly as he frowned. Something about the situation just hadn't seemed right. While it looked like it may have been nothing more than an accident, something was telling him that it was more than that. What more, as mechanical as this place was, he had a funny feeling that that black gear hadn't come from Machine Tower.

Notes:

(A/N: Ok, ok, I know you all know who sent out the black gear, but for the sake of the story, I'll be leaving them in the dark as if it's still a mystery. But they're only the first of many villains that will be appearing. Some from different Seasons, some that weren't. This one is just the first. So I hope you'll look forward to more, because there's going to be a lot more.)

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New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Guardromon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Kokuwamon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Rockmon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/MetalKoromon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Hagurumon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Solarmon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Datamon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/DarkVolumon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Ballistamon

Chapter 10: Primary Village

Notes:

(A/N: FINALLY! I don't know what the problem was with me being unable to upload documents, but it seems like things are back in working order. Now things can get back to normal. So, lets get on with the next chapter.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 10: Primary Village

It seemed his little experiment was a success. The attack on Machine Tower had indeed paid off. Not only had his black gear bent Ballistamon to his will, it had also reverted him to his evil Champion level stage. Yes, his test had been most profitable.

There had been one minor set back though. Those human children and their Digimon friend had sabotaged things. They discovered it was his black gear that had been causing all the trouble and destroyed it, breaking his control over the machine Digimon.

It didn't really matter though. In the grand scheme of things, Machine Tower wasn't all that important. He could always go back and claim it later. The real prize was the results of his experiment. His black gears worked. True, he may have lost one, but he had several more left, and File Island had no shortage of them; he could always get more.

Now came the time to set his sights on his main goal. There was a spot on this island that was perhaps the most valuable in the entire Digital World. True, there were numerous valuable and important places, but this one was special. It was the starting point of all life, where Digimon were reborn after they died. As such, many considered it to be the "center" of the Digital World.

To him, it was his ticket to taking over. It still wouldn't be easy though. As strong as he was, it would be impossible for him alone to rule over all the Baby and In-Training Digimon; there were just too many. This was why he was using his black gears to take control of their guardians. With them under his control, he could enforce his will on the Baby and In-Training Digimon through them. And with his successful experiment on Machine Tower, he could now set his plan in motion.

He summoned forth another black gear. This one would be the first, the starting point in his master plan to rule. With a wave of his hand, he sent it out into the distance with a set target in mind.

"Now it begins."

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"Well, I'll be," Shoutmon awed. "It's been a long time since I was here."

Following close behind, the teens looked at what exactly here was. From the looks of it, they had stumbled across a massively large playpen or daycare center that stretched on for miles. They had no idea what it was, but after exploring Machine Tower, they didn't think much would surprise them.

It had been a real let down to discover that the machine Digimon were unable to return them home. They had been hoping that with as technologically advanced as Machine Tower was, they would have some way to send them home. Alas, it seemed that no form of technology could do that.

Datamon had claimed that only a rare select few extraordinarily powerful Digimon could perform inter-dimensional travel, and even then, the Real World was beyond their reach. Not only that, it was widely believed that, since they were made of data, that Digimon could not survive in the Real World, and so attempting to go there was not only considered blasphemy, but just plain crazy and suicidal.

That wasn't to say that it wasn't possible. It must be since the five of them had somehow come to the Digital World. And so they had resumed their journey to Cherubimon's home, and after a few days of traveling, they now found themselves here.

"What is this place?" TK asked. "It looks like a giant playpen."

"I think that's what it is," Tai remarked.

Kari glanced at Shoutmon. "Is it?"

He shrugged. "More or less. This is Primary Village. It's where all Digimon are born."

"Oh," said Davis, trying to understand, "so it's like one big paternity ward?"

The look Shoutmon gave him indicated that he had no idea what the boy was talking about. "If that's how things work in your world, I guess."

"I don't think we're on the same page," Takuya replied. "How about you explain things to us, and we'll explain our ways to you."

Shoutmon shrugged. "Fair enough. I told you before that Digimon never really die. When they do, their care data reconfigures into a Digi-Egg. This is where the eggs materialize. Look, here comes one now."

He pointed a few yards away. The spot he was pointing at began to distort. Glowing particles of data were appearing out of thin air and coming together. A large colorful egg the size of a football appeared, and the air around it became still once more.

"See," said Shoutmon. "That poor soul met their end somewhere in this world, so now they've ended up back here. Once it hatches, they'll be able to start over again to reach the same level they were at before, or higher, or maybe they'll even take a different Digivolutionary route."

"Oh, I get it," said Takato. "It's almost like having your game reset and staring back at the save point you were at last. But all the experience you gained since you last saved is lost."

Shoutmon gave him a bewildered look. "Yeah… sure, whatever."

"So you started out here too?" Kari asked.

The dragon Digimon nodded. "Yup, we all did. And let me tell you, dying is not fun, and it's annoying as heck." He gave them a curious look. "So how does birth work in your world?"

Immediately, all the boy's faces dropped. They shared an uneasy look and began sweating nervously before glaring at Takuya for offering to tell Shoutmon how things worked.

Kari rolled her eyes. "What is it with boys and finding this subject so uneasy?" She shook her head. "I'll explain things. You see, Shoutmon, when two people love each other very, very much…"

She then proceeded to give the Digimon a thorough lesson on human reproduction. Knowing that he had no knowledge on how things worked in the human world, she tried to give him as much information as she could, finding no discomfort in the topic, viewing it as a natural and beautiful part of life.

She didn't skim over the details either, not even of the deed itself, and what happened to a woman's body each month when they didn't conceive. The boys continued to look increasingly uncomfortable, and Tai appeared to be utter appalled and the most shocked that his little sister actually knew so much on the subject.

By the time she finished, Shoutmon looked pale and disturbed. "Seriously? Babies actually come out of… there? But… but that's… that's disgusting!"

"You're preaching to the choir," Davis agreed.

Kari shook her head. "It's not disgusting, it's perfectly natural, and it's how things work in the Real World."

Shoutmon shivered and brushed his arms off as if he felt dirty. "That's so wrong. I can understand the part about taking mates, most species of Digimon do that too, but not for… breeding purposes. But the whole monthly bleeding thing, and the pregnancy, and labor, and childbirth stuff you mentioned, that's just so… blah!"

"Don't we know it," Tai grumbled.

Kari chuckled. "You boys are all alike, no matter what dimension."

"I guess it makes sense that Digimon don't reproduce," Tai noted. "Since they never really die, if they did reproduce more, there'd be overpopulation."

Shoutmon shook his finger at him. "There are some rare cases where, if the data of a very powerful Digimon is not absorbed, it will create a brand new Digimon instead of just disappearing, but that hardly ever happens. But overpopulation isn't really a problem either since Digimon tend to DNA Digivolve from time to time." He shook his head. "Well, come on, I'll show you how things work in the Digital World."

They followed him into the village. The further in they went, the less it seemed like a village and the more it seemed like a child's playpen. Not only that, but Digi-Eggs of all different colors and patterns were scattered all over the place. There were also strange cribs that contained Baby Digimon. Some were empty, the occupants playing a short distance away.

"Hey," said Takato, "um, shouldn't a big chicken be sitting on these?"

Shoutmon gave him a confused look. "Why would you sit on eggs? Are you trying to crush them?"

"Course not," Takuya replied. "That's just what birds do in our world. They sit on them to use their body heat to keep the eggs warm in order to make them hatch."

Shoutmon just shrugged. "I don't know about keeping them warm. Digi-Eggs hatch no matter what temperature. Rubbing them gently helps though." He picked up a random egg and began rubbing it. "This helps coax them out, and it also creates static they can use as energy to help them develop. Oh, look at that!"

The egg he held began to crack. Not in a bad way, but in the hatching sense. The eggshells fell away, and Shoutmon now held a newborn Baby Digimon.

"Aww," Kari cooed. "It's so cute."

Shoutmon scoffed. "Cute, right. For all you know, this could be the Baby form of the Ogremon, Kuwagamon, or Fangmon we faced." Kari jumped back, and he snickered. "Don't worry, it's not. Their eggs haven't had enough time to develop for them to hatch yet. Besides, the truly evil Digimon that are dead set on total domination are never allowed to reach their full potential again; we that fight for the light make sure of that. For other bad Digimon, well, we just hope that dying was punishment enough and they learned their lesson."

By his feet, the eggshells broke into data and reform into a new cradle. Smiling, Shoutmon set the Baby Digimon down in its new resting place.

"That was cool," said TK. "It's kind of like recycling."

"Of sorts," Shoutmon agreed. "They'll last until the Baby Digimon Digivolves, then break down into data again."

Davis looked at an egg curiously. "Hey, what happened if an egg gets smashed?"

Shoutmon raised an eyebrow. "What do you think? It reconfigures again, and the developing process starts all over again."

Davis cut his eyes at him. "Well, excuse me."

"Down Tornado!"

The attack came out of nowhere. By the time they turned to the angry voice, a tornado was whirling towards them. Within this tornado were numerous feathers, and the cold wind the spinning vortex caused sent them flying towards the teens.

Shoutmon reacted quickly. This involved head-butting Davis in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him, and him out of the path of the feathers, which pierced the ground where he was standing as if they were knives.

The mini-tornado died down, and behind it came a Digimon rushing forward to meet them. It was a large majestic swan, truly beautiful, but it wore a scowl on its face. And behind it was a group of In-Training Digimon, bouncing to keep up.

"Get away from my babies!" the swan Digimon seethed. She moved in front of the Baby Digimon that had just hatched, holding her wings out protectively. "If you hurt any of them, I'll end you."

Davis stood up, whipping out his Digivice. "Oh, yeah!"

Tai held up his hand out in front of his lookalike and shook his head, not taking his eyes off the swan Digimon. "We're not here to hurt anyone. We're just passing through."

The swan Digimon glared at him. "I heard that one," she motioned to Davis, "talk about smashing my eggs."

Shoutmon waved his arms wildly. "No, no, no! He asked what would happen if one was smashed, not that he was going to do it. See, these folks are from another world. They're humans, and things work differently in their world, so they were only curious. This one, though," he motioned at Davis, "is a bit of an idiot, and doesn't always think before he talks."

"Hey!"

In the newly formed cradle, the Baby Digimon addressed the swan Digimon. "It's true. They helped me hatch, and the dumb one just asked a simple question."

Visibly relaxing, the swan Digimon lowered her wings. "Well, that's a relief. I'm sorry I was suspicious. I can be a little overprotective of my babies and eggs."

"Wait, your babies and eggs?" TK repeated. He glanced a Shoutmon. "I thought you said that-"

"It's just a term of endearment," the dragon Digimon interrupted.

The swan Digimon placed her wigs over her heart. "Yes, until these little ones go off on their own, I think of them as my babies. My name is Swanmon. I'm the acting mother for all the Digi-Eggs, Babies, and In-Trainings."

Kari looked around at the large playpen that could easily be its own city. "So it's just you taking care of all these little guys on your own?"

Swanmon shook her head. "Oh, no. Elecmon is around here somewhere. He's the acting guardian and father figure. Also," she motioned to the In-Training Digimon, "the In-Trainings that stay here help with the younger ones."

Takato crouched down to look at the In-Trainings. "So these guys act like big siblings to the little guys."

Swanmon nodded. "Yes, until they reach the Rookie level, at which point I'm forced to send them on their way in order to make room for the newcomers." She wiped away a tear. "It's always so hard to see them go. Of course, they can leave at any time after their initial hatching, but I prefer that they at least wait until they reach the In-Training level."

Kari sighed. "All birds must leave the nest eventually. "At the confused looks she received from the Digimon she said, "It's just an expression we humans use."

"Oh, yes, I see," Swanmon replied. "That is a very good analogy."

One of the In-Trainings hopped up to Swanmon. "Hey, can we play with the funny looking creatures."

This was met with cheers from the others. Swanmon tried to shush them, but they refused to settle, and she gave the humans a hopeful pleading look.

Tai shook his head. "Sorry, we don't have time. We've got to get back to our-"

"Oh, come on, Tai," Kari begged, having already fallen in love with the little Digimon and their cuteness. "We've been walking all day; we could use a break."

"Since when has playing with a bunch of little kids been break?"

"Oh, please. Just for a little while."

Looking at him like that, he just couldn't bring himself to say no. "Oh, alright, but just for a while."

"Yay!" the Digimon cried.

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Tag was apparently a favorite game amongst the Baby and In-Training Digimon. With most of them only being a head, their game options were rather limited. All the same, Kari enjoyed herself immensely. Whether human or Digimon, it seemed that kids would be kids. And she really loved children; it was one of the reasons she wanted to be a teacher when she grew up.

At the moment, they were playing a variation of Tag where whoever was 'it' had to jump on the others' shadow, Shadow Tag it was commonly called. Being very good hoppers, the Digimon held a great advantage, though Kari's speed was able to keep her ahead of them.

That is, until she turned a corner behind several giant toy blocks piled on top of each other and came to a halt. The laughing Digimon quickly caught up, but the fun soon ended as they saw what made her stop.

The area was torn apart. Everything was destroyed, and there were scorch marks everywhere, as if lightning had struck in several places.

"W-What happened here?" she wondered out loud as the Digimon cowered behind her.

"Look, over there," one of them cried.

Lacking hands, it pointed with its ears. Kari looked to see a beat up, seemingly unconscious In-Training Digimon stuck beneath what appeared to be a giant teddy bear.

"Oh, no!" She hurried over to the trapped Digimon. "Are you ok? Who did this toy you?"

The little Digimon groaned. "E-Elec…mon… he went… he went…"

"Hold on, I'm going to try to get you out." She grabbed the giant stuffed arm, glancing quickly at the other Digimon. "You guys, hurry and go tell the others."

"Yes, Miss Kari!" they chorused, and hopped off.

"Just try and keep still," she told the trapped Digimon, and began lifting. Apparently, giant stuffed animals were very heavy.

"Elecmon…" the Digimon moaned again.

"Don't worry," Kari told it, "we'll find Elecmon. Swanmon said he's around here somewhere."

"No!" the Digimon squealed. "Elecmon, he went bad."

This gave Kari pause. "What?"

The weight of the stuffed animal suddenly became too heavy, and she dropped it. Looking up, she saw a large paw pressing down on it, having been the extra weight she felt. There was a vicious snarl, and the claw swiped at her.

She jumped back, nearly getting slashed, and fell over. The Digimon that had attacked her resembled a giant purple rabbit with yellow stripes, and it possessed a peacock-like tail of fur rather than feathers.

Kari scooted back. "Elecmon?"

Was this really the fatherly figure of Primary Village? Had he thought she was attacking his babies like Swanmon did and was trying to defend them?

'But wait, what did that Digimon say? Elecmon went bad?'

Taking out her Digivice, she did a quick analysis. "You're not Elecmon, you're ViElecmon, a dark, virus version of Elecmon."

ViElecmon growled as electricity flowed over his body. A bolt shout out, and Kari rolled aside, allowing the bolt to singe the ground.

"I guess that explains the scorch marks," she muttered.

Snarling, ViElecmon leapt off the bear, the movement freeing the trapped Digimon. He paid it no mind though as he focused on the human girl before him. He towered over her by several feet, his fur standing on end like an aggravated cat.

"Please, don't hurt me," she begged. "I didn't do anything." But she only received a snarl in response. Desperately, she looked to her Digivice. "If I'm going to Spirit Evolve, now would be a good time."

"Assassin Bolt!" ViElecmon roared, firing three darts of electricity.

Kari scrambled out of the way and got to her feet. Holding up her Digivice, she screamed, "Go, Spirit Evolution!"

Nothing happened. She remained human, and ViElecmon rose to his hind legs, towering over her like a bear as electricity ran across his body. Her eyes drifted lower and widened at what she saw. Sticking out of ViElecmon's stomach was a familiar looking black gear, the same kind that had turned Ballistamon into DarkVolumon.

"Is that…?" she whispered.

"Jamming Thunder!" ViElecmon cried, firing bolts of electricity from his tail.

Kari covered her head as the electricity came. From behind her, a fireball flew by, crossing paths with the electricity, causing an explosion. Shoutmon hopped in front of her, wielding his microphone.

"You ok, Kari?" he asked.

She nodded. "Y-Yes, but he's crazy. I think it's because of that gear."

"Gear?" Shoutmon repeated. Then he too spotted it. "Hey, that's just like the one from Machine Tower."

"One of the Digimon told me that Elecmon went bad."

Shoutmon chuckled humorlessly. "That's an understatement. ViElecmon is as nasty as Elecmon is nice. But why's he so big? Both Elecmon and ViElecmon are only about my size. Hey, what's up with you, big guy?"

ViElecmon snarled at him and charged. Shoutmon rushed to meet him, swinging his mic. "Rock and Roller!"

"Dark Tail!"

Whirling around, the mammal Digimon slapped him with his electrically charged tail. Shoutmon crashed into the pile of blocks and the whole structure collapsed on him.

"Shoutmon!" Kari shouted.

ViElecmon turned back to her, growling. Kari backed away as the overgrown Digimon stalked towards her, his fur sparking with electricity.

There was a loud roar, and Greymon came charging in, tackling ViElecmon. "Get away from my sister!"

"Greymon!" Kari exclaimed.

From up above, ExVeemon landed in front of her. "Stay back, Kari, we'll handle this."

He flew towards the mammal Digimon as ViElecmon threw Greymon aside. He fired a Vee-Laser, and ViElecmon snarled as it blasted against him. He turned his attention to the dragon Digimon and pounced, tackling ExVeemon to the ground.

Pinning down his prey, the mammal Digimon growled in ExVeemon's face. Making a fist, ExVeemon punched him in the jaw, and ViElecmon toppled over. Greymon then grabbed him from behind and threw him into a wall that appeared to have been used by the Baby and In-Training Digimon to color on.

"Nova Blast!"

"Vee-Laser!"

The two of them fired continuous attacks at the mammal Digimon, and the wall crumbled on top of him.

"You guys, stop!" Kari shouted, gaining their attention. "He's got a black gear inside him, just like Ballistamon did!"

"What's that?" Greymon asked. "He's got a gear?"

The pile of rubble burst apart as ViElecmon merged.

"Yeah, look," said ExVeemon. "Right there, it's stuck in his gut. That's gotta hurt."

ViElecmon roared. Electricity began flying off his body in different directions, and the other two Digimon recoiled.

"Geez, what's up with this guy?" ExVeemon grumbled. "What level is he anyway?"

Kari recalled her reading. "My Digimon Analyzer said he's only a Rookie."

A bolt struck Greymon's shoulder, and he snarled. "He's stronger than a Rookie. That gear must be making him stronger."

"Shoutmon did say he was a lot bigger than he should be," his sister replied, glancing worriedly at the giant blocks the dragon Digimon was buried under.

"Well," said ExVeemon, "I guess that supports your theory. I'm taking out that gear."

He flew in, his target the black gear in ViElecmon's gut. The mammal Digimon glared at him as he came in and jumped up to meet him. ExVeemon threw a punch, aiming for the gear, but ViElecmon hit him with his Dark Tail attack, knocking him back.

"What is going on here!?" an angry voice demanded.

Kari and Greymon turned to see Swanmon, TK, Takato, Takuya, and several low level Digimon rushing over.

"Fighting is prohibited in this village!" the swan Digimon snapped. "Cease this fighting at once!"

Greymon was about to point out that it was ViElecmon who was attacking them when he noticed something black flying through the air. Whatever it was, it was coming in fast, heading straight for the group.

"Swanmon, look out!" he called.

But he was too late. The second black gear dropped down and slammed into the swan Digimon from behind, burying into her back. A look of shock and pain crossed her face, and she dropped down, seemingly unconscious.

"Swanmon!" Takato cried.

He dropped down by her side, wary of the black gear sticking out of her back. TK knelt down beside him. The two exchanged a look before the blonde reached to try and remove the gear, only to have his hand shocked when he touched it.

Swanmon's eyes suddenly snapped open, but there was something different about them. All compassion had vanished from their depths, as had, seemingly, all signs of awareness. With a vicious squawk, she lashed out at the two humans, jumping to her feet.

Spreading her wings, she took to the air and landed beside ViElecmon. The two exchanged a look, an unspoken form of communication seeming to pass between them. They turned their blank gazes on the others, looking ready for a fight.

Notes:

(A/N: We've entered Primary Village. I used the guardians of both Season 1 and Season 4. Only this time, one of them has gone bad. I always tried to come up with a reason as to why You Know Who targeted File Island, and I realized that they probably chose it due to it being the location of Primary Village. With the black gears, they could have taken over and influenced the baby Digimon when they were still young to turn them into their servants. It made sense to me, so I incorporated that in my story. And poor Elecmon was the first victim. Lets see where it goes from here. Is someone new going to Spirit Evolve, or are Greymon and ExVeemon going to be the ones to save the day again? Find out next time.)

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New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Swanmon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Elecmon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Vi-Elecmon

Chapter 11: Flame On

Notes:

(A/N: Alrighty then. After a cliffhanger ending last chapter, we're moving on to part two of the battle with ViElecmon. And now, Swanmon has joined the fight. Lets see what happens. By the way, this chapter title was not supposed to be a Fantastic 4 reference, it just came out that way, and I didn't realize it until later. I still like it though, so I kept it.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 11: Flame On

ExVeemon got to his feet and rejoined Greymon. Swanmon and ViElecmon glared at the two if them, ready to attack at any moment.

"So, what now?" ExVeemon asked. "We can't fight them like the others. It's not like they're evil Digimon."

"I know," Greymon replied, "it's those gears; they're controlling them somehow. We have to destroy them without hurting Swanmon or ViElecmon."

"Assassin Bolt!" ViElecmon cried, firing electric darts.

"White Wing Flapping!" Swanmon cried, flapping her wings too unleash blades of wind.

The dragon and dinosaur Digimon jumped away from the attacks.

"Yeah, that's easier said than done," the former grumbled. "I'll see if I can get Swanmon's from the air."

He took to the sky, circling around overhead. With the gear in sight, he fired a Vee-Laser at it. Swanmon flapped her wings and her Down Tornado formed around her, blocking his attack. This was followed by several knife-feathers being shot up at him. ExVeemon quickly shielded his face, but still had to bite back a pained cry as the feathers stabbed into his arms and chest.

Bursting out of her tornado, Swanmon flew up towards him, slamming into his exposed gut. ExVeemon grunted, but had no time to recover as she brought him down.

"ExVeemon- Argh!" Greymon had been in he process of calling out to his friend when ViElecmon shocked him. He turned his gaze up to the mammal Digimon and cried, "Fire Wall!"

The flames that spilled from his mouth rose into a large wall of fire, cutting off him and ViElecmon. The mammal Digimon jumped away from the flames, his fur standing on end in anger.

Roaring, Greymon came charging through the flames. ViElecmon leapt at him, but Greymon struck him with his Tail Crash instead. He was back on his feet a moment later, firing off more Assassin Bolts, causing Greymon to dance away from him in a very comical fashion.

Meanwhile, ExVeemon had managed to kick Swanmon off him. She spread her wings and remained airborne as ExVeemon jumped to his feet. With several flaps from her wings, she sent out blades of wind that struck the dragon Digimon like a sword.

"Vee-Laser!" he cried, holding back so he wouldn't hurt the swan Digimon.

Swanmon knocked the attack aside and unleashed her Down Tornado on ExVeemon. The dragon Digimon cried out as freezing wind and feather knives sliced across his body. She then swooped down at him, knocking him off his feet. Once more, he was pinned down, and Swanmon made to poke out his eyes with her beak. His hands wrapped around her neck to hold her back as her razor-feathered wings batted him.

Out of the corner of his eye, Greymon saw that ExVeemon was in trouble. "Enough of this! Nova Blast!"

He aimed at the ground in front of ViElecmon, so as not to hurt him. The mammal Digimon recoiled from the blast, and Greymon used the opportunity to charge at Swanmon and head butt her with his Great Antler attack, knocking her off his friend.

"This isn't working," he said, helping ExVeemon to his friend. "We need to come up with a plan to stop them without hurting them."

ExVeemon noticed ViElecmon charging towards them. "I don't think they share your concern."

As ViElecmon unleashed his Jamming Thunder, something leapt out from the pile of collapsed giant blocks. Wielding his microphone, Shoutmon turned towards the mammal Digimon and cried "Bellow Blaster!"

A wave of energy burst from his mic, flowing towards ViElecmon. The wave cancelled out the electricity and knocked the mammal Digimon off his feet.

"Oh, good, you're alive," said ExVeemon.

Shoutmon glared at him. "Thanks for your concern, now lets get out of here, hurry."

Bending down, Greymon allowed the little dragon Digimon to climb onto his head, and they hurried over to their companions. As they made their escape, Swanmon flew into their path and unleashed her Down Tornado.

As Greymon and ExVeemon moved to defend their friends, the Baby and In-Training level Digimon jumped in front of the attack. There were cries of "Bubble Blow!" and they began blowing out pink bubbles. A wall of the pink spheres bunched up in front of them as the tornado collided with it. The bubbles began popping, but the wall held for several long seconds.

When the last of the bubbles had popped, the humans and the Digimon were gone, and Swanmon's enraged squawk echoed through the village.

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It wasn't much of a hiding place, but it would have to do. In any case, it didn't seem like Swanmon or the abnormally large ViElecmon would be able to fit inside. Who would have thought that the inside of the playground equipment would be a suitable hiding place? Currently, they were all cramped together inside a plastic igloo with a few holes in the sides, allowing them to see out.

"We can't stay here forever," Davis pointed out, both he and Tai having taken on their human forms.

"This is just until we can come up with a plan," Tai reminded him. "So lets think. How can we fight them without hurting them?"

"We could set a trap," Takuya suggested.

"How's that supposed to work?" Takato demanded, growing frustrated. "This whole village is one giant playpen. How can we set a trap with a bunch of toys?"

Kari looked at the Baby and In-Training Digimon. "Hey, maybe we can use those magic bubbles these guys were blowing."

Davis glanced at them. "Yeah, what's up with those bubbles? They totally stopped Swanmon's attack."

"It's a defensive ability," Shoutmon explained. "All Digimon at their level have such abilities in order to protect themselves, otherwise they'd be easy targets for stronger Digimon. The bubbles absorb and block other Digimon's attacks, even the really powerful ones. They can't really do much in the long run though."

TK, who had been looking through a small opening, gave them a sullen look. "I think we have a bigger problem. It looks like Swanmon's gone ballistic."

The others crowded around. The opening was small, but from what they could see, it looked as if Swanmon was randomly flying over the village, unleashing her Down Tornado in certain areas without care as to who or what was caught up in it.

"She must be looking for us," Takato theorized.

"Yeah, no kidding," Davis grumbled. "What are we going to do?"

Kari looked horrified as the swan Digimon created another tornado. "All those poor Digimon, they're defenseless against her."

"Do you see ViElecmon anywhere?" Shoutmon asked.

TK looked around. "No, nowhere. He's probably stalking the grounds somewhere."

An In-Training Digimon hopped over to them. "Please, you have to help our friends. Swanmon and ViElecmon don't know what they're doing."

Tai sighed. "At this rate, more innocents will be hurt if we don't fight than if we do. We have no choice, we'll have to go back out there."

"Hold on!" Takato cried. "Didn't we just run from a fight?"

"Only because we didn't want to hurt Swanmon or ViElecmon, but now they're the ones going around hurting the Digimon of this village. We have to stop them, even if it means they get hurt in the process."

Kari frowned. "The lesser of the two evils then. I guess I understand."

He gave his sister a smile. "Don't worry, we'll try to hold back. All we need to do is destroy those black gears, and they'll return to normal."

Davis punched the air. "Now that's what I'm talking about! Solid plan."

"Oooook…" Takato muttered; it didn't seem like much of a plan to him, but there was nothing he could do about it without the ability to Spirit Evolve.

Tai turned to the dragon Digimon. "Shoutmon, you stay here and take care of everyone. Be sure to keep them safe."

The so-called Digimon King thumped his chest. "You can count on me."

With a grateful smile, Tai squeezed out of the small opening, followed by Davis, who gave them a thumbs up. "Hey, don't worry, we'll take care of this, no problem."

"Just be careful," TK told them.

Tai held up his Digivice. "You too. Now then, Execute! Spirit Evolution… Greymon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… ExVeemon! Be back in a flash."

The teens watched nervously as their friends hurried off. After a few minutes, they saw Swanmon swoop down, presumably having spotted the two.

"I hope everything turns out ok," Kari pleaded.

TK took her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Don't worry, they can take care of themselves."

For the next several minutes, they continued to keep watch. Every now and then, they would see an explosive blast or a tornado in the distance, indicating that the fight was going on, but otherwise, they were too far away to see what was happening.

A sudden jolt rocked them as if something had collided with the plastic igloo. Another one followed, and the igloo was completely flipped over, exposing them to the outside. ViElecmon growled down at them, having sniffed out their hiding place, and this time, there was no Greymon or ExVeemon to protect them.

"Get back!" Shoutmon cried, producing his mic as ViElecmon sent out several bolts of electricity. He threw the mic towards the attack, the metal conducting the electricity, and cupped his hands together. "Fiery Fastball!"

The attack exploded against ViElecmon's forehead, Snarling, he shook his head as electricity raced across his body. Shoutmon leapt at him, throwing a punch, and ViElecmon's jaws clamped down on his arm.

Shoutmon began kicking the mammal Digimon's jaw. "Let me go, you overgrown hairball!"

ViElecmon shook his head, swinging the dragon Digimon around before tossing him off to the side. Then his gaze shifted to the others, and the Baby and In-Training level Digimon shrieked fearfully and fled. The mammal Digimon roared and fired his Assassin Bolt after them.

"Leave them alone!" Takuya shouted, charging blindly at their attacker.

ViEledmon glanced at him and swiped with his paws, knocking the boy to the ground.

"Takuya!" the others cried.

The mammal Digimon's attention shifted to them, and he started in their direction. The teens backed away, but had nowhere to go.

"What do we do now?" Takato asked.

TK's fists tightened. "Ok, I'll provide a distraction. You guys run."

"TK, no!" Kari objected, but he had already taken off.

"Come and get me, you stupid beast!" he yelled, waving his arms as he ran.

ViElecmon snarled and sent a bolt of electricity at him. It struck the ground in front of him, and he quickly went the other way. Another bolt flew in his path, this one causing him to topple over.

"TK, get out of there!" Kari shouted, attempting to get to him, but was held back by Takato, telling her that there was nothing she could do.

"Jamming Thunder!" ViElecmon cried, firing off more electricity.

TK braced himself for the attack, just as something moved in front of him. Takuya cried out, having thrown himself in front of the attack's path in a last ditch effort to save his friend.

As the electricity flowed through him, the electrical charge sparked his Digivice. It began to chime and glow, and suddenly Takuya found himself engulfed in flames. They did not burn, rather, they caused the electricity to disperse.

As he realized the source of this power was coming from inside his pocket, he reached inside and pulled out his Digivice, realizing it had activated just as Tai and Davis' had.

"It's my turn now," he declared. "Execute! Spirit Evolution… Agunimon!"

ViElecmon growled, taking a step back as he stared at the transformed boy. Resembling a humanoid being wearing fire-based red armor, Takuya now stood as Agunimon.

"Incredible," TK exclaimed. "He Spirit Evolved."

"Whoa, he's awesome," Takato marveled. "He's like some legendary warrior of fire."

ViElecmon was less impressed as he snarled at Agunimon, but the fire wizard Digimon simply stared him down, glaring. "All right, ViElecmon, it's just you and me now. Time to get that gear out of you."

"Jamming Thunder!"

Agunimon rushed forward, maneuvering around the bolts of electricity. He reached ViElecmon within moments and lashed out with a fist full of fire. "Crimson Knuckle!"

ViElecmon toppled over onto his side from the blow. He recovered quickly through and struck with his Dark Tail attack. Agunimon countered with his Salamander Kick, singeing the ends of the mammal Digimon's tails, making him snarl.

"Now to set you free," Agunimon declared. "Pyro Tornado!"

He began spinning around and kicking. A flaming vortex surrounded him and rushed at ViElecmon. The mammal was caught up in it and lifted into the air, roaring as the flames burned him.

"Pyro Punch!" Agunimon cried, aiming for the black gear.

A dragon made entirely out of fire burst from his fist and flew at ViElecmon's exposed belly. It exploded against him, and the black gear cracked apart and dislodged, the broken pieces dissolving into data.

ViElecmon made a grunting sound and immediately began to shrink. He continued to do so until he had gone from nearly the size of an elephant to no bigger than Shoutmon; the dragon Digimon had been right about his size. And when the fire tornado dispersed and he dropped from the sky, Agunimon caught him.

"Look at that," he observed. "I guess that black gear also made him bigger too."

In his arms, the mammal Digimon began glowing with the light of Digivolution. It lasted for only a few seconds, and when it faded, his color was different. He'd gone from purple with yellow stripes to red with blue stripes.

"Hey," said Kari, "is that…?" She took out her Digivice and did a quick analysis. "Yup, just as I thought. Elecmon, Rookie level, special attack Super Thunder Strike. He's the Data type version of the Virus type ViElecmon.

"Data type? Virus type?" Takato repeated. "What's that mean?"

With a grunt, Shoutmon limped over, rubbing his sore arm. "They're two of the three attributes a Digimon can be. There are a few that are unspecified though. I myself am one of them. Generally, we're either a Data type, Virus type, or a Vaccine type."

"Interesting," Agunimon muttered.

In his arms, Elecmon stirred, and his eyes cracked open. "Ouch… What hit me?" He looked up at Agunimon. "And where did you come from?"

An explosion in the distance drew the fire wizard Digimon's attention, and he quickly shoved the mammal Digimon into TK's arms. "You explain things. I have to go help the others."

Without waiting for a reply, he sped off. TK stared at the place he had been, surprised by the fire wizard Digimon's speed, then looked down at Elecmon, who was watching him curiously. "What the heck are you supposed to be?"

TK sweat-dropped. "Oh boy, where to start?"

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It wasn't that hard to find the battlegrounds. They were certainly making enough noise, and the fleeing low-level Digimon were a good indicator. Agunimon hurried along until he reached the three combatants.

Greymon was on the ground, launching attacks up at Swanmon. ExVeemon was flying after her, firing the occasional Vee-Laser, but she was good at maneuvering around the attacks.

Swooping down towards Greymon, she unleashed her Down Tornado attack. The dinosaur Digimon was blown backwards into a wall as several feather-knives buried into his chest. Turning around, she avoided another Vee-Laser and used her White Wing Flapping attack. ExVeemon grunted as the blades of wind struck him as Swanmon turned back to Greymon and swooped towards him.

"Fire Dash!" Agunimom cried, racing towards them.

Flames burst from the bottom of his feet, increasing his speed, and he left a trail of fire behind him. He zoomed past Greymon and Swanmon, the rising flames cutting the latter off. She squawked angrily and pulled out of her dive to avoid the flames, glaring at the newcomer.

Greymon looked at him as well. "Who are you?"

Agunimon turned towards Swanmon as he addressed his friends. "It's me, you guys, Takuya."

"Takuya," said ExVeemon. "You mean you Spirit Evolved?"

"That's right. Just call me Agunimon. It happened after you left when ViElecmon found us."

Greymon's eyes widened in concern. "The others! Are they…?"

"They're fine," Agunimon assured him, "and ViElecmon has been dealt with. I'll explain later. For now, lets end this."

ExVeemon glanced at Swanmon. "Yeah, but the problem is doing it without hurting her."

Agunimon punched his fists together. "I'll create an opening for you. Greymon, stand by to attack. ExVeemon, you get the gear. Pyro Tornado!"

He sent the flaming vortex at the swan Digimon. She defended by creating a Down Tornado around herself. This only served to fuel the flames, and she was soon trapped within a fiery vortex.

"Nova Blast!" Greymon cried, spitting a fireball at the flaming tornado. It exploded against it, creating a cloud of smoke that was sucked into the spinning vortex, completely blinding Swanmon.

ExVeemon burst through the smoke grabbing the swan Digimon from behind. She squawked and thrashed about violently. "Critical Crunch!"

His sharp teeth clamped down on the black gear. He felt the metal crack beneath his powerful bite as he chomped through, taking out a good chunk of it. He spat out the bits of metal as what was left of the gear slid out of Swanmon's back and dissolved.

The swan Digimon stopped struggling and went limp. As the tornado dispersed, ExVeemon slowly carried her down to the ground.

"Did you get it?" Greymon asked.

ExVeemon nodded. "Yeah, I think she'll be ok now. Hey, Swanmon, you back to normal?"

She grumbled and brushed him away. "I'm sleepy, kids, go play with Elecmon."

"We're not the kids," Greymon told her, walking over, "we're the visitors, remember?"

She cracked open her eyes. Upon seeing three Champion level Digimon staring at her, she gave a squawk of fright and began flapping her wings violently.

Swanmon! Swanmon!" Agunimon cried, shielding his face from her wings. "It's ok! It's us!"

He changed back to his human form. Greymon and ExVeemon quickly followed suit. Once the swan Digimon saw them, she began to calm down.

"Oh, it's you, boys. I'm sorry, I'm a little confused right now. I can't really remember what I was doing. I was… I was…" Her eyes widened in horror, and she covered her mouth. "Good gracious! What have I done?"

"Calm down," Tai consoled her. "You were being controlled by a black gear."

"So was Elecmon," Takuya added, "but they're gone now. Everything is fine."

"My babies!" Swanmon cried. "Where are my babies?"

"I'm sure they're fine," Tai reassured her. "They're just hiding from the fighting."

"And any that were caught up in it will just hatch from their eggs in a few days," Davis added. His comment earned him an elbow in the ribs from Tai. "What was that for?"

Swanmon ignored them and surveyed the damage to the village with tears in her eyes. Holding up her wings to her beak, she shouted, "Children, it's ok! We're all better now! Come out! Please, come out!"

Hesitantly, the Baby and In-Training Digimon crept out of their hiding places. Swanmon scooped up as many as she could in her wings, hugging them tightly before scooping up some more.

"Oh, my babies. Mommy's so sorry, she wasn't herself."

"She wasn't the only one."

They turned. The remaining humans and Elecmon had come out of hiding now that the danger was over.

"Elecmon," said the swan Digimon, looking relieved. "You're you again."

He nervously scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, those black gears are real nasty. I'm so sorry for what I did."

Shoutmon nudged him with his elbow. "Eh, don't worry about it. The problem's resolved." He suddenly frowned. "But those black gears are proving to be a real nuisance. I had hoped that the first one was just a fluke. But after this," he shook his head, "I'll have to look into it."

Kari patted his head. "At least no one was badly hurt."

"Yeah," Takato agreed. But then he looked around nervously. "Although, the village took some damage."

"No doubt," TK agreed, looking around. "We should help clean up."

But Swanmon just shook her head. "No, that's not your responsibility. And I know that you're trying to get home. Cleaning up all this will take several days, maybe weeks. Besides, you've done more than enough for us."

"But," Tai took another look around, "some of this destruction is our fault. I'll take forever to clean up without help."

Elecmon smirked. "Oh, not to worry," he placed his paws on two random In-Training Digimon's heads, "that's what these guys are for."

The low level Digimon looked at him in horror. "What?"

The mammal Digimon's grin widened. "That's right. It's time to earn your keep."

In unison, all the Baby and In-Trainings cried, "Wah! Elecmon is still evil!"

 

Notes:

(A/N: Finally, someone else has Spirit Evolved. I was asked to do either him or Takato next. Did I meet everyone's expectations? Now we've just got three more to go. But those black gears are causing some real problems. We'll be getting some answers next chapter, so sit tight.)

Agunimon's attacks:

Pyro Punch – Shoots a fire dragon from fist.

Pyro Darts – Throws bits of fire.

Pyro Tornado – Spins around while kicking to create a tornado of fire.

Fire Dash – Dashes to leave a stream of fire in his wake.

Blaze Gust – Shoots a stream of fire.

Crimson Knuckle – Fire punch.

Vortex Strike – Fire kick.

Salamander Kick – Kicks while consumed by a fiery dragon.

Elbow Drop – Slams down with flaming elbow.

Burning Slicer – Fire chop.

Gatling Burst – Punches repeatedly.

Million Gatling Burst – A stronger version of Gatling Burst.

Blaze Shoot – Does a downwards-sloping kick from the air.

Fire Slide – effects unknown

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New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Agunimon

Chapter 12: The Face of Evil

Notes:

(A/N: Ok, I got a bit of bad news. Since this story is going to be so long, I've decided to start another story while still working on this one. So since I'll be doing 2 fics at once, I won't be able to update every week like I have been. Instead, I'll be aiming for every 2 weeks. So you'll just have to be patient a little longer between updates.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 12: The Face of Evil

So close. He'd been so close. The guardians of Primary Village had been in his power. He'd actually managed to achieve his goal, but then those annoying human children had to go and interfere. Again.

What were they even doing here anyway? Why weren't they in their world where they belonged? And what was up with them turning into Digimon? Spirit Evolution they called it?

Twice now they had interfered. Well, they wouldn't be bothering him anymore. He would see them dead for daring to challenge him, even if it was done indirectly.

But how to do it? He had to admit that he was rather curious about them. Perhaps he should send some of his underlings after them. He would be able to observe them and learn more about them.

He wouldn't send anymore controlled by his black gears though. Not only did he not want to risk losing any more of them, but while affective, his gears had their flaws. While they did indeed allow him to control others, the ones he possessed were more or less reduced to violent zombies, hardly able to think for themselves beyond exactly what he ordered and their own instincts to attack. So, yes, if he was going to study these humans, he would send in a few minions that could actually think for themselves and make decisions.

With that in mind, he summoned his three servants. They came as he called, the groveling subordinates that they were. At least they knew their rightful place. It was just a shame that so many didn't understand the pecking order of things like these three.

"You summoned us, master," said the smallest of the three.

"Yes," he said. "As I am sure you are aware, there are a group of humans wandering around my island."

"Of course, master," the largest of the group replied. "It's quite a mystery."

"One I would like to solve," their master replied. "I want you to go find out what they're capable of. Especially the ones that can turn into Digimon."

"Yes, master," the third subordinate replied. "It will be our pleasure."

He smirked as the three took off. Would three humans with Digimon powers be able to stand up to them? It would be interesting to find out. Unless another one managed to Spirit Evolve, it should be three versus three. But if the humans proved to be too much for them…

"Well," he said with a wicked sneer, "I could always step in myself."

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Shoutmon had volunteered for guard duty first. He should have woken up the next person for their shift, but decided not to. Besides, he wouldn't be able to sleep anyway. There was just too much on his mind.

The humans for one. It was quite an enigma. How had they come to be here, and why had that voice he heard told him to meet them on File Island? How had they even come to this world? What more, how did obtaining some DDNA allow them to turn into Digimon?

Even more concerning though were those black gears. They weren't normal gears. They were infused with an evil power that turned good Digimon bad. But they couldn't have just appeared out of nowhere. Someone must be behind them. Whoever they were, they had to be stopped.

Sighing loudly, he laid back and looked up at the starry sky. Even in the dead of night, the digital model of 'Earth' floated high overhead. He'd never thought much of it, aside from it being the source of the data streams, but he began to wonder if, perhaps, it was some clue about the Real World, and how his new friends came from it. Through one of those data streams perhaps?

He breathed deeply of the night air… and immediately gagged. His hand flew to his nose as a putrid odor assaulted his nostrils. "Blah! That's rancid! Who let one?"

A grumble came from behind him in response, and he whirled around, his eyes narrowing. Producing his mic, he approached the bushes, ready to strike in case it was an enemy.

"Who's there?" he demanded, holding out his mic. "If you're friendly, come out with your hands up. If not… well, come out with your hands up anyway."

There was another sound, this one directly behind him. He spun around and was immediately greeted by hideous sneering face.

Shoutmon gasped. "Vile-" he began, but was cut off as a pair of brown hands shot out of the bushes he had been investigating, pulling him inside.

The creature he had seen chuckled and turned to his companion. "We got him. Now to see to these humans."

His companion chuckled behind his mask. "Yes, lets see what they can do?"

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Perhaps it was waking up on a scheduled shift for the past couple of weeks, but Takuya woke up during the night near his shift. Rubbing his eyes. He noticed that Kari was asleep. She was meant to be on shift duty until it was his turn, and then Takato after him. Yet everyone was still asleep.

A smile crept up his face as he figured it out. "Shoutmon, that stubborn fool." It would be just like the little dragon Digimon to push himself like this, being the 'Digimon King' and all that. "Well, he certainly cares for his subjects."

Sitting up, he stretched his sore muscles. Sleeping on the ground wasn't exactly comfortable, yet they had been forced to do so after leaving Primary Village four days ago. The little village had been nice, or at least the parts that hadn't been destroyed, but they couldn't stay there forever, not if they wanted to find a way home.

"Hey, Shoutmon," he grumbled sleepily, "I'll take over watch."

He looked at the fire and gasped. Tending it was not the dragon Digimon, but a man dressed as a monk. He looked at him and Takuya saw that a mask was covering his face.

"So, you've finally awaken," the person noted.

Takuya was flabbergasted. "I, uh, I, um…"

The masked man cocked his head to the side. "Are you surprised to see another person? Quite understandable. I too am rather shocked to find other humans here. I thought I was the only one."

Takuya still had no words. Was there really another human here? This wouldn't be the first time this had happened. Last time it had been Fangmon pretending to be their loved ones.

That certainly wasn't the case this time. As far as he knew, he'd never seen this person before; though that could have been due to the mask. Did one of the others know him?

"Hey, guys, wake up," he said, shaking them away.

"Noooooooo," Davis groaned, "that's my piece of pizza."

"Wake up," he said more loudly, "there's another human here."

Takato rubbed his eyes sleepily. "Hmm, another human…?" he mumbled. When he noticed the mask man, he sat straight up, no longer sleepy. "Ahh! There is!"

The masked man raised a hand in greeting. "Hello."

"Wow, there really is!" Kari exclaimed.

Takuya looked at each of them. "So, just to be sure, none of you guys have seen this guy before?"

When they shook his head, he felt relieved. If it were another Fangmon trying to lure them into a trap, it wouldn't take the form of a complete stranger. Would it?

Tai seemed to be having similar thoughts. "Hey, you're not a Digimon, are you?"

The masked man just stared. "Do I look like a Digimon? I'm as human as they come."

Now awake, Davis pointed a finger at him. "What's with the mask then?"

A humorless chuckle escaped the masked man. "You must be relatively new to this world. There are many dangers, many ways to get hurt. A particular nasty incident left me terribly scarred, so I where a mask to hide it."

Davis' pointing finger slowly dropped. 'Oh, I'm such a jerk.'

"So you can't Spirit Evolve then?" Takato asked.

The masked man cocked his head to the side. "I beg your pardon?"

Takato held out his Digivice. "You can't turn into a Digimon with one of these."

Leaning forward, the masked man examined the device. "Oh, very intriguing. May I see it?"

"Um, ok…"

He hesitantly handed it over, and the masked man looked at it. "Fascinating. I've never seen such a thing. But then again, I've never seen any other humans in this world before."

"How long have you been here?" TK asked.

The masked man closed his eyes. "Many, many years. I'd all but given up hope on seeing any humans ever again. I am certainly glad that I ran into you. Come, I will show you where I'm staying."

He turned, expecting them to follow. They began to when Takuya noticed something. He'd woken up and expected to find Shoutmon, but instead had found this man. If he was here, then where was their little friend?

"Hold up," he said. "Where's Shoutmon?"

The masked man hesitated before looking back at him. "Who?"

"Hey, yeah," said Tai, looking around. "Where'd he get to?"

The masked man waved his hand dismissively. "If you are referring to that small red Digimon, I sent him away. You don't need him anymore, now that I'm here. We humans should stick together. Besides, Digimon cannot be trusted." His hand went to his mask, stroking it. "It was a Digimon that did this to me."

The others looked sympathetic, but Takuya still had his suspicions. Exchanging a glance with Tai suggested that he did as well.

"I'm sorry about that," the older boy replied, "but not all Digimon are bad. We've met some really nice ones, and Shoutmon is our friend."

The masked man shook his head. "No, Digimon and humans can never be friends. That's why you should just trust me. I'll take care of you."

Takuya's eyes shifted down to Takato's Digivice in the masked man's hand, noticing how possessively he was grasping it. "Can my friend have his Digivice back now?"

If anything, the masked man's grip on it tightened and he remained silent. The others seemed to realize something strange was happening as well, and they looked at him suspiciously.

"Enough of this!" came a voice from the bushes, and something small yet nasty came hopping out. "They're on to us."

Behind him, a giant cockroach Digimon rose up, holding a bound and gagged Shoutmon in his arms. "Darn, and I thought we could drag this out a little longer."

He tossed Shoutmon to them. The surprised teens quickly rushed to untie him and remove his gag.

"Shoutmon, what's going on?" Takato asked. "Who are these guys?"

The dragon Digimon wiped his mouth. "Those two are Roachmon and Vilemon, real nasty fellows. I'm not sure who the masked guy is."

The masked man chuckled. "You humans are pathetic. You're so desperate to return to your world that you jumped at the first sign of human contact." He held up Takato's Digivice. "And now that I have this, you can't even defend yourselves."

Davis smirked. "That's where you're wrong, pal. We each have a Digivice. Look." They all held up theirs. "And guess what, that one doesn't even work yet."

The masked man looked at the Digivice in his hand. "Then this thing is worthless?"

He snarled angrily and threw it on the ground. Takato quickly went to get it back it as the two Digimon went to stand by the masked man's side.

"It seems our little game has come to an end," he told them as cracks began appearing over his mask. "Now it's time to take you out. And I don't mean out to dinner." His masked shattered and his body disintegrated, revealing a hideous ghost Digimon behind the disguise. "I told you Digimon couldn't be trusted."

The teens gasped, but Shoutmon just glared. "Bakemon. I should have known. Three different scumbags in one place."

"All three are at the Champion level!" Takato exclaimed, having retrieved his Digivice and getting a reading on them.

"Well, so are we," Tai replied. "Execute! Spirit Evolution… Greymon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… ExVeemon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Agunimon!"

"Ooh, goodie," said Vilemon, rubbing his hands together. "Time to play. I get the red one."

"And I got you, blue," Roachmon added.

Bakemon and Greymon stared at each other. "Guess that leaves the two of us."

"Fine with me. Nova Blast!"

Bakemon just sneered at the approaching fireball. "Ghost Chop!"

He vanished, and Greymon's attack hit nothing but air. Reappearing above the dinosaur Digimon's head, delivering a karate chop to the back of his head. Greymon grunted and stumbled forward. He turned to the ghost Digimon and fired another Nova Blast, only to have him disappear again.

"Poison Breath!" came a voice from behind him, and Greymon turned to have the ghost Digimon breathe a cloud of smoke in his face and began coughing as the poisonous mist seeped into his lungs, making him feel sick and weak. "Evil Charm!"

Greymon roared as he felt his energy being sapped while, up in the sky, Roachmon and ExVeemon exchanged blows in the air.

"Looks like your friend is having trouble," the cockroach Digimon told him as he swiped at ExVeemon.

"Don't worry about him," the dragon Digimon replied. "Worry more about yourself. Vee-Laser!"

Roachmon maneuvered around the attack. "Garbage Dump!"

Bits of trash one would expect to find at the dump flew out of his body. ExVeemon countered with his Hearty Shatter attack. The fireballs burned up Roachmon's scattered garbage, surprising the cockroach Digimon as the burning pieces fell to the ground.

"Got you now!" ExVeemon cried, flying at his opponent and throwing a punch.

A grin crept up Roachmon's face and he snapped his fingers, unleashing his Yard Sale Bomb. Various objects appeared out of thin air above ExVeemon and came crashing down on him, bringing him to the ground and burying him beneath it all.

Roachmon flew down to the pile. Placing his hands on his hips, he sneered at it. "Ha! Looks like I got you."

ExVeemon came bursting out of the pile. "Yeah, now it's my turn. Vee-Laser!"

Roachmon held up his arms to defend himself, but was still blasted back. ExVeemon pounced on him, his jaws going for his neck with his Critical Crunch attack. Roachmon's hands came up, grabbing at the dragon Digimon's head, holding him back. The two struggled on the ground, ExVeemon attempting to bite him, and Roachmon holding him back.

A distance away, Agunimon was having his own difficulties. Vilemon was small, but he was very fast. And as the fire wizard Digimon attempted to land a blow, the mini-devil Digimon would strike whenever he saw an opening.

"Scratch Beat!" he cried, while avoiding another of Agunimon's punch.

The fire wizard Digimon grunted as the blades of air struck his shoulder. "Hold still, you little creep. Pyro Darts!"

Vilemon flew back, allowing the bits of fire to fly over him. "What's wrong? Can't keep up? Scratch Beat!"

Agunimon held up an arm to shield his face against the attack. "You may be quick, but once I get my hands on you, you'll be sorry. Pyro Punch!"

The mini-devil Digimon yelped as a fiery dragon flew from Agunimon's fist. With some fancy aerial movements, he maneuvered around the attack, and flew at Agunimon again. The fire wizard Digimon threw a punch, which Vilemon leapt over in mid-air as if he were playing a game of leapfrog.

"Now try this. Nightmare Shock!"

He unleashed a shockwave that flowed over his opponent. Horrific visions assaulted Agunimon's vision, making him feel as if he were trapped in a nightmare.

"Now take this. Scratch Beat! Scratch Beat!"

The blades of wind struck Agunimon, and he growled in frustration. "That does it! Pyro Tornado!"

Spinning around and kicking, he conjured up a fiery tornado. It formed around him and the mini-devil Digimon, the flames flowing over Vilemon, leaving him blacked and burned.

A puff of smoke escaped the mini-devil Digimon as he exhaled. "That smarts."

"Then try this!" Agunimon cried, balling his fists and bringing them down on him. Vilemon slammed into the ground, and Agunimon brought his foot down on him, pinning the mini-devil Digimon to the ground. "Stay down."

"Sure… no problem…"

Amidst the battle with Greymon and Bakemon, the dinosaur Digimon spared his friends a glance. "Looks like your friends are down for the count."

Bakemon just sneered. "Down, perhaps, but not out. I'll go to them just as soon as I finish with you. Dark Claw!"

From out of his sleeve, an extendable claw shot out. It grasped one of Greymon's horns, pulling him towards the dinosaur Digimon. His other claw shot, grabbing Greymon's other horn, allowing him to hitch a ride on his head.

Greymon roared, shaking his head furiously. Bakemon just laughed and held on tighter. "Evil Charm!"

More of Greymon's energy was painfully sucked away. He let out an angry snarl and charged at a tree, his head lowered. "Great Horn Attack!"

The ghost Digimon just grinned and disappeared from his head at the last moment, serving only to give Greymon a headache for his troubles. A moment later, he reappeared on his head again. "That was fun. Care to try again?"

"Try this," Greymon growled. "Fire Horn!"

Bakemon cried out as the dinosaur Digimon's horns burst into flames and he quickly let go, his claws retracting up into his sleeves again.

"Tail Crash!"

Greymon's tail came up, slamming into him, and Bakemon crashed into a tree. He gave the dinosaur Digimon a hateful glare and raised his arms. "Now you'll be sorry! Nightmare Wave!"

Energy waves that endorsed doubt and insanity flowed outward. Greymon winced as the first one flowed over him, and he took a step back when he was hit by a second. The third brought forth a concern for the outcome of this battle, while the fourth made him wonder if there would be an even tougher battle after this one.

With each passing wave, more and more doubt and worries assaulted him. What if they never found a way home? What if they were stuck in this world forever? What would he do if they ran into an enemy that was too strong for them? What if he couldn't protect his friends and sister? What if they all ended up dead? What if? What if? What if?

The fear and doubt continued to grow and pile up, quickly giving way to paranoia. Greymon grabbed at his head as countless worst-case scenarios overwhelmed him. He felt like he was going crazy, and began to hyperventilate.

"Don't worry," said Bakemon as he flew towards him, his claws extended, "I'll put your fears to rest."

Greymon's eyes snapped open, and he glared at the ghost Digimon. "Enough!" he roared, unleashing a Nova Blast.

Bakemon saw the giant fireball coming and tried to stop his momentum. He began flying backwards, but not fast enough to avoid the attack. He cried out as it exploded against him and his body burst into data.

Roachmon and Vilemon stopped struggling. They stared at the place Bakemon had been, watching as his data lingered before Shoutmon ran over to absorb it.

"He destroyed Bakemon," Roachmon replied, pointing out the obvious. "He completely vaporized him."

Greymon turned to them. "That's right, and the two of you will be next unless you surrender right now."

The two Digimon held up their hands. "We surrender!"

ExVeemon smirked, "Good," he replied, climbing off the cockroach Digimon, but still keeping him pinned down. "Now, we've got some questions for the two of you, and you better give us some answers."

"Anything!" the chorused.

From up above, a powerful voice echoed around them. "How utterly pathetic. I should have known better than to send you fools."

Blending in with the night sky, a dark and foreboding figure flew down. It settled on a treetop, surveying the scene below. This creature had a humanoid appearance with long legs and even longer arms that nearly touched its feet. Dressed almost completely in black, it bore a red mark on its chest that stood out against its dark figure. Long horns sprouted from the side of its head, and its overly large wings were so full of holes that it shouldn't have been capable of flight.

The color drained from Roachmon and Vilemon's faces as they stared at this menacing figure. "Lord Devimon!"

"Devimon…?" TK repeated.

Shoutmon's fists clenched as he glared at the bat-like humanoid Digimon. "Devimon."

The demonic creature raised its arms. "Yes, I am Devimon, a fallen angel Digimon of the Champion level whose evil knows no bounds. My Touch of Evil gives me the power to infect my will upon others, and my Evil Wing attack unleashes masses amounts of energy to decimate my foes." His red eyes narrowed at those below him. "You poor fools now have the misfortune of facing my wrath!"

"All hail Devimon!" the two minions chanted.

Agunimon pointed at him. "I don't know who you are, but we've got no quarrel with you. Just leave now, and no one has to get hurt."

Devimon laughed, a truly evil laugh that exposed his fangs. "But I have business with you. You miserable humans are interfering with my takeover of this island, most specifically Primary Village."

"Take over?" Takato repeated, and suddenly everything clicked. "Wait, you're the one behind the black gears, aren't you?"

The fallen angel Digimon grinned. "Very good, little boy. Yes, it was I. I've discovered the secret of the black gears within this island. I extracted them and filled them with my will using myTouch of Evil, and now I use them to enslave the pitiful creatures of this world."

Shoutmon growled. "So they are the island's gears. I wondered if they were."

Kari looked at him. "What island gears?"

Shoutmon tapped the ground with his foot. "This island. Primary Village is here so the newly born Digimon can develop away from the rest of the world. But once they're strong enough, they need to get back to the mainland. Certain sections of File Island are capable of separating from it to provide transportation to different places in the Digital World. These sections have black gears inside them that allow them to function." He pointed at Devimon accusingly. "And this guy's been using them for his own wicked deeds!"

Devimon took a bow. "Why, thank you. Wicked deeds are what I do best. My goal is to take over this island, especially Primary Village, so that I may influence all the reborn Digimon into taking Dark Digivolution paths and accepting me as their new ruler."

"Like we would let that happen," ExVeemon snarled.

"Lets get him, guys!" said Greymon.

Ignoring Roachmon and Vilemon, they charged at Devimon. The fallen angel Digimon just grinned as they came towards him and spread his wings. "Evil Wing!"

Masses of energy flew from his wings, blasting the two of them back. Greymon went flying a good distance and came crashing down as the dragon Digimon dropped from the sky.

"Greymon! ExVeemon!" Agunimon cried. He glared at Devimon. "Take this. Pyro Punch!"

The fiery dragon that flew out of his fist soared at Devimon. He just chuckled evilly and leapt off the tree, flying over the attack as the tree burst into flames. Flying towards Agunimon, his long arm shot out. "Deadly Nail!"

The fire wizard Digimon cried out as Devimon's claws wracked across his chest, scratching straight through his armor. As he grabbed at his chest, Devimon came down behind him and shot his hand outward, spearing into Agunimon's back with his Death Claw attack, lifting him into the air.

Greymon shook his head to get rid of the disorientation. "What was that?" he looked back at Devimon and saw him with his friend. "Agunimon!"

Jumping to his feet, he ignited his horns with his Fire Horn attack and charged, head lowered. Devimon turned to him, grinning once more as he held up his other hand.

"Dark Contract!" he cried, and a black cloud of cursed energy appeared around him and spread outward, hiding both him and Agunimon with an evil black fog.

Greymon came to a halt as the cloud flowed over him. The flames on his horns went out as he felt the cloud begin to rapidly drain his energy.

Devimon took to the air, still carrying Agunimon. Unlike his opponents, he could see in the cloud just fine, and he threw the fire wizard Digimon down onto Greymon, knocking him to the ground.

With an evil chuckle, his red gaze shifted to ExVeemon, who was just now getting to his feet. A sinister smile crept up his face, and he flew towards the dragon Digimon.

ExVeemon rubbed his head, trying to get his bearings. "Boy, that's one doozy of an attack."

He turned to look at the battle, and immediately felt a hand wrap around his neck. He was lifted off the ground by an iron grip, sputtering and gasping as he clawed at his throat.

"I shouldn't be wasting my time on you insects," Devimon told him. "I can make you destroy yourselves. Touch of Evil!"

Something was wrong. ExVeemon could feel it. Something dark and menacing was invading his mind, turning his heart black. Whatever it was, it demanded his absolute obedience and submission.

The dark cloud finally began to fade away. Greymon and Agunimon were on their feet, but they both felt woozy. As their line of vision cleared, they saw ExVeemon with his back to them, facing Devimon.

"Hang on, ExVeemon," Greymon told him, starting over to him. "We're on our way."

ExVeemon turned to face them, but something wasn't right. He looked hostile, and posed to strike. Not at Devimon though, but at them. And it was only then that they noticed that his eyes were entirely white.

"ExVeemon…?" Agunimon whispered. His face twisted with fury. "What did you do to him, Devimon?"

The fallen angel Digimon laughed. "I've infected him with my Touch of Evil. It allows me to hijack another's mind and force my will upon them in a much more affective way than with the black gears alone." He pointed at them. "Now, ExVeemon, destroy them!"

The teens didn't want to believe his words, yet they were forced to accept the truth as ExVeemon fired upon them. Greymon turned to the side as the Vee-Laser slammed against him, Devimon laughing all the while.

"It seems you have your hands full," he said as he spread his wings and took to the air. "I'll leave you to it."

With that, he disappeared into the night sky towards the large mountain in the distance.

Notes:

(A/N: Devimon has revealed himself, but I'm sure everyone saw him coming. I threw in a theory I had in there about the black gears' original purpose before Devimon got his hands on them. Remember how he separated the different sections of File Island, and the DigiDestined found a bunch of black gears inside one of the sections. It was never explained why they were there, but when the gears started going backwards, the section returned to the island. I think that's their purpose, to split apart sections of the island to transport the Digimon that were born in Primary Village to different parts of the world. But enough on that. Devimon has come out into the open, ExVeemon is possessed, and there's still Roachmon and Vilemon to worry about. What will happen next? Find out next week.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Roachmon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Vilemon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Bakemon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Devimon

Chapter 13: Separated

Notes:

(A/N: I had someone ask me if Davis was wearing his own goggles or Tai's goggles. LOL. Well, the way I envision in this story, he has the goggles he was wearing before he broke them and Tai gave them his in the anime. Tai's got his own pair, as does Takato and Takuya. I guess I didn't explain that well in the first chapter since I kind of made a joke out of it.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 13: Separated

 

"ExVeemon, don't do this!" Greymon begged as his friend fired upon him again.

If the dragon Digimon even heard him, he ignored his pleas as he charged at them. Agunimon leapt away as ExVeemon threw a punch at him, and Greymon quickly blocked against another Vee-Laser.

"It's no good," said Takato. "He's just like those other Digimon that are controlled by the black gears."

"Yeah, but this time there's no black gear to destroy," TK added. "So how do we return him to normal?"

They looked to Shoutmon for answers. When he realized they were staring at him, he held up his arms. "Uh, remind him of the good times, maybe? How should I know? I never witnessed Devimon's Touch of Evil."

'Remind him of the good times?' Kari thought. 'Or maybe something to remind of the good times.'

A determine look crossed her face as she ran out onto the battlefield, ignoring her friends' cries. TK attempted to go after her, but Shoutmon leapt onto his back, knocking him down to keep him from following. "You wanna get killed? And, Kari, get back here!"

She ignored him. She had a plan. It felt cheap and shallow, but if it worked, then it would be worth it. She knew that Davis had a not-so-secret crush on her. It was completely one-sided, but she hoped that perhaps his feelings for her would help him break the spell he was under.

"ExVeemon, stop it!" she shouted, putting herself in between him and the other two. "You're being controlled! You have to fight it!"

"Kari!" Greymon growled. "Get out of there! He's not himself! He'll kill you!"

But she refused to back down. "Don't you even recognize me? It's me, Kari! You have to wake up! Davis!"

There was no recognition, no acknowledgement of any kind, nor was there any hesitation on his part as he fired his Vee-Laser at her.

The attack went off course as Agunimon tackled him, wrestling the dragon Digimon to the ground. Greymon roared and charged forward to help, placing himself between his sister and their possessed friend.

"Stop it, you guys!" she shouted. "This is exactly what Devimon wants!"

"Kari, look out!" TK shouted from behind her.

She turned and caught a flash of Roachmon flying towards her before she was snatched up. She screamed as she was lifted into the air, and was quickly joined by Shoutmon, who leapt after them, grabbing onto Roachmon's leg.

"Kari!" TK yelled, running after them.

"Let her go!" cried Takato, following close behind.

Greymon paused in his struggle against ExVeemon to look up at them. "Darn you, Roachmon, let go of my sister!"

He was sucker-punched in the jaw by ExVeemon due to his distraction.

Quickly joining his companion in the sky, Vilemon laughed mockingly down at them. "Ha, ha! Now we have your friends!"

Agunimon leapt up onto Greymon's head and then jumped at them. Vilemon yelped and avoided the Pyro Darts aimed at him. Kari and Shoutmon were too far away to get to as Roachmon carried them away.

They lost sight of their friends the further away they were carried. Kari's struggles proved to be futile while all Shoutmon could do was hold on.

"Let us down, you big creep!" the former demanded. "What are you going to do to us?"

Vilemon flew over to her and began poking her mockingly with his claw. "We heard you were trying to get to the ocean, so we're going to help you out a bit."

"Don't do us any favors," Shoutmon growled.

Roachmon just snickered. "Really, it's no trouble at all."

They soon came to a cliff that overlooked the ocean. As it turned out, they hadn't been all that far away from it, only a couple miles. Roachmon hovered in the air over the cliff, where down below the waves slammed against the side of it rather roughly.

"Here we are," the cockroach Digimon taunted. "Time to go for a dip. Be mindful of the rocks, and happy landings. Look out below!"

He dropped her, and Kari fell down towards the rough waters. Shoutmon released his hold on Roachmon's leg and fell with her, the two plummeting towards the ocean and splashing beneath the surface.

"Good luck to you, chumps!" Vilemon shouted down at them, and he and Roachmon flew off laughing.

It had indeed been a close call. While underwater, they could see all the rocks around them that they had been very fortunate enough not to fall on. Kari kicked with all her might and broke the surface, but was immediately greeted by the rough waves that threatened to smash her against the cliff.

Shoutmon swam over to her, grabbing hold and helping her to stay afloat as they made their way to shore. Kari was actually a very good swimmer, but the waves combined with the current were very rough, and she was grateful for the help.

They finally reached the beach and collapsed on the sand, both spent. Shoutmon was lying on his back with his arms spread, huffing and puffing. "I swear… pant… I'm going to… pant… kill those two…"

Kari was breathing just as heavily, but forced herself to stand up. "There's no time. We need to get back to the others, and turn Davis back to normal."

"Right," Shoutmon grumbled. "Well, good luck with that."

"Shoutmon!"

He groaned. "Oh, fine. I'm getting up, I'm getting up." He struggled to sit up, but quickly collapsed again. "Can't, too tired."

Kari sighed. "Come on, I thought you were the Digimon King."

"Kings get tired and hungry too, and I'm starving. I'm so hungry I can smell food." He sniffed the air again. "Hey, I really can smell food."

Belittling his words of having no energy, he hopped to his feet and took off, following his nose. He came to the source a short ways down the beach, finding several speared fish roasting over an open fire.

"Hey, fish! Awesome!"

Snatching one, he immediately dug in with no mind as to whom they might belong to.

Kari joined him shortly. "Shoutmon, those don't belong to you."

He waved the stick at her. "I'm the Digimon King, I'm entitled to some food when I need it. And whoever caught these should have known better than to just leave them here unattended where anyone could get to them. Besides," he took another bite, "don't you want me to help the others? I need to keep up my strength for that."

She hated to admit it, but he was right. That still didn't stop her from feeling guilty for stealing someone else's dinner, or late night snack, or whatever. "Fine, just please hurry, we need to get back."

"Yeah, yeah. I'm eating. Oh, this one is extra crispy!"

"Yes, I like them that way."

Shoutmon stopped mid-chew and turned. Waltzing over to them, carrying an armful of fish, was a small reptile-like Digimon. Kari couldn't help but notice that this Digimon looked just like the image of Agumon that appeared on Tai's Digivice, only this one was black instead of yellow-orange.

Gulping down his mouthful, Shoutmon took a nervous step back. "A-Are these your? So sorry, didn't know. My humble apologies. We'll just be on our way. Come on, Kari."

He grabbed her hand and began to pull her along, hoping that would be the end of it.

"Hold it!" the dinosaur Digimon snapped, causing Kari and Shoutmon to freeze. He walked over to his fire pit, tossing his most recent catch aside. "You ate three of my fish. I caught those for me. Nobody steals from BlackAgumon."

"I told you not to eat them," Kari scolded Shoutmon. She gave the dinosaur Digimon an apologetic bow. "I'm very sorry for my friend. He was very rude. I promise we'll make it up to you."

"Yes," BlackAgumon said, taking one of the remaining fish on the stick and sticking it directly into the flames so it would catch fire, "you will." He turned to them, holding the burning fish on the stick. "I think your data will be a sufficient exchange."

"What…?" Shoutmon stammered.

BlackAgumon threw the burning stick at them. Shoutmon leapt back as it stabbed into the sand. He looked back at BlackAgumon, who opened his mouth and spat a fireball. "Baby Breath!"

The dragon Digimon jumped out of the fireball's path, only to have it explode when it hit the ground. BlackAgumon charged at them, firing more Baby Breath fireballs as he ran.

"Time to go!" Shoutmon exclaimed, and made a run for it, Kari close behind as fireballs flew past them.

"Do something!" Kari cried, feeling a sense of déjà vu from when they ran from Impmon and his fireballs.

"I am," Shoutmon replied. "I'm running!"

"I meant fight back! What is he, a Rookie?"

"A powerful Rookie, and a real mean one at that." He growled. "You know, this is just my luck. Of all the species of Agumon out there, why did I have to run in to his kind? Why not an original Agumon, or SnowAgumonToyAgumonLightToyAgumonSantaAgumonExtraAgumonDotAgumon, Agumon XClearAgumon, or even BushiAgumon, or Agumon Expert? Heck, I'd take BigAgumon or FakeAgumon Expert at this point."

"That's a lot of Agumon," Kari replied, flinching as a fireball exploded a little too close.

"That's my point. There's also a ShadowToyAgumon and a BlackAgumon X, but still, that's only three dark forms out of all of them. Why'd we have to get stuck with running from one of them?"

"Because you ate his fish. Ahh!"

She tripped and fell forward. BlackAgumon's eyes narrowed and he fire another Baby Breath at her. Sensing it coming, Kari covered her head and braced herself for it.

"Kari!" Shoutmon cried, skidding to a halt and running back to her. He jumped over her fallen form and took aim at the oncoming attack. "Fiery Fastball!"

The two fireballs exploded against each other. BlackAgumon came to a stop, waiting for the smoke to clear. Shoutmon did the same, and they both stared each other down as the black cloud faded.

"So, you're not a complete coward," the dinosaur Digimon commented.

Shoutmon glared. "I was just making a strategic withdraw. There's nothing cowardly about that. Especially since I'm low on energy from hunger, lack of sleep, and swimming."

"Good to know. But you're a fool to face me in such a condition, and you should never tell your enemy of you weakness."

Shoutmon produced his microphone. "Yeah, that was a bad call."

"Shoutmon…" Kari said worriedly.

"Don't worry about me," he told her. "Just get back to the others."

BlackAgumon's eyes narrowed. "No one is going anywhere. Body Blow!"

He moved to tackle Shoutmon. The dragon Digimon charged at him, swinging his mic. He aimed for BlackAgumon's legs, tripping him, and the dinosaur Digimon skidded in the sand in front of Kari. He looked up at her, seeing her watching him, and growled.

"What are you looking at? Baby Flame!"

She scrambled back as a stream of fire flew at her. "Stop it! Why are you doing this? It was wrong of Shoutmon to eat your food, but it was only a few fish. I think you're overreacting."

"I'll show you overreacting. Baby Br-"

Shoutmon leapt onto his back, pulling the length of his microphone against BlackAgumon's throat. "Get away from her!"

BlackAgumon elbowed him in the gut, knocking him off his back, then turned around and cried, "Mach Jab Combo!"

Continuous punches paddled against the dragon Digimon, knocking him further and further back. He finished it up with his Uppercut attack, sending Shoutmon flying backwards.

"This will finish it," he growled. "Spitfire!"

He opened his mouth, generating a fireball. The power built up, causing the fireball to grow until it was nearly as big as he was, his face turning redder and redder. Then he spat the full blast at the dragon Digimon.

Gripping his microphone, Shoutmon jumped to his feet. "Bellow Blaster!"

The wave of energy slammed into BlackAgumon's attack. It proved to be the stronger of the two, and the resounding blast went in BlackAgumon's direction, sending the dinosaur Digimon flying backwards.

Kari rolled to the side as BlackAgumon bounced back a few times before skidding to a halt. He laid unmoving for a few seconds before climbing to his feet. Turning back to them, his eyes burned with anger.

"Now you've done it," he growled. "I was going to make your deaths quick and clean, but now you've really gone and pissed me off."

Kari went over to Shoutmon, who held out his mic at BlackAgumon threateningly. "Don't make this any harder for either of us. Just walk away."

"Be the bigger man," Kari tried. "Or mon. Be the bigger mon."

The dinosaur Digimon regarded them for a few moments. "You expect me to just walk away? Never. I do like the idea of being the bigger mon though. I think I'll do that."

He raised his arms as light engulfed his body. "BlackAgumon Digivolve to… BlackGreymon!"

The light faded, and BlackAgumon now stood at the Champion level in his Digivolved form. Kari's eyes widened as she witnessed Digivolution for the first time. She'd seen her brother and friends Spirit Evolve, and had witnessed a few Digimon Slide Evolution between their dark and light forms, but she had never actually seen one Digivolve. The difference between BlackAgumon and BlackGreymon was astounding.

He resembled her brother's Digimon form, but she figured that this was only natural since they were both of the Greymon species. There were distinct differences though. Rather than being orange with blue stripes, he was dark blue with black stripes. His headgear was black instead of brown and shaped differently, the horn coming out of its nose resembling the blade of a knife, and a metal headband connecting from the horn on one side of his head to the other. With the addition of a few extra spikes on his knees, he also possessed a blade that could double as an axe at the end of his tail.

For some reason, Kari felt a bit of resentment towards this dark version of Greymon, as if he were an insult to her brother's Digimon form. She briefly wondered if this was due to the opposing forces of light and darkness. Or maybe she just didn't like the fact that a Digimon of the same species of her brother was trying to kill her.

"Let me guess," she said to Shoutmon, not taking her eyes off this much greater threat, "we're going to start running again, right?"

"It would be a good idea," the dragon Digimon agreed.

"Mega Flame!" BlackGreymon roared, unleashing a dark version of Greymon's Nova Blast.

"Go, go, go, go!" Shoutmon cried.

Kari was already on the move, having made a run for it the moment BlackGreymon had attacked. The dinosaur Digimon roared and chased after them, his heavy footsteps causing the ground to shake. He bent down as he ran to strike them with his knife-like horn, covering the distance between them quickly.

"Fiery Fastball!" Shoutmon cried, whirling around to attack.

His fireball simply bounced off BlackGreymon's headgear, and he kept coming. Shoutmon jumped up before he was rammed and came down slamming his mic on BlackGreymon's back. The only thing this accomplished was to bend his mic.

"Aww," he groaned. "That's going to take me forever to fix."

"Fix this!" BlackGreymon snarled. "Atomic Tail!"

He swung his tail, slamming it into the dragon Digimon, the blade at the end slicing into his arm as it dragged across his body. Shoutmon went flying backwards, knocking up a wall of sand with the force he skidded across the ground.

Groaning, he forced himself to sit up, his hand going to his wounded arm. "Ok, that really hurt."

"What are you doing?" Kari demanded, grabbing his tail and pulling him along. "Come on, there's an inlet up ahead. We'll cross."

She was hoping that BlackGreymon wouldn't be able to swim. He seemed to be based off a T-Rex, and from what she knew about that particular dinosaur, it couldn't swim. True, BlackGreymon had much better arms than the scrawny limbs the extinct king of lizards possessed, but she didn't have any other ideas.

"Hold on," she told the dragon Digimon, "we're going for a swim."

"Mega Flame!"

Kari made a jump for it, taking Shoutmon with her. She felt the heat from the large fireball right behind her just as her body hit the water, and the attack blasted against the surface. She stayed under as she swam in case any more fireballs were launched at her. When she couldn't hold her breath anymore, she broke the surface.

Shoutmon spat out a mouthful of water and began coughing. "Thanks for the half a second warning," he muttered sarcastically.

"Sorry," she told him. "At least we're safe now."

"How do you figure that?"

She looked back at the dinosaur Digimon and watched as BlackGreymon leapt right into the water without the slightest hesitation. So much for her theory that he couldn't swim.

"Hurry, swim," she said, quickly outpacing the dragon Digimon.

But there was no escaping BlackGreymon as he quickly closed the gap between them. Kari and Shoutmon made it to the other side and quickly scrambled out of the water as BlackGreymon approached.

"Say your prayers," he growled, the inside of his mouth lighting up with fire.

Something big and dark moved through the water, hidden beneath the surface. As BlackGreymon opened his mouth to unleash his Mega Flame, the dark figure came up beneath him. The dinosaur Digimon cried out in surprise, his attack going off course as he was suddenly pulled under.

The water went still. Kari and Shoutmon stared at the spot BlackGreymon had disappeared, uneasy.

"W-What happened to him?" Kari stammered.

Shoutmon shook his head. "Not sure, but I'm glad we weren't in the water when it did."

A few bubbles rose to the surface, followed soon by the area darkening as something came up. A moment later, the water exploded, and a giant eel-like Digimon rose up with BlackGreymon wrapped up by its serpentine body, struggling to get free.

"Seadramon!" Shoutmon shouted.

"Who?" Kari asked.

He ignored the question as he pushed against her. "Get moving! Head for the trees!"

Noting the worry in his voice, she followed his command. The sea animal Digimon, Seadramon, glanced at their retreating forms before firing its Ice Blast attack. It missed as they ran into the trees, using them as a barrier as the attack covered everything in ice.

Whether unable or unwilling, Seadramon did not pursue them as it turned its attention back to BlackGreymon, who had just now chomped down on its body. With a roar, it tightened its hold on him dove under, the dinosaur Digimon struggling all the while.

Kari and Shoutmon kept running until they couldn't hear the waves crashing against the shore anymore. Finally pausing for a break, they struggled to catch their breath.

"Close call," Shoutmon wheezed. "We got lucky."

"Lucky how?" Kari asked as she leaned against a tree.

"Lucky Seadramon can't come on land. Lucky he didn't grab us while we were swimming. Lucky he nabbed BlackGreymon. Lucky his attack missed. Shall I go on?"

Kari couldn't resist chuckling. "Ok, so we got lucky." She looked around. "Think we'll be lucky enough to get back to the others."

"Hmm…" Shoutmon mumbled, looking around as well. "Let me get a better look."

He hopped into a tree and began climbing. Popping his head out of the treetop, he scanned the horizon.

"Do you see anything?" Kari called up to him.

"No, nothing. We can't be too far though; Roachmon couldn't have flown us more than a couple miles."

He continued looking over the sea of green. From up here, he could hear the wind blowing. Yet above the wind, he could hear something else, something cutting through the wind's howling. It was coming up behind him, and getting closer.

His mic appeared in his hand, and he spun around, swinging it. There was a loud crack as he struck the black gear that had nearly hit him, followed by the sound if it bursting into data.

A smirk lit up his face, and he placed his hands on his hips. "Ha! As if Devimon could possess me."

The words barely left his mouth before he was hit from behind. The second black gear had struck, and was now sticking out of his back. His eyes widened in shock and pain, and he dropped down from the treetop, crashing through branches until he hit the ground.

"Shoutmon!" Kari cried, rushing to his side.

Before she reached him, his eyes snapped open, and he threw his mic at her, stopping her. "Stay away from me!"

She blinked. "What?"

"Keep away," he growled, feeling the darkness infecting him and the pain from the gear making him more susceptible to its manipulation. "Run away, quick!"

Instead, she began to approach him again. "But, Shoutmon-"

"Stay away!" he bellowed, grasping his head as he turned away from her.

Now she saw it, the black gear sticking out of his back, and her eyes widened in horror. "No, please no."

"I can't fight it!" he snarled as his body began glowing. "Shoutmon Slide Evolution… BlackShoutmon!" 

Notes:

(A/N: Things just keep getting worse. Not only is ExVeemon possessed, but now Shoutmon is too. And Kari's all alone with him. After a narrow escape from BlackGreymon, her only remaining friend has fallen prey to Devimon. By the way, I altered BlackGreymon's appearance a little bit. The true Greymon is just a black version of Greymon as he appeared up until the 6th Season, and since Season 6 changed Greymon's appearance, I made BlackGreymon have that appearance rather than simply being a different colored Greymon for more variation. In case you were wondering though, Tai's Greymon form is the original one from Season 1. So, with that said, I'll be back next week with the next chapter. Hope to see you then.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/BlackAgumon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/BlackGreymon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Greymon_(2010_anime)

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Shoutmon_B

Chapter 14: The Angel of Light

Notes:

(A/N: Seems I got a lot of you anxious with last chapter's cliffhanger. Understandable. ExVeemon is under Devimon's control and his fighting his friends while Kari is lost and alone with Shoutmon who is now under the control of a black gear. That's some trouble with a capital T. One last thing, there's some important info in the Author's Note at the end, so be sure to read it. But before we begin, since today is Veteran's Day, I'd like to take a moment to give the respect due to all those who fought for us, including my grandfather, God rest his soul. And for all those that have friends or family in the army, my prayers go to them and to you. I pray they return safely.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 14: The Angel of Light

He had told them about Dark Digivolution. It was when good Digimon Digivolved into dark alternate versions of themselves. In most cases, their names held the title 'Dark', 'Black', or 'Shadow'. BlackAgumon and his Digivolution were prime examples of this. There were other dark titles, such as the 'Vi' in ViElecmon to symbolize his evil form, but most bore those common three.

And now, here stood BlackShoutmon, the dark version of her Digimon friend. His appearance had changed slightly, for he now looked a little younger and less battle hardened, and he lacked his yellow scarf, but the most significant change was his flashy red color had turned black, the dark color symbolizing the darkness within. And with the way he was looking at her, he was about to unleash his wicked nature upon her.

"N-Now Shoutmon," she stammered, deliberately calling him by his original name in the hopes to get through to him, "it's me, Kari. We're friends, right?"

BlackShoutmon snarled and leapt at her, swinging his mic. "Rowdy Rocker!"

It was a dark version of his Rock and Roller attack, and she leapt out of the way to avoid it. The ground cracked where his mic struck.

"Shoutmon!" she cried desperately.

"Rock Spirit!"

She ducked as she felt the heat from the fireball fly over her head, and the tree behind her burst into flames. That was twice in less than thirty seconds that he tried to kill her, and it looked like he was about to try again.

"Forgive me, Shoutmon!" she cried as she ran into the trees. "I promise I'll bring back help!"

But BlackShoutmon wasn't about to let her get away. As she ran, she could hear him leaping through the trees after her, occasionally throwing another Rock Spirit fireball.

At one point, he leapt onto her back, placing the length of his mic against her throat and began pulling. Kari struggled to breathe, but wasn't strong enough to throw him off. She compensated by running backwards and slamming into a tree. BlackShoutmon grunted and dropped his mic as he fell off her back. She kicked the weapon away and made a run for it.

BlackShoutmon growled and retrieved his mic before charging after her. Unknowingly, he came up to the tree she was hiding behind, and she released the branch she had bent backwards. It slammed into the dragon Digimon, sending him flying backwards.

Dazed, he sat up, rubbing his head. It was nothing compared to the pain of the gear in his back, and the driving force behind it urged him on with the promise of more pain if he refused and the hope that the agony would lessen if he didn't. With the darkness clouding his senses, he gave into the wicked demands and resumed his chase.

He ended up running past her new hiding place, and Kari breathed a sigh of relief. She looked in the direction her Digimon friend disappeared in with a sympathetic look on her face. She couldn't imagine what it must be like to be controlled by those black gears, nor did she want to.

With a shiver, she also realized that ExVeemon must be going through something similar. What must it be like to be controlled like that? Was he fully aware, but was a prisoner within his own body? Had his mind and personality gone dormant and he had no idea what was going on? Did his feelings and nature get warped and twisted to the point that he actually knew what he was doing and wanted it? Whatever the case, it was too horrible to imagine.

"I have to get back," she said out loud.

"Oh, don't leave on my account."

She gasped as the large form of BlackGreymon came crashing through the trees, dripping wet and looking furious. How had he escaped from Seadramon? That giant sea serpent had been enormous and had had the dinosaur Digimon completely at its mercy.

BlackGreymon's eyes narrowed. "Surprised? Well, so am I. I never would have thought that the little thieves that stole my dinner would cause me so much trouble."

"That wasn't even me," she cried, feeling guilty for somewhat selling out her friend. But he wasn't even here, and she was the one in danger right now. "And Shoutmon is gone. I already apologized on his behalf. Haven't you ever heard of forgive and forget?"

"I'll forgive you once you're dead. Atomic Tail!"

Kari briefly wondered if death and killing was seen in a different light with Digimon since they were just reborn again, but didn't have time to dwell on it before BlackGreymon's massive tail came swinging at her. She dropped to her stomach and covered her head as the trees all around her were knocked over from the attack.

BlackGreymon growled and began rummaging through the destroyed vegetation, tossing trees and branches aside as he searched for her. She used the destruction for cover as she crawled across the ground beneath the leaves and sticks all around her, making her way behind him.

"You can't hide from me," he growled as she reached what she felt was a reasonably safe distance where she could use the trees that were still standing for cover.

With an irritated growl, he stopped searching and stood up straight. He began sniffing the air, breathing in deeply before his head snapped in her direction. "There you are!"

She yelped, and the chase began again. This was beginning to get old. It felt like all she did ever since she came to this world was rely on others and run away. How much longer would she be running?

Apparently, not very long, because she soon came face to face with BlackShoutmon blocking her path. He gripped his mic tightly, staring at her with hostility.

Behind her, BlackGreymon came crashing through the trees. He stopped as he saw the two of them, noting the hostility in BlackShoutmon towards her. "So, it looks as if your little friend has gone dark and decided to betray you. Does he think I'll forgive him if he sacrifices you to me? Well, he's wrong, but I'll be happy to accept his offer. Mega Flame!"

"Soul Crusher!" BlackShoutmon cried, unleashing dark energy from his mic.

The attacks came from in front and behind. There was no avoiding them, and she covered her face for whatever protection it would offer. The two attacks collided together and exploded with her caught in the middle.

BlackGreymon gave a satisfied bark of laughter. "Serves her right. That will teach her not to mess with her betters." He turned his attention to BlackShoutmon. "Don't think that just because you've gone dark that you'll be spared. Now it's your turn to…"

He trailed off as a light shined from within the cloud of smoke, growing brighter. As the smoke dissipated, the human girl was revealed to be unharmed, the light surrounding her seeming to act as a barrier.

"What's this?" he growled.

Kari finally risked a peak, lowering her hands when she saw that she was still alive. "This light…"

She reached into her pocket, taking out the source of the light. Her Digivice shined brightly, the image of Salamon on the screen changing to another, followed by a familiar phrase written across it.

"What's going on here?" the dinosaur Digimon demanded.

Kari looked up at him, her eyes determine. "Now it's my turn." She held up her Digivice. "Execute! Spirit Evolution… Nefertimon!"

The light faded, and Kari now stood as the holy beast Digimon, Nefertimon. Resembling a sphinx, she stood on four legs, yet she felt the power in her mighty wings that gave her the ability to fly, and she took to the air, her armor clad body shining in the sunlight.

BlackGreymon stared at her, dumbfounded. "What? You could turn into a Digimon all this time?" He scowled at her, baring his fangs as he growled. "Were you playing me for a fool?Mega Flame!"

She did a summersault in the air, avoiding the attack. Coming down, she hovered a short distance above his head. "BlackGreymon, I have already apologized for my friend's inconsideration. Now I will ask you one last time to walk away. Forget this ever happened, and I will forgive you for your murderous intent. If you do not, then I won't hold back."

"Lousy wench! I don't want your forgiveness! Mega Flame!"

She swerved around this as well. "Very well. Just remember that you brought this upon yourself."

She winced as a fireball struck the side of her head. This one, however, came from BlackShoutmon. She gave him what would have been a look of sympathy if her marble-like face weren't permanently carved in a neutral expression. "I will set you free very soon, my friend." She looked back at BlackGreymon. "After I take care of this. Rosetta Stone!"

A beam of light shot out of her back and into the sky. A large stone tablet covered in ancient writing flew out of the beam, striking BlackGreymon on the head, and he stumbled back, dazed.

Nefertimon flew at him, tackling him with her body, pushing him back. She continued to fly, pushing the dinosaur Digimon through the trees, the thick trunks snapping against his back until they emerged at the beach once more, where she shoved him to the ground, leaving behind a deep groove in the sand.

Pulling away, she left him half buried as she flew into the sky. He didn't stay down long though, and when he pulled himself out of the groove, he roared up at her. "Flame Breath!"

Rather than a single fireball, a continuous stream of flames flew from his mouth like a blowtorch. Nefertimon swerved around in the air, avoiding the blaze as she got closer. "Nile Jewelry!"

Jewels flew from the cuffs on her wrists, raining down on him like a deadly hail. BlackGreymon roared and ceased breathing fire as he ducked and covered.

Landing a short distance away, Nefertimon fired her Rosetta Stone, sending out one stone slab after another. The first one hit BlackGreymon in the gut, causing his arms to go from covering his head to clutching his stomach, right before another one collided with his face. He fell onto his rear end as he was bombarded with stone slab after stone slab.

"Rowdy Rocker!"

The attack came from behind as BlackShoutmon struck Nefertimon over the back of the head with his mic. She turned to him, only to have a fireball hit her in the face from his Rock Spirit attack. She shook her head to see through the smoke, and once her vision was clear, she looked to where the attack came from, but BlackShoutmon was gone.

'Fast little sucker,' she thought, having hoped to keep him out of the fight.

A moment later, she felt a sharp pain in her tail. Glancing over her shoulder, she found him grasping her tail in both hands and biting down on it. It hurt, yes, but it didn't do the type of damage it would have done if it were an official attack, like ExVeemon's Critical Crunch.

Which reminded her that he was still being possessed by Devimon. She needed to finish up here and get back to her friends as soon as possible.

With a flick of her tail, she sent the little dragon Digimon flying. She then unleashed her Rosetta Stone. Being as gentle as possible, she commanded the stone slab to come down on BlackShoutmon, pinning him to the ground.

Before she could act further, she felt BlackGreymon leap onto her back. Wrapping an arm around her neck, he growled into her ear. "Got you now, you pathetic fool."

"Well then, you better hold on tight," she retaliated, and took to the air.

BlackGreymon's grip shifted from attempting to strangle her to trying to hang on. Nefertimon built up speed as she flew straight up, going higher and higher. Suddenly, she began to loop around, making circles as she did mid-air summersaults. She felt BlackGreymon's grip on her start to slip until he was just barely holding on, then she flew straight down.

The air around her body heated as she sped towards the ground like a meteor. BlackGreymon was now struggling to maintain his grip. And when they were no more than 20 feet from the ground, she pulled out of the dive. BlackGreymon lost his hold on her and fell the rest of the way, sending up an explosion of sand as he crashed down on the beach.

Nefertimon came back down, landing a distance away from the impact sight. BlackGreymon had left a nice crater behind from his landing, if one could even call it a landing. He had to be hurting now, Nefertimon surmised, yet a few moments later, his clawed hand emerged from the hole, attempting to find some leverage so he could climb out.

"Stay down," the holy beast Digimon whispered, almost pleadingly.

But BlackGreymon did not stay down. Though looking worse for wear, he still stood tall and turned to face her. "Is that all you've got?"

"Alright," Nerfetimon growled. "Enough of this. Rosetta Stone!"

She put more energy into the attack than what was standard. The stone slab grew several times its normal size, and she launched it at the dinosaur Digimon, aiming low.

BlackGreymon opened his mouth to fire his Mega Flame. The stone slab collided with his legs, and he toppled forward on top of it, his attack going off course. The stone slab kept moving, carrying BlackGreymon with it as it raced across the beach. It sped over the water, going out into the ocean. BlackGreymon roared furiously as he disappeared upon the horizon.

"Good luck reaching the mainland!" Nefertimon called after him, even though the dinosaur Digimon was long gone.

With the main threat gone, she turned her attention to BlackShoutmon. The dragon Digimon was still pinned beneath the stone slab she had trapped him under, struggling to get free.

Nefertimon flew over to him. With a touch of her claw, she caused the stone slab to dissolve into data. BlackShoutmon made a move to get up, but she held him down with her paw, her gaze fixed on the black gear in his back. "Beam of Isis!"

A beam shot from her headdress, striking and destroying the gear. As the data particles vanished, BlackShoutmon's struggles ceased. Nefertimon backed up, praying her friend would return to his senses.

The blank lifeless look in his eyes disappeared, the light returning to them. He slowly got to his feet and looked around, seemingly confused, before turning to Nefertimon, staring at her hard. "Er, Kari?"

If she could smile, she would have, but she simply settled for nodding. "Gad to have you back."

"Back?" he repeated, and looked down at himself. "Ah! Why am I…?" Closing is eyes, he took a deep breath and began to glow. "BlackShoutmon Slide Evolution… Shoutmon!"

He changed back to his normal form, older looking, red and white, golden yellow scarf, scarred and battle worn, all over the Shoutmon she knew and loved.

"What happened?" he grumbled, bring a hand to his head. "How'd I end up as BlackShoutmon?"

"You got hit by one of Devimon's black gears."

He seemed confused for a moment, then his eyes widened. "That's right, I was! It hit me from behind! What a cowardly move!" His hand suddenly flew to his mouth. "Ooh, I did some bad things, didn't I? It's a little fuzzy, but I remember that much."

"It wasn't you," she assured him. "It was Devimon, he was controlling you." She looked out into the forest. "And speaking of being under his control, we have to help Davis." She bent down. "Climb on, I'll fly us there."

Shoutmon beamed. "Awesome!" He hopped up onto her back and punched the sky. "Lets go!"

With that, Nefertimon took to the air, and they were off.

 

Notes:

(A/N: Heh, heh, I bet you thought she was going to become Gatomon or Angewomon. Nope, sorry. Did the chapter title give it away though? I thought it might, but felt it was appropriate. Oh, and if you didn't know, even though Gatomon Armor Digivolves into her, Nefertimon is still a Champion, not an Ultimate, just a more powerful Champion than Gatomon. Actually, Salamon can Digivolve to Nefertimon on her own without the Digi-Egg of Light, and without Digivolving to Gatomon first. So, technically, Nefertimon is a Slide Evolution for Gatomon, not an Armor Digivolution. Speaking of which, I chose Nefertimon because I felt she was more appropriate and useful than Gatomon. One last thing, I decided to include a list of the main characters' attacks and their effects at the bottom of the chapter Spirit Evolves on. I also went back and did the same for the previous chapters. Chapter 2 has Shoutmon's attack, Chapter 3 has Greymon, Chapter 8 has ExVeemon's, and Chapter 11 has Agunimon's. So you can go see that if you're interested. Up next, Operation Save ExVeemon. You don't want to miss it.)

Nefertimon's attacks:

Rosetta Stone – Fires one or more stone tablets from a pink beam of light issuing from her back. The size of the stone slab can vary based on the amount of power used.

Nile Jewelry – Fires jewels from the cuffs on her paws.

Beam of Isis – Shoots a beam of light from her headdress.

Queen's Paw – Fires exploding projectiles from leg armor.

Golden Noose – Uses a rope made of golden light to bind enemies. Can be used in unison with Pegasusmon.

Hot Foot – effects unknown

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Nefertimon

Chapter 15: Group Decision

Notes:

(A/N: This chapter ended up being a little shorter than I intended, but considering I was going to have this chapter and the last chapter one long one, I felt it would be better to split them up.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 15: Group Decision

Greymon flinched as the blast from another Vee-Laser struck the ground beside him, sending up dust and rocks. The possessed ExVeemon was proving to be a real nuisance. Not only was he and Agunimon hesitant to attack their friend, but ExVeemon was sticking to the air, limiting the number of attacks the two of them could use against him.

"Devimon just had to possess the one that could fly," he growled.

He didn't mean to make it sound like he preferred one of his other friends to get possessed over another, but he was frustrated and worried for his sister ever since Roachmon had carried her off. The only consolation was that Shoutmon was with her, though it didn't help much.

TK seemed to be of a similar mind, and Takato had to struggle to prevent the blonde boy from going after her, managing to convince him that it would only make things worse if he got lost or in trouble too.

"Maybe that's why Devimon chose him," Agunimon replied, not taking offense to Greymon's words.

To make matters worse, Devimon's Touch of Evil didn't seem to rob ExVeemon of his senses and leave him with just his basic instincts like the black gears did. No, ExVeemon still displayed just as much intelligence as before, only now he was a devoted follower of the fallen angel Digimon. Worse still, he seemed to be even smarter than when Davis had his own free will, The way he remained high up out of reach and only attacked with his Vee-Laser and Hearty Shatter displayed this.

And, perhaps worst of all, they had no idea how to help him. With him attacking, they had to fight back, but there was no black gear for them to target. How could they possibly get their friend back to normal if they didn't know what was causing the problem?

"Hearty Shatter!" ExVeemon cried, spitting several fireballs down at them.

Agunimon leapt in front of Greymon. He summoned up his own fire, absorbing ExVeemon's attack and sending his gathered flames up at the dragon Digimon.

ExVeemon flew up higher until he was out of range, then fired a Vee-Laser down at them. Greymon countered with a Nova Blast, the two attacks exploded upon collision. Yet through the smoke, a second Vee-Laser came down. Greymon quickly created a Fire Wall, but ExVeemon's attack came straight through the towering flames, the attack blasting the dinosaur and fire wizard Digimon back as it struck the ground in between them.

"This is ridiculous!" TK cried. Cupping his hands around his mouth, he shouted up at the dragon Digimon. "ExVeemon, you've got to snap out of it! Devimon is using you as his puppet!"

"Yeah," Takato called up to him. "He's just an evil freak using you for his own gain!"

ExVeemon glared down at him. "How dare you speak ill of Master Devimon!"

Greymon forced himself to stand. "It's no use. If my sister couldn't get through to him, none of us will."

"Then what are we supposed to do?" Takato demanded. "We can't just let Devimon keep… controlling… him… like… this…"

He slowly trailed off, cocking his head further and further to the side with each word as he looked up at something in the sky. He saw something shiny flying behind ExVeemon, and at first thought it was a plane far in the distance. But as far as he knew, there were no planes in the Digital World, and as it got closer, he saw that it resembled a winged sphinx. "Oooook…"

The others spotted it too, deciding that it must be a Digimon. They were too far away to properly hear the name of the attack used, but a beam of pink light rose from its back and shot out a stone slab.

ExVeemon didn't even seem to realize she was there, and the attack hit him in the back. He cried out and began to drop from the sky. Nefertimon flew down after him and fired her Queen's Paw attack. The exploding projectiles assaulted the dragon Digimon, sending him crashing the rest of the way to the ground.

Flying down low, the holy beast Digimon came down beside her friends. "Glad to see everyone is all right."

Shoutmon jumped off her back and saluted them. "Hey, guys! You miss me?"

"What? Shoutmon?" TK exclaimed.

Agunimon regarded the holy beast Digimon suspiciously. "Who's this?"

The dragon Digimon grinned. "Don't you know? It's Kari. Or as she is now, Nefertimon."

"Wha…?" Takato cried, looking dumbfounded. "Kari? Nefertimon?"

"I Spirit Evolved after Roachmon carried me off," she told them. "It's a long story."

"Wow…" TK whispered in awe. "You're beautiful."

His comment caused a blush to rise in her cheeks. From behind her, ExVeemon jumped to his feet, roaring loudly, and Nefertimon turned to him. "We can play catch-up later, when our team is complete once again."

"Sounds good to me," Greymon replied. He gave her a look of brotherly love. "Glad you're ok, sis."

"Glad you're ok. Now lets end this."

They charged at ExVeemon. He quickly took to the air, but Nefertimon flew up after him. ExVeemon fired a Vee-Laser at her, and she did a flip in the air to avoid it.

"Beam of Isis!" she cried, firing her beam. It was countered by another Vee-Laser, but the attack was meant to be a distraction as she flew past him. "Golden Noose!"

A rope of golden light fazed out of her body. It latched onto ExVeemon as she passed, and she began flying circles around him, binding him tightly. And once he was tightly bound, she flew back to the ground, pulling him with her.

She released her end of the rope, and he crashed into the ground. He was on his feet a moment later, just in time to have Greymon whack him with his Tail Crash, knocking him into the trees.

He didn't stay down long though, and once he was on his feet again, he broke through his bindings with a burst of strength. The remains of the golden rope disappeared as he fired aVee-Laser, hitting Greymon right in the face, knocking him off his feet.

"Crimson Knuckle!" Agunimon cried, rushing towards him to throw a punch with a flaming fist.

ExVeemon leapt at him, clamping his fangs down on the fire wizard Digimon's arm with his Critical Crunch, effectively stopping Agunimon's attack.

"Bellow Blaster!" Shoutmon cried, hitting the dragon Digimon in the side, knocking him off Agunimon.

ExVeemon's attention shifted to him, and he fired a Vee-Laser. Agunimon leapt to his feet and intercepted the attack, taking damage as a result. ExVeemon opened his mouth to unleash his Hearty Shatter, only to be hit in the back of his head again by Nefertimon's Rosetta Stone. He fell forward, collapsing on the ground with his eyes closed.

"I think that one got him," she observed.

When ExVeemon didn't get up, they cautiously approached, the humans and Shoutmon a bit more hesitantly.

"You didn't kill him, did you?" Takato asked worriedly.

"No, look, he's still breathing," Agunimon noted. "Besides, his body would have broken down into data if he died."

"Unless it wouldn't because we're human," Greymon pointed out. He glanced at the small red Digimon. "Shoutmon?"

"Hmm," he thought about it. "Well, if you humans really don't break down into data after you die, which is really weird by the way, then I would say that if one of you died while you were a Digimon, the your Digimon body would break down into data, but your human body would remain behind. Talk about needlessly taking up space."

"Shoutmon!" Nefertimon cried.

"What?" he asked, looking genuinely confused.

A groan came from ExVeemon, and he opened his eyes. They were no longer completely white, and his pupils and irises were visible once more. Reaching up, he rubbed the back of his head where Nefertimon's attack had hit. "Ow, my head. What happened?"

"ExVeemon, you're back!" Takato exclaimed.

The dragon Digimon crossed his arms. "Of course I'm back." He paused for a moment, then gave Takato a confused look. "Um… where'd I go?"

"Over to the dark side," Agunimon told him. "Devimon totally hijacked your mind."

The dragon Digimon touched his forehead. "Is that why my brain feels like mush?" He reverted back to Davis, still rubbing his head. "Seriously, I got one nasty headache, like someone dropped a boulder on my head."

Nefertimon sweat-dropped. "Um, that may be partly my fault."

He looked at her. "Who are you?"

"Oh, right. Let me see if I got this."

A few seconds passed and Nefertimon turned back into Kari. Davis jumped back in surprise and simply stared at her. "K-Kari? You Spirit Evolved?"

"Apparently," Greymon replied as both he and Agunimon resumed their human forms.

Davis still looked confused. "But I thought Roachmon carried you off." His eyes widened. "Hey, I just remembered that! Everything is coming back to me." He frowned as he remembered the way he savagely attacked his friends. "Man, I was a jerk. Sorry about that. I can't believe I let Master Devimon control me. I mean Devimon! Not Master Devimon, just plain Devimon!"

Kari chuckled. "It's not your fault. Devimon possessed you, but it seems a good knock to your head brought you back to your senses."

TK smiled. "Yeah, lucky your head is so hard," he joked, earning a laugh from the others.

"So," Kari said as the laughter died down, "I got some good news. We're actually only a couple miles from the beach."

Takato's face lit up. "Really? That's great! Then we can get to the mainland and make our way to Cherubimon's castle. The first phase of our journey is almost over."

"And it only took about four weeks," Takuya pointed out, not entirely sure if this was a good thing or a bad thing.

Tai didn't voice his opinion on the matter. He was starring out in the distance. Not to where the ocean was, but in the other direction, towards the mountain. His face was set in a look of grim determination as he contemplated things.

"Hey, Tai," said TK, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You ok?"

The older boy was silent for a moment, then he said, "I'm not going."

His reply took TK aback. "What?"

"I said I'm not going," he repeated, not taking his eyes off the mountain. "I can't, not with Devimon out there causing trouble. Someone's got to stop him." He finally looked at them. "You guys go ahead without me. Head to the beach and get to work on a raft we can use to cross the ocean." He looked back at the mountain he'd seen the fallen angel

Digimon fly towards. "I'm going to stop Devimon."

A sly grin crept up Shoutmon's face, but Kari reacted differently. "What do you mean you're going to stop Devimon?"

He turned to her. "Just what I said. I'm going to stop him. Someone has to. What he's doing is pure evil. He needs to be taken down."

"But why you?" Takato demanded. "It's not your responsibility. This isn't even our world. Why should you have to risk your life to fight its battles?"

Tai sighed. "It is my responsibility. Devimon must be stopped. This may not be our world, but I have the power to do something about this. That does make me responsible. I have to go, or else I'll never be able to look at myself in the mirror knowing that I let Devimon run amuck when I could have done something to stop him."

The others were silent for a few moments, then Davis placed his hands on his hips. "You know what? He's right. We have the power, so we have a duty. Great power, great responsibility, and all that. Count me in."

Takuya rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I guess we don't really have a choice."

Tai looked startled. "Whoa, hold up, guys. I didn't mean for you all to join me. This is my decision; I decided I was going to do this."

"Yeah, well, it's our decision too," Davis told him. "And we've decided to go with you."

Kari smiled. "Yup, we're in this together."

Tai glared at her. "No way, you're not going."

Her eyes narrowed. "Why? Because I'm a girl?"

"No, because you're my little sister. It's my job to look out for you. I'm not about to let you follow me into battle."

She stubbornly crossed her arms. "I'm not so little anymore. And in case you've forgotten, I can Spirit Evolve now. I have a responsibility too."

"Kari-"

"It's my decision, and I'm a part of this team. You can't make me stay behind, especially now that I can fly."

He opened and closed his mouth several times, but had no words. She was right, he couldn't make her stay behind, nor would she tolerate it if he could. His sister was as stubborn as she was selfless. There's no way she wouldn't do whatever she could to help. And she was right about flying. As long as she could travel by air, he'd never be able to get away from her.

Sighing heavily, he pinched the bridge of his nose as he felt a headache coming on. "Mom's gonna kill me for this."

Kari smiled, knowing she had gotten her way. And beside her, TK took a step forward. "We'll come too," he said, referring to himself and Takato.

The other boy blinked. "We will? I mean, yeah, of course we will!"

Tai gave them a look. "But you can't Spirit Evolve."

The blonde boy nodded. "Not yet, but we're still members of the team. We might even Spirit Evolve along the way."

"Besides," Takato added, "you can't leave us behind. What if another bad Digimon, or one controlled by a black gear shows up while you're away? We'd be defenseless."

Tai tried to come up with an argument for this, but couldn't think of anything. Takuya eventually placed a hand on his shoulder. "Face it, Tai, you're not going to win this argument," he said with a smile.

The older boy sighed. "Yeah, I guess not."

"Alright!" Shoutmon cheered. "It's decided then. Devimon is going down. Onward to Infinity Mountain. Digimon Data Squad, move out!"

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So, they had decided to come for him, did they? How very cute. Well, if that's what they wanted, then he would give it to them.

"They are fools to think they can defeat me," Devimon arrogantly told himself.

However, he wasn't fool enough to think that they weren't a threat. So far they had bested him at every turn. True, he may have gotten to them when he made himself known, but they had come out even stronger than before.

Now four of them could Spirit Evolve. If all six gained that ability, it could become a real nuisance. Perhaps it was time for him to bust out the big guns. He had an ace up his sleeve; two of them actually, but one he would save for later.

"Those poor fools have no idea what they're in for. They think they can save this world? They're in way over their heads." An evil grin crept up his face. "And I think it's time they had a small sample."

Notes:

(A/N: Looks like they're going after Devimon, but you probably figured that would happen. But what's this ace he has up his sleeve? And will TK and Takato Spirit Evolve in time? Who will be first? Tune in next time to find out, and have a Happy Thanksgiving.)

Chapter 16: Within the Mountain

Notes:

(A/N: Hello everyone. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Last time, our heroes made the decision to go after Devimon. But the evil Digimon has a secret weapon up his sleeve. What's it going to be, read on to find out.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 16: Within the Mountain

"Great, so now we have to go mountain climbing?" Davis complained as he stared up at the mountain. "All that walking just to go climbing."

"Hey, it's not that bad," TK noted. "Besides, aren't you some big, athletic, soccer star? You should be able to handle a little mountain."

Davis cut his eyes at him. "No one asked you, TP."

"Couldn't we just fly up?" Takato suggested. "You know, have ExVeemon and Nefertimon carry us."

"I don't think we should activate our DigiVices unless absolutely necessary," Tai replied. "We don't want to risk losing power and not being able to Spirit Evolve when we really need it. Remember what happened with Impmon."

Shoutmon scoffed. "I took care of that punk, no problem."

"Well, yeah, but what if we run into someone really powerful, but couldn't Spirit Evolve because we used up all our power unnecessarily?"

"That's a good point," Kari agreed. "And it doesn't look like it'll be a tough climb, just a long one."

She was right about that. There were even paths for them to take, so they didn't actually have to climb in those spots. Then again, there were also areas where they had to crawl up the side of the mountain, leaving them scrapped and sweaty.

Shoutmon seemed to have no problem scaling the mountain, and would often have to wait for the others to catch up. Tai was always the first to catch up, being the oldest, strongest, and most athletic of the group, followed shortly by Takuya.

Takato seemed to have the most trouble, and was always the last to catch up. When they were up high enough that a fall would mean certain death, they took a short break on a ledge that led into a cave. As they waited for Takato to catch up, Davis felt the need to shout, "Echo!" into the dark cavern.

"Davis," said Tai, "please try not to announce our presence to Devimon or any other hostile Digimon."

His doppelgänger grinned apologetically. "Sorry, couldn't resist." He instead turned his attention to their straggler. "Hey, Takato, you hang in there, bud!"

Takato appreciated the encouragement, yet he still grimaced when he lost his footing and scuffed his knee. Up above, TK leaned over as far as he dared to offer him a helping hand while Kari quickly grabbed the blonde boy's arm to keep him from falling. Takato grasped his hand and was gratefully pulled onto the ledge.

"I need to get out more," he said, breathing heavily as he wiped the sweat from his brow.

Shoutmon snickered. "Hate to break it to you, but we've still got a loooooong way to go."

Takato glanced up the mountainside. "Yeah, no kidding."

As he looked up, he noticed something round farther up. He cocked his head to the side and squinted, trying to make it out, but couldn't tell what it was. "Hey, what is that thing?"

The others looked up as well. "What thing?" Tai asked.

"Yeah, I see it too," Kari replied. "Something round."

Whatever they were looking at seemed to realize it had been spotted. Moments later, smaller round objects were falling down towards them, and Shoutmon's eyes widened. "MOVE!"

Acting without thinking, the teens dove out of the way of the falling objects. Around them, gray spheres, the size of soccer balls, with smiling faces on them, hit the ground and exploded on impact.

From up above, the large round object dropped down. The ground shook when it landed on the ledge and turned to the teens. They now found themselves starring up at a large metal ball nearly three times as tall as them. A pair of hands and feet stuck out of its sides, and a drunken face looked down at them. And out of the top of its head was a familiar black gear.

Davis blinked as he stared at the mutant Digimon. "What is that thing? A wrecking ball with hands and feet?"

The color drained from Shoutmon's face as he looked at the newcomer. "Oh my… Get in the cave!"

He didn't even wait for them as he rushed into the cavern. A moment later, the mutant Digimon created more of the exploding smiling spheres, and the teens quickly rushed after Shoutmon as it threw them.

They ducked and covered as the balls exploded behind them. The ceiling started to collapse, and they quickly crawled further inside the cave. The entrance was slowly blocked off, cutting off their light source and leaving them in the dark.

When the rumbling finally stopped, Shoutmon produced a miniature Fiery Fastball and held it up for light. "Everybody ok?"

Tai was having a coughing fit. "I think so. At least we weren't separated this time."

"Yeah, but now we're trapped," Davis pointed out. "Why'd we run away? We could have take that overgrown bowling ball."

Shoutmon cut his eyes at him. "On, that little ledge?"

"Hey, I can fly. So can Kari. We could have fought from the air. And the guy had a black gear in him. We just had to destroy it."

Shoutmon scoffed. "The two of you wouldn't have been a match for him. That was BigMamemon. He's an Ultimate level Digimon. Not a strong one, I'll give you that, but still an Ultimate. Not even a dozen Champions can stand up to a single weak Ultimate, and that's what level you guys are at, Champion. He would have torn you apart."

"He didn't look that tough," Tai noted.

This got a laugh out of the dragon Digimon. "Trust me on this, appearances have absolutely nothing to do with power when it comes to Digimon."

TK considered this. "An Ultimate. But I thought you said they left the island once they reach the Champion level."

"I said no such thing. Most Digimon leave at the Rookie level, but some wait until they're Champions. It's very rare, but there's no law against waiting until you become an Ultimate or even a Mega to leave; it's just extremely rare. Remember Datamon? He was an Ultimate. Most Digimon just choose to go out into the world earlier. They'll also have a much better chance to Digivolve by challenging more powerful opponents on the mainland rather than the weaker lower level majority on this island. It doesn't mean they can't stay though; it just takes forever to Digivolve. And who knows, maybe they actually came back here later, or maybe they never left and simply decided to live on the island. I don't know. What I do know is that BigMamemon is an Ultimate, and you guys don't stand a chance against him."

Kari looked back at the sealed entrance, "But he has a black gear in him. We have to help him."

Shoutmon sighed. "Sweetheart, you won't be able to help anyone if you face him now. Our only hope is to defeat Devimon and hope it will free him from the black gear's control."

"Great," Takato muttered. "So how are we supposed to get to him while sealed inside this cave?"

Holding up the light, Shoutmon motioned down the tunnel. "This is called Infinity Mountain for a reason. Not just because it seems to stretch upward forever, but because it has nearly an infinite number of tunnels running through it. We'll just find another way out."

"Great," Takato said again. "First mountain climbing, now cave exploring."

"Trust me," the dragon Digimon replied, "it's better than facing BigMamemon."

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If it weren't for Shoutmon's flame light, they would have been completely in the dark. Even so, the small fireball provided them with enough illumination to make their way around. Yet getting through the caves proved to be a challenge with the various number of tunnels they came across, and no clue as to which one led outside.

TK had suggested using a fire to see which tunnels had a breeze, but it didn't work so well. It seemed that many tunnels led to the surface, yet all contained twists and turns that connected and doubled back.

They decided to take a break after an hour of exploring the tunnels, already having been tired from hiking and climbing up the mountain. Shoutmon didn't provide any more light during this time so he could conserve energy by not having to create a new fireball every time the previous one burned out.

TK and Kari curled up together with their heads resting against each other and their fingers interlocked as they slept. Takato was currently nodding off, and Davis was snoring loudly, keeping Takuya awake. Tai refused to sleep, but had sat down to recover his strength while Shoutmon kept yawning. After a particularly loud yawn, he sniffed and picked up a scent. It smelled like smoke, and his last Fiery Fastball had burned out nearly 20 minutes ago.

"Hey," he said. "Hey, wake up. Do you guys smell that?"

Takato looked at him sleepily. "Smell what?"

"Smoke," the dragon Digimon replied. "You don't smell it?"

Tai sniffed the air. "I don't smell anything. But then again, you've got a much better nose than we do."

Shoutmon produced another fireball. "We should follow it. Maybe we can find a way out. Go wake up the noise maker and lovebirds."

Tai blinked. "What lovebirds?"

He didn't receive a reply, and soon they were making their way down the tunnel. The smoke from Shoutmon's own fireball dimmed the scent with its own, but he as still able to follow the one he had picked up.

"There!" he exclaimed, pointing down the tunnel to where the light from another fire emitted.

As they hurried down the tunnel, the light began to move away. It was proof enough that someone else was here, and they were attempting to flee, even taking them down several crossroads of tunnels, but was unable to hide the light.

They finally turned a corner while on their pursuit and ran into an unfamiliar face. It was a Digimon of some kind that resembled a troll with an abnormally large nose with a marking on it. The Digimon blocked their path, giving them an unfriendly look.

Behind the new Digimon was the light source, emitting from the flame of a Digimon that was a living candle hiding behind the gnome Digimon that demanded, "What you kids doing here?"

"Whoa, who's this guy?" Davis asked.

TK checked his Digivice, and realized for the first time that they could have used the devices for light. "Grumblemon, Champion level, special attack Seismic Sludge. The other one is Candlemon, Rookie level, special attack Lava Loogie. Eww, that sounds nasty."

Grumblemon didn't even acknowledge his or Candlemon's descriptions. "Why you chase my friend?" he demanded, looking at them suspiciously.

"Oh," Kari gasped, "we're sorry. See, we're trying to find our way through these tunnels, but we're kind of lost. We saw your friend's light and hoped he could help us."

"Yeah," said Davis, "we need to get up to the big bad fallen angel Digimon."

Candlemon gasped as Grumblemon's eyes narrowed and he pointed at them. "You work for Devimon? You not welcome here!"

Takato waved his hands. "Hold on, we're not working for him!"

"You lie!" Grumblemon declared. Reaching down, he pulled a large spiked hammer out of the ground. "You no fool me! I'll show you!"

He moved as if to attack him. The teens' first thought was to Spirit Evolve, but in the tight confines of this tunnel, they wouldn't be able to move if they did. All but one.

"Execute!" Takuya cried. "Spirit Evolution… Agunimon!"

Being only slightly taller than a full-grown man, the fire wizard Digimon would be able to fight back in the confined space. He and Grumblemon rushed at each other, ready to go head to head.

"Me knew you was working for him," the gnome Digimon cried, raising his hammer.

"Diamond Storm!"

The attack came not from him, but from behind him, knocking the hammer out of his hands. Both he and Agunimon ceased their battles as they turned to the source.

"That is enough, Grumblemon," the newcomer told him. "Not all that enter this cave are after us."

The gnome Digimon growled as he turned to face her. "Renamon, why you stop me?"

The anthropomorphic fox-like Digimon came up to them with a Candlemon on either side of her. "Why do you attack them? They gave a valid reason for their presence and actions."

"I take no chances. They could have come to enslave us with those black gears."

"We will take no action unless we need to. It is Devimon who is the enemy."

Grumblemon punched the cave wall. "They say they going to see him. Why else go to see him unless to join him?"

"We're going there to defeat him," Agunimon replied, deciding to remain in his Digimon form in case they were met with any more hostility.

Grumblemon glared at him. "So you say."

"Enough!" Renamon snapped. "Make yourself scarce. I shall see to our guests."

The gnome Digimon stared at her for a few moments before giving the teens one last look and storming away. "If they our enemies, this be on you," he growled to the fox Digimon as he passed her.

"I will keep that in mind," she replied, then looked back at the teens. "I apologize for him. He has become somewhat paranoid since Devimon took over the mountain."

Tai placed his hands on his hips. "And I don't blame him, what with all those black gears flying around."

"I am glad you understand," she said, and made her way over to them. She paused just long enough to give Agunimon a curious look before continuing over to those that were still human, examining them with interest. "Strange, I've never seen creatures such as you."

"We're human," TK told her as she lifted his arm to look at it. "We came here by accident from another world."

"Human, you say. Interesting." She stood back and looked him up and down, then glanced at Agunimon. "Yet you can turn into Digimon."

"Yeah, you can thank this guy for that," Davis replied, nudging Shoutmon, who was openly staring at Renamon. "And these," he added, holding up his Digivice.

Renamon didn't seem to understand, but seemed to accept the explanation. "Well, I suppose stranger things have happened." She crossed her arms. "So, why are you going to see Devimon?"

Tai grabbed the air. "We told you, to kick his sorry butt, and show him that he can't push people around."

"Basically," said Agunimon, "we decided that since we have the power to do something, we should do it."

Renamon smirked at that. "How admirable." She glanced at Shoutmon. "And what of you?"

He flinched as if he'd been startled. "Huh? Me? I… um… I guide… bring them along… Digimon King… I am…"

Renamon raised an eyebrow. "I see… Well, if you're serious about facing Devimon, I have a friend that can help. Come, follow me."

Agunimon glanced at Tai, who nodded, then became Takuya once more. "Alright, lead the way."

Guided by the Candlemon's light, they followed the fox Digimon down the tunnel. Shoutmon remained behind, his heart racing in his chest, before he suddenly realized he was being left behind and hurried after them. "Hey, you guys, wait for me!"

Notes:

(A/N: Trapped in a cave with a possessed BigMamemon on the outside. Well, things could be worse. At least the residents seem friendly, for the most part. Grumblemon isn't too happy with their intrusion and could be troublesome, but at least Renamon is on their side, or so it seems. Just who is this friend she wants them to meet? Can they really help our heroes defeat Devimon? And what's up with Shoutmon? He's certainly acting strange. Stay tuned to receive these answers.)

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New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/BigMamemon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Candlemon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Grumblemon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Renamon

Chapter 17: Bomber Mon

Notes:

(A/N: I started watching Digimon Tri. It's pretty good. More intense and serious than past seasons. I'm not too fond of the new art style though, but whatever. So, picking up where we left off, our heroes are heading deeper into the mountain to meet an unknown Digimon while a possessed BigMamemon is rampaging outside. Will this aid them, or hinder them? Only one way to find out. The chapter title is a pun. You'll see why.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 17: Bomber Mon

"Ever since Devimon took over the mountain with his black gears, we've been in hiding," Renamon explained as she led them along. "Many of us called this mountain our home, but we've had to hide ourselves away because of those accursed gears."

"I don't blame you," Tai replied. "Those things are nasty. I can't believe Devimon is enslaving Digimon with them."

Renamon nodded in agreement. "A friend of ours went to try and stop him, but he never returned. We fear he was taken over by one of the black gears. No one has seen BigMamemon since."

Takuya stopped walking. "BigMamemon? He's the one that chased us in here."

Renamon stopped and looked back at him. "What?"

He nodded. "Yeah, he chased us right into this cave. And he is being control by a black gear."

She stared at him for a few seconds before closing her eyes and sighing. "I was afraid of that. Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do for him."

Davis smirked. "Don't worry, we'll save him as soon as we take out Devimon. So who's this friend that can help us?"

She didn't answer for a moment. "Before I can take you to him, I have to take you to the one in charge. He was the former ruler of Infinity Mountain before Devimon took over."

"Really?" said Takato. "I thought BigMamemon would have been in charge since he's an Ultimate."

Renamon just smiled. "He's an Ultimate too, but he's even stronger."

"Then why doesn't he face Devimon?" Kari asked.

"So he wouldn't risk falling prey to the black gears. Besides, we need him to lead and protect us in this time of crisis. His name is BlueMeramon, and he will be the one to decide what happens to you."

"BlueMeramon, great," Takato muttered. He glanced at Shoutmon. "Do you know anything about this guy?" But he received no answer. "Hmm? Hey, Shoutmon, you ok?"

Tai looked back at them. "What's happening back there?"

"I don't know, Shoutmn isn't responding." He lightly shook the dragon Digimon. "Hello, is anyone in there?"

"Ehh?" came Shoutmon's mumbled reply. He said nothing more as he stared dreamily at Renamon's retreating more.

Kari looked from the fox Digimon to Shoutmon, and a smile lit up her face. "I think I know what's going on."

"What?" TK asked. He didn't receive a verbal answer, but instead she gave the smallest nod in Shoutmon's direction and then one in Renamon's. TK's eyes widened as it clicked. "Oh, I get it now."

He slowed his pace until he was walking beside the dragon Digimon. "So, Shoutmon, Renamon is very pretty, don't you think?" he asked, trying to keep his voice low.

"Uh huh," Shoutmon muttered dreamily. "So pretty. And she has such lovely fur."

Takuya suddenly figured it out as well and fell into step beside them. "So, you got a little crush on her?"

Shoutmon jumped as if startled. "W-W-What? What makes you say that? I'm the Digimon King! I don't have time to think about such things right now!"

"Are you sure?" Kari asked smiling.

"Of course I'm sure! It's not like I want to hold her hand, or go on a nice moonlit stroll, or take her out for a fancy dinner, or give her flowers, or… or… something…"

The others chuckled. Renamon glanced back at them with a raised eyebrow. "In here, I'm sure BlueMeramon already knows you're here."

The tunnel opened up into a much larger cavern. It was full of several Digimon. Many fire types with flames on their bodies kept the area lit. And all focus turned to the teens as they entered.

It was easy enough to spot BlueMeramon, even without having him pointed out. He resembled a man engulfed from head to toe in blue flames. His mouth appeared to be stitched shut, but he seemed to have no trouble opening it as he spoke with Grumblemon.

"That them!" the gnome Digimon accused, pointing at the teens as they entered. "They the spies for Devimon!"

"That remains to be seen," Renamon reported.

"We're not spies!" Takato argued back. "I thought we settled this already."

"We settle nothing, human!" Grumblemon shot back.

BlueMeramon held up his hand to silence him. "If you are not spies, then why do you seek him out?"

"To take him down," Takuya replied. "We're gonna show Mr. Tall-Dark-and-Ugly that he can't push people around anymore."

"That a lie!" Grumblemon snapped. "They just want to tell him where we hiding!"

Though the flame Digimon headed his words, he did not seem convinced. "Devimon already knows we are hiding in the mountain. He chose not to send his black gears after us. So why would he send a group of human children in after us? Where would he even find them?"

Renamon stepped forward on behalf of the teens. "BlueMeramon, contrary to our… friend's claim, these children have shown no hostility towards us. I am good at sensing hostile intentions, and it seems that the only one they wish to harm is Devimon himself. I think we can trust them. They have also confirmed the whereabouts of BigMamemon. He was indeed a victim of the black gears. He was the one that chased them in here."

BlueMeramon sighed. "I was afraid of that." He rubbed his chin, as he studied the teens. "Tell me, humans, how did you manage to come to our world?"

Tai sighed and placed his hands on his hips. "That's the million dollar question, and the amount I'd pay for an answer. We have no idea how we got here, just that we are. We were told that Cherubimon might have some answers, but we couldn't leave while Devimon is causing trouble."

"Cherubimon?" BlueMeramon repeated. "You would need to cross the ocean to see him. And with Devimon abusing the black gears, the individual sections of the island can't travel. It'll be difficult to cross the ocean unless you were a flying or marine Digimon."

He considered them for a few moments. "Very well, I will give you a chance to prove where your loyalties lie. If you help us restore our friend BigMamemon to normal, then we will take you to Devimon. Defeat him, and we will personally build you a boat to cross the sea since even after Devimon's defeat, it'll take some time to for File Island to start working properly again."

Davis' face lit up. "Whoa, really? That's awesome. I don't even know how to build a boat."

Shoutmon tugged on his shirt. "Um, did you forget about the fighting BigMamemon part? How are we supposed to beat an Ultimate?"

Renamon just smiled. "I'm sure you can do it. I have faith in you."

Her tone wasn't seductive or flirty in anyway, yet Shoutmon still swooned. "Whatever you say."

BlueMeramon grinned. "It is decided then. Digmon."

From out of the crowd, a yellow insect-like Digimon with drills for its nose and hands stepped forward. "Right here."

"Bring these humans to the outside. Don't let them back inside until BigMamemon has been returned to normal."

"Understood, sir." He marched over to them, nodding in greeting. "Howdy."

Renamon nodded back. "Digmon." She turned to the teens. "This is the friend I mentioned earlier. He will get you out of here."

"Sweet," Davis exclaimed. "Then lets get a move on."

"Try not to get killed!" Grumblemon called after them tauntingly.

Digmon just humphed. "Don't listen to him. He's a real stick in the mud. Come one, we're moving out."

He marched over to the cavern wall and began drilling into it. He worked very fast, and made excellent time as he buried through solid rock to make a tunnel for them to go through.

Renamon waved as they took their leave, wishing them luck in the upcoming battle. Shoutmon had to practically be dragged away as he waved tearfully to the fox Digimon.

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"Let there be light!" Digmon declared as he drilled to the outside. "Alright, kids, this is your stop. I wish you the best of luck."

"Great," Takato muttered as he and the others exited the newly dug tunnel. "We're about to face certain death, and all we get is a wish for good luck."

"Sorry," Digmon replied, "but it's all I can do for now. Later, dudes."

He drilled along the mouth of the cave, causing rocks to fall down and seal it shut, the insect Digimon disappearing inside.

"Well," said Davis, "I guess we're on our own."

"Yeah, but where are we?" TK wondered, looking around. "I thought he was going to take us to where BigMamemon was."

"Well, we're still on the mountain," Kari noted. "Maybe he's around here somewhere."

Takuya seemed skeptical. "How would Digmon even know where BigMamemon is if he was inside the mountain the whole-"

"Big Smirk Bomb!"

The smiling metal balls from earlier dropped down by them and exploded, the force of the blast knocking them over. Rolling down the mountainside and landing with a heavy thud was the Digimon in question.

Groaning, Takuya sat up. "I stand corrected. Execute! Spirit Evolution… Agunimon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Greymon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… ExVeemon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Nefertimon!"

"Alright, guys," said Greymon. "Don't forget that this guy's an Ultimate. We need to end this as fast as possible. We're not trying to fight him, we're after the black gear."

"I got it," ExVeemon declared, flying overhead. "Vee-Laser!"

The X-shaped beam flew at him, but BigMamemon simply threw a punch, his fist causing the attack to blast against it, leaving him unharmed.

"Whoa, hey!" ExVeemon growled. "Can he do that?"

"Apparently he can," Nefertimon replied. "Rosetta Stone!"

The attack hit him in the back. BigMamemon just turned to her with a stupid grin on his face, not looking bothered in the least by her attack as he charged in her direction. She fired off more stone slabs, but he used his fists to punch them into rubble.

Nefertimon took to the air when he attempted to tackle her. Even so, he rolled onto his side and threw a bomb at her. She managed to avoid it, but was still partially caught up in the blast when it exploded mid-air.

"Nile Jewelry!" she shouted, firing jewels at him.

At the same time, Agunimon fired his Pyro Darts. The jewels and bits of fire bounced off BigMamemon's body as he continued watching the flying holy beast Digimon. He squatted down and suddenly launched himself in the air, soaring above Nefertimon's head.

"Heavy Dive!" he cried, suddenly dropping to the ground like a meteor.

Nefertimon swerved to the side, but he still hit her wing, earning a painful grunt from her as it felt like it broke. Greymon quickly charged to BigMamemon's falling form and used Tail Crash, slamming his tail into the mutant Digimon before he could hit the ground.

BigMamemon was knocked aside, but turned it into a summersault in the air, landing on his feet. ExVeemon fired his Hearty Shatter, but the fireballs just bounced off his body.

Creating another bomb, he threw it up at the dragon Digimon. ExVeemon quickly caught it before it could hit him and held it up over his head triumphantly. "Hey, I caught it!" A moment later, it exploded in his hand. Covered from head to toe in soot, he breathed out a mouthful of smoke. "Yeah, don't catch the bombs…"

"Nova Blast!" Greymon cried, spitting a fireball.

It struck BigMamemon in the face, and he rolled backwards, but used the hands on his head to stop himself. He remained in a handstand position for a few moments before pushing himself forward and rolling onto his feet again.

"Our attacks aren't even fazing him," ExVeemon noted. "Is this the power of an Ultimate?"

"This is the power of a weak Ultimate," Shoutmon replied.

Agunimon stepped forward. "No way, we just need to up the ante. Pyro Tornado!"

The flames rose up around the mutant Digimon, and BigMamemon was consumed by a fiery tornado. The others watched and waited, but when the flames finally died down, BigMamemon was still standing, bearing nothing more than a few scorch marks on his body.

"No way!" Agunimon exclaimed.

BigMamemon's grin widened. "Big Smirk Bomb!"

The grinning bombs appeared in his hands, and he began throwing them one after the other. Explosions went off all around the Digimon, and even ExVeemon and Nefertimon couldn't escape when they took flight as the mutant Digimon simply tossed them in the air.

"How many bombs does he have?" TK cried, fearful for his friends' lives.

Shoutmon's fists clenched. "An unlimited amount. As long as he still has energy, he can just keep creating more." His gaze drifted up BigMamemon's body to the black gear sticking out of his head. "I think I can get the gear. I'm going for it."

He threw a Fiery Fastball. His aim was on target, but with BigMamemon's body in motion as he continued to throw the bombs, Shoutmon fell just short of hitting the gear, and his attack hit the back of the mutant Digimon's head.

BigMamemon stopped throwing bombs and turned to him. He created another bomb, and moved to throw it, but was suddenly grabbed from behind by Greymon. The bomb slipped out of his hand and rolled across the ground over to Shoutmon. The dragon Digimon's expression became one of fright as the bomb came to a rest right in front of him.

TK moved quickly, grabbing Shoutmon in his arms and turning around so the bomb would do the least amount of damage as he shielded the dragon Digimon with his body.

Takato had moved at the same time, only he tried a different strategy that he saw on TV that would reduce the destruction of the blast, but called for a sacrifice. This was how he found himself on top of the bomb, using his own body to confine the explosion. A moment later, it went off beneath him.

"Takato!" several voices cried out as BigMamemon used the distraction to knock Greymon off his back.

Everyone else's attention was on the blast sight. The smoke was clearing, and they knew they would either see their friend's splattered corpse, or something else.

Light shined through the smoke as the latter proved to be true. Takato glowed brightly, the light originating from his pocket.

"Am I dead?" he asked to no one in particular, and cracked open an eye. He saw his friends staring at him and noticed the light around his body. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his shining Digivice, feeling more relieved than he ever had in his entire life.

"Oh, thank goodness," he sighed, and pressed the activation button. "Execute! Spirit Evolution… Growlmon!"

The light flickered out and a red Digimon that resembled a cross between a dinosaur and a dragon stood in Takato's place.

"He did it!" Nefertimon cheered. "He Spirit Evolved!"

"It seems like the Digivice's initially act in a time of need," Greymon noted.

"Yeah, I was kind of hoping that would happen," the new dinosaur Digimon replied. 'Still, I think I wet my myself.'

"Excellent," said ExVeemon. "Now we've got one more. We can take him now."

"No, you can't!" Shoutmon scolded. "Just get that gear!"

Greymon motioned to the others. "Spread out. Lets use our numbers to our advantage."

The other four quickly followed his orders, forming pentagon around BigMamemon. The mutant Digimon looked from one to the other, trying to decide which to attack.

"I'll start us off," said Growlmon, eager to test out his new powers. "Dragon Slash!"

The blade on one of his elbows began glowing, and he flung a crescent shaped blade of plasma at the mutant Digimon. It struck BigMamemon, and he immediately turned towards him, throwing a bomb that Growlmon jumped back to avoid.

"Beam of Isis!" Nefertimon cried, striking the mutant Digimon, who quickly threw a bomb at her.

"Nova Blast!" cried Greymon, copying Growlmon's method of attack and dodge. The others followed suit.

"Vee-Laser!"

"Pyro Punch!"

BigMamemon was now wobbling as he looked from who was attacking him to who had already attacked him to who might attack him. The black gear may have put him under Devimon's control by taking away his free will, but in doing so, it had also stripped him of the ability to think rationally on his own, and his opponents quickly developed a strategy to use this to their advantage.

"Keep moving!" Growlmon told the others. "Don't give him time to decide who to attack!"

"Vee-Laser!"

"Pyro Punch!"

"Rosetta Stone!"

"Nova Blast!"

The attacks came one after another as they circled around the mutant Digimon. BigMamemon's movements became clumsy as he began dropping the bombs he created and began stumbling about.

"One more!" Growlmon declared. "Pyro Blaster!"

He breathed a stream of plasma that exploded on contact, hitting BigMamemon in the face. He stumbled back and fell on his rear end, disorientated.

"I got him now," Nefertimon told them. "Golden Noose!"

She circled around him, wrapping her rope of light around his body and lifting him into the air. BigMamemon was left hanging upside down, the black gear open to attack.

"I'll get it," Agunimon volunteered. "Pyro Darts!"

The bits of fire struck the black gear, destroying it. Nefertimon dropped her rope, and BigMamemon crashed to the ground. When it faded away, the mutant Digimon was revealed to be fast asleep.

"You're kidding!" TK exclaimed. "After all that, he just rolls over and falls asleep?"

"Literally rolls over," said ExVeemon.

Greymon turned back into Tai, as did the others. "I guess it does seem rather anti-climatic.

Kari dared to approach the sleeping Digimon and patted his side. "At least we freed him from Devimon's control."

Takuya wiped his sweaty forehead. "Yeah, at least there's that. But, man, am I wiped. I could use a nap myself."

"Yeah, no joke," Tai agreed. "I think we could all use a break after that." His attention went to Growlmon. "Hey, big guy, why don't you turn back?"

I'm trying," Growlmon replied. "It doesn't seem to be working. How did you guys- Oh, there we go." He finished changing back to his human form. After a quick once over of himself, he breathed a sigh of relief and turned to his friends. "Well, that was intense."

"It sure was," said Tai. "And we owe you a big thanks. We might not have made it if it weren't for you."

"Well, the two of us definitely wouldn't have," TK replied, still holding Shoutmon. "You saved our lives back there."

The dragon Digimon just groaned. "Yeah, I suppose we owe you some thanks."

Takato bashfully rubbed the back of his head. "Oh, come on, it wasn't that big a deal. Besides, I really wasn't thinking about what I was doing; I just did it."

"You did good, that's what you did."

They turned to find Digmon walking over to them. Behind him, the cave he had sealed was open once more. Renamon and Grumblemon stood at the entrance, both with their arms crossed, but one was smirking while the other was scowling.

"You did well," Renamon told them. "I knew you could do it."

Grumblemon humphed. "You darn kids got lucky."

"Luck or no luck," the fox Digimon told him, "they fulfilled their end of the bargain."

"You got that right," Digmon agreed. "You may now consider us your new BFFs. Come on inside and rest up. Tomorrow, I'll personally take you to Devimon." He held up his drills. "We'll tunnel right into that creep's sanctuary."

Grumblemon humphed again. "If you want to fall prey to his black gears, you be my guest. We stay out of it."

Renamon sighed. "I'm afraid he's right. If Devimon takes control of one of us, we would be able to lead him right to our friends in the mountain."

"That's fine," Tai replied. "With Growlmon to help us, Devimon won't stand a chance."

"I'm sure he won't," Digmon agreed. "There's just one more favor I need to ask of you."

"What's that?" Kari asked.

The insect Digimon patted BigMamemon's large, round, solid body. "Help us roll the big guy inside."

 

Notes:

(A/N: One more down. Now TK is the only hold out. Well, not hold out, but you know what I mean. Now they've got the chore of pushing BigMamemon. It probably would have been easier to fight him to the death. We're getting close to the showdown with Devimon. So exciting. The first major villain battle. It's gonna be intense. Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.)

Growlmon's attacks:

Pyro Blaster – Spews a blaze.

Dragon Slash – Fires a blade of plasma energy from the blades on his elbows.

Fire Blaster – Breathes a stream of fire.

Dino Kick – Jump kicks and whips with his tail.

Growl Claw – Scratches.

Dragon Spine – Fires the hairs on the back of his neck in a spray of needles.

Howling – Unleashes a high-pitches howl.

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New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/BlueMeramon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/BigMamemon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Digmon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Growlmon

Chapter 18: A Very Big Problem

Notes:

(A/N: Wow, I haven't updated this story since last year. Ha, ha, get it? Aah, never mind, that joke is so old. I hope everyone had a good New Years. The moment you've all been waiting for is here, the showdown with Devimon. It's the longest chapter so far, but how could it not be?)

Disclaimer: I own nothing

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 18: A Very Big Problem

Devimon was not happy. Not only were those annoying children still alive, they had also freed BigMamemon from his control. He'd lost a powerful servant, and another black gear. And to make matters worse, another one of those kids could now do that Spirit Evolve thing.

And now they were coming for him. It would have been fine if it wasn't so frustrating. How did a group of human children and their Rookie level Digimon friend manage to sabotage his plans at every turn? It was outrageous. Yet it still happened. And now they had the gall to come and face him. Him!

Well, he would make them pay for their arrogance and good deeds. He was Devimon, one of the most powerful Champions of all. Never would he allow himself to be defeated by a bunch of human children. He would show them the true meaning of fear, and make them pay for opposing him.

"They will regret the day they came to this world." He held up his arms. "Now, come to me, my black gears."

All over File Island, the black gears obeyed his command. Even the ones embedded in other Digimon dislodged themselves, freeing the brainwashed Digimon as they returned to his side.

Devimon grinned as the flying discs hovered around over his head. There was a little over a dozen left, but it would be enough. Those humans wouldn't even know what hit them. And once he got them out of the way, nothing would stop him from taking over the island, especially Primary Village. And then he would spread his influence to the newborn Digimon, making sure they took Dark Digivolutionary routes so they would serve the forces of darkness. It was something he greatly looked forward to, almost as much as crushing those miserable humans.

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"Almost there…" Digmon repeated as they tunneled through the mountain. "Almost there… and… done!"

He finished drilling, having made a hole through the floor that led right up into Devimon's sanctuary way up on Infinity Mountain. The place had once belonged to BlueMeramon, but it was abandoned when the black gears started taking over other Digimon, and was now the home to the evil fallen angel Digimon.

"Thanks a lot, Digmon," said Tai as he and the others climbed through.

"No problem, guys. You sure got a lot of guts facing Devimon. I'd lend you a hand, but don't want to risk getting stuck with one of those black gears."

"Hey, we understand," Davis replied. "And don't worry about it, we got this covered."

Digmon winked at them. "Well, I got faith in ya. Later, guys."

Shoutmon waved down to him as the insect Digimon retreated down the hole. "Tell Renamon that I'll come back for her some day!"

Digmon glanced over his shoulder with a raised eyebrow. "Um, sure, right, whatever. Good luck."

With that, he disappeared into the darkness. They were on their own now, about to face their most fearsome opponent yet.

"So, here we are," said Takato, stating the obvious. "How are we gonna do this?"

"Like this," Davis replied. He turned to Shoutmon. "Hey, can I borrow your mic for a sec?"

Shoutmon hesitated. "Um, yeah, I guess. Here."

"Thanks, bud," he replied, taking it from him. He held it to his mouth and took a deep breath. "HEY, DEVIMON, COME OUT AND FACE US, YOU COWARD!"

The others all had their hands pressed over their ears.

"Davis, are you crazy?" Takuya hissed.

"No need to shout, humans," a voice from up above boomed. "I can hear you just fine."

There was the sound of wings flapping as a shadow passed overhead. A few moments later, Devimon landed on the other side of the room, greeting them with a sinister smile. "Welcome, children. I've been expecting you."

Davis tossed Shoutmon back his mic. "Good, that makes it easier for us."

Devimon laughed. "You humans are either very brave or very foolish to come here."

"You're going down Devimon," Tai swore. "We're gonna make you pay for all that you've done."

"Is that so? You poor fools really have no idea what you're in for."

"We'll see about that. Lets do it, guys. Execute! Spirit Evolution… Greymon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… ExVeemon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Agunimon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Nefertimon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Growlmon!"

With all his friends in their Digimon forms, TK reluctantly hung back with Shoutmon. "You can do it, guys, I know it."

Devimon surveyed the scene before him. "So, this is it? This is the full extent of your power? How very sad."

"You can't bluff your way out of this," Greymon told him.

"Yeah, there's no way you can defeat all five of us," said ExVeemon.

"True," Devimon agreed. "As things are, I don't have a chance in this fight. But what you don't know is that I have an ace up my sleeve, a secret weapon if you will, that will make defeating you all too easy."

"You lie!" Growlmon snarled.

"It's no lie, little human. Now witness your doom. To me, my black gears!"

At his words, several black gears flew into the room. The teens braced themselves, expecting the gears to go after them. But they didn't. Instead, they flew straight at Devimon and began going into his body. It wasn't like with the other Digimon that were possessed by them, rather, the gears completely fazed into the fallen angel Digimon's body.

Devimon began laughing maniacally. A moment later, he began growing at an alarming rate. His head hit the ceiling in no time, and it began to crack as he continued getting bigger.

"Get out!" Greymon roared. "Everyone outside!"

They rushed to the doors, Nefertimon quickly retrieving TK and Shoutmon before heading outside. The cathedral trembled as Devimon kept growing, finally bursting through the top to the outside. With more room, he stood up to his fill height and spread his wings.

Finally, the growing stopped, and he hopped off the destroyed remains of the cathedral and onto the ground. The teens, having made it outside, stared up at him in disbelief. Devimon now stood hundreds of times taller than he was before. He could pick up Greymon, the largest of the group, as if he were a toy plushy.

With an evil grin, Devimon looked down at them, his red eyes shining with bloodlust. "Well, humans? Are you still feeling so confident?"

"Dude!" ExVeemon exclaimed. "He's huge!"'

"We never expected anything like this," Agunimon growled. "How are we supposed to beat him now?"

"The same way we planned to beat him before," Greymon replied. "Together. Nova Blast!"

The fireball flew at Devimon and exploded against his shoulder, but considering it had been the size of a golf ball, it didn't do much.

"Is that it?" Devimon mocked.

"Heck no!" ExVeemon growled. "Vee-Laser!"

"Pyro Darts!"

"Pyro Blaster!"

Devimon laughed as the attacks slammed against his chest, knees and thighs. "How ridiculous! You can't harm me with such weak attacks!"

"I'll show him weak attacks," Nefertimon seethed. She flew to higher ground so Devimon couldn't crush her friends and let TK and Shoutmon off her back, then flew at the fallen angel Digimon's face. "Rosetta Stone!"

She fired a stone slab that struck Devimon's forehead. This did nothing more than get his attention. "Right between the eyes," he taunted. "Nice shot." His hand shot out and grabbed her. "Now its my turn. Here's aiming for a hole in one."

He threw her to the ground, and she slammed into it hard enough to form a crater.

"Kari, no!" Greymon cried.

"Don't worry about her now, she'll survive," Agunimon told him. "Lets all try fire attacks. Pyro Punch!"

"Fire Blaster!" Growlmon cried, breathing a stream of fire.

Greymon's Nova Blast and ExVeemon's Hearty Shatter joined the mix, the various fire attacks joining together to create one large stream of fire. It flowed over Devimon, and he recoiled from the flames, his wings folding around himself for protection.

When the attacks ceased, he opened his wings, still grinning. "That was a good try, but it's useless. Death Hand!"

He held out his hand and a wave of unholy energy flowed out of it. It hit the Digimon, sending all four of them crashing into the rock wall that TK and Shoutmon stood at the top of. The former quickly dropped to his knees and called down to them. "Hang in their guys! I have faith in you!"

Devimon looked up at him. "You keep quiet, you little pest. You can't even fight."

With a battle cry, Nefertimon flew out of the crater. She used her Golden Noose and began wrapping it tightly around Devimon's body. He growled as it squeezed him, and she began firing her Queen's Paw at him, pelting the giant Digimon with her exploding projectiles.

The scowl on Devimon's face shifted into an arrogant sneer. With a grunt, he burst free of his bindings. He swiped at Nefertimon, but she flew out of the path of his large hand.

Greymon was now on his feet again. He ignited his horns with his Fire Horn attack and charged at Devimon, head-butting into his leg. Devimon growled down at him and kicked outward, knocking the dinosaur Digimon back.

"Try this!" Growlmon cried. "Dragon Slash!"

The blade of plasma struck Devimon, getting his attention. He lashed out with his Death Claw attack, using his hand as a spear. Nefertimon chose that moment to fire another Rosetta Stone, putting more power in it to increase its size, hitting Devimon in the side of the head. It threw off his aim, and his pointy fingers stabbed into the ground in front of Growlmon rather than into the dinosaur Digimon.

Agunimon immediately rushed over. He jumped onto Devimon's arm and used his Fire Dash to race up it, leaving a trail of fire along his limb. When he reached Devimon's head, he used his Pyro Tornado, kicking the fallen angel Digimon in the face and creating a tornado of fire around his head and neck.

Devimon grunted and swatted at the fire wizard Digimon, knocking him away. While he was distracted, Nefertimon flew down to his right leg and wrapped her Golden Noose around it. She pulled hard, yanking the rope back. Devimon dropped to one knee as his leg was pulled out from under him.

ExVeemon used the opportunity to fly overhead and began firing Vee-Laser after Vee-Laser at him. Devimon looked up at him, sneering, and unleashed his Dark Contract, sending out a cloud of cursed energy. ExVeemon covered his mouth as the black cloud flowed over him, but still felt his energy beginning to drain.

Devimon's hand shot through the cloud, grabbing the dragon Digimon. "Got you now."

"Let him go!" Growlmon demanded. "Dragon Kick!"

He jumped and kicked Devimon's other leg, kicking him right in the kneecap, then hit the same spot with his tail. And then, just for good measure, he used his Growl Claw attack to swipe at the area.

Devimon's other leg gave out, and he completely toppled over, his hands going out to stop his fall. ExVeemon, still in his hand, was pulled out of the dark cloud, giving him a small reprieve.

"Critical Crunch!" he cried, biting deeply into Devimon's hand.

The fallen angel Digimon grunted, but didn't release him. Instead, he tightened his grip, tearing an agonized groan from the dragon Digimon.

"Agunimon," Greymon called to his companion as he charged at Devimon's hand.

"Got it," the fire wizard Digimon replied, attacking from the other direction.

With Greymon using his Great Antler attack and Agunimon using his Crimson Knuckle, they slammed into the hand holding ExVeemon, crushing Devimon's wrist. He released the dragon Digimon, but his other hand now reached for them. "Come here, you pests."

"Fire Wall!" Greymon cried, spewing a wall of fire. Devimon pulled his hand back as the flames rose, separating him from the Digimon, allowing them to place some distance away from their enemy.

"You ok, ExVeemon?" Agunimon asked.

The dragon Digimon massaged his side. "Yeah, I'm good. I feel like he crushed my ribs, but I'm good."

Laughing, Devimon rose to his full height again. "You humans are pathetic. You're only delaying the inevitable.

"Yeah, well, we could say the same," Growlmon shot back. "Cover your ears, guys, this is going to hurt. "Howling!"

His attack cry transitioned into an ear splitting howl that had his friends pressing their hands over their ears as hard as they could. The sound emitted in Devimon's direction; whose much larger eardrums rang out painfully. He snarled his disapproval and covered his own ears, and that's when Nefertimon flew in from behind.

Using her Golden Noose, she lassoed it around Devimon's neck like a leash and collar. Flying forward, she yanked on it hard, attempting to pull Devimon along. He took a stumbling step forward, but was able to hold his ground.

Grasping the rope, he pulled on it hard, yanking the holy beast Digimon back towards him. "Deadly Nails!"

He slashed at the air, his claws scratching Nefertimon and severing the rope. She cried out and dropped to the ground. Her friends immediately rushed over to make sure she was all right as Devimon ripped the remainder of the rope off his neck.

"This is ridiculous!" Agunimon exclaimed. "How are we supposed to beat this guy?"

Devimon grinned. "You can't, and it's about time you realized that. All you can do is die. Your fates were decided the moment you chose to stand against me."

Greymon's eyes narrowed. "I don't believe that. Come on, guys, lets hit him with everything we've got. Nova Blast!"

"Vee-Laser!"

"Pyro Punch!"

"Pyro Blaster!"

"Rosetta Stone!"

The five attacks flew at Devimon, exploding against his chest. The combined power sent him falling backwards, and he crashed into the rock wall, sliding down it.

"Yeah, we got him!" Growlmon cheered.

Groaning, Devimon rose to his feet and scowled at his nemeses. "That was pretty impressive, humans, but you're way out of your league. Evil Wing!"

His wings stretched out, and streams of red energy were fired from them. The other Digimon cried out as the attack blasted them. TK and Shoutmon could only look on in horror as their friends were lost in the blast.

As the smoke cleared, an evil grin crept up Devimon's face as he looked down at his defeated opponents. They were in bad shape, and seemingly down for the count after his last attack.

"Well, well," he taunted, "it looks like you've reached your limit. Can't say I'm surprised. After all, it doesn't matter what form you take, you're still just a bunch of weak, pathetic humans."

He reached out, picking one of them up, and Growlmon soon found himself held up to Devimon's face.

"Still," the fallen angel Digimon continued, "I may find use for you yet. As humans, I wonder how you would react when implanted with one of my black gears."

Growlmon's eyes narrowed. "How's this for an implant! Dragon Spine!"

He fired hairs from the white mane that ran down his neck. They stabbed into Devimon's face, making him scowl in frustration. He reached up and brushed the needles away before carelessly tossing the dinosaur Digimon back at the others.

"On second thought, you humans are more trouble than you're worth. Better to just kill you right now and end this." He held up his hand, and it began to glow with unholy energy as he prepared to unleash his Death Hand.

"No!" TK shouted, and leapt off the ledge.

Shoutmon's eyes bugged out and his mouth dropped open. "What are you doing, you idiot?"

Devimon looked up as the blonde boy fell towards him. A grin spread across his face as he reached up, his large hand completely closing around TK. "Fine, you can die first. I'll crush you like a bug."

"TK!" the others cried, helpless to aid him.

Devimon sneered at them. "Say goodbye to your friend."

But as he began to squeeze, it wasn't the crushing of meat and bones that he felt. Rather, a painful burning singed his hand, wiping the grin right off his face as beams of light shined through the space between his fingers.

He couldn't hold on any longer and was forced to let go. "What is this?"

The shining egg-shaped cocoon of Fractal Code floated in the air, obscuring the blonde boy inside. From within the light, TK's voice rang out for them all to hear. "Execute! Spirit Evolution… Angemon!"

The egg burst open and the light vanished. Floating in the air was an angel Digimon. About as tall as Devimon had been before his unnatural growth, Angemon seemed to be the polar opposite of the fallen angel Digimon. He was shirtless, his upper-body covered in pure white feathers, and he had six angel-like wings growing from his back. A helmet covered his head, hiding his eyes, as long orange hair flowed down his back from beneath it.

The other Digimon stared at him in amazement.

"Whoa, incredible," said Growlmon.

"Is that really TK?" Agunimon asked.

"No, he's Angemon now," Greymon replied. "He finally Spirit Evolved."

Nefertimon's eyes were shining in awe. "He's so beautiful."

Despite the situation, ExVeemon's eyes twitched irritably. "I'm still better…" he muttered.

Devimon, however, didn't look as impressed. "So, you finally managed to do it. It doesn't matter, you'll die along with the others."

Angemon just stared at the fallen angel Digimon, his expression unchanging. "No, Devimon. This is where your reign of terror ends. Your evil deeds stop here. It's time for you to pay for all the suffering you've caused."

Devimon threw back his head and laughed. "You think that you can stop me when all your friends failed? Don't be foolish. Just because you're a Digimon now too doesn't mean you have what it takes to defeat me."

The angel Digimon glared at him beneath his helmet, somehow able to see through it. "The light always conquers the darkness. Even the smallest flicker will light up the shadows."

He held up his staff. It began glowing with a golden light. Placing the end against his fist, he pressed it into his hand, converting it into energy until the staff completely fazed into his clenched fist. "The time has come for you to feel the power of the light."

"How preposterous," Devimon scoffed. "Your puny light can't stop me. I'll just snuff it out. Come here, pretty boy."

His hand shot out to grab the angel Digimon. Angemon flew around it and sped towards the fallen angel Digimon. He flew towards Devimon's torso, aiming for the red mark of evil imprinted on his chest.

"Hand of Fate!"

He punched Devimon in the chest, right over his black heart, and unleashed his attack. Devimon cried out as a beam of energy erupted from Angemon's fist. It tore through his body and burst out his back in a bright gold beam. From out of his back, the black gears he had absorbed flowed out of his body. One by one, they were obliterated.

Angemon's attack died down, and Devimon roared. He grasped at his chest where he had ben hit, smoke emitting from the entrance and exit point of the golden beam. He dropped to his hands and knees, his wings drooping at his sides, and began to shrink.

"Look, he's getting smaller," ExVeemon stated.

"Yes," Greymon observed. "Without the black gears inside him, he's lost his power boost."

"Angemon, that was amazing!" Nefertimon cheered.

Agunimon gave him a thumbs up. "Yeah, you the mon."

Angemon gave them a tired smile, having used up nearly all his energy in his attack. "I'm glad you're ok." His smile became a frown as he looked back at their enemy. "But I'm afraid we're not done yet."

Devimon had reverted back to his original size, but he was still very much alive. Yet he was badly wounded from Angemon's attack, and he had lost the size advantage and increased power the black gears had given him.

"How could this happen?" he seethed. "How could a bunch of human children posing as Digimon defeat me?"

Said human children surrounded him on all sides, not one of them sympathizing with the evil Digimon.

"It's all over, Devimon," Greymon told him. "You're evil ways are at an end."

Devimon looked up at them, seeing how united they were in their friendship. Yet a sadistic grin crept up his face, and he began laughing maniacally. "No, you fools, you're the ones who are finished. Do you honestly think you've won? No, you've merely started down a path that will lead to your inevitable destruction."

ExVeemon just scoffed at this. "Yeah right. You're so full of it."

Devimon just laughed again. "But it's true. You've made an enemy out of the forces of darkness. You'll never be able to turn back now. And there are other Digimon out there far more powerful than me. You haven't won anything at all. And I can't wait for you to realize it."

He roared with laughter, the confidence of his claim, even as he lay defeated, making the teens feel uneasy, and they shared wary looks.

ExVeemon's eyes narrowed. "Alright, I've had enough of this freak. Lets finish this. Vee-Laser!"

"Nova Blast!"

"Pyro Blaster!"

"Pyro Punch!"

"Beam of Isis!"

"Hand of Fate!"

The attacks flew at the fallen angel Digimon from all sides. He kept laughing as his body burst into data, and even then his laughter remained as it echoed off the rock walls before finally fading out.

"I got it!" Shoutmon cried, leaping off the ledge. He fell through Devimon's lingering data, absorbing it as he landed. Turning to the others, he gave them a smile. "You guys were awesome. I swear, there were times when I thought you were done for, but you guys held it together. Bravo."

Greymon turned back to Tai, completely wiped. The others followed his lead. "I gotta say, that was our toughest battle yet."

"Yeah, it was even worse than when we faced BigMamemon," Takuya agreed.

Shoutmon crossed his arms and humphed. "Yeah, well, you better be glad that he was under control of the black gear. If he had been in the right state of mind, or had it been a fight to the death, you wouldn't have stood a chance."

Kari frowned. "Then is it really true what Devimon said? That there are others out there so powerful that we won't stand a chance?"

"And did we really make ourselves their enemies by taking out Devimon?" Takato added.

Shoutmon closed his eyes and sighed. "Guys, I'm not going to lie to you. There are some Digimon out there that could have defeated the giant Devimon without so much as glancing in his direction. Why, a long time ago, a group of seven powerful Digimon nearly destroyed the entire Digital World. A few Digimon can even destroy whole dimensions if they wanted to."

He opened his eyes and gave them all serious looks. "And yes, you have indeed made some of them your enemies by defeating Devimon, and some of them will be after you now." He pointed out to the ocean upon the horizon. "The Digital World can be a very dangerous place, and once we reach one of the main continents, you'll face many of them. All the same, that is our destination. And if you want to get home, you'll have to face those dangers. It won't be easy, and it won't be fun, but it's the only way."

The teens looked out into the distance, the true ramifications of their journey finally and fully sinking in for the first time. Yet Shoutmon was right. If they wanted to get home, there was only one road they could take.

Tai sighed. "We really have no choice then. It looks like we're going on an adventure full of excitement and danger."

"Excitement for sure," Davis agreed. "We'll certainly have an interesting story to share by the time we get back."

"If we make it back," Takato pointed out. "I don't think any of us has any idea of what we're getting into."

"We'll make it," Kari assured him. "As long as we stick together, everything will be just fine."

Takuya chuckled. "I guess this really does make us the DigiDestined Data Squad."

Shoutmon's head snapped in his direction. "Does this mean you're accepting the title I bestowed upon you?"

Tai sighed heavily and smiled. "I guess we have no choice. But lets say the DigiDestined for short. DigiDestined Data Squad is a bit of a mouthful."

Shoutmon gave him a thumbs up. "You got it. DigiDestined, ho!"

They fell silent as they looked out at their unseen destination far across the ocean. The wind blowing completed the scene, as if it were something from out of a movie. There was just one problem that prevented the scene from being perfect.

"Hey, guys," TK mumbled, still in his Angemon form, "a little help here."

 

Notes:

(A/N: Hooray, Devimon has finally been defeated, and the team is finally complete. I'm sure many of you predicted what would happen, especially if you saw Season 1. And that brings an end to the Devimon Arc. But not to worry, there's still plenty more to come. Devimon was just the first of a long line of villains to come. Not all arcs will be as long as this one though. I'm actually surprised how long this one turned out to be. And as the story progresses from here, it will become more original, but I will still be using plot points from the different Seasons. So I hope your ready for more, because the next update will be jumping right into the next arc, so stay tuned, and I'll see you next time.)

Angemon's attacks:

Hand of Fate– Fires a beam of energy from his fist.

Angel Rod – Attacks with his staff.

Omni Typhoon – Creates a tornado.

Angel Staff – Spins his staff to block attacks.

Halo Attack – Draws a halo overhead to trap an enemy and cut them in half.

Angel Slam – Slams an enemy to the ground.

Staff Sweep – Trips an enemy with his staff.

Holy Shot – Fires bullets of energy from his fingers.

Celestial Rod – Throws staff like a spear.

Glide – effects unknown.

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New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Angemon

Chapter 19: Out To Sea

Notes:

(A/N: Sorry for the delay, I had some computer trouble. So, last time, the Devimon arc came to a close. We're now getting into the next arc of our adventure. And now we have a complete team. But we still got a long way to go. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the next chapter. It's a bit of a filler, but leads into the main story.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 19: Out To Sea

BlueMeramon had been true to his word when he said that the teens, or the DigiDestined as they now called themselves, would be accepted as friends and allies if they got rid of Devimon.

He also kept his promise about personally building them a boat to sail across the ocean on. He let the teens recuperated in the caves of Infinity Mountain while he and the others got to work. And by the next day, they were almost ready to set sale.

"Let me ask you guys something," said Takato. "If three of us can fly, why don't we just carry those of us that can't across the ocean?"

Davis cut his eyes at him. "You're just saying that because you're one of the ones who can't fly. Lazy."

Takato waved his arms. "No, no! I'm just saying that it probably save a lot of time. I mean, why build a boat when we could just fly?"

"For the same reason we didn't Spirit Evolve when we scaled up Infinity Mountain," Tai told him. "We don't want to risk our Digivices running out of power when we really need them. You want to be flying over the middle of the ocean and suddenly lose our Digimon forms? Or what if we run into another bad Digimon and can't activate our Digivices because we used up all the energy?"

Takato sweat-dropped. "Uh, right. I knew there was a good reason." His nervous smile became a sad frown. "But we've already been here for about a month. Everyone back home must be worried sick."

"It can't be helped," TK told him. "If we don't take precautions, we might not get home at all. Our priority should be on getting home safely, not getting home fast. I agree with Tai, we should only use our Digivices when we absolutely need to, like if there's danger."

Shoutmon stared at the boat skeptically. "Can we even go anywhere on this pile of splinters?" He kicked the boat harder than what was necessary to test its sturdiness. "It doesn't look that secure."

From around the other side of the boat, Renamon came walking over. "It may not look like much, but I can promise you that it will hold together."

Shoutmon practically had hearts in his eyes as he stared at the fox Digimon. "Of course, Renamon, whatever you say."

The teens chuckled, but their laughter was interrupted by a hmph from Grumblemon. "Wannabe king should show more gratitude for all our hard work."

Shoutmon snapped out of it and glared at him. "Hard work my foot. We defeated the evil tyrant that's been taking over the island, and freed those under his control, including your friend, BigMamemon. You built a raft."

Grumblemon looked over at BigMamemon, who was helping to assemble the mast, before glaring at Shoutmon. "You didn't do no work. It was your human pets that did everything."

Takato blinked. "Did he just refer to us as Shoutmon's pets?"

Shoutmon growled. "Yeah, well, I've been their guide since the beginning, plus I was the one who gave them their powers. Without me, they would have been dead long ago."

The gnome Digimon looked ready for a fight. "I can make you dead right now."

"Bring it on, big nose!"

A blue fireball flew in between them. "That is enough," BlueMeramon growled. "There is no reason for any of us to be fighting. Grumblemon, we owe these folks a debt of gratitude, so be grateful. And Shoutmon, if you have an issue with the boat we've made, I would like you to tell me so that we may make revisions. I gave my word that I would build you a vessel across the ocean, and I intend to keep it."

Before he could reply, Tai came up behind Shoutmon and placed a hand on his head. "He's got no issue with it, he just likes to be difficult."

BlueMeramon considered this. "Are you certain? I want everything to be to your satisfaction."

"No, it looks great," Kari told him. "It's even better than I hoped for."

The flame Digimon smiled. "I am glad you are pleased. We are just adding the finishing touches. If you want, you can head out now."

"What? Right now?" Takato asked.

"If that is your decision."

"Awesome," said Tai. "Cherubimon's castle, here we come."

The Digimon gathered around to bid the teens goodbye. Renamon was one of the first ones in line to wish them well. "I hope you have a safe journey, and I wish you the best of luck in getting home."

"Thank you, Renamon," said Tai, shaking her hand. "We really owe you a lot."

"No more than we owe you."

Shoutmon was not among the teens saying their goodbyes. Instead, he sat in a fetal position on the boat with tears in his eyes, occasionally muttering, "Renamon…"

BlueMeramon held out his hand to shake Tai's as well. The boy looked at it hesitantly before slowly taking it, relieved when he wasn't burned. BigMamemon was after him, but with his hands literally on top of his head, he couldn't shake Tai's. "I owe you humans a big thank you for freeing me from that black gear. If it weren't for you, I would still be Devimon's puppet."

"Hey, it was nothing," Takuya assured him. "If someone needs help, it's only natural to help them."

The mutant Digimon grinned stupidly. "Well, thanks to you, File Island can get back to normal."

"Speaking of normal," said TK, "how long until the island is back in commission?"

BlueMeramon raised an eyebrow. "You mean before the breakaway sections can be used to travel back and forth between here and the mainland?" At TK's nod he replied, "The Digital World is self-repairing. Now that Devimon is no longer using the black gears for evil they can resume their true purpose soon. It should only take a few weeks for the island to recover."

Kari smiled. "Well, that's good. I'm glad Devimon didn't do any permanent damage."

After several more fond farewells, the teens were ready to shove off. They climbed aboard the boat, and BigMamemon gave them a push into the water until they were in deep enough for the boat to float.

"Ta-ta!" the mutant Digimon waved.

They drifted away from the shore, those on the beach getting smaller and smaller. And when they were certain to be out of earshot, Tai turned to Shoutmon. "You know, it was rather rude of you not to say goodbye to everyone."

With tears still in his eyes, he rounded on the spiky haired teen. "How could I possibly say goodbye? My duty is tearing me from my beloved Renamon's arms." He placed his hand over his heart. "Alas, a king must sometimes make difficult decisions for the sake of the public. But I swear, one day I will return and reclaim my love!"

Kari chuckled. "Well, we really appreciate you putting your love life on hold for us."

Shoutmon aggressively wiped his eyes. "Well, no use in dwelling on heartache now. We've got a long journey ahead of us." He jumped to his feet and hopped to the top of the ship, climbing the mast and sitting in the crow's nest. "Steady as she goes! Keep a weathered eye on the horizon!"

Tai cut his eyes at him. "Wonder how long he's been wanting to say that."

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"Please tell me we're almost there," Davis grumbled as he hung his head and arms over the side of the boat, looking like he was going to be sick again.

"Davis," Kari sighed, "we've only been sailing for a couple of hours. It'll be several days, if not weeks, before we reach the mainland."

He groaned. "Remind me why we can't fly there again."

Takuya rolled his eyes and looked at Takato, who was currently fishing. "Catch anything?"

The younger boy shook his head. "No, not yet. Hey, Shoutmon, are you sure there are actually fish we can catch?"

The dragon Digimon nodded. "Of course, and if you don't believe me, ask Kari."

"If you're referring to the time you ate BlackAgumon's dinner, then yes, there are fish."

TK crossed his arms. "How does that work? Fish aren't Digimon. How are they in this world?"

Shoutmon shrugged. "They're digital fish. What do you want me to say? We have a few animal-like creatures here that aren't Digimon, just as we have rocks, trees, water, and all that stuff. They come from the data flows that makes up the Digital World."

Davis groaned again. "I don't get it, but I don't really care right now."

Tai snickered and glanced at Takato. "Don't worry so much about catching fish. The others gave us plenty of food and water to last the trip. If we ration it out, we should be fine."

Remaining deep in concentration, Takato did not take his eyes off his handcrafted fishing pole. "Yeah, I know, but it'll be nice to have a little something extra, just in case we-" There was a tug on his pole, and his eyes widened. "Hey, I think I got something!"

He jumped to his feet and pulled his goggles down over his eyes. He did indeed have a bite, and the line was circling around violently in the water. "Man, he's a strong one," he growled, straining to pull it in. "He must be huge."

The others gathered around to cheer him on. Since the pole was handmade from a stick and a piece of string, he couldn't reel it in, and was forced to resort to simply yanking on it.

"Come on, man, you can do it!" Takuya cheered.

"Just be careful," said Kari, remembering her encounter with Seadramon.

Takato grit his teeth, his face turning red from the strain. Behind him, Davis stumbled over to get a look at the action just as Takato gave one final yank. The fish was pulled out of the water, and smacked into Davis' face with a wet slap, knocking him off his feet. For all the effort it took to bring it in, the fish was no bigger than Takato's hand.

"Wow, great job, Takato," Takuya teased. "That one's a keeper. Real good eats."

The younger boy pouted. "Aww, man, and he felt like such a big guy too."

TK knelt down by Davis' side. "You ok there, Davis?"

Dizzy stars swirled in the boy's eyes. "I'm not really in the mood for fish."

Takato picked up the flopping yellow fish. "Well, at least this will save one of us a meal."

Shoutmon produced his mic. "Give it here, I'll whack it."

"Drop that fish!"

They turned to the water to find a Digimon that resembled a white seal with a crop of red hair glaring angrily at them. With a scowl on his face, the Digimon pointed angrily with a flipper containing finger-like claws at the end. "If you know what's good for you, you'll let my friend go right now."

Kari quickly checked her Digivice. "Gomamon, Rookie level, special attack Marching Fishes."

The seal Digimon leapt out of the water and onto the boat. "Yeah, that's right, I'm Gomamon, and that's my friend you're holding. Let her go, or you'll be in for a world of pain."

Takato held his hands up in surrender. "Ok, ok, sorry. Look, I'm putting it back."

"Her!"

"Right, I'm putting her back."

He carefully removed the fish from the hook, then tossed it into the water. Gomamon watched it disappear beneath the surface before turning to Takato again. "Thank you, and next time you decide to have some fun, try picking an activity that doesn't involve luring an innocent creature with some food before yanking a metal hook through the roof of its mouth to pull it to where it can't breathe."

"Yeouch," TK muttered. "I guess we never thought of it that way."

"Yeah," Kari agreed, "when you word it that way, it does sound pretty cruel."

Their guest seemed to deflate a bit. "Well, just as long as you've learned your lesson, I guess I can forgive you. I understand the need to eat, just not my friends." He looked the teens up and down. "What kind of creatures are you anyway? I've never seen anything like you before."

"Oh, we're nothing special," Davis replied, finally sitting up and wiping his face. "Just a couple of humans far from home."

"Humans, huh? That's strange. What are you doing here?"

Tai placed a hand on his hip. "Trying to find our way back home. But we've got to get to the mainland."

"And since we have a limited amount of food, we thought if we caught a few fish, we could increase our rations," Takato explained, hoping this made the seal Digimon feel better."

"Hmm," Gomamon muttered. "Well, I'll tell you what, how about I help you guys along."

"Help us with what?" Kari asked.

"Get to the mainland, of course. You're on the right track, but I'll speed things up a bit." He crawled over to the side of the boat. "Marching Fishes!"

All around the boat, the water began to bubble and foam. Hundreds of different color fish suddenly poked their heads out of the water, gathering closely around the boat. The teens stared in disbelief at all the aquatic life.

"Ok, Marching Fishes," Gomamon cried, "lets go!"

The boat jolted forward, nearly knocking the teens over as the speed increased. No longer drifting on the current and being blown by the wind, the hundreds of fish pushed, pulled, and carried the boat along at top speed.

"Whoa!" Davis cried. "Now this is what I'm talking about!"

"This is amazing," TK awed. "How are you doing this?"

Gomamon gave him a smile. "All these fish are my friends. They'll come whenever I call. This'll get you guys there much faster."

"Hey, thanks a lot," said Tai. "We really appreciate this."

"Ah, don't mention it. Happy to be of help."

Takato cautiously approached the side. "Wow, look at them go. Hey, yellow fish, I'm sorry I caught you."

Gomamon chuckled. "I'll pass along the message for you. Just make sure you don't do it again."

"Oh, I don't think you need to worry about that," Takuya replied. "This is much more useful."

Shoutmon humphed as his stomach growled. "I would have preferred the meal."

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The fish continued to pull the boat along through the night, even with Gomamon lying belly up and snoring even louder than Davis. Tai couldn't sleep. Maybe it was the movement of the boat, or maybe it was just being out on the open ocean. Or perhaps it was the unknown of whatever was waiting for them when they reached the mainland. Whatever it was, it caused sleep to evade him.

He stood at the front of the boat, looking out upon the horizon. In his hand, he gripped his Digivice. He looked down at it, staring at the image of Agumon on the screen. His grip on it tightened at the frightening possibility of the dangerous events that could happen.

'What if I can't protect everyone? What if we never get home?'

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Tai yelped and nearly dropped his Digivice into the water. He juggled with it for a few second before he managed to close his fingers around it securely.

Sighing, he turned angrily to his sister. "Kari, you almost gave me a heart attack!"

She chuckled. "Sorry." She walked over to him. "So what are you still doing up?"

He looked out at the ocean once more. "I don't know. Just thinking about what's waiting for us on the mainland, I guess."

Kari sat down, letting her legs hang over the side of the boat. "You shouldn't worry about it too much. Whatever happens will happen Que sera sera."

Tai rolled his eyes. He wished he'd had his sister's faith, but the truth was Devimon's final words had rattled him. What if they did run into an enemy that was too powerful for them to beat? It had taken all of them to defeat Devimon, and he had only been a Champion. Shoutmon had even confirmed that there were Digimon so astronomically powerful that they could obliterate the whole world, even an entire dimension.

'But then where would they live? Would they just be trapped in the vacuum of space once they're reborn? That would suck. I guess that's why no one has done it yet.'

He also thought of the possibility of running into a hostile Ultimate or Mega. True, they may have defeated BigMamemon, but he'd been a low-powered Ultimate, and they had only freed him from the black gear that had been controlling them. If it had been a battle to the death, like it had been with Devimon or any of the others, he had no doubt that they would have fallen.

And if a weak Ultimate was that strong, how powerful was a Mega? And then there was that incredibly rare, super powerful level, the Ultra level as Shoutmon had called it.

"You know it won't do any good to worry about it too much," Kari told him. "We may not even run into any bad Digimon at all. And even if we do, I'm sure everything will work out. You've got to have faith."

Tai couldn't help but to smile, and he put away his Digivice. "Yeah, I guess you're right. But it's always good to be prepared." He sat down and hung his feet over the side as well, then laid back to look up at the sky. "All we can do is hope for the best, and be prepared for the worst."

Out in the water, several feet from the boat, a pair of large eyes watched the two humans. A big grin spread across the Digimon's face at the opportunity at hand.

"Oh, trust me," it said, "it's going to get worse."

 

Notes:

(A/N: Looks like troubles brewing. Who is this mysterious observer, and what do they want? And are Tai's fears rational? That'll be a central part of this next arc. But it looks like they made a friend. I always felt that Gomamon got the short end of the straw in the anime. How will he be of help to our heroes? What danger is lurking around the corners, or beneath the waters to be more precise? Find out next time.)

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New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Gomamon

Chapter 20: Aquatic Attackers

Notes:

(A/N: Ok, after a bit of a cliffhanger, it's time to find out who was spying on our heroes, and what they want. You know what they say, there's no rest for the weary, so lets dive in deep [pun intended], and start the next chapter.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 20: Aquatic Attackers

"I'm telling you, they're easy pickings," the Rookie level Digimon known as Otamamon declared. "We can go right up to their and get them."

The two Champions considered this. Not too long ago, Otamamon had come swimming up to them and revealed that there were strange creatures on a boat in their master's waters. He didn't know what they were, but they were accompanied by two Rookie level Digimon.

"They are fools to pass through these waters," said the Digimon that resembled a shark. "Why would they risk the master's wrath?"

Otamamon rolled his eyes. "Cause they're stupid land dwellers, that's why. They have no right coming into the master's territory. So lets go teach them a lesson."

The Digimon resembling a stingray glared at him. "You mean that we should teach them a lesson while you sit off on the side and claim the credit."

"Well," the tadpole Digimon drawled, "I did find them. I deserve some credit. If we just let anyone pass through the master's waters like this, then people will start to think he's weak. We wouldn't want the master to lose face. It's our job to do something about it. Mantaraymon, you've got great speed on your side. You could take them out before they even realize they're under attack. And Tylomon, with your Eraser Below attack, you could sink their boat like it's nothing."

Tylomon turned to his companion. "Should we inform the master?"

The stingray Digimon shook his head. "You know the master doesn't like to be bothered by such trivial things. Lets see what these trespassers are like before we risk angering him."

"I told you," Otamamon eagerly replied, "they're easy pickings."

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"So how much further do you think we have to go?" Davis asked, looking out into the horizon.

Shoutmon shrugged. "A few days journey would be my guess." At the human's disappointed look, he grinned. "It's the ocean; did you think it would be small?"

Davis just grumbled. He wasn't getting seasick anymore, but he was incredibly bored.

"You should take this time to enjoy the peace and quiet," Takuya told him. "There's no telling what we'll run into when we reach the mainland."

"But whatever it is, we'll face it as a team," TK added.

Davis placed his hands on his hips, grinning smugly. "Well, if anyone tries to mess with me, I'll just give them a little Vee-Laser action."

"So scary," Gomamon muttered sarcastically. "And I still don't believe that you guys can turn into Digimon."

"But we can," Takato insisted. "As long as our Digivices' power holds out."

"Yeah, right. I'll believe that when I see it."

"Hopefully, you won't have to," Tai replied. "We don't want any unnecessary fighting."

Kari giggled. "Who cares about fighting on a day like today? The weather's so nice."

Tai glanced at his sister. She was sitting down with her feet hanging over the side like she had been last night, only now she had her socks and shoes off. "What are you doing, Kari?"

She pointed to the fish as they stirred up bubbles and sent water droplets spraying over her bare feet. "It tickles."

TK came over to see. "What, the fish?" He reached down, feeling the bubbles and droplets against his hand, making him smile. "Hey, yeah, it does tickle."

Davis scowled as he watched the two of them. "Careful you don't fall in," he grumbled.

He meant it to be sarcastic, but his warning proved true when a long tentacle suddenly latched onto TK's wrist and pulled him in.

Kari gasped. "TK!"

"See," Davis replied. "I told him to be careful."

"No," Kari cried, jumping to her feet, "something pulled him in!"

Without hesitation, she dove into the water. Tai called his sister's name and ran over, ready to jump in as well. But the cry of "Hydro Wave", followed by a powerful horizontal ring of water stopped him. The water pressure sent Tai flying backwards, slamming into the mast, and falling to the deck, unconscious.

"Hey, what gives?" Davis demanded.

Gomamon's attention shifted in the direction the stream of water had come from. "We're under attack!"

The others looked to where he was looking, catching only a glimpse of what looked to be the fin of a shark before it submerged.

"Did you see that?" Takuya asked. "It looked like a giant, metal shark fin."

"Forget the stupid shark!" Takuya snapped. "Where are TK and Kari?"

Several long seconds passed before something burst up from out of the water. It was Nefertimon, and on her back, coughing up water, was TK.

Gomamon's eyes widened. "What the? Nefertimon? Where did she come from?"

"No, that's Kari," Takato told him. "She must have Spirit Evolved while underwater."

The seal Digimon still looked stunned. "Huh, I guess you weren't lying after all."

Up in the sky, TK sat up on Nefertimon's back, still coughing. She glanced at him over her shoulder. "Are you ok?"

He nodded. "Yeah, thanks for that."

"Torpedo Ray!" came a cry from down below, and the stingray Digimon that had grabbed him shot out of the water, launching himself at Nefertimon. She swerved out of the way, and the attacking Digimon splashed back down into the water.

A distance away, Tylomon resurfaced and used his Terror Spiral attack, creating a waterspout and sending it at the boat.

Takuya pulled out of his Digivice. "Execute! Spirit Evolution… Agunimon!"

As the tornado of water approached, Agunimon sent out his Pyro Tornado. The two vortexes collided with each other and burst into a cloud of steam.

Mantaraymon launched himself out of the water again at light speed, this time hitting Nefertimon. TK fell off her back, but quickly pulled out his Digivice as well. "Execute! Spirit Evolution… Angemon!"

Pulling out of his fall, he flew up to Nefertimon's side, just as the stingray Digimon shot out of the water at her again. Angemon held up his staff and used Angel Rod to knock Mantaraymon back into the water.

"Hey, let me get in on this!" Davis cried. "Execute! Spirit Evolution… ExVeemon!" Once his transformation was complete, he turned to the shark Digimon. "Hearty Shatter!"

Tylomon went back under and angrily went in search of his comrades, finding Mantaraymon already coming down on Otamamon. "You said they were easy pickings! You didn't say anything about them turning into Digimon!"

The tadpole Digimon backed away. "I didn't know! How could I have known?"

On the boat, Takato and Shoutmon were trying unsuccessfully to rouse Tai. "He's out like a light," the latter grumbled. "That was some blow to the head."

Gomamon growled, looking out at the water. "They're back."

The stingray and shark Digimon had resurfaced and were now watching the boat. The Marching Fish had already scattered, leaving the boat to once again float on the current.

Shoutmon's eyes narrowed as he got a proper look at them. "Tylomon and Mantaraymon. I thought I recognized their attacks."

"Sink them," Mantaraymon ordered.

"Eraser Below!" Tylomon cried.

From in front of him, a tidal wave began to rise up and move towards the boat. Agunimon fired his Pyro Punch, and the flaming dragon that flew from his fist exploded against the wave, blasting it apart.

"Rosetta Stone!" Nefertimon cried, firing several stone slabs at the two aquatic Digimon.

They both went under, the stone slabs splashing into the water. A moment later, Mantaraymon used his Torpedo Ray, shooting out of the water. ExVeemon deliberately moved in its path and fired his Vee-Laser, but the attack bounced right off the stingray Digimon's body, and he slammed into the dragon Digimon, tackling him out of the air, and ExVeemon splashed into the water.

"Fiery Fastball!" Shoutmon cried, throwing the attack at Mantaraymon before he hit the water. "Darn it, I missed."

Tylomon leapt into the air right in front of him. "But I won't. Tilt Anchor!"

His tail slammed into Shoutmon, sending him flying into Agunimon. The fire wizard Digimon caught him, but he was left dazed from the hit.

"I'll show you!" Agunimon snapped, setting down the dragon Digimon. "Pyro Punch!"

"Hydro Wave!" Tylomon countered, spinning around.

A fiery dragon flew from Agunimon's fist as the shark Digimon's spinning sent out rings of water. It cut through Agunimon's attack, and he held up his arms to defend against it, but was still knocked back.

ExVeemon swam over to the boat and climbed on board as Agunimon got back to his feet. "How you holding up?"

The dragon Digimon growled. "It's hard to fight them since they can keep going under. Why couldn't one of us be water-based?"

Takato looked up. "I wish I could fight, but I don't know if the boat could handle my weight as Growlmon. Should I risk it?"

Agunimon shook his head. "No, we don't want to get stuck out here if the boat sinks. Just take care of Tai."

Gomamon hopped over to them. "Perhaps I can help. Marching Fishes!"

The water began bubbling, and hundreds of thousands of fish surfaced, forcing Mantaraymon and Tylomon above water.

"Excellent!" Angemon declared. "And now, Omni Typhoon!"

A powerful wind picked up, swirling around and around. A tornado formed, sucking up the two enemy Digimon, along with several of the fish.

"Time for some target practice," said Nefertimon. "Rosetta Stone!"

She fired the stone slabs into the tornado, missing a few times as Tylomon and Mantaraymon spun around. She finally hit one, then the other a few shots later, knocking them out of the tornado. As they fell, Angemon used his Holy Shot to fire energy bullets at them from his finger.

Tylomon and Mantaraymon splashed back into the water. The former resurfaced, his eyes burning furiously. "Alright, say goodbye to your boat. Torpedo Attack!"

True to the attack's name, he launched torpedoes at the boat. ExVeemon and Agunimon fired their Vee-Laser and Pyro Darts at the missiles, but only the dragon Digimon hit his target, the wave from the explosion causing Agunimon to miss his target.

"I got it!" Gomamon cried, jumping into the water. "Bubble Barrier!"

He blew a bubble. It expanded until it was larger than him, and he was sucked inside. The torpedo hit the bubble and was repelled, bouncing off into another direction.

"Whoa, that was awesome," ExVeemon told him. "Nice job."

Gomamon smile dup at him. "Aww, it was nothing."

"Tail Booster!"

The pointy end of Mantaraymon's tail shot out, puncturing the bubble and causing it to pop. It wrapped around Gomamon, the end piercing his shoulder, causing the seal Digimon to cry out as he was electrified.

"Gomamon!" the others shouted.

ExVeemon rushed over, grabbing Mantaraymon's tail and using his Critical Crunch, chomping down on it. The stingray Digimon cried out and released Gomamon, who splashed into the water.

"Here, guys," ExVeemon cried, spinning Mantaraymon around by the tail, "have at him!"

He threw the stingray Digimon up into the air. Nefertimon and Angemon fired their Beam of Isis and Hand of Fate, the two attacks pushing Mantaraymon back down. That's when Agunimon used his Pyro Punch. The fire dragon soared up towards the stingray Digimon and exploded against him. Mantaraymon was lost in the blast, but his lingering data was briefly seen when the explosion died down.

"You'll pay for that!" Tylomon declared. "Hydro Wave!"

His spinning sent more rings of water shooting outward towards Agunimon. Angemon came down and used his Angel Staff, spinning around his staff to deflect the attack.

Growling, Tylomon sped towards the boat. "I'll slice your puny dingy in two. Shark Fin Blade!"

His fin glowed as he sped towards the boat. Angemon fired his Hand of Fate, but Tylomon's attack cut straight through the beam and kept coming. That's when Nefertimon swooped down and snagged the shark Digimon with her Golden Noose. Tylomon was lifted out of the water, just a few feet away from cutting the boat in half.

"Release me, you filth!" the shark Digimon demanded, thrashing around in the air.

"Oh, we'll release you all right," ExVeemon growled up at him. "Come on, guys, lets give this guy release. Vee-Laser!"

"Hand of Fate!"

"Pyro Punch!"

The three attacks struck simultaneously. Tylomon cried out as he felt his body start to dissolve into data. "Noooo! The master will make you pay for this!"

And then he was gone. Shoutmon jumped onto Angemon and used one of his wings like a diving board to leap up and absorb the data before doing a cannonball into the water.

He came up and spat out a mouthful of water. "Nice one, guys. Two more baddies down for the count."

He swam back over to the boat as Nefertimon and Angemon returned to the deck and all four teens resumed human form.

"Tai, Gomamon?" Kari asked in worriedly.

Takato was beside Tai after having pulled Gomamon out of the water and lying him down next to the unconscious teen. "It looks like Tai's ok," he told her. "He's got a bump on the head, and he's out cold, but I think he'll be alright. Gomamon though," he looked at their new friend, "he's in pretty bad shape. Mantaraymon stabbed him with his tail and electrocuted him."

The seal Digimon groaned. "I'll be fine. I just can't move right now."

Shoutmon nodded. "A side effect of Mantaraymon's attack. It causes paralysis. It'll wear off soon enough. Just hang on until then."

Gomamon smiled. "Don't worry, I'm tougher than this. But I don't think I'll be able to summon my fish friends to move the boat."

"Forget the boat!" TK snapped. He tore off a piece of cloth from the mast and tied it around Gomamon's wound. "You just focus on getting better."

The seal Digimon chuckled. "You know, for a bunch of fish-eating humans, you guys aren't so bad."

Not everyone shared his opinion though. In the water, Otamamon looked on with wide eyes, unable to believe these strange creatures, humans, Gomamon called them, had been able to defeat Tylomon and Mantaraymon. They certainly weren't the pushovers he thought they were.

Eyes narrowing angrily, he glared at the boat. "You'll pay for this," he seethed before disappearing beneath the water.

Notes:

(A/N: Yikes. Talk about a bad start on a new adventure. Tai and Gomamon are wounded, and Takato can't Digivolve without sinking the boat. Meaning Greymon won't be appearing either. They really should have considered the dangers of the ocean before setting out. What's Otamamon planning? And who is this master that he, Tylomon, and Mantaraymon serve? Could he be a new even greater enemy? All these questions and more will be answered soon enough, so make sure to stay tuned.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Otamamon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Tylomon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Mantaraymon

Chapter 21: Scuba Divermon

Notes:

(A/N: Aaaaand we're back. Last time our heroes defeated Tylomon and Mantaraymon, but Otamamon got away. What are the consequences of his escape? And are Tai and Gomamon going to be ok after the injuries they received? Time to find find. I couldn't resist not using a pun for his chapter title. I'm sure you'll see why.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 21: Scuba Divermon

"Divermon, Divermon, Divermon!" Otamamon shouted as he swam into the caves. "Divermon!"

There were many Digimon present that went by the name, all of the same species, yet somehow, in a way no human could ever understand, the specific one he was searching for knew that it was him Otamamon was calling, as did the other Divermon.

Swimming out to meet him, the aquatic beast Digimon known as Divermon gave his little friend a look of disapproval. "Silence, you fool! The master is sleeping! Do you want to get killed?"

Otamamon's hand flew to his mouth. "I'm sorry," he whispered, "but I have urgent news. There are humans in the Digital World."

Divermon just crossed his arms. "Humans? You mean those mythical creatures that come from that fictional other world? They're just make-believe."

Otamamon waved his arms. "No, they're real. I just saw them. They're passing through the master's waters on a boat."

Divermon's arms dropped. "What?"

"It's true!" Otamamon insisted. "I didn't know what they were at first, so I had Tylomon and Mantaraymon attack them, but they were both defeated. Before I came to find you, I heard a Digimon that was with them call them humans."

Divermon grabbed his friend. "And you didn't think to tell this to the master? He would want to know that humans were in his territory." He began shaking him. "And now you got two of his followers killed. He'll destroy you for this."

"I thought they'd be easy pickings," Otamamon argued back.

Sighing, Divermon released him. "We have to kill them before the master finds out. You know how unforgiving he is. Take me to these humans." A wicked grin spread across his ugly face. "I'll show them the power of an Ultimate."

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Tai couldn't remember going to sleep, nor could he remember why his head hurt so much. The last thing he did remember was his sister jumping into the water to save TK. She was still down there. He had to save her!

"Kari!" he cried, bolting upright. He immediately wished he hadn't as it made the pounding in his head hurt even more.

His sister turned to look at him, looking fine, as did TK, who was standing beside her. "Oh, Tai, you're up. How do you feel?"

He rubbed his head. "Like someone dropped an anvil on my head."

"Well, you do have quite the bump there," Takuya told him. "We were afraid you got a concussion."

Tai felt around his head, feeling the bump. At least it wasn't bleeding. "No, it wasn't that serious. But what happened?"

Davis hopped down onto deck. "Oh, nothing much. We got attacked by a few bad Digimon, but it was nothing we couldn't handle."

Tai's eyes widened. "What? We were attacked?"

His look-alike held up his hands. "Hey, it's ok. We took care of it."

"But Gomamon got hurt," Takato said sadly.

"What? Where is he?"

He looked around, spotting the seal Digimon laying still with a cloth wrapped around his body. Tai stared at him in horror. Only the fact that he was still whole and hadn't burst into data reassured him that their new friend was still alive.

Tai dropped to his knees beside him. With shaky hands, he reached for the seal Digimon. "Gomamon, what have they done to you?"

One of Gomamon's eyes opened. "Do you mind? I'm trying to sleep here, and you're being really loud. I'll be fine, I just can't move right now."

Relief filled Tai. "Thank goodness. You scared me for a moment."

Davis waltzed over and patted him on the back. "See, everything is fine. We've got it all under control."

For some reason, Tai felt his temper rise. He wasn't angry with Davis, or any of his friends; he was angry with himself. They'd been fighting for their lives, and he'd been sleeping helplessly.

"Everything is fine?" he repeated, his voice steadily rising as he turned to his friends. "Everything is fine!" He knocked Davis' hand away. "How can you say that? Everything is not fine! Look at Gomamon! Does he look fine to you?"

The others seemed taken aback by his sudden anger.

"Tai," said Takato, "what's wrong?"

"What's wrong?" the older boy snapped. "What do you think is wrong? We're lost in the middle of the ocean, an entire dimension away from home, with a bunch of monsters trying to kill us, that's what's wrong! And all we can do is travel halfway across the planet to find this Cherubimon, who might be able to help us, while we play superhero whenever we're attacked! And now Gomamon is hurt! He got hurt, and I wasn't even there to do anything to help it!"

He furiously punched the wall, nearly splitting his knuckles even beneath his glove. He squeezed his eyes shut as he felt the shame of how useless he had been. He hadn't even known there'd been a battle going on because he'd been taking a nap, all because of a stupid bonk on the head.

The others continued to stare at him. They exchanged a few looks, uncertain of what to say.

"Tai," Takuya ventured, "it wasn't your fault. You were knocked out. You couldn't help it. It could have happened to any of us."

This didn't make him feel any better. "But it didn't; it happened to me."

"Even if it didn't, you couldn't have fought anyway," Takato told him. "Greymon's too big and too heavy. He might sink the ship. I didn't fight for that reason too."

Tai just shook his head. "I could have still done something. I could have turned into Greymon and fought in the water."

"Now you're being ridiculous," TK told him. "How would you fight two Champion Digimon as a dinosaur in the middle of the ocean? They would have just dragged you under and drowned you."

He knew that. Realistically, he knew he couldn't fight in the water against aquatic Digimon like that. Yet he refused to accept it. "Quit making excuses for me! It's my job protect everyone!"

Takuya took a step forward. "And who decided that? We're not your responsibility. You don't have to hold our hands."

"He's right, Tai," Kari told him. "This isn't like when you were the only one who could Spirit Evolve anymore. We can take care of ourselves now too. You don't have to worry about us so much."

He glared at her. "How can you say that? You're my little sister. I'm supposed to look out for you."

"We all look out for each other," TK exclaimed, stepping forward to stand beside Kari. "That's what friends do, they have each others' back." He glanced at Kari, and gave her a smile, interlocking their fingers. "We care for and protect each other."

Tai's anger seemed to give way to depression as he glanced at Gomamon. "But I didn't. I couldn't protect anyone this time."

"Oh, wah," came Shoutmon's voice from up above. "Cry me a river, why don't you."

He hopped down from the crow's nest and landed in front of the brooding teen. He glared up at him and pointed an accusing finger at him. "You think you're the only one who's failed to protect someone they cared about? I lost my best friend long ago because I couldn't protect him. His name was Gumdramon, and I was too weak to save him. That was decades ago. He'll have long since hatched from his Digi-Egg, but I've never been able to find him to apologize. And you know what, he's not the only friend I've ever lost either.

"So you were out of it for a while and couldn't rise to the occasion. Big deal, at least your friends pulled through without you. You should be happy about that. But if you're really so upset about not being able to protect them, then concentrate on becoming stronger so this doesn't happen again."

He crossed his arms. "And take into consideration how your friends feel. They want to protect you just as much as you want to protect them. Try having a little more faith in them."

Tai stared down at the dragon Digimon, who continued to glare at him. He suddenly felt ashamed for the way he'd behaved. Shoutmon was absolutely right. He hadn't showed faith in his friends. He had believed that he would have to take on this whole burden alone, but that wasn't what friends did. They helped out and supported each other. That was what they had done when he was knocked out. They had protected him.

But this also made him realize that they didn't know much about Shoutmon's past. As a creature with an unlimited lifespan and countless lives for when he did die, he must have lived a long, long time. What kinds of things had the dragon Digimon experienced? How much joy and heartache had he been through? Odds were, he had suffered and been through more than Tai could ever hope to imagine. There was no end to the stories he could tell.

"Shoutmon…" he said, leaning down to his level.

The movement had saved his life, because at that moment, a spear buried itself in the wall right where his head had been. The others gasped as Tai looked up, realizing how close he'd come to being skewered.

A cord at the end of the spear pulled it out, and the weapon was yanked back into the water. The teens turned to find Divermon sticking his ugly head out of the water. "So, you're the humans who defeated Tylomon and Mantaraymon." He hopped out of the water and onto the boat. "Funny, you don't look so tough."

On the floor, Gomamon growled. "Divermon, what are you doing here?"

The aquatic beast Digimon grinned, showing off his pointy teeth. "I wanted to meet the idiots who were foolish enough to enter the master's waters without his permission."

"These waters aren't his!" Gomamon snapped. "They belong to everyone!"

TK glanced at Gomamon. "Wait, who are we talking about?"

The seal Digimon's eyes narrowed. "The Dark Undersea Master. He's nothing but a big bully that thinks he can boss everyone around, and he kills anyone who enters what he considers his territory uninvited."

"And you had your fish friends drag our boat into it?!" Takuya exclaimed.

Gomamon snorted. "You were in what he claims are his waters long before you met me."

"And how can we ask for permission to enter his territory if we have to enter his territory to do it?" Davis asked. "That doesn't make sense."

Divermon snickered. "It doesn't matter anymore, because you're all dead."

Takuya looked ready for a fight. "Bring it on. We can take you."

"Careful, guys," Shoutmon told them. "This guy's an Ultimate."

"A what?" Takato mumbled.

Davis pointed at the aquatic beast Digimon in disbelief. "You've got to be kidding! This guy's an Ultimate? Kuwagamon looked tougher."

"Appearances can be deceiving," Shoutmon replied. "He's a low-power Ultimate, but an Ultimate all the same."

Divermon snickered. "And he's taking you down." He jumped backwards into the water, resurfacing a moment later. "Striking Fish!"

He threw his harpoon again. The teens moved out of the way as it hit the wall, but Divermon just pulled it free again.

"That's it,' Davis growled, "lets get this guy. Execute! Spirit Evolution… ExVeemon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Agunimon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Nefertimon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Angemon!"

Tai pulled out his Digivice too, but Takato grabbed his arm. "No, don't. Greymon's weight will sink the boat."

Grumbling, the older boy looked at his friends. "So we're just supposed to stand here and cheer them on?"

Takato looked back at them too. "It's the only thing we can do."

"Don't worry, we got this," said ExVeemon. "Vee-Laser!"

"Striking Fish!"

Divermon's spear flew up towards ExVeemon, tearing right through his attack. The dragon Digimon just barely avoided getting impaled.

"Nile Jewelry!" Nefertimon cried, firing jewels down at the aquatic beast Digimon. Divermon submerged, jewels raining down around him as he swam away. Up in the air, Angemon used his Omni Tornado, creating a waterspout in hopes of catching Divermon. He was off the mark, but Divermon just grinned and deliberately swam up into it, rising into the sky.

Once up in the air, Divermon burst from the waterspout at Angemon, moving to stab him with his spear. Angemon raised his staff, blocking the attack, but Divermon sneered and grabbed one of the angel Digimon's wings. "Hell Dive!"

He dove out of the sky and into the water, dragging Angemon down with him. He sought to pull him down deep, but a rope of golden light wrapped around the angel Digimon, pulling him back to the surface.

"You ok, Angemon?" Nefertimon asked, having saved him with her Golden Noose.

He spat out a mouthful of water. "Yeah, thanks for that."

Divermon's spear flew out of the water at them, but ExVeemon intercepted and caught it. "That's enough of that. Critical Crunch!"

He bit the cable, snapping the line, and Divermon ended up empty-handed when he pulled it back. "They stole my spear! I kill them!"

Otamamon swam over to them. "Stop playing around. Just kill the ones on the boat."

Divermon's eyes landed on the floating vessel. "Yeah, good call."

He swam up to the surface, leaping out of the water and onto the deck, only to be greeted by Agunimon's flaming Salamander Kick, knocking him back into the water. "Thought you might try that," the fire wizard Digimon told him.

"Here," ExVeemon called down to the aquatic beast Digimon, "have a taste of your own medicine!"

He threw the spear down at him as Divermon floated on the surface, but Divermon's hand shot out and grabbed it before he was speared, and he sneered at the dragon Digimon. "Thanks for that."

"How about this!" Angemon cried as he and Nefertimon flew past him. Behind them, they dragged the Golden Noose, and flew around in circles, coiling it around Divermon. Bound as he was, he could no longer stay afloat and sank beneath the surface.

On the boat, Gomamon forced himself to sit up. "We've got to get out of here. Marching Fishes!"

The multicolored school of fish reappeared and began dragging the boat away. Divermon's eyes narrowed as they attempted to flee and he continued to sink deeper. "I don't think so!"

With a burst of strength, he broke free of the Golden Noose. Swimming to the surface, he poked his head out to see the teens, both human and Digimon, making their escape. "You're not getting away from me!"

He threw his spear, his target the one with the large spikey hair. With his back turned, Tai was unaware of the attack, and was about to be skewered for the second time that day.

It was Gomamon to the rescue, head-butting Tai to knock him out of the way. He fell to the ground, but quickly sat up, seeing the spear sticking out of the wall. "Whoa," he cried, "that's twice I almost…"

He trailed off, his eyes widening in horror. The spear wasn't just sticking out of the wall, it was pinning Gomamon to it, having pierced straight through.

"Gomamon!" Nefertimon shouted.

"Gomamon!" Angemon echoed.

"Oh no!" Agunimon cried, rushing over to their little friend. Takato joined him, staring at the spear in horror. He hesitated a moment before moving to pull it out.

"Don't do that!" Tai shouted, pushing him aside. "You never remove an impalement unless you can get immediate medical treatment or else you could bleed out!"

Through the pain, Gomamon managed to crack a smile. "Thanks… but I don't think… medical treatment… can fix this…"

Tai dropped to his knees. "Why? Why'd you do that?"

With a shaky paw, Gomamon reached out and patted his head. "Because that's what… friends do… They protect… each other…"

His arm dropped and he went limp. His body burst into data, and he was gone. The fish moving the boat immediately departed without the seal Digimon's influence.

Takato's eyes were shining with tears. "He's gone? No, he can't be gone."

"But he is," Tai murmured, staring at the deck with a blank look. "He died protecting me."

A cruel chuckle came from the side as Divermon crawled onto the boat. "You should just be glad you're still alive. But I plan to change that in a few minutes."

Fists clenching, Tai turned to the aquatic beast Digimon. "You son of a-"

He threw a punch. Divermon easily caught his fist and sneered, then he raised his own fist. A savage cry came from Shoutmon as he jumped on Divermon's back. He clawed at Divermon's face, grabbing his eyelids and pulling them. Divermon hissed in pain and pushed Tai aside. He reached behind him and pulled the dragon Digimon off his back, throwing him into Takato.

"That hurt, you punk," he growled, rubbing his eyes.

When he moved his hands from his face, he saw an enraged Agunimon right in front of him unleashing his Pyro Tornado. The fire wizard Digimon foot slammed into him as the fiery vortex blasted off part of the boat and sent Divermon skyward.

"Hand of Fate!"

"Vee-Laser!"

"Beam of Isis!"

The three rays struck Divermon, pushing him back into the ocean and sending up walls of water as they pushed him away. The flying Digimon hovered just above the boat in case Divermon resurfaced. Tai looked up at them, then glanced at the spear embedded in the wall. He swore to the sky and slammed his fist on the floor, nearly bruising his hand as vented his frustration.

Below the water, Divermon shook off his disorientation. They had been lucky with those attacks. He couldn't believe they had actually hurt him. He would make them pay for that.

"Divermon! Divermon!"

With a growl, he turned to Otamamon. "What? I'm a little busy."

"But we've got trouble," the tadpole Digimon replied.

Divermon scoffed. "There's no trouble. They just caught me by surprise. It won't happen again."

Otamamon shook his head. "No, not that. We have some real trouble."

The aquatic beast Digimon sighed. "What trouble?"

"Big trouble," answered a voice similar to his own. "And you're in it."

A second Divermon appeared, and the former gulped. This wasn't just another Divermon, but the head of the master's guard. He wore golden chains and arm pieces retrieved from sunken ships to symbolize his ranking.

"C-Captain," Divermon stammered. "What seems to be the problem?"

The captain of the guard glared. I think you know what the problem is."

Divermon glanced at Otamamon, who was looking pale. "I'm sorry, but I don't understand. Otamamon and I are merely dealing with trespassers in the master's territory."

The captain's eyes narrowed. "And therein lies the problem. You knew about them, but did not report it. Why not?"

He continued to play dumb. "We get trespassers, and we're meant to deal with them as we see fit. We're simply following orders."

The accessorized Divermon pointed at him accusingly. "Do you think the master is a fool? There's nothing that goes on in these waters that he doesn't find out about eventually." He crossed his arms. "How long did you think you would be able to hide the fact that there are humans in the master's waters?"

The color drained from Divermon's face.

 

Notes:

(A/N: Oh man, poor Gomamon. Please don't hate me for it, but you can't expect them to never have any losses. This is the first friend they've lost since coming to the Digital World. How is this going to affect the group, especially Tai, for whom Gomamon sacrificed himself for? And what's going on below the water too? What type of trouble is Divermon in for? And if he, an Ultimate is this afraid of his master, then how terrifying is this mysterious Digimon. Well, maybe not so mysterious if you've seen the anime. Or maybe I'm deliberately misleading you. You'll have to stay tuned to find out. See you next time.)

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New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Divermon

Chapter 22: The Dark Undersea Master

Notes:

(A/N: This arc is getting a little difficult to write. Being on a raft out in the middle of the ocean really limits what the characters can do since they're pretty much stuck in the same place, but I'm working with what I have. BTW, the next release of Digimon Tri is coming out this month. Super excited. Maybe I'll get some new ideas. Until then, enjoy the next chapter.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 22: The Dark Undersea Master

"Unacceptable," the undersea master grumbled. "Completely unacceptable." He leaned in closer to Otamamon and Divermon. "To think you could deceive me like this. For your sake, you better have a good excuse."

The two Digimon cringed, exchanging guilty looks. Their master was very strict and did not tolerate disloyalty, nor was he all that forgiving.

"We did not think it was worth concerning you, master," Otamamon replied.

"Concern?" the master seethed. "You think I have cause to be concerned over these creatures?"

Divermon waved his arms. "He misspoke, my lord! He meant that he didn't think we should bother you with something so trivial."

A growl escaped the giant Digimon. "You didn't think it was worth mentioning that creatures from another dimension were in my waters?"

Otamamon struggled to find his voice. "No, no, my lord. I just thought that-"

"SILENCE!" the master bellowed. "I will not hear your lies! I know full well what you were thinking. You wanted to have the glory of taking the credit of having defeated humans to rise in my ranks, so you got Tylomon and Mantaraymon to do your dirty work. When you failed, you sought to hide it from me by enlisting Divermon's help to quietly get rid of the humans and hope I would never know. Did you really think I could be taken for a fool?"

The tadpole Digimon was far too afraid to respond, so Divermon spoke up on his friend's behalf. "Master, let me explain-"

"SILENCE!"

Tentacles shot out, impaling Divermon. A surprised gasp of pain escaped him as he suffered a fate similar to that of the Gomamon he killed, meeting the same end a moment later. Otamamon looked at the master in horror before the giant Digimon clapped his tentacle hands together on him, and Otamamon joined Divermon in death.

"Let this be a lesson to anyone who seeks to deceive me," the master declared to his army of Divermon. "I will not tolerate it. Anyone who shows any sign of disloyalty will meet the same end. Is that understood?"

There were cries of, "Yes, master!" from the Divermon, many sufficiently frightened into submission. The captain was one of the few that seemed to take delight in the situation, a look of glee on his face.

"Now then," the master growled, looking up to the surface, "lets see about these humans."

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It was grim up on the boat. The teens were grieving for their lost friend. Gomamon's death hit them hard. He was the first real friend they had lost since coming here. True, they had seen other Digimon die that weren't bad, but none they had really connected with.

Shoutmon was equally as depressed, but he was more used to the harshness of it than they were, especially these past few hundred years. The humans though, they weren't used to it, they came from a world with a lot more luxuries and comforts, according to what they told him. But now they were in his harsh new world, and he to make that sink in.

"I know it's sad, you guys," he told them, "but this is the way of the Digital World. We're living in a time where evil runs ramped. I'm not going to lie, things are worse now than they've ever been in the history of the Digital World, but there's still a lot of good. And most of us can still live happy lives."

He saw that they weren't cheering up, so he changed tactics. "Hey, don't worry about Gomamon. His egg will hatch in a few days, and he'll be out and about as if nothing happened. I mean, sure, it'll take a while for him to Digivolve to the Rookie level again, but that's the price to pay for dying… Ooh, that's not much consolation, is it?"

TK gave him a sad but grateful smile. "It's alright, thanks for trying to help, Shoutmon. We appreciate it."

Davis sighed. "Yeah, I guess it makes me feel better to know that Gomamon will be back some day."

"And I'm sure Elecmon and Swanmon will take good care of him," Takato added.

A slightly humorous chuckle escaped Kari. "He'll certainly keep them on their toes."

It was still a depressing situation, but the mood lightened a bit. They took comfort in knowing that their friend wasn't really gone, just out of the picture for a while, but would return eventually.

Tai was the only one that refused to see the silver lining, and as the others' moods improved, he felt his anger rising as the image of Gomamon dying over and over again flashed through his mind until he finally couldn't take it anymore.

"Will you guys shut up!" he snapped. "What's so great about Gomamon dying? How can you possibly be happy about it?"

"Whoa, whoa, Tai," TK cried, "we are not happy about Gomamon dying."

"Well it certainly sounds like it with the way you're joking around."

"We're not joking around," Takuya objected, "we're just trying to look at the bright side. Yes, it's horrible that Gomamon died, but we should take comfort in the fact that he'll be back."

Tai slammed his fist against the wall. "That's the whole problem with this world. Death is practically nothing more than hitting the reset button on a game, so you Digimon have no qualms about killing. Well, what if one of us dies next? There's no coming back to life for us. What if instead of Gomamon, one of you had died instead? We can't come back to life like Digimon, but we'll still see each other again when we die too. But does that mean we just dismiss it and act like nothing is wrong? We might as well with the way you're taking Gomamon's death."

He looked at his hands, practically seeing the seal Digimon's blood on them. "He died protecting me. First I was unable to do anything Tylomon and Mantaraymon. Then the same thing happened with Divermon. Then Gomamon sacrificed himself to save me because I wasn't able to fight."

"Tai," said Kari softly, "we already talked about this. You can't protect all of us all of the time. We have to rely on each other."

Tai glared at her. "Yeah, and when I relied on you guys to fight Divermon, Gomamon ended up dead!"

A look of shock and hurt crossed Kari's face. TK put an arm around her and glared at Tai. "That was uncalled for."

The older boy crossed his arms. "Well, it's true, isn't it? Had I been able to fight, Gomamon wouldn't have had to die. I should have just Spirit Evolved and fought."

"You would have killed us," Davis objected. "You would have sunk the boat and left us stranded in the middle of the ocean."

"Maybe, maybe not. At least Gomamon wouldn't have died because I stood around and did nothing."

Shoutmon sighed. "I've had enough of this." He produced his mic and used it to whack Tai across the shins, bringing the teen down.

"Ouch! What was that for?"

Shoutmon glared at him. "Get off your pedestal already. Do you think the sun won't rise if you're not there to greet it? News flash, pal, but it's not all about you. Maybe if you had fought it would have made a difference, maybe not. Gomamon may have died either way."

He pointed at Tai. "You think I don't know what this is really about? It's survivor's guilt. Gomamon died protecting you, so you feel responsible about it. That's to be expected. Of course you'd feel angry, like you're a failure, but you know what, that's life. Move on. Make sure it doesn't happen again. Make sure Gomamon's death wasn't in vain by doing what you can, when you can."

The two stared at each other as Shoutmon's tough love speech sunk in. But it might not be enough this time. During the attack with Tylomon and Mantaraymon, there hadn't been any casualties on their side. But with Divermon, not only had they lost Gomamon, but he had died protecting Tai. And right now, he was wallowing in self-hatred because of it.

Tai looked away, unable to take the feeling of pity he felt from them. "Well, it won't happen again. No one else will die, especially for me. I'll make sure of it."

"Tai…" Kari began, but TK held her back, shaking his head.

"Nothing you say will get through to him. He has to forgive himself first and accept that it wasn't his fault."

Kari stared at her brother sadly, but knew he was right. This was something Tai would have to work through on his own.

"And I'll tell you one thing," Tai continued, "the next time we see Divermon, I'm gonna end him."

"That's not nice," came a familiar voice from overboard. "What'd I ever do to you?"

Poking its head out of the water was another Divermon, staring at the teens with a hungry look in its eyes.

Anger twisted Tai's face as he reached for his Digivice. "Divermon!"

Shoutmon grabbed his arm. "Wait, that's a different Divermon."

Davis glanced at the dragon Digimon. "You sure?"

"Of course I'm sure. Isn't it obvious?"

No, it most definitely was not since the teens lacked the sixth sense to tell apart Digimon of the same species. This particular Divermon though, was wearing several gold trinkets to symbolize its ranking. "You don't need to worry about that other Divermon anymore. The master was rather displeased with him, so was he disposed of."

Disposed of? The Divermon that had attacked them was gone? While that was indeed a relief, it left Tai feeling very unsatisfied.

"Wait a minute," he cried. "Your master? You have the same master?"

The captain of the Divermon grinned. "Of course. In fact, we all do."

All around the raft, more and more Divermon began poking their heads out of the water. The teens looked on with growing dread as their boat was surrounded. They were all thinking the same thing, if one Divermon gave them so much trouble, how would they stand against over 100?

"Guys," Davis muttered, "I have a bad feeling about this."

"What's wrong?" the Divermon captain mocked. "Feeling a little in over your head? You humans were naïve. Just because you had a few victories, did you really think you could win a war?"

"What war?" TK cried. "We don't want a war! We just want to go home!"

"Well, sorry to disappoint you, but that's not happening. Striking Fish!"

His spear went flying, and the teens dove out of the way. The Divermon began laughing at their helplessness against so many of them. Without hesitation, the teens pulled out their Digivices.

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… ExVeemon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Agunimon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Nefertimon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Angemon!"

Tai pulled out his Digivice too, unwilling to sit on the sidelines this time, but Shoutmon whacked his hand with his mic, causing him to drop the device. "Don't be stupid."

Tai glared at him. "I want to fight too!"

"You can't fight! Not on this boat! Accept it!"

"Just leave it to us," Nefertimon declared. "Nile Jewelry!"

A shower of jewels rained down on the Divermon. Some submerged while others simply covered their heads, and yet some paid them no mind at all.

"Ha!" the captain laughed. "Do you think your puny attacks can harm us? Come on, guys, show 'em what you got."

Spears went flying, aimed not at the flying Digimon, but the boat's occupants. Angemon flew in front of Takato and Tai and used his Angel Staff to deflect the spears while Agunimon knocked away the ones aimed at him. Shoutmon was not as lucky, and he ended up in a rather ridiculous pose with his arms and legs sticking out and his body twisted in an unnatural position as the spears stuck to the wall around him.

"They're sitting ducks down there," said ExVeemon. "Nefertimon, get them in the air. I'll distract them."

"I'm on it."

As Nefertimon flew down to the boat, ExVeemon turned to the Divermon. "Hearty Shatter!"

Fireballs rained down, and the Divermon quickly ducked beneath the surface to avoid them while Nefertimon hovered beside the boat. Shoutmon hopped onto her head while Tai, Takato, and Agunimon climbed up onto her back, her brother with great reluctance.

Just as she was about to take off, several Divermon grabbed her feet and attempted to pull her into the water. Angemon rushed over and used Staff Sweep to knock them away, and they took to the air.

"We'll just stay up here," Nefertimon told them. "They're aim can't reach this far."

"Guess again!" the Divermon captain replied.

A tower of Divermon, standing on one another's shoulders, rose out of the water. Several spears went flying, and Angemon moved in their path, using Omni Tornado to send them off course.

"Those little sneaks," ExVeemon growled.

Agunimon was having similar thoughts. "I can't fight them from way up here when they can just use the water for cover."

"That's fine," Angemon assured him. "We'll handle it. Hand of Fate!"

His holy beam flew down at the Divermon, who quickly submerged. His attack tore through the water, hitting nothing.

"We have to get closer," said ExVeemon, flying down lower. The moment he was low enough, several Divermon leapt out of the water and grabbed his legs and tail. "Hey, get off!"

Angemon flew over to help, smacking the Divermon with his staff. Another Divermon threw its spear, the weapon heading for ExVeemon's chest. His hands shot out, grabbing the spear, the pointy tip just barely grazing his skin. "Whoa, that was close."

"I'll get him," Angemon declared. "Hand of Fate!"

His attack flew towards the Divermon, but another one came up and threw its spear. The weapon tore through Angemon's attack, causing it to disperse, and found its mark.

"Angemon!" Nefertimon cried fearfully, seeing the spear sticking out of him.

The angel Digimon turned to her, revealing that the spear was actually only stuck between his arm and torso. "I'm alright."

Tai's fist clenched as the scene reminded him of Gomamon's death. He couldn't take it anymore. He was going to fight, and that was that.

"That does it," he growled. "I'm not going to just sit around anymore." With that, he leapt off his sister's shoulders. The others cried out his name as he landed on the boat again and held up his Digivice. "Execute! Spirit Evolution… Greymon!"

The boat sunk under his weight, submerging several feet. Water began flowing across the deck, yet the boat remained afloat, but only just. Had there been the slightest bit more weight, it most likely would have gone completely under.

"Alright, now we're talking!" He looked at the Divermon. "Now you'll pay for attacking us. Nova Blast!"

He spat continuous fireballs at the aquatic beast Digimon. They avoided the attacks easily enough and threw their spears, but Greymon knocked them away with his Great Horns Attack.

"He's so reckless," Nefertimon commented, "but it looks like we're ok for now. Lets get rid of these Divermon."

Staying at a high enough distance, she, Agunimon, and Shoutmon fired attacks down at the Divermon while ExVeemon and Angemon attacked at a closer range and Greymon from the boat. The Divermon seemed to think the dinosaur Digimon was the easiest target, and most went after him. He put up one heck of a fight though, using his horns and tail to knock away their spears. And when they began leaping out of the water at him, he summoned up his Fire Wall.

"ENOUGH!" a loud voice boomed from beneath the water. All attention shifted to the bubbling surface as something massively large rose up from the sea. It had a humanoid squid appearance with bat-like wings growing out of its back.

"Look out!" ExVeemon cried. "It's Cthulhu!"

"Fool," the Divermon captain exclaimed, "it's the Dark Undersea Master."

Up on Nefertimon's back, Takato checked his Digivice. "Dragomon, Ultimate level, special attack, Forbidden Trident. It says here he has titles such as the Sinful Priest of the Ocean Floor and the Depraved Monk of the Deep. Yikes."

Greymon's eyes narrowed. "So this is the Undersea Master everyone has been talking about."

Dragomon snarled. "How dare you speak to me in such a way! Especially when you're trespassing in my waters!"

"These aren't your water," Greymon growled. "They belong to everyone."

The Divermon captain snickered. "I'd be careful if I were you. The master is very prone to anger."

His words proved to be true as Dragomon raised his arms. "I'll show you whose waters these are. Tentacle Flapping!"

His finger-like tentacles shot out and began flailing about. ExVeemon and Angemon maneuvered around them as they flew through the air wildly.

"Holy Shot!" Angemon cried, firing energy bullets from his finger. They rained against Dragomon's face, but seemed to be ineffective. ExVeemon followed up with a Vee-Laser, but Dragomon easily blocked it.

"You're attacks are useless," the giant aquatic beast Digimon declared.

His tentacles shot out again, wrapping around the two Digimon. Dragomon slammed them down, and they hit the water with a heavy impact, the dragon Digimon ending up doing a belly-flop.

"That's gotta sting," Agunimon muttered. "Nefertimon, can you get them?"

"I'm on it," she replied, flying towards her friends.

Dragomon turned to them, his tentacles shooting out as he cried, "Thousand Whip!"

His tentacles came down like a whip and struck Nefertimon. Agunimon managed to shield Takato and Shoutmon with his body just before the attack hit, and they all went splashing into the water.

Greymon was left alone on the half-sunken raft surrounded by Divermon and the massively large form of Dragomon towering over him. A feeling of dread gripped him as he felt as if his greatest fears were being confirmed.

"Guys!" he shouted desperately. "Guys, where are you?"

Dragomon's attention shifted to him. "Now do you understand? This is what happens to those that defy me. They all meet a tragic end."

Anger burned in Greymon's eyes. "You… Nova Blast!"

Dragomon raised his arm to block the attack from hitting his face. "You can't defeat me. Not here. Not in my domain. And since you saw fit to enter my waters without my permission, I'll see to it that you remain a permanent resident."

He lifted his arm, making a fist, and brought it down. Greymon could do nothing but brace himself for the blow.

A wave of water rose up as Dragomon's fist slammed down. Greymon was gone, and all that was left of the boat was a bunch of splinters.

Notes:

(A/N: Did anyone guess Dragomon? I thought all the Divermon servants were a bit of giveaway, if not the chapter title. Someone guessed MetalSeadramon, but it's still a little early to bring in Mega level villains. They'll be coming up though. I debated between using Dragomon and MarineDevimon, but decided to go with Dragomon since I didn't want another Devimon-species so soon after Devimon's defeat. What will this mean for our heroes? They're now stranded in the middle of the ocean after having faced a crushing defeat by their strongest opponent yet. Hang tight to this cliffhanger, and I'll see you next time.)

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New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Dragomon

Chapter 23: New Sea Voyage

Notes:

(A/N: The new Digimon Tri episode is out. And I've been so busy that I haven't gotten a chance to see it yet. Really, it's been a busy week for me, but I've got the next update. We last left our heroes stranded at sea after a vicious attack from Dragomon and his army of Divermon. What will become of our heroes? Find out now.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 23: New Sea Voyage

Tai was vaguely aware of someone calling his name. It sounded like Kari. Was she in trouble? He had to get to her; she might need his help.

"Kari!" he shouted, sitting up suddenly. There was an immediate blast of pain, followed by a loud yelp. Apparently, the others had been crouching over him, and upon sitting up, he had bonked heads with Davis.

"Ow!" his doppelgänger wailed. "Watch it, will ya!"

Tai rubbed his own head, his eyes quickly landing on his sister. "Kari, you're ok." He looked at the others. "You all are."

"Barely," Takuya mumbled. "It was a close call. I thought we were goners for sure."

Suddenly, Tai remembered their boat being destroyed, yet they hadn't drowned. How had they survived? He looked around at what they were sitting on, seeing a hard brown surface. "What is this?" he asked, knocking on the ground.

"Oh, that's me," an unfamiliar voice replied.

Tai jumped. "Hey, who was that?"

Kari smiled and patted the ground. "Tai, meet our new friend, Whamon. He's the one who saved us."

Her brother blinked. "Um, Whamon?"

He checked his Digivice, getting a picture of a whale-like Digimon with a brown bone-like head covering, similar to his Greymon form. Whamon was a powerful Champion level Digimon with a peaceful nature, and he was huge.

Putting away his Digivice, he looked at the 'ground'. "You're the one that saved us?"

Kari giggled. "I just said so."

"You're actually very lucky came around when I did," the whale Digimon stated. "After Dragomon left you guys for dead, I decided to rescue you."

Tai wasn't sure how to respond to that. "Oh, well, thanks."

"No thanks necessary, my little friend. Anyone who opposes Dragomon is ok in my book. Even when he was just a Gesomon he was such a bully. Ever since he took over, we've had nothing but trouble."

"Then why doesn't anyone do anything?" Takuya asked.

Whamon sighed. "Dragomon is very powerful. Most find it easier to just steer clear of him. Besides, it's not uncommon for a Digimon to claim territory. But Dragomon has gotten rather bold. Something needs to be done."

Davis cut his eyes at Shoutmon and grinned. "Isn't this a job for the Digimon King?"

The dragon Digimon glared at him. "Watch it."

"I would advise staying away from him," the whale Digimon replied. "I saw you fight, and, nothing personal, but he's out of your league."

"Yeah, no kidding," Tai grumbled.

He sighed and looked at the sky. Thinking back to the last battle, he realized that what that Divermon with all the gold had said was true. They had been naïve. They knew that there were some really powerful Digimon out there, but somehow they seemed to think that everything would work out. And they got their butts kicked for it.

This was their first real defeat. So far, they somehow had always managed to come out on top in the end, but this was the first time they had ever lost a battle. Devimon had been tough, but Dragomon was something else entirely. The battles they would face from here on out would only get tougher, and they needed to be ready for them. If they wanted to survive, they would have to fight as a team. He couldn't do it on his own. That had already been shown to him.

"Hey, guys," he muttered, resting his chin on his knees as he hugged his legs, "I owe you all an apology. I've been a real jerk lately, and I'm sorry."

TK chuckled. "So he admits it."

The older boy rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I admit it. I thought I had to do everything myself and keep all you guys safe. I felt like I failed at that, especially after Gomamon…"

Davis crossed his arms. "Hey, man, we get it. Gomamon's death was hard on all of us, even more so on you since he died saving you. But it's not up to you to protect us. It's up to us to protect each other."

"Well spoken," Whamon replied. "That's how it should be between friends."

Kari smiled and patted his giant head. "Well, it's nice to have a friend like you. Do you think you could take us to the mainland?"

"It would be my pleasure. It shouldn't be more than a day or two with my swimming speed."

"That's good," said Takato, "cause we lost all our food and supplies when Dragomon destroyed our boat."

Davis looked into the water. "Think we're allowed to eat fish now?"

"I don't see why not," Whamon replied. "I eat fish all the time."

TK was frowning. "I don't know. It feels too soon after Gomamon's death."

Kari nodded in agreement. "Yeah, we can last until we reach the mainland."

Shoutmon rolled his eyes. "Geez, I've never seen any two people so in tuned with each other. You might as well just DNA Digivolve together, call yourselves Takari."

As the two teens blushed, Davis fumed. "Who's in tuned?"

The dragon Digimon ignored him. "Also, it's not a good idea to not eat. We'll need our strength to fight in case we're attacked again."

Whamon splashed his tail. "Not to worry. I'll protect you. I may not be a match for Dragomon, but I am a very powerful Champion that can rival even an Ultimate. Plus I've got my size as an advantage."

"Awesome," Tai replied. "We'll be counting on you." He looked at Shoutmon. "So, what's DNA Digivolving?"

Shoutmon glanced at him. "Hmm? You don't know? Oh, right, you wouldn't. Well, DNA Digivolving is two or more Digimon Digivolving together into a single Digimon."

Takato's eyes widened. "You can do that?"

"Just how many kinds of Digivolution are there?" Takuya asked.

Shoutmon tapped his chin. "Known kind? Let me see. Well, there's normal Digivolution, you know that. Slide Evolution is changing from one form to another of the same level. DNA Digivolution I just explained. Armor Digivolution is the process of Digivolving with a Digimental. Matrix Digivolving is Digivolving straight to the Ultimate level. Warp Digivolving is Digivolving straight to the Mega level. Golden Armor Digivolution is a much more powerful version of Armor Digivolving. Then there's Mode Change, which isn't exactly going up a level, but more like upgrading the level you're currently at. Bio-Merge Digivolution is taking another life form into yourself to Digivolve straight to Mega. Burst Evolution is a very powerful but temporary Mode Change whose strength surpasses even the Mega level. Dark Digivolving is Digivolving into an evil and corrupt stage."

"Isn't that just regular Digivolving, just into an evil version of a stage?" Takato asked.

Shoutmon shrugged. "Yeah, pretty much, but we differentiate between them since it normally takes unique circumstances to go dark. Now, where was I? Oh yeah. There's X-Evolution, which is upgrading to the more advanced and evolved X version of your current stage. Death-X Evolution is an extremely rare form of Digivolution where rather than dying, your data Digivolves within the corpse of your body immediately after death. DigiFusion Digivolution is like a combination of Armor Digivolution and DNA Digivolution, where one or more Digimon become an additional part of your body or an accessory. Lastly, there's a type of Digivolution exclusive to AppMon type Digimon called Appli Fusion, which is kind of like a combination of DigiFusion and DNA Digivolving. There's also something called Blast Digivolution, which is when a Digimon briefly gets enough power to Digivolve for a few minutes, even though they haven't actually unlocked the form yet. I'm pretty sure that's all of them. Oh, and I guess now there's Spirit Evolution where humans can turn into Digimon. Hmm, I wonder if Digimon can Spirit Evolve to gain access to stages they shouldn't be able to obtain."

"So counting Spirit Evolving, there are 17 different types of Digivolution," TK noted, having been counting each one.

"That are known," the dragon Digimon corrected. "I'm sure there are others that just haven't been discovered yet, but so far, those are the only ones we know of." Smirking, he crossed his arms. "Back in the day, I specialized in DigiFusion Digivolution. Yup, my buddies and I would DigiFuse all the time." His face fell. "Before… things went bad that is."

Things became quiet and awkward after that, and they all fell silent as Whamon swam along. Davis finally broke the silence several minutes later. "That Death-X Evolution thing, how can you Digivolve in your own corpse? That's gross!"

The others stared at him for a few moments before bursting out in laughter. Shoutmon wiped a tear from his eye. "You humans and your curiosity." He shook his head. Basically, the destroyed Digimon's data survives, and they pull themselves together, using their own data to Digivolve."

Kari looked uneasy. "You don't think that could happen to Devimon, do you?"

Shoutmon just waved this off. "Nah, it's really, really rare, practically unheard of. I believe only one or two species of Digimon has managed to pull it off. Don't worry, we're good."

Whamon cleared his throat. "Um, actually, we have a bit of a problem."

"What's up, pal?" Davis asked.

"Me!" came a voice from down below.

From over the side of Whamon, a spear came flying up, embedding itself into the whale Digimon's hard head covering. Crawling up the rope was the captain of the Divermon, his gold trinkets shining in the sun.

"You!" Takuya snapped.

Divermon laughed. "Finally! I've been trying to find you humans for hours. The master wanted me to make sure you were dead. I guess you weren't." He cracked his knuckles. "But very soon, you will be."

"Get off my back!" Whamon growled, unable to shake him off or submerge because of his passengers.

Divermon stomped his foot down on him. "Shut up! You'll pay for aiding these humans!"

"No way," said Tai. "You're the one who's going to pay. This time, all of us can fight, and you don't have all your friends or your master here to help you."

"I need no one!" the aquatic beast Digimon declared. "I'm captain of the master's army. I can take care of myself."

"We'll see. Let's do it, guys. Execute! Spirit Evolution… Greymon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… ExVeemon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Growlmon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Agunimon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Nefertimon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Angemon!"

Divermon grinned. "This is going to be fun."

"Are you sure?" Growlmon asked. "You think you can take all six of us?"

"Careful, guys," Shoutmon warned. "Remember, a higher level Digimon is typically stronger than over a dozen Digimon of the level before it."

"Dually noted," Nefertimon replied. "Rosetta Stone!"

The stone slabs flew at him, but Divermon easily danced out of the way. Growlmon charged at him, using his Growl Claw. Divermon jumped up to avoid it, and his fist collided with Growlmon's jaw, knocking the much larger Digimon back.

"Striking Fish!"

He threw his spear at the fallen dinosaur Digimon. Greymon rushed over and used his horns to knock it aside. "Nova Blast!"

"Hell Dive!"

True to his attack's name, Divermon dove… right into the fireball. He burst out the back, slightly singed, and spun around in mid-air, kicking Greymon in the side of his head, knocking him off his feet.

"Children, listen to me," Whamon began.

"We're a little busy here," Agunimon told him. "Pyro Darts!"

Divermon twirled his spear in front of him, deflecting the bits of fire. Angemon used the distraction to fly behind him and fire his Hand of Fate. But Divermon suddenly did a backflip, avoiding the attack, and the beam brushed across Whamon's head. "Ouch!"

"Sorry about that," Angemon replied. "This guy's fast."

"And tougher than he looks," Growlmon added as he rubbed his jaw.

"That's what I'm trying to tell you. Now listen-"

"Hold that thought," ExVeemon told him, and began firing Vee-Lasers down at the aquatic beast Digimon. Divermon hopped out of the way, and the attacks struck Whamon's head.

"Those sting, you know!"

"Sorry, big guy, but you're kind of our battlefield right now."

Divermon chuckled. "This isn't so much a battle as it is an assassination."

He jumped up in the sky surprisingly high, reaching ExVeemon in the air, much to the dragon Digimon's surprise. Raising his spear, he stabbed downward to pierce ExVeemon's heart, but Nefertimon's Golden Noose shot out, wrapping around the dragon Digimon's leg and pulling him out of the way.

"Now!" Agunimon cried. "Pyro Punch!"

The fire dragon flew up towards Divermon, who couldn't even use his Hell Dive to avoid it, and the explosive collision blew him back.

"Rosetta Stone!" Nefertimon cried, firing a stone slab up at him.

Unable to avoid it, a loud "Oof" escaped the aquatic beast Digimon as the stone slab slammed into his gut and carried him off Whamon's back. Once he was over the ocean, Greymon fired a Nova Blast as Growlmon unleashed his Pyro Blaster.

"Oh, come on!" Divermon complained, helpless to avoid the attacks.

There was a fiery explosion, and the smoking form of Divermon dropped into the water. The DigiDestined rushed over to the side of Whamon's head and looked down.

"Alright!" ExVeemon cheered. "We smoked him!"

"Do you think he's dead?" Nefertimon asked, not forgetting the fact that he was an Ultimate.

Her question was answered as Divermon came bursting out of the water, leaping clear over their heads, and landing on Whamon's back. "Not even close!"

He looked angry now, wielding his spear with deadly purpose. It seemed he didn't like the fact that those that were weaker than he was had managed to get the best of him. Whatever the case, he was no longer in the mood for games.

"Beam of Isis!" Nefertimon cried.

Divermon stabbed outward, the point of his spear making contact with the beam, causing it to split upon contact and disperse.

"Guys, I think he means business," Shoutmon told them.

"Would you care for my assistance?" Whamon asked.

"That would be great right about now," said Greymon.

"Then those that are able, carry those that cannot fly and get in front of my face."

They exchanged confused looks before doing as he said. Greymon and Growlmon reverted back to their human forms so they could be carried by ExVeemon and Angemon while Agunimon and Shoutmon hopped onto Nefertimon's back.

"Hey, where do you think you're going?" Divermon snarled, and charged after them as they flew off Whamon's head.

"What now?" Agunimon asked once they were right in front of Whamon's face.

"Trust me," the whale Digimon replied before opening his large mouth and suddenly swallowed them whole.

"What the hell!" Tai shouted.

"You'll be safe in there," Whamon told them. "My body is like a tank."

"Is this sanitary?" ExVeemon asked.

Divermon slid down Whamon's face and began pounding on his mouth. "Open up, you overgrown sardine! Those humans are mine!"

"Not today," Whamon snapped.

He dove deep, his mighty tail slapping at the surface of the water, sending Divermon flying. When the aquatic beast Digimon hit the water again, he snarled and swam down after Whamon. The giant whale Digimon was swimming straight down into the darkness, heading for the deepest trenches on the ocean floor.

Whamon was fast, but Divermon was faster, and he slowly gained ground on the whale Digimon. A wicked grin crept up his face as he swam alongside Whamon and buried his spear into his flesh, earning him a painful grunt from the whale Digimon as he swam deeper into the darkness.

"You can't escape me!" Divermon declared. "I'm going to make mincemeat out of…"

He trailed off as Whamon's plan came into effect. His spear bent and his tank dented as the water pressure increased the further down the whale Digimon went. Though he was at a higher level, and even though he too was water-based Digimon, Divermon's body was not meant to withstand this much water pressure while Whamon was built for it.

An agonized gargle escaped Divermon and he released his spear as he swam desperately out of the dark trench, feeling like his skull was going to be crushed. Whamon breathed a sigh of relief and began swimming at a slower pace.

"Is everyone all right?" he asked the occupants of his mouth.

"My ears are going to pop!" ExVeemon exclaimed.

"Yeah, sorry about that. I had to dive deep in order to reach a depth where the water pressure was too much for Divermon. We should be safe now. I'll head back to the surface in a few minutes once we're a little further away."

Though he felt grossed out being inside the whale Digimon's mouth, Tai had to admit that it had been a great strategy. "That was a really good idea, using the water pressure like that."

"A good idea?" ExVeemon wailed. "A good idea! The guy ate us!"

"Well, he did get us away from Divermon," Angemon pointed out.

"He ate us!"

"He didn't eat us, ExVeemon," Agunimon told him as he created fire to provide them with light. "He's just carrying us in his mouth."

Takato was trying to clear out his ears. "Can something please be done about the pressure? I don't think my ears can take much more of this?"

"Oh, yes, sorry," Whamon replied. "I dove a little too fast. Just a moment."

A loud belch followed and a flow of bubbles floated out of the whale Digimon's blowhole. The pressure lessened considerably, and the teens and Shoutmon sighed in relief.

"Yeah, that's much better," Takato replied.

"By the way," Nefertimon added, "you're excused."

Notes:

(A/N: Saved by Whamon, twice. Our heroes now have a new friend. I know I took a bit from Season 1 from when they were fleeing from MetalSeadramon, but I've done that a couple times. Hopefully he won't end up like the Whamon from the anime. But even with the giant whale Digimon on their side, Dragomon will not be so easily defeated. And being stuck in the ocean is another disadvantage our heroes face, even with the extra room to fight; I'm referring, of course, to Whamon's body. Wait and see where things go from here next time.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Whamon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Gesomon

Chapter 24: Wrath of the Sea Master

Notes:

(A/N: I'm on vacation! Just chillin' in Florida. Great weather. Jealous? Ha, ha! Well, I can't stay long though. Still managed to get this out on time. I worked extra hard before leaving to have it ready before I left, so I hope you enjoy it.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 24: Wrath of the Sea Master

 

"You lost them?" Dragomon seethed. "You had them in your grasp, and you lost them?"

The Divermon captain winced. "It was not my fault, master. Whamon took them to where I could not go."

"They barely survived when I destroyed their vessel. They should have been easy pickings. You were simply on clean up duty. Yet you let them slip away. Is this all that the captain of my guard is capable of? You are a failure!"

In an attempt to save face, and his rank, the captain puffed out his chest. "Sir, if you will just allow me to-"

"Silence!"

His mouth opened and he began sucking in water. The Divermon captain was sucked into Dragomon's gapping mouth, and the giant aquatic beast Digimon made a show of chewing him to pieces and swallowing. The other Divermon swam back fearfully as Dragomon roared his disapproval.

"You are all worthless fools! I should have known better than to count on you! I will find Whamon and those humans myself, and put an end to them once and for all!"

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

"Children," said Whamon gently. "Children, wake up."

On his back, the teens slept soundly, huddled up together in a pile for warmth. Being out in the open during the night with the ocean breeze tended to get chilly, and with nothing to keep them warm, they had been drawn to each other's body heat as they slept.

Whamon's whispering slowly woke Takato from his slumber. As he cracked his eyes open, he found Davis' face pressed against his own. The other boy was apparently using him as a hug pillow and spooned up against him, the two of them cheek to cheek as Davis snored with his mouth open, a trail of drool about to drip down onto Takato.

A look of horror crossed Takato's face and he jumped up in disgust. "What are you doing?"

The others woke up as Takato got to his feet, causing their pile of bodies to fall apart. Once awake, they all leapt away from each other, surprised by their close proximity.

It hadn't just been Davis and Takato that had been in compromising positions. Takuya had been cuddling Shoutmon like a stuffed animal, while Tai had been hugging the boy's leg in a similar fashion. Kari had been curled up in a ball beside her brother's back while TK had slept with an arm wrapped around her. All in all, it was a very uncomfortable and embarrassing way for them to wake up.

"I think," said Tai, looking traumatized at having been nuzzling another guy's leg, "that we should sleep farther apart from now on. Agreed?"

"Agreed," the others chorused.

But while the others simply looked embarrassed out of discomfort, TK and Kari were blushing for a different reason. They couldn't bring themselves to meet each other's eyes, but still stood close enough to touch. And slowly, Kari's pinky finger stretched out to touch TK's, and his curled around hers, making their blushes deepen, but also making them both smile slightly.

Whamon cleared his throat. "I don't mean to interrupt your intimate moment-"

"We're not having an intimate moment!" they all shouted.

"-But we're almost to the mainland."

Their discomfort of waking up all snuggled together vanished as they ran to the front of Whamon's body. All they could see was more ocean, but when Tai looked through his miniature telescope, he could just make out the land. "He's right, we're almost there! Land ho!"

The others cheered. They'd been out at sea for several days now. They were tired and hungry, they'd fought in battles, lost a friend, had their boat destroyed, and suffered their first defeat. They were really looking forward to being back on dry land.

"I really need a shower," said Kari. "Or a hot bath."

"Now that sounds good," Tai agreed. "But I think I'd like to fill my stomach first."

"I'm with Tai," Davis agreed. "I plan to eat until I'm fit to burst, and then sleep for a week."

"Amen to that," said Shoutmon, bumping knuckles with him.

"I don't really care what we do," Takato grumbled, "just as long as we do it on dry land."

As they eagerly discussed what they would do once their sea voyage was over, Whamon suddenly came to a stop.

Tai looked down at him. "Hey, what's wrong, big guy?"

From out of the water, large tentacles began wrapping around the whale Digimon's body. The teens cried out and fled as the creeping tentacles slid across their friend.

Whamon's body was lifted horizontally, forcing the teens to hold on for dear life. Dragomon rose up out of the water, his tentacles tightening around the whale Digimon as he lifted him out of them water.

"Dragomon!" Whamon exclaimed.

The aquatic beast Digimon growled. "Whamon, you miserable traitor! I granted you permission to swim in my waters as long as you serve me, and instead you sided with these pathetic humans!"

Whamon struggled in vain to escape the tentacles. "These are not your waters! I never needed your permission to swim them, and I have never served you!"

"Then you are useless!"

The tentacles on his other hand curled into a fist, and they slammed into Whamon's gut. Several more punches followed in his chin, side, and stomach, the whale Digimon helpless against the assault.

"Stop it!" Takuya shouted.

When the whale Digimon went limp, Dragomon lifted the giant whale Digimon over his head and threw him. Whamon splashed back into the water, unconscious. He floated on his side, unmoving, bruises forming on his body where he had been hit.

"Come out, humans!" Dragomon thundered. "It's your turn now!"

Slowly, the teens crawled up Whamon's body until they stood on his side. Dragomon towered over them, just as menacing as before.

"There you are," he growled. His tentacle fingers motioned them towards him. "Come to your deaths."

Tai's fists clenched. "Not this time. We've had enough of you pushing us around. This time we're the ones who are going to kick some butt. Execute! Spirit Evolution… Greymon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… ExVeemon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Growlmon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Agunimon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Nefertimon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Angemon!"

Dragomon's eyes narrowed. "So, this is the complete team. All ready to fight, are we?"

"That's right!" Growlmon snarled. "And this time, we have plenty of space to run around." He glanced down at the whale Digimon, silently sending him an apology for literally walking all over him.

"It won't help you," Dragomon growled. "Thousand Whip!"

He brought his hand down, his tentacles stretching outward. The DigiDestined fled, the three capable of flight taking to the air, and Dragomon's tentacles struck Whamon's body, causing the whale Digimon to grunt in pain, even while unconscious.

"Grab them!" Greymon instructed, and he and Growlmon pounced on the tentacles.

Agunimon leapt on top of the tentacles and used his Fire Dash, leaving a trail of fire behind as he raced up Dragomon's tentacles, up his arm, and onto his shoulder. "Crimson Knuckle!"he cried, punching Dragomon in the side of the head with a flaming fist.

Dragomon grunted and stumbled back as Nefertimon flew by, firing Rosetta Stones at his face. As Agunimon leapt onto her back, Dragomon pulled his tentacles out of the two dinosaur Digimon's grips, and they flew after the two in the air.

"Vee-Laser!" ExVeemon cried, firing his attack at the back of Dragomon's head. The aquatic beast Digimon growled and turned to him, but ExVeemon stayed high up in the air. "Who's up for some deep fried calamari? Hearty Shatter!"

The fireballs rained down over Dragomon, but he didn't seem too bothered by them as he opened his mouth and unleashed a stream of water that knocked ExVeemon out of the sky.

"Nova Blast!"

"Pyro Blaster!"

The attacks hit Dragomon's back, and he turned to them, continuing to spray water. Both Greymon and Growlmon were washed off Whamon's body and splashed into the water.

Nefertimon dropped her Golden Noose. Angemon seized the other end, and the two circled Dragomon, wrapping the rope of light around him, binding his arms to his side. On Nefertimon's back, Agunimon fired his Pyro Punch as Angemon unleashed his Hand of Fate.

The flaming dragon flew along Angemon's beam as both attacks exploded against Dragomon. The aquatic beast Digimon fell over backwards, just as ExVeemon broke the surface, and he quickly went back under just before Dragomon fell on him.

"Nice shot," Greymon commented as he and Growlmon crawled back up Whamon's body.

ExVeemon resurfaced and joined Nefertimon and Angemon in the air. "Next time please watch where you drop the giant evil Digimon. You almost flattened me."

"Sorry about that," Angemon replied. "Did you see him down there?"

The dragon Digimon shook his head. "I couldn't see anything; too many bubbles."

Shoutmon looked down at the water. "Trust me, he's still down there. There's no way an Ultimate will go down so easily."

As if to prove his point, Dragomon reemerged. With a snarl, he broke through Nefertimon's Golden Noose and held his arms to the sky. "Tentacle Flapping!"

His tentacles stretched and shot out in different directions. Angemon, ExVeemon, and Nefertimon were instantly ensnared. Agunimon quickly jumped off the holy beast Digimon's back so he wouldn't be caught as well, and splashed into the water.

"Let them go!" Growlmon demanded. "Dragon Slash!"

He threw a blade of plasma from the spike on his elbow. It struck the tentacle holding Angemon, and the angel Digimon pulled free. He used Omni Tornado, and a twister formed around him and Dragomon, sucking up water as well, turning it into a waterspout. Dragomon just growled as he resisted the heavy winds.

"A little help here!" ExVeemon cried as Dragomon's grip on him and Nefertimon tightened.

Angemon took aim, pointing his finger at Dragomon's flailing tentacles. He fired his Holy Shot, the tentacles releasing his friends as they were hit by his energy bullets.

"You humans are beginning to annoy me," Dragomon snarled.

"Right back at ya," ExVeemon replied. "Vee-Laser!"

Dragomon swatted the attack aside and shot out a tentacle, this one with the intent to stab. ExVeemon dodged it and used his Critical Crunch, chomping down on the tentacle.

"Howling!" Growlmon cried.

Shoutmon's eyes widened. "No, wait, not that!"

Growlmon unleashed an ear-splitting howl. The others, Dragomon and the DigiDestined alike, all covered their ears to try and block out the sound.

"Stop that!" Dragomon roared, lashing out with his tentacles. One of them struck Growlmon, knocking him back into the water. Greymon immediately charged at the tentacle, using hisFire Horn to slam into the large tendril of flesh. The tentacle immediately wrapped around him, lifting the dinosaur Digimon into the air.

"Hands off my brother!" Nefertimon demanded, firing a Rosetta Stone against his arm. Dragomon simply swatted at her, and she went spinning through the air.

"Halo Attack!" Angemon cried, drawing a circle in the air above him.

Above Dragomon's head, a golden halo appeared. It drifted down until it was level with his neck and then began shrinking, threatening the decapitate him. Dragomon released Greymon and grabbed at the halo. It cut into his tentacle fingers, but he managed to tear it off. "You humans are playing on my last nerve. Tentacle Claw!"

His tentacles stretched out towards Angemon, the ends curling to allow him to use them like claws. Angemon's wings curled around him protectively, but it did little to defend against the attack, and he went splashing into the water, losing several feathers in the process.

"Angemon!" Nefertimon shouted.

"Back off!" Dragomon snarled.

He held out his hand and a lethal looking trident appeared in it, and he thrust it out at Nefertimon. She flew out of the way and lashed out with her Golden Noose, wrapping it around the trident. This proved to be a mistake as Dragomon yanked his trident back, pulling the holy beast Digimon with it, and punched her with his giant fist.

"This is ridiculous," Greymon growled to his fellow dinosaur Digimon. "Even if you and I can fight now, we're still not much use while stuck on Whamon. How are we supposed to fight?"

"How's he even standing on the water anyway?" Growlmon asked as he finally crawled back onto the whale Digimon. "The water's got to be a mile deep."

"Hold on," said Shoutmon, "I think Agunimon has a strategy."

Having swum over to Dragomon and crawled up his back while he was distracted, the fire wizard Digimon now stood on his shoulder. "Pyro Tornado!"

A series of kicks slammed against the back of Dragomon's neck as a flaming vortex swirled around his head. The aquatic beast Digimon snarled and grabbed Agunimon off his shoulder, throwing him back into the water.

"Vee-Las-"

Dragomon swung his trident, striking the dragon Digimon out of the sky. His tentacles immediately shot out to stab Greymon and Growlmon. The two dinosaur Digimon leapt to the side, but Dragomon's tentacles spread outward, once more knocking Growlmon into the water while Greymon jumped over the one intended for him.

"We're getting our butts kicked here," Shoutmon complained.

"Tell me something I don't know," Greymon grumbled. He looked up as Dragomon approached. "This isn't looking good."

"You and your friends are pathetic," the aquatic beast Digimon growled. "You're not fit to challenge me."

"Nova Blast!"

Dragomon used his trident to hit away the fireball. "I've wasted enough of my time here." He looked at the others as they splashed around. "It's time for you and your friends to die."

Greymon's clawed hands clenched. "No, no more. I won't let any more of my friends get hurt. I couldn't protect them before, but this time I'm here, and I'm ready." His pupils shrank down to mere specks of black in his eyes. "I'll do whatever it takes to protect my friends. No one is going to stand in my way. No one!"

There was a flash of light, and Greymon began shining brightly. Dragomon hesitated as the others stared at Greymon in surprise. A short distance away, Shoutmon's mouth hung open as he looked at Greymon's glowing form. "That's the… light of Digivolution."

Greymon felt power rising within him, a power far greater than any he felt before. And with it came words that he found himself speaking. "Greymon Digivolve to… MetalGreymon!"

The light faded, and Greymon now stood transformed. Appropriately named, almost half his body had become cybernetic. Much larger than before, his torso now had a mechanical chest plate, and his entire right arm had become a large metal claw. His bone-like head plate had turned to steel, and he had what looked to be partly formed metal wings on his back, but not yet developed enough to achieve flight.

Having surfaced, the others looked on in amazement. "No way, is that really Greymon?"

Beside the cyborg dinosaur Digimon, Shoutmon shook his head. "Not anymore. He Digivolved to MetalGreymon. Now he's at the Ultimate level."

"Dude, this is awesome!" ExVeemon exclaimed.

Dragomon's eyes narrowed. "What is this abomination? Not only can humans turn into Digimon, but now they can Digivolve too? I will not stand for this blasphemy! You will die!"

His tentacles shot out to stab MetalGreymon. The cyborg dinosaur Digimon jumped over them and used his Metal Claw attack, slicing off the ends of Dragomon's tentacles.

"How dare you!" the aquatic beast Digimon bellowed.

"How dare I?" MetalGreymon growled back. "How dare you! You who thinks he can just push people around! You who thinks he has the right to decide who lives and who dies! I won't stand for it! I'm taking you down! Giga Blaster!"

Compartments opened on his chest and missiles shot out. They exploded against Dragomon, knocking the giant backwards.

"Nice shot," Agunimon commented as he crawled onto Whamon. "Now the tables are turning."

Dragomon rose up from the water. "The only thing turning is my stomach! Human turning into Digimon make me sick! I won't have it! Thousand Whip!"

His tentacles came down to strike. MetalGreymon slashed at the air with his metal claw, crying, "Powerful Flame!" Dragomon's tentacle recoiled as a wave of fire flowed from MetalGreymon's claw. But he didn't stop there as he used his Mega Claw, launching his metal arm on a cable to wrap around Dragomon's neck.

Dragomon grasped at the cable around his neck as MetalGreymon began winding it back in, pulling himself towards the aquatic beast Digimon. Dragomon reached for him as he approached, but MetalGreymon fired his Giga Storm, firing high-temperature beams from the compartments in his chest that the aquatic beast Digimon’s hand. When he reached Dragomon’s head, he used his still flesh arm to punch the aquatic beast Digimon square in the face

Dazed, Dragomon stumbled back as MetalGreymon's cable unwrapped from around his neck, and the metal arm reattached to the cyborg dinosaur Digimon. Dragomon glared at MetalGreymon's falling form and used his Tentacle Claw attack. The ends of his tentacles curled into hooks and slashed at MetalGreymon, sending sparks flying as they scraped against the cyborg dinosaur Digimon's metal parts. They still managed to graze some flesh, and MetalGreymon grunted in pain.

"Time to die!" Dragomon declared. "Forbidden Trident!"

He threw the deadly trident. MetalGreymon attempted to grab it, but it still stabbed into his chest.

"MetalGreymon!" Nefertimon cried as her brother splashed into the water, the giant trident pushing him beneath the surface.

Dragomon turned to her. "He was never a match for me anyway."

Nefertimon rushed at him. "You hurt my brother!"

She began rapidly firing her Rosetta Stone attack. Angemon and ExVeemon joined her in the air, attacking as well. Dragomon's tentacles shot out, grabbing the three of them. Growlmon, Agunimon, and Shoutmon all began firing their own attacks, but the aquatic beast Digimon just ignored them.

"No more playing around," he told his captives. "I'll crush you into dust."

"Giga Destroyer!"

An even more powerful version of MetalGreymon's Giga Blaster exploded against Dragomon's back. The aquatic beast Digimon's hold on the three Digimon loosened, and they pulled away as Dragomon doubled over.

"Miss me?" MetalGreymon asked as he tried to stay afloat.

Dragomon hissed at him. "I saw my trident hit you."

"Then you should have noticed that it struck my metal chest."

Dragomon roared, and his tentacles shot out. ExVeemon, Nefertimon, and Angemon quickly flew over and grabbed MetalGreymon, lifting him out of the water before Dragomon's tentacles found their mark. He growled as they lifted the cyborg dinosaur Digimon out of his reach, but was distracted by a Pyro Blaster from Growlmon and a Pyro Punch from Agunimon.

"Hang on," said Nefertimon. "We'll get you back to Whamon in a moment."

"No," MetalGreymon told her. "Take me up."

"Up?" Angemon repeated, looking at the sky. "Up where?"

"Just up, as high as you can go."

ExVeemon looked confused. "But why?"

"Just do it. Trust me."

The others exchanged curious looks, but decided to do as he said. "Up it is."

And so they flew up, past the clouds, going higher and higher, the forms of Dragomon and Whamon becoming mere specks. MetalGreymon still didn't tell them to let up, and so they kept going, the sky slowly shifting from blue to the starry blackness of space.

"Let go," he said.

"Are you crazy?" Nefertimon cried.

"It's alright," he assured her. "I'll meet you back down there."

Feeling uncertain, but trusting his judgment, they let him go. Gravity seized him, and MetalGreymon plummeted back down. Faster and faster he fell, building up speed. The air around him grew hotter the faster he fell. MetalGreymon bared the heat as flames seemed to engulf his body. His metal parts began glowing orange with heat as he fell from the sky like a meteor, leaving a trail of smoke behind.

Down below, Dragomon looked up at the glowing orange fireball that got closer and closer. A flaming object came speeding towards him, and he recognized the form of MetalGreymon, his metal parts glowing red-hot. With a snarl, Dragomon raised his arms, and his tentacles shot towards the falling Digimon.

MetalGreymon zeroed in on his target, raising his bright red metal arm. "Metal Slash Revision!"

Using an enhanced version of his Metal Slash attack, he met Dragomon head on. It happened too fast for any of the bystanders to see it, but an explosion of water went off, sending up giant waves as MetalGreymon splashed into the water.

The flying Digimon came down from the clouds, seeing Dragomon with his arms raised and no sign of MetalGreymon anywhere. They settled down on Whamon beside their friends, who were staring at the unmoving Dragomon.

"What happened?" Nefertimon asked. "Where's MetalGreymon?"

Agunimon shook his head. "I don't know. It happened so fast I couldn't see anything."

Dragomon continued to stand with his arms in the air, his extended tentacles stretched up to the sky. Then his tentacles slowly went limp and dropped down. A gargled cry escaped the aquatic beast Digimon as he split in half, right down the middle. The two halves of his body began dissolving into data at the point where he was cut in half until he vanished completely.

The Dark Undersea Master had been defeated.

 

Notes:

(A/N: Hooray! Greymon has Digivolved to MetalGreymon. Better yet, he managed to defeat Dragomon, with some help from his friends. Maybe not the most well thought out plan, but it worked. Hopefully this upgrade will make their journey easier. If Tai manages not to drown. Can MetalGreymon actually swim with those metal parts? I don't remember if he did or not on the show. Huh. So, this brings the Dragomon arc to a close. I know it wasn't that long, but there was only so much I could do with them at sea. What will happen when they get to shore? There's still a long way to go.)

MetalGreymon's Attacks:

Mega Claw – Launches his Trident Arm on a cable to slash foes or wrap around them.

Giga Blaster – Fires 2 organic missiles from the compartments on his chest.

Metal Slash – Slashes with his metal claw.

Metal Slash Revision – A more powerful version of Metal Slash.

Giga Destroyer – A more powerful version of Giga Blaster with the destructive capability of a nuclear warhead.

Powerful Flame – Unleashes a wave of fire from his metal claw.

Trident Arm – Fires his metal claw like a piston while super heated.

Over Flame – Shoots fire from his metal claw.

Giga Storm – Fires high-temperature beams from the ports in his chest.

Metal Arm – effects unknown.

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New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/MetalGreymon_(Vaccine)

Chapter 25: Land Ho!

Notes:

(A/N: I think I know how MetalGreymon felt when he was burning up last chapter. Florida was fun, but man did I get sunburned. That was definitely not fun. Writing this chapter was though. It's a little shorter than I wanted it to be, but it's still a decent length I think.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 25: Land Ho!

As Shoutmon paddled out to try and get to Dragomon's lingering data before it disappeared, the others looked around desperately for MetalGreymon.

"Where is he?" Nefertimon cried as she flew over the ocean. "Does anyone see him?"

"No such luck," ExVeemon replied, flying around the churning water.

"He did hit the water from pretty high up," said Angemon, looking up from where the cyborg dinosaur Digimon had fallen from. "He must have gone down deep."

Agunimon looked down at the water. "And he was heavy to boot. It'll take him a while to swim back up."

"But he'll drown!" Nefertimon exclaimed.

"Who's going to drown?"

Nefertimon turned. Treading water was her brother, having reverted to his human form to reduce his weight to get to the surface faster. Tears of relief filled Nefertimon's eyes as she sped towards him, returning to her human form once she was above him. "Tai!"

He yelped as she landed on top of him, hugging him tightly. Tai began splashing about as his sister clung to him, and Angemon flew over to pick them both up out of the water. "You ok, Tai?"

Tai spat out a mouthful of water. "Never better."

ExVeemon flew over. "You had us worried there for a minute."

Kari punched her brother's shoulder. "Don't ever scare me like that again!"

Angemon carried them back over to Whamon, and one by one, they returned to their human forms.

Takuya went over to Tai and high-fived him. "Nice job with Dragomon. You creamed that guy good."

"But couldn't you have done it a little closer?" Shoutmon complained as he climbed back up Whamon's body. "His data disappeared on me; I couldn't get to it in time. That would have been a great power boost."

Takato gave him a curious look. "What happens to a Digimon's data when its not absorbed?"

Shoutmon just waved it off. "It gets pulled into the data flow and the Digital World uses it for other things, like growing plants, or repairing damage done to it, yadda, yadda."

"How about repairing Whamon?" Davis asked. He tapped his foot on the whale Digimon's side. "Hey, you ok big guy?"

"Ah, he'll be fine," Shoutmon assured them. "He's out cold, but once he wakes up, he can take us the rest of the way with no further issues."

"That's right," said TK, suddenly excited. "We're almost there. I think after this fight, we've earned a rest on the beach."

Tai just laid down where he was. "I could use a rest right now."

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Whamon came to about an hour later. And after being filled in on what happened while he was out, they resumed their journey towards land.

"You humans have done an amazing thing," he told them gratefully. "You've freed us from Dragomon's tyrannical rule."

Davis arrogantly rubbed his index finger beneath his nose. "All in a day's work for the DigiDestined Data Squad."

Takuya rolled his eyes. "Oh, please. It was Tai that saved the day."

Takato nodded in agreement. "Yeah, we were pretty much useless against Dragomon."

Shoutmon shrugged. "That's just the difference between Champions and Ultimates."

Tai gave them a serious look. "Hey, don't sell yourselves short. You were all a huge help. I may have landed the final blow, but I never would have won if it wasn't for you guys."

"Don't be so modest, Tai," his sister told him. "You saved the day again."

"And now it's smooth sailing all the way to Cherubimon's castle!" Davis cheered, punching the air.

Shoutmon gave a bark of laughter. "You think our troubles are over? We've still got miles and miles to go once we get to land."

"Which shouldn't be much longer," Whamon reported.

"Right," the dragon Digimon mumbled. "My point is, there's no telling what other evil Digimon we'll run into along the way."

"Well that won't be a problem," said TK. "Now that Tai can become MetalGreymon, our team is a lot stronger."

Shoutmon humphed. "It's great that you're so hopeful, but we also have to be realistic. You may have beaten Dragomon, but he was only an Ultimate. A powerful one for sure, but still just an Ultimate. File Island was a place where Digimon start out. Champions were most likely the strongest Digimon you'd run into. But on the mainland, that's where the 'grown up' Digimon live. I'm talking Ultimates; I'm talking Megas. Megas that Digivolved again! If you think things have been tough so far, just you wait."

The others stared at him with forlorn looks. "Boy, way to kill the mood," Takato muttered.

Shoutmon sighed. "I'm just telling you like it is."

"I'm afraid he's right, children," Whamon added. "You need to be prepared. Evil runs ramped through the Digital World these days. Ever since the guardians were defeated, things have only gotten worse."

Tai blinked. "Guardians? What guardians?"

Shoutmon opened his mouth to reply, then closed it again. "It's not important. It was a long time ago."

The mood became gloomy, but Takuya was determined to lift everyone's spirits. "Hey, don't worry. We'll be able to handle anything that comes our way. Besides," he slapped Tai's back, "if Tai here was able to Digivolve to MetalGreymon, then we should be able to reach the Ultimate level too."

Shoutmon tapped his chin. "Hmm, I guess that's true. Your Digivices seem to draw off your inner strength, allowing you to Digivolve very quickly. Tai became Greymon a little over a month ago, yet he's already Digivolved to MetalGreymon. That should have taken hundreds of years, but somehow you humans are able to rapidly speed up the process."

"Well, I certainly hope it serves you well," Whamon told them, "because here we are. Thank you for choosing the S.S. Whamon. Please keep your hands and legs on the ride until the Whamon has come to a complete stop."

Kari chuckled. "You're funny, Whamon. I'm going to miss you."

The whale Digimon sighed. "I will miss you as well, my friends. But something tells me that we will see each other again."

He swam up to the edge of a low cliff, lifting his tail for the teens to use as a ramp. They crawled up it and stepped onto solid ground for the first time in over a week. Davis actually dropped to his knees and began kissing the ground. "It's so good to be back on dry land!"

"Once we get rid of our sea legs you mean," Takato agreed, trying to gain his balance.

Tai turned to Whamon. "We can't thank you enough for helping us."

"On the contrary, my friends, it is I who can't thank you enough for defeating Dragomon. If you ever need a ride across the ocean again, be sure to give me a call."

With that, he submerged, giving them one last farewell wave with his tail. And then he was gone. And just like that, the seven of them were on their own once again.

"Well, that was an adventure," TK remarked, stretching his arms.

"Our adventure isn't over yet," Tai reminded him. "We still have a long way to go."

"Yeah," Davis grumbled, clutching his stomach, "but can we eat first? I'm famished."

Takuya was quick to agreed. "Yeah, we haven't had a decent meal in days."

"We haven't had anything to eat in days," Takato pointed out.

Shoutmon pointed to the sky. "Alright, that settles it! Everyone spread out and find something to eat. Tonight, we feast. Tomorrow, we head out."

"Yeah!" the others cried.

After agreeing to meet back where they were once they'd gathered enough food, they all went in search of anything edible. Fortunately, there were several trees with fruits in them a short distance from the shore that looked very appealing.

"Hey, coconuts!" Davis exclaimed, running over to a tree. He wrapped his arms and legs around the trunk and began to inch his way to the top. Shoutmon watched with a raised eyebrow, having decided to tag along with him since he decided that Davis was the most accident prone of the group.

"Need a hand?" he called up to him.

Davis continued to scoot up to the top. "No, I'm good. Nearly there."

He reached up, feeling for the hard round fruit. His fingers closed over one, but had he not been wearing gloves, he would have noticed that while what he grabbed was round, it felt nothing like a coconut. He only realized it when it started screaming.

Startled, Davis fell out of the tree. Shoutmon yelped and dove out of the way as Davis landed on his rear end and fell forward. A moment later, several coconuts dropped onto his head.

"Ouch," Shoutmon muttered for him. "You alright?"

A large bump sprouted on Davis' head. "Don't worry, my head is harder than any coconut. I think I broke my tailbone though."

He felt whatever he had grabbed attempting to get out of his grasp and glanced at it. He was greeted by a face with large wide eyes on a yellow and white sphere with what seemed to be a card floating over its head.

Both Davis and the creature began screaming. Their cries brought the rest of the group rushing over.

"You ok?" Tai asked. "We heard screaming."

The creature pulled free of Davis' grasp and floated into the air, staring at the teens with wide eyes.

"Hey," said Takato, "it looks like a yellow and white PokéBall with a card on its head."

Shoutmon scoffed. "I don't know what a PokéBall is, but that is a card on its head. That's Cardmon."

"Who?" Takuya asked.

"Cardmon," TK replied, checking his Digivice. "He's a Rookie level Digimon that's capable of putting a curse on his enemies' stats, and can even create cards of other Digimon, whatever that means. Huh, it says that there are both aquatic and land based Cardmon, and different levels of them."

"Yeah," Shoutmon confirmed, "there are eight Cardmon in all. Four for the land type's, the Rookie, Champion, Ultimate, and Mega, and four more for the aquatic type. For some reason, their name doesn't change when they Digivolve." He received questioning looks from the teens. "Hey, I didn't create them."

"It's so cute," Kari commented.

"Even cute guys can be dangerous," Davis reminded her. "Remember Vilemon?" This got him strange looks from the others. "What? He wasn't cute?"

"Stay away from me!" Cardmon shouted. "Booster Pack!"

The card on the top of his head spun around rapidly and began flinging cards with Digimon on them at the teens with enough force for the sides to cut like knives.

"Oww, paper cut!" Davis yelped as the edge of the cards whizzed past him.

Shoutmon glared and took a threatening step toward the card Digimon. "You looking for a fight?"

"Wait, stop!" a voice pleaded from up above. From out of the same tree, a small pink rabbit-like Digimon wearing a red scarf hopped down. "Please don't hurt him!"

Kari's eyes lit up. "Aww, that one's cute too!"

"Cute is right," TK agreed, looking at his Digivice. "That's Cutemon, a Rookie level fairy Digimon. Looks like most of her techniques are healing based, but she can also attack with a song that sends out shock waves."

"T-That's right," Cutemon stammered. "And if you try and hurt either of us, I'll start singing!"

"Hey, momentai," Takato said, using his friend, Henry's, favorite word, "we're not here to hurt anyone."

"Not as long as they don't hurt us first," Tai added warningly.

Cardmon gave them a weary look. "Then you're not with the snatchers?"

Takuya blinked. "The who now?"

"We're not with anyone but each other," TK assured them. "We only just got here now."

"Yeah, I was looking for food and thought you were a coconut," Davis explained.

Cardmon and Cutemon exchanged a look. "So you're not going to hurt us?" the latter asked.

"We don't even know you," Tai pointed out. "Why would we hurt you?"

The two Digimon breathed sighs of relief. "That's a relief," they said together.

"Sorry I attacked you," Cardmon added. "We thought you were with the snatchers."

"Nope, no snatchers," Shoutmon assured them. "Just some hungry travelers searching for some food."

"And a bed," Davis muttered, rubbing his backside. "And a bath. And a place to stay for a while. And a-"

"They get it," the others chorused.

Cardmon and Cutemon exchanged another look and put their heads together. The teens caught phrases like "…trust them?" and "…don't seem dangerous." Soon they seemed to come to a decision, and gave the teens a smile.

"Well, if you want, you can come back to our village," Cardmon offered.

"Really?" Takato asked eagerly.

Cutemon nodded. "We always welcome weary travelers, as long as you promise not to cause any trouble."

"Trust us," said Tai, "we've had more than enough trouble. We've got no interest in starting any ourselves."

"Then you're more than welcome. Just let me fix this first." She walked over to Davis and held up her hands. "Healing Glow!"

Her hands began glowing. Light began pouring out of them and flowed over Davis. The pain in is head and rear end slowly faded. The bump on his head shrank down until it was completely gone, and his paper cuts from Cardmon's attack sealed shut, not even leaving a scar.

Davis' eyes were wide with amazement. "Whoa, cool. You're like a white mage."

The fairy Digimon blinked. "A what?"

"Don't bother," Shoutmon told her. "These humans say really weird things sometimes."

Takuya rolled his eyes. "As if you have room to talk."

At that moment, Davis' stomach rumbled, loudly. The others stared at him, and he grinned stupidly, rubbing the back of his head. "Any chance you can fix my hunger pains too?"

Cardmon smiled. "Of course, once we get to the village. Come on, it's this way."

And so the teens followed the two Digimon. After Devimon and Dragomon, they were entitled to a break. Surely their troubles were behind them. Right?

Notes:

(A/N: Yes, they are most certainly entitled to a break, but will they get one? The Dragomon arc is over, and we're moving on to the next. Oh, wait, I said that last time. I guess this is more of the Dragomon arc blending into the next one. Just a warning, this next arc is going to take a darker tone. You'll see why in the next few chapters. Here's something to ponder though, who are these snatchers Cardmon and Cutemon are referring to, and will our heroes really find sanctuary at this village. All this and more will be answered next time.)

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New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Cardmon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Cutemon

Chapter 26: A Friendly Village

Notes:

(A/N: Ok, so this chapter is a little bit of a filler. We can't have a plot driven chapter each and every time with one enemy after another appearing. But even though this one is meant to be more fun and humorous, it's still a setup for the upcoming arc. So lets get started.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 26: A Friendly Village

It was a quaint little village, the kind that usually appeared in anime that took place during the feudal era. Several Digimon, ranging from In-Training to Champions, went about their daily lives, although many stopped to stare as Cardmon and Cutemon came wandering into the village accompanied by six humans.

"Hey, guys," said a Digimon that resembled a flower. "What are those things?"

"Floramon, don't be rude," Cutemon scolded. "These are our new friends, they're called humons."

"Um, that's humans," Takato corrected.

"Right, humans. This is Floramon. He and I work together at the bathhouse."

Kari's face lit up. "You have a bathhouse?"

Davis, however, had other things on his mind as he stared at the flower Digimon. "Wait, that thing is a dude?"

"Davis!" the others snapped.

"What? It looks like a girl."

Shoutmon jumped up and punched him over the head. "Idiot!" He turned and bowed to Floramon in apology. "Please excuse them. They're from a different world, so they've never seen Digimon before."

Floramon raised an eyebrow. "Um, ok, I guess you're forgiven."

He wandered off, still looking at Davis strangely. The others sighed before glaring at him. "Try not to insult the locals," Tai told him.

Davis' shoulders sank. "Well, I'm sorry, he looked like a girl. And how are you supposed to tell apart two Digimon of the same species anyway, let alone what gender they are?"

"Well, his voice was a bit of a giveaway," TK replied.

"I wasn't asking you, TQ."

"Actually, you kind of asked all of us," Takato pointed out.

Shoutmon sighed. "Most Digimon of the same species can be either male or female, though some species are exclusively only one gender." He nodded at TK. "All Angemon, for example, are only male. Some Digimon even end up changing genders when they Digivolve. Oh, and in case you couldn't tell, I'm a guy."

Davis just stared. "That's really weird."

"What, that I'm a guy?"

"No, the whole gender-bender thing you guys have going on. How do relationships even work in those cases?"

"Davis, just let it go," Tai told him. "Quite frankly, there's a lot about Digimon that we don't understand and will never be able to. Just go with it."

"To be fair," Shoutmon relented, "there's a lot about you humans that I don't understand either. I still can't wrap my mind around that reproducing stuff you told me about. I mean, I understand mating, we Digimon do that too, but how does that create a new life? The only way a brand new Digimon is created is during an extremely rare case when a great deal of data comes together to create one, usually from the lingering data another Digimon leaves behind after it's destroyed."

"Oh, so it's like mitosis?" Takato asked.

"My toes what? What's that?"

"Anyway," Kari said loudly, attempting to change the subject, "Cutemon, didn't you say you work at a bathhouse?"

The fairy Digimon nodded. "Yeah, we all contribute here and have our own jobs."

"Any chance I could get a soak?"

"Yeah, me too," TK agreed.

"Same here," said Takato.

Cutemon gave them a smile. "Of course. But first you'll have to meet our village leader. She'll decide if you're safe, or if you're an enemy."

Tai placed a hand on his hip. "So we haven't earned your trust yet?"

"Sorry," Cardmon told him, "but those are the rules. We can't take any chances with the snatchers." He smiled. "But don't worry, you'll be judged fairly. I'll even vouch for you."

"Well then," Takuya muttered, "we might as well get this over with."

"It'll be fine," Cutemon assured them. "And once you get the ok, you can stop by for a long hot bath."

"After we eat," Davis insisted.

"Yeah, what he said," Shoutmon agreed.

Cardmon motioned for them to follow. "Come on, I'll take you."

Cutemon waved goodbye as the teens followed the card Digimon through the village, receiving more strange and suspicious stares from the resident Digimon. They eventually came to a vegetable garden that grew giant vegetables, some growing even taller than the teens' heads.

"Whoa, did we shrink?" Davis asked. "These things are huge!"

Cardmon gave him a strange look. "They always grow this big here." He flew higher into the sky. "Hey, Kazemon, I have some visitors here to see you."

From out of the giant vegetable patch, a fairy Digimon with butterfly wings and a rather skimpy outfit flew up in the air and settled down next to them. "Visitors, you say?"

Cardmon nodded. "From another world."

The human boys stared at Kazemon in wonder. "Wow," Takuya muttered, "if I Zoe weren't my girlfriend, I'd totally go for her, even if she is a Digimon."

Shoutmon thumped his chest. "Sorry, but I only have Renamon in my heart." He held up one of the Digimon cards Cardmon had thrown at them early, which just happened to have the fox Digimon's picture on it, and kissed it. "Wait for me, my love."

Kari frowned, looking back and forth between TK and the fairy Digimon, but didn't say anything, though a scowl still crossed her face.

Kazemon chuckled. "Cute first impression, boys." She walked over to them. "I can see what you mean, Cardmon. They're definitely not from around here."

Tai snapped out of his stupor. "Yeah, and we're not enemies either."

The fairy Digimon looked him up and down, her smile dropping. "What infiltrating enemy would admit they were?"

"Ok, that's a fair question," Takato admitted. "But we really don't mean any harm. We're not with the scavengers."

Beneath her headgear that hid her eyes, Kazemon raised an eyebrow. "You mean the snatchers?"

"Yeah, them," said Davis. "Um, who are they anyway?"

The answer came from them as another Digimon approached. "They're a team of evil Digimon that reek havoc on our village."

Kazemon nodded to the cat Digimon. "Any sign of them, Gatomon?"

The newcomer shook her head. "All's clear for now." She looked at the teens suspiciously. "Except for them."

"I'm determining if they're a threat or not right now," Kazemon told her.

"Hey, come on," said Shoutmon, "we're all friends here. In fact, Kari her can actually turn into a Nefertimon."

If he thought this would help, he was wrong as Gatomon glared. "You don't say."

Kari glanced at Shoutmon. "Why should that matter?"

He snapped his fingers. "Oh, right, you don't know. Gatomon is an alternate Champion stage of Salamon." At her blank look, he added, "Nefertimon's Rookie level."

Her eyes widened. "Oh, that's cool. It's kind of like we're sisters."

Gatomon pointed a gloved claw at her. "It makes us no such thing! And if you give me any reason to suspect that you might hurt anyone in this village, I'll scratch your eyes out."

"Gatomon!" Kazemon snapped. "These people are our guests, treat them as such."

Takato blinked. "I feel like we've been here before. Yeah, this was just like when we were in the caves of Infinity Mountain."

Gatomon humphed. "I don't know what happened in Infinity Mountain, just know that I have my eye on you."

Having said her piece, she turned and left. Kazemon sighed and shook her head. "You have to forgive her. You see, one of the snatchers used to be her best friend." She looked at Kari. "And she was of the same species as her."

A sympathetic look crossed Takuya's face, and he looked back at Gatomon. "No wonder she's so suspicious. How can you trust strangers when you can't even trust your friends?"

TK stepped forward. "Excuse me, but who exactly are these snatchers? What sort of trouble are they causing?"

The fairy Digimon sighed again. "They come one or two times a month to destroy different parts of our village and kidnap someone."

"Whoa, they actually kidnap people?" Davis asked.

Kazemon nodded. "That's why we call them snatchers. And no one that's been taken has ever come back. We've sent rescue parties, but they've never returned."

Tai nodded. "Now I see why you don't trust us."

"But I do trust Cardmon," Kazemon replied. "I've known him since I was a Rookie. Besides, Cardmon has a very shy nature. If he trusted you enough to bring you here, then I'll give you the benefit of the doubt, but consider yourselves on probation."

Takato nodded his head in gratitude. "Thank you, ma'am, but we really can't stay long. We have to find a way to get back to our world. We were just hoping to find some food and shelter for the night."

Kazemon smiled. "Well, we can certainly help with that. We have plenty of food. Eat up and rest. As long as you don't cause any trouble, you're welcome here."

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"Ah, this feels great," Takato sighed as he sank into the hot water.

"You said it," Davis agreed. "I don't realize how sore I was before."

"Well," said Tai, "we have been in a lot of battles. Devimon, Dragomon, all those other bad Digimon."

Apparently, the bathhouse that Cutemon worked at was more of a hot spring resort. The teens were currently enjoying a good soak in a spring that was large enough to swim in.

"Hey, Kari," Tai yelled to the large wall separating the boy's side from the girl's side, "you ok over there?"

"Never better!" Kari called back. "This was exactly what I needed!"

"That's for sure," TK replied. He looked around. "Hey, where's Shoutmon?"

"Present!" came the dragon Digimon's voice from the other side of the wall. This was followed by a scream from Kari, followed by a scuffle before Shoutmon came flying over the wall to the boy's side. He splashed into the water and floated to the surface with dizzy swirls in his eyes and a bump on his head.

"Shoutmon," Takuya snapped, "why were you on the girl's side?"

"What?" the dragon Digimon argued. "I wasn't trying to peep or anything. Besides, most Digimon are naked all the time anyway, so I don't care if I see you humans in the buff. Davis, what are you doing?"

The boy in question had suddenly pressed himself against the wall and seemed to be looking for something. "I'm trying to find a hole. Don't these walls always have hidden holes somewhere to look through?"

Tai's eye twitched irritably. "And why would you be searching for a hole?"

Apparently, Davis didn't pick up the warning/accusation in the older boy's voice, nor did the fact that Tai was Kari's brother register to him as he turned to give him a look that stated the obvious. "To see the other side, duh."

Two fists slammed into Davis' face, one from Tai, the other from TK. Davis went down, splashing into the water with his feet in the air.

"Idiot," Takuya muttered.

Shoutmon shook his head. "A total pervert."

"As if you have any room to talk!" Tai snapped.

The dragon Digimon scoffed. "I don't want to see a naked human. I just wanted some more room to stretch out; this side is too crowded."

Takato blinked. "You know, now that I think about it, when we Spirit Evolve, only Angemon and Agunimon have clothes. And I guess Nefertimon to some extent." He turned red. "Wow, I'm suddenly feeling really self-conscious."

"What are you guys talking about over there?" came Kari's voice from the other side of the wall.

"Nothing!" the boys called back.

"Just guy stuff!" Tai added.

The door to the bath opened and Floramon entered carrying a tray with drinks. "How is everything?"

The flower Digimon smiled. "I'm glad to hear it. Care for something to drink?"

Tai accepted one. "Sure thanks. You've got great service here."

Floramon smiled. "You flatter me. Anyone who's a friend of Cutemon is a friend of mine." His smile vanished. "Um, is that young man ok?"

They looked back at Davis, who was still underwater with his legs in the air, bubbles rising where his head was submerged. Takato quickly lifted his head above the water, but Davis seemed to be out of it, frothing at the mouth.

A loud explosion suddenly shook the land, causing Floramon to drop the drinks. Another one followed, and Takato dropped Davis. His head hit the wall, and he seemed to snap out of his daze. "What happened?"

"Wait here," said Floramon, looking pale. "I'll go check."

He hurried away, hoping it wasn't what he thought it was. The boys exchanged worried looks as Kari's voice called to them. "What was that?"

"Not sure!" Tai called back. "It felt like an explosion!"

This was followed by another, this one much closer. The wall trembled, and the boards fell over. On reflex, the boys turned to look at the falling boards, and they received an eyeful of what was on the other side.

Kari was in the water, having risen to her feet when the explosion hit, as had the boys. For a few seconds, they simply stared at each other, then, all at once, a shower of blood flew from the noses of four of the boys while a look of horror crossed over Tai's. Kari's face suddenly turned red in embarrassment as tears of humiliation filled her eyes. She cried out, crossing her arms over her chest, and crouched down into the water again.

Shoutmon just blinked, looking confused. "I don't get it."

The door opened again, and both Floramon and Cutemon hurried in. "We've got trouble!" the latter shouted.

"I've got trouble!" Kari cried. "Hurry and throw me my towel!"

"Forget the towel!" said Floramon. "The snatchers are here!"

Notes:

(A/N: Trouble's brewing. Our heroes have barely had a break before a new problem has arisen. But who are these snatchers? Why are they kidnapping Digimon? For what purpose? And, most importantly, is there anything the teens can do to stop them. Don't forget, they're on the mainland now; there's going to be a lot more powerful Digimon than there were on File Island. The plot for this arc is getting started, and it's going to be darker than the last two, so be prepared for next time.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Floramon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Kazemon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Gatomon

Chapter 27: The Snatchers

Notes:

(A/N: I had someone point out that I ended up doing an "obligatory hot spring" moment since each Season has had one. Actually, that was unintentional. It's been so long since I watch past Seasons that I had forgotten any hot spring moments, but I checked, and they were right. Funny how my story just happened to end up with one. I never had any intention of putting a scene like that in there, it just ended up that way. Ironic, no? But enough about that. Lets take a look at who these mysterious snatchers are.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 27: The Snatchers

A sinister laughter rose above the screams of the villagers as beams of burning darkness flew through the air. Houses exploded as the user made her way through the village, taking delight in the destruction she caused.

"Such beautiful destruction," she cooed. "We shouldn't have waited so long before coming back. Evil Wing!"

A wave of darkness in the form of bats flowed outward, burning all in its path. The fallen angel Digimon chuckled as another house crumbled and more Digimon fled from the wreckage.

"LadyDevimon!"

The fallen angel Digimon turned as her name was called, sneering at the one who dared to challenge her. "Well, if it isn't my old friend. Still a Champion I see."

Gatomon glared. "And you're still a raging psychopath."

LadyDevimon chuckled. "Oh, you mean all this?" She motioned to the destruction she had caused. "We're just having a bit of fun while we fulfill our master's request."

Behind her, Kazemon came in for a landing. "You're master is even more twisted and evil than you are."

Slowly, LadyDevimon turned to her. "You would do well not to speak ill of my master."

"You mean speak the truth?"

LadyDevimon hissed at her. "Stun Wave!"

A whip made of electricity appeared in her hand and flew at the fairy Digimon. Kazemon quickly used Tempest Twist, dropping to a handstand as she spun around while kicking, causing a tornado. She was lost within the vortex, causing LadyDevimon to miss, and the tornado flew at her.

"Slap!" the fallen angel Digimon cried. Her hand flew out into the approaching tornado, striking Kazemon with such force that she was knocked right out of the vortex. LadyDevimon sneered at her mockingly. "Pathetic."

"Cat Punch!"

Gatomon's fist slammed into LadyDevimon cheek. The fallen angel Digimon's lip split open, and she sent a cold glare at the cat Digimon. Her clawed hand shot out, wrapping around Gatomon's throat, and lifted her into he air. "Now is that any way to treat your BFF?"

"You're no friend of mine," Gatomon seethed.

"You're right," LadyDevimon agreed. "Otherwise, I might feel bad for doing this. Darkness Wave!"

A wave of darkness flowed over Gatomon. She felt her own power turn to dark energy, burning her from the inside, and she began to wail.

"This is your punishment for striking me," LadyDevimon whispered evilly. "No one but my master is allowed to spill my blood."

Gatomon cracked open an eye. "You're sick."

LadyDevimon brought her closer. "Perhaps I should bring you to him this time so he can show you the sweetness of suffering."

"Hurricane Wave!"

The cry came from Kazemon. Small tornados appeared on her fingertips that she brought down on LadyDevimon's shoulders like whips. The fallen angel Digimon turned to her, a cruel smile creeping up her face. "That wasn't very nice. Whips are my specialty. You stole my technique." She held out her hand, and it turned into a long sharp spike. "Guess I'll use this instead.Black Wing!"

Still holding Gatomon, she lunged at the fairy Digimon, swinging the spike on her hand. Fortunately, Kazemon was extremely light on her feet, and very flexible, allowing her to dance out of the way of LadyDevimon's attack.

"Fairy Dance!" she cried, performing a somersault kick.

Her foot hit LadyDevimon in the chest, knocking her back and causing her to drop Gatomon. But the fallen angel Digimon didn't even seem to be hurt as she sneered at Kazemon. "Nice move. I might have to start getting serious. Evil Wing!"

A swarm of bats flew at Kazemon, knocking her back. LadyDevimon leapt into the air and brought her elbow slamming down on the fairy Digimon's gut, knocking the wind out of her, and Kazemon began sputtering and gasping.

"Oh my," LadyDevimon taunted as she stood up. "Did that hurt? Here, let me make it better."

She slammed her foot down on the spot where her elbow had landed and began digging in. Kazemon began grumbling in agony, but still managed to summon enough energy for an attack. "Hurricane Gale!"

A blast of wind flew from her hand, but it was weak, and LadyDevimon avoided it by simply leaning back. "You would think you'd have learned by now that you're no match for us. You couldn't stop us last month, or the month before that, and you won't stop us this time." She raised a clawed finger to her lips, running her tongue along it. "But maybe we need to drill that lesson in a little deeper."

She raised her clawed hand, ready to strike, but suddenly sensed the attack coming. She jumped out of the way, avoiding Shoutmon's Fiery Fastball. "Pick on someone your own size!" the dragon Digimon told her.

The teens arrived a few moments later, only half dressed, and stared up at LadyDevimon. "Whoa," Davis muttered. "Talk about your S&M enthusiast."

"Davis, that's gross," Kari muttered.

LadyDevimon scowled "Now what are those things supposed to be?"

"Humans from the Real World," Takuya replied. "And we're going to kick your butt if you don't get out of here."

LadyDevimon laughed. "Oh, that's rich. I don't know what's more ridiculous, that humans could actually be in the Digital World, or that you think you stand a chance against me. Do you have any idea who you're dealing with?"

It was a rhetorical question, but Takato took it seriously as he checked his Digivice. "LadyDevimon, Ultimate level, special attack Evil Wing. She's one nasty witch who's as powerful as she is sadistic."

"And I can assure you, I'm quite powerful," the fallen angel Digimon taunted.

"Well, so are we," Davis insisted. "Lets show her. Execute! Spirit Evolution… ExVeemon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Agunimon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Growlmon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Nefertimon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Angemon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… MetalGreymon!"

With their transformations complete, the teens looked at MetalGreymon. "Cool," said Growlmon. "We can go straight to the Ultimate level once we unlock it."

LadyDevimon clapped her hands together, pretending to look worried. "Oh dear, I now have one, two, three, four, five Champions and an Ultimate challenging me. What's a girl to do?"

"You could just leave," ExVeemon suggested.

LadyDevimon just grinned. "Or I could simply kill you."

The dragon Digimon humphed. "You could try. But first I have a question for you. What's that growth on your shoulder? Is that part of your outfit, or a second head?"

The fallen angel Digimon scowled at him. "Cute. Now I have a question for you. What's that on your face?"

ExVeemon felt his face. "My face?"

"This!" Almost too fast to see, LadyDevimon flew at ExVeemon and kicked him in the head, sending the dragon Digimon crashing to the ground.

"ExVeemon!" Angemon cried. He flew at LadyDevimon, swinging his staff. "Angel Rod!"

Smirking, LadyDevimon raised her arm, the staff slamming against it. Her left hand extended into a spike again as she used her Black Wing attack, slashing the angel Digimon across the chest.

"Rosetta Stone!" Nefertimon cried, firing several stone slabs.

LadyDevimon's grin widened. "How cute." She lashed out with several punches and kicks, shattering the stone slabs. "Got any other fancy tricks?"

"Mega Claw!" MetalGreymon cried, firing his metal arm on a cable.

LadyDevimon caught his claw, grasping the blades. But she didn't expect MetalGreymon to lunge at her, the cable pulling him along until his body reattached to his arm. LadyDevimon kept a firm grip on his claw, but was pushed to the ground by his weight, her back slamming into the rocky ground. Her arms trembled with the effort to hold the claw back, the middle blade mere inches from her face.

"Impressive," she commended. "So you're not just a Digimon wannabe. But you're still out of your league. Darkness Wave!"

A wave of darkness flowed out of her body and into MetalGreymon. He cried out as his own energy was turned against him, and LadyDevimon threw him off her.

"How about some combo moves," Growlmon suggested to Agunimon and Nefertimon. "Dragon Spine!"

"Nile Jewelry!"

"Pyro Darts!"

Quills, jewels, and bits of fire flew at LadyDevimon. The grin never left her face as she produced her electric whip and waved it around her body, defending against the attacks. She then lashed out with her whip, wrapping the end around Growlmon's neck and pulling him forward to use Slap.

Nefertimon flew at her, but the fallen angel Digimon simply used Bat Blitz, firing lasers from her eyes to blast the holy beast Digimon out of the sky. She then pulled her whip from Growlmon, swinging it at Agunimon. It coiled around his leg, and she lifted him into the air, slamming him back down.

ExVeemon finally managed to get to his feet, rubbing his head where he had been hit. "That's going to leave a mark."

LadyDevimon glanced at him. "Well, look who's awake."

The dragon Digimon glared at her. "Try this, you freaky dominatrix. Vee-Laser!"

LadyDevimon simply fired more lasers, the two attacks colliding and exploding in the air. She fired again, but ExVeemon took to the air and settled beside his friends. All were on their feet again, looking ready for round two.

"I must say," said LadyDevimon, "this is proving to be a more entertaining visit than I thought. I didn't think anyone besides Kazemon and Gatomon would dare to stand up to me."

She glanced at the two in question to find Cutemon standing beside them, a hand over each one. The two Champion Digimon were glowing as light poured out of Cutemon's hands and onto them. She panicked when she saw LadyDevimon looking at her and fled. And when the glowing stopped, both Kazemon and Gatomon got up, looking much better.

LadyDevimon looked surprised at first, but then smiled. "Well, well, I think we found what we were looking for. This ought to make the master very happy."

MetalGreymon took a step forward. "I don't think so. Your snatching days are over. You got the jump on us before, but you can't beat all of us."

The fallen angel Digimon roared with laughter. "Beat you? I wasn't trying to beat you. I was just having a bit of fun. I could kill you any time I wish."

"You're all alone," Agunimon told her. "But we've got friends."

LadyDevimon shook a finger at him. "Ah, ah. I have a friend too. And I think it's time I introduced you to him."

She placed two fingers in her mouth and whistled. From the other side of the village, there was another explosion. LadyDevimon grinned at the looks on the DigiDestined's faces. "Didn't you notice that I've been saying 'we' this whole time, or did you think I was just talking in the third person?"

ExVeemon humphed. "I thought you were referring to that thing on your shoulder."

Beneath where LadyDevimon was hovering, one of the houses exploded. Slowly, from out of the cloud of smoke, a black and red Digimon walked towards them. It resembled a skeleton crossed with a knight, and it had a giant eye on its chest and each shoulder.

Shoutmon's fists clenched. "Oh, crap, that's Duskmon."

"Great," Agunimon muttered. "So who's Duskmon?"

"A Digimon who's an evil incarnation of darkness itself. He's only a Champion, but he's strong enough to rival an Ultimate. Don't expect any mercy from him; this guy is ruthless."

Duskmon came to a stop. "Mercy? Mercy is nothing more than a word the weak use when they're confronted by their betters."

LadyDevimon flew down to land beside the demon Digimon. "Glad you could join us."

Duskmon didn't even glance at her. "I was rounding up the villagers for selection, as ordered."

The fallen angel Digimon arrogantly rubbed her chin. "That won't be necessary. Turns out they were hiding a Cutemon here. The master will be able to make good use of her."

"Then seize her and we'll be on our way."

LadyDevimon chuckled. "I would, but it seems we've got a few brave or foolish individuals here that wish to stop us."

Duskmon didn't move, but the air around him seemed to shift. "In that case, lets dispose of them."

Blood red blades slid out of the mouths of the dragon skulls that served as his hands, and he rushed towards the DigiDestined. Leaping into the air, he brought a blade down with the intent to cut Angemon in half. The angel Digimon managed to block with his staff, but Duskmon's foot shot out, slamming into his chest. He then whirled around and used Brute Strike, slashing Nefertimon and sending her falling from the sky.

Growlmon used Pyro Blaster, but Duskmon teleported out of the way with his Ghost Move. He reappeared on the dinosaur Digimon's back and delivered a roundhouse kick to his head. MetalGreymon made a move towards the demon Digimon as Growlmon went down, but LadyDevimon moved in his path. "I don't think so, big guy. You're mine."

The cyborg dinosaur Digimon's eyes narrowed. "Fine then. Over Flame!"

He slashed at her, a stream of fire following his claws as they sliced through the air. LadyDevimon swerved out of the way, giving MetalGreymon an arrogant smile. "Playing with fire, huh? Well, you know what happens when play with fire. You get burned!"

She unleashed her Evil Wing attack, and the flow of bats collided with MetalGreymon, the dark energy burning straight through his metal chest in a way his fire never could.

Over by Duskmon, Agunimon unleashed a stream of fire with his Blaze Gust. Kazemon followed up by throwing her Hurricane Gale into the mix. The wind amplified the fire attack and flew at Duskmon, consuming him in a stream of fire.

A grin crept up Agunimon's face, and he punched the air. "We got him!" He gave Kazemon a thumbs up. "Nice move."

She smiled at him. "Not too shabby yourself. You know, you look pretty good as a Digimon."

A blush stained Agunimon's face, but it was short-lived as a cry of, "Geist Blade Storm!" came from within the fire. The flames dispersed as Duskmon burst out, slashing his blades all round, the image of a blood red full moon surrounding him. He flew at the two who attacked him, slashing them all over their bodies until they dropped from the sky.

"Golden Noose!" Nefertimon cried, the rope of light flying out to coil around the demon Digimon.

"Hand of Fate!" Angemon cried, firing a beam.

Gatomon jumped up onto his shoulder to join in on the group attack. "Cat Laser!"

"And for the final touch," said ExVeemon. "Vee-Laser!"

Duskmon growled and leapt into the air. He couldn't go far with the Golden Noose holding him, but he managed to avoid the attacks. Nefertimon pulled on the rope of light, attempting to drag him back down, but Duskmon shifted the position of his arms, allowing his blades to cut through the rope.

"Lunar Plasma!" He drew a circle in the air around himself, creating another red moon, obstructing him from view. Then he shot out of it towards the others. The movement was too fast to be seen, but the sound of his blade cutting through the air was heard. Nefertimon, Angemon, ExVeemon, and Gatomon remained frozen for a moment, then all four toppled over.

Up in the air, LadyDevimon was currently moving around as MetalGreymon continued to slash at her with his metal claw. "It looks like your friends are out of commission."

He knew he shouldn't allow himself to get distracted, yet he couldn't help it, and he glanced at the others. LadyDevimon smirked and flew at him, using her Slap attack. She struck with such force that MetalGreymon felt the sting of it straight through his steel headpiece. "Eyes on me," she told him.

"Oh, they're on you," he growled. "Locked on you. Giga Blaster!"

The panels on his chest opened, launching missiles. LadyDevimon just grinned and used her Bat Blitz attack to fire lasers from her eyes. They struck the missiles before they were clear of his body, and he was blasted back from the explosion, landing near his friends.

As LadyDevimon came in for a landing, Duskmon went over to her. "I think they know their place now," she told him.

Growlmon was struggling to his feet, feeling as if he had a concussion. "You wish."

The others joined him, grouping up. "Yeah, we're just getting started." Agunimon insisted.

"Oh my, so stubborn," LadyDevimon commented. "But we have a job to do, so we can't waste time playing with you anymore. Ready, Duskmon?"

He didn't bother to answer her. "Deadly Gaze!"

The eyes on his chest and shoulders looked directly at the DigiDestined and fired beams as LadyDevimon unleashed her Evil Wing. The two attacks swirled together, creating an explosion of darkness the DigiDestined were caught up in. And when the smoke cleared, the teens were back in human form, unconscious, as were Kazemon and Gatomon.

"Well, that takes care of that," LadyDevimon commented.

"Not quite," Duskmon replied, and began walking towards them, sliding his blades against each other with obvious intent.

LadyDevimon put a hand on his shoulder to stop him. "Hold up, lets not kill them just yet. Lets tell the master about this first. He might want them alive for something."

Duskmon was silent, his expression giving away nothing. "Ghost Move!" He teleported away. A few seconds later, he was back, holding a struggling Cutemon in his arms. "Lets go."

On the sidelines, Shoutmon was sweating nervously. Yet he swallowed and took a step forward, pointing at them. "H-Hey, let her go!"

Duskmon turned to him, his expression cold. He slowly walked in his direction, and Shoutmon's extended finger drooped. "You want her?" the demon Digimon asked. "Then try and take her."

"Help me!" Cutemon pleaded.

Beads of sweat ran down Shoutmon's head, and he unconsciously took a step back.

"That's what I thought," Duskmon replied. He delivered a kick to Shoutmon, sending the dragon Digimon crashing into a wall, then glanced at LadyDevimon. "We're leaving. Ghost Move!"

He teleported away with Cutemon, leaving his companion behind. Smirking, she turned to the other Digimon who hadn't dared to fight and winked at them. "See you again."

Then she flew off, cackling all the while.

Notes:

(A/N: The snatchers have revealed themselves, and they're proving not only to be quite menacing, but very powerful. Our heroes didn't stand a chance. And now Cutemon has been kidnapped. But for what purpose? Who is this master LadyDevimon and Duskmon serve? And if they answer to him, how strong is he? An Ultimate, a Mega? Any guesses as to who it is? I'll be revealing them next time. Maybe.)

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New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/LadyDevimon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Duskmon

Chapter 28: Picking Up the Pieces

Notes:

(A/N: Last time, we had LadyDevimon and Duskmon attack the village. I thought they'd make a great evil team. LadyDevimon is really vicious, and Duskmon's cold ruthlessness goes well with her brutal nature; also, he's one of my favorites. Warning, this chapter gets pretty… um, eerie towards the end. I did warn you that this arc would be darker than the last two.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 28: Picking Up the Pieces

Spending weeks in the wilderness, and then several days at sea on a boat and then on Whamon's back made it difficult to find a comfortable sleeping position. The softness of a bed was one of things Takato missed the most from the Real World. Thus, he had no desire to get up, even after finally having regained consciousness.

It didn't fully register quite yet that he was in a bed instead of lying on the softest bit of ground he could find, but the aches and pains of the previous day's battle quickly chased away the last remnants of sleep, and he forced his eyes open.

"What happened there?" he muttered, seeing a large hole in the ceiling that showed the open sky.

"It was destroyed in the attack yesterday."

"Attack?" he muttered. "Ah! The attack!" He sat up, looking around desperately. "Guys, where are you?"

"Relax," the same speaker from before told him, and a Digimon that resembled a child wearing a kendo uniform approached, "your friends are fine. A little worse for wear, but still up and about."

"Um, ooook. And you are?"

"Me? I'm Kotemon. I've been watching over you guys since your battle. You're the last one. Your humanmon friends are already outside waiting for you."

Takato blinked. "Oh, thanks." He got out of the bed, already missing its comfort. "By the way, its not humanmon, its just human. And my name is Takato."

"Yes, Takatomon."

"No! I'm not a mon. It's just…" He sighed. "Ah, never mind. Where outside?"

"I'll show you."

He followed the reptile Digimon out of what was left of the partly destroyed house. The damage was much worse on the outside, and the residential Digimon worked with sullen expressions as they rebuilt. Takato's heart went out to the poor creatures. Was this what they went through every month when the snatchers attacked?

"Welcome back." He turned to find Kari carrying what appeared to be a tarp made of reeds. She gave him a sad smile and carried it over to the house he had just come out of. On the roof, there was a Digimon that looked like a purple mushroom, who took the tarp from her and placed it over the hole.

Takato walked over to her, a frown on his face. "I can't believe they did this."

Kari sighed sadly. "I know. It's so cruel. And we couldn't do a thing to stop them."

He looked around. "Where are the others?"

She nodded. "Over there."

He followed her through the destroyed village. Everyone was either working on repairs or treating the injured. It was truly a sad sight. Even the teens were helping to rebuild, with the exception of Tai, who was wrapping a bandage around the injured arm of a Digimon that resembled a pencil called Ekakimon.

"I wish Joe was here," he said with a sigh. "He wants to be a doctor. He'd do a better job at this than me." He tied off the end. "There, that should do it."

Davis was currently scowling as he hammered a nail into a wall. "What we should be doing is going after those snatcher creeps." A moment later, he cried out as he hammered his thumb.

Takuya sighed. "I agree with you, but right now isn't the time for it."

Sucking on his thumb, he threw down the hammer. "Then when is the time? When they come back? I say as soon as Takato wakes up, we stage a rescue mission."

"I'm already here," Takato replied. "And a rescue mission for who?"

"Cutemon," TK replied, climbing down from a house, having finished the repairs. "The snatchers took her away."

Gatomon was on her feet again as well. "And she's the one that's been giving us healing aid whenever the snatchers have attacked before."

Kari frowned as she looked at the cat Digimon. "With people like the snatchers around, I see why you were so hostile to us before." She hesitated for a moment. "I'm guessing LadyDevimon was your friend."

Gatomon glared at her. "That witch is not my friend!" She turned to Kazemon, pointing her claw at the fairy Digimon accusingly. "You had no right to tell them anything."

Kazemon sighed as the cat Digimon stormed off. "I'm sorry, it's a sensitive subject for her."

Hesitantly, Takato approached the fairy Digimon. "Um, excuse me, but why are the snatchers doing this? Why are they kidnapping Digimon and destroying everything?"

The teens stopped working and had gathered around to listen. Kazemon looked at each of them before looking up at the sky. "We were once a place that helped Digimon that came from File Island until they set out to make a life for themselves. But a few years ago, an evil Digimon came and made his home a few miles from here." She looked at them. "This Digimon was called Myotismon."

By the way she said the name, it was as if it was supposed to mean something, but in their ignorance, it was lost on the teens. Shoutmon, however, knew the significance of the name. "That's bad."

Davis glanced at him. "How come?"

"Myotismon is an incredibly evil vampire Digimon. If you thought Devimon was bad, just wait until you meet this guy. And he's an Ultimate to boot."

Takato blinked. "A vampire? You mean he sucks blood and stuff?"

The fairy Digimon looked like she was going to be sick. "Yes, and that's why the snatchers kidnap our friends. He feeds on them, engorging himself on their blood. They only last about a month before dying from constant anemia. Then the snatchers come and take someone else. Gatomon's friend was one of the first ones taken. He didn't feed on her though, at least not to death, but instead twisted her and turned her to the dark side until she Digivolved into LadyDevimon."

Kari's hands were covering her mouth in horror. "And now he's going to use Cutemon as his next food source?"

Kazemon shook her head. "I don't think so. Based on what LadyDevimon said, he'll use her for something else. My guess is that he'll force her to use her healing powers to rejuvenate those he feeds on so they'll survive longer."

"Ok, that's seriously messed up," Davis muttered. "This guy needs to be taken out. Someone get the garlic, crosses, and holy water. I'll start sharpening some stakes."

Behind her headgear, Kazemon raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

"In our world," said Tai, "vampires are fictional, but they're generally weak against garlic, silver, holy artifacts, sunlight, and sometimes running water."

Kazemon still looked confused. "I don't know about those other things, but sunlight does drain his strength, and he's also weak against angel and holy beast type Digimon."

TK gave Kari a knowing look. "Hey, that's us. We should be able to defeat this Myotismon."

Davis cut his eyes at him. "Showoff."

But Kazemon shook her head. "It won't be enough. You may be his weaknesses, but he's still an Ultimate. You won't be able to beat him."

Tai crossed his arms. "Well, that figures. But maybe with all of us working together, we can win."

Shoutmon jumped up and bopped him over the head. "Don't be an idiot. This isn't like your world where you can win if you try hard enough. These are forces you can't hope to stand against on your own."

His words seemed to cause reality to come crashing down on the teens. Gloomy expressions crossed their faces as the hopelessness of the situation settled over them.

Davis looked at each of them. He scowled, placing his hands on his hips. "Hey, come on now. What kind of attitude is that? So what if these guys are stronger than us? Don't forget how fast Tai reached the Ultimate level compared to other Digimon. All we have to do is get stronger too."

The others stared at him. It was amazing how that simply made sense to him, no matter how illogical it sounded. He may have been an idiot, but he could certainly motivate a person.

A smile broke out on Tai's face. "Well, you can't argue with that."

TK was next to join in. "Yeah, as long as we stick together, there's nothing we can't do."

Takato looked at the three of them. "Is this really happening right now?"

Kari chuckled. "Looks like it. Count me in."

"And me too," Takuya added.

Takato continued to stare at them, then sighed. "Well, I guess it's as good of a plan as any.

Kazemon stared at the teens before smiling in amazement. "So, this is the power humans possess. They don't let their limitations hold them back."

Shoutmon gave a bark of laughter and shook his head. "Yeah, you gotta love 'em."

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"I must say," the speaker told the two kneeling Digimon, "you've done a very good job with today's raid."

Before him, Duskmon and LadyDevimon continued to bow to the evil Digimon. "It was our pleasure," the latter replied.

"We live to serve," Duskmon added.

Unfeeling blue eyes peered through a mask down at Cutemon, who now had a chain around her neck that he held. They shined with amusement as the fairy Digimon cowered away from him as far as the chain would allow. "Do not fear, my pet. I will not be sampling your blood. Rather, your healing power will be used to keep my food source from expiring."

Cutemon shook her head. "No, I won't heal my friends just so you can keep sinking your dirty fangs into them. Better they die and are reborn away from you than to remain your prisoners."

Laughter echoed throughout the room. "How amusing. For such a little thing, you've got a lot of spirit." He tugged on the chain. "I'll have to break it."

Duskmon dared to speak. "My Lord Myotismon, there is something you should know. When we went to the village, there were strange creatures from another world there called humans."

This caught the vampire Digimon's interest, and he turned away from Cutemon. "You don't say."

"Yes, my lord," LadyDevimon confirmed. "Duskmon wanted to kill them, but I thought it best to inform you first in case you found use for them."

A smile grazed Myotismon's lips, exposing his vampire fangs. "You made the right decision. Humans you say. How very interesting. I do wonder what they would taste like. I should like to sample their blood. Tell me, is there a female amongst them?"

LadyDevimon's smirk became a frown of disappointment and she didn't answer, but Duskmon spoke in her place. "There is, my lord, but only one."

The vampire Digimon chuckled. "How delightful. In that case, I want you to bring these humans to me, especially the female. If you must kill them, feel free, but bring the female to me. I want her intact. I would like to sample her," he licked his lips, a hungry look appearing in his eyes, "in more ways than one."

Duskmon rose to his feet. "Yes, my lord."

As the demon Digimon left the room, LadyDevimon's claws dug into the stone floor, leaving grooves. Though Myotismon fed on both male and female Digimon, he preferred the blood of females. He claimed it tasted sweeter and was more alluring and intoxicating. And there was one Digimon he wanted desperately for a long time now. The very thought of her made LadyDevimon seethe with rage.

Myotismon watched her, amused as she struggled to appear humbled. "Jealousy does not become you, my dear. Does the thought of me touching another anger you?"

He was baiting her, she knew it, but did her best to maintain her composure. "It is not my place to say what you may or may not do."

"No, it is not." He chuckled and held his hand out to her. "Come to me, my pet." She did as he commanded, taking his hand and allowing him to pull her into his lap. "You know you are my favorite."

"Yes, my lord."

"Yet you hate the idea of me being with anyone else." He moved his mouth close to her neck, pressing a kiss there before moving his lips to her ear. "Is that why you still haven't brought me Kazemon?"

LadyDevimon's scowl returned, and her claws dug into her palm. Myotismon had demanded she bring him the fairy Digimon for quite some time now, but she had always found an excuse not to, always bring someone else instead. "She has been… difficult to capture, my lord."

He chuckled at that and ran his tongue over her pulse point on her neck, making her moan. "Don't lie to me, my pet. You know I can see right through you." He took her chin, turning her to face him. "Am I not the lord of this castle?"

"You are."

"Then is it not my right to do as I see fit with my subjects?"

She hesitated a moment before answering, her voice hard. "It is."

"Then why do you deny me what I desire? Do you so hate the idea of Kazemon being my bedmate? Perhaps you could join us once she's sufficiently broken."

"She is not worthy of you," the fallen angel Digimon hissed.

He chuckled again. "Not to worry, my pet. My attention may wander from time to time, but I will always come back to you in the end."

"My lord…" she cooed, melting against him.

"After all," he continued, baring his fangs as he brought his mouth back down to her neck, "nothing tastes better than something you made yourself."

He sank his fangs into her neck, and LadyDevimon screamed in ecstasy.

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Duskmon made his way down to the dungeon. No doubt LadyDevimon would be busy for a while, so he would need any help in going after those children, but it would be more beneficial to have a partner with him.

Which is why he was currently down here. This particular cell wasn't meant to hold a prisoner, but an ally, one that happened to be very dangerous. Keeping them confined was simply more convenient than dealing with their aggressive nature.

Approaching the cell, he reached out and pulled down the lever on the wall. The bars on the door began to rise, leading into a pitch-black room. From out of the darkness, a low growl emitted, followed by heavy breathing. A pair of glowing red eyes soon became visible as the beast approached.

"We have work to do," Duskmon told it.

 

Notes:

(A/N: The villain is revealed. Yes, this is the Myotismon Arc. I absolutely had to have him as a villain. Out of every evil Digimon that has appeared over the Seasons and in other media, I always found him to be the most twisted an evil, even more so than the Dark Masters or the Demon Lords. His relationship with LadyDevimon is, what I think, what could have become of Gatomon eventually had she never met Kari and remained Myotismon's servant. So, it'll be Myotismon, LadyDevimon, and Duskmon who are the main villains of this arc. But who is this Digimon that's in Myotismon's dungeon. It must be someone really bad if Myotismon needs to keep his own ally locked up. Any guesses as to who it is? You'll find out next time. Maybe.)

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New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Kotemon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Ekakimon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Myotismon

Chapter 29: Human Hunting

Notes:

(A/N: To those that asked, you can watch Digimon Data Squad almost anywhere. Just do a Google search of "watch Digimon Season 5" or "watch Digimon Data Squad". Two real good websites are AnimeFreak and KissAnime.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 29: Human Hunting

Tai stared at the scribble that was meant to be the map Kazemon had drawn for them. He couldn't make heads or tails of it. Clearly, mapmaking was not the fairy Digimon's forte.

Looking over his shoulder, Davis stared at the drawing. "Is this supposed to be Meralismon's castle?" he asked, pointing to a triangle with an X in the middle and what he thought was a bat on the top.

"It's Myotismon," Kazemon corrected. "And of course it is. It's plain as day."

"Um, I beg to differ."

"Gimme that," Shoutmon grumbled, snatching the map from him. "You just don't know the layout of the land." He studied the map for a few moments. "What are these stick figures here?"

"Oh, that's us," Kazemon told him. "Then you just follow the trail here."

The dragon Digimon stared. "That's not a trail, that's a squiggly line." He scanned the paper, his eyes landing on a second X, this one inside a rectangle. "So what's this?"

"That's Myotismon's prison. He doesn't keep his prisoners in his castle. He only keeps one with him as a time. He feeds from them until they die or until he gets tired of them and wants a different… um, flavor. Then he swaps them out for someone else in his prison."

Kari's hand was covering her mouth. "That's horrible! The poor things."

Gatomon crossed her arms. "It'll be even worse for them now that he has Cutemon. With her healing powers, he can force her to heal his victims so he doesn't need to worry about them growing weaker and dying on him."

"That's… really messed up," Davis muttered. "Honestly, I don't understand how so many people find the idea of blood sucking vampires to be appealing, let alone erotic, yet they're in so many books and movies about it."

"Hey, I'm just surprised you knew the meaning of the word erotic," said Takuya as he leaned over to take a look at the map. "Why would Myotismon keep his prison so far from his castle? Wouldn't that make getting to his meals difficult?"

"Actually, it's pretty smart," TK replied thoughtfully. "If his prisoners managed to escape, they'd all go after him for revenge. This way he keeps distance between him and them in case they ever got out and caused trouble."

Grumbling, Davis sat down. "Great. Then where would Cutemon be, the castle, or the prison?"

Tai thought about it. "Most likely the castle. If that's where Myotismon actually feeds on his victims, so he'll need Cutemon handy in case the Digimon he's feeding on starts dying on him."

"Ok, can we please stop talking about eating people," Takato begged.

"But it doesn't matter where Cutemon is," the older boy continued, ignoring him. "We're going to be going to both the castle and the prison. We're not leaving any Digimon behind, and we're not letting Myotismon get away with this."

Shoutmon burst out laughing. "Wow, you guys have some major hero complexes."

The others exchanged looks as the dragon Digimon continued to laugh. Takuya placed his hands on his hips and glared at him. "What's so funny about this?"

Wiping his eyes, Shoutmon gave them a serious look. "Listen, you may be having delusions of grandeur, but we're living in the real world." He looked around. "Um, figuratively speaking. You can't save everyone. If you try, you're going to get yourselves killed, and then you won't be able to save anyone."

Tai shook his head. "We're not having delusions of grandeur. All we want to do is save as many people as possible."

Gatomon sighed. "Guys, it's great that you want to help, but it's not going to end well for you, otherwise we would have gone after them ourselves. You'll just be walking to your doom."

TK made a fist. "It wouldn't matter. I couldn't live with myself anyway if I didn't at least try while knowing I had the power to do something."

Kari nodded. "He's right. We can't possibly save Cutemon and abandon the others."

Shoutmon snapped his fingers. "Hello! You're talking about fighting Myotismon. He's a very powerful, highly intelligent Ultimate. You think that just because we've got the power of MetalGreymon that we can beat him? It's going to take more than that. Now, if you were all Ultimates, that'd be a different story, but with only MetalGreymon and five Champions, we don't stand a chance. Especially since he has Duskmon and LadyDevimon on his side."

Kazemon sighed sadly. "I hate to admit it, but he's right. And Myotismon's got more than those two cronies backing him up. If you try and take him down, you're going to get yourselves killed. This is meant to be a rescue mission, not a war march."

Davis shook his head. "Not good enough. It's like TQ said, we wouldn't be able to live with ourselves. And who knows, maybe we can pull it off." He grabbed the air. "In fact, I'm sure we can. We kicked Devimon and Dragomon's butts. We can beat some lousy vampire wannabe."

Gatomon scoffed. "He's not a 'wannabe' anything. And you couldn't even beat his minions. How do you expect to beat him?"

"Well," Kari replied, "we are getting stronger abnormally fast by Digimon standards. Maybe we'll be strong enough to challenge Myotismon by the time we reach him."

Davis beamed. "Yeah, there you go. If we're not up to the challenge, then we just need to get stronger."

The three stared at them. A smile of admiration grazed Kazemon's face as Gatomon sighed. "There's no talking to you humans," she said, but she too was smiling.

Shoutmon chuckled. "Yeah, you gotta love them." He shook his head as he folded up the map. "Well, I guess there are worst ways to die."

"Aww, don't be like that," Davis told him. "I'll go get the gear, and we can head out."

He took off for the hut where the food and supplies the villagers had gathered for them was piled up. He was about to enter when he was suddenly thrown back as the entire hut blew apart

Landing hard, Davis looked up at the sky with stars in his eyes. "What'd I do?"

From within the rising smoke, a large figure slowly emerged, and it sounded an awful lot like Duskmon. "For starters, you came to a world you do not belong in, and now you must pay the price for your admittance."

The others hurried over as Davis sat up, rubbing his head. Shoutmon stared at the smoking wreckage in horror. "Aww, our supplied."

"I assume," Duskmon replied, "you will have no need for it."

He emerged from the smoke, but he wasn't alone. He rode on the back of a giant ghostly skeleton Digimon that resembled an undead saber tooth tiger with wings. Whatever type of Digimon it was, it didn't look friendly.

Tai's fists clenched. "Great, this guy again."

"And he brought a friend," Kari added.

Duskmon motioned to the beast he rode. "Meet SkullBaluchimon, a powerful Ultimate level Digimon with a real killer instinct."

Gatomon glared. "The snatchers never attack twice like this, and they never bring out SkullBaluchimon. What do you want?"

Not one to mince words, Duskmon pointed at Kari. "I've come for her."

She blinked. "Me?"

"The master is most curious about having humans in the Digital World. He especially wants to know how their blood will taste, and he has a fondness for female blood. Now hand her over, or I will kill you all and take her by force."

"Like hell!" Tai snarled, pulling out his Digivice. "Execute! Spirit Evolution…"

Nothing happened. He blinked in surprise, looking at the screen. It was blank. That hadn't happened since their encounter with Impmon. This was not a good time for this.

Duskmon leaned forward. "You were saying?"

Tai's eyes narrowed and he tried again. "Execute! Spirit Evolution…" Still nothing. The device didn't even activate. He began pressing the button desperately, but to no avail. "Come on, don't do this to me. Not now."

"Um, Tai," said Takato, "don't you think now would be a good time to bring out MetalGreymon?"

Tai growled, not even looking at him. "I'm trying, but it's not working!"

Davis pulled out his Digivice. "Then allow me. Execute! Spirit Evo… Why isn't it working?"

"Mine's not working either," said TK.

"Neither is mine," Kari added.

Takuya repeatedly pressed the button, but was only greeted by a blank screen. "Damn, they must be out of power."

Takato didn't even bother to check his. "We must have used all our energy in the last battle."

Duskmon's blades slid out of the skulls he had for hands. "Well, that makes things simpler. SkullBaluchimon, go!"

The undead Digimon roared and pounced at them. The teens fled as the beast landed right where they had been standing. Duskmon leapt off his back, jumping towards the teens with his blades raised. Kazemon slammed into the demon Digimon, sending him crashing through the roof of one of the houses. She landed in front of the teens protectively, and was quickly joined by Gatomon.

From out of the house, Duskmon calmly walked through the front door. "Stay out of this, Kazemon. The master still wants you. He demands that you remain unharmed until then."

"Ha!" the fairy Digimon laughed. "As if I'd ever let that leech taste my blood… or anyone for that matter."

Gatomon glanced at the teens. "Get out of here, you guys. We'll hold him off."

"I don't think so," Duskmon replied. "SkullBaluchimon, don't let them escape."

The skeletal beast turned to the teens and roared. They slowly backed away as the undead Digimon approached.

"Uh, guys, I think it's about time we RUN!" Takato shouted.

Taking his advice, they turned to flee. SkullBaluchimon roared and slammed a boney claw on the ground. "Grave Bone!" Around the teens, the ground seemed to cave in and rise up around them, threatening to bury them alive.

"Fiery Fastball!" Shoutmon cried, his attack blasting the ground apart, providing an opening in the rising ground for the teens to escape through.

SkullBaluchimon snarled and made to follow them, but Shoutmon leapt at him and hit him over the head with his Rock and Roller attack. The undead Digimon blinked and shook his head as Shoutmon clung to his skull.

Duskmon was currently engaged in battle with Kazemon and Gatomon, yet with his numerous eyes, he still saw the teens making their escape. "SkullBaluchimon," he cried as he blocked Kazemon's kick while simultaneously deflecting Gatomon's Lightning Paw, "what are you waiting for? Go after them."

The undead Digimon stopped trying to shake off Shoutmon and instead stomped after the teens. The dragon Digimon clung to him, whacking him with his mic whenever he could. SkullBaluchimon paid him no mind as he stalked after the humans.

They headed for the forest, but even with Shoutmon providing a distraction, the undead Digimon was quickly closing in. This was pure déjà vu off the back from when they first came to the Digital World and were always on the run from bigger and stronger Digimon.

"Into the trees!" Tai shouted, and the teens ran off the path.

Well, all but one. While the others had used the trees for cover, Davis had climbed up one, misinterpretation what Tai meant. SkullBaluchimon rose to his hind legs, snapping at the boy's heels, and very nearly chomping off his feet.

"Davis, what are you doing up there?" Tai demanded.

"When you said 'into the trees', I thought you meant literally."

Shoutmon was currently whacking the undead Digimon's face with his mic as he clung to SkullBaluchimon's head. "That's pointless. Didn't you notice he had wings?"

SkullBaluchimon then demonstrated his wings' abilities by taking to the air. He continued to ignore Shoutmon's blows as he slammed into the tree Davis was in, knocking it and several others over. The teen fell out of the tree and was covered by leaves and branches.

SkullBaluchimon snarled as he began clawing at the fallen trees to get to the human underneath. The others rushed over to pull their friend out while still using the remaining trees for cover. SkullBaluchimon lunged at them, but was cut off by all the vegetation, too big to fit between the trees.

Snarling angrily, he began knocking the trees over, determine to get to his prey. The teens fled deeper into the woods as SkullBaluchimon came crashing through behind them.

They finally burst out of the trees, and came to a stop. Before them was a waterfall, going down what had to have been at least a 200 to 300 foot drop into a raging river that went on for miles. They were trapped.

"You've got to be kidding!" Takato exclaimed. "This kind of thing only happens in the movies. No way does this happen in real life."

"I beg to differ, seeing as it's happening now," Takuya argued back.

A snarl behind them caused the teens to look back, and they saw SkullBaluchimon closing in. They turned back to the waterfall before all attention shifted to the leader for direction.

Tai silently swore. Either they faced SkullBaluchimon, or they took a leap of faith. Neither optioned presented good odds. But without the ability to Spirit Evolve, there was no chance against the undead Digimon.

"I hope you all got an A in swim class," he told them. A moment later, he jumped.

The others stared as Tai splashed down into the water. They shared looks of uncertainty as they wondered if this really was the best course of action. A determine look crossed Takuya's face before he jumped too.

"Well," said Davis, "I always wanted to try this. Cannonball!"

He too leapt off the edge. SkullBaluchimon was getting close now, sending leaves and splinters if wood flying as he tore his way through the trees. TK and Kari glanced at each other before joining hands and leaping off as well.

Only Takato remained. He took one last look at the approaching undead Digimon before placing his goggles over his eyes, pinching his nose, and jumping.

Trees crashed to the ground as SkullBaluchimon finally made it out. Shoutmon gave him one last whack before jumping off his head. Without hesitation, he made a run for the edge as the undead Digimon swiped at him, jumping off and dropping into the icy water below.

 

Notes:

(A/N: Not the best start to a rescue mission. Now they not only have LadyDevimon and Duskmon to beat before they get to Myotismon, but this SkullBaluchimon is now hunting them. And in case you haven't figured it out, yes, SkullBaluchimon was the one Myotismon was keeping in his dungeon, and with good cause too; this guy is nasty. We'll be right back after a brief swim. See you next time.)

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New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/SkullBaluchimon

Chapter 30: Sing-A-Mon

Notes:

(A/N: Hey, dd you hear, there's a new Season coming out in addition to Digimon Tri, it's called Digimon Universe: Appli Monsters. Digimon in this Season are based off smartphone apps, giving them the nickname Appmon, and are going to be able to link up wth each other or something. It sounds kind of lame, but I'm willing to give it a shot. Anyway, this chapter is less serious and more for fun. Yes, it's kind of a filler, but there's going to be some of those. Also, I've decided to go back and put links to the DigimonWiki so readers can see/read about the different Digimon that appear if they want or don't know about them. I went back and added links to the previous chapters too.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 30: Sing-A-Mon

Something pushed against Tai's stomach. He grunted, wanting to remain in the bliss of unconsciousness, but another forceful push woke him further.

He woke with a jolt, spitting out a great deal of water, and began coughing. He was wet and cold, and his whole body ached. Why did his body ache? And why was he all wet? He hadn't wet the bed since…

Wait, he wasn't in bed. He was on a rocky shore by the river. The same river that the waterfall that he and his friends had jumped off of poured into. They'd made it!

Or at least he had. Where were his friends? He turned over to look for them and was greeted by a big face that smiled at him. "Hello."

Tai cried out, and so did the creature. He didn't know why, the thing was several times taller than he was, towering over him. Whatever kind of Digimon it was, it resembled a giant, red, overweight gecko with large golden horns growing out of his neck. Not horns like the kind one would find on a goat or a rhino, but horns in the musical instrument sense.

Placing a webbed hand over his heart, the giant Digimon breathed a sigh of relief. "Whoa, you scared me."

"I scared you?" Tai exclaimed. "How do you think I feel?"

The Digimon scratched its head. "Why would you be scared of me? I wouldn't have saved you if I wanted to harm you."

Tai blinked. "Wait, you saved me?"

The Digimon placed its hands on its hips and puffed out its chest. "Yup. That's me, ShogunGekomon, always the helpful Digimon."

Tai stared, unsure of what to make of this strange Digimon. "ShogunGekomon, right." Then he remembered. "Hey, have you seen my friends? Um, other creatures that look like me?"

The Digimon, ShogunGekomon, smiled. "Oh, sure. I'm building up quite the collection. Look."

He pointed further down the riverbank. Lying unconscious, or worse, were TK, Kari, and Takato. Tai felt his blood run cold as he feared for their lives, especially his sister.

"Kar-" he cried, trying to rise, but immediately fell back down, his body aching.

"Don't worry," ShogunGekomon told him, "I made sure to push the water out of their bodies too. They're just resting."

But Tai needed to see for himself. Ignoring the aches and pains in his body, he managed to make his way over to his friends and breathed a sigh of relief when he found they had pulses.

ShogunGekomon stomped over to him. "You see, they're just fine."

Tai gave him a grateful smile. "Thanks a lot. But a few of my friends are still missing. A Shoutmon and two more humans."

The amphibian Digimon tapped his chin. "I didn't see a Shoutmon, but another human floated by before I could get to them. My friend went to try and catch them down the river. I don't know about the second one though."

Tai's fists clenched. So Shoutmon, Davis, and Takuya were lost somewhere. He hoped they were all right. If not, it would be his fault; he had been the one that had told them to jump. True, they hadn't really had a choice, but it had still been his decision.

He forced himself to stand. "I've got to go find them. I've got to…"

He started to fall, and ShogunGekomon quickly caught him. "Hey, now. You can't go anywhere until you've recovered your strength. Don't worry, Etemon will find them."

Tai had no idea who Etemon was, but he guessed it was the friend the amphibian Digimon mentioned. He still insisted on going though, at which point ShogunGekomon had picked him up and began rocking him while singing a Digimon version of 'Hush Little Baby'.

"Hush, little Baby, listen to me sing. Soon you'll Digivolve into an In-Training. Use your special attack Bubble Blow, until you achieve that Digivolution glow. After you become a Rookie, you'll be on your way to gaining victory."

His singing was interrupted by coughing that indicated that Kari was coming to. This changed Tai's mind about leaving as he climbed out of ShogunGekomon's hand to tend to her, deciding to put his faith in the gentle giant Digimon that had saved him and his friends.

One by one, the others came to. Once they understood the situation, they too wanted to go find their friends, but ShogunGekomon had put his foot down, literally, to stop them from going.

"You nearly drowned," he told them as he set to work building a fire for them. "Just relax for now. I'm sure Etemon will find your friends."

It was with great reluctance that the four teens sat around the fire, attempting to dry off and keep war. ShogunGekomon hummed the entire time, and even attempted to get them to sing campfire songs with him.

"No offense," Tai grumbled, "but we're not really in the mood to sing."

"Aww, but singing soothes the soul," came an Elvis Presley impersonation.

ShogunGekomon turned to the speaker and beamed. "Etemon!"

The Digimon in question resembled an orange ape wearing sunglasses. And draped over each shoulder was one of the missing teens. Shoutmon was there as well, walking behind the ape Digimon, looking exhausted.

"Look what I got," he said, dropping the two unconscious boys beside the fire. "Two for the price of one." He motioned to Shoutmon with his thumb. "This one insisted on coming."

The others rushed to Davis and Takuya's sides. Both were out cold, the former snoring loudly. Shoutmon collapsed beside them and held his hands up to the fire. "Next time, lets skip the cliff-diving."

"I'm glad you're ok," said Kari. "What happened?"

Etemon sat down by the fire. "I'd like to know that myself. Care to fill us in?"

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By the time Davis and Takuya regained consciousness, their friends had already filled the two Digimon in on everything since they first came to the Digital World. They now all sat by the fire, sharing a meal of roasted fruit as they contemplated their next move.

"I tell ya," said Etemon as he blew on his baked apple on a stick, "you humans are crazy to challenge Myotismon."

"I'll say," ShogunGekomon agreed. "That guy is bad news. And he's got no love for music."

"I know, it's weird, baby."

Shoutmon scoffed. "You guys are weird."

TK laughed nervously at the dragon Digimon's remark and glanced at the other two. "Hey, would either of you happen to know how to get to Myotismon's dungeon? We kind of lost our map in the river."

Both Etemon and ShogunGekomon froze. They exchanged nervous looks before the former sighed. "Yeah, son, I know how to get there, but I ain't goin'. It's too dangerous. I happen to like my blood being in my body, thank you, thank you very much."

Davis' eye twitched. "Can you please stop with the Elvis impression?"

Etemon gave him a confused look. "I don't know any Elvis, and this is how I always talk. You don't like it, well, that's just too bad, baby."

Kari picked up where TK left off. "Then could you draw us a new map?"

"Sorry, baby, my drawing's atrocious."

"Can't be any worse than Kazemon's," Shoutmon murmured.

"Besides, as noble as your cause is, it's a fool's errand." He whipped out a microphone, different from Shoutmon's, and held it to the sky. "The only worthwhile cause is a musical one, baby!"

"Here, here!" ShogunGekomon declared.

The DigiDestined sighed. It had quickly become plain that the two were obsessed with music. Shoutmon had confirmed that all of their species were.

"Etemon, please," Takato begged. "We're trying to do some real good."

"Violence won't solve anything," the ape Digimon told him. "It'll only bring forth more violence."

"But doing nothing won't solve anything either," Davis argued back. "It's not a sin to fight for a righteous cause and to defend those you love. If we don't do anything, these evil Digimon will continue to torment people. Innocent Digimon are suffering because of Myotismon. We can't just sit around and hope the problem will go away."

ShogunGekomon shook his finger at him. "Hey, now, using music and cheer is a way of spreading good, positive energy to purify one's heart."

"Here, here!" Etemon agreed. Grinning, he spun his mic around and pointed it at them. "I'll tell you what, if you humans want to do some real good, lets form a music group."

His statement was met with silence. The teens stared at him in disbelief, not sure if he was serious or not. Davis gave a forced laugh. "Good one. You had me going there for a second."

"I'm serious, man. You already got a good name for your group. Just think, the DigiDestined Data Squad, live and in concert, spreading peace and love all across the globe."

ShogunGekomon tapped his chin. "That sounds pretty good. The only human-Digimon musical group in the Digital World. That'd certainly attract attention. Digimon will come from miles around to hear us perform. Our music will open their hearts and dispel their wicked ways."

Takuya sweat-dropped. "Um, I don't think that'll work. If it were that simple, there wouldn't be so much evil in the world."

Tai nodded sadly. "Unfortunately, there are some people, human and Digimon alike, that can't be reasoned or bargained with. They can't and won't change their ways, and the only way to stop them is to stand against them. Some hearts just can't be moved."

"Not that a music group's not a good idea," Takato added quickly. "And besides, we don't know anything about being in a band."

"Well, we can teach ya," Etemon suggested. "You've already got a Shoutmon in your group, and they're naturally musically talented."

"Ha!" the dragon Digimon laughed. "I'm not just a Shoutmon. I'm thee Shoutmon. Me being in a band is ridiculous. I'm the Digimon King."

"The Digimon King of Swing," Etemon replied with a grin. "Come on, it'll be great, baby."

Shoutmon stood up. "Now look, I understand what you guys are getting at. I really do. It's a great idea, and in a perfect world, maybe it would work. But not here, not now. These are dark times, and there are some really bad Digimon out there." He gave them meaningful looks. "You know who I mean. And, unfortunately, the only thing they understand is how to use violence. They can't be bargained with, they can't be reasoned with, they can't be… music-ed with. They must be stopped at all costs, or they will destroy everything we love. Now, will you help us, or continue to live in a fantasy world?"

The two Ultimate Digimon stared at him. ShogunGekomon was frowning sadly while Etemon was tapping his chin thoughtfully. Finally, he snapped his fingers and smiled. "Alright then, we'll let the music decide."

Tai blinked. "Uh, what?"

He twirled around his mic. "You think your way is more affective, so we'll leave it up to the music. We'll have a battle."

Kari gasped. "You want to fight us? But why?"

Takuya held up his Digivice. "We can't fight anyway; we don't have any power yet."

Both Etemon and ShogunGekomon burst out laughing. "He doesn't mean a physical battle," the larger Digimon told them. "He means a musical duel."

"That's right," Etemon confirmed. "We'll have two rounds, and a tie-breaker if need be. We'll sing our hearts out to your cause of bring peace to the Digital World. The song must be original, and must come from here." He thumped his chest. "And since these songs will determine the next part of your journey, it must be about your adventure. If ShogunGekomon and I feel the power of your song is greater than ours, then I'll take you to Myotismon's dungeon myself. If not, then we all go on the road and form a band, bringing peace and prosperity to the Digital World through the power of music!"

This was apparently the greatest speech ShogunGekomon had ever heard, and he applauded enthusiastically. The others just stared, completely bewildered by this strange turn of events.

"He's not serious, is he?" Takato asked.

Shoutmon sighed. "I'm afraid he is. Music is everything to these two imbeciles. If we want their help, we're going to have to out-sing them." He produced his mic. "Alright, you're on."

ShogunGekomon clapped. "Wonderful! So, who's going first?"

The teens looked at each other. "Um…" Tai muttered. "Should we draw straws?"

A grin crept up the dragon Digimon's face. "Relax, I got this. Didn't you hear? We Shoutmon are naturally musically gifted. But I'll need you guys to sing backup."

Takato pointed at himself. "Us?"

"We're ready whenever you are," said Etemon.

"Give us a minute!" Shoutmon snapped. He crossed his arms and tapped his foot for a minute or two. "Ok, this is all I could come up with on such short notice." He turned to the teens. "I'll explain what and when you guys will need to sing."

A few minutes later, after he ran through the song a few times with them, he turned to his opponents. "Ok, we're ready."

ShogunGekomon stepped forward. "I'll be singing first. But before that, we need to sing the Digimon National Anthem."

The dragon Digimon's shoulders slumped. "Come on, really?"

"Damn straight!" the two music loving Digimon exclaimed.

Shoutmon sighed and rolled his eyes. "Fine, if we must."

Tai cut his eyes at him. "Not very patriotic for the Digimon King."

"I'm actually surprised you guys have a National Anthem," said Takuya.

Sighing again, Shoutmon walked over to Etemon and ShogunGekomon. They leaned into his mic and broke into song.

"Di-Di-Di! Digimon! Digimon! Di-Di-Di! Digimon! Digimon! Di-Di-Di!
Digimon, Digital Monsters! Digimon are the champions!
Digimon, Digital Monsters! Digimon are the champions!
Change into digital champions to save the Digital World!
Digimon, Digital Monsters! Digimon are the champions!
Digimon, Digital Monsters! Digimon are the champions!
Digivolve into Champion! Digivolve into Ultimate!
Digimon, Digital Monsters! Digimon are the champions!
Digimon, Digital Monsters! Digimon are the champions!
Digimon, Digital Monsters! Digimon!"

The teens stared. They exchanged a few looks before Kari began clapping, and the others soon joined in. Redder in the face than usual, Shoutmon rejoined them while ShogunGekomon rubbed the back of his head bashfully. "Thank you, thank you. And now, for your entertainment, I'll be singing to you my newest musical number with Etemon singing backup."

Etemon snapped his fingers. "Hit it, baby!"

"When you have to face a fight! Be strong and give it all your might!"
"Digimon, D-D-D-Data Squad!"
"Unleash your soul, and you will reach your goal! Prepare Digivolve!"
"Di-Di-Di-Digivolve!"
"Never surrender! Never be outdone! Coz the challenge ain't over! We've only just begun! Digimon!"

Finished, he took a bow, as did Etemon. Shoutmon had his arms crossed and his eyes closed, but the teens were amazed.

"Did they really just make that up off the top of their heads?" Tai asked, completely flabbergasted.

"Wow," Kari awed, "they're good."

Shoutmon scoffed. "You think that was good? That was nothing. Just listen to this."

He pointed at the teens, their cue to start.

"Digimon!"
"Look to the past, as we head for the future to reclaim the Digital World. With faith in ourselves, and trust in each other, we live by the lessons we've learned. As we work towards one solution, through a Spirit Evolution."
"Ha-ya-moo-ah! Huh! Ha-ya-moo-ah! Digimon!"
"Forever united as one!"
"Digimon!"
"Together the battles are won!"
"Digimon!"
"Through us let your spirit evolve! If we're all for one world, there's a world for us all. If we're all for one world, there's a world for us all."
"Digimon!"

ShogunGekomon acted as if he had been hit, falling backwards. Etemon ran over to him, looking shocked. "Oh, man! It's a knockout!" He looked back at the others. The teens were red with embarrassment, but he just grinned at them. "I guess you won round one. You're a lot better than I thought, but now it's my turn. Just listen to this." He nudged ShogunGekomon with his foot. "Hey, you're singing backup. I need you to start."

ShogunGekomon's eyes snapped open. "Oh, right." He jumped to his feet and began singing.

"Di-Di-Di! Di-Di-Di! Digimon! Digimon! Di-Di-Di!"
"The Digivolutions is up and running! Digi-See? Digi-Hear? Digi-Know it was coming? Our Digi-destiny starts today! Let me hear you say, Digimon!"
"Digimon, Digital Monsters! Digimon are the champions! Digimon, Digital Monsters! Digimon are the champions!"
"With Digi-will and Digivice in hand, there's Digi-dynamics towards the Digi-land! When the Digi-past and Digi-present collide! Time to Digi-Side! Digimon!"
"Digimon, Digital Monsters! Digimon are the champions! Digimon, Digital Monsters! Digimon are the champions! Digimon!"
"The Digi-dudes will Digi-rule with Digi-ability and Digi-tude! Save the world from a Digi-disaster! The threat from the net makes the Digital masters!"
"Digimon, Digital Monsters! Digimon are the champions! Digimon, Digital Monsters! Digimon are the champions! Digimon!"

Thrusting his fist out, Etemon dropped his mic and backed away. Grinning, he looked up at ShogunGekomon and grinned. "Nice finish."

The amphibian Digimon gave him a thumbs up. "Nice song. That'll be tough to beat."

Davis put his hands on his hips. "That borrowed some of the lyrics from your National Anthem. Is that allowed?"

A smirk crept up Shoutmon's face. "Don't worry about it. I can beat that. You said it yourself, I'm the Digimon King of Swing."

Etemon pointed at him. "Ah, ah, ah, hold on a minute, baby. You already had your turn. You can sing backup, but one of your human friends must make up and sing lead in the next song."

The dragon Digimon's face fell. "Hey, that wasn't in the rules."

"It was assumed that that was to be the case," ShogunGekomon told him. "That's why I sang lead the first time and Etemon did the second."

"That's right, baby. You gotta prove your cause is just by showin' us the music in your souls! Ya can't just rely on Shoutmon."

The dragon Digimon stared, not sure what to do. Finally, he sighed and looked to the teens. "Well, you got anything?"

Grinning, Davis stepped forward. "I guess I'll have to take care of this."

"No!" Tai, Kari and TK shouted, all three clamping their hands over his mouth. They had heard Davis sing before, and it wasn't pretty.

"I think it should be someone a little less tone-deaf," Tai told him.

"U'm 'ot own-ef," his look alike mumbled behind their hands.

TK glanced at Kari. "You can sing, Kari."

She gave him a surprised look. "You want me to sing? I don't know. I'm not as good as them, and I can't make up a song off the top of my head."

Tai crossed his arms thoughtfully. "I wish Mimi was here. She'd win for sure." He glanced at TK. "Or your brother."

Etemon's arms were crossed as well, only in impatience as he tapped his foot. "We don't have all day. If you don't have a song, then just forfeit." He beamed. "Then we can begin our Digital World tour!"

Takuya sweat-dropped and gave his friends a pleading look. "Please, tell me someone has a song."

As the teens desperately tried to come up with something, one of them appeared thoughtful, not saying anything. Shoutmon took notice and gave him a curious look. "You ok, Takato?"

The boy nodded, still looking deep in thought. "I have an idea. There's one song I know that I'm sure will gain us the win. We just need to reword it a bit, but I think it will work. You guys will still need to sing backup."

Kari bit her lower lip. "Isn't that cheating? They said we have to make it up."

"Ah, they'll never know," Davis replied. "So what's the song?"

Takato explained what he had in mind, but was met with skepticism.

"I don't know," TK muttered. "Do you really think that will work?"

"If it doesn't, we'll go from a fighting force to a music group," Tai reminded him.

But Takato was optimistic. "Trust me, there's no song better. Shoutmon, your mic."

Sighing, the dragon Digimon handed it over. "Here, kid. Good luck."

Smiling, he took the mic, giving him a nod. "It'll work. I know it will. Just remember your lines. Everybody ready?" He received uncertain nods and turned to Etemon and ShogunGekomon. "Here we go. I hope you two are ready for this because…"

He cleared his throat and began singing.

"I wanna be the very best. Like no one ever was. To tame them is my real test. To train them is my cause. I will travel across the land, searching far and wide. Each Digimon to understand the power that's inside!"
"Digimon! Gotta tame 'em all!"
"It's you and me. I know it's my destiny."
"Digimon!"
"Oh, you're my best friend in a world we must defend."
"Digimon! Gotta tame 'em all!"
"A heart so true. Our courage will pull us through. You teach me and I'll teach you. Digimon!"
"Every challenge along the way, with courage I will face. I will battle every day to claim my rightful place. Come with me, the time is right. There's no better team. Arm in arm we'll win the fight! It's always been our dream!"
"Digimon! Gotta tame 'em all!"
"It's you and me. I know it's my destiny."
"Digimon!"
"Oh, you're my best friend in a world we must defend."
"Digimon! Gotta tame 'em all!"
"A heart so true. Our courage will pull us through. You teach me and I'll teach you. Digimon!"
"Gotta tame 'em all. Gotta tame 'em all. Digimon!"

It seemed that Takato was the type of person who couldn't resist dancing while he sang, and he ended up crouched down on one knee, holding the mic horizontal as he bent over to sing into it. The others stood behind him, their faces red with embarrassment, yet still impressed he had been able to incorporate a Digimon them into a Pokémon song, even making it sound like their own journey thus far.

But it was Etemon and ShogunGekomon they needed to impress, and so far, they were simply watching with stoic impressions. Takato began feeling nervous, and he stood up, rubbing the back of his head. "Um, how was that?"

From behind his sunglasses, a tear ran down Etemon's cheek. Up above, a much bigger one fell from ShogunGekomon's eye, splashing on top of the ape Digimon's head, both soaking him and opening the floodgates.

"That was beautiful!" he balled. "You've truly touched my heart! I humbly admit defeat." He took off his sunglasses and wiped his eyes. "And you're right, we need to tame all these wild, evil, out of control Digimon, and show them the right path to follow."

Kari clasped her hands together happily. "Then you'll help us rescue Cutemon and the others?"

"The music has spoken to me, little lady, and I gave you my word. I'll take you to Myotismon's dungeon." He looked up at ShogunGekomon. "No offense, pal, but I think this would be better as a stealth operation, and you're a little too big for this mission. They'll see you coming a mile away."

The amphibian Digimon chuckled. "Yeah, sorry I can't come along to help."

Shoutmon rolled his eyes. "You could always DeDigivolve."

The color drained from ShogunGekomon's face, and he shook his head and waved his hands. "I don't even want to go there as an Ultimate. No way am I going there as a Champion." He pulled himself together and cleared his throat. "Besides, you've got Etemon. Despite our sizes, he's stronger than me. He'll take care of you. I have the utmost confidence in him."

"Thank you," Etemon replied. "Thank you very much."

Davis' eye twitched at the Elvis impression. "I'm starting to think this is a mistake."

Notes:

(A/N: I know, I know, it was bad, right? So bad it was good maybe…? Yes? No? This chapter was supposed to be a light-hearted filler. In case you haven't figured it out, the chapter title is a pun on "sing-a-long". I pretty much just wanted to have fun with the different theme songs. Anyway, it seems though that our heroes have gained a new ally. Will Etemon joining them provide an advantage? Guess we'll have to wait and see. We'll be returning to the real adventure next chapter. Hope to see you there.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/ShogunGekomon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Etemon

Chapter 31: Layers

Notes:

(A/N: Ok, time to get more interactive with my readers! So. here it goes. I have a plan for this story that basically lays out the whole thing. I've got villains and friends the DigiDestined are going to meet along the way, but I thought, lets make it interesting. The main villains I have planned, like Devimon, Dragomon, Myotismon, and those that will follow, I still plan on using, but I thought, why not swap out any side villains I was planning for others my readers hope to see. And for that matter, why not some friends too. Basically, the story will be the same, just with different characters than who I originally planned. So, anyone have any requests? Which Digimon would you like to see appear in this story, and would you like them to be a villain or friend? Let me know, and if I like it, I might swap out whoever I originally had planned for them. No guarantees, but the poles are open.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 31: Layers

He just wouldn't stop. Not with the Elvis impressions, and not with the singing. But while the Elvis voice was part of his natural accent and couldn't be helped, the singing was completely voluntary, and Davis didn't think he could take it anymore.

"Etemon," he begged, trying to keep the desperation out of his voice, "shouldn't we be keeping quiet? We don't want to alert any of Myotismon's men."

The ape Digimon stopped marching and fell silent. He seemed to consider this before turning to Davis and grinning. "You're absolutely right. From here on out, it'll be best to sing on the inside."

Takuya sighed. "Thank goodness for that." He too had grown tired after listening to hours of Etemon's singing. "How much further do we have to go anyway?"

Etemon scratched his head. "At this current pace, I'd say two or three days."

"Two or three days?!" Davis exclaimed, and dropped to the ground. "How come you Digimon can cover such long distances in only a coupe hours."

An arrogant smirk crept up Shoutmon's face as he sat down next to him for a rest. "'Cause we're faster and stronger than you, not to mention several of us can fly."

Tai sighed and sat down as well. "Fair points." He checked his Digivice. It was still blank. "And our Digivices still aren't recharged yet. Even if they were, we can't waste the energy traveling in our Digimon forms."

A horrible thought occurred to Kari. "You don't think our Digimon forms were destroyed in the battle, do you?"

"I doubt it," Shoutmon replied. "After you were beaten, it looked more like you DeDigivolved back to your human forms. Even though you're human, you're Digimon forms are still made of data. Had they been destroyed, their data would have scattered, plus, you'd most likely be dead. No, I think their energy was just depleted." He looked out at the hill-covered path before them. "I just hope they'll be recharged by the time we reach Myotismon's dungeon."

Takuya looked out in the distance, but in a different direction. He watched as a pixelated beam of red light coming down from the sky skidded across the ground. "Hey, Shoutmon, you mentioned that those red beams can be used to teleport things. Couldn't we somehow use them to get to Myotismon's dungeon and castle, or even Cherubimon's palace?"

The dragon Digimon gave him a strange look. "What are talking…? Oh, you mean the data streams? Nah, those aren't an option. There's no controlling where they transport you. It's completely random. You could end up on the other side of the world, or even a different layer."

Tai raised an eyebrow. "Er, layer?"

Shoutmon slapped his head. "I keep forgetting how ignorant you are. Yes, layers. The Digital World is made up of various layers. They're kind of like different worlds or universes, but not really since they're all part of the Digital dimension. It's hard to explain. Each one is almost like an alternate reality, or a different version of the planet."

"Oh, I think I get it," said TK. "The layers are like different levels in a video game. They're separate realms, but they're still all part of the same game."

Shoutmon had no idea what a video game was, but he went with it. "Yeah, sure, whatever. There are various ways to get from one layer to another, but some are harder to get to than others, and some are completely impossible to reach, but are still there. And since the data streams randomly drop you off somewhere, you could end up anywhere, even on the farthest layer from where you were before."

Kari looked around. "So which layer are we on?"

"The middle-most layer. It's where most of us live, and where the most happens. Other layers include the Dark Ocean, Digimon Heaven, Digimon Hell, the Dark Area, the Golden Land, the World of Dreams, the Land of the Digimon Sovereigns, the dwelling place of the Digimon God, the-"

"Hold it," Tai interrupted. "Digimon Heaven, Digimon Hell? I thought Digimon started over as eggs when they died."

"Oh, they do," Etemon confirmed. "Don't see what that has to do with Digimon Heaven and Hell though. Digimon Hell is a horrible, violent, chaotic place that's home to numerous demon Digimon while Digimon Heaven is a beautiful, peaceful, orderly place that's home to numerous angel Digimon. The two layers are always at war with each other though, but since the only way to get to and from them is to use the data streams and hope you get lucky, there's not much fighting between them."

"Back up a sec," said Davis. "You said there's a Digimon God?"

"Of course," Shoutmon replied. "He's an immeasurably powerful being of ultimate goodness and infinite love that lives in his own layer, where he constantly processes all the data in the Digital World, and can only be communicated with in Digimon Heaven through his avatar in the Server Tree, which is a giant tree whose roots run through and connect to various layers."

TK remembered something similar to this when he had learned about Norse mythology in school. "Sounds a lot like Yggdrasil."

Shoutmon's head snapped in his direction. "How do you know the Digimon God?"

He blinked. "What? I don't. In our world, Yggdrasil is the name of the mythical World Tree whose roots connect the 12 realms together if I remember right."

The dragon Digimon and the ape Digimon exchanged curious looks. "Fascinating," the latter commented.

"What is?"

"Yggdrasil_7D6 is the name of one of the host computers that act as an avatar to the Digimon God. Back when the Digital World was first created, the Digimon God created these crystals called Homeostasis that were programmed with the Digimon God's will. One of them was placed into a body called King Drasil and was then inserted into a giant avatar body called Yggdrasil_7D6. It once dwelled in the Server Tree where it carried out the Digimon God's will."

Takuya found his choice of words interesting. "What do you mean once dwelled?"

Etemon answered for him. "A long time ago, a powerful evil Digimon managed to take over the host computer. Considering Yggdrasil was as powerful as 9,000 Mega level Digimon, that's quite a feat."

"Did you say 9,000 Mega level Digimon?!" Takato exclaimed, unable to comprehend how anything could be so strong.

"Uh huh, and that ain't no exaggeration, baby."

Shoutmon snickered at the look on the boy's face. "It was an avatar that contained a portion of the Digimon God's power. Did you think it was gonna be weak?"

TK didn't like the sound of that. "And a Digimon managed to take it over?"

"Don't worry," the dragon Digimon assured him, "that host computer was destroyed long ago by a group of Digimon that were close to the Digimon God. Unfortunately, the Digimon that had taken it over had gotten away."

"Hey," Kari cried suddenly, "instead of Cherubimon, why don't we just go see the Digimon God. If anyone can get us home, he can."

But Shoutmon shook his head. "We can't. First of all, we'd have to get to Digimon Heaven first, and like I said, we can only do that by taking a data stream and hoping we get lucky, unless we get there by some other means. Second of all, after it had been taken over, the host computer began to malfunction, which was when those that had chased out the evil Digimon were forced to destroy it. After that, the Digimon God recalled the Homeostasis and fled to his own personal realm to give us Digimon free reign under the guidance if the Digimon closets to him, and there's no way to get to his realm. Only he can get to and from it."

Kari's shoulders sank. "Oh, well, I guess that won't work then."

"Hang on, what about the ones the Digimon God left in charge?" Takato asked.

Once more, Shoutmon shook his head. "That's not an option. They disappeared thousands of years ago. It's why the world is in such chaos right now and evil Digimon run amuck."

Tai sighed and looked at the data stream that was moving further and further away. "You said there's no way to get to the Digimon God's layer. What if we take one of those data streams? Could we get lucky and end up there."

Another shake of the head. "There are some layers that no data streams can reach. The realm of the Digimon God is one of them. Another is the Dark Area."

Kari glanced at him. "What's that?"

"Hmm? The Dark Area? It's the layer beneath the Dark Ocean. It's the place where the data of evil Digimon is deleted to."

TK looked confused. "Where their data is deleted to? But I thought when Digimon die their data is reconfigured into a Digi-Egg."

"It is, their basic data anyway, but what do you think happens to all the data they've accumulated while they were alive?"

"Doesn't the Digimon that destroyed them absorb it?" Tai asked, having seen Shoutmon do this several times.

"Well, yes, but if they don't, then that data is recycled by the Digital World and used for other things. But you wouldn't reuse bad or corrupt data, would you? So if an evil Digimon's data is not absorbed by another Digimon, it's deleted to the Dark Area. As such, the Dark Area is the most vile, most evil place in the entire Digital World. That evil seeps into the Dark Ocean, which is the source of all the evil in the Digital World, causing good Digimon to go bad."

The teens listened intently to how the process of things worked in the Digital World. It was interesting information, but it didn't really help them.

"Rats," Davis muttered. "And here I was thinking we had found a way home."

"Sorry," Shoutmon replied. "As things stand, Cherubimon is the only one that can help us. He's been around since the beginning of the Digital World."

Takato thought about this. "Um, not to argue your point, but haven't all Digimon been around since the beginning?"

Shoutmon wobbled his head. "Technically, yes, although there are some that were born or created later from large gatherings of data, sometimes even from the lingering data of a powerful Digimon that died. When I say that Cherubimon has been around since the beginning, I mean that he's never died once since his creation during the birth of the Digital World. So he's been in a position of power for a very long time."

"I'll say," Tai muttered. "So, we're back to square one. If we want to get home, we need Cherubimon's help."

Etemon leaned back, his hands behind his head. "I don't see why you need Cherubimon's help getting home. Who cares if you come from another world? Why can't this world be your home? Home is wherever you make it."

"Home is where the heart is," Kari told him. "And ours are back with our friends and family in the Real World."

Sighing, Takato looked up at the sky. "Yeah, it kills me to think how much my parents must be worrying about me."

Etemon made a face. "I don't get this whole parent-child concept."

"That's because we Digimon don't have family ties like humans do," Shoutmon explained. "Our ways are very different."

"Seems overly complicated to me. All I need is my music, baby."

"I could say the same," a new voice spoke up. "Your cries of pain shall suffice."

They were instantly on their feet, turning to the speaker. From out of the darkness of night, Duskmon's form slowly took shape as he approached. "Did you really think you could escape? What the master wants, the master gets."

"Duskmon," Tai growled.

"What happened to Kazemon and Gatomon?" TK demanded.

The demon Digimon stopped and stared at them. "I am under strict orders not to damage Kazemon too much. The master wants her intact. She will make a full recovery." His eyes narrowed. "However, I am under no such orders for Gatomon."

Kari covered her mouth. "You didn't…"

"Oh, she's alive. LadyDevimon wishes to put an end to her herself. However," something gold glittered in Duskmon's skull-hand, "she may not be satisfied with what's left."

He tossed the gold object on the ground. It was the tail ring that Gatomon wore. And Duskmon's foot stomped down on it, crushing it into data.

TK's fists clenched. "You're a monster."

The demon Digimon was unfazed by this comment. "We're all monsters. I just don't deny what my nature demands. To the prey, the predator is always a monster."

"Not true," TK argued back. "We've never felt any 'nature' of that sort. Even if it was in our nature, we decide whether to act on it or not. Being a monster is a choice, and you made yours."

Duskmon closed his eyes. "What idealistic fools you are." His blood red blades slid down. "I've had enough of you humans, I'll just spill your blood and take it to the master in jars!"

He charged at them, blades raised. There was a blur of movement, and Etemon was suddenly in front of him, having caught the demon Digimon's blades as he brought them down. "Not fast there, baby. I'll not be letting you hurt my friends."

"Friendship is a weakness," Duskmon told him, struggling against the Ultimate Digimon's hold. "It holds you back, makes you willing to sacrifice yourself for others."

"It also gives you the strength and determination to protect others," Etemon argued back. "It gives you somethin' to fight for."

"I do fight for something. I fight for my master, and myself."

They broke apart, jumping away from each other. Etemon took a fighting stance as he stood in front of the teens. "If you're looking for a fight, then fight me, baby. I must warn you though, I've got the power of music on my side. What do you have?"

Duskmon's eyes narrowed. "Nothing. I am completely empty."

The ape Digimon's grin widened. "Then you don't stand a chance. Music always overpowers the silence."

Takuya dared to step closer. "Etemon, what are you doing?"

"I'm distractin' him, sonny. Your Digi-thingies aren't powered up yet, right? Get outta here while you still can."

"But Etemon-" Kari began.

"You kids got people dependin' on you, right? What about Cutemon? You gonna leave that pretty lady in Myotismon's clutches?"

"But…"

"Let me do this. You kids make a run for it."

Kari looked like she wanted to argue further, but her brother grabbed her arm, pulling her back. "He's right, Kari, we have to go."

She looked back at their friend, getting a horrible feeling of déjà vu before reluctantly letting Tai pull her along.

"You're not going anywhere," Duskmon snarled and charged at them.

"Get back here!" Etemon cried. "Dark Network!"

Black cables flew at Duskmon, wrapping around his leg and arm, pulling him back. He glared at the ape Digimon, who just smirked at him. Raising his blades, he cut through the cable and began making his way towards Etemon. "Fine, I'll deal with you first."

 

Notes:

(A/N: Ok, so we got a little history and geography lesson on how the Digital World works. Doing this research, I'm actually surprised at how in depth and complex the Digimon universe is. Um, that's the Digimon media universe, not the literal Digimon universe. Well, that too. And now Duskmon has found them. And without their Digivices functioning, they're pretty much helpless. Can Etemon hold him off? He may be an Ultimate to Duskmon's Champion, but Duskmon is one of those rare unique Champions that much stronger than he should be. Remember how he tore apart the DigiDestined in Season 4 even though they were in their Ultimate [Beast forms] stages? Yikes.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear or are mentioned.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/God

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Homeostasis

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Yggdrasil

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Yggdrasil#King%20Drasil_7D6

https://wikimon.net/Yggdrasill_Core

https://wikimon.net/Homeostasis

https://wikimon.net/God

Chapter 32: Recharged

Notes:

(A/N: Ok, cool, so we got some character requests. I'll see about working them in. Just remember, they might not all get majors rolls and could possibly just be side characters. And don't forget, this is going to be long fic, like 100 chapters long, so if you don't see your request right away, don't be too concerned, they may appear in the next two chapters, or the next 20, but I am keeping track of requests. Just keep in mind that I won't be able to accommodate everybody.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 32: Recharged

It almost felt insulting to be running away like this again. Here they were, a team of seven, and unable to fight back against a single opponent. But Shoutmon wasn't strong enough to defeat someone like Duskmon, and without the ability to Spirit Evolve, the only thing their group could do was put as much space between themselves and their enemy as they could.

"Do you think Etemon will be ok?" Kari asked worriedly.

"He's an Ultimate to Duskmon's Champion," Tai told her. "I'm sure he can handle it."

Shoutmon hated to be the bearer of bad news, but they deserved to know the truth. "That may not be true. Duskmon is one of those rare, unique, abnormally strong Digimon whose power goes beyond the level that he's at. He can easily stand up to an Ultimate."

Kari stopped running. "What?"

Tai groaned. "Shoutmon, do you know the meaning of the word 'subtle'?"

"Of course. Why do you think I wouldn't…? Oh."

She looked back the way they had come as the others walked over to her. They had already put enough distance between them that they could no longer see or hear the battle taking place between the two Digimon. "We should go back. What if he needs help?"

"Don't be stupid!" Shoutmon snapped. "What can you do to help? You'll just waste the chance he gave us to escape."

Kari stared longingly into the distance. "But… Etemon…"

Takato, however, was staring in a different direction. He seemed to be unable to form words, so his hand came up to tug on Takuya's sleeve as he mumbled. "Bloo… mejewa… da, da, da, dee…"

The other boy gave him a strange look before he saw what had caught Takato's attention and rendered him speechless. "Oh, man. Guys, we have another problem!"

Approaching from the air was a certain undead Digimon. They had been so preoccupied with Duskmon that they had forgotten about his friend and where he might be. It would only make sense that SkullBaluchimon would be close by.

"Guys, lets move!" Tai shouted, pulling his sister along.

They hadn't gone more than a few feet before the undead Digimon landed in front of them. It turned around, snarling, and the teens backed away.

"Great," Davis muttered. "If it's not one thing, it's another."

As SkullBaluchimon approached, growling and drooling, Davis felt a weight on his head as Shoutmon jumped on him and leapt at the undead Digimon. He swung his mic, and was immediately knocked away by a swipe from SkullBaluchimon's claw.

He skidded across the ground, dazed, and shook his head. "Let me try that again." He leapt at SkullBaluchimon again. "Rock and Roller!"

He brought his mic down over the undead Digimon's head. With a snarl, he lunged at Shoutmon, his teeth clamping down on the length of his mic. Shoutmon was pinned to the ground, using his mic to keep SkullBaluchimon at bay.

"Shoutmon!" TK shouted.

"Don't worry about me! Get out of here!"

He kicked upward, his foot striking SkullBaluchimon's chin. The undead Digimon snarled and shook his head, shaking Shoutmon as well, who refused to let go of his mic until SkullBaluchimon's claw swiped at him, knocking him away.

"No!" Takuya cried, making to go after him. SkullBaluchimon roared, causing Takuya to pause and head in the opposite direction. The others followed his lead as they fled from the undead Digimon.

Skeletal wings rose in the air as a black vapor surrounded SkullBaluchimon. "Deadly Fear!"

The black vapor flew after the teens. It closed the gap between them, the cold tendrils of darkness reaching for the teens to pull them into the darkness.

"Hurry, it's getting closer!" Takuya shouted, feeling the coldness of the vapor approaching.

What served as a chuckle escaped the undead Digimon. That is, until a Fiery Fastball exploded in his face, courteous of Shoutmon. "We've got to take this guy down," he called to his friends as the vapor dispersed. "SkullBaluchimon will never stop chasing his prey until he catches it."

"Well, that's great," Tai grumbled. "We can't run from him, we can't find him; what are we going to do?"

As SkullBaluchimon swiped at him, Shoutmon danced out of his reach. "I have an idea. Digimon are capable of sharing their energy with each other. If you can do the same, maybe the amount of power your Digivices have managed to recharge so far will be enough for one or two of you to Spirit Evolve."

"Share energy?" TK repeated. "How do we do that?"

"I don't know! Just focus on sending Tai your power! If only one of you can Spirit Evolve, we might as well go with MetalGreymon!"

They exchanged uncertain looks before Takato shrugged. "Well, it makes about as much sense as anything else."

"Right," Tai agreed. "Lets do it." He held up his Digivice. The others followed suit, pointing them at Tai's. They closed their eyes, focusing on sending him their power.

A dialing noise began to emit from the devices, and they began glowing. Beams of light flew out of their screens and into Tai's Digivice. It glowed brighter and brighter as it absorbed the light, and suddenly activated.

Tai looked at the screen, seeing the image of the cyborg dinosaur Digimon displayed. "Hey, it worked. Execute! Spirit Evolution… MetalGreymon!"

SkullBaluchimon finally managed to pin down Shoutmon. The dragon Digimon struggled beneath the boney paw as SkullBaluchimon ran his tongue over his fangs. A battle cry emitted from the cyborg dinosaur Digimon as he charged. SkullBaluchimon turned to him just before MetalGreymon tackled him, knocking him off Shoutmon. They crashed to the ground together, and the undead Digimon quickly leapt away.

MetalGreymon growled at him. "I'm sick of freaks like you attacking my friends. In fact, I'm sick of saying how I'm sick of you guys. Lets see how you like it when you're on the run. Giga Storm!"

He fired beams from his chest. SkullBaluchimon half jumped, half flew over them, pouncing at the cyborg dragon Digimon. MetalGreymon lashed out with his metal claw, and SkullBaluchimon chomped down on it, knocking him to the ground.

"Careful, Tai!" Kari shouted.

"Don't worry, I got this," he told her. "Powerful Flame!"

A wave of fire erupted from his claw, and SkullBaluchimon recoiled. MetalGreymon kicked out at him, knocking the undead Digimon away, and climbed to his feet. With a roar, he charged, but SkullBaluchimon recovered quickly. "Grave Bone!"

He stomped down, and the ground caved in beneath MetalGreymon's feet as if he were standing on a pitfall, leaving him half buried. SkullBaluchimon flew at him, and MetalGreymon used Mega Claw, firing his metal arm on a cable at him. SkullBaluchimon swatted it away and landed on the cyborg Digimon, snarling in his face.

"Giga Destroyer!" MetalGreymon cried, firing his strongest missiles.

SkullBaluchimon was blown off him, but recovered quickly, flipping around in the air and landing on his feet. "Deadly Fear!"

MetalGreymon had been busy trying to climb out of the ditch as the cold black vapor approached. He managed to get a leg out before turning his attention to the approaching darkness.

"Over Flame!" he roared, slashing at the black vapor, his metal claw leaving a trail of fire. The flames collided with the cold darkness, the two attacks cancelling each other out.

Before the attacks completely dispersed, SkullBaluchimon came flying through them, tackling the cyborg dinosaur Digimon. MetalGreymon's organic arm wrapped around the undead Digimon's neck, keeping his snapping jaws away from his throat. "Take this!"

With a motion of his head, he brought his horn slamming into SkullBaluchimon's lower jaw. The undead Digimon roared as MetalGreymon aimed his metal arm at SkullBaluchimon's boney stomach and used Trident Arm causing his metal claw to act as a piston, allowing him to throw the undead Digimon off him.

Flapping his wings, SkullBaluchimon landed a short distance away as MetalGreymon got to his feet. The two stared at each other for several moments before rushing forward at the same time. In a classic anime fashion, the deciding blow was decided, too quick to see as they whizzed past each other and now stood with their backs to the other.

The teens stared, waiting, praying. It was indeed a cliché moment. In the next few seconds, a victor would be revealed as one fell.

It was MetalGreymon. He collapsed to his knees, using his metal claw to support himself to prevent from falling over. A moment later, SkullBaluchimon burst into data.

Gasps escaped the DigiDestined as MetalGreymon struggled to get to his feet. The teens quickly ran to their friend as Shoutmon went for SkullBaluchimon's data before it vanished.

"MetalGreymon, are you ok?" Kari asked, placing her hands on her brother's leg.

The cyborg dinosaur Digimon grunted, covering his wound. "Yeah, I think I'll be alright; it's not that bad."

Davis grinned broadly. "Dude, that was classic. You see that kind of standoff thing all the time. Two guys go head to head, the good guy seems like he's going down, but then the bad guy drops instead. So cool!"

MetalGreymon offered him a smile, but it soon became a frown as he stared out into the distance. "This fight isn't over yet. I have to go back."

"Back for what?" Takato asked, but quickly remembered. "Duskmon!"

"Right. Etemon might be in trouble. I have to go help him. You guys wait here."

Takuya shook his fist at him. "No way! We're not just waiting around while you go run off to battle! I thought we settled this."

"Guys…"

"You're really going to leave us behind when we can't Spirit Evolve and only have Shoutmon to protect us?" Davis asked manipulatively.

MetalGreymon closed his eyes and growled. "You…" A sigh escaped him, and he lowered his tail. "Fine, climb on."

Shoutmon was making his way over to them just as the last of them was climbing onto MetalGreymon's back. "Hey, what's going on?"

"We're going to help Etemon," Kari called down to him.

The dragon Digimon's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "You're what? Are you crazy? You can't fight Duskmon on your own!"

"We can't leave him behind," MetalGreymon insisted and took off.

With a groan, Shoutmon leapt after them, finally managing to grab hold of the cyborg dinosaur Digimon's tail. With MetalGreymon's size, they covered a lot more ground in a short amount of time as they headed back the way they came.

But it was not an intense battle they came across, simply the remnants of one. Though the land was nothing more than a bunch of barren hills, there were clear signs of destruction.

"I don't see them anywhere," said Takato. "Do you guys?"

TK shook his head. "No, nothing."

"Hey," Davis exclaimed, "maybe Etemon kicked that big-eyed freak's butt, and then-"

"There he is!" Takuya cried, pointing.

A distance away, Etemon lied still in a crater. The others hurried over to him, MetalGreymon changing back to Tai. The ape Digimon was in bad shape. His sunglasses were missing, and he was covered in various wounds.

Kari dropped to his side. "Etemon, oh no…"

Wincing, he cracked an eye open and gave them a smile. "Hey, pretty lady," he muttered weakly. "You come here often?"

Tai and TK carefully sat him up. "Are you ok? What happened?"

The ape Digimon grit his teeth against the pain. "Sorry, sonny. I failed. The light of my song couldn't pierce his silencing darkness."

Shoutmon groaned. "Please, tell me you didn't just sing to him."

Etemon shook his head, or at least he tried to. "Nah, man, I gave 'em everything I had, but he was too strong. I bought you as much time as I could."

"You did more than enough," Tai told him. "Just be glad he didn't finish you off."

Shoutmon's fists clenched. "Glad nothing. He wanted us to find Etemon like this. It's just the kind of thing he would do."

"Yeah, probably," Etemon confirmed. "He's really mean that way." He winced in pain again. "Hey, kids, you think you can do me a favor?"

"Of course, anything!" Takato replied right away.

Struggling, Etemon raised a shaking hand, pointing. "I lost my shades during the battle about 50 yards over there. I know it's dark, so it'll be hard ta find them, but could you go get them for me?"

Tai's eyes widened in realization, tears appearing in them. "O-Of course. We'll find them right away. Come on, guys."

"But, Tai…" Kari began, looking at Etemon worriedly.

"Go on," Shoutmon told them. "I'll stay with him."

With the exception of Tai, the teens exchanged uncertain looks, but at the dragon Digimon's insistence, they went in search of Etemon's missing sunglasses.

Once they were gone, Shoutmon glanced at him. "Find your sunglasses? Is that really the best you could come up with?"

A sly smile crept up the ape Digimon's face as he brought out his broken sunglasses. "On such short notice."

Shoutmon shook his head. "You're an idiot. What were you thinking challenging Duskmon like that?"

"I was thinking about buying you as much time as I could. Hope I was helpful."

"You were," the dragon Digimon confirmed with a nod.

He chuckled. "Glad to hear it. Hope I can still help you out a bit more." He looked up at the stars. "You know anything about astronomy?"

Shoutmon snorted. "Please. I'm the Digimon King. Why would I bother with that?"

Etemon smirked. "Well, at least remember this. You see that star there?"

Shoutmon looked where he was pointing. "Which star? That star?"

"No, that one."

"Yeah, what about it?"

Feeling his strength fading, Etemon lowered his arm. "Just follow that star, and you'll come to a stream. Follow it and it'll lead you right to Myotismon's dungeon. His castle is directly due west from it."

Shoutmon stared at the star, then looked back at Etemon. "Why didn't you just tell us that to begin with instead of coming all this way?"

"In case you needed me," the ape Digimon told him. He winked at him as he handed over his sunglasses. "Besides, the stars hadn't come out yet."

Notes:

(A/N: I'm not too happy with that final line, but I wasn't sure how else to end it. Poor Etemon. In case you didn't get the point of him sending the others off to find his sunglasses when he really had them, it was because he didn't want them to see him when it happens. How are the teens going to react when they find out? And where did Duskmon go? There's a lot more to come, so stay tuned.)

Chapter 33: The Strength of the Human Heart

Notes:

(A/N: Important updating message at end. Got some news for my readers. Don't want to say it yet, 'cause I don't want to give away anything in the chapter, so make sure to read the Author's Note at the end.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 33: The Strength of the Human Heart

 

The teens continued to search futilely for Etemon's missing sunglasses. They knew it would be hard to find the black shades at this time of night, but they continued too look; it was the least they could do after the beating the ape Digimon had taken so they could escape.

"We're never gonna find these things," Davis grumbled. "It's too dark. We need a fire for some light or something. Where's Shoutmon?"

"We don't need a light," Tai told him. "Just keep looking."

"Huh? But if Shoutmon makes us a fire, we'd be able to find them so much eas-"

"Just keep looking."

Davis looked confused, but didn't argue any further. He wondered if, perhaps, the sunglasses had burst into data as things in this world tended to do when they were destroyed. They'd definitely never find them if that were the case. And couldn't Etemon simply produce new ones like Shoutmon did with his mic?

With a sigh, he looked in the direction the two Digimon were and saw the dragon Digimon making his way over to them. "Hey, Shoutmon!" he cried, waving to him.

There was no reply, and the teens quickly gathered around him.

"No luck with the sunglasses," Takato told him. "Did you come to help us look? How's Etemon?"

The dragon Digimon hung his head and held up the ape Digimon's glasses.

"Oh, good, you found them," said Takuya. He began to walk back. "Come on, let's give them to him."

Shoutmon's hand shot out, grabbing his wrist. "We can't give them back. He's not there anymore."

Davis blinked. "Where'd he go?"

He released Takuya's wrist. "He didn't lose them. He had them the whole time. He was just trying to send you away."

TK inhaled sharply as Kari's hand went to her mouth. Tai closed his eyes and looked away while Takato and Takuya shared a confused look before realization settled in.

Davis, however, still didn't get it. "Huh? Wait. Why would he send us to find his shades if he had them? And where could he possibly be going with those injuries?"

Tai grit his teeth. "Davis, don't you get it? Etemon is gone! He sent us away because he didn't want us to watch him… watch him…"

His look alike stared, not understanding, not wanting to understand. "Watch him what?" When the older boy didn't answer, he looked back at the others and asked again, almost pleadingly. "Watch him what?"

He still didn't get an answer. But then, he didn't really need one. He already knew the truth, and it brought him crashing to his knees. "Tell me," he begged. "What didn't he want us to watch?"

"Is this what is known as denial? How very pathetic."

They all whirled around to find Duskmon rising up out of the shadows, his blood reed blades drawn. They backed away as he rose to his full height and stalked towards them. "This affection you hold for that weakling, it's disgusting. Your blood would undoubtedly give the master indigestion." He raised his blade. "However, I have my orders. Now, girl, will you come along quietly, or shall I slaughter more of your friends?"

Takuya was seething with fury. "You… You monster!"

"We've been through this already, little human. I do not wish to have the same conversation twice. Now, give me the girl."

Tai stepped in front of her. "Don't you touch her, or I'll take you out just as I did SkullBaluchimon."

Duskmon cocked his head to the side. "You defeated SkullBaluchimon?" He chuckled coldly, unfeelingly. "And you think that frightens me? Though I am only a Champion, my power outstrips that mindless beast's. But if you don't believe me, I shall be happy to demonstrate."

Tai looked like he wanted to say something further, but Shoutmon stopped him. "He's right. You can't beat him on your own. It'll take all of you working together."

"Ok," said Takato, "just one problem. Our Digivices have no power. And whatever power they did have, we gave to Tai."

Shoutmon turned to him. "I have a solution for that." He held up his hands and bands of Fractal Code flowed out of them. It gathered in front of him, forming a ball of glowing data.

"What's that?" Kari asked, staring at the light.

"It's the energy I gathered from absorbing SkullBaluchimon and Etemon's data. I can use it to charge your Digivices."

Takato's mouth dropped open. "You absorbed Etemon's data?"

The dragon Digimon glared at him. "Hey, he wasn't going to use it, and I wasn't about to let it go to waste. I absorbed Gomamon's data too, and you didn't have any complaints."

"You absorbed Gomamon's data?!"

He held up the ball of data. "Just take it already. Hold up your Digivices."

Uncomfortable with the situation, but knowing they had no choice, everyone but Tai held out their Digivices. Fractal Code flowed out of the ball of data Shoutmon held and into their Digivices, reactivating them.

"Alright," Tai growled, taking out his own. "Lets teach this guy a lesson. Execute! Spirit Evolution… MetalGreymon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… ExVeemon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Growlmon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Agunimon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Nefertimon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Angemon!"

The team was back in action, fully charged and ready for battle. Duskmon didn't seem bothered by their superior numbers as he sliced his blades together. "How quaint. I'm going to enjoy this."

He rushed at them. ExVeemon fired a Vee-Laser, and he sliced the attack in half and kept going. The party went flying as he slammed into them. MetalGreymon recovered quickly, and whirled around, using Metal Slash Revision. Duskmon jumped straight up, and Angemon flew at him, using Angel Rod. Duskmon blocked, the eyes on his chest and shoulder shifting to gaze at the angel Digimon and blasted him away with Deadly Gaze.

Still in the air, he used Lunar Plasma, drawing a red moon with his sword to obscure him, and then dropping from the sky towards MetalGreymon. The cyborg dinosaur Digimon usedOver Flame, but Duskmon used Ghost Move, teleporting past the flames and slashing MetalGreymon, sending a shower of sparks flying from his steel covered chest.

"Rosetta Stone!" Nefertimon cried, firing a stone slab.

Duskmon spun around and sliced the stone slab in half. She fired several more, and he proceeded to cut them apart or shatter them with kicks. "Memory Disturbance!"

Her attacks ceased as she groaned in pain. The demon Digimon was inside her head, rummaging through her memories.

"Stop it!" ExVeemon shouted, flying towards him.

"Leave her alone!" cried Angemon, coming from the other direction.

Duskmon teleported at the last moment, and the two crashed into each other. When he reappeared, Growlmon was ready. He fired a Pyro Blaster, but Duskmon jumped up to avoid it. Growlmon tried again, flinging a Dragon Slash at him. At the same time, Agunimon ran up his back and leapt at the demon Digimon. Duskmon cut through Growlmon's attack, but Agunimon's fist slammed into his jaw as he used Pyro Punch, the fiery dragon forming and exploding in his face.

A growl escaped him, and he began spinning around, slashing his blades. Agunimon cried out as the red swords sliced against his armor, doing little to protect him. As he unleashed upon the fire wizard Digimon, Angemon came up behind him and used Hand of Fate. The attack struck Duskmon in the back, knocking him to the ground.

MetalGreymon used Giga Storm, but Duskmon leapt to his feet and used Ghost Move to avoid the beams. He reappeared in the air by MetalGreymon’s head, delivering a powerful kick that vibrated through his metal headgear.

Nefertimon fired another Rosetta Stone, and ExVeemon landed on it, hitching a ride towards Duskmon as he used his Hearty Shatter. Duskmon danced out of the way of the fireballs and did a backflip to avoid the giant stone slab. ExVeemon leapt off before it crashed to the ground, tackling the demon Digimon.

"Get off me," he growled, kneeing the dragon Digimon in the gut and pushing him away. ExVeemon grunted and rolled to the side as Duskmon leapt to his feet. "You dare to knock me down!" he snarled, kicking ExVeemon in the side. "I'll make sure you stay down. Geist Blade Storm!"

Consumed by a red moon, the area all around them was slashed to pieces, and ExVeemon went flying, covered in various cuts.

"ExVeemon!"

Duskmon turned to see Agunimon and MetalGreymon charging towards him, the former riding on the latter's head, and he retaliated with Brute Strike. The two barely saw the attack before he struck them with his swords so hard they were sent flying.

A golden rope of light lassoed around him, and he turned to Nefertimon as she fired her Nile Jewelry attack, showering him with jewels. He grunted irritably and felt the ground tremble as Growlmon charged at him. With a swipe of his blade, he severed Nefertimon's Golden Noose and did a flip in the air to avoid Growlmon's Growl Claw and kick him in the head. He then teleported over to Nefertimon and brought his skull-hand slamming down on the back of her head.

MetalGreymon forced himself to his feet. "Get away from my sister. Giga Blaster!"

All of Duskmon's eyes darted towards the cyborg dinosaur Digimon. "Deadly Gaze!"

The beams he fired destroyed the missiles and blasted MetalGreymon off his feet. He then jumped in the air, did a flip, and stomped down on the cyborg dinosaur Digimon's gut, forcing him to emit a painful grunt.

"Angel Rod!" Angemon cried, bringing his staff down.

Duskmon held up his blade, blocking the attack, then delivered a roundhouse kick to the angel Digimon's side, crippling one of his wings and sending him flying. Turning back to MetalGreymon, he pointed his blade in his face. "Resistance is futile. You cannot defeat me. I'm not just a snatcher, I am Lord Myotismon's top assassin. You don't stand a chance against me. Now you will die like that puny worm."

A distance away, ExVeemon's eyes snapped open. "What did you say?" Ignoring the agonizing pain his body was in, he forced himself to stand up. "Don't you dare bad-mouth Etemon."

Despite his eternal stoic expression, Duskmon was astounded. "Impossible. How can you be standing with those injuries?"

ExVeemon ignored the question as he took a step forward. "He was such a pure soul. He wanted to spread peace and love through the power of song. And you slaughtered him."

Beneath him, MetalGreymon attempted to get up, but Duskmon pressed the point of his sword into his throat. "He was weak. He'd be better off staying in his Digi-Egg indefinitely."

"ExVeemon, stay back," MetalGreymon told him. "You're too injured."

The dragon Digimon ignored him as he approached the demon Digimon. "Shut up. Just shut up! You don't get to talk about our friend like that after what you did to him. You don't even get to say his name!"

An anguished cry emitted from ExVeemon. The wounds on his body began glowing, unleashing streams of light that wrapped around him. From his hiding place, Shoutmon looked on in wonder. "Hey, that's…"

Even Duskmon's eyes were wide. "It can't be…"

"ExVeemon Digivolve to… Paildramon!"

The light of Digivolution faded, and Davis' new Ultimate form was revealed. Still resembling ExVeemon, he was now covered in dark green and black armor with what appeared to be machine guns attached to his hips.

"How?" Duskmon asked in bewilderment. "How did you accomplish this when you're so badly damaged?"

"That's just the power of the human spirit," Paildramon told him in his new voice.

While he was distracted, MetalGreymon made his move, slashing at Duskmon with his metal claw. The demon Digimon went airborne, and, displaying incredible speed, Paildramon was suddenly there. His large fist slammed into Duskmon, and he went crashing to the ground.

"Electric Bolt!" the new Ultimate cried, trying out one of his new attacks.

Duskmon looked up as Paildramon fired a bolt of electricity at him. He used Ghost Move to avoid the attack, but ended up teleporting too close to Growlmon. "Fire Blaster!" the dinosaur Digimon cried, breathing a stream of fire.

Duskmon leapt away, the flames singing his blonde locks. Up in the sky, Nefertimon and Angemon fired their Queen's Paw and Holy Shot at him. Duskmon took off as explosive projectiles and energy bullets rained down around him. MetalGreymon had gotten to his feet at this point and fired his Mega Claw. Duskmon leapt over it, only to be greeted in the air by Agunimon, who unleashed his Pyro Tornado, his flaming legs kicking the demon Digimon as a fiery tornado appeared.

Duskmon growled as the spinning inferno swirled around him. He teleported out of it, but immediately had to jump up to avoid the incredibly fast Paildramon's Cable Catcher. He avoided the attack, but the dragon Digimon once more displayed his speed by slamming into him, and Duskmon skidded across the ground.

"Desperado Blaster!" Paildramon cried. The guns on his hips rose and pointed at the demon Digimon. A spray of bullets shot out, tearing the ground apart as if fired from a mini-gun.

Duskmon only had time to rise to his feet and hold up his arms to defend himself before he was showered with bullets. Nefertimon and Angemon came to stand beside Paildramon, firing their Beam of Isis and Hand of Fate. They were soon joined by Growlmon using Pyro Blaster and Agunimon using Blaze Gust.

MetalGreymon was the last to join them, the compartments on his chest opening. "Giga Blaster!"

The missiles flew past the other attacks, slamming into Duskmon and exploding. The others ceased their attacks as they waited for the dust to settle. From a distance, Shoutmon watched with large shining eyes. "Incredible, so this is the power of the human heart."

The dust finally cleared, revealing Duskmon on his knees, his head slumped over, his body smoking. The DigiDestined didn't drop their guard as MetalGreymon took a step forward. "It's over, Duskmon. Surrender now."

Slowly, the demon Digimon lifted his head, his eyes filled with malice. "Surrender? You expect me to surrender? I would sooner die."

"You can't beat us," Paildramon insisted. "Not anymore."

"So you think," he replied, forcing himself to stand. "You poor, simple-minded humans have no idea what you're dealing with. I have yet to show you what I can really do. I've simply been holding back. I don't like going all out, because I become irrational, and it makes it hard to think straight."

Agunimon pointed at him. "You're bluffing. Don't think you can scare us."

To their surprise, the demon Digimon actually laughed. It was the biggest display of emotion he had displayed so far. "Scare you? I'm not trying to scare you. I'm simply stating a fact. But mark my words, you will be afraid. Duskmon Digivolve to… Velgemon!"

Notes:

(A/N: If you've watched Season 4 or at least know about Velgemon, then you'll know that our heroes are in big trouble. Velgemon may be an Ultimate, but he's one of the rare and unique ones whose power borders on Mega. Not to mention he's one of those really ruthless, savage, mindless kinds. The DigiDestined are going to be in for quite fight. And now for that announcement. I've decided that if a chapter has a battle in it, like this one, and the battle does not end by the time the chapter does, I will work extra hard and fast to try and have the next chapter out the following week instead of in two weeks. So if a battle is inconclusive, like this one was, then expect an update the following week instead of in two weeks. That includes this one. So I'll have the next chapter put next Wednesday.)

Paildramon's attacks:

Desperado Blaster – Fires a series of bullets from the guns on his hips like a machine gun.

Sting Strike – Extends the spikes on his wrists into lances and strikes with them.

Electric Bolt – Fires a bolt of electricity from his hands.

Cable Catcher – Fires his claws on wires to bind or stab his enemies.

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Paildramon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Velgemon

Chapter 34: The Ultimate Bird of Prey

Notes:

(A/N: Hey, I got it done on time. I wondered if I'd be able to finish in one week. Fortunately, fight scenes aren't that complicated to write. I'll try and continue this process of posting an unfinished fight the next week rather than waiting two weeks. No guarantee on that though.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 34: The Ultimate Bird of Prey

Gasps escaped the DigiDestined as they stared at Duskmon's Digivolved form. Now at the Ultimate level, he resembled a giant, demonic, zombie vulture. Duskmon had been intimidating enough, but this monstrous beast was downright terrifying.

From his hiding spot, Shoutmon felt his stomach drop. "Oh, crap. This isn't good."

Velgemon screeched and flapped his wings, taking to the air. He circled overhead like a bird of prey, ready to swoop down and snatch its latest victim.

Paildramon raised his guns. "Desperado Blaster!"

The bullets went flying, and Velgemon maneuvered about in the air, avoiding most of them. He swooped down, swerving around the spray of bullets, his talons clenching and unclenching in anticipation. Angemon flew up to meet him, swinging his staff, but Velgemon easily batted him away with his wing and continued his descent.

He reached Paildramon, his talons grasping the dragon Digimon's shoulder. Paildramon was lifted off the ground, unable to break free, even as he attempted to fly in the opposite direction. Velgemon dove back down, slamming Paildramon into the ground and dragged him across the rocky surface.

"Rosetta Stone!" Nefertimon cried.

The vulture Digimon's tail whipped back, shattering the stone slab before it hit. He released Paildramon and doubled back. MetalGreymon rushed towards him, but Velgemon unleashed his Dark Vortex, firing red beams from his eyes.

The beams struck the cyborg dinosaur Digimon, and he froze. His eyes began glowing as he unwillingly turned to his friends and fired his Giga Blaster.

"What are you doing?" Growlmon shouted.

The missiles sped towards them. Angemon quickly moved in their path, spinning his staff as he used Angel Staff, knocking them aside.

MetalGreymon blinked, the redness disappearing from his eyes. "What… What did I just…?"

"Careful!" Shoutmon shouted to them. "Velgemon's Dark Vortex can change someone's nature to darkness and control them!"

What seemed to be laughter emitted from the vulture Digimon as he flew overhead, firing more lasers from his eyes. These, however, seemed to be meant to cause damage rather than control as they tore the land apart around them.

MetalGreymon glared up at the vulture Digimon as he ducked to avoid the beams. "You dare to make me attack my friends?! Mega Claw!"

His metal arm was fired into the air, high enough to reach his target. But Velgemon grabbed his claw and flew up. The cable ran out of length, and MetalGreymon was lifted into the air, the massively large dinosaur Digimon being carried off by the much smaller vulture Digimon.

"Leave my brother alone!" Nefertimon cried, flying after them.

"Nefertimon, wait!" Angemon called after her.

She ignored him as she followed the two, MetalGreymon unable to do anything but go for a ride. Being careful to avoid him, she fired several stone slabs at the vulture Digimon. Velgemon simply blasted them out of the sky with his Dark Vortex, then flew past her, dragging MetalGreymon along. He slammed into Nefertimon, and they both crashed to the ground.

Angemon took to the air. "That does it! Omni Typhoon!"

As the angel Digimon's tornado appeared, Agunimon turned to Growlmon. "Throw me into the tornado!"

The dinosaur Digimon blinked. "What?"

"Do it, quick!"

Growlmon looked up at the tornado before grabbing the fire wizard Digimon and throwing him into it. Once in the air, Agunimon began spinning around and kicking as he unleashed his Pyro Tornado. The flaming vortex combined with Angemon's attack, doubling the fiery tornado in size.

Velgemon recoiled from the flames as the attacks came at him, screeching angrily. Growlmon took the opportunity to run around him. "Try dodging this! Dragon Spine!"

The needles of hair on his back sprayed across Velgemon's wings. The vulture Digimon shrieked at him, flying down with his talons open.

"Uh oh," the dinosaur Digimon muttered, and turned to flee. But Growlmon wasn't built for speed, and Velgemon soon snagged him by the tail, carrying him into the sky. Then, to everyone's surprise, he flew straight through the fiery tornado, taking Growlmon with him. Upon bursting out the other side, he did a flip in the air and released the smoking Growlmon, and he landed hard on his back.

"Hey, ugly!" Paildramon cried, flying at him. "Heads up!"

Using his Sting Strike, he lashed out at the vulture Digimon. Velgemon dodged, and at point blank range, fired his Dark Vortex into Paildramon's face.

"Hold on, Paildramon, I'm coming!" Angemon called, flying over to them.

With glowing red eyes, the dragon Digimon turned to his comrade. Cupping his hands together, he created a ball of electricity and threw it at Angemon. The angel Digimon was so surprised that he wasn't able to deflect it in time and was blasted from the sky.

Paildramon blinked, his eyes turning back to normal. He whirled around, glaring at the vulture Digimon. "You'll pay for that!"

Velgemon's wing shot out, pointing at Paildramon's face. He drew a circle in the air, leaving a trail of light behind. The ring he drew hung in the air before something emerged from the outline, like a mouth materializing and closing to form a dome in the air that was slowly shutting. The moment it closed, it exploded in the dragon Digimon's face.

Paildramon crashed to the ground, and the others quickly went to check on him. "Are you alright?" Agunimon asked. He looked up at Velgemon. "What was that?"

As he watched, the vulture Digimon flew a distance away and descended. Turning on his side, he began flying in a circle, dragging the tip of his wing across the ground, leaving a trail of light behind where he touched.

Paildramon struggled to sit up. "That's what he did when we were in the air. We have to get out of here! Run! Or fly! Whatever!"

Velgemon completed his rotation, having finished drawing a circle around the DigiDestined. Just like up in the sky, the dome began to close, the ratio of the circle Velgemon had drawn quite large. MetalGreymon, Agunimon, and Growlmon ran for the sides as Paildramon, Angemon, and Nefertimon flew straight up. Neither group was fast enough, and the dome closed over them.

"Dark Obliteration!" Velgemon roared.

The entire dome erupted in a mass explosion with the DigiDestined inside. Shoutmon looked on in horror, glad he hadn't gone to check on Paildramon with the others.

As the smoke cleared, Velgemon came in for a landing. He saw the teens, back in human form, lying in a massive crater. In the back of his mind, he knew he was supposed to do something, bring the girl to his master, but he was so lost in his bloodlust that it was hard to think straight. His fangs itched to taste human blood. He wanted to devour these pathetic creatures, and he bent down to do just that.

"Fiery Fastball!"

The attack struck him in the face. It didn't even faze him, but it drew his attention. Shoutmon stood a distance away, his legs trembling, but looking determine. "S-Stay away from my friends!"

Velgemon screeched and flew after him. Shoutmon gave a squeak of fright and fled. The vulture Digimon leisurely followed, firing beams from his eyes that Shoutmon jumped to avoid. He could hear his pursuer laughing as it played with him.

"Just how far is this stream?" he wondered out loud, heading in the direction of the star Etemon had pointed out to him.

Having grown tired of having his attacks dodged, Velgemon swooped down, talons open. His shadow fell over the dragon Digimon, and Shoutmon dropped down at the last second to avoid being grabbed. Passing overhead, Velgemon hissed in irritation as Shoutmon threw a Fiery Fastball at him for good measure. He doubled back, flying low this time as Shoutmon ran right at him.

"Dark Vortex!" he cried, firing lasers from his eyes.

Shoutmon jumped over the beams, producing his mic. "Rock and Roller!"

He bashed Velgemon over the head, landed on the vulture Digimon's back, and ran down the length of his body. Velgemon was unharmed, but he growled in annoyance and flew high once more.

"There it is!" Shoutmon cried, seeing the stream ahead. He ran for it, knowing Velgemon was right behind him. Or so he thought. The vulture Digimon suddenly flew past him, dragging his wing on the ground, drawing another circle.

Shoutmon felt his stomach drop as he realized Velgemon was repeating his Dark Obliteration attack around him. No way would he survive that if he were caught up in it. Putting on a burst of speed, he ran for it. Fortune favored him, for Velgemon had begun to draw the circle directly behind him, so when the dome rose up and began to close, the opening was directly in front of him, the stream just outside it.

But it was closing fast as the two halves of the dome came together. Velgemon was circling overhead, and Shoutmon lost sight of him as the closing dome obscured his vision. It was almost shut now, the exit getting smaller ad smaller. Shoutmon made a jump for it.

The dome closed, the half a sphere erupting. Velgemon continued circling, waiting for the smoke to clear. When it finally died down, there was no sign of the dragon Digimon. All that was left was the broken and bent remains of his mic just before it broke down into data.

Velgemon screeched his victory and took off into the night, the humans he had left behind already forgotten.

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Shoutmon's eyes cracked open. He sat up and looked around, trying to get his bearings. It was no longer night, and there was no sign of Velgemon anywhere. Shoutmon swore as he got to his feet. He hadn't meant to fall asleep. After just barely managing to escape from the dome before it closed on him, he had submerged himself in the stream, using the water for cover.

He had stayed under for as long as he could, waiting for Velgemon to leave, hoping he could hold his breath until he did. When he had surfaced, the vulture Digimon was gone. Shoutmon had then crawled back onto land and collapsed. He had only meant to rest for a few minutes, but had ended up falling asleep.

"My friends, he gasped. He hoped they were ok. He hadn't been able to check on them after Velgemon's attack, his only goal being to get the vulture Digimon away from them.

He ran back the way he came, praying Velgemon hadn't gone back for them, or that some other Digimon didn't pick them off. He didn't think he had to worry about the former; Velgemon had a short attention span, eager to move on to the next kill.

He skidded to a halt as he arrived at the place he had left his human friends. There was another Digimon there, one he recognized too. "ShogunGekomon?"

The giant red amphibian Digimon was indeed there. He was laying on is back, snoring loudly, the teens wrapped in his arms like stuffed animals. Shoutmon's eye twitched. Here he was, worried sick about them after having lured Velgemon away, and they were snuggling up with ShogunGekomon.

"Hey, what's going on here?" he shouted.

Kari stirred, her eyes slowly opening. She rubbed the sleep from them, looking for the source of her waking. She gasped when she saw the dragon Digimon. "Shoutmon!" she cried, and began struggling to get out of ShogunGekomon's grasp. "Guys, it's Shoutmon!"

"That's nice," Tai grumbled sleepily beside her.

"Come on, wake up! Shoutmon's still alive!"

The dragon Digimon blinked as she managed to squeeze out of ShogunGekomon's hold and ran over to him. They had thought he was dead? Well, that explained why they had curled up with the amphibian Digimon instead of search for him. What was the big guy doing here anyway?

The air was suddenly squeezed out of him as Kari hugged him tightly. At this point, most of the others had woken up as well and realized that their friend was still alive.

"Shoutmon, thank goodness," said Tai as he hurried over.

Takato had tears of happiness in his eyes. "When we woke up and couldn't find you, we were afraid Velgemon killed you."

"Nope, still alive," Shoutmon wheezed, "but I might not be for long if you don't let me go; I can't breathe!"

Kari finally released him. "Oh, I'm sorry, I'm just glad you're alright."

Shoutmon dusted himself off. "I'm fine. I hid in a stream after I lured Velgemon away from you guys. Then I… uh, passed out on the shore afterwards."

Takuya nodded in understanding. "So that's why he didn't finish us off. We figured something like that happened, but when you didn't come back, we feared the worst. And it's not like you guys leave a body behind to confirm it one way or another. Poor Davis cried himself to sleep."

They looked back to find the boy in question still sleeping while ShogunGekomon was now sitting up, rubbing his eyes. Shoutmon nodded in his direction. "So, what's up with ShogunGekomon? When'd he get here?"

"Oh, him?" said Tai. "He found us last night when we were unconscious."

"I got worried about your journey," the amphibian Digimon replied as he marched over, setting down the still sleeping Davis. "So I decided to see if I could help. I only wish I had caught up sooner."

Shoutmon glanced at the teens. "Does he know?"

TK nodded sadly. "We had to tell him."

ShogunGekomon's tentacle drooped. "He died an honorable death. Songs will be sung about his bravery."

Takato sweat-dropped. "Right, more songs, great."

With tears in his eyes, the amphibian Digimon thumped his fist over his heart. "I solemnly swear I will find Etemon again, and our songs shall echo across the land!"

They weren't sure how to respond to that, so they let the subject drop.

"So what are we supposed to do now?" Takato asked. "Even with Paildramon on our side, Velgemon still beat us. If we can't even beat him, how are we supposed to beat Myotismon?"

Shoutmon crossed his arms. "Velgemon is extremely powerful, but he's just a wild beast. We weren't prepared to have Duskmon Digivolve on us." He grinned. "And he certainly wasn't prepared to have ExVeemon Digivolve to Paildramon."

"For all the good it did," Takuya grumbled.

Shoutmon just waved this off. "I'm not too worried about that. Paildramon had only just Digivolved, I mean, ExVeemon did. It always takes some time for a newly Digivolved Digimon to adapt to their new form and powers. Davis will master them in no time. In fact, seeing the strength you humans possess and how it can be used to bring out a Digimon's power and potential has only given me hope."

Tai looked at his Digivice. "They're not doing much good now. That fight with Velgemon used up all their power again, and after we just recharged them too." He squeezed it tightly. "This is getting frustrating. Now we have to wait longer before we can do anything!"

ShogunGekomon tapped his chin. "Maybe not. I think I can help."

They looked up at him. "How?" TK asked.

"I can do what Shoutmon did to recharge your Digivices. I know I won't be much use in a fight against Myotismon, Duskmon, or LadyDevimon, but I can give you my energy so you can fight against them."

"ShogunGekomon," said Kari, "we couldn't ask you to do that."

Shoutmon crossed his arms. "Oh, but you could let me."

The amphibian Digimon shook his head. "I want to do this. I was a coward not to come before, but I can still help out in this way. At least let me be content in knowing that I helped you avenge Etemon. Now hold still."

He held up his hand. Golden pixelated light flowed out of his palm and over the teens. In Tai's hand, his Digivice reactivated, the image of Agumon reappearing on the screen. "Alright," he said, "fully charged. Thanks, ShogunGeko…"

He trailed off as the amphibian Digimon's body began glowing gold. It wasn't like the light of Digivolution that brightly shined outward, rather, it was more like his body had simply turned to light. And then suddenly he began to shrink and change shape.

"What's happening?" Kari asked worriedly.

"It's fine," Shoutmon assured her.

ShogunGekomon continued to shrink down until he was no bigger than the dragon Digimon. Finally, he stopped glowing, and what appeared to be a small, skinny, green version of ShogunGekomon with a single horn now stood in his place. "Hi," he said, waving a webbed hand. "I'm Gekomon."

TK blinked. "Gekomon?"

"He's ShogunGekomon's Champion form," Shoutmon explained. "After giving away all that energy, he DeDigivolved."

Takato bent down to the amphibian Digimon's level. "DeDigivolved? Does that mean he has to spend centuries absorbing data before he can become ShogunGekomon again?"

"Oh, no," Gekomon assured him. "Having Digivolved already, ShogunGekomon is part of my Fractal Code. It's only when a Digimon dies that that data is lost and we have to go around absorbing data in order to initially Digivolve to the next level. I'll be able to become ShogunGekomon again once I replenish my energy."

He frowned. "Unfortunately, I won't be able to accompany you any further. I barely managed to bring myself to come this far at the Ultimate level; I dare not face Myotismon and his men while only a Champion."

Tai gave him a reassuring smile. "Hey, don't sweat it. You've already done more than enough. Thanks to you, we can keep going on. We'll be sure to save everyone and avenge Etemon."

Takuya nodded. "Yeah, we'll take care of the bad guys. You just focus on spreading your music throughout the Digital World."

With tears in his eyes, Gekomon nodded. "I will, I swear it. Thank you, my friends."

At that moment, Davis decided to wake up. "What'd I miss?"

Notes:

(A/N: Wow, they got destroyed. You thought they'd be able to handle him since Paildramon had just appeared last chapter. But, hey, Duskmon alone was able to old his own against them, so Velgemon isn't going to be a pushover. Good thing he's not the sharpest nail in the coffin though. Ha, ha, Get coffin, 'cause he's like an undead Digimon? Sorry, bad joke. Fortunately, Shoutmon was able to divert his attention. And ShogunGekomon made a reappearance. Was that too abrupt? I felt it was too abrupt. Well, next time our heroes will stop running and start fighting back, so be ready for that.)

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New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Gekomon

Chapter 35: I Smell A Rat

Notes:

(A/N: Ok, here we go. New chapter update. The beginning of this chapter may be a little disturbing to some, so be warned, but then we'll get back to the better stuff. You may be a little confused with some of the characters' behavior in this chapter, but I'll explain why this is done in the Author's Note at the end.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 35: I Smell A Rat

Cutemon felt sick. Not sick with a cold, but sick in the disgusted, repulsed, nauseated sense. Apparently, with her healing powers, Myotismon considered her to be very valuable and wanted to keep her with him at all times. She had been chained to the wall in his chambers for the past two hours now while he and LadyDevimon… fornicated with each other, if one could even call it that. And while she was no stranger to the act of mating, the vile things he and LadyDevimon did could barely be considered as such; it was more along the lines of sexual torture, yet the fallen angel Digimon reveled in it.

Then Duskmon had arrived. It seemed neither Myotismon nor LadyDevimon were concerned with their depraved activities being viewed by others since they hadn't bothered to lock the door. The demon Digimon had simply walked in and bowed before his master.

And there he had stayed, down on one knee, waiting patiently for his master to acknowledge him. Myotismon paid him no mind, keeping his attention on more… appealing matters. And Duskmon had waited, for nearly 15 minutes, before the vampire Digimon finally addressed him. "You bring news of the humans, I trust?"

Duskmon continued to stare at the floor. "I do, my lord. I regret to say that they managed to defeat SkullBaluchimon."

"Oh my!" said LadyDevimon, running her tongue over her fangs. "Those weaklings did?"

"Furthermore, another one of them managed to reach the Ultimate level. I was forced to Digivolve to Velgemon."

The vampire Digimon considered this. He knew that with the vulture Digimon's violent and unpredictable nature that Duskmon would only Digivolve if he needed to, and when he did, he left a trail of death and destruction in his wake. "I see," he replied, his tone giving away nothing. "The humans are dead then?

"Yes, my lord."

"And the female?"

"Forgive me, my lord."

Anger bubbled up in the vampire Digimon as he lamented his loss at the chance to taste human blood, a chance he'd likely never get to have again, and he felt the urge to lash out at the demon Digimon. But he prided himself on his gentlemanly manner, and fits of violence were not in his nature. Rather, he had a cold, sadistic anger that he unleashed in a cool merciless fashion.

Cutemon stepped forward, the chin around her neck only letting her go so far. "They're dead?"

Myotismon's attention shifted to her, and his anger found an outlet in the form of mental torture. "Does that make you sad, little one? Your human friends are dead, killed trying to save you. And they don't come back to life like us, do they? How does it feel to know you are responsible for their deaths?"

Cutemon wiped her eyes and glared at the vampire Digimon. "They died because of you, and for a noble cause. At least I can take solace in the fact that they were spared from any suffering at your hand."

Said hand shot out. Grabbing the chain and lifting her into the air with it. "Something you cannot hope for yourself. You should really be more concerned for your own wellbeing."

Though terrified, the fairy Digimon put up a brave front. "Y-You won't break me. I'm strong, a lot stronger than that thing next to you."

LadyDevimon hissed at her, but Myotismon just laughed. "Yes, you just keep showing me that rebellious attitude of yours, because you won't have it for long." His blue eyes shined evilly. "That I promise you."

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The DigiDestined looked up at the tall cylindrical tower before them. Having found and followed the stream Shoutmon had said Etemon told them about before he died, they finally made it here.

"So, this is where Myotismon keeps everyone he's had his snatchers kidnap, huh?" Davis muttered, looking at the structure. Smiling, he placed his hands on his hips. "Nice place. Lets blow it up."

TK closed his eyes and sighed. "Davis, if we do that, then everyone inside would get hurt."

The boy sweat-dropped. "Y-Yeah, I knew that. I meant after we freed them." He laughed nervously. "Um, maybe Cutemon is here too and we can call it a day afterwards."

"We'll still have the snatchers and Myotismon himself to deal with once we're done here," Tai reminded him. "But for now, lets just focus on the task at hand. We need to find a way inside."

But that was easier said than done. They walked all along the outside of the tower, but found no doors or windows. At least none they could fit through. Higher up, no more than a few inches wide, small spaces allowed for a pair of eyes to peer through, and they settle on the group.

Upon finishing circling around the tower, they ended up back where they started. "I don't get it," Takato muttered. "Is there a secret passage? How do the snatchers get in and out?"

Kari tapped her chin, looking up. "Well, LadyDevimon can fly, right? The entrance is probably at the top of the tower. It makes it harder for anyone to escape, and for anyone to come to the rescue."

Davis looked up. "So, what? We climb up?"

"Of course not," Tai grumbled. "We'll fly up. Chances are we'll have to Spirit Evolve inside anyway."

Shoutmon held out his hand. "Wait, I have an idea."

He motioned for them to follow. They followed the stream that had led them here, discovering that it ran under the tower. Shoutmon indicated that they should wait and dove in. The teens waited nervously for their friend to come back up.

After a while, Davis crouched down, looking at the water. "What's he doing?"

A few bubbles rose up, and Davis leaned in closer. Shoutmon resurfaced, spitting out a mouthful of water, right into Davis' face. "I found another way in. We can sneak in this way without being detected." He blinked. "Davis, why are you wet?"

The boy's eyes twitched. "Gee, I wonder…"

Takuya slapped him over the back. "Well, we're about to get wetter. Here we go!"

He cannonballed in, and Tai sighed. "Can we please try not to alert everyone to our presence?"

One by one, they climbed into the cold water. Shoutmon led them through a tunnel into the tower, having pulled out the bars that blocked the way. Inside, they removed the grate in the floor and climbed into a cold damp room that was very stereotypical for a dungeon.

"This is really cliché," Davis muttered, looking around.

"Be grateful for that," Takato told him as he climbed out of the water. "We'll know what to expect."

Cold and shivering, they made their way down the corridor. It was all more or less the same as the room they had come from wet, cold, and damp.

"Where is everyone?" Tai wondered out loud, his teeth chattering. "We should have run into someone by now. A guard, a prisoner, someone."

Kari was shivering from the cold, hugging herself. "M-Maybe th-th-they're h-h-higher up-p."

She sneezed, and TK wrapped an arm around her for warmth, sharing his body heat. She gave him a grateful smile as Davis looked on in jealousy. "Hey," he snapped, coming between them, "knock off the mushy stuff. We gotta stay focused. Here, Kari, you can wear my jacket."

He started taking off his soaking wet flame-patterned jacket, but she held up a hand to stop him. "T-Th-Thanks, Davis, b-but that will only m-m-make things w-worse since it's w-wet."

Shoutmon rolled his eyes. "You humans are so susceptible to the elements." He created a flame, and the teens quickly gathered around to dry off and get warm.

"I can't believe Myotismon keeps Digimon here," TK muttered. "It's cold, wet, dirty. I can see why they wouldn't last long, especially after having been repeatedly drained of blood."

Shoutmon nodded. "Yes, Myotismon is one of the cruelest and most evil of all Digimon."

"That's why we have to stop him," Davis replied. "We'll teach him not to be such a creep."

"I doubt that," the little pink rodent beside him muttered as it warmed its hands by the fire. "Myotismon is too strong."

"Well," said Takato, "we've come this far. If we turn back now, we'll… AH!"

He wasn't the only one to cry out. The other teens and Shoutmon sis as well, jumped away from the ugly mouse Digimon that had somehow joined them without their knowing.

Looking up at them, the newcomer blinked. "Hey, what'd you take away the fire for? It felt nice."

"And just who are you?" Tai demanded cautiously.

TK checked his Digivice. "Chuumon, a Rookie level mouse Digimon, special attack Cheese Bomb."

"And don't you forget it," Chuumon declared proudly.

Kari stared at him. "What are you doing here?"

The mouse Digimon cocked his head to the side. "I could ask you the same question. What are a couple of… whatever you are and a Shoutmon doing in the sewers of Myotismon's dungeon?"

Takato made a face. "The sewers? We were just in the sewers? Really? Oh, man…"

"Hey, buddy," Shoutmon growled poking the mouse Digimon, "I'm not just a Shoutmon, I'm thee Shoutmon, as in the Digimon King, and these are my human servants."

"Your what now?" Davis asked.

"Just go with it," the dragon Digimon whispered. "We came here to free the prisoners and save our friend. Why are you here? I thought your kind usually buddied up with Sukamon."

"Oh, I live here," Chuumon replied. "No talking yellow piece of poop for me. I go it solo."

Tai blinked. "What? Talking yellow…? Did I miss something?"

"Focus," Shoutmon told him, and turned back to the mouse Digimon. "Why would you live here? Seems kind of risky. What if you're caught?"

Chuumon just laughed and waved it off. "Please, I'm much too small and fast. This place has countless small spaces where I can hide. I can get through so many places that no one else here can."

Takuya's eyes lit up. "Then you must know your way around here pretty well. We're trying to find our friend, Cutemon."

"Cutemon?"

Tai nodded. "Yeah, have you seen her? She was taken by the snatchers a few days ago."

"She may not be here though," Shoutmon added. "Myotismon would probably keep her with him to force her to heal his victims after he's fed off them."

"And by the way," TK added. "Where are all the guards and prisoners?"

Chuumon crossed his arms. "Well, the prisoners are a few floors up, and there's only one guard, albeit a powerful one. As for Cutemon, yes, she is here, but she's kept separate from the others." He motioned for them to follow. "Come on, I'll take you to her."

He hurried over to the wall and squeezed between a small space. The teens sweat-dropped, unable to follow. Chuumon seemed to realize this and came back. "Sorry, I guess you're too big to fit through there. We'll have to take the direct route."

The teens shared uncertain looks, then glanced at Shoutmon. The dragon Digimon just shrugged and followed. The further they walked, the more uneasy they felt as they realized they were out in the open with nowhere to hide, yet they trusted their newfound friend.

"Hey, guys," Takato muttered, "you do realize that if anyone comes, we're completely exposed, right? Should we Spirit Evolve?"

Shoutmon looked back at him. "Idiot. If we do that, we'll definitely expose ourselves. Your Digimon forms are too big."

Chuumon chuckled. "Don't worry, since there's really only one way in, the guard pretty much stays by the entrance, except for when he's making his rounds. And when he does," he tapped his big ears, "I can hear him coming."

They continued down the corridor, eventually coming to a spiral staircase. Once they reached the top, they finally came to the holding area. It was one corridor after another, with jail cell after jail cell. Inside were various Digimon, In-Trainings, Rookies, and a few low powered Champions, all chained up. Most were female, all were miserable and weak. None of them even acknowledged the teens more than a glance.

Kari looked around in horror. "This is terrible! The poor Digimon."

Tai glared at Chuumon. "Why haven't you gotten them out of here? If no one knows you're here, couldn't you have stolen the keys, or broken the locks, or something?"

Chuumon motioned to himself. "Have you seen me? I'm small and weak. I'm not risking myself for these guys. It might be cowardly, but it's in my nature. Just be happy I'm helping you guys now."

TK looked around at all the cells and shook his head. "We have to get them out of here. Once she's safe, we can free the others."

"Your friend is right," Chuumon replied. "You don't want a massive prison break on your hands before we save your friend. Especially since she's in a special holding cell."

"Why's she in a special holding cell?" Davis asked.

The mouse Digimon rolled his eyes. "You're the one who said she was special. She's being held at the top, close to where the guard stays, so we'll have to be extra quiet."

Tai sighed. "Alright, lets go."

"Wait," TK told them, and hurried over to one of the cells. He said something to the Digimon inside, and it immediately perked up. Rejoining the others, he said, "I told them that we would be back to set them free once we found our friend, and to spread the word and be ready."

Kari smiled. "Giving them hope. Good call."

Chuumon rolled his eyes. "Lets hold out on hope for now. Be hopeful after we've succeeded." He motioned for them to follow as they made their way higher up the tower, eventually leaving the cells and the now more hopeful Digimon behind.

"Why would they be keeping Cutemon here?" Takuya asked. "There's nothing up here."

"Hmm," Chuumon muttered. "I could have sworn it was this way." He scratched his head. "Hang on, let me go the way I know. Just wait here."

He went over to another space in the wall and squeezed through, leaving the teens alone. There was nothing left for them to do but wait. But past experiences with things in this world had taught Tai to be more cautious, and he began working on a backup plan. And the more he thought about, the stranger things seemed. A frown slowly made its way across his face and he began looking around thoughtfully, his discomfort growing."

Kari took notice and frowned as well. "What's wrong, Tai?"

Her brother tapped his chin. "I'm not sure. Something doesn't seem right."

TK gave him a curious look. "What do you mean?"

"It's too easy. We got inside with no problem, found someone to lead us through the tower, ran into no guards or anyone patrolling the area. Something just doesn't add up."

"Well, maybe Myotismon is just careless," Davis suggested. "Or that arrogant. And looking at those Digimon down there, they didn't seem like they'd be causing a prison riot anytime soon. So maybe too much security isn't needed."

"Chuumon did say there's a guard by the entrance," Takuya pointed out. "So it's not like the place is completely defenseless."

"That in itself is strange," Tai insisted. "One Digimon guarding several others. What happens if they break out? You think one lone guard can stop all these Digimon?"

Shoutmon shrugged. "Depends what level the guard is. If it's an Ultimate, even if there were three times as many Digimon as there are now, they wouldn't stand a chance."

Davis crossed his arms. "You know, the power difference between levels is just plain ridiculous."

"Guess that's why Chuumon never tried to spring anyone from their cells before now," Kari surmised.

Tai's eyes narrowed. "I'm suspicious of that as well. Why the sudden change of heart? Why's he suddenly willing to help them?"

"Because of us?"

"He has no idea who we are, let alone the fact that we can Spirit Evolve. He wasn't even surprised to suddenly have humans appear before him. Doesn't that strike you as a little odd?"

A humph came from around the corner. "You're far too perceptive."

From around the corner, a giant white snake Digimon that seemed to have a purple turtle shell on its head, making it look like a cobra, emerged. Its piercing red eyes stared at the teens hungrily, its forked tongue flicking out to taste their scent in the air.

And riding on its head was none other than Chuumon. "It makes it difficult to lure you into a trap."

Notes:

(A/N: In case you didn't know, Chuumon has a magic voice that allows him to easily trick others. That's right, he totally played them. The chapter title was meant to hint at that. At least Tai figured it out. Not that it did much good at this point. Now they've got to defeat the guard, who I'm sure you can guess who it is based on the description. See how they're going to get out of this mess next time.)

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New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Chuumon

Chapter 36: Hissy Fit

Notes:

(A/N: Aaaand we're back. After being deceived by Chuumon, our heroes now find themselves face to face with Sandiramon. Oops, did you not know that yet? I thought it was obvious enough. Well, you would have found out in the first sentence anyway. By the way, is the pun for the chapter title too much? It's too much, isn't it? But what can I say, I like puns. Occasionally.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 36: Hissy Fit

Kari immediately checked her Digivice. "Sandiramon, Ultimate level. His Venom Axe attack can dissolve anything. It says he belongs to a group of Digimon called the Devas, whatever that means."

Shoutmon took a step back. "Devas are a group of 12 different species of Digimon that were originally created from the data of destroyed Digimon. They're meant to represent the zodiac."

Takuya glanced at him in surprise. "You know about the Chinese zodiac?"

"What's the Chinese zodiac?" Davis asked.

"Guys," TK said loudly, "we've got a bigger problem."

Chuumon snickered. "You mean longer. About 60 feet long."

Tai pointed an accusing finger at him. "You betrayed us!"

The mouse Digimon shook his own finger. "Not really. Betraying would mean I was once on your side, but I work Myotismon. You should have read up more about my abilities on that device of yours."

Takato pulled out his Digivice and did just that. "Chuumon is known to use his Whispered Voice and Tell A Lie attacks to speak in a soothing voice to trick enemies and lure them into a network of traps."

"So that's why we found you so trusting," Takuya seethed, furious not just with the mouse Digimon, but with himself for being so easily misled.

Chuumon just chuckled. "Did you think you were the first ones to come in through the sewers, or the first ones I led here? I keep watch for intruders as well as on the prisoners while Sandiramon here guards the entrance, but I was quite surprised when you kids suddenly appeared."

Davis held up his Digivice. "You'll find we're full of surprises."

TK grabbed his wrist. "We can't Spirit Evolve in here; it's too narrow."

"Not for us," Chuumon sneered. "This hallway works perfectly. Get them, Sandiramon!"

"Treasure Lance!" the snake Digimon cried. Opening his mouth, he spat out a lance with a snowflake-like blade coated with poison. The teens ducked as the lance flew towards them. It stabbed into the wall at the end of the hall and remained embedded there, the poison on it melting the stone.

"Yikes," Takato commented, "that guy's breath is killer."

The snake Digimon just laughed. "You don't know the half of it. Venom Axe!"

His attack cry was followed by a roar that unleashed a slow moving sound wave. As it travelled down the corridor towards the teens, a layer of the ceiling, wall, and floor dissolved into particles of data.

Tai began backing away, pushing the others back as well as the sound wave got closer, gaining speed. "Back up, back up, back up!"

They fled back the way they came as Chuumon and Sandiramon laughed. It was a close call, but they managed to turn at the end of the corridor before the sound wave flowed over them. When it hit the wall, it and the lance embedded in it completely disintegrated.

"That was close," Takuya breathed.

"And it gave us an opening," Shoutmon declared. "Lets go!"

He hopped through the hole in the wall. The teens looked through it to see it led down to a much more open space that would allow them enough room to move around in their Digimon forms.

"You won't get away!" Chuumon declared as he rode on Sandiramon's head down the corridor.

Tai pulled out his Digivice. "Spirit Evolve, now!" he cried, and leapt through the hole. "Execute! Spirit Evolution… MetalGreymon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Paildramon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Growlmon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Agunimon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Nefertimon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Angemon!"

Those capable of flight pulled out of the drop while those that couldn't shook the tower as they landed. Up above, Sandiramon and Chuumon poked their heads out of the hole. They were caught off guard when they found two Ultimate and three Champions rather than five humans.

"Hey, what happened?" the mouse Digimon wondered out loud.

Angemon flew up to the hole. "This happened! Angel Rod!"

His staff came down on Sandiramon's head. Chuumon had leapt out of the way in time, but the snake Digimon fell through the hole and hit the floor. Paildramon flew overhead and unleashed his Desperado Blaster attack. Bullets rained down across Sandiramon's body, but the turtle shell protected his head, and Chuumon quickly ducked for cover beneath it.

Sandiramon looked up at the dragon Digimon and spat out a Treasure Lance. It flew at Paildramon, who was too slow to react, but was saved as MetalGreymon leapt in the air and cut the lance apart with his metal arm.

Nefertimon whizzed by and fired a large Rosetta Stone. It lodged itself in the snake Digimon's mouth, nearly causing him to swallow it. "Let's go!" she cried to the angel Digimon flying along side her.

Sandiramon's red eyes narrowed and he unleashed his Venom Axe. The large stone slab in his mouth instantly dissolved, the poisonous sound wave from his roar slamming into the two Digimon as if it were a physical force, and they dropped from the sky, bits of clothes, armor, and feathers dissolving.

"Vortex Strike!" Agunimon cried, using his speed to race over to Sandiramon and deliver a fiery kick to the snake Digimon's head.

Sandiramon grunted and his tail shot out, wrapping around the fire wizard Digimon's waist and lifting him in the air. Growlmon roared and charged, the blades on his elbows glowing to unleash his Dragon Slash. Sandiramon responded by swinging his tail, slamming Agunimon into him, and they both crashed into the wall.

Sandiramon chuckled and coughed up another Treasure Lance, wielding it with his tail. MetalGreymon charged at him, and the snake Digimon blocked his attempt to slash him with his lance.

"Cable Catcher!" Paildramon cried, firing his claws.

Sandiramon spat out a second lance, holding this one in his mouth, and caught Paildramon's claws with the snowflake-shaped blade of his lance. The dragon Digimon's body caught up with his extended claws and stabbed forward with his Sting Strike. Sandiramon's head moved to the side, avoiding the attack, and Paildramon's lance stabbed into the wall.

Chuumon leapt off the snake Digimon's head and ran up the length of Paildramon's arm to his face. "Cheese Bomb!"

His attack found its mark, yet did no notable damage. The dragon Digimon glared at him and retracted his lance. "You're certainly cheeky."

He swatted the mouse Digimon away. Sandiramon acted while he was distracted, pulling back with his lance and stabbing forward, right into the area of Paildramon's gut where his armor was lacking.

"Paildramon!" MetalGreymon cried. He pulled his claw back and moved to strike, but Sandiramon was faster. He thrust the lance he held in his tail into MetalGreymon's face. The metal headgear protected the cyborg dinosaur Digimon, but deep grooves were left behind, the poison burning straight through, causing MetalGreymon to stumble back as it burned.

Showing off, Sandiramon twirled around his lances. The DigiDestined gathered around him, Angemon, Nefertimon, and Paildramon's bodies weak and burning from his venom.

"Never thought I'd see the day where a snake got the better of us," Agunimon grumbled.

"He hasn't," Growlmon insisted. "Not yet. Pyro Blaster!"

Sandiramon swung a lance, cutting the attack in half. Nefertimon fired her Nile Jewelry, but the jewels were deflected as Sandiramon twirled the staff in his mouth around. He then threw his other spear at Agunimon, and the fire wizard Digimon flew backwards and slammed against the wall, two of the blades on the lance on either side of his neck, very nearly taking his head off as they buried into stone.

On reflex, the others had looked back at him, and Sandiramon struck, literally. Grabbing the lance out of his mouth with his tail, he bit into MetalGreymon's shoulder and coiled around him. The cyborg dinosaur Digimon roared as the snake Digimon's venomous fangs dug into his flesh.

"Let him go!" Angemon shouted, and struck Sandiramon over the head with his Angel Rod. This time though, it came down over the turtle shell, snapping in two.

"Stand back," Paildramon ordered. "Sorry about this, MetalGreymon. Desperado Blaster!"

Bullets sprayed across Sandiramon's body, careful to avoid MetalGreymon. The snake Digimon uncoiled just enough to swing his tail, and thus his lance, at the dragon Digimon. Ignoring the burning pain in his stomach from his stab wound, Paildramon caught the lance and struck with his Sting Strike, cutting it in half.

MetalGreymon grunted as Sandiramon squeezed him tighter. "I can't… breathe…"

"Hold on, I got this," Growlmon replied, opening his mouth to fire his Pyro Blaster again.

Angemon recognized the attack as the inside of Growlmon's mouth lit up. "No, don't. It's too risky. You could hurt MetaGreymon."

"Then lets try this," said Paildramon. "Sting Strike!"

He moved to stab the snake Digimon, but Sandiramon suddenly retracted his fangs and struck Paildramon, biting his arm to stop the attack. Nefertimon attempted to help, but Sandiramon's tail shot out and wrapped around her, then used the holy beast Digimon as a club to smack first Angemon and then Growlmon.

At a distance, Shoutmon stomped his foot in frustration at the lack of progress his friends were making. "Come on, do something!"

"How about this!"

Agunimon charged at Sandiramon with his own weapon, having pulled out the lance out of the wall to get free. With a battle cry, he jumped up and stabbed it into the snake Digimon's body, careful not to bury it too deep so he wouldn't stab MetalGreymon.

Sandiramon roared, non-venomously this time, and Paildramon was released. His body loosened around MetalGreymon, allowing the chambers on the cyborg dragon Digimon's body to open. "Desperate times, desperate measures. Giga Blaster!"

The missiles exploded against Sandiramon's body. MetalGreymon took damage as well, but his metal chest protected him. The same could not be said for Sandiramon, who was blasted off the cyborg Digimon's body, dropping Nefertimon in the process, and slammed against the wall.

MetalGreymon dropped to his knees, using his metal arm to hold himself up. Paildramon and Growlmon went over to him to help him stand, the latter inquiring, "You ok?"

"I'm fine," he replied, struggling to stand upright. "That attack took a bit out of me, not to mention his venom."

Nefertimon got to her feet and shook her head to regain her bearings. Her gaze landed on Sandiramon against the wall. "Looks like you're not the only one. I guess it's true even in the Digital World; a snake's venom can even affect itself if it bites its own tail. Good call using his own lance, Agunimon."

The fire wizard Digimon sweat-dropped. "Um, yeah, that was my plan…"

Paildramon moved in on Sandiramon, wary of his tail. "Looks like that attack did a number on you. Care to surrender?"

The snake Digimon was trembling and seemed pretty out of it. "I can't… hear you… Everything is going… dark…"

"I asked if you surrender."

"Come closer…"

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes at the cliché of it, the dragon Digimon approached. "Do you surren-"

"Wait, don't!" Angemon cried.

Sandiramon's head shot up. "Venom Axe!"

Paildramon jumped back and fired his Electric Bolt. It exploded against the venomous roar, and he quickly fired another one. The others attacked as well, unleashing a barrage of different attacks on the snake Digimon. When they finally ceased, Sandiramon toppled over and burst into data. Shoutmon gave a whoop and ran over to absorb it.

Paildramon stared at the place the snake Digimon had been in disgust. "What a creep. Guess he really was a snake in the grass. Good thing I was prepared for something like that."

"Yeah, good thing," MetalGreymon grumbled as he sat down. "I need to rest a bit. That venom really packs a punch."

"That's fine," Growlmon told him. "We can go let the other prisoners out in the meantime."

Agunimon looked at him. "What if there are more guards?"

"I don't think there are," Nefertimon told him, "otherwise they would have joined the fight. That seems to be the only honest thing Chuumon said to us."

Growlmon snarled. "Speaking of Chuumon, where is that rat?"

"Over here," Shoutmon replied, walking over to the mouse Digimon. Chuumon lay on the floor with dizzy swirls in his eyes from when Paildramon had smacked him. Shoutmon glared at him as he produced his mic and probed him with it. "Hey, wake up."

The mouse Digimon blinked. He looked around and quickly jumped to his feet, backing away. "Hey, what happened? Where's Sandiramon?"

Shoutmon pointed his mic at him. "Your slippery friend is gone. It's all over, traitor. We're freeing all the prisoners. Now, the question is, what are we going to do with you?"

Chuumon growled and backed away. "You think you're so tough, picking on a little guy like me! Well, go ahead, take your revenge, you big bully! I won't apologize! I did what I had to do! How else is a weakling like me supposed to get by without relying on someone stronger than him?"

Shoutmon stared at him for a moment before sighing. "You're too pathetic to kill."

He turned and began walking away. Chuumon's features twisted with anger, his fists clenching. "Pathetic? I'll show you pathetic. Cheese Bomb!"

Fast as lightning, Shoutmon whirled around, swinging his mic. It slammed into Chuumon, sending him crashing into the wall. Tears appeared in his eyes and a large bump sprouted on his head.

Shoutmon stomped his mic on the floor in a very kingly fashion. "Trying your voice trick on me again? That won't work twice. I think I'll turn you over to the Digimon you've kept imprisoned here. But until then…"

He grinned evilly, and cracked his knuckles. A few minutes later, Chuumon found himself bound in chains and locked in cell as the DigiDestined went about freeing all the prisoners, who would later decide his fate. None of them were aware of the bat with the red letter A on its forehead that had been hanging from the ceiling, watching everything play out. Nor did they see it drop down and fly out the tower.

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The Digimon known as Lalamon gave a pitiful moan, weak from anemia and in pain from the fangs digging into her flesh as Myotismon fed off her. She knew the vampire Digimon had the ability to put her in a trance in order to compel his victims so they wouldn't put up a fight, but seeing as she was unable to resist, there was no need to use his glamor, and he enjoyed causing pain to others anyway.

Finally pulling his fangs free, he dropped the plant Digimon. Another pained groan escaped Lalamon as she tried to get up, but found herself unable to move. Myotismon was a true glutton when it came to drinking blood. If Digimon were capable of gaining weight, he'd undoubtedly be morbidly obese.

"Oh dear," said Myotismon with mock concern, "it seems I got carried away again." He gave a tug at the chain he held, pulling Cutemon forward. "Heal her."

The fairy Digimon looked from Lalamon to Myotismon. If she used her healing powers, then poor Lalamon would continue to be subjugated to the vampire Digimon's hunger, her only reprieve being when he swapped her our for someone else, in which case she would be locked away in his cold damp dungeon until he chose to feed off her again. No, better to let her die. She would have to start her life all over again from scratch, but at least she would be free from Myotismon's evil.

Looking up, she glared at the vampire Digimon defiantly. "No, I won't do it."

A scowl crossed Myotimon's face and he lifted the chain. Cutemon was left dangling in the air, clawing at the cuff around her neck. "What was that?"

"I… said… no!"

An irritated hiss escape the vampire Digimon, but LadyDevimon stepped forward, smiling eagerly. "Allow me, my lord. Darkness Wave!"

She touched the tip of her pointy finger to the fairy Digimon's forehead, and Cutemon screamed in agony as her own energy turned to darkness, burning her from the inside out. A smirk grazed Myotismon's face as he listened to her cries. LadyDevimon was smiling as well, her red eyes shining with sadistic glee.

Cutemon didn't know how long it went on for, but LadyDevimon finally removed her finger, and the burning agony stopped. Myotismon dropped her, and she landed painfully on the stone floor beside Lalamon, trembling and breathing heavily.

"Now," he vampire Digimon told her, "heal her, or your suffering will increase tenfold."

She wanted to resist, but couldn't take this torture anymore. So, shaking, she sat up and used Wound Healing on herself; she knew Myotismon would never let her die anyway. She then held her hands over Lalamon, whispering a silent apology. "Healing Glow!"

Light flowed over the plant Digimon as Lalamon felt her strength return. The bite mark on her neck healed, and her blood was semi-replenished. It seemed she would not be dying this day after all. That was not a good thing, and it brought a tear to her eye. "No…"

Myotismon smirked. "Yes, my tasty little morsel." He yanked on Cutemon's chain, causing her to gag. "Nicely done, my pet. Perhaps next time you'll comply a little faster."

LadyDevimon placed a hand on his shoulder. "My lord, look."

She pointed up at the bat flying towards them. Myotismon held out his hand to it, and it landed on his extended finger, turning to hang upside-down. "What is it, my little friend?"

He held the bat up to his ear, where it began squeaking at him. The smile fell from Myotismon's face, his eyes widening as it delivered the news to him. "What?"

The bat squeaked some more, and rage filled his eyes. In an instant, the bat was in his hand, and he crushed it into data; he had plenty to spare, and they were part of his data anyway. Not like that which he had just been told was now lost.

LadyDevimon noticed his fury and gave him a concerned look. "My lord?"

In an instant, Myotismon whirled around. There was a stream of red that flashed outward, and Lalamon cried out and burst into data. The vampire Digimon paid her lingering data no mind as his enraged cry echoed through the room. "Duskmon!"

Notes:

(A/N: I always loved the Deva arc of Season 3. It was fun seeing which new enemy would appear. I feel, though, that some of them were underpowered, so I wanted to make Sandiramon a real badass. But even then he was outnumbered and overwhelmed by our heroes. And what about Chuumon? I'll leave his fate up to you guys. So, the teens have freed all of Myotismon's prisoners. Now it's just a matter how defeating him and his two henchmen, and freeing Cutemon. That still won't be easy, so stay tuned to see what happens next.)

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New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Sandiramon

Chapter 37: Homesick

Notes:

(A/N: Uch, being sick is no fun. Think I caught a cold while participating in Freight Fest at 6 Flags. Anyone every try it before. It's a lot of fun. Can't wait to do it again this weekend. Still managed to get this chapter done though, even with another job. Also, in case anyone is interested, I've also started a new Batman story called "New To The Family". Everyone loves Batman. But lets get back to this story. For this chapter, we're taking a little break from all the action and fighting to work on some emotional character development in our heroes. Always good to have some of that. )

Disclaimer: I own nothing

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 37: Homesick

He had been summoned. He didn't know why, but when his master called, he came. He was informed though that his master was been very angry with him. Duskmon didn't know what he had done to trigger his master's fury, but he fearlessly went to face it.

Upon entering the throne room, he found Myotismon sitting quietly in the darkness. Cutemon was on the floor beside him, sobbing quietly, but Duskmon paid her no mind as he got down on one knee, bowing his head. "You summoned me, my lord?"

Myotismon's eyes seemed to be glowing in the dark. "I am aware that when you become Velgemon that it becomes difficult for you to think straight. However, when you DeDigivolved back to Duskmon, you still retained all of your memories of your time as Velgemon, do you not?"

Duskmon did not see where this was going, but it was not his job to understand, just obey. "Of course, my lord."

Myotismon's claws dug into the stone armrest of his throne. "Then tell me why you believed the humans were dead when they clearly were not."

In his surprise, Duskmon raised his head. "They live?"

"Clearly, otherwise they would not have been able to defeat Sandiramon and free all my prisoners." He slammed his fist on his armrest, breaking off a piece. "Years of gathering livestock, wasted! Tell me, why did you think the humans were dead?"

The demon Digimon lowered his head once more. "Forgive me, my lord. It has already been established that it becomes difficult to think straight when I am Velgemon. I used my Dark Obliteration attack on them while they were in their Digimon forms, after which they reverted back to their human forms and remained unmoving. I have heard that human bodies do not break down into data upon death. As Velgemon, I had rationalized that the loss of their Digimon forms and the unmoving bodies of their human forms meant they had met their end.

"When Shoutmon distracted me, I attempted to dispose of him, and the humans were already forgotten after he was dealt with. When I went back to being Duskmon, I still believed that the humans were dead, and reported as such."

Myotismon glared. He knew Duskmon would never lie to him. It wasn't in his nature; the demon Digimon was as straightforward as they came. He also understood the irrationality of his Velgemon form. If it had been anyone else, even LadyDevimon, he would have killed them for their failure. "You are aware that I fully expected you to restock my blood supply."

"My master, I would have done so without your asking. But first, please allow me to rid you of these humans. I assure you, I will eliminate them this time."

"Not the girl," Myotismon ordered. "I still wish to sample her blood. I don't care how violent and irrational you become as Velgemon. This time you are to bring her to me alive. You will not be forgiven a second time."

"I understand," the demon Digimon replied, rising to his feet. "I will not fail you again."

As he turned to walk away, Cutemon wiped her eyes and looked up at the scowl on Myotismon's face. Turning back to the retreating Duskmon, she sent a silent prayer to her human friends. "Please, my friends, be careful."

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Tai watched as several dozen Digimon unleashed numerous attacks upon the tower they had been confined to for months on end. He didn't blame them, he probably would have destroyed it too if he were in their shoes.

Several more attacks were fired upon the base, and the tower finally began to fall. The Digimon scattered as the structure came down and toppled over into a pile of rubble. Chuumon was still chained and locked up in there, most likely crushed beneath all the rubble.

Cheers rang out as Myotismon's dungeon became nothing more than a pile of stones. Several of the Digimon took off after that, eager to put as much distance between them and this place as they could, while others took the time to thank the teens for saving them.

Davis arrogantly rubbed his index finger beneath his nose. "Aww, it was nothing. All in a day's work."

The others looked on with hooded eyes. "I wonder who he loves more," Takato muttered, "his fans, or himself."

"Himself," the others replied instantly.

When the last Digimon finished giving their thanks, Davis addressed the group. "Ok, now we just have to get Myotismon, and we can call it a day."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Shoumton cried. "Back it up a bit. We need a plan of attack."

"How about attack?"

Tai rolled his eyes. "Davis, focus. Now, we know that Myotismon's castle is several miles east from his dungeon. So, lets see if we came from that direction, then we have to go this way."

"Right," Takuya agreed. "I'm guessing it'll take a few days walk from here. That should give us enough time to recover our strength."

Takato sighed. "Great, more walking. When we get back home, we should try out for the track team. We'd be masters at it."

A cloud of gloominess settled across the group at the mention of home. They all missed their friends and families and tried to avoid talking about such things. Takato realized his mistake by mentioning it, and he soon became depressed as well.

Tai looked around at the forlorn expressions on everyone's faces. As the leader, it was his responsibility to take care of the group. So he pushed aside his depression, putting on a determine face. "We'll rest here for tonight. I'll go gather some firewood."

A short while later, they had a nice fire going, courtesy of Shoutmon's Fiery Fastball. They sat around the blaze silently, still trying to keep their minds off of thoughts of home.

"Anyone want to sing campfire songs?" Davis asked, trying to lighten the mood.

Kari chuckled. "I'm sure Etemon would have been all for that."

Takuya nudged Shoutmon beside him. "Hey, you're a music based Digimon. Why don't you sing something?"

The dragon Digimon snorted. "I only do rock and roll."

Tai beamed. "You know what would really be good? Some marshmallows. We could make s'mores."

Shoutmon raised an eyebrow. "Some more what?"

The others chuckled. "No," said TK, "he said s'mores. They're made of roasted marshmallows, chocolate, and graham crackers."

Kari leaned against him and sighed dreamily. "I'd settle for just the chocolate."

The dragon Digimon made a face. "I've never heard of any of those things, but they sound nasty."

Grinning, Davis patted him on the back. "Oh, my little friend, you are so naïve."

"I used to make s'mores with my brother and parents whenever we went camping," TK reminisced with a smile. It didn't last long. "Well, we used to anyway, before my parents split up…"

Kari gave him a sympathetic look and rubbed his back comfortingly. Shoutmon, however, looked confused. "Your parents. That's what you call a mother and father, right? Kind of like what Swanmon and Elecmon do, but they're also the ones that created you?" At TK's confirmed nod, Shoutmon smiled, proud of himself for remembering. "Yeah, your father carried you around in his stomach until he gave birth, right?"

And just like that, the gloom that had settled over the group evaporated as the teens burst out laughing while Shoutmon looked confused.

"You got it backwards," Tai told him, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes. "The mother's the one that does that."

Shoutmon blinked. "It is?" He scratched his head. "I could have sworn that… Ah! You humans are so complex that it's hard to remember everything."

"We're complex?" Takato exclaimed. "You should see you Digimon from our point of view."

Looking around, Shoutmon saw that they were all of similar mind. "Ah, whatever. All I know is I'm glad I'm a Digimon." He gave TK a curious look. "So, what do you mean your parents split up?"

And the mood was ruined again. The dragon Digimon didn't seem to realize he was bringing up something painful, not understanding the concept. No one answered for several moments. When Tai moved to speak, he glanced at TK, silently asking for permission, but was met with no objection. "He means his parents are divorced."

The dragon Digimon scratched his head. "Divorced," he repeated, trying out the word. "What's that mean?"

TK sighed. Kari took his hand to offer comfort and support, and he gave her a grateful smile. "It means they're not married anymore."

Shoutmon scratched his head again. "Married? Wait, that's what you humans call those that are mates, right? You go through that ceremony thing. A weeding. No, a wedding." He received nods. "So then your parents aren't mates anymore? How does that happen?"

TK just shrugged. "It happens. Sometimes things just don't work out. I ended up living with my mother while Matt ended up living with my father. That's why we have different last names."

Takuya nodded in sympathy. "That's rough, man. My friends Koji and Koichi went through the same thing. They didn't even know they had a twin brother until they met one day. But things eventually worked out between them, and they developed a good relationship."

TK sighed. "Yeah, Matt and I did too. Even our parents share a friendly platonic relationship now. It was a painful experience, but it taught me a lot about family and keeping those you love close to you. I don't intend to make my parents' mistakes. I'll love and cherish my wife always." He glanced at Kari, then looked away, missing when she glanced at him too.

Shoutmon made a face. "It's all so complicated. You humans and your ways don't make sense. I understand having mates, and even having children to an extent since new Digimon can be born from large gatherings of data, but this mother, father, brother, sister, family thing is a foreign concept to me." He looked at the others. "So what are your families like?"

Looks of surprise crossed their faces. While they had spoken of what the Real World was like, Shoutmon hadn't really inquired about their family lives before. Perhaps having TK open up had made him curious, or perhaps he was trying to understand this concept of family that didn't seem to exist in the Digital World, at least not the way it did in the Real World.

"Well," Tai began, "Kari and I live in Odaiba, Japan in Highton View Terrace." He chuckled at the confused look on Shoutmon's face. "It's an apartment complex. An apartment complex is-"

"I know what an apartment complex is," the dragon Digimon interrupted. "We have those in the Digital World too."

"Right," Tai muttered. "Well, it's just the two of us and our parents."

"Don't forget Miko," Kari added with a smile.

"Right, our pet cat." He chuckled. "Can you imagine how he'd react if he saw you as Nefertimon."

"He'd freak out."

Tai smiled, thinking fondly of their family pet. "I'd say we live relatively normal lives. Except for…"

Shoutmon cocked his head to the side. "Except for what?"

Kari immediately knew where he was going. "Our mother's recipes. She's very into cooking healthy. She's always trying out these new recipes, and we're always the test dummies."

Tai shuttered. "They're really bad. We consider ourselves lucky if she burns whatever she's making. I remember one time when Izzy came over and tried some of her recipes…" He shook his head. "The poor guy couldn't leave the bathroom after that for the longest time."

"Ok, that was a little too much information," Takato told him. "So why's your mother so health-conscious?"

Kari smiled sadly. "That's probably my fault. I used to get sick a lot when I was little. I think Mom took to trying to make healthy meals so I would get stronger. Even though I don't get sick anymore, well, you know what they say about old habits."

"Like your whistle," Tai teased.

Her smile became more genuine. "You mean this one?" She reached around her neck and lifted up the necklace that hung beside the digital camera around her neck. Hanging from it was the small gray whistle in question.

Tai laughed. "Yeah, that's the one. There was a time where that was practically the only way you would talk to people."

This was met with laughter from the others, though Shoutmon just seemed more confused at this point. "I don't get it."

Davis stopped laughing and took over the conversation. "Well, at least you guys have good relationships with your siblings. My sister is a real pain. Just because she's six years older than me, she thinks she can order me around. And Mom and Dad always back her up because they think she's so mature. She just likes to boss me around! And she likes going around spreading bad rumors about me! Does that sound like someone who's mature?"

TK sweat-dropped. "I guess that means you don't get along so well."

Davis glared at him, but then grinned evilly. "Hey, she'll be your problem soon. She's adamant about marrying your brother one day."

"Huh?"

"Yeah, she's always bugging her friends about his band since one of them is in the same class as your brother. I mean, no offense, but she won't shut up about him. One time she completely flipped out on me because she had a zit and was afraid of what he would think if he saw her."

Takato was smiling nervously. "Ok, that's a little creepy in the stalker sense. As for me, my parents own a bakery, and we live in the apartment right above it."

Takato's last name suddenly clicked in TK's head. "Wait, you mean the Matsuki Bakery?"

"Huh? Uh, yeah, that's the one. Why?"

TK shook his head. "I just never made the connection, even though I've been there before. They make really good bread there."

His nervous smile returned. "Yeah, that's what we specialize in. I've actually been baking bread for several years now. Sometimes I'll help out if we get really busy."

Shoutmon raised an eyebrow. "So you don't have any siblings?"

Takato shook his head. "No, but I do have a cousin named Kai that I'm pretty close to."

The dragon Digimon tapped his chin. "Cousin, cousin… Ah, that's the offspring of one of your parents' siblings, right?"

Takuya slapped him across the back. "Hey, good job remembering that."

Grumbling, Shoutmon rubbed where he slapped him. "Thanks. And what about you? You got a brother or sister?"

The boy nodded. "Yeah, a little brother, Shinya. We don't get along that well though. He's always such a brat, and Mom and Dad always take his side because he's the baby of the family."

Davis' eye twitched in irritation. "That's a switch."

Takuya chuckled at this, but his smile soon became a frown. "Actually, I really miss him right now. I kinda wish I was back in the Real World to fight with him."

Frowns soon found their way to the faces of the rest of the group as they all thought about and missed their own families. Shoutmon looked at each of them and crossed his arms, thinking about everything they had said. "It's strange. You humans are so different from us Digimon in some ways, yet are so similar in others. I just can't comprehend the whole family thing though."

In another attempt to turn the mood around, Davis gave him a knowing smile. "What about Renamon?"

The dragon Digimon blushed. "I… I don't know what you mean?"

But Davis' words triggered a memory in Kari of something she remembered Shoutmon mentioning a while back. "What about Gumdramon?"

Her question was met with silence. For several long moments, he just stared up at her before sighing and looking up at the night sky. "Gumdramon was a friend of mine. My very best friend. We were very close. Closer than close. If we were human, I'd even say he was my brother."

The teens listened in silence, waiting for more, but it seemed he had nothing more to say on the subject.

"You mentioned that he died," said Takato. "What happened?"

The dragon Digimon's response was quick and sharp. "What do you think happened? He was killed by another Digimon, and all because I failed to protect him. No, worse, because I was too much of a coward to fight. The Digimon was way too powerful, so I ran. But Gumdramon, he was reckless and brave."

He humphed. "Some king I was. I couldn't even save my best friend, let alone the Digital World. Just like now, I had to hide behind someone stronger than me." He looked at the fire, not seeing the blaze, but beyond it, to the future. "I still don't know how I'm going to face him if we ever meet again."

"Why?" Tai asked. "What happened?"

"Just let it go! I… I don't want to talk about it anymore…" He turned away and remained silent. The teens exchanged a few looks, silently deciding to let the subject drop.

"Alright," Tai decided, "we should get some sleep. I'll take the first watch."

Kari stood up. "I'm just going to use the little girl's room first."

Davis jumped up. "I'll go with you!"

"Pervert!" the others cried.

A look of panic crossed his face and he looked at each of them pleadingly. "No, no! I just meant to keep her safe."

"Yeah, right," Shoutmon grumbled.

Kari motioned to the trees. "I'll be fine. I'm just going over there. I'll be back in a minute."

She walked away from the group as they continued to glare at Davis, who was attempting to defend himself. Once hidden behind the trees, she put a little more distance between herself and them. Despite Davis' comment, she didn't think that he or anyone else would bother to peep on her, but she still wanted her privacy.

Finishing her business, she got up from behind the bush. In the darkness, she didn't see the shadowy figure creeping up behind her, but she did hear the shing of a sword being drawn. There was no time to react though as she suddenly felt the blade pressed against her throat.

From out of the darkness, Duskmon's face appeared next to hers. "Greetings, little girl. My master is expecting you."

Notes:

(A/N: Ooh, a cliffhanger. And not just with Kari, but with Shoutmon's story of Gumdramon. Just what exactly happened between him and his best friend, and will they ever meet again. And what about the rest of the group? Will they ever see their families again? What's going to happen? Will Kari be taken to Myotismon? Will her friends realize she's in trouble and rescue her? Find out next time.)

Chapter 38: From Duskmon to Dawn

Notes:

(A/N: Ahhhhhh! What is with me and these cheesy chapter titles lately? Am I just a sucker for puns? Well, ok, yes, I guess I am a bit. Anyway, time to pick up where last chapter's cliffhanger left off.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 38: From Duskmon to Dawn

 

Tai looked towards the trees where his sister had disappeared into. "Boy, Kari sure is taking a long time."

Davis snorted. "Girls always take a long time in the bathroom. You should see how long it takes my sister."

"Davis, that's incredibly sexist," Takuya told him. "…And true," he added as an afterthought as he thought about his own girlfriend.

"Yeah," Tai agreed, "but it's not like we're home where she has a whole makeup set. Actually, Kari doesn't really wear much makeup anyway."

"Well, sometimes it takes a while to go," Takato pointed out.

The older boy made a face. "Thanks for that image."

He waited several minutes more. When she still didn't come back, he got up. "This is ridiculous. Kari, what are you doing? Did you get lost?"

He headed for the trees to find her, leaving the others to drift off by the fire. Sleep was just starting to take hold when Tai came rushing back, waving something in the air. "Kari's gone!"

TK sat up, instantly wide-awake. "What do you mean, she's gone?"

"Just what I said, she's gone! This is all I found." He held up her pink and white shoe. "Something must have happened to her."

Takato stood up. "We don't know that yet. Maybe she just got lost when… Ah, who am I kidding?"

Grumbling, Shoutmon got to his feet. "Figures. We finally get a moment's peace, and one of us goes missing. Guess we won't be getting any sleep tonight." At the sound of Davis snoring, he kicked the sleeping human, partly out of envy. "Hey, wake up!"

"Ow! What was that for?"

"Focus!" Tai snapped impatiently. "We have to find her!"

"Find who?"

TK ignored him. "Maybe I should Spirit Evolve and fly around."

Takato sighed. "You'll never find her in the dark." He pulled out his Digivice. "I'll take care of this. As Growlmon, my nose is better than a dog's. Execute! Spirit Evolution… Growlmon!"

The large, red dinosaur Digimon appeared, and Tai motioned to where he found the shoe. "This is where I found it."

"Hmm," Growlmon muttered, sniffing around the area. After a moment, he began growling as he looked back at Tai, his pupils shrinking down to black specks in his yellow eyes. "I've got some bad news. Duskmon has her."

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

"Let me go, you creep!" Kari demanded as she kicked and punched everywhere she could.

Her blows were ineffective. Duskmon kept walking along, keeping an arm wrapped around her waist. "Be silent. You'll have plenty of time to scream when you meet my master."

She just struggled that much harder. If only she could reach her Digivice, but with his arm wrapped around her waist like that, she couldn't get to it.

With a well-aimed punch, she managed to hit him in the large eye on his shoulder… and felt like she broke her hand. It seemed that Duskmon's eyes either had a protective shell over them, or were made of something a lot harder than what normal eyes were made of.

Reaching up, she managed to grab a fistful of his hair and gave it a yank. That seemed to get some response out of the demon Digimon, but he simply shifted her in his hold so she could no longer reach his blonde locks.

Kari wasn't a fool. She knew that unless she managed to Spirit Evolve, she didn't stand a chance of escaping. When Duskmon had captured her, he had kept his blade to her throat, preventing her from calling out until they were far enough away that her friends wouldn't hear her if she screamed. Fortunately, she had managed to kick off her one of shoes. Hopefully, when she didn't come back, they would find it and realize that something had happened to her.

"Just you wait," she told him stubbornly. "My friends will come for me."

"For their sakes, you better hope they don't. It will give them a little longer to live. Make no mistake, this time I will be sure to finish them off. But you, you will wish for death many times before this is over."

There was an explosion of vegetation as Growlmon came charging out of the trees. "No, you will! Dragon Slash!"

He flung a blade of plasma at the demon Digimon, wary of his hostage. Duskmon whirled around and knocked it away with his sword before catching the very blade that had thrown the attack a moment before Growlmon slashed at him with it.

"Kari!" MetalGreymon cried as he and the others, also in their Digimon forms, rushed out of the trees.

"You found me," said Duskmon. "Impressive."

"My nose knows," Growlmon told him, pushing back against Duskmon's blade.

"Then I suppose I'll have to do something about that."

He knocked away Growlmon's blade, then jumped up and kicked him in the nose. He landed a distance away, but the movement caused Kari to shift in his hold, allowing her to grab her Digivice.

"Got it! Execute! Spirit Evolution… Nefertimon!"

Much bigger now, she easily broke out of Duskmon's hold and rejoined the others. They stood as one against the demon Digimon, this time determine to take the win.

Duskmon looked at them, regarding their determination with interest. "You should know that you can't defeat me."

"Listen, pal," Paildramon snapped, "we've had a very long night so far. All I want to do is get some sleep, but apparently, you're not going to let us do that. So our only option left is to get rid of you."

Duskmon crossed his blades. "If you can."

He used Ghost Move to teleport to them, appearing above MetalGreymon's head and swinging his blade. MetalGreymon's metal claw came up, blocking the blow, and Angemon flew towards him using Angel Rod.

Duskmon teleported again, and Angemon hit nothing but air. He reappeared a distance from Growlmon, who proceeded to unleash his Pyro Blaster upon him. Duskmon charged forward, darting around the blast, and slamming into the dinosaur Digimon's gut.

With the breath knocked out of him, Growlmon went down. But as Duskmon leapt away, he lunged forward, chomping down on the demon Digimon's leg. Duskmon raised his blade to strike, but Nefertimon's Golden Noose wrapped around his arm, pulling it back. Paildramon then flew in with his Sting Strike, followed by Angemon attempting to use his Angel Rod again. Duskmon caught the dragon Digimon's lance with his other blade while raising his knee to block Angemon's attack.

"Deadly Gaze!"

Beams shot out of his numerous eyes, blasting the Digimon around him. Free from Growlmon's jaw and Nefertimon's lasso of light, he was on the move again. Agunimon charged at him from the other direction, the two set to collide. Duskmon turned his dash into his Brute Strike attack while Agunimon sent out several fire dragons using his Pyro Punch.

Duskmon cut through the first fire dragon, and the second, then jumped over the third. He came down towards Agunimon, who leapt back, his collision creating a large crater.

Standing just above the impact sight, Agunimon unleashed his Pyro Tornado. Duskmon remained perfectly still as the fiery vortex spun around him, being sure to remain in the center to avoid the flames. When he saw an opening, he jumped straight up and out of the top, only to be hit by MetalGreymon's Giga Storm.

"Nice shot," Paildramon commented. "Now it's my turn. Electric Bolt!"

As he fell, Duskmon's center eye on his chest darted to the bolt and fired a beam, canceling out the attack. Doing a flip, he landed on his feet. Growlmon used Dragon Slash followed by Pyro Blaster, but Duskmon knocked the first attack away and cut through the second.

"Too fast," Growlmon noted. "He's too fast for us."

"Lets see if he's too fast for this. Desperado Blaster!"

A rain of bullets came down at the demon Digimon. He proved Growlmon right by taking off, Paildramon's attack tearing up the ground around him. Doubling back, he raced towards the dragon Digimon and leapt into the air, ready to slash him. Paildramon fired his Cable Catcher, but Duskmon swatted the wire-claws away and teleported above him, blade raised to cut downward.

"Mega Claw!" MetalGreymon cried.

Duskmon glanced to his left, just short of cutting Paildramon on half, and was struck by the cyborg dinosaur Digimon's metal claw. One of the claws pierced his shoulder and brought him down, the large metal arm pinning him to the ground.

MetalGreymon retracted his arm and slashed at the air with it, using Powerful Flame. Duskmon teleported away, avoiding the wave of fire. He reappeared by the edge of the woods, and that's when Shoutmon finally came out.

"Boy, you guys are fast," he wheezed, his hands on his knees. "Too bad you can't stay Digimon all the time."

He apparently didn't see Duskmon, nor did he see him suddenly teleport behind him. Duskmon's foot came down on him, and Shoutmon suddenly found himself being crushed into the ground by the demon Digimon's foot.

"Shoutmon!" Growlmon cried. "Let him go, you big bully!"

"Certainly," Duskmon drawled, digging his foot into the dragon Digimon's back, making him groan in pain. "I'll trade you for the girl."

Nefertimon growled. "What is the big deal with me?"

"Nothing more than the fact that the master wants to sample your blood."

"I'm not a late night snack!"

"And I'm not some useless hostage," Shoutmon grumbled. "I'm the Digimon King!"

Grabbing a handful of dirt, he threw it up in Duskmon's face. The demon Digimon groaned and began rubbing his eyes; apparently, the ones in his head were more sensitive than the numerous other ones on his body.

Agunimon acted while he was distracted. He fired his Pyro Punch, hitting Duskmon in the same place MetalGreymon's claw had stabbed him. He stumbled back, off of Shoutmon, and Nefertimon lashed out with her Golden Noose, pulling the dragon Digimon away. Angemon then used his Halo Attack, drawing a ring in the air. A halo appeared over Duskmon's head, expanded, lowered, and then shrank, pinning the demon Digimon's arms to his sides.

"Sting Strike!" Paildramon cried, racing towards him. Duskmon struggled against the halo as the dragon Digimon came at him. At the last possible moment, he broke free and raised his blades. Paildramon's lance struck and broke through his defense, and Duskmon was thrown backwards. "Who says he's too fast?"

Breathing heavily, Duskmon rose to his feet. He looked down at the skulls that served for his hands, seeing that his left sword had snapped in half from Paildramon's attack, the broken blade resting point first in the ground a distance away.

A growl escaped the demon Digimon as he glared at the DigiDestined. "No more games. It's time to end this."

Growlmon gulped. "Is he going to do what I think he's going to do?"

"Duskmon Digivolve to…"

"Yup, he is."

"Velgemon!"

The monstrous vulture Digimon that had defeated them before now stood in Duskmon's place. He screeched loudly and took to the air, circling around overhead.

"Ok, guys," said MetalGreymon, "we know what to expect this time. Lets take him down."

Velgemon fired beams from his eyes at them, and Agunimon jumped back to avoid them. "Easier said than done."

Screeching loudly, the vulture Digimon continued to fire at them. They avoided the beams easily enough, but Growlmon couldn't help but notice that he wasn't really even trying to hit them.

Suddenly swooping down from the sky, Velgemon began to draw a circle around them. Growlmon's eyes widened as he recognized the attack that had nearly taken them out. He then realized that he and his friends were all standing together when they had been spread out before. Velgemon hadn't been trying to hit them with those beams, he had been trying to bunch them up so he could take them out with his Dark Obliteration. For a creature that lacked intelligence and relied mostly on his destructive killing instinct, that was pretty smart.

It seemed that MetalGreymon had also come to the same conclusion. "Run for it!"

Grabbing Shoutmon, Angemon took the air along with Nefertimon and Paildramon. Agunimon and MetalGreymon made a mad dash for the outside of the circle, but Growlmon chose his exit strategically.

He was cutting it close, but he ran for the starting/ending point of the circle Velgemon had been drawing. As the vulture Digimon came about to close the circle, Growlmon tackled him. The glowing circle disappeared as the dinosaur Digimon bit down on Velgemon's wing, causing the vulture Digimon to screech.

"Great job," MetalGreymon exclaimed, raising his metal claw as he charged towards them. "Now just hold him there!"

Velgemon turned to the cyborg dinosaur Digimon and fired his Dark Vortex. MetalGreymon came to a stop, his eyes glowing red, and turned to the others.

"Oh, great," Agunimon grumbled. "Now, MetalGreymon, Tai, just hold on a second."

"Giga Blaster!"

Paildramon rushed forward. "Desperado Blaster!"

His bullets sprayed against MetalGreymon's missiles. They held them back for a few moments before the two explosives blasted apart. The cyborg dinosaur Digimon blinked the red out of his eyes, immediately understanding what happened. "That miserable, rotten…"

He turned back to the vulture Digimon. It was attempting to fly back into the sky, but Growlmon had chomped down onto his tail, trying to pull him back down, rather unsuccessfully. Growlmon was already being lifted off the ground as the vulture Digimon gained altitude.

Paildramon quickly joined Growlmon, the two managing to pull Velgemon back down. MetalGreymon reloaded and fired another Giga Blaster, this time at the vulture Digimon. Beams fired from his eyes, destroying the first missile, but the second one found its mark.

Velgemon went down, screeching violently. When he tried to rise, Angemon knocked him back down with his Hand of Fate. The vulture Digimon's head snapped in his direction and he used Dark Vortex, but Nefertimon fired a Rosetta Stone into the beam's path. Velgemon's beam blasted apart the stone slab, but Angemon was spared from falling under his control.

Rising up, Velgemon flapped his mighty wings. The DigiDestined were blown back by a powerful gust as the vulture Digimon took flight. MetalGreymon fired his Mega Claw, but Velgemon swatted it away with his wing.

In the sky, Paildramon, Angemon, and Nefertimon flew after him. They fired their Electric Bolt, Beam of Isis, and Holy Shot at him, but Velgemon doubled back and flew straight through the attacks, wrapping his wings around himself for cover. He whizzed past the three Digimon unexpectedly and whirled around, firing beams from his eyes at each of them. Their eyes began glowing red as his Dark Vortex took hold, and they turned their attention to their friends.

"Uh oh," Growlmon muttered.

"This is really getting old," Agunimon agreed.

The three flying Digimon swooped down at them from the sky. Agunimon only had time to grab hold of Shoutmon and throw him away from the group before Angemon tackled him, and Nefertimon did the same to Growlmon and Paildramon to MetalGreymon. And as the friends 'fought' amongst themselves, Velgemon was using the opportunity to draw another circle for his Dark Obliteration attack.

MetalGreymon struggled to hold back Paildramon's assault as he watched the vulture Digimon circle around them. "Wake up, you idiot!"

He managed to hit the dragon Digimon upside the head with his metal arm. Paildramon blinked, the red disappearing from his eyes as he realized what he was doing. Spotting Velgemon already halfway done with his circle as Angemon and Nefertimon fought to hold down Agunimon and Growlmon, he quickly assessed the situation. "Sorry about this, guys."

The guns on his hips pointed at the two possessed Digimon. He fired a single bullet from each, hitting both his friends in the head, the impacts bringing them back to their senses.

"Wha…?" Angemon mumbled, his hand going to his head. Whatever had hit him, he was glad for his helmet.

"No time!" MetalGreymon shouted, already on the move. "He's circling, move!"

A quick glance at Velgemon explained the situation, and they made a beeline for the outside of the glowing ring. Velgemon completed his circle and flew up as the dome began to rise and close.

Clamping shut, it erupted in a mighty blast. Velgemon circled around the rising cloud of smoke, remembering in the back of his mind to make sure they were dead this time. His search was interrupted, however, by a Fiery Fastball being thrown at him, and he glanced at Shoutmon.

"Hey, bird-brain!" the dragon Digimon called up to him. "Feeling a sense of déjà vu?"

While he was distracted, Paildramon burst out of the cloud of smoke, his lance extended. "Sting Strike!"

Velgemon turned just in time to see the dragon Digimon before Paildramon's lance stabbed into his chest, piercing his black heart. A horrible screech that seemed to be mixed with Duskmon's cry escaped the vulture Digimon as he and Paildramon fell from the sky.

They fell to the ground beside the smoking crater with the dragon Digimon on top, his lance buried deep in Velgemon's chest. "That's for Etemon."

A grumbling escaped the vulture Digimon before he went still and his body dissolved into data. Paildramon stood up and watched as Velgemon disappeared, leaving only the glowing bits of data behind.

"Yeah! Now that's what I'm talking about!" Shoutmon cheered as he ran over to absorb the data before it disappeared. But before he could get to it, the data began flying away from him, and he gave it a confused look. "What, huh?"

It flew up in the sky into what seemed to be a swarm of bats, flowing into it. The swarm came down to where the DigiDestined were and the bats scattered, revealing a Digimon inside. "What a pity," they said, absorbing the last of Velgemon's data. "I thought he had you with his Dark Obliteration, but it looks like you got away in time. I guess he was a failure after all."

Shoutmon yelped and jumped behind Paildramon. The larger Digimon glanced at him before pointing at the newcomer. "Hey, that's Shoutmon's data. We won it for him. Give it back."

Peeking out from behind Paildramon's leg, Shoutmon shook his head. "No, that's ok, he can keep it." He motioned towards him. "Guys, that's him."

Growlmon cocked his head to the side. "Him who?"

A smirk crept up the vampire Digimon's face, exposing his fangs. "You mean you declared war on me without knowing who I am? You humans are even more foolish than I thought." He bowed to them in greeting. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Myotismon, and I am your doom." 

Notes:

A/N: Duskmon/Velgemon has finally been defeated. Looks like Paildramon got to take him down after all. But now there's an even bigger problem. Myotismon himself is here, and he just absorbed Velgemon's data, as if he actually needed the power boost. So what now? Are they going to fight? Is this the chance our heroes need to defeat Myotismon? Or did they just step out of the frying pan and into the fire? Stay tuned for the next exciting chapter.)

Chapter 39: Digital Nosferatu

Notes:

(A/N: Alright, I admit it, I couldn't come up with a good title for this chapter. I'll be open to new ones if anyone has any. Another thing, I noticed that all my main villains so far are from Season 1 and 2. Devimon, Dragomon, Myotismon. That was just a coincidence and will change.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 39: Digital Nosferatu

 

"Myotismon!" Growlmon exclaimed, his pupils shrinking down to specks.

The vampire Digimon grinned. "Yes, you pronounced it perfectly. Congratulations."

Angemon looked him up and down. "I guess we should have known. He's definitely got the vampire look down."

"Not to mention the bats were a dead giveaway," Nefertimon added.

Myotismon's gaze landed on her. "Ah, you must be female of the group. How lovely. I've been so eager to meet you."

"Hey, back off, creep," MetalGreymon growled protectively.

The vampire Digimon laughed. "How cute, you're trying to be all protective. And it's even cuter to think that you can protect her from me." He licked his lips, his intent clear.

Angemon pointed his staff at him. "Stay away from her, you leech."

"Yeah, and give back Cutemon while you're at it," Paildramon demanded.

He smirked. "Ah, yes, my new toy. She's a spirited little thing. It might take some time to break her."

"You're sick!" Growlmon snarled. "How can you do such vile things?"

"Vile things? Of course it may seem that way coming from the prey, but at the end of the day, a Digimon's gotta eat."

"Don't try and pull that crap on us!" Agunimon snapped furiously. "There's a fine line between eating to survive and what you're doing. You're not just playing with your food, you're deliberately making it a long, slow, painful process cause you get off on hurting others. The things you've done are inexcusable."

Myotismon began clapping. "A very lovely speech. There's just one problem with it. I am the superior one here. You and everyone else are nothing more than insignificant insects. Thus, I can do whatever I desire with you. You're my playthings. If you think you can resist me, then go ahead and try."

"With pleasure!" Paildramon cried. "Electric Bolt!"

He fired a bolt of electricity. Myotismon jumped up and began hovering in the air as the attack passed beneath him. Paildramon charged at him, lashing out with his Sting Strike, but Myotismon caught the lance.

"That trick won't work on me. Blood Punch!" His fist glowed red and slammed into Paildramon's face, sending him crashing to the ground. MetalGreymon roared and fired his Giga Blaster.

"That won't work on me either. Crimson Lightning!" His wrist slit open and a stream of electrified blood flowed out. He used it like a whip, striking the missiles, causing them to explode. He lashed out with it again, and it coiled around MetalGreymon's neck. Yanking on it, he brought the cyborg dinosaur Digimon to his knees. "Yes, that's where you belong."

"Not before you," Growlmon growled, using the blade on his elbow to cut the bloody whip, causing the red stream to splash into liquid.

Still smiling, Myotismon crossed his arms. "Teamwork will only get you so far. Only power can put you on top. Like this. Nightmare Wave!"

He sent out a blast of electricity. Angemon flew in front of Growlmon and used his Angel Staff to block the attack. Myotismon scowled at this. "Nice try, pretty boy, but you can't stop me. Grisly Wing!"

From out of his cape, a swarm of bats was unleashed. Surrounded by an evil black aura, they flew towards Angemon, the air rippling and distorting around them. They slammed into the angel Digimon, overpowering his attempt to deflect them, and flowed over him. Angemon cried out and dropped from the sky, the feathers on his wings ruffled and his body covered in numerous wounds.

"Angemon!" several voices cried out as he crashed to the ground.

Myotismon laughed. "Did he think he could resist my power simply because he had the type advantage? What a fool."

Looking away from her fallen comrade, Nefertimon glared at Myotismon with tears in her unblinking eyes. "Rosetta Stone!"

Several stone slabs were fired at him, and Myotismon proceeded to destroy them with his powerful punches. Agunimon jumped up onto the flying slabs of stone, leaping from one to the other as he made his way towards the vampire Digimon.

"Crimson Knuckle!" he cried upon reaching his target, making to punch him with a fiery fist.

Myotismon held out his hand. "Nightmare Claw!" Something akin to a black ghostly entity flowed out of his hand and flowed over Agunimon, and he suddenly found himself unable to move. "Blood Punch!"

Agunimon was knocked from the sky. Paildramon zoomed in and caught him, and Myotismon was suddenly there. He delivered several more Blood Punch attacks to his head before finishing with an uppercut that brought down both the dragon and fire wizard Digimon.

"Pyro Blaster!" Growlmon cried. Myotismon glanced in the direction of the attack. His body burst into a swarm of bats and disappeared before it hit. Growlmon blinked at the empty space. "Where did he…?"

From beneath his feet, bats materialized, as if emerging from his shadow, and began swirling around him. He slashed at the flying rodents with his claws, unaware of Myotismon rising up out of the ground.

"Growlmon, behind you!" MetalGreymon shouted. "Giga Blaster!"

Myotison glanced over his shoulder. The missiles exploded against his back and he went down. The bats dispersed and Growlmon whirled around to face him. "Growl Claw!"

His claw came down as Myotismon's hand shot up, catching his claw. He looked up at him, smiling. "That was a nice try, but…"

He swung Growlmon by his arm, throwing him into MetalGreymon. The two went down as Myotismon rose in the air and unleashed his Crimson Lightning. MetalGreymon moved to cover Growlmon with his body, crying out as the vampire Digimon's whip of energized blood struck him repeatedly.

"Stop it!" Nefertimon cried. "Rosetta Stone!"

Dropping his whip, his hand shot out, catching the stone slab. He crushed it in his grip ad smirked. A moment later, he was right in front of her, his hand shooting out again, this time to wrap around her throat.

"Hello, my dear," he cooed. "Aren't you a delectable morsel?" His other hand came up to stroke her cheek. "I look forward to getting to know you in your human form, in many ways."

She glared at him, but couldn't break his hold. "Don't touch me!"

He chuckled. "Oh, I will be touching you a lot more than this, in ways you can't possibly imagine, doing things you can't possibly comprehend. At least not yet." His eyes locked with hers. "And you will enjoy every minute of it, whether you want to or not. Isn't that right, my dear?"

"I… I…" She stared at him, her mind going fuzzy. It became hard to think straight. Why was she fighting him again? He simply wanted something from her. Her blood. Surely she could spare some…

"Hand of Fate!"

Myotismon cried out released her as Angemon's attack hit him from behind. The fog lifted from Nerfetimon's mind and her senses returned. She immediately slammed her forehead into his face and flew away from him.

Clutching his nose, he glared down at Angemon. The angel Digimon was still injured and weak from Myotismon's attack, but he was back on his feet, using his staff to hold himself up. Myotismon turned to him. "You should have just stayed down, angel boy."

He lashed out with his Crimson Lightning. Angemon held up his staff, but Myotismon's attack snapped it in half. He repeated the attack, but this time Angemon had nothing to defend himself with.

The electrified blood whip found its mark, but not against Angemon. MetalGreymon had moved his metal arm in its path, defending his friend. He stood over the angel Digimon protectively, and Nefertimon joined him, followed shortly by the others.

Myotismon hesitated, scowling slightly. "I see. United you stand strong, is that it? Well, numbers mean nothing when faced off against overwhelming power. Allow me to demonstrate."

He raised his arms as if to attack. The others braced themselves for whatever was coming. But then, surprisingly, the vampire Digimon lowered his arms. He now looked bothered and irritated, turning to glance upon the horizon.

"Well, you children are in luck. It seems you've been granted a reprieve. But this is not over yet. If you want to rescue your friend, Cutemon, you'll have to seek her out at my castle." He laughed as his body turned into a swarm of bats. "I will see you there."

The DigiDestined looked on, completely flabbergasted as the bats flew off. Why did he retreat? He was winning, or at least had the upper hand.

"What just happened?" Paildramon asked in bewilderment. "Why'd he run away?"

"He's toying with us," Agunimon growled. "He was toying with us the entire time."

"No," Shoutmon said, walking over to them. "Look." He pointed in the direction Myotismon had looked in. Upon the horizon, the sun began to rise. "Myotismon can't stand the sunlight. It weakens and hurts him. He can only come out at night, or stay in the shadows during the day."

Angemon looked at the sun as it bathed the land in light. "I've never been so grateful for a sunrise…" He collapsed, changing back to his human form.

"TK!" Nefertimon cried as she and the others changed back to human form.

No longer in his Digimon form, his injuries had disappeared, but his body was still weak and in pain from the battle. Yet he did his best to put on a brave front. "I'm fine. Just a little tired."

"Tired nothing," Shoutmon insisted. "You took a direct hit from Myotismon's Grisly Wing. That's one nasty attack."

"Really, I'm good."

"No one is good with that evil freak running around," Tai growled. "I knew Myotismon was evil, but he's even worse than I imagined. And I thought Devimon and Dragomon were bad."

Davis perked up. "Hey, no worries. Now we know how to beat him. We'll just use the standard Hollywood vampire killing techniques. Sunlight, crosses, holy water, stakes. Doesn't silver do something too?"

Shoutmon waved his arms. "Whoa, whoa, back up. You're getting ahead of yourself. It's true that sunlight hurts him and his power gets cut in half during the day, but none of those other things will help."

Davis frowned. "Not even a wooden stake through the heart?"

The dragon Digimon's mouth dropped open. "That's barbaric!"

"It's how they kill vampires in movies."

"It would kill anyone!"

Takuya cleared his throat. "Lets just focus on the sunlight. Now that we know he's only at half strength during the day, we should use that to our advantage and attack when the sun is up."

"At which point I'm sure we'll have LadyDevimon to deal with," Takato pointed out.

Davis just waved this off. "Ah, we can take her now that I can become Paildramon. She can't be worse than Velgemon."

Shoutmon shook a finger at him. "Don't be so sure. Yes, Velgemon was stronger, but he lacked intelligence. LadyDevimon is strong and capable of reason. She'll be tough to beat."

"Lets take this one step at a time," Tai told them. "We still have… um, how long until we reach Myotismon's castle?"

Shoutmon shrugged. "About two days."

"Ok then. We'll take it easy until we get there. Then we'll camp outside the castle until morning and storm the place when the sun comes up. We'll teach LadyDevimon and Myotismon a lesson and rescue Cutemon."

Takato stared at him for a moment before smiling. "Sounds good. I like it."

TK winced as he stood up, and Kari immediately went to support him. "Sounds like a plan. We can work out the details as we go."

Kari gave him a concerned look. "Are you going to be ok?"

He gave her a smile. "Yeah, it's not as bad as Velgemon's Dark Obliteration." He checked his Digivice, seeing the image of a Patamon on the screen. "And I still have power."

Takuya gave him a thumbs up. "Excellent. I was worried about that. It seems like ever since we reached the mainland, we've been unable to keep our Digivices powered for long."

Shoutmon crossed his arms. "Hey, I warned you that there would be Digimon that were a lot stronger here than on File Island. And we're still only on the coast."

"That's fine," Tai insisted. "We'll just do what Davis said." He looked upon the horizon. "We'll get stronger as we go along."

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LadyDevimon made her way to her master's chambers. Cutemon was dragged along with her, having been left in the fallen angel Digimon's watch while Myotismon followed after Duskmon. He should have returned by now though; the sun was up.

Taking a minute to pause outside his door, she braced herself to find the human girl in her master's arms, or chained to the bedpost, or something. She was afraid she might tear the girl to shreds on sight if she didn't compose herself.

But upon opening the door, she found both the bed and the room itself empty. Though she was glad the human scum wasn't here, she wondered where her master was. The curtains were open and light filled the room; had her master been here, he would have closed the curtains to keep the room dark. That meant he hadn't returned yet. Surely those human children hadn't defeated him.

"Master…" she whispered, and hurried down the hall. Cutemon gagged as she was dragged along, clawing at the chain around her neck. Turning a corner, she ran into the very Digimon she was looking for. There was a scowl on his face, and he was empty-handed. Had he killed the humans? And where was Duskmon? "My lord?"

"Get out of my way," he snarled, pushing past her.

Cutemon winced at his irritation. As he walked by, he paused and glanced down at her. Before she had a chance to back away, he kicked her into the wall and continued on his way.

LadyDevimon gave the whimpering fairy Digimon a curious look before following her master, dragging Cutemon with her. "What happened, my lord?"

Myotismon didn't even glance at her as he continued on his way. "Duskmon was destroyed."

LadyDevimon stopped in surprise. It took her a moment to process this before she rushed to catch up. "They defeated him?"

"As Velgemon no less. And then they were able to survive against me long enough for the sun to rise."

The fallen angel Digimon's eyes narrowed. "Impossible."

On the floor, Cutemon smirked as she cracked a smile. "I knew it."

"Silence!" She kicked her and looked back at her master. "Surely you must have been holding back."

Myotismon's fists clenched, and he stopped walking. "I was indeed playing with them, yes, but I admit that I was not withholding my power. Those humans are indeed tougher than I thought, though I could have taken them if the sun had not risen. All the same, I hate the fact that I was forced to retreat."

LadyDevimon placed a hand on his shoulder. "Please, my lord, let me go. I will put an end to these little pests."

Despite his discontentment, the vampire Digimon smiled. "That will not be necessary, my pet." His gaze shifted to Cutemon. "Don't forget, I have something they want. Soon they will come to me. And when they do, I shall put an end to them."

LadyDevimon hesitated, wary of bringing up his weakness. "And should they come during the day?"

There was no need for her to worry as the vampire Digimon chuckled. "Well, then I suppose you will get to deal with them after all."

Notes:

(A/N: Ok, so the fight with Myotismon ended in a draw. That at least increases their chances for when the real fight comes. And as Tai and Davis said, they can get stronger on the way. And then there's the sun. They've got a pretty solid plan. Will it work though is the real question. You'll have to wait and see if their plan works, or if all hell breaks loose.)

Chapter 40: Doors

Notes:

(A/N: Ok, when we last left our heroes, they got a taste of Myotismon's power. Overall, they seemed to hold up ok, and that's given them the confidence that they can defeat him. Of course, you know it won't be that easy. So, with our heroes on their way to Myotismon's palace, lets see what';s in store for them.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 40: Doors

Shoutmon had been wrong. It had taken three days to reach Myotismon's castle. He had blamed it on the teens though, claiming that it was because they moved too slow.

During their time walking, they hadn't come up with any more of a plan beyond storming the castle during the day. Takato had fashioned a cross out of two sticks, hoping it would help, but had discarded it when Shoutmon asked how "the letter T" was supposed to defeat Myotismon.

"This isn't one of your movie things," he reminded them. "Your hollow wood stuff won't help."

"Hollywood," Davis corrected. "It's a real shame you guys don't have movies. Next to soccer and video games, movies and TV are humanity's greatest inventions."

TK sweat-dropped. "Please note that he doesn't speak for everyone."

Shoutmon just waved it off. "I have no idea what he's talking about anyway." He looked up at the castle. Even in broad daylight, it was still eerily creepy. "So, is everyone ready for this?"

Takuya nodded. "As ready as we'll ever be. And we've got the sun on our side."

"Speaking of which," said Davis, "why don't we just demolish the castle from out here? We'll either force Myotismon into the sun, or flatten him inside."

"And Cutemon along with him," Kari pointed out. "We don't have a choice, we have to go in and get her."

Tai looked back at her. "Just one thing, Kari, I think you-"

"Don't say it, Tai. I'm not staying behind. We've had the conversation several times."

"Yeah, but this time is different. Myotismon is after you."

She gave him a knowing smile. "Then it would be better for me to stay with the group rather than staying behind where I can get picked off."

Tai opened his mouth to reply, then closed it again. He repeated this several times, resembling a fish, making the others chuckle. They understood Tai's need to protect his sister, but even though they were walking into danger, they were indeed safer in a group.

"It'll be fine," TK assured him. "I'll watch after her."

"Hey!" Davis cried. "That's my line. I am an Ultimate after all."

"We'll all keep each other safe," Takuya insisted. "Now, lets do this."

Takato was getting pumped. "Yeah, Let's go!"

In his enthusiasm, he attempted to kick the large blood red double-doors open. They didn't even budge, and he ended up hopping on one foot as pain ran up the other one. The others sweat-dropped as the boy's bad judgment killed the mood.

"Nice one, hotshot," Shoutmon grumbled, producing his mic. "Let me show you how it's done. Bellow Blaster!"

The door burst open, leading to the dark interior. Shoutmon stepped inside proudly, the teens following behind, Takato limping all the while.

"You know," said Tai, "in hindsight, that probably wasn't a good idea. We probably just alerted everyone in the castle to our presence."

"Then it probably won't matter if we did this," Davis replied. "HELLOOOOO!"

His cry echoed throughout the castle. Several bats dropped down from the ceiling and went flying out the door. The teens ducked down to avoid them as they flew overhead.

"Great job, Davis," Takuya muttered. "They definitely know we're here now."

The boy grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, I always wanted to do that."

"Those bats were Myotismon's familiars," Shoutmon told them. "He produces them from his data the same way I produce my mic, or Angemon produces his staff. Keep a look out for any more. They can devour you can carry your energy to their master."

"Thanks for that cheery thought," TK grumbled sarcastically.

When the last of the bats were gone, they made their way further inside. It was a very horror movie cliché type of castle, dark, dreary, all around a very unpleasant place. Further supporting the horror movie stereotype, the doors slammed shut behind them.

"Well, who didn't see this coming?" Davis complained. "Now what?"

"We find Cutemon."

"I'm aware of that, TR. I meant should we split up or something?"

"Didn't we just decide there's strength in numbers," Tai reminded him. "We're all staying together. Now, lets go. We've got a lot of ground to cover before night."

A sinister laughter followed this statement. "It doesn't matter how brightly the sun shines. None of you will be leaving this castle alive."

From up above, something dark fell from the shadows. LadyDevimon came in for a landing, giving the teens a wicked smile.

"LadyDevimon," Tai seethed.

She winked at him. "So glad you remember me. I'll soon have you calling me 'mistress' as I slowly torture you to death."

"Where's Cutemon?" TK demanded.

She pointed at him. "If you want your little friend, then follow me."

Her laughter echoed all around them as she skipped merrily away as if this were nothing more than a game. Disappearing through an open door, her hand came back to motion for them to follow. She was baiting them, they knew it.

"It's probably a trap," Tai guessed.

"Probably," Shoutmon agreed, "but it's also most likely where Cutemon is. It'd be just like her to make this into a game."

"Then lets go!" Davis cried, and ran after her. The others soon followed.

Takato lingered behind a moment, but went after them as well. "Guys, I don't think this is the best idea. Hey, wait up!"

He was the last one through the door, and he nearly ran into the others as they came to a stop. He saw why a moment later. The room they had entered couldn't even be called a room. It was like they were suddenly in outer space. Only it was more… colorful. That was the only way to describe it.

"Um, what just happened?" he asked. He saw movement out of the corner of his eye and turned to see the doorway they had come through literally fly away. Or did it fall away? Whatever the case, it sped away from them until it was gone, leaving them stranded in this strange space. "Oh, great, the door flew away."

Takuya looked back to see that the door was indeed gone. "Of course it did. Well, we knew this was a trap."

"The whole castle is probably trapped," Tai growled. "Better to spring the trap we know is there."

"I'm not sure I agree with that philosophy," Shoutmon replied as he tried to swim in the empty air.

Obnoxious laughter reached the teens' ears, and it wasn't coming from Davis. From the depths of space, what appeared to be several purple meteors slowly floated over to the group. "Sorry to burst your bubble, humans, but there was only one trap, and you walked right into it."

Whoever was speaking, it wasn't LadyDevimon. In fact, the fallen angel Digimon was nowhere to be seen. It wasn't Myotismon either. They had never actually heard whoever this was before.

"Are you the one that brought us here?" Tai demanded.

"But of course. You literally walked right into my pocket dimension. How foolish of you."

TK eyed the purple meteors, trying to figure out which one the voice was coming from. "Come out then. Or are you afraid to face us?"

"Afraid to face you? I brought you here so I could face you." One of the meteors spun around to reveal a squid or an octopus-like Digimon with a big nose, wielding a ray gun.

"Hey, check it out," said Davis. "It's Squidward, and he's got a tan."

Shoutmon had no idea what Davis was talking about, but he figured it was most likely stupid and unrelated. "Idiot."

Takato checked his Digivice. "Vademon X, an Ultimate level alien Digimon. Huh, I wonder if they mean alien in the literal sense. It says he's capable of creating pocket dimensions. I guess that's where we are now."

"Indeed," the alien Digimon replied. "I do hope you like it."

Takuya glanced at Takato's Digivice. "What's the X for?"

"It's a rare breed of Digimon," Shoutmon replied. "In this world, there are these bits of data called X-Antibodies. If certain Digimon get ahold of one of them, they can use it to upgrade to a stronger, even more powerful version of themselves. They're called Digimon X. In this case, Vademon has become Vademon X."

Tai sighed. "Just when I was beginning to think that I figured out how things in this world work, something new comes along."

"I told you about it before. It's X-Evolution."

TK considered this. "Is it possible for us to get an X-Antibody?"

"Only about one percent of all Digimon have an X-Antibody," Shoutmon told them. He motioned to the alien Digimon. "We can only get one if he hands his over, or we kill him and take it."

Vademon X laughed. "You have more important things to worry about than my X-Antibody. Or do you not know how to count."

Tai blinked. "Not know how to…?" His eyes widened and he looked at the others. "Hey, where's Kari? KARI!"

His cry echoed through the pocket dimension, but there was no response. In there surprise at suddenly ending up in this strange place, they had been too distracted to notice that she wasn't with them.

"Oh my," Vademon X taunted. "So you finally noticed."

"Where is she?" TK demanded furiously. "What did you do to her?"

"She's perfectly fine, for now. She's still in the castle."

"Send us back!" Tai shouted. "Send us back right now!"

"Or we'll kick your butt," Davis added. His eyes traveled down the length of the alien Digimon's body, noticing that he seemed to lack that particular part of an anatomy. "Figuratively speaking."

Vademon X laughed again. "If you want me to send you back, you'll have to catch me first. Toddle-loo!"

He directed the meteor he was on to fly away, leaving the teens floating in the depths of space.

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

Kari blinked in surprise and looked around. She was still in the castle, but she was suddenly all alone. The others had vanished upon entering the room LadyDevimon had gone through. Even Takato, who had entered after her, had vanished, and only she remained.

"Hello!" she called, her voice echoing off the walls. "Tai? TK? Anyone?"

Only LadyDevimon's laughter responded to her. "They are beyond your reach now, girl. You're all alone."

Kari glared into the darkness, trying to find the fallen angel Digimon. "I'm not playing your games!"

More laughter. "Oh, but I thought you wanted to save Cutemon. You can't do anything for your friends, but you can still help her."

Kari's fists clenched. "Where is she?"

"Follow my voice, child, I'll lead you to her. Fall too far behind or choose the wrong path, and you'll never find her."

Torches on the walls suddenly ignited, lighting up the room. Kari looked around, spotting three different doors. LadyDevimon had gone through one of them, but she didn't know which one. Now she understood the game the fallen angel Digimon wished to play.

Taking a deep breath, she ran towards the one she thought LadyDevimon's voice had come from. Upon entering the room, more torches lit up, revealing two more doors to different rooms. LadyDevimon's laughter echoed from one of them, and Kari quickly made a dash for it.

And so the game commenced. She followed the sound of LadyDevimon's laughter through various rooms, each one with a different number of doors. Sometimes LadyDevimon made her go around in circles, and she ended up back in the same room more than once. At times her laughter sounded farther away, sometimes closer, yet Kari continued to select the right room time and time again.

She lost count of how many rooms she went through, but upon entering the most recent one, LadyDevimon's laughter ceased. There were four different doors to choose from, but this time the fallen angel Digimon gave no indication of which one was the right choice.

"Leaving it up to chance, huh?" Kari realized. She looked at the four doors. From what she understood, if she picked the wrong one, the 'game' would be over, and she would lose her chance to save Cutemon. Whether that meant LadyDevimon would either kill her or Cutemon, or simply stop trying to lead her to the fairy Digimon, Kari didn't know.

There was no point in dawdling. Choosing at random, she chose the door on the far left. "Luck be a LadyDevimon tonight," she muttered, hoping to find the fallen angel Digimon inside.

The torches lit up to reveal an empty room with a single door, LadyDevimon standing by it. She smirked at Kari and stepped through it into the darkness. Kari took this to mean that the game was either back on or had reached its conclusion. She rushed in and the torches lit, revealing a room with no other doors or windows. What it did have was a certain fairy Digimon chained to the wall.

"Cutemon!" she cried, running to the captive Digimon.

She was asleep, or unconscious, and Kari had to shake her awake. The fairy Digimon blinked a few times and looked up at her. It seemed to take her a moment to recognize the human girl before her. "Kari?"

The teen nodded. "Yes, it's me. The others are here too, somewhere. We came to save you."

Tears crept up in Cutemon's eyes, and she began sobbing. "You're here! You're really here! I heard you were coming, but…"

Kari hugged her. "Of course we came. We wouldn't leave a friend behind."

Cutemon hugged her back, nuzzling into her stomach. "It was so horrible. I'm so happy you're here, but you shouldn't have come."

"She's right," LadyDevimon replied from behind the two. Kari turned around to find the fallen angel Digimon hovering upside-down above the door. She dropped to the floor and slammed the door shut, sneering at the two. "You really shouldn't have come."

Kari stood up, moving in front of Cutemon protectively. "You stay away from her!"

LadyDevimon's grin widened. "It's not her I'm after. The master demands your blood, child. I'm here to spill it."

Kari pulled out her Digivice, ready to activate it. "Tell me where my friends are."

"I told you, they're beyond your reach. But don't worry, I'll be dealing with them once I'm done with you."

"I don't think so. Execute! Spirit Evolution… Nefertimon! I'm ready for you, LadyDevimon."

Cutemon hugged her leg. "You can't fight her. She's too strong."

"Your little friend is right," LadyDevimon taunted. "You couldn't even beat me when you were with your friends."

"Duskmon was with you that time too," Nefertimon reminded her. "And a lot of things have changed since then. My friends and I are stronger now. Rosetta Stone!"

The stone slab flew at LadyDevimon. Grinning, she slashed at it, her claws cutting solid stone to pieces. "Clearly not strong enough."

Nefertimon cried out and sped towards LadyDevimon. Smirking, her hand shot out, grasping the holy beast Digimon's face, holding her back. "Like I said, weak."

"Beam of Isis!"

LadyDevimon cried out and released Nefertimon as the attack burned her hand. A moment later, she found herself bound by the holy beast Digimon's Golden Noose, and was swung into the wall. Nefertimon then fired several stone slabs at her, the attacks rising up a dust cloud as they shattered against her.

Nefertimon stopped attacking and stared at the obscuring cloud. "Do I still seem weak?"

Mocking laughter emitted from within the cloud and LadyDevimon rose up. "Most definitely." She burst through the rope of light binding her and stretched her arms mockingly. "Thank you for the warm up."

With a growl, Nefertimon lunged at her again. LadyDevimon fired lasers from her eyes, and the holy beast Digimon crashed into the wall. As calm as can be, LadyDevimon strolled over to her. "Your puny little light is no match for my darkness."

Nefertimon glared at her. "We'll see. Queen's Paw!"

She fired projectiles. LadyDevimon cartwheeled away as they exploded against the ground around her hands and feet. Nefertimon got up and tried her Golden Noose again. This time it wrapped around LadyDevimon's throat, and she took to the air, pulling the fallen angel Digimon along.

With an irritated hiss, LadyDevimon fired her Evil Wing attack. Nefertimon swerved to avoid the bats as she continued pulling the fallen angel Digimon through the air, slamming her into the wall, ceiling, and floor.

Growling, LadyDevimon dug her feet into the floor and grasped the rope, yanking back on it. This time it was Nefertimon who was pulled back. She used her Slap attack, hitting the holy beast Digimon with such force that she smashed into the ground hard enough to crack the stone floor.

Extending her arm into a spike, LadyDevimon severed the Golden Noose and dropped down beside her opponent, glaring down at her in disgust. "Your magic rope can't bind me. I would have thought you'd learned that lesson by now." Grinning, she pressed the point of her spike into a place where Nefertimon lacked armor. "I guess I'll have to burn it into you. Darkness Wave!"

Nefertimon cried out as darkness filled her. Her screams echoed all throughout the castle. Up in her chambers, the holy beast Digimon's cries reached Myotismon's ears, and he smiled.

Notes:

(A/N: What a pickle. Kari is stuck fighting LadyDevimon, completely outmatched, while her friends are stuck in Vademon X's pocket dimension. Things aren't looking good for any of them. Will Kari be able to save herself and her friends, or will the others manage to escape and save her? One thing's for sure, they're running out of time.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Vademon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Vademon_X

Chapter 41: Angels and Demons

Notes:

(A/N: We left off on a pretty nasty cliffhanger last time. Sorry about that. Well, no, not really, I like keeping people in suspense. This chapter was a lot of fun to write. I hope you enjoy it.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 41: Angels and Demons

MetalGreymon froze as a terrible feeling overcame him. The others, also in their Digimon forms, raced by in their pursuit of Vademon X, all save one. Angemon came to a stop as well. He didn't know how to explain it, an instinct, a sixth sense, but he could feel it in his heart, and he glanced at the cyborg dinosaur Digimon. "Do you feel something?"

MetalGreymon nodded. "Yes, something's wrong. Something's happened to Kari."

Angemon's grip on his staff tightened. "You're right. She's in trouble. We have to get to her."

"If that blood sucking parasite touches one hair on my sister's head, I'll tear him apart."

Vademon X raced by, drawing the angel Digimon's attention. Angemon glared at him, his teeth clenching down almost painfully. "This is ridiculous. Kari's in trouble, and we're stuck playing 'can't catch me' with this tentacle creep."

Shoutmon, Agunimon, Growlmon, and Paildramon sped past the other two, the Ultimate Digimon pausing to call out to them. "Hey, quit standing around. We have to catch this guy!"

MetalGreymon's eyes narrowed. "Maybe we're going about this the wrong way. Instead of chasing him around like this, lets try some combo moves."

Paildramon's eyes widened with interest. "Ah, I get it. I'll go first. Desperado Blaster!"

Bullets flew through the air, cutting off Vademon X's path, and he pulled the meteor he was riding to a stop.

"Now we got him!" Growlmon declared. "Pyro Blaster!"

Glaring at the dinosaur Digimon, Vademon X jumped off his meteor just before Growlmon's attack blew it apart. Angemon and Agunimon fired their own attacks, but Vademon X used the other meteors for cover, the floating purple rocks taking the attacks.

"I got this," MetalGreymon growled, lacking onto the alien Digimon. "Giga Destroyer!"

He fired his missiles. Vademon X flew through the meteors, swirling around the purple rocks as the missiles followed him. The first one hit a meteor and exploded, the second one getting caught up in the blast and exploding as well. Vademon X was also caught in it and went spinning into space, no longer under the cover of the meteors.

"Now's our chance!" Paildramon cried. "Lets get him."

They flew at the alien Digimon. He glared at them furiously and placed his fingers to his lips, blowing them a kiss. "Demon's Blown Kiss!"

Several more meteors appeared and flew at the DigiDestined. They punched, kicked, and blasted their way through the asteroid field, closing the gap between them and Vademon X.

"Fine then. Lets bring out the big guns." He blew them a bigger longer kiss. This time an entire planet appeared. Not an actual planet, but more of a giant model of one, Saturn from the looks of it. And it was over 100 times the size of MetalGreymon, the largest of the group.

The cyborg dinosaur Digimon's hands came up and caught the planet. It hardly slowed down at all. The others joined him, pushing back against the model of Saturn as well. It's speed continued to decrease, but the DigiDestined were pushed back further and further.

Vademon X erupted into obnoxious laughter. "Serves you right for thinking you can beat me in my own dimension!"

MetalGreymon felt like his arms were going to break under the pressure of the planet. He didn't know how much longer he could keep this up. But Kari needed him. His sister was in trouble.

"KARI!"

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Nefertimon grunted as she was slammed into the wall again. LadyDevimon kept a firm grip around her neck as she pinned the holy beast Digimon against the wall. Nefertimon struggled and slashed at the fallen angel Digimon, but LadyDevimon held her at bay.

On the floor, as close as the chain would allow her to get to the two, Cutemon was pleading with the fallen angel Digimon. "Please, don't! Stop hurting her!"

LadyDevimon looked at the fairy Digimon and sneered. "You're just like all the other fools, concerning yourself over others when you should be more worried about yourself."

While she was facing the other way, Nefertimon raised her paw. "Nile Jewelry!"

The jewels pelted against LadyDevimon. She grunted as they sprayed against her, her face twisting with fury. "Miserable wretch!" She slammed the holy beast Digimon down to the ground and finally let go of her neck. "You never learn, do you?" She blocked as Nefertimon swiped at her. "Your attacks are powerless against me. All you're doing is pissing me off."

Grabbing her tail, she swung Nefertimon into the air and slammed her down again. She repeated this several times before finally letting go. Nefertimon lay trembling on the floor, and when she tried to get up. LadyDevimon kicked her back down and followed up with her Bat Blitz, the lasers she shot from her eyes sending Nefertimon crashing into the wall.

"Do me a favor," LadyDevimon said as she strolled over to the fallen angel Digimon. "As much as I enjoy inflicting pain, at the rate this is going, you'll end up dead, and my master won't be too happy about that. There's nothing more you can do anyway, so just surrender."

Nefertimon struggled to lift her head. "Yes, there is. Beam of Isis!"

LadyDevimon smirked as the beam flew past her. "Is your aim that bad, or are you seeing double in your weakened state?" Placing her foot on Nefertimon's head, she pushed her down and glanced at Cutemon. "You should learn from…"

Her eyes widened. The fairy Digimon's chain was broken. Cutemon had been in the process of sneaking away. Nefertimon's attack hadn't missed her target at all!

Realizing she had been caught, Cutemon squeaked and ran for the door. LadyDevimon leapt toward her, cutting her off as she landed in front of her. Cutemon yelped as the fallen angel Digimon kicked her into the wall, and there she remained motionless.

LadyDevimon looked back at Nefertimon and scowled. "Very clever, child. That was a nice try, but you failed." She walked back over to her. "You're really not going to give up, are you? I would have killed you long ago, but my master wants your blood."

She held out her hand, and it extended into a spike. Bringing it to her lips, she ran her tongue over the sharp end. "I suppose I could simply bottle it, but the master wishes to experience your flesh as well." She chuckled evilly. "I guess I'll just have to make it so you can no longer resist."

She raised her spike and grinned, preparing to strike. Just then, the wall blew open. Whirling around, she watched as the other DigiDestined marched into the room. She was surprised at first, wondering how they had managed to escape from the pocket dimension, for they surely couldn't have beaten Vademon X. But then she saw the alien Digimon in MetalGreymon's jaws and realized she had been wrong.

Her eyes narrowed in disgust at the alien Digimon's failure. "Useless creature. You had one job to do, yet you failed."

"Forgive me," Vademon X pleaded.

MetalGreymon's eyes widened upon seeing his sister lying unmoving against the wall. He carelessly spat out Vademon X and growled at the fallen angel Digimon. "Did you do this to my sister?"

Smirking, LadyDevimon winked at him, waving her spike. "I may have had a hand in it."

The cyborg dinosaur Digimon roared furiously. Vademon X gave a yelp of fright and waved his hand, creating a doorway to his pocket dimension that he crawled through, the special rip disappearing behind him. No one seemed to notice his departure, as the DigiDestined were too enraged, and LadyDevimon was too amused.

"You'll pay for this," Angemon swore furiously.

The fallen angel Digimon laughed. "Oh, please. What are you going to do it about it, angel boy?"

"Not sure what he's going to do," Paildramon growled, "but here's what I'm going to do. Electric Bolt!"

LadyDevimon retaliated with her Stun Whip, the two attacks cancelling each other out. "If that's all you're gonna do, this won't be much of a fight."

On the floor behind her, Cutemon crawled over to the holy beast Digimon. "Nefertimon…"

"How can you do this?" Agunimon demanded. "How can you side with Myotismon over your friends, after everything he's done?"

The fallen angel Digimon just snickered. "You couldn't possibly understand. My master showed me the true exquisiteness of the darkness, and the pleasure of pain and suffering."

"She's mad," Growlmon told the others. "Completely mad."

"Well, her madness will be cured when she starts over as a Digi-Egg," Shoutmon replied. "Her choices after that will be her own, but at least she'll have the opportunity for a fresh start. So lets hurry up and put her out of her misery already."

More laughter. "As if you can. You fools can't conquer the darkness."

"Don't be so sure."

The statement came from behind her, and LadyDevimon whirled around to find Nefertimon on her feet, looking much better. "You?!"

"We've faced several evil Digimon that have made that claim," Nefertimon continued, "yet we've always come through in the end."

LadyDevimon still looked confused. "But you were finished. How did you…?" Her eyes widened upon seeing Cutemon behind her. "That little runt! She healed you, didn't she?" In response, the fairy Digimon stuck her tongue out at her. LadyDevimon should have been angry, but instead she smiled. "You will suffer for your defiance. And you, Nefertimon," she licked her lips, "I look forward to beating you down all over again."

"You don't frighten me, LadyDevimon,' Nefertimon told her. "As long as my friends are with me, there is nothing I can't do."

She began glowing brightly. LadyDevimon recoiled from the light, shading her eyes as she looked into it. "What is this? It's not possible!"

"Nefertimon Digivolve to… Angewomon!"

The light was gone, and so was Nefertimon. No longer resembling a sphinx, or a beast of any kind, Angewomon stood as a stunningly beautiful angel Digimon. Her new Ultimate form gained the attention of everyone in the room as she stood in all her glory.

"Angewomon," Angemon awed, "you're stunning."

Paildramon blinked and glanced at the male angel Digimon beside him. "Angemon?" He looked back at the newly Digivolved Ultimate. "And Angewomon?" He quickly turned to Shoutmon. "Hey, is there an AngeBabymon too?"

The dragon Digimon gave him a confused look. "What?"

Grabbing him, Paildramon shook him desperately. "Tell me the Veemon Digivolution line has an Ange-something in its code too. AngeDinosaurmon! AngeSoccerPlayermon!"

"Sorry, Paildramon, I'm afraid you just don't have it in you."

LadyDevimon, however, did not seem pleased by this new development. "And you think this will help you?"

"Three Ultimate and three Champions against you," Growlmon pointed out, "I'd say things are looking up."

"No!" Angewomon declared loudly. "This one is mine."

Surprised looks crossed everyone's faces, even LadyDevimon's. The DigiDestined exchanged uncertain looks as a smile crept up the fallen angel Digimon's face.

"Angewomon," MetalGreymon began, "I know you're angry, but I don't know if that's such a good-"

"Almost everything we've gone through since we came to the mainland had been because of me," the angel Digimon told him. "I'm the reason SkullBaluchimon hunted us down. The reason Duskmon attacked us, twice. The reason Cutemon was used as bait. The reason you guys were locked in another dimension. It's all because Myotismon wanted me."

She pointed at LadyDevimon. "And I just spent the past 20 something minutes getting beaten and tortured by this witch. I want to be the one to finish her. I deserve it. We can take down Myotismon together, but this one is mine!"

Her determination radiated out of her, and the others backed down. MetalGreymon was clearly uneasy, but he realized that not even he could deny his sister this right.

LadyDevimon laughed. "My, you've certainly gotten cocky. You think that just because you've Digivolved that you stand a chance? Well, let me tell you something, girly, one Ultimate is not equal to another."

Angewomon's expression didn't change. "I know."

LadyDevimon's face twisted with fury at the insinuation. "Darkness Wave!"

"Bliss of Saints!"

The ribbon hanging around Angewomon's arms and neck began glowing pink as a rainbow aura appeared around her. The evil power of LadyDevimon's attack was absorbed and neutralized as it flowed into it. Shock registered across the fallen angel Digimon's face that quickly turned to a scowl as Angewomon smirked at her. She flew at the angel Digimon, her hand raised to perform her Slap attack, but Angewomon countered with Lift Your Spirits, her foot striking LadyDevimon and sending her crashing into the wall.

"Whoa," Paildramon muttered, looking at LadyDevimon.

Said Digimon shook her head and turned back to Angewomon. Her arm extended into a spike and she flew at her, lashing out violently. Angewomon maneuvered this way and that, avoiding the spike as LadyDevimon became aggravated. "Hold still, you miserable brat!"

She stabbed forward. Angewomon's hand shot out and caught the spike mere inches from her face. LadyDevimon struggled to pull away, but was unable to. "Let go!"

"I thought you wanted me to hold still."

"Release me!"

Angewomon complied. With a screech, LadyDevimon swung her spike again, and Angewomon's hand came up, striking the fallen angel Digimon with her Holy Slap, a purified version of LadyDevimon's Slap. Her red eyes bugged out from the blow, and Angewomon followed up with another Lift Your Spirits. It knocked LadyDevimon out of her daze and she shrieked loudly and stabbed forward. Angewomon dodged and LadyDevimon's spike buried into the wall. She struggled to remove it before flying after the angel Digimon.

"Amazing," Growlmon awed. "She's so strong."

"She's an angel Digimon," Shoutmon told him. "They're among the strongest kind of Digimon there are. And she's a Light type to boot."

Paildramon glanced at him. "Er, Light type?"

The dragon Digimon gave him a look of disbelief. "You're kidding? I thought you would have at least known that." He sighed. "There are 10 different types of Digimon. Fire, Water, Earth, Thunder, Wind, Metal, Wood, Ice, Light, and Darkness. Of the 10, Light is the strongest."

"What's the second strongest?" Agunimon asked, getting a bad feeling.

Shoutmon's eyes shifted to the fallen angel. "Darkness."

LadyDevimon seemed to realize that she was getting nowhere and changed her spike back into a hand. "Evil Wing!"

A wave of burning darkness in the form of bats flew at Angewomon. The angel Digimon retaliated with her Divine Kick. Kicking downward, she burst through LadyDevimon's attack. The fallen angel Digimon jumped back, avoiding the blow, the stone floor cracking beneath her foot.

LadyDevimon sped towards her and struck with her Slap attack. Angewomon met her with her Holy Slap, their hands coming together as if to high-five. A shockwave of holy and evil energy flowed outward, throwing both Digimon back, Angewomon slamming into the wall. Flying backwards, LadyDevimon dug her claws into the floor to stop her momentum. She lashed out with her Stun Whip, sending out an electric shock.

Angewomon shook her head and pointed at the fallen angel Digimon with a finger gun. "Celestial Arrow!"

A pair of wings grew out of her glove as an arrow of light appeared in her other hand. She used the wings on her glove like a bow to fire the arrow. It cut through LadyDevimon's attack and pierced her palm. She cried out, grasping her injured hand, and glared at Angewomon, only to be hit with a second arrow in her shoulder.

"Heaven's Charm!" Angewomon cried. She waved her arms outward, sending out a wave of holy energy in the shape of a cross. LadyDevimon shrieked as the attack came at her, and then it was her turn to go crashing into the wall.

"That one had to hurt," Angemon winced. "You think she's down for the count?"

As if to answer his question, LadyDevimon collapsed. It was a reverse situation from when she stood above Nefertimon triumphantly, now she was at the angel Digimon's mercy.

Angewomon walked up to the fallen LadyDevimon. Her opponent looked up at her, seeing the frown on her face. It was a look of… pity? It infuriated her. "How dare you do this to me! You think your better than me? You're nothing!"

Angewomon gave her a hard look beneath her helmet. "LadyDevimon, the only thing I feel for you is disgust and pity. I hope that after you come back, you'll find peace. Hopefully take a different Digivolution route than the one Myotismon forced upon you. Perhaps you can even make peace with Gatomon and the others.

"Never!" LadyDevimon raged, swiping at the air. "I like being evil! Even if you manage to destroy me, I'll seek out the LadyDevimon line all over again!"

"If you do, that's your choice, and I pity you all the more for it; choosing a life of cruelty and wickedness over one of peace." She created another Celestial Arrow and took aim. "But I cannot allow you to continue the way you are. I do hope you'll change your mind after you're reborn. Goodbye, LadyDevimon."

Grinding her teeth together, LadyDevimon screeched and unleashed her Bat Blitz attack. Angewomon jumped back as the fallen angel Digimon fired her attack upward, burning a hole in the ceiling. She flew up and through the hole. Angewomon fired her arrow, but missed as LadyDevimon made her escape.

"Come back here!" she demanded, flying up after her.

"Hey, wait for us!" Paildramon cried as he and the others brought their non-flying friends through the hole after MetalGreymon made it bigger for them.

LadyDevimon raced through the castle, the others following close behind. A few low level Digimon leapt out to stop them, but were quickly dealt with. Pausing at a pair of doors to glance back at her pursuers, she smirked before racing inside. The DigiDestined charged in after her, MetalGreymon once more needing to blast through in order to fit. They came to a stop as they entered. There, standing in the middle of the room with a swarm of bats flying around him was a certain vampire Digimon.

"Well," said Myotismon with a smile, "here we all are."

Notes:

(A/N: We have achieved Digivolution. Angewomon has appeared. The title was a bit of a giveaway, wasn't it? Angewomon was always one of my favorites. And she totally kicked LadyDevimon's ass. It's just a shame she got away. But now they've run into Myotismon. Time for a rematch. But now that they have 3 Ultimates, things are looking up for our heroes. Or do they? Do Myotismon and LadyDevimon have something up their sleeves? Stay tuned to find out. And you know, looking at Angewomon's attacks {see below}, I noticed how… unnecessary some of them are. Like some Digimon have an attack that's a simple punch, or a swipe of the sword. Take Angewomon's Lift Your Spirits, it's a simple kick-flip. What's so special about that that it needs a name? The English dub renamed it to make it seem more grand and attack-ish, but even the Japanese name for it, Holy Kick, seems unnecessary. But, whatever. I'll be back soon with the next installment. See you then.)

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Angewomon's attacks:

Celestial Arrow – Forms a bow with the wings on her glove to fire an arrow of divine light. Also known as Heaven's Punishment.

Heaven's Charm – Creates a cross of holy light packed with beauty and affection that's used as a shield or an attack. Especially strong against evil Digimon.

Holy Air – Creates ring of energy that paralyzes her enemies.

Heaven's Cure – Heals her allies.

Bliss of Saints – Unleashes rainbow light that hurts evil and can absorbs attacks, which she can infuse the energy into her own attack.

Saint's Air – Creates a holy tornado.

Holy Arrow – Attacks with a powerful lightning-strike shot from her fingertip.

Lift Your Spirits – Kick-flips upward.

Super Jump – Uses a blast of holy power to launch herself into the air.

Divine Kick – Jumps up, then kicks downward.

Holy Charge Kick – Charges her energy, then delivers a flip kick.

Heel of Justice – Delivers a mid-air kick.

Angel Wing – Flaps her wings.

Holy Slap – Delivers a slap that paralyzes her opponents.

Angel Dash – Delivers a sliding kick on the ground.

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New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Angewomon

Chapter 42: No Hollywood Vampire

Notes:

(A/N: Happy Thanksgiving Eve everyone. Is that a thing? I'm making it a thing. But enough about that. We've finally reached the start of the climax of the Myotismon arc. Will three Ultimates and three Champions be enough to stand up to Myotismon? They did a decent job holding their own against him last time, and that was before Kari unlocked her Angewomon form. But don't forget that LadyDevimon is still there. It's going to be interesting. But first, an announcement. I finally managed to get around o watching "Death Note". I know, where have I been? Great series, and I'm in the middle of writing a one-shot that I plan to post this Friday if anyone is interested. In the meantime, enjoy the next chapter.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 42: No Hollywood Vampire

 

"You humans have certainly given me a great deal of trouble," the vampire Digimon told them. Despite his claim, he was still smiling.

"Hey, that's on you, pal," Paildramon argued. "You're the one that kept sending your servants to attack us and kidnap our friends. Speaking of which, where's that LadyDevimon?"

"I'm the one you need to worry about now. You did well to come this far, but your journey is at an end."

He motioned to the group. The bats in the room flew towards them in a massive swarm. MetalGreymon, Growlmon, and Agunimon unleashed streams of fire at the bats, causing them to flew. Angewomon raised her arms and unleashed her Bliss of Saints. The bats were drawn into the vortex of light, vanishing within it.

"Ha!" Paildramon mocked. "Not so tough when the sun's out and you're only at half strength."

The vampire Digimon scowled. "My power may be cut in half, but the sun can't help you in here. Crimson Lightning!"

The DigiDestined scattered. Leaping into the air, MetalGreymon fired his Giga Blaster. Myotismon half skipped, half floated backwards mockingly to avoid the missiles as Angewomon came down at him using her Divine Kick. Myotismon's hand shot out, grabbing her ankle before her kick landed.

"I still look forward to tasting your blood, my dear," he told her with a grin.

Angemon flew towards him. "Taste this! Angel Rod!"

Myotismon's other hand shot out. "Nightmare Claw!"

Angemon froze as a ghostly entity flowed over him. Angewomon retaliated with her Angel Wing attack, knocking the vampire Digimon away with a flap of her wings. It gave the others an opening, and Agunimon leapt onto MetalGreymon's head as he charged in. Paildramon unleashed his Desperado Blaster as Growlmon began flinging blades of plasma.

Flying wildly, Myotismon flew around the spray of bullets. He went to meet the cyborg dinosaur and fire wizard Digimon while out-flying Paildramon's attack and maneuvering around Growlmon's Dragon Slash attacks. MetalGreymon lashed out with his Metal Slash Revulsion, and Myotismon hesitated just long enough for his metal claw to pass by, then delivered an uppercut while using his Blood Punch.

Agunimon leapt off MetalGreymon's head as the cyborg dinosaur Digimon was knocked off his feet. As he came down towards Myotismon, he used his Pyro Tornado attack. Myotismon blocked the flaming kick, but could do nothing to stop the fiery tornado from forming around him. Instead, his bats came flying in, wrapping around him in a protective cocoon as the flaming vortex swirled around him.

On the ground, MetalGreymon looked up at the fiery tornado. He took aim and fired his Mega Claw. It flew through the tornado of flames, knocking Myotismon out. He slammed against the wall, holding MetalGreymon's claw at bay. Glaring, he used Nightmare Wave, sending his electric attack to the cyborg dinosaur Digimon through his own metal claw.

MetalGreymon cried out as electricity flowed into him. Tossing aside the metal claw, Myotismon used his Grisly Wing. The aura of darkness and bats flew at MetalGreymon, but Angemon and Angewomon flew into the attack's path. Using her Heaven's Charm, Angewomon cancelled out most of the attack while Angemon used his Angel Staff to block the rest.

With a snarl, Myotismon pointed towards the two angel Digimon. A swarm of bats dropped down from the ceiling and surrounded them, forming a cocoon similar to how Myotismon had defended against Agunimon's attack.

"No, they'll be devoured. Pyro Blaster!"

Growlmon's attack didn't even reach his friends as Myotismon flew into its path and knocked it away with his Blood Punch. "You can't stop my swarm." He turned to them. "Now, consume them and bring me their energy!"

"Angel Wing!" Angewomon cried, bursting through the cocoon; both she and Angemon were ok.

"What!?" Myotismon snarled.

"Ha! Serves you right!" Paildramon mocked. "Electric Bolt!"

Myotismon turned to the attack. "Nightmare Wave!"

The two attacks collided and exploded in the air. Growlmon ran over so he was beneath the vampire Digimon and fired his Dragon Spine. Several more bats swooped down, flying beneath Myotismon to take the attack. Spreading out, they made an opening for the vampire Digimon, and he fired another Nightmare Wave down at the dinosaur Digimon. Growlmon fired his Pyro Blaster up, and the attacks exploded, but Myotismon's being the stronger of the two, sent the blast towards Growlmon, knocking him off his feet.

Agunimon landed beside the dinosaur Digimon. "Those stupid bats keep getting in the way of our attacks."

Staying by the opening that had been made in the wall during their entrance, Shoutmon waved to them. "They're his familiars. He creates them from his data."

MetalGreymon was getting to his feet. "With as gluttonous as this guy is with his thirst for blood, he must have had plenty of energy to create them."

"And energy to reclaim," Myotismon confirmed. He held open his cape. "To me, my bats!"

A portion of flying rodents flew up to Myotismon, flying into his cape. He closed it around himself, a satisfied smile on his face. When he opened it again, the bats were gone, and both his hands were pulsing with electricity. "Nightmare Wave!"

Electricity flew down at the DigiDestined in all different directions. Only Paildramon, being the only one above the vampire Digimon, was spared from the attack. But it presented an opportunity.

"He's wide open," the dragon Digimon realized. "It's not a stake, but it should still work. Take this, vampire! Sting Strike!"

He flew towards Myotismon. Before he could land his blow, there was a shriek from up above, and LadyDevimon dropped down onto him. They fell to the ground with the fallen angel Digimon on top. Laughing sadistically, she began using her Slap attack repeatedly. Paildramon's head snapped back and forth as the blows filled with dark energy struck him again and again.

"Hand of Fate!"

LadyDevimon looked up as Angemon's beam came at her. It struck her in the chest, knocking her off Paildramon and slamming her into the wall. Dazed, she stumbled forward, glaring at the angel Digimon furiously.

"Thanks, bud," said Paildramon, hopping to his feet. "Now it's my turn. Desperado Blaster!"

His guns rose and unleashed a rapid fire of bullets. They sprayed across LadyDevimon's body and she shrieked, finally collapsing, and the stone wall crumbled on top of her. Paildramon immediately turned his guns on Myotismon. The vampire Digimon held up his cape, the cloth seeming to offer some form of protection until more bats flew down to shield him.

"You're attacks are useless against me," he told the dragon Digimon, although his scowl belittled his words.

"Then how about this!" Angewomon cried, appearing behind him. "Saints Air!"

A tornado full of holy energy was unleashed. Myotismon's eyes widened as he and his bats were caught up in it. Angemon appeared on his other side and unleashed his Omni Typhoon. A second tornado appeared, the two combining into one massive vortex with Myotismon and his bats trapped inside.

Agunimon rushed to the base of the tornado. "Lets add a third, with a bit of heat. Pyro Tornado!"

Flames traveled up the length of the tornado, and it grew larger. The DigiDestined gathered around, watching the flaming vortex until it finally died down. When it did, Myotismon was on the ground with his clothes singed, and all his bats were gone.

Forcing himself to his knees, he gave the DigiDestined a look of hate. "That was pretty impressive. I underestimated you humans."

"You and everyone else," MetalGreymon told him. "Giga Destroyer!"

The missiles flew at the vampire Digimon. His expression quickly changed from angry to arrogant as several more bats flew down, shielding him from the blasts.

"More bats?" Paildramon exclaimed. "Those things are really getting on my nerves. Just how many are there?"

Myotismon began laughing as he got to his feet. "How many are there? How many are there?" He raised his hand. "Just take a look!"

The DigiDestined looked up. They hadn't noticed it before, but they saw it now. The entire ceiling was completely covered in bats. Thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, all hanging from the ceiling.

Myotismon laughed again. "As you can see, I have a fair few, and they're all at my beck and call."

He snapped his fingers and the entire ceiling's worth dropped down. The vampire Digimon continued to laugh as they flew around him in massive swarms. The DigiDestined unleashed a barrage of attacks on them, but there were so many that the ones they destroyed did nothing to help.

"There's too many," said Agunimon as he sent a fiery dragon into the swarm. "How are we supposed to fight them?"

"Isn't there a weakness that bats have?" asked Growlmon, trying to remember. "I'm sure I heard of something."

"Forget the bats," MetalGreymon growled. "We have to take out Myotismon. They're all technically a part of him. If we kill him, the bats will disappear." He took aim. "Mega Claw!"

He fired his metal claw. The swarm of bats immediately flowed over the flying limb, stopping its momentum, and it fell uselessly to the floor.

"No good," said Agunimon. "Our attacks can't even get near him."

"Too bad the same can't be said for you," Myotismon declared. He motioned towards them and the entire bat colony split into six groups and flew towards a different DigiDestined by the hundred of thousands.

Each warded off their own swarm in their own way, Agunimon unleashing his Pyro Tornado to prevent them from reaching him, Angemon using his Angel Staff to ward them off, MetalGreymon repeatedly leaving a wave of fire in the air with his Over Flame to keep them at away, Angewomon absorbing them into her Bliss of Saints attack, and Paildramon dropping them one after another with his Desperado Blaster.

Growlmon had been in the process of keeping the bats bay by firing his Dragon Spine when it came to him. "That's it!"

In his realization, he had stopped attacking, and the bats crashed into him with such force that he was lifted off his feet and slammed into the wall.

"Growlmon!" Angewomon cried. Anger twisted her beautiful face. "That does it. Heaven's Charm!"

A large portion of the bats coming her way were obliterated. Through the temporary opening she created, she used her Super Jump to launch herself forward with a blast of holy power. Myotismon's eyes widened and he brought up his arms to defend himself just before she hit him with her Holy Charge Kick.

He slammed against the wall, getting the wind knocked out of him, and looked to see Angewomon taking aim with her Celestial Arrow. She fired and he quickly dodged, yet the attack blasted a hole in the wall. Sunlight poured through the hole, and Myotismon recoiled from it as if burned.

"Did you see that?" Agunimon exclaimed.

"I sure did," said MetalGreymon. "Make more holes!"

Giving up on holding back the bats, the DigiDestined fled from the swarm, firing their attacks against the wall. More holes were created for the sun to shine through, filling the room with beams of light.

"No, not the sun!" Myotismon cried, and for once, he looked afraid.

"Let the sun shine in!" MetalGreymon declared. "Mega Claw!"

Several holes were created, and the sunbeams shined through in all different directions. It wasn't long before Myotismon was trapped by the beams of light, leaving him unable to move without flying into them.

"Not so tough now, are you?" Paildramon mocked.

Scowling, Myotismon looked around at the beams of light. Glancing back at the DigiDestined, his snarl became a mocking grin. "Don't be so sure."

He waved his hand and the bats heeded his command. They flew along the wall, covering up the holes that had been made, blocking out the sun. Myotismon chuckled. "It was a nice try, but my bats aren't affected by the sun. Now then, where were we?"

By the door, Shoutmon's claws dug into the stone wall. "That's cheating. Stupid bats."

A large red foot dropped down beside him and Cutemon. They yelped in surprise, having been entirely focused n the battle, and looked up at Growlmon, who still appeared to be dazed.

Shoutmon blinked. "Hey, you ok, big guy?"

He jumped when Growlmon stuck his big claw in his face. "I need your mic."

Shoutmon stared at his hand, then gave him a strange look. "You what?"

"Shoutmon, your mic!"

The dragon Digimon winced. "Ok, ok." He produced it and placed it in the dinosaur Digimon's much large hand.

Without even thanking him, Growlmon ran over to the others. Myotismon looked down at him with a frown, spotting the microphone in his claw. Agunimon glanced at him as well, wondering what he was planning to do. "You got a plan?"

"Their weakness," the dinosaur Digimon replied. "Bats are sensitive to sound. Howling!"

Raising Shoutmon's mic to his mouth, he emitted his high-pitched cry. The others recoiled from the sound, covering their ears. Myotismon's eyes practically popped out of his head as his hands covered his own ears, his own pained cry lost amongst Growlmon's howl.

The bats went haywire. No longer organized, they flew about wildly as Growlmon's howl drove them crazy. The beams of light shined through the holes once again, and Myotismon cried out as one burned his hand.

"Good call, Growlmon," MetalGreymon complimented. "Now lets get some more light. Giga Blaster!"

He fired his missiles at the wall, blowing a large opening for the sun to shine through. Myotismon wailed as the light flowed over him, unable to command his bats to block out the light.

"Everyone, attack!" Paildramon shouted. His command was not heard over Growlmon's howl, but the others seemed to have come to the same conclusion.

"Pyro Punch!"

"Desperado Blaster!"

"Hand of Fate!"

"Giga Storm!"

The four attacks hit Myotismon as he writhed in agony. Crying out, he dropped from the sky, landing back in the shadows and out of the sun's rays. Angewomon took aim with her Celestial Arrow. Myotismon may not be a Hollywood vampire, but he was about to go down like one.

She released the arrow of light as Myotismon struggled to rise to his feet. It struck him in the chest, knocking him backwards and pinning him to the wall. A stream of saliva flew from his mouth as he cried out, his hand going to he arrow in his chest.

"Nice shot," Angemon complimented, but this too went by unheard over Growlmon's howl.

The dinosaur Digimon, now blue in the face, had finally stopped to catch his breath. He opened his mouth to repeat the attack, but Paildramon covered it. "That's enough. He's down."

Growlmon blinked and looked at the vampire Digimon. It definitely looked like he was done for. The DigiDestined approached as Myotismon cracked open an eye to look up at them. "Come to hear me beg for mercy?"

"Only you would expect that," Agunimon told him. "I'll never understand why there are sick people like you in the world."

Despite the pain, the vampire Digimon smiled. "It's quite simple really. It's fun."

Paildramon made a disgusted face behind his mask. "Ok, this guy is rotten all the way down to his Digi-Core. Lets just finish him off."

"Sounds good to me," MetalGreymon agreed.

There was a blur of movement, and suddenly LadyDevimon was in front of Myotismon. She hissed at them, holding her arms out protectively. "Never! I won't allow it!"

"You're still here?" the dragon Digimon marveled. "I thought I killed you."

She sneered at him. "You fools could never kill me. And I could never allow my master to fall."

"We've got no problem taking you out with him," Agunimon told her. "In fact, I think we should."

LadyDevimon's hand extended into a spike. "You foolish humans have no idea what-"

Her chest suddenly burst open. The DigiDestined cried out in shock as they stared at Myotismon's hand sticking from her torso, having been used like a spear to pierce straight through her.

LadyDevimon looked down at her chest, then glanced over her shoulder at Myotismon. "Master…?"

The vampire Digimon smirked at her. "Sorry, my dear, but your services are no longer required. There's just one more thing I need from you."

He pulled his hand free. LadyDevimon remained upright for a moment before toppling over. Myotismon's bats swooped down and flowed over her. She was lifted into the air as more and more bats surrounded her. Just before she was completely covered, the DigiDestined saw the fallen angel Digimon smile.

"Now, come to me!" Myotismon commanded. The gathering of bats came apart and flew into the vampire Digimon's body. LadyDevimon was gone, completely devoured, and the bats carried her energy to their master.

With an evil chuckle, Myotismon rose to his feet. Angewomon's arrow dissolving as he did so. "It's time my servants aided me in a more constructive way."

He held up his cape, and the bats began piling up on top of him. All throughout the castle, the flying rodents swooped down and consumed any other Digimon around. They carried the energy they gathered back to Myotismon, the pile of bats getting bigger and bigger as they covered him.

Myotismon's laughter rang out from within the pile of bats as a bright light began to shine through. It grew brighter and larger with the more that gathered, consuming the bats and spreading outward.

Shoutmon's eyes widened. "Holy…" Grabbing Cutemon's hand, he dragged her along as he raced over to the others. Jumping onto MetalGreymon's back, he ran up to his head. "We have to go!"

"Huh? What's wrong?"

"You want to live? Get everyone outside right now!"

The urgency in the dragon Digimon's voice made it clear how serious this was. "You heard him! Outside, now!"

Ignoring the vampire Digimon, they raced for the hole in the wall. All the bats were glowing brightly now as they continued to pile up. Myotismon's laughter continued to ring out as the last of the bats joined the whole. "Myotismon Mega Digivolve to…"

The glowing pile of bats erupted in an explosion of light. The castle blew apart as the light expanded outward, too large to be contained inside. The DigiDestined went flying from the shockwave of the blast and went crashing to the ground as rubble from the castle rained down around them.

The light began to fade, and a massive form of the creature inside made itself known. "VenomMyotismon!"

Notes:

(A/N: You had to have known it was coming. It's their first Mega level fight, and it's a whole knew ballgame. They just went from borderline victorious to completely screwed. At least LadyDevimon is gone. No surprise that Myotismon killed her. He has absolutely no issue with taking out his own servants. How will our heroes be able to cope with him at the Mega level? Stay tuned to find out)

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New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/VenomMyotismon

Chapter 43: Mega Power

Notes:

(A/N: Ok, so the chapter title is a little cheesy, but I think it works. Our heroes are now getting into their first battle with a Mega, and it's freakin' VenomMyotismon. Actually, now that I think of it, he was the first Mega the DigiDestied faced in the series too. That wasn't deliberate. Well, lets see how they do.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 43: Mega Power

The beast that now stood in the wreckage of the castle was larger than anything they had seen so far. Bigger than Devimon when infused with the black gears, bigger than Dragomon when at his full height with his arms raised, nearly as big as a skyscraper back in the Real World even.

The creature resembled Myotismon, for the most part. At least the head did. The rest of the body, particularly the lower half, was that of a demonic beast. Even his facial features were twisted to be more monstrous and demonic. And, worst of all, the sun didn't seem to bother him any longer as he was standing in it unharmed.

"I'm hungry!" he thundered, and began trampling through his already destroyed castle.

Having recovered from being thrown, the DigiDestined put space between themselves and the newly Digivolved Digimon.

"Whoa, what happened?" Paildramon exclaimed.

"What do you think happened?" Shoutmon raged. "He Digivolved to the Mega level!"

"Mega," Angewomon repeated. "That's a Mega?"

"Mega big," MetalGreymon noted. "What is with these bad guys and getting bigger?"

"You know what they say," Angemon told him. "The bigger they are, the harder they fall."

Growlmon's ears drooped. "Yeah, but the bigger they are, the harder it is to knock them over." He glanced at Shoutmon. "Do all Mega Digimon get that big?"

Shoutmon shook his head. "Digimon come in all shapes and sizes. Their level has nothing to do with it. There's even a Mega Digimon that's smaller than me. I told you, things don't work the way they do in your world. Size has nothing to do with it when it comes to power."

Growlmon looked back at the rampaging Digimon. "No, but I bet it helps."

"I'm hungry!" VenomMyotismon raged. He slashed at his castle, sending rubble flying. Some of it came towards the DigiDestined, and they ran out of its path as it rained down round them.

"What's wrong with him?" MetalGreymon asked. "He's completely out of control."

"A Digimon's nature tends to change when they Digivolve," Shoutmon explained. "When Myotismon Digivolved, his Mega form basically exchanges intellect for raw power. In this form, he's nothing but beast with homicidal and destructive impulses."

VenomMyotismon roared again and kicked more of his castle apart. A lone servant Digimon known as Pipismon, who had escaped from Myotismon's bats, took to the air. VenomMyotismon spotted them and his hand shot out, snatching the bat Digimon from the sky. He immediately shoved it into his mouth and devoured it.

"More! More nourishment! More energy!"

Angewomon's hand went to her mouth, and she looked like she was going to be sick. "We have to stop this. Shoutmon, how do we beat him?"

He raised an eyebrow at her. "We don't."

Paildramon did a double-take. "What do you mean, we don't?"

The smaller dragon Digimon pointed at the rampaging giant. "He is a Mega. We have no chance. Do you understand? Zero, zilch, none, nada. We. Can. Not. Beat. Him. Did I make my meaning plain enough?"

Angemon flew down beside him. "Come on. There must be a way. We've managed to defeat everyone else we've faced. We can beat him too."

Shoutmon shook a finger at him. "All those times you guys have been at the same level. Defeating Dragomon was a hopeless cause until Greymon Digivolved. So unless one of you three," he motioned to MetalGreymon, Paildramon, and Angewomon, "want to Digivolve again, we don't stand a chance."

It seemed VenomMyotismon hadn't spotted them yet as he bent over and began rummaging through the rubble. "Where are you, little humans? Come out and play."

"He's looking for us," Cutemon squeaked fearfully. "We should go."

"We can't just run away," Paildramon insisted. "Shoutmon, realistically, what are our chances?"

"Realistically? Well, on a scale of one to ten, we're… totally screwed. If we're going to even try to stop him, we'll need backup. Come on, maybe everyone back at the village will help."

Growlmon was skeptical. "They didn't even come when it was only Myotismon who was the problem. I doubt they'll come to face him now that he's Digivolved."

"And we don't have that kind of time," Angemon added. "It took us days to get here. Who knows what kind of destruction VenomMyotismon will cause by then. We have to stop him now."

Shoutmon pulled at his pointy ears as he screamed his frustration. "AH! You humans are so stubborn!" He rubbed his forehead. "Ok, if we're going to go through with this, there's a chance that we might not die." He looked at the demon beast Digimon. "VenomMyotismon just Digivolved. When a Digimon Digivolves to a new level for the first time, it takes a while to become acclimated with their new form and for their new powers to develop, so VenomMyotismon isn't at full strength, not to mention we really weakened him when he was still Myotismon.

"Ok, that's a start," said MetalGreymon. "What else?"

"What else?" He rubbed his head. "Um, lets see. Well, like I said, his intelligence is lacking in this form. Not as much as Velgemon, but it's something."

"And the sun," Paildramon pointed out. "We still have the sun."

"For all the good it will do. VenomMyotismon may prefer the dark, but he's not weakened by the sun the way Myotismon was. But our real weapon against him is Angewomon here."

Beneath her helmet, the angel Digimon blinked. "Me?"

He nodded. "You're an angel and a Light type to his demon beast Darkness type. You're his weakness. Angemon too, but he's still only at the Champion level. Not to mention Angewomon is very strong for an Ultimate. Her power actually borders on Mega. I still don't think we can win, but it's better than nothing."

"It's a chance," said Growlmon, "and that's all we need. Shoutmon, you keep Cutemon safe. We'll take down this freak."

With no sign of hesitation, the group charged towards the colossal Digimon. VenomMyotismon was still digging through the rubble, looking for anything and everything he could eat.

"Might as well start off big," MetalGreymon suggested. "Giga Destroyer!"

His missiles flew at VenomMyotismon. Agunimon jumped up and landed on top of one, going for a ride. As he and the missiles approached their target, he leapt into the air. The missiles exploded against VenomMyotismon's back, knocking him to his knees, but it didn't seem to do much damage to him otherwise. Agunimon came down, using his Elbow Drop, slamming his flaming elbow into the back of the demon beast Digimon's head. VenomMyotismon grunted, but he seemed otherwise unharmed.

As Agunimon leapt away, the giant Digimon turned towards the DigiDestined, a sadistic smile appearing on his face. "Ah, there you are." He rose to his feet. "I was afraid you had been crushed. I wanted to do that myself."

"You're not crushing anything, VenaMyotismon!" Paildramon declared.

"That's VenomMyotismon. But I'll call you dinner."

"Meal time's over, you glutton," Angemon told him. "We're taking you down."

The demon beast Digimon laughed. "How amusing. Dinner and a show."

"You want a show? Well, watch this. Hand of Fate!"

He fired a beam from his hand. It struck and travelled across VenomMyotismon's chest. The Mega level Digimon just snarled and swiped at him. "Tyrant Savage!"

Flames filled his hand as his flaming claw struck Angemon, and he sped to the ground like a bullet. VenomMyotismon sneered and lifted his foot to stomp down on the angel Digimon. MetalGreymon ran over and raised his metal claw. VenomMyotismon grunted as he stepped onto the claw, the metal blades piercing his foot. He pulled back and used Tyrant Savageagain, sending MetalGreymon flying through the air.

"Desperado Blaster!"

A shower of bullets rained across VenomMyotismon's face. He looked up at Paildramon, lifting his hand to block the stinging bullets. The dragon Digimon continued to circle overhead, firing rapidly from his machine guns.

"You're really that hungry? How do you like the taste of lead?" He couldn't help puffing his chest out in pride. "Man, I always wanted to say that."

VenomMyotismon growled. "Inferno!"

A stream of fire flew from his mouth. Paildramon cried out in surprise, his speed saving him from being roasted. VenomMyotismon turned his head to follow the dragon Digimon's movements, still breathing fire that Paildramon swerved to avoid. "Hey, guys, it's getting kind of hot here! How about a little help!"

Angewomon landed on the ground in front of VenomMyotismon. Charging up her Super Jump, she unleashed a blast of holy power to launch herself at the demon beast Digimon, slamming into his gut. VenomMyotismon's mouth slammed shut as he grunted, the flames from his attack shooting out from between his teeth, and he toppled backwards. Angewomon immediately flew up to his face as he fell back and unleashed her Heaven's Charm. It exploded in his face, and he fell to the ground, his head smoking.

"Guess they really do fall harder the bigger they are," she commented.

Before the smoke even cleared from his face, a stream of fire flew out of the cloud. Angewomon gasped and flew backwards, but was unable to escape the flames completely as nearly half her body got cooked.

"Angewomon!" Paildramon cried, and doubled back. "Play with fire, and you'll get shocked. Electric Bolt!"

VenomMyotismon raised his giant hand, blocking the attack. With an evil grin, he swiped at the dragon Digimon. Paildramon flew around wildly in the air, avoiding his reaching hands. On the ground, Growlmon had charged at the demon beast Digimon's furry leg. He wrapped his arms around it as much as he could, pushing back. Frowning, VenomMyotismon looked down at the dinosaur Digimon. He kicked outward, and Growlmon went flying.

"Stop hurting my friends!" Paildramon shouted. "Sting Strike!"

With his superior speed, he flew towards VenomMyotismon, stabbing him in the forehead just above his mask. The demon beast Digimon snarled, his hand flying up and grabbing his assailant. Paildramon struggled, but couldn't escape his grip as VenomMyotismon lifted his arm as high as he could.

Paildramon knew what was coming. "This isn't going to end well."

As if the dragon Digimon were a football, and VenomMyotismon had just scored a touchdown, he threw Paildramon to the ground so hard that he went straight through.

A burning sensation going up his leg and backside drew his attention, and VenomMyotismon glanced over his shoulder as Agunimon raced up his body using Fire Dash. When he reached the demon beast Digimon's shoulder, he leapt in the air and used Pyro Punch against the side of his head, creating a fiery explosion as the fire dragon erupted against VenomMyotismon's head.

"You annoying pest," he snarled, reaching for the fire wizard Digimon.

Agunimon jumped away from the angry Digimon and was caught by Angemon. They landed beside Shoutmon and were soon joined by MetalGreymon and Angewomon. "You ok?" MetalGreymon asked his sister.

Ignoring the pains of her burns, she nodded. "He's so strong. Our attacks are barely fazing him."

"Hello!" Shoutmon cried. "What part of 'Mega' did you not understand? Did you think he'd be weak?"

A groan came from the hole in the ground a few feet away as Paildramon came crawling out. "Weaker."

They looked back at VenomMyotismon. He was coming towards them, and he looked angry. He didn't see Growlmon running up behind him, nor did he see as the dinosaur Digimon's blades on his elbows began to glow.

"Dragon Slash!" He cut at the tendons in the back of VenomMyotismon's foot. The demon beast Digimon cried out and toppled over. The DigiDestined fled as he crashed to the ground, causing the whole area to shake.

"I'll hold him down!" MetalGreymon cried. He ran around the demon beast Digimon's side. "Mega Claw!"

He fired his claw, not at VenomMyotismon, but over him, the claw burying into the ground on the other side, the cable attached to his arm intending to hold him down. This proved to be futile as VenomMyotismon easily rose to his feet. The cable draped over him did nothing to hold him down, and MetalGreymon soon found himself dangling by it in the air.

"Bad idea," he muttered. And it got even worse as VenomMyotismon turned his head to him. MetalGreymon gulped. "Very bad idea."

He retracted his claw as VenomMyotismon breathed fire at him, just barely escaping the flames as he dropped down. Angewomon then slammed into VenomMyotismon's chin with her Super Jump, clamping his mouth shut and causing flames to shoot out his nose.

"Coming in for a landing!" Paildramon exclaimed, flying towards the demon beast Digimon. "Sting Strike!"

"Venom Infusion!" VenomMyotismon's tail shot out and stabbed Paildramon. The dragon Digimon's eyes bugged out as he felt something flow through him. He flew back, ripping free of the demon beast Digimon's tail, and clutched his wound.

"That's not fair. I didn't know he could do that with his… with his…" His speech became slurred, and he seemed unable to talk properly. A moment later, his entire body began to spasm. He dropped out of the sky and crashed to the ground, his whole body shaking as if he were having a seizure, his body pixilating and reassembling.

VenomMyotismon laughed as Angemon landed beside the dragon Digimon. "Paildramon, what happened?"

Incomprehensible speech escaped Paildramon as Shoutmon hurried over. "He got hit by VenomMyotismon's Venom Infusion. He injected a computer virus into him that's destroying his configuration data and terminating his functions."

The angel Digimon looked back at their nemesis, his helmet hiding his glare. "That's it!" He flew towards the demon beast Digimon, and VenomMyotismon eagerly stomped towards him. "Hand of Fate!"

The beam flew from his fist. VenomMyotismon just laughed and threw a punch, his giant fist going straight through the beam and slamming into the angel Digimon, sending him flying.

"Giga Destroyer!" Missiles exploded against VenomMyotismon's side, and he turned to MetalGreymon. He lashed out with his tail, knocking the cyborg dinosaur Digimon off is feet.

"Heel of Justice!" Angewomon cried, kicking VenomMyotismon in the back of the head. He stumbled forward and glared at her. His tail shot out, intending to use his Venom Infusionagain. She dodged his stabbing tail and used Heaven's Charm, blasting the demon beast Digimon in the face once again. He blindly lashed out with his Tyrant Savage, his flaming claw swatting her from the sky.

Realizing the danger VenomMyotismon's tail presented, Growlmon ran over and chomped down on it. The demon beast Digimon grunted and lifted his tail up to eye-level. Growlmon dangled from it by his jaws, but rather than being intimidated, he flung two Dragon Slash attacks in his face.

VenomMyotismon leaned back, avoiding the attacks, but one of the blades still cut his cheek. He snarled at the dinosaur Digimon, swinging his tail downward, and Growlmon crashed to the ground.

"Enough of these distractions," he growled, turning back to Paildramon. "It's time to feed."

The dragon Digimon continued to spasm and pixilate as his body fought the computer virus in his system. VenomMyotismon reached for him, but MetalGreymon hurried over and slashed at his hand. The others came over as well, standing over their friend protectively.

VenomMyotismon's eyes narrowed. "Strength in numbers, is that it?" He grinned evilly. "You fools are just one big target. Inferno!"

The DigiDestined recoiled from the stream of fire. They dragged Paildramon away as a wall of fire rose up in front of them from VenomMyotismon's attack. The demon beast Digimon just laughed as they fled. "It's pointless to resist. You're nothing more than weak, insignificant, vermin."

Agunimon tapped MetalGreymon and motioned towards VenomMyotismon. The cyborg dinosaur Digimon nodded and scooped him up, then threw him at the demon beast Digimon. Agunimon sailed over the flames, up at VenomMyotismon, preparing to unleash a Pyro Punch. "You're wrong! You're the one who's weak!"

VenomMyotismon's hand shot out, grabbing Agunimon. With a sneer, he stared at the fire wizard Digimon hungrily. "Actually, you're right, I was wrong about something. There is one you're good for; filling my stomach."

Opening his mouth, he shoved the fire wizard Digimon inside. His friends cried out his name as VenomMyotismon's jaws came down. But Agunimon wasn't willing to go down without a fight. Bracing his feet as best as he could, he attempted to keep the demon beast Digimon's mouth open.

"We have to help him!" MetalGreymon declared.

He and Growlmon began firing their Giga Destroyer and Pyro Blaster as Angemon and Angewomon flew around the demon beast Digimon, trying to find a way to get to their friend. VenomMyotismon swiped at them while ignoring the attacks from the other two, all the while trying to close his jaws.

Agunimon's strength was giving out. VenomMyotismon's mouth was slowly shutting. Already he was crouching down while trying to keep his mouth open. He looked outside, seeing his friends still fighting, with the exception of Paildramon, who was writhing on the ground.

"It can't… end like this… Not like this…" By now he had almost folded in half as VenomMyotismon's mouth closed even more. "Can't… give up… We have… too much… to live for… Gotta keep fighting… My friends… need me… Won't quit… NEVER!"

A beam of light shined out of VenomMyotismon's mouth. The demon beast Digimon was forced to spit out his mouthful as the glowing fire wizard Digimon grew larger. VenomMyotismon eyed the shining figure with distaste. "No, not again!"

"Agunimon Digivolve to… BurningGreymon!" 

Notes:

(A/N: And we have another one, folks! BurningGreymon has entered the game. For all the good it will do. It's still four Ultimates and two Champions against a Mega. Things aren't exactly going in their favor. It's actually rather ridiculous how powerful the next level up is to previous levels, especially Megas. Will our heroes be able to pull off a miracle? Only time will tell. )

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BurningGreymon's attacks:

Pyro Barrage – Fires heat-wave energy bullets from the Rudriya Darpaṇa on his arms.

Wildfire Tsunami – Sets himself on fire, then unleashes a fiery tornado.

Crimson Fanger – Stabs with his Rudriya Darpaṇa.

Salamander Glide – Swoops into his enemies.

Fire Below – Fires lasers that rival solar heat rays from his Rudriya Darpaṇa at ground.

Burning Grey Basher – Covers himself with fire and tackles his enemies.

Drago Fanger – Is consumed by a fiery aura in the form of a dragon, then attacks.

Tail Whip – Rapidly hits with his tail.

Atomic Corona Blaster – effects unknown.

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New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/BurningGreymon

Chapter 44: The Beast Within

Notes:

(A/N: We last left off with Agunimon Digivoving to BurningGreymon. Unfortunately, being only an Ultimate, that's not going to be of much use against VenomMyotismon. But hope isn't lost yet. Is it? Lets see how the battle goes from here. Based on the chapter title, if you've seen the first Season, you should have some idea of where I'm going with this.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 44: The Beast Within

 

Agunimon's Ultimate form was less humanoid and more beastly. Resembling an armored dragon that looked like it could be either bipedal or walk on all fours, he looked like a force to be reckoned with.

"BurningGreymon," said Growlmon, "that's really cool. And he's a flier."

MetalGreymon looked confused. "But… BurningGreymon?" He glanced at Shoutmon. "But I thought I was the one in the Greymon line."

The dragon Digimon nodded. "Yes, but there are various species in different Digivolution lines that different Digimon can Digivolve into and out of. Remember the MetalKoromon we met in Machine Tower? Well, your In-Training form is Koromon, but you're still completely unrelated. A Digimon can be of the same species as another Digimon without having any connection to the Digivolution line of that species."

The cyborg dinosaur Digimon blinked. "Uh… what?"

"Try not to think about it too much."

VenomMyotismon snarled angrily at the new dragon Digimon, but then he grinned. "No matter. You're just a bigger meal now."

BurningGreymon turned to him. "I'm extra spicy now too, so prepare to get burned. Wildfire Tsunami!"

A fiery aura erupted from his body, swirling around like a tornado. It blasted in VenomMyotismon's face, and he stumbled back. BurningGreymon knocked him back further with his Burning Grey Blaster, covering himself in fire and slamming into him. He followed up by punching into his chest repeatedly.

Growling, VenomMyotismon's fists came down on the dragon Digimon. BurningGreymon bounced against the ground and VenomMyotismon kicked him back over to the others. He hopped to his feet, ready to go charging in again, but MetalGreymon placed a claw on his shoulder. "Easy there, hot shot. I know you're feeling pretty fired up because you Digivolved, I've been there, but we're still out of our league."

"I've got an idea," said Growlmon. "Stand by to attack."

He charged forward and unleashed his Howling, forgetting that his howl affected his friends too, thus no attacks followed, as they were unprepared. VenomMyotismon winced against the sound and lashed out with his tail. Growlmon jumped back as it pierced the ground. He slashed at it with his Growl Claw, and the demon beast Digimon pulled it back and smacked the dinosaur Digimon away.

Turning to the others, he unleashed his Inferno. BurningGreymon, surprisingly, flew straight into the blaze, spinning around as he used his Salamander Glide, tearing through the flames as he flew at VenomMyotismon. The demon beast Digimon viciously backhanded him, and BurningGreymon skidded across the ground, leaving a deep groove, and remained unmoving.

"This isn't working," Angewomon stated unnecessarily. "We should attack him together."

"Right," MetalGreymon agreed. "You two attack from the air. I'll attack from below."

He received no argument from the two angel Digimon. Firing his Mega Claw, he latched onto VenomMyotismon's body, using his cable to reel himself in while firing his Giga Blaster. Up above, Angewomon and Angemon created a massive tornado around the demon beast Digimon by combining their Saint's Air and Omni Typhoon to hold him in place.

VenomMyotismon looked down at MetalGreymon as the missiles exploded against him. Lifting his giant foot, he stomped down on the approaching cyborg dinosaur Digimon, crushing him beneath his heel. MetalGreymon grunted as his metal claw detached from VenomMyotismon's body and reattached to his arm.

The heavy winds from the tornado caused VenomMyotismon to stumble away from the cyborg dinosaur Digimon. He glared at the two angel Digimon and began throwing pieces of his destroyed castle at them.

Angemon and Angewomon swerved about in the air, avoiding and blasting apart the flying rocks. But with her burns, Angewomon was too slow to react as a piece of a wall knocked her from the sky.

"Angewo- oof!" Distracted, Angemon had been hit as well.

VenomMyotismon laughed as he looked down at MetalGreymon. "I guess I'll start with you. It's always good to get some iron in your diet."

"Then eat this! Desperado Blaster!"

Bullets showered across him. VenomMyotismon looked up, surprised to see Paildramon flying above him. "I thought I took care of you."

"Take care if this! Electric Bolt!"

VenomMyotismon stumbled back as the attack hit him in the face. This gave MetalGreymon time to crawl away, and the gang regrouped. Paildramon landed beside them, looking not only cured of VenomMyotismon's computer virus, but rather refreshed. "You guys ok?"

"We should be asking you that," said Growlmon. "You were in bad shape. What happened?"

Shoutmon motioned to Cutemon. "She happened. She used her healing powers to cure him."

"Not just that," Paildramon added. He made a muscle. "She healed my battle injuries too."

MetalGreymon struggled to his feet. "You think you can heal us too?"

The little fairy Digimon looked hesitant. "Um, I'll try."

Angewomon gave her a smile. "I can help you. I possess healing powers as well." She held out her hand. "We'll combine our powers."

Cutemon shifted nervously and reached up to take the angel Digimon's hand. "O-Ok. Healing Glow!"

"Heaven's Cure!" Angewomon cried. A ring of holy energy surrounded her and her friends. Cutemon's own power flowed into it as well, strengthening it further. Injuries began to heal and strength returned as the DigiDestined's energy was restored.

"I don't think so," VenomMyotismon snarled. He lashed out with his tail, but received a paralyzing shock when it entered the ring and he pulled it back with a growl.

Beneath her helmet, Angewomon glared at him. "My power only restores my allies." The ring faded and the DigiDestined stood rejuvenated.

"That was awesome," said BurningGreymon. "I feel great. Why didn't you do this before?"

"I was saving my power for when we needed it," the angel Digimon replied. "Healing others drains my energy."

"Well, we got plenty of it now," said MetalGreymon. "Now lets bring this behemoth down once and for all."

Growlmon growled at the approaching demon beast Digimon. "I'm with you." His ears drooped slightly. "But he just keeps shaking off our attacks. How can we stop him?"

Angemon thought about it. "The same way you beat someone that's stronger than you in the Real World, you outsmart them."

"Outsmart them?" BurningGreymon repeated thoughtfully.

"It's the most effective way to win. And Shoutmon said that VenomMyotismon lost most of his intelligence when he Digivolved anyway, so things are in our favor."

"Ok," said Growlmon. "Then lets think of a plan."

Paildramon raised his hand. "Oh, I know what we can do." The spike on his wrist extended into a lance. "We'll attack him head on."

The others sweat-dropped. Shoutmon cleared his throat and stepped forward. "Um, Paildramon, I believe that kind of defeats the purpose of trying to outsmart him. He's too strong for that."

"Exactly," the larger dragon Digimon insisted. "That's why he won't expect it."

He took off towards the demon beast Digimon while Shoutmon called for him to come back. "No, you idiot! You're not understanding the concept of outsmarting him!"

Paildramon ignored him as he flew towards VenomMyotismon. "Come on you big ugly freak. Sting Strike!"

VenomMyotismon's hand shot out and grabbed the dragon Digimon. Paildramon's arm was uselessly extended outward while his other one and his lower body were trapped in the demon beast Digimon's hand.

VenomMyotismon brought the dragon Digimon up to his face and sneered at him. "Did you really think a pathetic Ultimate like you could harm a Mega like me?"

Paildramon glared at him. "It doesn't matter if you're a Mega, some pain is universal. Cable Catcher!"

The extendable claws on his hand shot out, stabbing VenomMyotismon in his left eye. The demon beast Digimon released him and grabbed at his face, roaring in agony. "Damn you! Damn you!"

He began stomping around as he grasped his face. Paildramon put some distance between himself and the demon beast Digimon and began firing his Desperado Blaster. Still snarling, VenomMyotismon lashed out with his Tyrant Savage, swatting the dragon Digimon away.

"I don't believe it," Shoutmon grumbled, "that idiot actually managed to wound him."

Angewomon smirked. "He's got the right idea. Now it's my turn." She flew up to the raging giant, making sure to keep a safe distance away. Creating a Celestial Arrow, she took careful aim. "VenomMyotismon!"

Still covering his bad eye, the demon beast Digimon glanced at her. She let her arrow fly, and it pierced his other eye. Another pained bellow escaped him and he pressed his other hand to his new injury. "Miserable wench! How dare you do this to me! Damn all you human scum!"

He opened his mouth and began blindly breathing a stream of fire. Angewomon swerved around it and flew past his head. "Serves you right for trying to kidnap me."

With a roar, he began wildly using his Inferno attack. But without his sight, he was literally taking shots in the dark.

"Good aiming," Cutemon complimented as the angel Digimon rejoined them. "The big brute deserved it."

"Hey, it was my idea," said Paildramon as he flew over.

Shoutmon snorted. "Please, you did that in the heat of the moment." He pointed. "Now hurry, attack before he heals!"

"Good call," MetalGreymon agreed. "Giga Storm!"

"Desperado Blaster!"

"Dragon Slash!"

"Fire Below!"

"Heaven's Charm!"

"Holy Shot!"

The attacks bombarded against VenomMyotismon. He was knocked backwards, falling on the remains of his destroyed castle. But he wasn't down for long. With an angry growl, he climbed to his feet, his eyes shut from his injuries. "You think you actually stand a chance? I'll make sure you pay for what you did to me!"

MetalGreymon snorted. "You villains are all alike. You enjoy causing pain, but don't like it when it's done to you."

VenomMyotismon would have grinded his teeth together if it weren't for his fangs. "You think you know what pain is? Fool! I'll show you what real pain is!"

There was movement in his nether-region. A slit opened up to reveal a pouch-like opening. From it, a large purple head wearing a red eye-mask similar to what VenomMyotismon wore emerged. Small three fingered claws slashed at the air as this second head snarled at the DigiDestined, glaring at them with a pair of perfectly functioning eyes.

"Hey, look out!" Paildramon cried. "His crotch is alive!"

"Puny humans!" the second head shrieked. "Chaos Flame!"

A much larger stream of purple fire flew from the second head's mouth. MetalGreymon fired his Giga Blaster at it. VenomMyotismon's attack caused the missiles to explode, but the resounding blast was enough to keep the purple flames at bay long enough for the DigiDestined to put some distance between themselves and the demon beast Digimon.

"Well, that was unexpected," Growlmon grumbled. "Shoutmon, what is that thing?"

The dragon Digimon shrugged. "A second head, duh. It's VenomMyotismon's physical manifestation of 'the beast within'." He used his fingers to make air quotes. "It doesn't show itself that much, but when you blinded his eyes, you forced it out."

"But why is it growing from his junk?" Paildramon asked. "That's not right."

"Inferno!" VenomMyotismon cried, breathing more fire at them. With his second head acting as his eyes, he could tell where the DigiDestined were, but not get a precise location, making it easier for them to avoid his attack.

"No, to the right! To the right!" his second head exclaimed.

MetalGreymon ducked down to avoid the stream of fire. "That Chaos Flame attack was pretty powerful. Why didn't he use it before?"

"Because his second head is his weak spot," Shoutmon explained. "In a sense, it's the 'true' VenomMyotismon that makes up the whole."

The others looked back at the snarling purple head as it waved its claws around. "You should have told us that before!" Paildramon told him. "Come on, let's attack it."

With renewed determination, they flew towards the demon beast Digimon. Paildramon showered it with his Desperado Blaster, but was knocked away by VenomMyotismon's flaming claw. Growlmon flung his Dragon Claw at it, and the second head retaliated with Chaos Flame. MetalGreymon quickly came to his friend's defense, using Over Flame to counteract the purple stream of fire.

Once the flames dispersed, the cyborg dinosaur Digimon fired his Giga Destroyer into the head's face. And before the smoke cleared, Growlmon jumped up and used Dino Kick, kicking the second head, and then spun around to whip it with his tail.

VenomMyotismon growled and kicked outward, knocking both Digimon away from him, only to have BurningGreymon slam into his second head with his Drago Fanger attack. He followed up with his Tail Whip, repeatedly striking the second head across the face until its cheeks were bright red.

With a snarl, it breathed its Chaos Flame at the dragon Digimon. BurningGreymon was blasted backwards. From the amount of power behind the attack, he knew right away that if he had been any element other than Fire or one that was resistant to Fire, then that attack would undoubtedly have killed him.

Angewomon touched down on the ground and launched herself at VenomMyotismon with her Super Jump, slamming into the second head's nose. Angemon came up beside it and fired his Holy Shot, giving his fellow angel Digimon time to unleash her Heaven's Charm.

"Insolent pests!" the second head seethed. VenomMyotismon's knee came up and slammed into Angewomon. Angemon flew up to catch her and pull her out of the way of the demon best Digimon's reaching claw. They retreated back to the group as VenomMyotismon advanced on them, flames escaping from both heads threateningly.

"We're not getting anywhere," MetalGreymon growled. "Even with his weak spot exposed, he's still too strong."

"Maybe not," said BurningGreymon, brushing the ashes off himself. "We've been attacking one after another. Lets try attacking all together."

Angewomon climbed out of Angemon's arms. "I have something that can work with that, but you'll have to attack me with everything you have."

Growlmon gave her a look of disbelief. "Do what? Attack you?"

"You'll see what I mean. Just trust me."

"I can see you," VenomMyotismon declared. One of his eyes on his upper head was still clenched tightly shut, but the other one was open and seemed to be healed and functioning once again.

Paildramon realized that they were running out of time. "Whatever you're going to do, do it fast."

Angewomon nodded. "Right." She flew up in the air, halfway between VenomMyotismon and her friends. "Bliss of Saints!" She raised her hands in the air and a vortex of rainbow light appeared above her. "Now, everyone, give me your strongest attacks."

"You heard her," said Angemon. "Hand of Fate!"

"Wildfire Tsunami!"

"Electric Bolt!"

"Pyro Blaster!"

"Giga Destroyer!"

"Me too," Shoutmon cried. "Fiery Fastball!"

"And me," said Cutemon, wanting to contribute further. "Ultrasonic Song!"

The attacks flew through the air towards Angewomon. They entered the vortex of light above her and disappeared into it.

VenomMyotismon sneered at her. "You think you can stop me with that? Inferno!"

"Chaos Flame!" his second head cried.

Purple and orange flames flew towards Angewomon. She redirected the vortex of light above her, and the two attacks were absorbed into it as well, their evil power getting neutralized. The vortex condensed and became a Celestial Arrow that Angewomon took aim with. "Everyone attack him now with all your power!"

MetalGreymon and the others turned back to VenomMyotismon. "This is it, guys. Hold nothing back. Hit him with everything you've got. Giga Destroyer!"

The others followed suit, repeating their attacks as Angewomon let her arrow fly, each putting everything they had into their attack. The attacks exploded against VenomMyotismon's second head, and the demon beast Digimon was blasted clear off his feet. He landed with a mighty thud, both heads roaring.

The second head flailed about, waving its arms around frantically as it pixelated and dissolved into data. The data breakdown continued down VenomMyotismon's legs and up his body. The demon beast Digimon's enraged cry echoed all around, but was slowly silenced as VenomMyotismon vanished.

"Dibs!" Shoutmon called, making a run for the data.

The others remained where they were, looking on in disbelief at where VenomMyotismon once stood. As humans, even ones able to transform, they could never truly understand the depths of a Digimon's power, yet even they understood that they had just pulled off an incredible feat just now. They had just defeated VenomMyotismon. Four Ultimate and two Champions had taken down a Mega, something that should have statistically been impossible in terms of power, yet they had done it. The monster that had plagued them for weeks was finally gone.

"Hey…" Growlmon muttered, "did we just win? We just won, right?"

"We did," MetalGreymon confirmed. "VenomMyotismon's gone. We beat a Mega."

One by one, they returned to their human forms. They exchanged looks with one another, and then almost as if they had been waiting for a signal, they began cheering. High-fives, fist-bumps, and pats on the back were given all around. Cutemon jumped up onto Takato cheerfully, and he tossed her into the air and caught her. Kari embraced TK, and he twirled her around, both laughing joyfully. Davis wrapped and arm around Tai and Takuya's necks, grinning broadly as they cheered in celebration over their victory.

"It's over!" the fairy Digimon declared with tears of relief in her eyes. "It's finally over! Wait until I tell the others. No more Myotismon. No more snatchers. No more having our homes destroyed and our friends imprisoned. We're free!"

As the group celebrated, Shoutmon walked back over to them, looking rather smug. His smile fell from his face though as he stared at the others' behavior. He blinked a few times and walked over to them, his expression blank. "Hey, what's up with you guys?"

Davis gave him a look of disbelief. "What's up with us? Um, hello! We just kicked VenomMyotismon's furry butt. We actually beat a Mega. A Mega! I'd say it's time to celebrate."

He picked up the dragon Digimon and held him over his head as he began running around. The others laughed as Shoutmon kicked and waved his arms around in protest. "Hey, hey, hey! What are you doing? Put me down!"

"Aww, lighten up!" Davis told him cheerfully. "This is a victory party!" Just as he said this, he crashed face first into a piece of the castle VenomMyotismon had thrown at them, having not been paying attention to where he was going.

TK winced. "Ouch. That's gotta hurt."

Tai sweat-dropped. "Well, that's what happens when you run around with your eyes closed."

Grumbling, Shoutmon sat up, rubbing his head. "I'm all for celebrating, you guys, but lets not get ahead of ourselves."

Davis sat up as well. "Not get ahead of ourselves? We just beat a Mega."

Shoutmon closed his eyes and sighed. He'd seen this before, many times. He'd even been a victim of it himself, and he didn't want them to fall prey to it. Arrogance. He had to make them understand that even though they had indeed achieved a major victory, there were forces in this world beyond their comprehension in terms of power.

"Yes, you beat a Mega, and I congratulate you on this, but don't let it go to your heads. We've still got a long way to go, and our luck won't hold out forever."

"What do you mean?" Takato asked.

"You guys are from a different world. I try and explain how things work here, but some things you'll never understand unless you experience them. You beat VenomMyotismon, yes, but you have no idea how lucky you were to have the circumstances be in your favor."

Kari frowned. "Our favor?"

"I told you. VenomMyotismon had only just Digivolved, and so his powers hadn't fully developed yet. He was also a demon beast Digimon and Darkness type while both TK and Kari had an advantage over him being angel Digimon and Light types, his weakness. And speaking of weaknesses, he had a weak spot that we were able to attack. And he had also been weakened while he was still Myotismon. That's four advantages we had in battle."

He gave them a serious look. "But there are Digimon out there that have been Megas for many, many years, their powers long since fully developed. And they'll be different types and species that aren't weak against your types. You may even be weak against their types. And they won't have weak spots we can attack either, nor will they already be weakened from before the battle started. VenomMyotismon was strong, yes, but he was small time compared to some Digimon out there. What are we going to do when we run into them? We won't have these advantages next time. In fact, had it not been for Cutemon and Angewomon's healing powers, we would not have survived this battle."

The DigiDestined stared at him, their good mood dampening, and the high-spirited celebratory atmosphere quickly died down.

"Boy, way to be a killjoy," Davis grumbled.

The dragon Digimon sighed. "I'm sorry. I'm just trying to get you to understand what's in store for us."

Tai shook his head. "No, you're right. As great as it is that we defeated VenomMyotismon, we can't let it go to our heads. We have to be ready for anything, and know that at any moment we could run into someone whose power far exceeds our own."

The mood had now officially been killed. Shoutmon inwardly flinched at the forlorn looks on the teens' faces. Perhaps he had gone too far. He hadn't wanted to bring down their spirits; he just wanted to get them to understand the difference between being confident and arrogant. Arrogance could lead to being careless, and that could lead to one's downfall.

"However," he said carefully, "there is something to be said for celebrating your victory."

The others looked at him. "But you said…" Takato began.

"I never said you didn't do a good job. On the contrary, what you guys pulled off is amazing, nothing short of miraculous. I just didn't want you to start thinking that everything would work out just because you try really, really hard. There will be times where you just won't be able to do things. There will be times where you'll run into an enemy that you just won't be able to win against, and to try will lead to your deaths. I just want you to be careful and not become reckless. Know your limitations and act accordingly."

He received stares. It was impossible for Shoutmon to figure out what they were thinking, but he hoped they were taking his warning to heart, in a positive way of course.

With a sigh, Davis walked over to the dragon Digimon. Getting down to his level, he placed a hand on his shoulder. "We understand what you're saying, Shoutmon, but you've got to understand something about humans. We're not restricted by our limitations. We break through them. It's just not in our nature to accept the impossible."

Kari chuckled. "Wow, look at you sounding so philosophical."

TK smiled. "He's right though. You'll never know what you can do if you don't try, and you might just surprise yourself when you do. Our victory over VenomMyotismon proves that."

"Yeah!" Takato cheered. "If we had just given up or run away when Myotismon Digivolved, he would still be going around destroying things."

"But instead we took down a Mega," Takuya picked up. "Something that should have been impossible at the levels were at. Heck, until a few months ago, I would have said that us humans turning into Digimon was impossible."

Cutemon smiled. "Actually, I would have said that humans coming to the Digital World in the first place was impossible."

Shoutmon looked at her. "Not you too."

"We hear what you're saying, Shoutmon," Tai told him. "Really, we do. But as humans, we don't accept whatever restrictions are placed on us; we overcome them."

"We'll keep persevering," said Kari. "Keep moving further, until we make the impossible possible. That's just how we humans are."

Shoutmon looked at each of them, seeing their determination. This wasn't arrogance, this was true determination to do what had never been done before. And they'd certainly done that several times since coming here. Perhaps it was this that empowered them, this inner power that humans possessed that allowed them to become so strong so quickly. Their weak human bodies couldn't sustain it, but it came out in their Digimon forms. Four of them had already reached the Ultimate level after just having achieved Champion a couple months ago, something that should have been impossible so fast.

Sighing, Shoutmon shook his head. "Well, there's something to be said for enthusiasm."

"That's the spirit!" Davis declared. "So, now that we're on roll, we should keep going. How long until we reach Cherubimon's castle?"

"Long time," was Shoutmon's instant response. He noted the eager look on the boy's face was suddenly frozen, as if he had expected a different answer. "A really long time."

The look on Davis' face remained stuck in place for a few moments, but he recovered. "Well, I'm sure we can get there in just a few weeks."

"Months," the dragon Digimon corrected.

Davis' eye twitched. "Right, well, two or three months isn't so-"

"More like nearly a year, if that fast, and that's considering we don't get sidetracked."

"Dude! You're dampening the mood again!"

Shoutmon shrugged. "I'm just stating the facts. You can't alter distance, not even with your human can-do attitude."

Cutemon raised her hand. "Um, if you want to get to Cherubimon's castle, I know a way that can help."

She jumped as the teens rounded on her. "HOW?!"

Notes:

(A/N: VenomMyotismon has been defeated, bringing the Myotismon arc to a close. And then Shoutmon had to go and ruin their good mood. But he's right though, they did get very lucky with VenomMyotismon. Oh, I'm sorry, were you expecting MetalGreymon to become WarGreymon like in the anime? Nope, sorry, but I'm not going to make any one person the "big gun" of the group like they did with WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon in the series. But now that VenomMyotismon is out of the picture, what's next for our heroes? Cutemon says she has a way to help them get to Cherubimon's castle. What will it be? The next arc will be starting next chapter, and it's going to be very interesting. I'll be introducing some new characters and a ew traveling companion for our heroes. Stay tuned to find out who it is.)

Chapter 45: The Trailmon Express

Notes:

(A/N: Got a pretty lengthy chapter for you all. Consider it an early Christmas present. It's a little filler, but it leads up to the next arc of my story. I had to rewrite it a few times due to being dissatisfied with the way it turned out, but I'm pretty happy with it now. Hope you like it, and I hope everyone has a happy holiday.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 45: The Trailmon Express

"You didn't have to come with us, Cutemon," Kari told the fairy Digimon, although she was happy for her company.

Cutemon gave her a look of disbelief. "Are you kidding? You guys saved my life. The least I can do is walk you to the station."

"But won't everyone back at the village worry about you?" TK asked.

She waved this off. "It's fine. Besides, they may not even know that Myotismon has been defeated yet. They'll probably assume I'm still imprisoned. Or that he killed me."

Takato sweat-dropped. "There's a cheery thought."

Tai chuckled and glanced at Shoutmon. "I can't believe you didn't tell us about these stations. We could have saved so much time."

"Hey," the dragon Digimon objected, "there were no stations, or even any tracks, on File Island. It's an isolated area so Baby Digimon can grow and develop. And there weren't any tacks anywhere near where we've traveled to yet. Speaking of which, there aren't any anywhere near Cherubimon's castle either."

"That may be," said Cutemon, "but you can at least cover a lot of ground between here and there by getting a ride."

Kari giggled as the dragon Digimon tried to come up with something to say. "Shoutmon, just admit that you goofed."

"I didn't goof!" he cried in a very childish fashion.

They continued on their way, eventually coming across some train tracks. Assuring them that they were almost there, Cutemon led the way. "There it is!" she cried, pointing.

In the distance, they saw what seemed to be a large train station. They ran the rest of the way, coming up to the enormous structure. Numerous train tracks went out in different directions, branching out even more the further they went out into the horizon. There were different Digimon walking around, some stopping to stare as the teens approached. They paid them no mind, having come to accept that the inhabitants of the world would find them unusual.

"Boy," Takuya muttered, "they sure get detailed with these trains. They almost look alive."

He walked over to observe the smallest one. Cutemon raised a hand to call him back. "Um, Takuya…"

He ignored the fairy Digimon as he looked at the train that looked more like a one-eyed ball with its tongue hanging out, sitting on a unicycle that it pedaled with its arms since it had no legs. "Look at this thing. How's it even run?"

The one large eyeball glanced at him. "The same way you do, kid."

Yelping in surprise, Takuya jumped back and fell over. The others laughed, and TK offered his hand to help him up. "You ok?"

Takuya didn't even notice his offered hand. "T-The train is alive!"

Shoutmon rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "Of course, it's alive. That's Trailmon, he's a Digimon."

"Huh?"

Tai checked his Digivice. "Trailmon, Champion level, special attack Cool Running. Hey, it says here that there are different variations of Trailmon."

Cutemon nodded. "Yeah, there are 13 kinds, I think. That one there is Ball. There's also AnglerBuffalo, C-89FrankenKettleWorm, Mole, and Raccoon Dog. There's also four more, but I can't remember their names."

"There's also DarkTrailmon and BattleArmamentTrailmon," Shoutmon added, trying to contribute to the conversation in an attempt to show off his knowledge. Until Cutemon had started traveling with them, he had been their confidant and source of information. "So technically there's 15, or 16 if you count C-89's Battle Mode."

Takato thought about this. "Hmm, so there's different kinds of Trailmon. I wonder why that is."

Shoutmon shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe because they're a unique species of Digimon."

TK glanced at a passing Trailmon curiously. "How so?"

"Because Trailmon don't Digivolve, nor do any Digimon Digivolve into them. They're at the Champion level, yes, but they're always at the Champion level."

Kari blinked. "Really? Then what happens if one is killed? Does it still start over as an egg?"

"Oh, sure. All Digital life forms do. But when it hatches, it goes straight to the Champion level." He nodded. "Look, there's one in the corner over there." They looked where he indicated, spotting a Digi-Egg sitting on a track, waiting to hatch. "But since they go straight to the Champion level when they hatch, it takes longer for them to develop than normal Digimon.

"Huh," Davis muttered. "So Trailmon are always Trailmon. I guess that makes sense. Who would choose to spend all their time as a train otherwise?" He tapped the tracks with his foot. "Always confided to these tracks must suck."

Cutemon giggled. "Silly. Trailmon don't need the tracks to get around. They just make it easier for them to travel."

Davis blinked. "Oh, well… it still seems like a rather dull life."

One of the train Digimon pulled up beside him, and its engine let out a cloud of steam at the boy. "It's not dull at all. I wanna keep on running."

With nothing more to say, it rode off. Davis coughed as he waved the smoke away. "What's that Trailmon's problem?"

"That wasn't a Trailmon," said Tai, checking his Digivice. "That was Locomon, Ultimate level, special attack Steam Bomb."

His look alike threw his hands in the air. "Ah! I give up! There's too much confusion over these different species."

Cutemon giggled again. "Come on, I'll get you tickets."

She led them through the station. It wasn't all that different from a train station in the Real World, only it was accommodated for Digimon of different sizes. There wasn't too big of a line, but they eventually made it to the front where little gold and silver coin-like Digimon were selling tickets. The Digimon Analyzer revealed the gold ones to be Zenimon and the silver ones to be KoZenimon.

The group ended up being served by a cheerful Zenimon. "Hi! How many to where?"

Cutemon returned the smile. "Hello. Seven tickets to the station closest to the Rose Morning Star."

Tai glanced at Shoutmon. "The Rose Morning Star?"

The dragon Digimon just waved it off. "It's an aurora borealis above Cherubimon's castle that looks like a rose. Don't worry about it."

Behind the glass, Zenimon finished printing out their tickets. "Ok, seven tickets to Station D2K-L11536-F298 at 300 bits each, your total comes to 2,100 bits."

Cutemon held out her hand. Data particles flowed out of her palm, forming a ball of pink light with blue rings of zeroes and ones rotating around it like Saturn.

Takato leaned in to examine the small glowing ball. "Whoa, what's that? I've seen those things floating around like tumbleweeds."

The fairy Digimon held it up for him to see. "This is called a data dust packet. When portions of data gather together, they form these. This is one made 2,100 bits in data form."

"Um, bits?"

"Yeah, bits are our form of currency. Don't you have money in your world?"

"Oh sure. We have dollar, and cents, and yen, and euros, and pounds, and francs, and pesos, and-"

"Lots of different forms of currency," Takuya interrupted, summing it up. "Different countries use different systems of money."

Cutemon raised an eyebrow at this. "Really? That's weird. That'd be like having different countries speak different languages."

Takato shifted. "Actually…"

"Cash should be universal," the fairy Digimon continued, "it'd make things so much easier." She handed the ball to Zenimon. "Here you do, 2,100 bits."

The coin Digimon accepted the ball, tossing it into the large safe behind it. "Thank you very much! Here's your tickets."

He handed Cutemon the tickets, but a gloved hand snatched them away before she could take them. A much larger brown coin Digimon with a thick black mustache stood above Zenimon, and he was glaring at the teens. "Not so fast. I couldn't help but notice that your friends here don't seem to be Digimon."

Cutemon blinked and glanced at the teens. "Um, no, they're human."

The coin Digimon's eyes shined greedily. "Humans you say. Well, that changes things. For them, the price is 2,500. Each!"

As Cutemon's mouth dropped open, Shoutmon shoved her away in outrage. "What!? That's ridiculous! You can't charge that much for tickets!"

The coin Digimon slammed his fist on the counter. "I'm Ganemon, and this is my station! I can charge whatever I want!"

The dragon Digimon looked positively livid. "Yeah, well, I'm the Digimon King, and I decree this to be highway robbery!"

Leaping over the glass screen, Ganemon pressed his flat face against Shoutmon's. "Is that so? Well, the price for royalty just went up to 5,000 bits!"

"Why you thieving little…" Seething, he produced his mic. "Trying to rob us; I outta…"

Jumping back over the glass, Ganemon ran over to the safe and began eating the bits inside. Turning back to Shoutmon, he began growing at an alarming rate until he was nearly ten feet tall, his color changing from brown to gold. "You wanna tussle, your highness?"

TK and Kari exchanged confused looks. The former checked his Digivice on Ganemon and noted how the coin Digimon would grow larger with the more money he ate, and he had certainly gobbled up quite a bit.

Tai sighed. "Execute! Spirit Evolution… MetalGreymon!" Towering over the coin Digimon, he glared down at him. "You wouldn't be trying to take advantage of us, would you?"

Ganemon paled as he stared up at the cyborg dinosaur Digimon towering over him. Placing his hand over his mouth, he looked like he was about to be a sick a moment before he threw up all the money he ate, shrinking back down to his normal size and changing from gold to brown once again. "N-No, of course not! There was just a… a small miscalculation on my part. In fact, I'm going to upgrade you to our fastest service, the GranLocomon Express." He rounded on Zenimon. "Quick, get GranLocomon!"

The smaller coin Digimon looked nervous. "B-But, sir, he's not back from his last run yet."

Takato cleared his throat. "Um, that's not necessary. We'll just take a Trailmon."

Ganemon gave him a nervous smile. "Of course. Here are your tickets. WORM!"

A large rust colored Trailmon pulled up. "You called, boss?"

"Yes, give these nice humans a ride to… uh…" he checked their tickets, "Station D2K-L11536-F298."

"Sure thing, boss." He looked up at MetalGreymon. "Uh… sir, I'm afraid you'll have to DeDigivolve, or else you won't be able to fit in the car." When MetalGreymon became Tai once more, Trailmon raised an eyebrow at his human form. "Ok then."

One by one, they boarded the train car, Shoutmon pausing to stick his tongue out at Ganemon before getting onboard. As the door closed, Cutemon came up to the window with tears in her eyes. "I'm going to miss you guys. You're my heroes. I wish you could stay longer."

Kai reached out the window and squeezed her hand. "So do we, but we have to get home; we've already been away for too long."

Tai stuck his head out the window. "You should get back too. Give everyone the good news, and tell them that we said bye."

Cutemon rubbed her eyes and nodded. "I will."

TK appeared by Kari's side. "Thanks for everything, Cutemon."

Davis came up beside him, pushing the blonde boy into the glass so he could be seen. "Yeah, we couldn't do it without ya."

The fairy Digimon gave them an astounded look. "Are you kidding? I'm the one who should be saying thanks. If it hadn't been for you guys, my village and I would still be at Myotismon's mercy. Or worse, VenomMyotismon's."

Takato and Takuya both appeared at a different window. "Lets just say we all helped each other out," the former suggested."

"'Cause that's what friends do," Takuya added.

Smiling sadly, the fairy Digimon nodded. "Yeah, and we'll be friends forever."

A cloud of smoke emitted from Trailmon. "Ok, if we're all done with our goodbyes, we best get a move on. Woo, woo!"

He started pulling away, dragging the cars with him. Cutemon backed away as the DigiDestined started moving. She ran along side the track as far as she could before stopping to wave. The DigiDestined waved back, and they continued to until the station had disappeared from sight.

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

Hours passed by as Trailmon sped along. For a while, the teens conversed with the train Digimon, who insisted that they call him Worm, as they rode along. The landscape passed them by, some areas more civilized, some more wilderness, and some a strange blend of the two. At the moment, they were going through a rocky terrain that seemed like it should be devoid of life, yet even here a few Digimon were spotted.

"Hey, Trailm- I mean, Worm," Takato called. "Do you Trailmon ever get attacked by other Digimon?"

"Sometimes," the train Digimon admitted. "But don't worry, I'm not completely helpless." To prove his point, he breathed a stream of fire. "Besides, no one really attacks a Trailmon. Not only are we hard to catch, but if we're killed, our Digi-Eggs appear at the last station we were at rather than Primary Village, and everyone will know that we were killed. And since it takes a lot longer for our eggs to hatch, we'd have a lot of unhappy customers that are angry with whoever destroyed us since our services would be unavailable for a while."

The boy chuckled. "Yeah, I guess I can see why no one would want to mess with you."

TK's eyes narrowed. "VenomMyotismon probably would have. That guy was out of control."

"I'll say," Takuya agreed in disgust. "It really makes me sick that someone like that can just go around causing such senseless destruction."

Kari nodded in agreement. "I'm just glad we were able to stop him before he destroyed more than his castle."

Shoutmon gave a bark of laughter. "You think VenomMyotismon was destructive? He was nothing. You only saw him destroy his castle. Thousands of years ago, a group of seven evil Digimon nearly destroyed the entire Digital World."

The color drained from Takato's face, and he quickly covered up his unease with a nervous smile. "Oh, come on, you're exaggerating. I mean, seven guys destroying the whole world."

The dragon Digimon shook his head. "I wish I was just making this up. There's actually a handful of Digimon that could destroy the world very easily. Heck, there's even a few that could destroy the entire Digital dimension with a single attack if they wanted to."

Davis jumped to his feet. "But that's crazy! If they did that, then they'd destroy themselves as well."

Shoutmon nodded. "Hence the reason no one has done it yet."

They fell silent for a while after that, the teens taking in this shocking news. With this stunning revelation, they began to realize just how out of their league they really were. Now the warning Shoutmon had given them when they defeated VenomMyotismon was beginning to make more sense.

"Woo, woo!" Trailmon called. "We're coming up to a landmark. If you take a look out your window, you'll see one of the many Trailmon graveyards."

Kari blinked. "Trailmon graveyard?" She looked out the window and cried out. They were indeed passing through what seemed to be a Trailmon graveyard. Resembling a junkyard, it was filled with the smashed and rusted carcasses of various Trailmon. "They're all dead!"

Both Trailmon and Shoutmon began laughing. The latter jumped up and slapped her on the back good-humoredly. "Oh, man, you should see your faces. Don't worry, it's not a graveyard in the way you humans think of them. I told you that Trailmon come back when they die just like all Digital life forms do." He nodded towards the window. "When Trailmon get beat up, broken, or just plain worn out, they come here to molt. They shed their outer layer and, presto, they're all sparkly and new underneath. Look, one's shedding right now."

The train came to a stop so the teens could see. An Angler Trailmon was waiting amongst the shed husks. It looked old, rusty, and worn out, covered in various scraps and dents, basically looking like it was about to break down.

Before their very eyes, a glowing crack appeared down the middle, and the two halves fell away. When they light faded, the Trailmon looked brand new, and it hopped on the track again and sped off.

"That was cool," said Takato. He looked around at all the Trailmon husks. "Maybe a little bad for the environment though. Do all these, uh, sheddings just keep piling up?"

"Ah, don't worry about it," Trailmon told him as they started moving again. "They'll break down into data eventually."

TK chuckled. "Well, it's good to know you're not polluting."

They fell silent again, riding along as they sun began to set. Soon Davis' snoring was heard over the sound of Trailmon's engines as they travelled along. But while the others enjoyed the scenery, Tai was deep in thought. Until Shoutmon had mentioned that there were Digimon capable of destroying whole dimensions, he hadn't realized just how dangerous this world was. He knew it was dangerous, yes, but not how dangerous it was. They were all literally at the mercy of these super powerful Digimon.

Noticing that her brother was deep in thought, Kari went to go sit by him. "You look like something's bothering you."

He sighed. "It is."

She waited for a few moments. "Well…?"

Another sigh. "I don't like it, how there are Digimon that are so strong that they could just annihilate the whole world in an instant. It makes me uncomfortable. No one's safe if there are those with that kind of power."

He expected her to be worried, but instead she just smiled. "Oh, Tai, is that what's bothering you?" She shook her head. "I don't think you need to worry about that. If none of those Digimon have destroyed everything by now, it's unlikely that they will. As it was pointed out, they would destroy themselves as well. Digimon may be reborn, but dying can't be fun, and I'm sure they wouldn't want to have to start all over again."

"Besides," TK added, joining in on the conversation, "just because someone has the power to do something, doesn't mean they will. And who says these Digimon are evil in the first place. Perhaps they're protectors of the peace."

He glanced at Shoutmon, who nodded. "Some of them."

Tai hadn't really considered that. "I guess that's true. But still, how can you stand to be at the mercy of someone capable of destroying the whole world, the entire dimension even?"

The dragon Digimon shrugged. "Not much of a choice. But you can't live in fear. There's not much cause for concern anyway. Like I said, even these destructively powerful Digimon have no interest in dying."

"Look at it this way," said Kari, "even in the Real World, the world leaders have nuclear weapons and such at their disposal; enough that they could destroy the planet 10 times over, but we're not living in fear of that, are we?"

Her brother thought about this and realized she was right. It wasn't too often he relied on his little sister like this. Giving her a smile, he placed his hand on top of her head. "Since when did you get so smart?"

She chuckled. "I've always been smart, silly; you've just been too dense to notice."

The others laughed. But the topic made Takuya curious about something. "Hey, Shoutmon, I was wondering, since you Digimon never really die, what would happen if one of these super powerful Digimon really did destroy the entire dimension? Would you guys just float around in oblivion because you have nowhere to go?"

Shoutmon looked horrified by the idea. "Goodness, no! If the dimension, or even the world, were ever destroyed like that, then all the data would be reconfigured just like we Digimon are in a massive reboot. The bad thing about that is that everything would reset itself to the way it was at the very beginning. All the changes and advantages and evolutions the world's gone through will go back to how it was when it was first created. All that we've built and accomplished will be gone, and the world will have to start over."

"Yikes," Takato muttered. "That'd be like us having to start over again in the Stone Age."

"We Digimon would start over too for that matter," the dragon Digimon added. "If the world's destroyed, we'd all die too. Everyone would start over as Digi-Eggs and have to start building up our strength. The war between good and evil would start over from scratch as well, and that may not work in our favor."

Takuya had been following along, but had gotten lost with that last bit. "What do you mean?"

"Originally, there were no evil Digimon, but as we grew and evolved, some went bad. Fortunately, the good ones greatly outnumber the bad and have been able to keep the bad ones at bay."

"I guess that makes sense," TK noted. "Humans too aren't born evil either. They become wicked by choice."

Shoutmon nodded. "It's the same with us Digimon too. At least it was in the beginning. Hopefully, when bad Digimon are destroyed, they'll try and be better after they're reborn, or decide it's too troublesome to try and gain enough strength to take over once more. But if they do decide to continue their wicked ways, then those that fight for the light can make sure they don't rise to power like they did before. The war between good and evil is never-ending, but we can at least make sure the dark side never prevails.

"But if we're all forced to start over, everyone will basically be at the same level of strength. The war will start all over again on equal terms, only the evil Digimon may rise to power faster than the good ones. If that happens, then we'll be at their mercy, and they would be the ones making sure we don't rise to power."

Trailmon, who had been listening in on the conversation, joined in. "I'm afraid he's right, kids. Things may be bad in the Digital World right now, but the evil Digimon, the ones capable of actually impacting this world, are very few in number. But once they're defeated, we'll enter an age of peace. Like he said, chances are they'll turn over a new leaf or give up on their evil goals after they're reborn, but if not, we can prevent them from becoming as big of a threat that they were before. It's true that the fight between the light and darkness will go on forever, but once these bad Digimon are defeated, as long as no super powerful good ones decide to go bad, then the threat the darkness presents will come to an end. Maybe for good."

Tai sat back. "Well, I guess that's something to hope for." A loud snore across from him drew his attention, and he glanced at his sleeping look alike. "Hey, Davis," he nudged him, "wake up; you should hear this."

His drooling doppelgänger just grunted and turned on his side, still sleeping.

TK chuckled. "Actually, he probably has the right idea. We should all get some sleep. This is probably one of the few times none of us will have lookout duty."

Almost as if his suggestion triggered it, Takato yawned. "Sounds good to me."

One by one, they got comfortable and closed their eyes. After a few minutes, they were all asleep. Only Tai remained awake, staring out the window as the land sped by. He looked up to see the model of Earth in the sky with the data streams flowing down from it. He knew it wasn't the real Earth, he didn't even know what that model thing was, but it made him homesick. Hopefully, they would reach Cherubimon's castle soon and be able to go home.

If not, well, he would worry about that when the time came.

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

The nightmare was horrible, and TK moaned in his sleep as the worst kinds of images came to him. Unintelligible words escaped his mouth as he shifted around, stirring Kari out of her sleep as she leaned against him.

"Hmm, TK?" she muttered sleepily, rubbing her eyes. She glanced at him, seeing him gritted his teeth at whatever he was dreaming about. "TK? Hey, TK."

She gasped as she saw unshed tears seeping out of his closed eyes. He must be having some nightmare for it to affect him this much. She didn't want to wake him, they were all exhausted from their journey, but she couldn't let this go on any longer.

Trying to keep her voice low so as not to wake the others, she shook him gently. "TK, wake up. It's ok, it's just a nightmare. Wake up."

He woke with a start, breathing heavily. "Kari!"

She placed a hand over his mouth and put a finger to her lips, glancing at the others. Tai was still asleep beside her, as were the others sitting in the seat across from them. Shoutmon was sleeping just as soundly on the floor by their feet.

"It's ok, I'm here," she whispered. "Everything's ok." She was startled as he suddenly pulled her into a hug, and a blush stained her cheeks at the unexpected display of affection. "TK?"

His hold on her just tightened. "Thank goodness you're ok."

She slowly brought her hands up, returning the hug, rubbing his back reassuringly. "Of course I'm ok. You were having a bad dream."

After several seconds, he seemed to regain his composure. Slowly, he moved back, but was still grasping her. "Sorry. You're right, it was just a bad dream."

He wasn't looking at her, and she reached and placed a hand to his cheek. "Do you want to talk about it?"

His own hand came up to cover hers, as if he was still reassuring himself that she was there. He looked like he wanted to say something, but then he let her go and turned away. "It's fine. It was a nightmare, nothing more."

She frowned, not liking the way he was closing himself off from her. "It's ok, whatever it is, you can tell me. It's better to talk about it."

A stubborn growl escaped him, and he shook his head. "You don't want to know. Trust me."

Kari's own stubborn look crossed her face, but then her features softened and she sighed. "TK, it's ok to rely on me. No one can be strong all the time. You don't have to keep everything to yourself. You know I'm here for you. I want to help." When he still didn't answer her, she turned him to face her. "That wasn't just any old nightmare. You saw something that really got to you. Please, talk to me."

He stared at her for a few moments. It looked like he was still going to remain silent, but then he sighed, diverting his eyes from her. "It was about Myotismon."

She blinked in surprise. "Huh? Myotismon?"

He nodded. "I could see it so clearly. He'd beaten us, all of us. And he had you. He was doing things to you, horrible things." He grit his teeth tightly. "Unspeakable things."

Kari felt her stomach clench. He was right, she didn't want to know, but it didn't take much for her to figure out what had happened in his dream. Myotismon had made his intentions towards her very clear, and a wave of nausea hit her at the thought of what could have happened if he had gotten his way.

She shook off the thought and focused on the boy in front of her. "It's ok though. We beat him. He can't hurt us any more."

TK's fists clenched. "We've seen some evil Digimon here, but never anyone like him. I feel like I witnessed evil in its truest form."

Kari had to agree with him there. Myotismon had come across as far more evil than anyone they'd faced so far, even worse than Devimon and Dragomon. She still shuddered at what he had done to turn Gatomon's friend into LadyDevimon. "I know what you mean, but it's over now. We don't have to worry about-"

"It was too close. We won only by the skin of our teeth. And I shudder to think what would have happened if we lost." He glanced at her. "If he had won, he only would have killed us, but you… He wanted you for more, and not just your blood. He wanted…"

He couldn't bring himself to say it, but he didn't need to. They'd all knew what Myotismon had wanted from her besides her blood. The thought still made her skin crawl, and she knew that TK must have been seeing that in his nightmare. No wonder he had been so distraught.

Reaching out, she pulled him into a hug. "I know. I know what he wanted. But we stopped him. I'm safe, you're safe, we're all safe."

"This time," he whispered. "We came through this time. But what if we run into someone else like him, or someone worse. Someone we won't be able to defeat." He looked at her with something akin to desperation. "If anything were to happen to you…"

"Hey!" She grasped his face, knowing that the residue of his nightmare was the cause for this behavior. "Stop it, this isn't like you. Where's the strong, hopeful TK that I know? You're not going to let a stupid nightmare get the better of you. You're stronger than that." She gave him a smile. "And so am I. Don't forget, I'm a powerful Ultimate now."

TK stared at her some more before he finally seemed to calm down. He sighed and leaned back in his seat. "I know that. And I'm glad for it." A smile grazed his face. "You're even stronger than I am now. But still…" he looked up at the ceiling, seeing beyond it, "I don't want you to have to rely on that power. I want you to be able to rely on me. I want to Digivolve too. I want to be the one to protect you."

Kari felt her heart flutter, and her cheeks heated once more. She shifted in her seat until she was sitting forward again. "You're not the only one who wants that. I want to protect you too. And everyone else as well." Her hand crept over and slid on top of his. "We'll protect each other."

TK glanced down at her hand on top of his. He looked back at her to see her smiling at him. He returned the smile and shifted his hand to hold hers. "Yeah, we'll keep each other safe, and we'll make it back home, no matter what comes our way."

She beamed at him. "There's my TK."

They continued smiling at each other, still grasping hands. Slowly TK's smile was replaced by a more serious and determine look. "I will protect you, Kari. No matter what." He shifted closer to her. "Because I…

"TK…" she whispered, almost dreamily.

They were close now, both their gazes locked on the others. It was in that moment that a sudden stop sent Davis, Takato, and Takuya flying out of their seats, crashing into Kari, TK, Tai across from them. On the floor, Shoutmon slid across the length of the car beneath the seats, the movement waking him with a start.

"What happ- ow!" He rubbed his head where he banged it under the seat. "Why'd we stop?"

Rather than answer, Trailmon suddenly reversed directions, sending the teens into the seat opposite of them and Shoutmon sliding across the floor once more.

"Hey, Worm, what's going on?" Takuya cried as he squirmed out from under Tai and Kari.

"We're backing it up and moving it out," the train Digimon called back.

"Why?"

"Data stream, kid. It's coming straight for us."

It took a moment for them to comprehend what he was saying. When it finally registered, they all jumped to a window. Sure enough, coming down the tracks towards them was one of the pinkish magenta beams from the sky they had only ever seen from a distance. It was much bigger close up, about the size of a tornado, and potentially more dangerous considering it could send them practically anywhere in the Digital World.

"Go faster! Go!" Tai shouted as he watched the data stream close in on them.

"Sorry, kid, this is as fast as I can go."

Davis looked around. "Then can't you just leave the track?"

"Have you seen how rocky this ground is, sonny? I'd be going even slower than I am now. That thing will catch us in no time. We're just gonna have to hope it changes direction before it- Whoa! Never mind. Looks like we're going to be taking a bit of a detour."

The beam of light flowed over him, sucking up him and the cars attached to him. The teens cried out as they were pulled into the light, vanishing without a trace.

Notes:

(A/N: Oh no! Of all things to happen. They had a nice ride to get them most of the way towards their destination, only to be sucked up into a data stream. There's no telling where they'll end up. They might even end up on another layer than the one Cherubimon is on. That'll really complicate things. Guess we'll have to wait and see where the data stream drops them. Keep your fingers crossed it's not too bad.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Zenimon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/KoZenimon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Ganemon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Trailmon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Locomon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/GranLocomon

Chapter 46: Jungle Fever

Notes:

(A/N: Welcome to 2017 everyone. Can you believe I haven't updated this since last year? ...Ok, that joke was really lame, but all those "see you next year" jokes are corny. Hope you all had a good holiday though. I know I did, as short as it was. After our last cliffhanger ending, our heroes were sucked into a data stream. Oh boy, that's not good. Lets see where they ended up.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 46: Jungle Fever

A pixelated kaleidoscope of colors swirled all around them as the group was teleported to places unknown. According to what Shoutmon had told them, the data streams randomly teleported anyone caught up in it to another location in the Digital World. Just when they had found an affective mode of transportation, this had to happen.

"Just hang on!" Shoutmon cried as the car spun around out of control. "This happened to me a few times before! I'll be over soon!"

It seemed he was right. A few seconds later, the lightshow ended. The car ended up somewhere on its side as the data stream that dropped them off moved along without them. They could be anywhere now.

"I'm gonna be sick," Davis muttered, looking green in the face.

Considering they were laying in a dog pile and his face was right above Shoutmon, the dragon Digimon was understandably concerned. "Don't you dare!"

Heedless of his words, the boy's cheeks puffed out. Shoutmon screamed and began struggling to get up. "Let me out! Let me out!" He burst from the pile of bodies. "That was the scariest thing I've ever seen." He climbed up to a window. "Hey, Worm, where'd we end… up…?"

He trailed off as he stared at the outside. It was a jungle out there, literally. Vines of all different lengths and widths covered everything for as far as the eye could see. As such, Trailmon had absolutely no idea where they were. "Sorry, I haven't a clue. And it's gonna take me forever to get through this stuff and find some tracks again."

Pushing Shoutmon aside, the teens emerged one by one, climbing out of the car through the window and looking out at all the vegetation.

"Geez," Davis muttered, "someone's got a green thumb. Look at this place."

"Davis, this is no time for jokes," Tai chided. "Shoutmon, where are we?"

The dragon Digimon looked around. He could honestly say that he had seen a great deal of the Digital World, but he had never seen a place like this. Vines were everywhere, covering everything, all but choking the land all around. "I have no idea. I've never seen anything like this before." He eyed a vine and reached out to touch it. "These vines don't seem natural."

He touched the green tendril curiously. It instantly came to life and wrapped around his wrist. Crying out, he tried to pull free, unsuccessfully. As the vine began to pull him away, the teens all pounced on him. They pulled back, and the vine let him go. Retreating out of its grabbing distance, they huddled together, trying not to touch anything.

"What was that?" TK exclaimed. "A man-eating plant of some kind?"

"More like a mon eating plant," said Takato. "Best not to touch them."

Takuya glanced around at all the greenery. "Easier said than done. These things have completely overrun this place."

Shoutmon rubbed his wrist. "I'll say. I can't tell where we are. These vines make this place indistinguishable."

"Great!" Tai growled, kicking a rock. It hit a vine, and the plant immediately made a grab for it. "For all we know, we could be on the wrong continent, or even on a different layer. And we were so close too."

"Not even close," Shoutmon corrected. "Even by Trailmon, we were several days' journey from Cherubimon's castle. But, yes, we could be a lot farther away now; I can't say for sure. I'll need to look around a bit more and see if I can figure out where we are."

"Hey!" TK cried hopefully. "Maybe we're actually closer to Cherubimon's castle. The data stream may have saved us a few days' journey."

Shoutmon was busy climbing a vine. "Yeah, maybe… wah!"

Kari winced as he fell to the ground and landed on his head. "You ok?"

"I tink I bi' muh tung."

A few of the others chuckled, but Tai didn't find the situation to be very funny. "Guys, this is serious. We could be on the other side of the world. Nearly four months of traveling, and we could be farther away from our destination than ever!"

Takato frowned, but was unwilling to think the worst-case scenario just yet. "We shouldn't panic yet. We don't even know where we are."

"I'll find out," Trailmon replied. Turned on his side, he began rocking until he somehow managed to flip upright. "Just let me get rid of these vines."

He breathed a stream of fire, incinerating the vines in front of him. Almost immediately, several others flew at him from behind. They grabbed his body and began coiling around him. He struggled, but without any limbs, he couldn't really fight them off. "Hey, get these things away from me!"

"Hold on!" Takuya cried as he and the others rushed over to help. They began ripping the vines off him, but there were far too many, and he was too big for them to cover all the places the vines were wrapping around him. Slowly, they lifted him into the air as they continued to coil around him. Suddenly, they began to secrete a sap-like substance that began to flow over the train Digimon.

"Hey, what is this stuff? Get it off-"

The sap-like slim flowed over his mouth, cutting off his speech as it covered him completely. Then it seemed to become less of a liquid and more of a solid. Trapped in a pod of the transparent goop, Trailmon's eyes closed, and he went still. Down on the ground, the teens stared in horror as their friend stopped moving and simply hung in the air within the strange cocoon-like pod.

"Is he… dead?" Takato asked uncertainly.

Shoutmon shook his head. "If he were dead, he would have broken down into data." He began climbing the vines holding Trailmon in the air, swatting at one when it tried to grab him. When he reached the pod, he touched the transparent barrier. It was tough and leathery, but not unbreakable; he could break through it if he needed to.

Glancing at Trailmon, he studied the train Digimon carefully. "He's ok, he's just asleep."

The others sighed. "At least he's not hurt," Kari breathed. "Can you get him out?"

"Sure, just a sec." He hopped onto a tree that was also covered in the vines. "Fiery Fast-"

"Shoutmon, behind you!" TK shouted.

The dragon Digimon turned to find several vines creeping towards him. He immediately jumped down and landed beside the teens. The vines kept coming in greater numbers, cutting off their escape routes.

"What's with these things?" Davis demanded.

"Not sure," said Tai, pulling his foot away when a vine attempted to wrap around his ankle. "But this can't be normal. We better get out of here."

TK looked up at the vines' latest victim. "What about Trailmon?"

"Nothing we can do for him now. We can't help him if we get caught too."

Davis' hand went to his Digivice. "Think we should Spirit Evolve?"

"And make ourselves even bigger targets?" Takuya objectively pointed out. "I think stealth and a smaller size will work better here."

"I know what'll work really well," said Takato. "Run!"

They did, maneuvering around the creeping vines. Ducking under and smacking them away, they fled through the forest of green tentacles. The vines were slow enough to avoid and easy enough to knock away, but the sheer number of them made it difficult to escape. It seemed that no matter where they went, the vines around them would activate and come after them.

As they ran along, they began to notice other Digimon trapped in pods similar to the one Trailmon had been caught in. They paid them no mind, knowing that they would end up just like them if they were caught.

Turning a corner, they came to a dead end. Vines were all around them, wiggling and creeping. They turned to go back the way they came, but were cut off by the ones already chasing them.

"What now?" Takato asked as they bunched up.

Shoutmon produced his mic. "Bellow Blaster!" The blast of energy blew apart several vines, but new ones quickly took their place. One of the vines shot out, reaching for the dragon Digimon. It wrapped around the length of his mic and pulled it out of his hands. "Hey, that's mine!"

The other vines attacked the captured mic. After a few seconds, they dropped it to the ground. Slowly, they began to calm down and started to back away from the group. They stopped wriggling around and became still once more.

Not sure if the danger had passed, the teens were tense. Tai slowly began to relax and was the first to make a move.

"What are you doing? Takuya whispered.

The older boy ignored him and stepped forward. He took a second step, and then a third, moving away from the group. He glanced at the vines, cautiously, then looked around at where they were.

"Tai?" Kari asked worriedly.

"I think it's ok." Bending over, he picked up a rock and threw it at the vines a distance away. The vines moved around where the rock hit them, but did not attack. "Yeah, it seems they go after whatever touches them. Look where we are."

They did. Though vines surrounded them, they were not touching any. Back where they had landed when the data stream had dropped them off, and when they had been running, they had been stepping on or pushing vines aside. No wonder the vines had been going after them.

"So we just have to avoid touching them," Takato noted. He looked around at the vines that completely covered the area. "Great…"

"Lets just get out of here," Davis grumbled. "I don't want to end up like Trailmon and those other Digimon."

"But we can't just leave them there," Kari argued.

"We won't," Tai assured her, "but we don't even know what's going on, let alone how to fix it. We have to look out for ourselves first if we want to have any chance of saving anyone. I say we get out of here and find some help."

"Good plan," Takato agreed. "I knew you were the leader for a reason."

"I thought I was the leader," Davis objected.

"I thought I was the leader," Shoutmon echoed. "I am the Digimon King."

Tai sighed and rolled his eyes. "We can work out the details later. Lets just focus on finding a way out of here for now."

Putting the debate of who was the leader aside, they began making their way through the jungle of vines. This proved to be difficult as the vines were everywhere, some slithering around, some seeking out more victims.

They eventually discovered that the vines only attacked living things. To get through an area where there were too many vines to get past, Shoutmon had used his mic to push a curtain of the green tentacles aside. The vines had slithered along the length of the mic, but did not attack, eventually going still again.

"What's with these things?" Takuya asked as he ducked beneath a wiggling green tentacle. "They're not ordinary vines, that's for sure."

"Wish I could tell you," Shoutmon replied. "There are some Digimon that have vines as body parts or can control plant-life. Blossomon, Lillymon, Cherrymon, but nothing to this extent."

"Then what are those pods?" TK asked. "The ones with the Digimon in them. Are they like Venus flytraps?"

"I have no idea what those are." He received a brief description of the insect devouring pants and made a face. "That's disgusting! Your world is repulsive in so many ways. And to answer your question, no, they're not. There aren't any Digimon that do anything like your Venus plant thingies. Truthfully, I have no idea what those pods are."

A scream from behind them drew their attention, and they turned to find Davis hanging upside-down, a vine wrapped around his ankle. "I think we're about to find out! Get me down! Get me down!"

He was lifted up higher. The teens hurried to the base of the vine and attempted to pull it down. This not only made it react more violently, it also drew in others. One wrapped around Takato's arm, pulling him back while another slid around TK's waist, lifting him into the air. Shoutmon grabbed him to try and pull him down, but instead he too was listed into the air.

"More are coming in!" Tai exclaimed as a vine wrapped around his ankle and yanked, causing him to fall as it began dragging him away.

"Tai!" Kari cried, making a grab for him. A vine shot out and wrapped around her wrist, pulling her back. Two more wrapped around her legs, and a third coiled around her arm. She cried out as she was lifted in the air, and another one wrapped around her waist.

Still hanging upside-down, Davis mouth dropped open as he stared at her. "Whoa, this is turning into a hentai tentacle anime."

"Davis!" the others shouted.

Takuya stepped back and looked at his friends. He was he only one who hadn't been ensnared. Yet. The vines were creeping towards him as well. He was surrounded on all sides, and he couldn't stop moving and hope they would stop searching for him, because he was currently standing on a pile of them.

He considered Spirit Evolving, but if he used his fire, he might burn his friends, trapped in the vegetation as they were. He would have to tear them free first. "Guess I got no choice."

He pulled out his Digivice and was about to activate it when a shadow flew over his head. It rushed towards his friends, and with a few quick slashes with their sword, they severed the vines.

The teens dropped to the ground as their rescuer came up beside them, sheathing their sword. It was a Digimon that resembled a muscular man with the head and tail of a lion. Though intimidating to look at, he had a kind look on his face, for a lion. "Are you ok?"

"For now!" Tai cried, pointing as several more vines came for them.

The lion Digimon turned to them. "Pardon me a moment. Fist of the Beast King!" He punched outward. From his fist flew an energy blast in the shape of a lion's head. It exploded upon coming in contact with the vines, blasting them apart.

"Whoa, now that's an attack," Davis complimented.

The lion Digimon glared at the vines as he addressed the teens. "They don't like fire. They won't come near you if you have any."

The others looked to Shoutmon. The dragon Digimon glanced at each of them before rubbing the back of his head bashfully. "I knew that."

He created a Fiery Fastball. Immediately, the vines retreated. Even the ones lying motionless on the ground shifted away from the heat.

The lion Digimon smiled. "As long as you have fire, they'll stay away."

Kari gave him a look of gratitude. "Thank you, Mr… uh…" she checked her Digivice, "Leomon. Thank you, Mr. Leomon. We owe."

The lion Digimon puffed out his chest and thumped it proudly. "Don't thank me, young one, I'm just doing my duty, protecting the weak and the innocent."

"Wow," Takato muttered as he stared at the proud Digimon in awe, "my girlfriend would love you."

He gave the teens a curious look. "If you don't mind me asking, what are you exactly? I'm afraid I've never seen Digimon of your kind before."

Shoutmon chuckled as he used his Fiery Fastball to create a torch. "Brace yourself, big guy, 'cause these folks ain't Digimon. They're human."

Leomon's eyes widened. "You don't say." He studied the teens closely. "So it's true then. There are rumors going around that there are humans in the Digital World."

"For the time being," Tai replied. "We're trying to get home, and we got caught up in a data stream that dropped us off here." He looked around at all the vines. "Wherever here is."

Leomon sighed. "Yes, I'm afraid things are pretty bad in this area right now. You can't even recognize the place anymore. An evil Digimon known as Argomon has taken over."

Shoutmon looked up from his work. "Argomon? The Ultimate level Argomon?" He shook his head. "Can't be. No Argomon could take over an area to this extent. These vines go on for miles."

The lion Digimon shook his head. "This one did. Normally, other Digimon would be able to fight off his vines and prevent him from taking over an area this much, but he's got a band of evil Digimon aiding him. While the residents fought his minions, he spread his vines, and any Digimon he captures, he puts into a deep sleep."

"Like Trailmon," Kari lamented.

"If he was caught by Argomon's vines, then yes."

Davis grabbed the air. "That's bull crap! We'll just bust him out."

Takato looked around. "I don't even know how to get back. I got all turned around when we were running."

Leomon placed a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. "It's alright, son. This place is like a maze right now. But even if you found your friend, it'll prove to be difficult to free him. You might accidentally kill him."

TK frowned. "Can't we wake him up?"

A shake of the head. "If your friend's will is strong enough, he could break free of the spell. The more powerful the Digimon, the easier it will be for them to break free, but for a Champion or below, it's highly unlikely."

Takuya sighed. "So it's unlikely that he'll be able to free himself, and we can't free him without risking his life. What are our other options?"

They knew it was coming before he said it. "Only one, defeat Argomon."

There it was, the obvious statement. Equally as obvious was the response from Davis. "Fine, then we'll beat Argomon."

Shoutmon slapped his forehead. "I knew you were going to say that. I thought you wanted to go home."

"Sure, but we can't possibly-"

"Leave Trailmon behind. Got it."

"Or the other Digimon Argomon captured," TK added. "This is like Myotismon all over again."

Shoutmon looked at each of them. "And you all feel the same way?"

Takato hung his head and sighed. "Being a good Samaritan can be a real occupational hazard."

Kari frowned at the dragon Digimon. "Don't you want to help?"

He looked up at her, his expression unreadable, then he broke out into a grin. "On the contrary, I was hoping you'd say that." He turned to Leomon. "So, where's Argomon?"

The lion Digimon raised an eyebrow. "What makes you think I would know?" His question was met with blank stares. "Have you seen this place? I haven't been able to find anything. In fact, I came in here with three of my companions and got separated from them. I've been trying to find them for weeks with no luck." He shook his head. "I'm afraid the only way to find Argomon would be to randomly search around and hope to run into him."

"What?" Davis cried. "So we're basically relying solely on luck."

Leomon nodded. "I'm afraid so. But at least Argomon won't be able to move form where he is as long as he has all this going on."

Shoutmon crossed his arms. "Well, that explains the vines' behavior. Argomon can sense things through his vines, but can't really tell what's going on."

The lion Digimon sighed. "The real problem you'll face is that you'll most likely get lost or end up going around in circles. And then there are his cronies roaming around. But even if you manage to find him, he's an Ultimate. I'm not sure there's anything you humans will be able to do to stop him."

Davis' outrage was now replaced by a broad grin. "Hey, you don't need to worry about that. We can take care of ourselves."

Leomon raised a doubtful eyebrow and turned his attention to Shoutmon's torch. "We should get a real fire going and settle in for the night. The vines won't come near."

"Good call," Tai agreed. "Lets find some firewood and get some sleep; I didn't get enough on Trailmon."

Wary of the vines, they went about the same nightly duties they'd had since coming to the Digital World. There were a few close calls where a vine nearly grabbed one of them, but they soon had a nice fire going. It was just as Leomon had said; the vines didn't like the fire. They wouldn't even come near it when disturbed, and the group gathered around the heated blaze.

"So, this Argomon, just sits on his butt all day spreading his vines and putting to sleep anyone that gets caught up in them?" Takuya asked. He received a confirming nod from the lion Digimon and made a face. "Geez, how boring. What's the point of it all?"

"He's taking over the area," Leomon explained. "Digimon are known to do that occasionally. But this," he looked around at all the vines, "this is too much. This isn't just staking claim on an area, this is completely suffocating the land. He must be stopped." He sighed and shook his head. "But I'm not strong enough to beat him on my own. I must find my companions."

Davis thumped his chest. "Don't worry, we'll help you take out this overgrown weed, and we'll help you find your friends. Right, guys?"

There were cheers of agreement as the others punched the air. Leomon smiled in appreciation, yet didn't look convinced. From what he had seen, they hadn't even been able to fight off Argomon's vines. There was no way they would be able to face Argomon himself.

Placing a large hand on Davis' head, he gave it a rub. "I thank you for your willingness to help, but I'm afraid I must decline your offer." He spoke to them like an adult humoring a child that had declared they wanted to do something they couldn't do. "This is not a job for children such as yourselves. You should leave this place as soon as you can."

Kari respectfully raised her hand. "Mr. Leomon, sir, you really don't need to worry about us. We're a lot stronger than we look."

Takuya nodded in agreement. "Yeah, we already beat several baddies that were causing trouble."

Leomon was nodding. "Yes, I'm sure each of you are strong. I have heard that humans have an inner strength unlike anything we Digimon have ever seen. But this is not your world. Do you truly understand what it is you're getting yourselves into?"

A chill went down Tai's spine as he thought back to what Shoutmon had told them about how there were some Digimon that were strong enough to destroy whole worlds and even entire dimensions. "We're beginning to understand. Shoutmon here has been acting as our guide, sort of. He's been filling us in on things."

The lion Digimon turned his attention to Shoutmon. "So, you've been taking care of them?"

The dragon Digimon looked uneasy under the much larger Digimon's gaze. "Kind of…"

"Then I advice you to lead them out of this place as soon as the sun comes up."

Takato frowned. "But Leomon, we can help. Really, we can."

But the lion Digimon was resolute in his decision. "This is a very important mission. I can't focus on protecting you and defeating Argomon."

"You don't need to protect us," Takuya insisted. "Come on, take us with you. We'll do it together."

Leomon stared at him. He looked from one teen to the other before turning to Shoutmon, who just shrugged. Finally, he sighed. "Let me sleep on it. I'll decide what to do in the morning."

TK nodded. "Sounds fair." He looked at the fire. "I don't think we need to worry about any enemy Digimon with all these vines, but are you sure the fire will keep them away?"

The lion Digimon nodded. "They've already settled around the area. As long as they're not disturbed, they won't bother us, even if the fire goes out. I also set up a barrier around us just to be safe. It'll be fine; I've been doing this for days."

Tai smiled in relief. "Good to know. I guess we can get a good night's sleep without having anyone keep watch."

A snore drew Takato's attention, and he chuckled. "I think Davis is way ahead of us again."

They looked to their friend and found Davis snoring loudly. Several chuckles were emitted, followed by some yawns. Soon Shoutmon and the six humans were sound sleep. Leomon watched them, a fond smile on his face. "Cute kids. Good luck to you."

When the group woke up the next morning, the lion Digimon was gone.

Notes:

(A/N: The next arc has begun. In case you haven't figured it out, it's the Argomon Arc. Yes, Argomon is the villain this time. And unlike past villains, our heroes are trapped in his territory, where one false move could mean sleeping for a very long time. Will they be able to get out of the vine jungle? Can they defeat Argomon if they manage to find them and free all the sleeping Digimon? And what of Leomon and his companions? Lots of questions that need answering, so stay tuned for more.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Leomon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Argomon_(Ultimate)

Chapter 47: Data Glutton

Notes:

(A/N: Wow, this one turned out to be much lengthier than I thought. Hopefully we'll be getting more chapters like this one. This chapter is when things will really start to get interesting. It'll also have one of my favorite Digimon in it, or one of their stages anyway.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 47: Data Glutton

"I still can't believe Leomon left us like that," Davis said for the umpteenth time.

TK sighed. "Look, he's gone. There's nothing we can do about it, so just let it go."

"No on asked you, TS." He rounded on Takato. "Can't you just become Growlmon and sniff him out?"

The boy sweat-dropped. "Um, I don't think my nose is that good. But I guess we shouldn't be surprised he left us behind. He made it clear that he couldn't risk bringing us along with him, but we were being rather stubborn. He probably thought he was doing what was best."

"By just leaving us with all these vines?"

"He didn't just abandon us," TK pointed out. "He made sure we were safe, taught us how we can keep the vines away," he nodded at Shoutmon, "made sure we had someone who could guide and protect us. I guess he thought, or hoped, we'd give up on stopping Argomon and would find our way out if he left."

Shoutmon snorted. "He clearly underestimated how stubborn you humans are."

Holding up his torch, Tai warded off some vines that were in their way. "This isn't a matter of being stubborn. We have no idea where we are. Maybe we're heading for an exit, maybe we're getting closer to Argomon, or we could just be getting even more lost."

"Or just plain going around in circles," Kari added. "This place does look kind of familiar." She looked. "Maybe one of us should Spirit Evolve and fly up there to see which way we should go."

She took out her Digivice, but Shoutmon grabbed her arm. "Don't bother. You'll never be able to fly through those vines without getting ensnared."

Taking a second look, she saw he was right; the vines were too thick here. "I could just blast my way through."

He shook his head. "Don't risk it. I'm smaller. I'll climb up there and take a look." He hopped onto a pillar of vines and began climbing, smacking away the ones that reached for him.

"On your right!" TK warned.

Glancing over his shoulder, he saw a dozen or so vines reaching for him. A Fiery Fastball quickly dealt with the problem, and he continued climbing.

"You know," Takuya suggested, "I could just turn into BurningGreymon and burn all these stupid things."

Having heard his suggestion, even from his current height, the dragon Digimon called down, "Save your strength. There's far too many. You would need hundreds of Fire Digimon ranging from Champion to Ultimate to get rid of all these. All you'll accomplish on your own is to waste your energy and draw the vines' attention to us."

"Then how about we fly out of here," Takato suggested.

Davis got a little too close for comfort. "Have you forgotten our objective? We don't want to just get out of here, we want to find Argomon."

"Hold that thought!" Shoutmon cried upon reaching the top. "I'll see if I can find him from up here." He pushed aside some more vines and was greeted by a light breeze. "There we go."

From way up above, he looked around. His hopes quickly came crashing down as he saw that the vines went on for miles, covering everything. Frowning, he turned in all different directions, seeing nothing but vines covering the ground and various structures.

"Boy, Argomon's really been busy." He squinted to see something in the distance. "Hey, is that…? It is!"

As he stared at what, from this distance away, seemed to be a long, tall pole with something at the top, a shadow fell over him. He quickly spun around and threw a Fiery Fastball at the vines reaching for him. "Ha! Take that! We'll not be having a repeat like that sneak attack from that black gear." Another shadow fell over him, and he grinned. "A second attempt? Fine then!" He turned to the left. "Fierty Fast-"

A savage snarl and a green face greeted him. He yelped and ducked as a scythe belonging to a praying mantis Digimon flew past him, nearly taking his head off. "Geez, where did that guy come fro- AH!"

It wasn't just one; an entire swarm of insect Digimon were suddenly flying around him. Another one swooped down and slashed at him, and he stepped backwards, plummeting to the ground. He crashed through several vines before landing on his head.

TK winced. "That had to hurt. I hope he didn't bite his tongue."

"Maybe you should stop climbing things," Kari suggested, recalling all the times he's fallen.

Shoutmon groaned as Tai hurried over and waved his torch at the vines that the dragon Digimon had fallen through, which had began seeking him out. Rubbing his head, he sat up, giving the human with the torch an appreciative smile. "Well, flying out of here isn't an option unless you want to fight off a swarm of Snimon."

Takuya blinked. "Snimon?" He checked his Digimon. "Ah, here they are. Snimon, a Champion level praying mantis Digimon. Their special attack is Twin Sickle that sends out blades of energy."

Kari looked up. "What are they doing here?"

TK thought about it. "Well, if I had to take a guess, I'd say they're picking off any Digimon that try flying out of here. They might even work for Argomon. Leomon did say he had some cronies."

Standing up, Shoutmon dusted himself off. "Possibly. But never mind them now. I've got some good news, and bad news. Which do you want first?"

"Bad," everyone chorused, except for Davis, who said, "Good." He looked at each of them when they glanced at him. "What? Get the good news first so the bad news doesn't seem as bad."

"I always preferred the bad news first so the good news makes things seem better," said Kari, receiving nods of agreement from the others.

Fuming, Davis kicked the ground. "Fine, give us the bad news."

Shoutmon shrugged. "Ok, bad news, Snimon aren't the only problem. Flying is completely out of the question if we want to find Argomon. Most likely, he's tucked away inside a cover of vines somewhere so we can't even find him from the air."

Tai sighed. "Ok, so we'll just have to keep looking for him on foot. Now, what's the good news?"

The dragon Digimon smiled. "I know where we are."

Immediately, the others were in his personal space. "Where?!" they demanded.

Shoutmon held up his hands. "Whoa, whoa, back up a bit. Now, I don't know exactly where we are, but I have a general idea. I saw a place called Spiral Mountain in the distance. It's a tall mountain divided into four spirals of ocean, forest, city, and wasteland. It's a well-known location in the Digital World."

"Ooook," Takato muttered, not really following. "So what does that mean?"

"Well, I don't know what side of the mountain we're on; it was too far away to tell. But if I could see it from where we are, it means we're actually closer to Cherubimon's castle than we were before."

That was some of the best news Tai heard in a long time. "Really? We're closer?"

"Yup. Actually, the data stream transported us to the other side of his castle. So now we have to travel east instead of west, but, yes, we're closer than we were when the data stream picked us up."

"Awesome!" Takato cried excitedly. "Then I guess it was kind of lucky that we got caught up in it."

Davis tapped his chin. "Well, even though the distance is shorter, the journey will still be longer since we don't have Trailmon to take us there."

"Davis!" the others snapped.

"What?"

TK sighed. "Never mind. Lets just focus on the good. We're closer than we were before, and didn't wind up on some other layer after all."

"Or in the ocean," Kari pointed out.

"Yes," Tai agreed. "We got lucky on most accounts. Now, we should just worry about… about…"

He trailed off as the movement of vines moving away from them drew his attention. The others noticed where he was looking and saw this as well. Cautiously, they headed over to them.

Takato stopped. "Hey, guys, is there any particular reason we're going towards the vines?"

TK pointed. "It looks like they're going after something. Someone might need help."

"It could be Leomon," Kari suggested, "or one of his friends."

"Or Argomon," Tai added.

His look-alike immediately perked up. "I hope so. I suddenly got a green thumb, and am in the mood to do some weeding."

They followed the moving vines. Soon they saw flashing lights from beyond a wall of vegetation, as if someone were firing off attacks. There were cries of some kind, but nothing that was said could be made out.

The teens exchanged uncertain looks. They glanced at Shoutmon, who shook his head and backed away with his hands up, palms open. All attention then shifted to Tai and the torch in his hand.

Sighing the eldest teen took out his Digivice, prepared to Spirit Evolve if he needed to. The others followed suit and approached the wall of vines. Tai held out his torch, and the vines recoiled from the flames, creating an opening.

From the other side, whoever was there must have seen the opening appear, because they suddenly came bursting through. Tai had the wind knocked out of him and fell to the ground as whoever it was crashed into him. He groaned, preparing to Spirit Evolve, until he saw what was standing on this chest. It was one of the strangest looking Digimon they had seen yet. Not that the others had been normal, but this one had a very bizarre appearance. "Hide me!"

Davis rushed forward, thrusting his Digivice out at the Digimon. "Stay back, pal, unless you're looking for a fight!"

TK quickly looked up what the Digimon Analyzer on his Digivice had to say. "Chill out, Davis. That's Damemon. He's a Rookie level mutant Digimon and is pretty much harmless, though he does have some firepower at his disposal."

Tai blinked as he stared at the mutant Digimon. "Damemon? Well, that was quite an entrance."

"You've got to hide me!" it repeated, grabbing the boy's shirt and shaking him violently. "HIDE ME!"

Takato held his hands out. "Whoa, hey, everything's ok. The vines won't come near us as long as we have the fire."

Damemon looked at him desperately. "No, not from the vines. From-"

A beam suddenly struck the mutant Digimon from behind. It cried out as it began glowing and became pixelated. The teens stared, especially Tai, since it was him Damemon was standing on, as the mutant Digimon's glowing form changed shape.

When the light faded, Damemon was gone, and what appeared to be a mechanical pig Digimon with a large pink snout and a propeller for a tail was in its place. It was a little bigger than Damemon had been, yet the transition seemed to be some form of DeDigivolution.

The image of Damemon on TK's Digivice changed to that of the pig Digimon. "Huh? Now he's Oinkmon, a Digimon with no level and no attacks of its own."

Shoutmon's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Oinkmon? They're the most pathetic and useless of all Digimon. No one has Oinkmon in their Digivolution line; its basically a blank slate. How did…?"

They looked in the direction the beam had come from. Standing in the opening of vines Damemon had come through was a purple alien-like Digimon no bigger than Shoutmon. A single green eye was visible on its helmet-covered elongated head, the other hidden beneath its visor, and it had what seemed to be a cuff with a chain on its neck.

Oinkmon squealed, seemingly unable to talk in this form, and took off as fast as its little legs could trot. The alien Digimon jumped through the opening and rushed after it. The two disappeared behind another series of vines hanging down like a curtain. Just before the alien Digimon was obscured by the vines, it pounced, and the pig Digimon squealed. Several more squeals were heard, followed by what seemed to be the sound of data being absorbed, only different from when Shoutmon did it.

The teens stared, not quite sure what happened. They turned to Shoutmon for answers, but the dragon Digimon seemed confused as well.

Tai got to his feet. "What was that?"

Shoutmon shook his head. "I'm not sure. It happened so fast. But that looked like…"

From behind the curtain of vines, the alien Digimon emerged. Its one visible eye gazed at the teens curiously, finally landing on Takato. "Gubi."

The boy blinked. "Um, Gubi?" He glanced at Shoutmon. "What's Gubi?"

But the dragon Digimon didn't seem to be paying attention. "Oh, crap. Guys, back away slowly."

"Gubi," the alien Digimon repeated.

Takato pointed at himself. "Uh, no, Takato."

The Digimon cocked its head to the side. "Takato?"

"Guys," Shoutmon whispered a little more urgently as he slowly walked backwards, "get away from him. That's Vemmon."

TK looked at his Digivice again. "Vemmon?" The reading changed. "Here it is." His eyes widened at what he read. "Vemmon, a cannibalistic Rookie level Digimon. He possesses the power to turn others into Oinkmon and consume them to gain their strength."

"I eat other Digimon and become stronger," Vemmon confirmed.

Kari's hands went to her mouth. "That's repulsive!"

"Well, there are carnivorous Digimon," Davis pointed out, although he too looked uneasy.

Shoutmon shook his head. "That's different. He doesn't eat like that. Trust me, guys, you don't want to mess with him. Vemmon is practically emotionless and without morals. He has no real concept of right and wrong. It's best just to avoid him unless you want to end up as an Oinkmon."

Almost as if to prove the dragon Digimon right about his lack of morality, Vemmon cocked his head to the side and announced, "I'll oinkify and eat you too."

He fired a beam from his three-clawed hand. The teens jumped to the side, avoiding the attack. Shoutmon quickly threw a Fiery Fastball that exploded against the ground by the alien Digimon's feet, knocking him back and bringing up a cloud of dust and smoke. "Run!"

As used to this as they were tired of it, the teens turned and fled. A cry of "Gubi!" came from within the cloud of smoke as several beams began flying about. Fortunately, none hit the group, and they quickly put some distance between themselves and the cannibalistic alien Digimon.

Ducking behind a pillar of entwined vines, the group hid from Vemmon's view. They heard the alien Digimon rush over to where they were, then pause as he looked around. "Gubi?"

A few seconds passed, and then they heard him walk away in search of them elsewhere. Sighs of relief were emitted before Davis' eyes narrowed in irritation. "Wait, this guy's only a Rookie. Some of us are Ultimates. So why are we the ones running?"

Reaching up, Shoutmon flicked his forehead. "This is not a matter of strength. You want to end up as an Oinkmon? If you think you're strong enough to resist the effects of his attack, then feel free to engage him in battle. If not, then shut up and stay down."

"Gubi." The sound came from above them on the other side of the vines. Vemmon had climbed up the pillar of twisted green tentacles and was now looking around. Shoutmon placed a finger to his lips to silence the others.

The surrounding vines prevented Vemmon from seeing too far in the distance, and he quickly got fed up. Smacking away a reaching vine, he hopped down and continued his search on foot. He may not have seen his quarry, but he suspected they were nearby.

Slowly, Takuya peaked out from behind the vines. He saw that Vemmon's back was to them and whispered as much to his friends. "Maybe we should attack him while his back is turned."

"And risk being turned into Oinkmon?" said Takato. He shook his head. "No, thank you. Lets just wait for him to leave."

Kari's thoughts turned to the poor Damemon that had been turned into an Oinkmon and then consumed. "Hey, Shoutmon, if Vemmon does turn someone into an Oinkmon, is there a way to turn them back?"

The dragon Digimon wobbled his hand in a 'sort of' type of way. "There's three ways that I know of, unless you manage to convince Vemmon to change you back, but that's not that likely. You could either somehow get strong enough to Digivolve out of the Oinkmon stage, you could simply die and start over as a Digi-Egg, or you could find another Digimon that can cure status ailments or neutralize attack effects."

"But we're human," said TK. "We can't Digivolve, and we don't come back to life after we die."

Shoutmon nodded. "Meaning your only other option would be to find a Digimon that can turn you back." He looked around at the jungle of vines. "And looking at where we are, the odds of that aren't too good. Still want to risk fighting him?"

"Well, we can't just wait around here," Takuya grumbled. "He could find us at any moment."

Tai sighed. "He's right. So listen, here's what I'll do. I'll grab him while his back is turned so he can't fire that beam. Shoutmon, that's when you'll attack."

The dragon Digimon pointed to himself. "What? You want me to attack him."

"You're both Rookies, right? You should be equal in terms of power."

Shoutmon shook his head. "Vemmon is unique in that sense. He may be a Rookie, but depending on how many Digimon he's eaten, he could be as strong as a Champion."

"Shoutmon!"

A grumble escaped him, and he threw his hands in the air. "Alright, fine, I'll do it. Just make sure you secure his arms. I don't want him firing that Oinkmon beam at me."

Kari gave her brother a worried look. "Tai…"

He flashed her a reassuring smile. "It'll be ok." He looked at TK beside her. "Keep her safe."

The blonde boy nodded. "I will."

Tai nodded his thanks and handed him the torch. "Hang onto this then."

As Davis fumed, Tai slowly began climbing the vines, being as quiet as possible. When he was a good ten feet in the air, he began to circle around. Vemmon still had his back turned and was wandering around in search of the others. Tai took a deep breath and leapt off the vines, reaching for the alien Digimon as he came down.

Vemmon whirled around and fired a beam up at him. Tai cried out as the beam struck him and he began glowing. His cry became a squeal as he was transformed into an Oinkmon.

"TAI!" Kari screamed as her brother hit the ground, now in the form of the pig Digimon. Her cry drew Vemmon's attention, and Shoutmon used the opportunity to rush out and strike the alien Digimon with his Rock and Roller, knocking him away from the transformed Tai. He followed up with a Fiery Fastball, blasting Vemmon before he even hit the ground.

He turned to the others as they hurried to Tai's side. "Get him out of here!" He looked back at the fallen Vemmon. "I've gotta finish him before he recovers."

He leapt up into the air towards him, bringing his mic down. The alien Digimon rolled to the side, and Shoutmon's mic hit the ground where he had been laying, cracking it. Vemmon's hand shot out, grabbing Shoutmon's leg. "Fusionize!"

The dragon Digimon cried out, and, slowly, the injuries he had inflicted on the alien Digimon began to heal as he sucked Shoutmon's energy.

"Shoutmon!" Takato cried. He looked around and spotted a creeping vine. Knowing it was risky, he grabbed it and threw it at Vemmon. It landed over his head and immediately began to coil around him.

Vemmon released Shoutmon and began fighting with the vine as Takuya hurried over to help the dragon Digimon to his feet. "You ok?"

Dizzy swirls were in Shoutmon's eyes. "He drained my energy; I feel woozy."

There was no time to waste, and Takuya simply scooped him up. "Lets get out of here."

He hurried over to the others, who were still gathered around Tai, or Oinkmon as he now was. With tears in her eyes, Kari looked to the dragon Digimon in Takuya's arms. "Help him!"

Shoutmon shook his head to clear it. "There's nothing I can do. Lets just get out of here before we all get oinkified. We can figure out how to help Porky later."

To big to be carried for long, Oinkmon ran alongside the others as best as he could on his stumpy legs. A few meters away, Vemmon finally managed to free himself from the vine ensnaring him with his Messer Claw attack, slashing the vine and apart throwing it away. "You're not going anywhere. Gubi."

He leapt after them, bouncing on his reverse-jointed legs, firing more beams after them. Still carrying Shoutmon, Takuya ended up tripping. As the two hit the ground, Shoutmon rolled away, but Takuya landed flat on his stomach.

"Mine!" Vemmon declared, and fired a beam.

Realizing that his friend wouldn't be able to escape, Shoutmon threw a Fiery Fastball. It collided with Vemmon's attack, and the two exploded. Vemmon jumped over the blast and fired another beam, this time aiming at Shoutmon.

A loud squeal was heard as Oinkmon slammed into the dragon Digimon, knocking him out of the way. The beam struck, and the pixelated glowing transformation was repeated. The teens looked on with hope, praying Tai would return to normal.

Alas, it was not to be so; he remained an Oinkmon. Vemmon seemed to understand what he had tried to do and shook a clawed finger at him. "Ah, ah, ah. Gubi."

Snorting angrily, Oinkmon suddenly charged at him. Vemmon's one visible eye widened in surprise as the pig Digimon tackled him, actually managing to knock him down. It was surprising to say the least. Oinkmon were docile Digimon by nature of little use or importance other than for him to devour. He never would have expected one to try and attack him. Being as weak as they were, they only ever fled from a fight.

As he contemplated this, Shoutmon jumped over the pig Digimon and unleashed his Bellow Blaster. The burst of energy flowed over the alien Digimon, and he went tumbling backwards.

Davis punched the air. "Yeah! Now that's what I'm talking about! See, he's not so tough."

It seemed though, that Vemmon was just getting started. Getting to his feet, he dusted himself off and glared at them with his one visible eye. "You're stronger than I thought. Gubi. I underestimated you. Gubi."

Takato couldn't take it anymore; he was dying to know. "What is Gubi?"

The alien Digimon ignored him. "But I'm stronger than you think too. I only went to my Rookie form because it's easier to get through all these vines at a smaller size. Gubi. Vemmon Digivolve to… Snatchmon!"

Before their very eyes, the alien Digimon now stood at the Champion level. He still resembled a purple humanoid creature with a visor helmet, only much more vicious looking, and with a long, thick tail-like tentacle hung from the back of his head.

Shoutmon took a step back. "Come on. He could Digivolve all along? Weak."

Takato checked his Digivice. "Snatchmon, an extremely powerful Champion Digimon with the ability to condense and consume data, including other Digimon. It says he can also combine with technology and control it."

Takuya took a step back as well. "Then lets be glad that we're not near any technology."

TK looked around at all the vines. "Maybe we are, beneath all this vegetation."

Snatchmon raised a clawed finger. "I don't need to combine with anything to take you. Ruin Laser!"

He fired a beam from the back of his hand. Shoutmon held up his mic to block it. He pushed against the beam for a few moments before he managed to deflect it.

The beam struck a curtain of vines and erupted into a sphere of energy. Everything within the sphere as broken down into data particles and then condensed into a ball of data similar to the data dust balls they had seen floating around. It floated overt to Snatchmon, and he immediately consumed it.

TK gulped. "I see what you mean by the ability to condense and consume data."

Snatchmon looked at him. "And you're next."

He began calmly stalking over to them as if he had all the time in the world. Shoutmon held up his mic threateningly as he stood in front of his friends. Kari held onto her brother while TK moved in front of them protectively. Takuya nervously held his ground while Takato backed away, but it was Davis who stormed past Shoutmon, holding his Digivice in the air. "I've had enough of this! Time to Spirit Evolve!"

Shoutmon's mouth dropped open. "But, Davis, the vines."

"Vines, shmines. If I can't fight off a few lousy vines at the Ultimate level, then I deserve to let them get me. You guys sit tight; I'll handle this. Execute! Spirit Evolution… Paildramon!"

Snatchmon stopped. He cocked his head to the side curiously, recognizing Davis' Digimon form. "You became Paildramon. Interesting. Perhaps this will be more entertaining than I-"

Paildramon didn't give him a chance to finish. Using his extreme speed, he flew towards the alien Digimon, slamming his much larger fist into Snatchmon's face. The alien Digimon went flying backwards, but reached out and dug his claws into the ground, stopping his momentum. "Fine then, lets go."

Displaying great speed of his own, he raced towards Paildramon. Once in front of him, he thrust his hand out and fired his Ruin Laser. But Paildramon was the faster of the two, and he avoided the attack, taking to the air. He fired his Cable Catcher, but Snatchmon held up his arms to block the attack. "Tooth Spear!"

Lashing out with his head tentacle, the purple appendage wrapped around the dragon Digimon's leg and yanked. Paildramon caught himself before he was pulled down and fired an Electric Bolt. Snatchmon released him and jumped to the side. Paildramon immediately whipped out his machine guns and began flying. Snatchmon took off, outrunning the spray of bullets, even running along the wall, defying gravity. Closing the distance, he began firing more Ruin Lasers. Paildramon circled about in the air, dodging the beams.

Once he got close enough, Snatchmon leapt a surprisingly high distance in the air, reaching the dragon Digimon. He threw a punch, but Paildramon caught his fist. "What? No more 'gubi'?"

Snatchmon lashed out with his head tentacle, wrapping it around Paildramon's neck. With his other hand, he attempted to fire a beam at point blank range, but Paildramon suddenly leaned back, and the attack flew above him.

Snatchmon was strong, Paildramon would give him that. He'd even say his power bordered on an Ultimate, but he wasn't as strong as a true Ultimate. Reaching up, he grabbed the tentacle around his neck and pried it off. He spun around the alien Digimon around and threw him to the ground. He hit the ground with enough force to create a crater. "That'll teach you!"

But it didn't. Snatchmon jumped to his feet and began firing beams up at him. Paildramon dodged one after another, wondering when his opponent would stop with these games and fight for real. That was when he realized that Snatchmon, and even Vemmon, hadn't really tried to fight them at all. Aside from when he had drained Shoutmon's energy, he'd simply tried to turn them into Oinkmon he could eat, and now was attempting to condense them into easily edible packets of data.

'He's more interested in ending the fight quickly,' he thought. 'Maybe his nature is to simply eat and get stronger rather than to actually fight.'

In a way, that made him even more dangerous. Paildramon didn't find that to be very appealing as he dropped from the sky to avoid the beams. He landed on the ground, and a few seconds later, Snatchmon came leaping out of the crater, firing another beam. Paildramon threw an Electric Bolt, and the attacks canceled each other out with an explosive blast.

As Snatchmon squinted to see through the smoke, Paildramon charged straight through it and lashed out with his Sting Strike. Snatchmon jumped back to avoid the lance, and Paildramon's guns came up as he unleashed his Desperado Blaster. Still in the air, Snatchmon was unable to avoid the attack, and the spray of bullets rained against his chest, pushing him back until he hit a wall and dropped to the ground.

Thinking his opponent was done for, Paildramon landed beside his friends. Shoutmon nudged the dragon Digimon's foot with his elbow and gave him a grin. "Nice shooting. Good thing you're fast enough to avoid his attacks."

Paildramon crossed his arms, looking entirely too smug. "Yeah, he wasn't so tough." His attention was soon drawn back by a groan from the alien Digimon. "Oops, spoke too soon."

Snatchmon was getting up. "You've impressed me. Whatever you creatures are, you're not the pushovers you seemed to be."

Paildramon proudly puffed out his chest. "We're humans, and don't you forget it."

The alien Digimon's expressionless face prevented Paildramon from guessing what he was feeling. "Humans with the power of an Ultimate. I think I'll even the playing field a bit. No more sandbagging. Snatchmon Digivolve to-"

"Oh no you don't!" the dragon Digimon cried. "Electric Bolt!"

The attack flew through the air and hit Snatchmon, interrupting his Digivolution. The light faded as the alien Digimon went flying through the air. He landed in a curtain of vines, dazed. The vines immediately set to work and began coiling around him. By the time Snatchmon realized what was happening, it was too late.

"Release me!" he snarled as more vines wrapped around him and began to secrete their sleep-inducing sap. It wasn't long before Snatchmon was trapped in a pod, sleeping soundly.

"Boo-yah!" Paildramon cheered. He turned to his friends, placing his hands on his hips. "And that's how it's done!"

The cheers and applause he expected were handed out as the teens clapped. Even Oinkmon was applauding as well as his front feet would allow. The only one who didn't seem to be celebrating was Shoutmon, whose mouth was hanging open in shock, his eyes practically bugging out.

"Nice one, Paildramon," TK told him with a smile. "And look, because the vines caught Snatchmon, they're not coming after us anymore."

The dragon Digimon looked at the vines and sweat-dropped. "Uh, yeah, that was my plan all along. Now we just have to be careful not to draw their attention again." He laughed nervously at that, but the teens were now staring at him with half-lidded eyes. In an attempt to divert attention from himself, he glanced at their little friend. "Hey, Shoutmon, you ok?"

Slowly, the smaller dragon Digimon pointed. "You attacked while he was Digivolving."

Smirking, Paildramon changed back to Davis. "Yeah, pretty good strategy, huh?"

"You attacked while he was Digivolving," Shoutmon repeated.

Blinking, Davis exchanged a confused look with his friends. They shrugged, seemingly just as lost as he was. "Well, yeah. He was pretty strong as a Champion. He would have been a real problem if he reached Ultimate."

"But you attacked while he was Digivolving!"

Now he was beginning to get frustrated. "Ok, what's up with you? Why are you acting like this?"

"Because you attacked him while he was Digivolving. No one ever attacks someone else while they're Digivolving."

Takuya made a strange face. "Why not? It seemed like a pretty smart strategy to me."

Now Shoutmon actually seemed angry with them. "You don't attack another Digimon when they're Digivolving. It's… It's just not done. It's an unspoken absolute cardinal rule. Not even the lowest of the lowest, or the most evil of evil Digimon would do that; even if it means the opposing Digimon will become stronger than them. Haven't you noticed that no one has ever attacked any of you when you Spirit Evolve? It's worse than attacking someone while they're back is turned. To even consider doing such a thing would mean you're a weak, spineless, dishonorable, loser."

"Hey," Davis objected, "I'm not any of those things. And I still don't see what the big deal is. If you're going to make a gamble to become stronger by Digivolving, you should be prepared to be vulnerable for a little while." He looked at the others. "Guys, back me up here."

TK opened his mouth to defend him, but he chose his words more carefully when he saw the scowl on Shoutmon's face. "I agree that it was strategic, but while we may not see it as a bad thing, we can't forget that we're in a different world. Their ways are different from ours. It sounds like attacking someone when they're Digivolving is playing really dirty; like hitting below the belt."

"Yes!" Shoutmon cried, pointing at him. "It's like what you said. I have no idea what it means, but it's like that, only worse."

Fuming, Davis stuck his hands in his pockets and kicked at the ground. "Ok, fine, I won't do it again. Sheesh. You know, you could have told us we're not supposed to do that."

"I didn't think it was necessary," the dragon Digimon objected. "Everyone knows it. It should have been obvious."

"We're strangers in his world. We don't know how things work. We're relying on you to tell us stuff like this."

"Maybe so, but some things are just obvious."

"Guys!" Kari called loudly. "We have a bigger problem." She looked at Oinkmon. "Tai is stuck like this. We need to find a way to change him back."

Oinkmon squealed something in his pig language. Shoutmon just sighed and shook his head. "Sorry, pal, I can't help you. It's just not in my power."

Takato looked up at the sleeping alien Digimon. "If we destroy Snatchmon, will he change back?"

Davis rounded on him. "Hold up, we can't just kill a defenseless Digimon just to change Tai back, even if Snatchmon is bad."

The other boy quickly began waving his arms. "No, no! I wasn't suggesting we do that? I was just asking."

Shoutmon sighed again. "It won't work anyway. I wish it were that simple, but it looks like our only option is to find someone who can restore him. Perhaps Cherubimon can help when we reach his castle."

Oinkmon's head sank in despair, and Kari patted his back, "We can't just leave him like this until then. Who knows how long it will be."

TK snapped his fingers. "I've got it. Maybe Leomon or one of the friends he's looking for can help."

Kari and Oinkmon gave him a hopeful look. "You really think so?"

"It's worth a shot."

Takato made a determine fist. "Alright, then lets get searching. We've got a Leomon to find."

Takuya nodded. "Sounds great." He paused. "So… which way did he go?"

The others hesitated before looking out into the jungle of vines. Running from and fighting Snatchmon had completely turned them around. They hadn't known where they were before, but now they were well and truly lost.

Notes:

(A/N: Oh boy, now they're in trouble. Not only are they completely lost, one of their strongest members is out of commission until further notice. The problems just keep piling up. I also threw in a theory I had about why no one ever attacks when someone is Digivolving. The only time that ever happened in the series was when the DigiDestined were fighting Infermon, but that was because Infermon had just recently been created and didn't know any better. Speaking of which, the Digimon I was talking about who's one of my favorites was Vemmon/Snatchmon, or his Mega form really. But enough about that. How will our heroes save their friend? Can they find Leomon? Will his comrades be able to turn Tai back to normal? Will they even find his comrades? And what of Argomon? More coming soon.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Snimon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Damemon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Oinkmon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Vemmon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Snatchmon

Chapter 48: Ain't No Peter Pan

Notes:

(A/N: Ok, so this chapter will be a little different from what we're used to. We're going to take, ah, I guess you could say a bit of a break in our adventure. You'll see what I mean. By the way, as strange as they are, the names and locations of the characters and places in this chapter are NOT made up, but are actual Digimon and locations in the Digital World according to character profiles and locations in the Digital World .)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 48: Ain't No Peter Pan

Days passed by without incident, most likely due to all the Digimon in the area being trapped in pods. There was no sign of Argomon or any of his minions, nor did they find any trace of Leomon. Tai was still stuck as an Oinkmon, and it didn't look like they would be finding anyone who could help them any time soon.

Or so they thought. Someone was watching them, and they thought they could help. In fact, they had been watching for them for several days now, and had recently reported to their boss, having decided that they were suitable for their cause.

Takato was currently on watch duty. He stoked the fire, keeping it burning brightly to keep the vines away while his friends slept all around. He was grateful their Digivices could still tell time like their cellphones, and he eagerly counted down the minutes until he could get back to sleep.

A light that wasn't coming from the fire drew his attention. He looked to his right to find that the light was coming from a small fairy-like creature only a few inches tall. The tiny fairy Digimon smiled at him and waved cheerfully.

Takato blinked as he stared at his unexpected visitor. "I'm seeing fairies now?" He rub bed his eyes. "I must be more tired than I thought."

In response, the fairy Digimon flew up to his face and clapped her hands on his cheeks. "Are you awake now?"

He blinked again, all traces of sleepiness disappearing. He yelped in surprise and fell back. "Ah! You're real! You're a fairy, and you're real!"

She beamed. "Of course I'm real. I'm Tinkermon."

He couldn't believe this. Had he fallen asleep? "Hey, guys, wake up and tell me I'm not dreaming."

TK groaned. "Not so loud." He sat up and rubbed his eyes. "What's wrong? Is it my turn to keep watch?"

Takato pointed, and TK stared at the fairy Digimon. She flew over to him and hovered in front of his face upside-down. "You're kind of cute. I love blondes. What's your name?"

"Uh…" he muttered. Rather than answer, he reached out and shook Kari awake. "Hey, Kari, take a look at this."

And so it went down the line, each person waking up the other while the fairy Digimon buzzed to each of them in greeting. Even Shoutmon seemed surprised by their unexpected guest. "I've never seen a Tinkermon before."

She giggled. "We're rare."

"And adorable," Kari cooed. "Mimi would probably want to take you home with her."

Davis leaned in to get a closer look. "You sure are tiny. What level are you?"

The fairy Digimon's cheeks puffed out, and she pointed her tiny lance at him. "Call me small again, and you'll see how big my temper is."

Sweat-dropping, he held up his hands. "Sorry, didn't mean anything by it."

Takuya took out his Digivice. "Hmm, Tinkermon. Here she is. A Rookie level fairy Digimon. Better watch out, Davis, she wears a paralytic nail polish on her nails. Her special attack is Speed Nightmare, and she has the power to turn Digimon into their Baby forms."

Tinkermon's mood immediately changed as she turned to him. "I love Babies! They're so cute!" She eyed his Digivice with interest. "Ooh, let me see."

Flying over, she unexpectedly snatched the Digivice out of his hands. Takuya cried out in protest as she took to the air. As cheerful as ever, she read her description on the device and giggled happily. "Yes, yes! That's just like me! I wonder if they have…" She pushed a few buttons, and the image changed. "Ah! It has him! Petermon!"

The others stared up at her. "Petermon?" they chorused.

"Did someone say my name?" Zooming down from the sky was another Digimon. He looked like a human boy dressed completely in green with some fairy-like features. He flew up beside Tinkermon, looking at the Digivice she was holding with interest. "What're you holding there?"

Being small enough, she sat down on his shoulder. "Don't know, but it tells about us. Here's you. Petermon, a Champion level Digimon, special attack Swipe Swing."

"It knows me so well," Petermon joked.

Davis stared at the pair in disbelief. "Wait, Petermon, Tinkermon?" He looked at the others. "Is this a joke? Is there a Hookmon too?"

"Ah!" Petermon exclaimed. "My old nemesis. He and I used to fight quite often, but then he gave up on trying to defeat me after his ship was destroyed by the white Whamon, so he decided to go after it instead."

TK raised an eyebrow. "A white Whamon?"

Shoutmon nodded. "Sometimes there are anomalies in a Digimon's data that cause them to turn different colors than usual. Remember LadyDevimon? I've seen a red one before."

Davis' mouth was hanging open, and he too looked at Shoutmon. "He's kidding, right? There's not really a Hookmon, is there?"

Again, the dragon Digimon nodded. "Yeah, and he can Digivolve to CaptainHookmon."

Davis threw his hands in the air. "That's it! I give up. This world is just too ridiculous." He cut his eyes at the two fairy Digimon. "And I suppose you live in a place called Neverland, right?"

Petermon crossed his arms. "Of course not."

On his shoulder, Tinkermon beamed. "We live in Never-Ever Land."

Davis' eye twitched. "Eh?"

"It's actually why we've come here," Petermon explained. "Tinkermon here has been watching you for a few days now, and she thinks you'll be perfect."

"Ooook," Takato muttered uncertainly. "Perfect for what?"

The male fairy Digimon twirled around and pointed up. "Why Never-Ever Land, of course. It's the floating island passing overhead right now. Tinkermon and I created it as a land for children. We welcome all Rookie Digimon and below that refuse to Digivolve and just want to have fun. I know that you're humans, but you're also children, so of course you're all welcome. And Shoutmon, you're a Rookie, so you can come too. We'll even allow your Oinkmon friend to come."

The pig Digimon squealed in protest, and Kari patted him on the back. "This is actually my brother. He was turned into an Oinkmon by Vemmon."

"Huh. You don't say." He sounded completely uninterested. "So, what's it going to be? You wanna come?"

"Pleeease," Tinkermon begged.

Takuya held out his hand. "Um, can I have my Digivice back?"

"Mine!" the fairy Digimon cried and flew off.

Petermon chuckled. "Don't mind her. She's really possessive. I'll get it back for you later." He did a backflip in the air. "So, what's it to be?"

The teens looked at each other. TK glanced at Shoutmon. "What do you think?"

The dragon Digimon crossed his arms. "I don't know. I've heard certain things about this guy."

Tinkermon suddenly flew back over to them. "Oh, lighten up. Fairy Powder!" She threw a handful of powder at Shoutmon. He cried out as it hit him in the face. He cried out and began glowing. His shining form shrank and changed shape. When the light faded, he was nothing more than a small round head.

"Ah!" Takato cried, jumping away. "What happened to him?"

Giggling, Tinkermon brought Shoutmon's current form up on Takuya's Digivice. "Look, he's now Jyarimon, a Baby level Digimon. Isn't he cute?"

Kari's eyes were practically shining. "He sure is." Bending down, she scooped him up in her hands; he was only a little bit bigger than a baseball. "Hi, Jyarimon."

But the new Baby level Digimon began hopping up and down in her hands angrily. "This isn't funny! Change me back! Change me back!"

"Relax," Tinkermon told him. "It'll wear off soon enough. Then you'll be back to your normal stupid self soon."

Jyarimon stopped bouncing. "Stupid?"

The fairy flew in front of him. Her eyes began glowing as they locked with his beady black ones. "Everything is fine. There's no need to get upset. Lets all just have fun together."

Jyarimon's expression slowly went blank. "Yes, that sounds like fun," he said in a monotone voice. "Lets all go."

Tinkermon's eyes stopped glowing and she beamed. "Great! It's decided then!"

TK frowned slightly as he stared at the slime Digimon. "Hey, Jyarimon, you ok?"

Seeming to come back to his senses, he hopped out of Kari's hands and began bouncing up and down eagerly. "Oh, yeah, I'm great! Come one, let's go! We should go right now!"

TK still seemed wary, and he glanced at Kari questioningly. "Well," she said with some hesitation, "it'd be good to get out of this vine forest for a while. I suppose we could stay for the night and get some real sleep without worrying about getting attacked."

"Sleep?" Petermon exclaimed, pulling out his sword and pointing it at the sky. "Who needs sleep on a night like this? Let's go!" Flying down, he grabbed Takato by the collar of his shirt. "Everyone, grab hold of each other."

He began lifting Takato into the air. Takuya and Davis each grabbed one of his legs and were lifted into the air as well, allowing TK and Kari to grab onto their legs. As they were lifted up, Tinkermon flew beneath Oinkmon and began lifting him up.

"Wait for me!" Jyarimon cried, jumping onto Oinkmon's back. And then they were off, flying up and past the vines, into the night sky.

"Hey, there's no Snimon up here now," Takato noted. "Are they sleeping?"

Tinkermon giggled as she carried Oinkmon and Jyarimon over them. "Those sillies? I turned them into Babies. But since they were Champions, they obviously don't want to stay children, so they're not welcome."

"That's right," Petermon confirmed. "No one in Never-Ever Land but me is allowed to Digivolve past the Rookie level."

His warning rang in the teens' ears, and they shared a look, silently coming to an understanding that they would not be Spirit Evolving.

"And there it is! The male fairy Digimon declared as they came to a great flying rock formation. Flying up and over it, the teens saw that it was indeed a floating island. It had a massive lake in the center, surrounded by a forest that went on for miles. Past the forest, circling around the rim of the island, was what seemed to be a carnival full of rides, games, and other activities.

As the two fairy Digimon went in for a landing, the teens indeed saw that there were Baby, In-Training, and Rookie level Digimon everywhere. Jyarimon seemed very excited and hopped off of Oinkmon's back. "Alright! This place looks like a blast."

"I'll say," TK agreed as Petermon came down low enough for him and Kari, followed by Takuya and Davis, to let go. "You two actually built all this?"

"Of course!" Petermon cried happily, keeping hold of Takato. "It's a place for everyone who refuses to grow up to come and have fun forever! Or until they decide to grow up." His eyes narrowed. "However, there's a price to pay for coming here. And you will be paying it first."

Takato gulped nervously. "Um… pay how?"

Petermon continued to glare, but then his playfulness returned. "By contributing to the fun." He flew over and dropped Takato into a tank. He landed on a wooden seat above the water. Cupping his hands over his mouth, Petermon announced, "The dunking booth is now open!"

There were cheers as several Digimon hurried over, forming a line in front of the tank. Takato's mouth dropped open as he stared at the line. "You've got to be kidding me."

Floating upside-down, Petermon waved a finger at him. "Sorry, but everyone has to pay their do's. I'll consider yours paid after a thousand dunks, then one of your friends can take your place."

Takato sweat-dropped. "A-A thousand?"

Tinkermon flew over, still carrying Oinkmon. "What about this one?"

Petermon looked at him as the pig Digimon squealed in protest. "Give him a beard, an eye patch, and a pirate hat, then put him in the pie-in-the-face booth. His do's will be done after a thousand pies in the face."

Oinkmon continued to protest as Takuya raised his hand. "Um, are we going to have to do stuff like that too?"

Petermon did a flip in the air. "Of course. Everyone that comes here has had to pay their do's. Best to do them quickly and get them over with." He stared at Takuya for a few moments, then smiled. "I've got the perfect one for you. Tinkermon."

She giggled. "My thoughts exactly. Follow me."

She took off, carrying the squealing Oinkmon as Jyarimon hopped off his back. The boy hesitated, glancing uncertainly at Takato in the dunking booth. Petermon came up behind him and gave him a push forward. Takuya sighed and followed after the fairy Digimon. Petermon waved goodbye to them happily as they left.

Turning to the others, he winked at them. "When they're done paying their do's, you guys can do Rock, Paper, Scissor or something to decide who does what booth next. Same quota for each of you. Once you're done, feel free to do whatever you want. Enjoy Never-Ever Land!"

He flew off in the opposite direction of Tinkermon, and the remaining teens and Jyarimon were left amongst all the Digimon and the endless supply of activities. They exchanged looks, wondering what they should do.

"Well," said Davis, "I'm not so tired anymore."

TK gave Kari a smile. "I suppose we could use a day of fun. What do you say?"

She returned the smile. "Sounds like a good idea."

With a cheer, the three went off to enjoy the festivities, Jyarimon close behind. In the dunking booth, Takato gave them a pleading look. "Don't leave me…" A moment later, a Rookie Digimon hit the target and he splashed down into the water. Coming up, he spit out a mouthful of water and sighed. "Only 999 more to go."

Sufficient to say, Takato, Takuya, and Oinkmon weren't having as much fun as the others. As they counted down their quota, the other three and Jyarimon enjoyed the festivities. Tinkermon had joined them as they ran about the floating island, truly able to let lose and have fun for once since coming to the Digital World. It was a much needed reprieve from the constant traveling and occasional battles.

They eventually came across the location Tinkermon had brought Takuya to. He was currently strapped to a spinning wheel with his arms and legs out in an X formation as Digimon threw tomatoes at him. Globs of tomatoes fell from his clothes and dizzy swirls were present in his eyes as he spun clockwise.

TK waved. "How's it going?"

Takuya glared at him as the wheel stopped spinning. "Oh, just great. This is definitely the highlight of our adventure."

Davis grinned broadly. "Well, I certainly think so." His grin widened. "I think I'm going to get in on this."

"You got it," said the Digimon at the booth known as Musimon. He brought Davis a bucket of tomatoes, then went over to Takuya and spun the wheel he was on.

"Davis!" the boy snarled as a tomato splattered by his shoulder. "When it's you're turn to pay your do's, I'm going all out on you."

"What number are you at?" Kari asked as she tried to stop smiling.

"Um, 116." One of Davis' tomatoes splattered against his face. With a grumble, he shook his head. "Make that 117."

"Bulls eye!" Davis cheered, punching the air, and the others couldn't resist chuckling.

Takuya glared at them. His eyes landed on Tinkermon sitting on Kari's head and narrowed. He noticed she wasn't holding his Digivice anymore. "Hey, where's my Digivice?"

The tiny fairy Digimon pointed at him. "Mine now. It's in my special hiding place."

Kari chuckled. "We'll be sure to get it from her before we leave."

Leaving Takuya to finish paying his do's, they walked off to find more activities. Davis was a little more eager than TK and Kari, running ahead to each ride. "Hey, lets go on that giant Ferris wheel there," he suggested after they got off the spinning teacups.

Tinkermon flew over and landed on his head. "You can see the whole island from up there."

"We already did," Kari pointed out. "But I'm up for it. You?"

TK shrugged. "Sure, why not."

Davis beamed. "Great. I get to share a car with Kari. TO, you can go wit Jyarimon."

The other two sweat-dropped as Jyarimon bounded up and down. "We can all fit in the same car. Come on, it's more fun going together."

But Davis had already taken off, Tinkermon riding on his head. Jyarimon, TK, and Kari went after him at a slower pace. It was then that they came to the only ride that no one else seemed interest in riding. Jyarimon kept going, but TK and Kari came to a stop. They were right beside what was undoubtedly a Tunnel of Love. Catching each other's eye, they looked away, blushing.

"Hey, what's the hold up?" Davis demanded as he hurried back over to them. "Come on, after the Ferris wheel, we can do the roller coaster; it circles the entire island."

TK tried to look anywhere but at Kari or the romantic boat ride. "Sure, sounds good."

On top of Davis' head, Tinkermon suddenly jumped up and pointed. "Wait, lets do that first."

They looked to where she was pointing. Davis raised an eyebrow. "The House of Mirrors?"

"Yeah, come on." She grabbed him by the hair and began dragging him along. TK and Kari shrugged before following, Jyarimon close behind.

It was a standard funhouse of mirrors, much like the kind found in the Real World. Some mirrors were normal, others distorted their reflections in strange and unusual ways, others reflected their reflections, making it seem as if they were in an endless hall filled with clones, both distorted and normal.

At one point, it almost became a maze. Mirrors were everywhere, on the ceilings, the floors, the walls, and the rooms took odd shapes, ranging from circular to octagons. Tinkermon chose this moment to take off, leaving the four to find their own way out.

"Hey, this mirror makes me look like a square," Jyarimon laughed.

"And look at this one," said Davis, striking a pose that caused his reflection to look overly buff.

"Hey, guys," said Kari, standing in front of another mirror that greatly distorted her lower body. "Do these pants make my butt look big?"

TK smiled at his reflection, the top of his head looking gigantic. "And look at me. I bet I'm smarter than Izzy and Ken put together."

They laughed amongst themselves, enjoying the mirrors. More than once they ran into a mirror, thinking the reflection had actually been one of them, laughing it off afterwards. None of them noticed as Tinkermon flew over them, whispering quietly. "Fairy Powder…"

The sparkling dust rained down. So caught up in the mirrors and their laughter, none of them noticed it, and their distorted reflections prevented them from seeing the changes they were undergoing.

"I think we're almost out," said Davis, not noticing the change in his voice.

TK did, however, and he soon found the real Davis amongst all the distorted reflections. "Davis, you're a baby."

Taken aback, Davis rounded on him, thinking he was being insulted. "Who are you calling a baby, you baby!" That was when he finally noticed. "Ah, I'm a baby! Look!"

TK examined himself. He too had grown down. Looking at Kari, he saw that she had as well. They had all been reduced to little kids! The startling revelation ruined the fun time they were having, and they ran for the exit.

Bursting outside, they fell over, landing in one big pile. Jyarimon hopped out after them, looking surprised by their transformations. "What happened to you guys?"

Grumbling, Davis crawled out from beneath the other two. "That's what I'd like to know. How come we all got younger?"

Tinkermon flew over to them, smiling as if nothing were wrong. "Wasn't that fun? Want to try the bumper cars next? Or how about the ball pit? They're right there."

The children looked from the fairy Digimon to Jyarimon. Recalling how he ended up in his Baby form, things started to make sense.

Kari got up and dusted herself off. "Did you turn us into little kids?"

Tinkermon nonchalantly looked away. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Davis pointed an accusing finger at her. "You liar! You used your pixie dust stuff on us, didn't you?"

The fairy Digimon turned back to them, her eyes glowing. "Everything is fine. There's no problem. We're all just having a good time. Right?"

The children's eyes became hooded. "A good time," they repeated dreamily, emotionlessly.

Tinkermon turned to Jyarimon, her eyes still glowing. "Right?"

"Right," the slime Digimon answered in a monotone voice. "Everything's fine."

The fairy Digimon beamed again. The three children seemed to have completely forgotten that they had been reduced to near toddler age as they ran and played. Tinkermon continued to fly close by, taking part in the activities too.

Hours ticked by, yet there was no end to the fun. At least there hadn't been until a loud commotion that had drawn a crowd caught the children's attention.

"Hey, what's happening over there?" TK asked.

"Lets go see," said Davis. "I'll race ya!"

It was ironic that he wanted to race, for the commotion was due to the result of a race. Apparently, there had been a go-cart race that went all throughout Never-Ever Land. Two Digimon were arguing over it. The more timid of the two, a Digimon known as Bearmon, was making accusations against a Digimon called DemiDevimon. "I'm telling you, he cheated. After I passed him, he used his Demi Dart on my tire so I would crash."

The mini devil Digimon just sneered arrogantly. "Ah, quit being a sore loser."

Up in the commentator's box, the two Digimon, Bokomon and Neemon, were having their own debate over what had happened. "It seems a heated argument is underway on whether or not DemiDevimon cheated his way to victory. Bear in mind that he has had a reputation of being a cheater, but since he's sworn to never do so again… well, we all know what happens if someone breaks their word around here."

"They lose their friends' trust?" Neemon asked.

Bokomon grabbed his co-commenter's trousers, pulled them back, and released so they snapped against Neemon's side. "No, you twit! They'll have to answer to the boss."

The argument continued. Bearmon continued to insist that DemiDevimon was a cheater while the mini devil Digimon arrogantly insisted that he did no such thing. "You can't prove anything."

"Enough!" an angry voice cried. Flying down from the sky, Petermon came in for a landing. He looked angrily from Bearon to DemiDevimon and placed his hands on his hips. "This is a place to have fun. There's no reason to fight like this. What's the problem?"

Bearmon pointed at the mini devil Digimon. "He cheated again, Petermon."

"Liar!" DemiDevimon snapped. "He's just upset because he crashed his go-cart and lost the race. Don't be a poor sport." He gave Petermon a look that was clearly meant to be him sucking up. "Come on, boss. You know I promised never to cheat again, and we never break our promises here."

Petermon crossed his arms. "Do we?" He looked out at the crowd. "Is there anyone here who can tell us what really happened?"

A few seconds of silence passed, and then a Digimon stepped forward. "Um, I can. I saw the race from the air."

Petermon turned to them. "Very well, Falcomon, tell us. Did DemiDevimon cheat?"

The owl Digimon shifted uncomfortably. "Yes… he did. I didn't say anything because… well, you know…"

Petermon laid a hand on his shoulder. "Yes, I know, but rules are rules." He looked at DemiDevimon. "We always keep our promises, or else."

The mini devil Digimon backed away nervously. "C-Come on. It was just a little slip."

"The cheating is not so important," Petermon told him. "It's the breaking of your promise that's the real issue."

DemiDevimon began to panic. "I promise, it won't happen again."

"That's what you said before."

"Y-Yeah, but this time I promise not to break my promise."

"If you break one promise, you'll break another… unless there are consequences."

The children looked on with growing unease. Something had changed in Petermon. All playfulness had vanished, and there was now an empty, unfeeling look in his eyes, as if something were missing from deep within.

Turning back to the crowd, Petermon addressed them. "Promises are sacred here. We never break a promise. We all know what happens if we do. And what is it?"

"Pretend Punishment," the Digimon chorused.

The fairy Digimon looked back at DemiDevimon, his expression cold and merciless. "Pretend Punishment!"

Without warning, his foot shot out and slammed into DemiDevimon's face. The children cried out in surprise as the mini devil Digimon toppled over backwards. Petermon's foot shot out again, kicking him away. Digimon scattered as DemiDevimon hit the ground, and Petermon stalked over to him. "This is your Pretend Punishment."

He began stomping down repeatedly on DemiDevimon's back. Kari held onto TK in horror as the two boys stared in open shock as Petermon mercilessly beat the mini devil Digimon.

"This… isn't right," said Davis, feeling as if he were coming out of a daze. "We have to stop this."

Beside him, Jyarimon seemed to be returning to his senses as well. "Now I remember! This is the drawback to Petermon's purity. He may be innocent and naïve, but that causes him to have an inner brutality that he unleashes on those that break their promises."

Kari buried her face deeper into TK's shirt. He held her back just as tightly. "We have to do something."

Tinkermon suddenly appeared in front of them, her eyes glowing. "Don't worry… it's just Pretend Punishment. Once it's over, we can all have fun again, and DemiDevimon will have learned a valuable lesson and won't break his promises anymore."

The four of them immediately fell under her spell once more. "Yes," they chorused, "breaking your promises is bad."

Petermon finally stopped stomping down on the mini devil Digimon, but he wasn't done yet. Kicking him onto his back, he knelt over him. "You brought this upon yourself. Never break your word."

His fists began raining down on DemiDevimon's face over and over again. The mini devil Digimon could do nothing other than take the beating. All around, the crowd watched without raising a hand to help, not even the three human children or Jyarimon.

 

Notes:

(A/N: Quite a dark way to end the chapter, I know. It looks like this Never-Ever Land isn't all sunshine and daisies. And no, I did not make it up. This was all in Petermon's description, Never-Ever Land, his rivalry with Hookmon, his Pretend Punishment, everything in this chapter that he and Tinkermon do. And now four of our heroes are stuck as little kids under Tinkermon's spell while the others are stuck paying their do's. Perhaps they would have been better off staying in the vine forest. Stay tuned to see what happens next.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Tinkermon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Petermon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Jyarimon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Musimon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Bearmon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/DemiDevimon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Bokomon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Neemon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Falcomon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Hookmon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/CaptainHookmon

Chapter 49: Babies and Bubbles

Notes:

(A/N: We left off at a bit of a cliffhanger last chapter with Petermon revealing his more brutal side while Davis, TK, and Kari were turned into little kids and placed under Tinkermon's spell. Uch, I still can't believe some of these guys. Petermon, Tinkermon, seriously? But hey, it worked for my story. Lets see what will happen next.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 49: Babies and Bubbles

"Stop it!" a voice cried out.

Petermon stopped beating DemiDevimon and turned to finding a soaking wet Takato and a tomato covered Takuya running over to them, the former having been the one who shouted. Petermon stood up, leaving the wounded DemiDevimon on the ground, grumbling in pain. "Hey, you guys are supposed to be paying your do's." He cocked his head to the side. "Did you already meet your quota?"

"Forget your stupid do's," Takuya snapped. "What are you doing?"

Petermon honestly looked like he didn't know what he was talking about. "What do you mean?" He glanced at DemiDevimon. "You mean this? He broke a promise he made to never cheat again. I had to administer Pretend Punishment."

"Pretend Punishment?" Takato repeated in disbelief. "What's 'pretend' about this? You're beating the guy!"

"He'll live," the fairy Digimon replied with a shrug. "And, hopefully, he'll learn to keep his promises."

Takuya's fists clenched. "That's it, we're out of here. Where are our friends?"

Davis raised his hand. "Here we are."

The two boys turned and their mouths dropped open as they took in Davis, TK, and Kari's appearances. "What happened to you?" Takato cried. "You're all little kids!"

Tinkermon flew over to them. "Of course. It's a lot more fun being kids."

Takuya glared at her. "You did this to them. Change them back. And give me back my Digivice too."

The fairy Digimon pouted. "Oh, you're no fun."

Petermon shrugged, as if he didn't understand. "You can leave if you want. No one's keeping you here. But don't make them leave just because you want to go."

Pouting, Tinkermon looked at the children. "You don't want to go, do you?"

"No," they chorused in monotone voices. "It's fun here; we want to stay."

"What?" Takato cried. "We can't stay here. We have to go home."

Takuya glanced at Petermon. "And how can you want to stay after watching what he just did?"

"Because it's fun here," they once more replied.

Takato sighed. His friend Henry's sister, Suzie, and her two friends, Ai and Mako, not to mention his girlfriend's little brother, Masahiko, were only a few years older than Davis, TK, and Kari currently were, and they were difficult enough to deal with. "Guys, having fun is fine, but we've got to go now. We can't have fun all the time."

Petermon blinked. "You can't?"

Takato rounded on him. "No, you can't. So cut the games and change them back."

"Relax," the fairy Digimon told them. "They'll change back once Tinkermon's power wears off."

"But I can always hit them with another," Tinkermon sang. "Being little is better, right?"

"Yes," the children chanted. "Much better."

Takuya's eyes narrowed. "They're not just little kids again, they're under some kind of spell. Takato, it's time to get serious." He glared at Tinkermon. "I'd help you out, but she still has my Digivice hidden away somewhere."

Takato pulled out his. "Right. Leave it to me. Execute! Spirit Evolution… Growlmon!"

The smaller of the fairy Digimon gasped and flew back as Petermon's eyes widened. "Growlmon? You're a Champion?"

"That's right, pal, and you better undo what you did to my friends."

"Champions are forbidden here! Only children are allowed!"

"I'll handle this," Tinkermon declared. "Fairy Powder!"

Growlmon turned to her. "Fire Blaster!" His flames completely incinerated her cloud of dust, and she just barely escaped getting burned.

"Tinkermon!" Petermon shouted. Fury twisted his boyish features, and he pulled out his sword. "You'll pay for that."

"Just try it," the dinosaur Digimon growled, still unable to believe that any version of Peter Pan was actually any kind of bad guy.

Petermon took to the air. "Twinkle Shoot!" Several knives flew at Growlmon. He retaliated with his Dragon Slash. The knives went spinning off course as the blade of plasma flew threw them, but immediately went after the dinosaur Digimon again.

"Pyro Blaster!" Growlmon cried. This attack seemed to work, but only because it completely destroyed the knives.

With a cry, Petermon flew at Growlmon, swinging his sword. Growlmon used the blades on his arms to block, but Petermon was apparently an expert swordsman. Even with Growlmon's larger size and greater strength, Petermon was able to use his skills, speed, and ability to fly to keep the dinosaur Digimon on the defense, forcing him to back away.

"Snipe Sting!" the fairy Digimon cried, swiping his sword around wildly in a blur of movement. Growlmon blinked at the rapid movements. It was too fast for him to follow. He felt the sword cut him, and then almost immediately catch him somewhere else. All he could do was defend his face from the fairy Digimon's blade.

"Growlmon," Takuya called, "do your needle hair thing!"

Beside him, Tinkermon grabbed his ear and gave it a yank. "Don't help him!"

"Why you… Come here!"

He made a grab for her, but she flew out of his reach as Growlmon contemplated what he meant. "My hair needle? Oh, this. Dragon Spine!"

The streak of hair going down his head, neck, and back straightened into needles and fired. Petermon recoiled as the needles went flying. Growlmon used the opportunity to jump and use his Dino Kick, sending the fairy Digimon crashing into and destroying a concession stand. He recovered quickly though and flew towards the dinosaur Digimon again.

Takuya was busy still trying to catch Tinkermon. He kept making a grab for her, but she was too fast for him. "Hold still, you little pest."

The fairy Digimon's eyes flashed with anger. "Don't call me little! Nightmare Pandemic!"

She fired a stinger, and Takuya felt it stick him in the cheek. He pulled it out and tossed it aside, giving her a dirty look. "Is that the best you've got?"

He stepped forward to make a grab for her, but suddenly found that his legs didn't work, and he toppled over. Tinkermon giggled arrogantly as she fluttered above him. "My Nightmare Pandemic causes paralysis. Serves you right."

Grumbling, Takuya looked to his friends. All four were staring at him with hooded eyes. None of them looked like they were going to help. He struggled to move, but it took all his strength just to lift his hand. "Come on… you guys… Wake… up…"

He let his fist drop, bopping Jyarimon on the head. The slime Digimon blinked, and something returned in his eyes. Being just a head, he shook himself to clear his senses. "Wait, what am I doing? This is no time for games."

A small smile grazed Takuya's features. "Welcome back…"

Jyarimon suddenly looked horrified. "Takuya, no." He looked ashamed of himself. "I can't believe I let myself give in to her temptations like that."

"Uh oh," Tinkermon muttered and fluttered over to him, her eyes glowing. "Everything is ok."

Jyarimon shut his eyes. "That's enough of that. I'm not letting you control me anymore. Heated Bubbles!"

He spat out a stream of bubbles. Unlike the standard Bubble Blow that most Baby and In-Training Digimon had, this attack could actually do some form of damage. As the bubbles flew at Tinkermon, she swiped them with her lance, and was treated to a burst of hot air from them that was far more effective against her small size. "Hot! Hot!"

"I've had enough of being a Baby. Jyarimon Digivolve to… Gigimon! Gigimon Digivolve to… Shoutmon! There much better."

Tinkermon waved her lance around. "You're a big meanie. I made a mistake thinking you'd fit in here."

Shoutmon snorted. "I'm the Digimon King. I don't have time to play all day. Now, get out of my way. Rock and Roller!"

He swung his mic, but Tinkermon showed a surprising amount of strength for her small size and blocked with her lance. He tried again, but she continued to knock away his mic before attempting to hit him with her Nightmare Pandemic.

Shoutmon jumped backwards, avoiding the paralyzing stinger. "Fiery Fastball!"

Once again displaying strength her size belittled, she cut through the attack with her lance. "Petermon Syndrome!"

Shoutmon just smirked at her glowing eyes. "Sorry, but that only works on Baby Digimon."

The fairy Digimon smirked. "I know."

Shoutmon was suddenly grabbed from behind. He looked over his shoulder to find Davis, TK, and Kari holding onto him. "Guys, what are you doing?"

"Stop being so mean, Shoutmon," TK told him in a monotone voice.

"We just want to have fun," said Kari.

"Fun…" Davis muttered.

Shoutmon carefully struggled. He knew he could easily get free, but he didn't want to risk hurting them in their current forms. Human children, he had learned from their stories of the Real World, were apparently very fragile. "Come on, you guys, snap out of it! Don't you see she's manipulating you?"

Tinkermon chuckled. "You've been very naughty Shoutmon. Even though you didn't break a promise, I think you need some Pretend Punishment."

"I've been naughty? You're the one using your power to tempt Digimon to this place."

The fairy Digimon just shrugged as she stroked her poisonous lance. "We're trying to create a utopia for Digimon children to have fun and be carefree. I think you need to be reminded of how bad the world can be. Speed Nightmare!"

She threw her lance at him. No longer that concerned with hurting his friends, he broke from their grip and jumped out of the way, knocking them over in the process. Tinkermon's spear whizzed by him and buried in the ground.

Landing a short distance away, Shoutmon grasped the small cut where the lance grazed him. "Crap."

Tinkermon chuckled as she went to retrieve her weapon. "I got you! I got you! The poison on my lance causes nightmaric hallucinations. Even a small cut is enough."

That much was true. He could already feel the poison affecting him. "Nightmaric… isn't… a word…"

His eyes glazed over. He rubbed them to try and keep his vision clear, but everything around him was being distorted. Something was coming, something big and powerful, an incomprehensible force of destruction.

"Oh my," Tinkermon's distorted voice echoed all around him. "You saw something really bad in your past, didn't you?"

Yes, he had, and he was seeing it again. That giant destructive monster of immeasurable strength and power. It appeared before him like a massive tornado larger than any to ever appear on the fuji scale. Reaching hands that stretched out across the sky, covering the land in darkness. Two beastly faces that stared down at him, seeing him as nothing more than an insect to be squashed. A truly unstoppable force of destruction. And all he could do was stand in awe and fear of it.

But he wasn't alone. Someone was there with him, and they charged fearlessly towards the monster as Shoutmon reached out towards them and shouted their name. "Gumdramon!"

He knew what would happen before it did; he'd seen it before. But even if he hadn't, there had only been one possible outcome against such a monstrous beast, one he had been too cowardly face, even as his best friend raced towards what he must have known would be his death.

"So sad," said Tinkermon from somewhere he couldn't see. "This is what happens when you grow up. That's why it's so much better to stay in the child and infant levels. You don't want to make the same mistake again, do you?"

The vision changed slightly. The monster was still there, but now his human friends were too. Their Digivices lay smashed on the ground, and they seemed to be unconscious as the monster loomed over them, roaring triumphantly.

"No, I don't," Shoutmon whispered. "I don't want it to happen again." He dropped to his knees. "And I won't let it!"

He slammed his head on the ground as hard as he could. Tinkermon gasped in surprise, but it seemed to do the trick. Reality and his hallucination blurred together, but he was able to locate the fairy Digimon.

He grasped his mic tightly. "Bellow Blaster!"

A blaze of fiery energy burst from his mic. Tinkermon cried out as it flowed over her, but was unable to dodge or defend against it in time. She dropped to the ground, covered in a fine layer of ashes. Shoutmon marched over and kicked her lance away from her as he fought off the last bit of its hallucinatory poison. "And I hope you learned your lesson."

Whimpering, the fairy Digimon struggled to her feet and took to the air. Shoutmon watched her go as she fluttered up higher and higher. Looking down, she watched as Petermon and Growlmon continued to fight as the crowd of Baby, In-Training, and Rookie level Digimon grew larger.

Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and reached out as far as her powers would allow. When she opened her eyes again, they were glowing brightly. "All Baby Digimon, help Petermon!"

Shoutmon's eyes widened. "Oh, crap. You rotten little… Fiery Fastball!"

Giggling, she dodged the attack and disappeared into the crowd. Shoutmon swore as the Baby Digimon started to move in. This included the three human toddlers. Takuya shouted for them to stop, but was unable to actually do anything due to his paralysis.

"Hiyah!" Shoutmon cried, leaping through the air and landing on Davis. He pinned the boy to the ground and reached out to grab TK and Kari by the back of their shirts. "Guys, come on! Don't let her control you!"

Growlmon continued to dodge and parry Petermon's sword with the blades on his elbows. With the fairy Digimon's ability to fly, it proved difficult to fight him off. It irritated him somewhat that Petermon could fly without wings while he was stuck on the ground. Where was the logic in that?

"Growl Claw!" he cried, slashing at Petermon. The fairy Digimon attempted to block with his blade, but had it knocked away. He retreated to the sky, and Growlmon prepared to send a Dragon Slash his way, but before he could fling the blade of plasma, he felt something on his tail.

Turning around, he found several Baby Digimon surrounding him, beginning to crawl up his body. "Hey, get off. You could get hurt."

Petermon smiled. "Great idea, Tinkermon. Now lets throw my Midnight Fantasia into the mix."

Placing two fingers in his mouth, he whistled loudly. It wasn't an ordinary whistle though; Growlmon could sense something mystical about it, much like his Howl attack. Petermon's whistle didn't hurt, but whatever it was meant to do, he made sure everyone heard it as he took off, flying above the forest.

Growlmon couldn't be bothered chasing. He was being 'attacked', for lack of a better word, by all the Baby Digimon. They couldn't do anything to hurt him, but they were nuisances that kept getting in his way. He couldn't even go anywhere without stepping on them. "Shoutmon, what's going on?"

"It's Tinkermon!" the dragon Digimon called back as he tried to restrain the three human children. "She's controlling them. She has the power to control Baby Digimon."

"Humans too," Takuya muttered as he slowly began to regain mobility. He managed to glance at a Rookie level Digimon standing close by. "Why aren't you guys doing anything?"

The Digimon shook its head. "You guys issued a challenge. We can't interfere."

Takuya managed a nod towards the Baby Digimon surrounding Growlmon. "You call that not interfering?"

"That's Tinkermon's power, not us, so it's allowed."

Takuya cut his eyes at them. "That's a load of crap."

Over in the gathering crowd of Baby Digimon, Growlmon had finally gotten fed up. Shaking himself like a wet dog, he shook all the Baby Digimon off and jumped as far away from them as he could. Placing some distance between himself and them, a familiar scent caught his nose and he looked back at the forest to see Petermon returning.

"Ba, ba, ba, ba, ba, ba!" the fairy Digimon cried in a familiar tune. "Charge!"

From out of the forest, numerous Baby, In-Training, and Rookie level Digimon came rushing out. The former two stayed beneath Petermon while the Rookies all charged forward. As they approached, Growlmon could see that all their eyes were closed, yet they were somehow still going on the attack. "What the…?"

Petermon smirked. "My Midnight Fantasia allows me to control any sleeping Digimon at the Rookie level or below." He motioned to the Digimon that had come out of the forest. "These guys are the ones that decided to call it a night and go to bed."

Growlmon glared. "If you're controlling them, then that means that I just have to defeat you. Pyro Blaster!"

He fired a beam of plasma energy. Petermon didn't even bother to move. He simply snapped his fingers, and the Baby and In-Training Digimon beneath him began blowing bubbles. A wall of shiny, pink spheres built up in front of Petermon. Growlmon's attack collided with it, popping most of them, but his Pyro Blaster had been stopped.

Growlmon blinked. "What? How could bubbles…?"

"Hey!" Shoutmon called to him. "Baby and In-Training Digimon have a Bubble Blow attack that they use to defend themselves. Enough of them can neutralize even the strongest of attacks."

The dinosaur Digimon's ears drooped. "That's not fair."

Petermon pointed. "And best of all, you don't have that advantage. Attack!"

All the sleeping Rookie level Digimon attacked. There were far too many for Growlmon to avoid, so he quickly shielded his head as several dozen attacks blasted against him. He may have been a Champion, but that many Rookie level attacks hurt.

"No Champions or up allowed," Petermon insisted. "Leave now."

Growlmon lowered his arms. "Not without my friends!"

He flung a Dragon Slash at him. Just like before, the Baby and In-Trainings used Bubble Blow to cancel out his attack. Petermon laughed loudly. "Your attacks are useless. Everyone, show him how it's done."

Growlmon knew it was coming, but that didn't make the barrage of attacks any less painful. Different attacks of different element types slammed against him. He could attack back if he wanted, but he didn't want to hurt them; they were just under Petermon's control. In a way, they were sleepwalking.

His eyes snapped open. 'That's it! They're asleep. I just have to wake them up.' Ignoring the numerous attacks, he took a deep breath. "Howling!"

His deafening howl rang out. Everyone covered their ears, crying out. The attacks stopped as Growlmon's howl woke them up, leaving them to wonder what happened. Even the Baby Digimon Tinkermon was controlling came back to their senses.

"Hey!" Petermon cried, talking extra loud over the ringing in his ears. "That's cheating!"

"Cheating my foot," Growlmon snarled. "Pyro Blast-"

"Nightmare Pandemic!"

Something pricked Growlmon's cheek. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Tinkermon fly by. Reaching up, he brushed the stinger away, but suddenly felt his jaw go slack, his tongue dangling out. The paralysis traveled down to his neck, and his head went lop-sided.

"Just try howling now," Tinkermon told him. She turned to the Baby Digimon, eyes glowing. "Petermon Syndrome!"

The Babies fell under her control again. They immediately began using Bubble Blow. Clouds of bubbles flew at Growlmon, covering him head to toe in one big, pink pile. He fought against them, but there were so many, and they were coming faster than they could be popped.

'This is bad. I can't attack. I'll be defeated at this rate.'

The bubbles continued to pile up, subduing him. The last thing he saw before the pink sphere's obscured his vision was Shoutmon still trying to restrain his friends while Takuya remained paralyzed. He had to help them. He was the only one who could do it. If he didn't end this, they would never get home.

"No," the dinosaur Digimon whispered. "I won't let that happen. We're going home. We're getting out of here now!"

On the outside, the pile of bubbles continued to grow as the Babies kept unleashing their attacks. Petermon watched with his arms crossed and a satisfied smile on his face. "Keep it up. Once he tires himself out, we'll throw him off the island, and he'll never bother- Ah!"

He cried out and covered his eyes as a bright light emitted from the pile of bubbles. The Baby Digimon jumped back in surprise and stopped attacking as Growlmon's voice rang out. "Growlmon Digivolve to… WarGrowlmon!"

The pile of bubbles burst apart. Growlmon was gone, and something much larger appeared from beneath them as a much larger cybernetic Digimon that was part flesh and part mechanical. WarGrowlmon was appropriately named, as he looked ready for a war with a lethal looking blade on each claw and blasters on his chest.

Petermon looked on in disbelief at the new cyborg dinosaur Digimon. "He Digivolved? To Ultimate? But he was defeated." He shook his head and pointed. "Wait, that's not the issue! How dare you Digivolve! Champions are not allowed, so Ultimates are definitely not!"

"Don't worry," WarGrowlmon assured him, the paralysis in his face gone. "We'll be leaving in a little bit. Just as soon as I deal with you. Atomic Blaster!" He fired blasts of energy from his chest. Petermon flew backwards, allowing the Baby Digimon to send up a wall of bubbles that stopped his attack.

The fairy Digimon smirked. "It doesn't matter if you're an Ultimate. Bubble Blow is an attack meant to stop all attacks. Babies and In-Trainings need it in order to survive in the world. As long as I have them to defend me, I can't be touched. Unless you show us how bad adult Digimon are by killing them, your attacks will never reach me."

WarGrowlmon glared. "I would never attack, let alone kill, innocent bystanders."

"Well, too bad for you, because they have no problem attacking. Get him!"

The Baby Digimon attacked. Countless bubbles flew at WarGrowlmon. He began swinging his arms around, popping the bubbles in bunches so they couldn't pile up on him like before. But Petermon was right, as long as he was unwilling to kill the Baby Digimon, they would just keep blocking his attacks.

From a safe distance away, Tinkermon chuckled as she watched from her hiding place, controlling the Baby Digimon so they obeyed Petermon's orders. "Adult Digimon are so stupid. Make him pay, Petermon, then we can have fun again."

A loud squeal drew her attention away from the battle. She turned around to find Oinkmon, covered in pie cream, charging at her. With an angry squeal, he jumped in the air. Tinkermon cried out as he came down on top of her, crushing her beneath his much larger size.

The bubbles stopped coming as Tinkermon's control over the Baby Digimon was broken. Davis, TK, and Kari stopped fighting against Shoutmon as well as they realized what they were doing.

"Wait," said TK, "we were just trying to help Petermon. Why?"

"I'm not sure," Davis replied, rubbing his head. "It seemed like a good idea at the time."

At this point, Petermon realized the bubbles had stopped. "What happened? Tinkermon?" He looked to see Oinkmon trotting over, the unconscious fairy Digimon in his mouth; she was out cold. "Tinkermon!"

The clearing of a throat drew his attention, and he turned uneasily to WarGrowlmon. "Remember me?"

Petermon gulped nervously, but anger for what had been done to his best friend quickly overrode it. Holding out his hand, his sword flew into it, and he pointed it at the cyborg dinosaur Digimon. "Come on then!"

WarGrowlmon took his challenge and charged, using the two vernier thrusters on his back for speed. Petermon flew towards him as well and used Twinkle Shoot. The cyborg dinosaur Digimon didn't even flinch as the knives bounced off his metal body. The two Digimon met, both swinging their blades. WarGrowlmon's much larger ones easily cut through Petermon's sword, sending the broken blade flying and landing point first into the ground.

"Hammer Edge!" he cried, bringing his claw down from up above to stab. The fairy Digimon went down as WarGrowlmon's claw slammed him to the ground, sending up a cloud of dust with the force. When the dust cleared, Petermon found himself pinned to the ground by WarGrowlmon's palm. The cyborg dinosaur Digimon could have easily used his claws to impale him, but instead had buried them in the ground around him, pinning him in place.

Petermon stared up at the sky, seemingly stunned. Slowly, his gaze shifted to WarGrowlmon, who glared at him threateningly. With a sigh, he closed his eyes and spoke the words he never uttered before. "I… surrender…" 

Notes:

(A/N: Phew, that was an event. But it looks like things have been resolved. And now a new Ultimate has joined the group. Yay! But what's going to become of Petermon and Tinkermon now? And what of our heroes? Tai is still an Oinkmon, and three others are little kids. Maybe they should have stayed in Argomon's jungle instead. Stay tuned to find out what happens next.)

WarGrowlmon's attacks:

Radiation Blade – Slashes with his radiated Pendulum Blades.

Atomic Blaster – Shoots atomic lasers from both of the gun-ports on his chest that destroys the opponent on the atomic level.

Megalo Spark – Emits an electric shock from his chest.

Hammer Edge – Stabs with his Chrome Digizoid claws.

Plasma Blade – Ignites his Pendulum Blades and strikes the ground, emitting a fiery shockwave.

Big Spark – Fires electrified bullets from his chest mounted cannons.

Assault Balancer – Stabs an enemy with his cable and then throws them.

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/WarGrowlmon

Chapter 50: Angels Can Be Evil

Notes:

(A/N: Got a long one here. And we'll also be getting a little more insight as to what's happening with Argomon. I won't say any more than that. Enjoy.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 50: Angels Can Be Evil

 

"You know," said Davis, "being a kid again was fun and all, but it's good to be my own age again."

Shoutmon snorted. "Trust me, there wasn't much of a difference."

"Hey!"

Takato chuckled. "Good one, Shoutmon."

Davis cut his eyes at him and grinned. "Well, listen to you, Mr. Big-Shot, with your new Ultimate level. WarGrowlmon, huh? That's pretty awesome."

"Yeah," TK agreed, "now our team is even stronger." He looked up at Petermon and Tinkermon with a serious look. "Now, you guys promised to behave, right?"

The two fairy Digimon lowered their heads. "Yes, we promise."

"Good," said Shoutmon. He pointed at the Champion threateningly. "And you remember what happens when you break your promises. Your rules applies to you too."

"Yes," Petermon replied, bowing his head even lower.

"And no more using your powers to tempt and control anyone," Kari told the female fairy Digimon. "You can invite them to come here, but it's up to them whether they do or not."

Tinkermon pouted. "Understood. But if they Digivolve beyond Rookie, we will still evict them."

Takato sighed. "Fine, but no throwing them off the island like you were planning on doing to me."

Petermon cocked his head to the side. "Speaking of leaving the island, are you sure you want to go back down there again?"

Takuya glanced over the railing at Argomon's jungle of vines and sighed. "Afraid so. It's not ideal, but we've got to stop Argomon."

Not understanding, the male fairy Digimon shook his head. "I don't get it, but it's your choice." He held out his hand. "Everyone link up."

They all joined hands, and Petermon took to the air. Tinkermon once again carried Oinkmon while Shoutmon clung to Kari's leg at the end of the human chain. The other Digimon cried their goodbyes as the teens were lifted off the island and brought down below.

"Where do you want me to drop you off?" Petermon asked.

TK, the fifth link in the chain, looked around. "Anywhere is fine as long as there's not many vines."

"I got the torch ready," Shoutmon called up to him. "It's a shame we can't find Argomon from the air though."

"Wait," Kari cried just above him, "what's that over there?"

Petermon squinted to see. "You mean that? It looks like some Digimon fighting. We'll avoid that spot."

"No, wait," said Davis, the third in the chain. He stared hard. "I think… I think that's Leomon. It is, it's Leomon!"

The fairy Digimon made a face. "Uch, another Champion."

"You're a Champion," TK pointed out.

"I'm the exception."

Flying beside the fairy Digimon, Oinkmon made some pig snorts. Beneath him, Tinkermon looked puzzled. "What? You want us to bring you there?"

Takato, the fourth link in the chain, nodded. "Yeah, take us… Wait, you can understand him?"

"Are you sure?" Petermon asked uncertainly. "Tinkermon and I ain't sticking around to help."

"Just do it," Takuya said beneath him.

Petermon and Tinkermon exchanged a look and shrugged. They flew over to the battle, flying directly above the two combatants. Neither Leomon nor his opponent realized the group was above them.

"Hey, Shoutmon," Takato called down the line, "who's that Leomon's fighting?"

The dragon Digimon struggled to look down. "It looks like Wendigomon. He's a Champion level beast man Digimon, and can be quite ruthless."

A smile crept up Davis' face. "Hey, guys, what do you say we give Leomon a bit of a surprise?"

The others seemed to realize what he was talking about and smiled. "Yeah, lets do it," said Takato eagerly.

Takuya looked up at Petermon. "I guess this is goodbye. You can let us go now."

The fairy Digimon raised an eyebrow, but shrugged and released him. "Tootles."

The teens dropped from the sky, pulling out their Digivices as they did so. Leomon had left them before because he had thought that they would be in danger and slow him down. Well, he was about to get a surprise.

"Fist of the Beast king!" the lion Digimon cried, punching outward.

Wendigomon just smirked and charged at him. He jumped over the energy blast shaped like a lion's head as his torso tore open. "Koko Crusher!"

Blasts were fired from the tear in his chest. Leomon raised his arms to defend himself when an angel Digimon suddenly appeared in front of him and used his Angel Staff to deflect the blasts. Leomon blinked at the unexpected save as Angemon smiled at him over his shoulder. "Surprise."

All around, different Digimon came in for a landing. Wendigomon hesitated as he now found himself confronted by BurningGreymon, Paildramon, Angewomon, Angemon, WarGrowlmon, and even Shoutmon. Then, a moment later, Oinkmon landed on his head and dropped to the ground. Growling, Wendigomon kicked the dazed pig Digimon into the air, and Angewomon quickly caught him. "I guess Tinkermon dropped you too. Are you ok?"

With dizzy swirls in his eyes, Oinkmon grunted.

WarGrowlmon took a threatening step towards Wendigomon. "A word of advice, cut your loses and run, or face all of us."

The beast man Digimon hesitated, seeming to consider his odds as he regarded the group of Digimon before him. Whether he was unintelligent, determined, wild, or arrogant, he went on the attack. "Destroyer Voice!"

The cry of his attack unleashed a powerful shockwave that tore the ground apart as it flew towards the DigiDestined. WarGrowlmon charged forward and used his large body to shield the others from the shockwave. That was when Wendigomon used his Club Arm, shooting out his cable-like arms to latch onto a series of vines behind the group and rapidly pull himself forward past the others, heading straight for Leomon.

Angewomon suddenly appeared in front of him and used Holy Slap, knocking him away. He went flying through the air, crashing into a wall of vines. As soon as he hit the ground, the vines began wrapping around him. Strangely, Wendigomon was calm, letting the vines constrict around him, and after a few moments, they stopped and unwound, leaving the beast man Digimon alone.

"Hey, what happened?" BurningGreymon exclaimed. "The vines didn't attack him."

"Wendigomon is an agent of Argomon," Leomon explained. "The vines won't go after him."

Shoutmon snorted in disapproval. "Well, that stinks."

"Koko Crusher!"

With his rapid speed, Paildramon rushed into the attack's path and fired his Desperado Blaster. Using precise aiming, his bullets collided with the blasts, causing small explosions to go off a distance from their intended target.

Roaring, Wendigomon's arms extended on their cables. Paildramon dodged the one on the left, then the one on the right. But as the arms retracted, they grabbed hold of the dragon Digimon's shoulders, allowing Wendigomon to speed towards Paildramon. It seemed he was rather resourceful with his movements.

"I don't think so." The dragon Digimon's arm came up, kicking the beast man Digimon in the jaw. Wendigomon went down. Dazed, he began crawling, and grabbed hold of some vines to climb to his feet. When he turned around, he came face to face with BurningGreymon.

"Surrender?" the dragon Digimon asked. In response, Wendigomon threw a punch. BurningGreymon easily caught his fist. He heated up his hand, and the beast man Digimon cried out and pulled his burned hand back. He backed away and hit something solid. Turning around, he found WarGrowlmon standing behind him. He immediately hopped away and fired his Koko Crusher. WarGrowlmon held up his arms as the blast exploded against his armor, the attack doing little to hurt him.

"He's certainly persistent," he said. The metal cable growing from his back wrapped around Wendigomon's ankle and lifted him in the air. "Ready, Angewomon?"

The angel Digimon smirked. "Ready." She built up her energy and launched herself in the air with her Super Jump. WarGrowlmon threw Wendigomon to her. She kicked out with her Heel of Justice, and Wendigomon went flying through the air, disappearing from view among the vines.

Paildramon raised his arms in the air. "Gooooal!"

Angemon flew over. "Nice kick, Angewomon."

"Why thank you."

He looked in the direction the beast man Digimon had disappeared in. "I do feel kind of bad for him though. He never stood a chance."

WarGrowlmon walked over. "We gave him a chance to leave, and one to surrender. He chose to keep attacking."

Paildramon crossed his arms. "Yeah, he's lucky we didn't just kill him." He turned to Leomon. "Glad to see us?"

The lion Digimon lowered his head. "You have my thanks, my friends. Wendigomon was proving to be most formidable."

Grinning, Shoutmon walked over with his hands behind his head. "Ah, it was nothing. All in a day's work."

Leomon looked at him. "Shoutmon, you came back? Did you get the humans to safety?"

The dragon Digimon blinked. "Did I get the…? Oh, ha, ha! That's right, you don't know. Guys." He snapped his fingers, and everyone returned to their human forms.

Leomon looked at the teens in surprise, clearly caught off guard. "Wait, you children…? You can…? You just…?"

TK chuckled. "Cat got your tongue?"

The lion Digimon continued to look flabbergasted. "You humans can turn into Digimon? Since when?"

"Well," said Takato, "since long before we met you."

With a frustrated sigh, Leomon palmed his forehead. "You can turn into Digimon, and nearly all of you are at the Ultimate level. I wish I had known that before. You're actually better off than I am. Better off than my group even."

Davis stomped his foot. "Speaking of which, what gives with leaving us behind like that? We said we'd help you."

The lion Digimon sighed. "Forgive me. I thought that if I left, there would be no way you could follow me, and Shoutmon would lead you out of here."

He looked at the dragon Digimon, who began waving his arms. "Hey, you try arguing with these humans and see how far it gets you."

He sighed again. "I'm sorry for leaving. I clearly underestimated you. And that makes me even more ashamed to ask this now." He got down on his knees and bowed to them. "Will you help me find my companions and defeat Argomon?"

Grinning, Shoutmon walked over and patted him on the back of his head. "Hey, no sweat. That was the plan from the get go. We'll take care of Argomon just like we took care of Wendigomon."

Kari crossed her arms. "We?" she asked playfully.

The dragon Digimon sweat-dropped. "I mean, you guys, of course."

That was when Oinkmon trotted over and began squealing. Shoutmon's smug expression became a stupefied one. "What? If Wendigomon worked for Argomon, we should have made him show us where he is?"

Silence followed. An ironic breeze was heard, and a data dust packet drifted by as if it were a cosmic joke.

"Oh…" TK muttered, "yeah… I guess that would have been a good idea. Guess that's why you're the leader."

"Lets not go through that again," Takato pleaded.

"Yeah, we all know that I'm the leader," Davis declared, puffing out his chest and placing his hands on his hips. The others sweat-dropped.

"Delusions aside," said Takuya, turning back to Leomon, "any luck finding your friends?"

With a sigh, the lion Digimon stood up. "I'm afraid not. I've actually spent most of my time going around in circles. How about you?"

Takato smiled nervously. "Oh, you wouldn't believe where we've been. A lot had happened these past few weeks. Mostly though we haven't seen anything."

"Aside from those Snimon that Shoutmon saw, Wendigomon was the first of Argomon's minions we saw." TK told him. "Unless… Shoutmon, do you think Snatchmon worked for Argomon?"

The dragon Digimon shook his head. "Not likely. Snatchmon is a loner, and doesn't take orders well. Besides, the vines attacked him, but they didn't attack Wendigomon. No, he was probably just wandering around on his own."

"Great," Davis grumbled, kicking a vine. "Our first real lead and we end up- AH!"

The vine he had kicked attacked him. Shoutmon rushed over with the torch and warded it away. TK sighed and shook his head. "So, what's the plan now? Just go back to aimlessly wandering around like we did before we went to Never-Ever Land and hope we get lucky?"

Leomon did a double-take. "You went where?"

"Never mind," Kari told him. "In any case, I don't think we have a choice." She pointed. "But I suggest heading in the direction I kicked Wendigomon in. Maybe we'll run into him again, and we can get him to lead us to Argomon."

Davis chuckled. "This'll make an interesting memory. 'Hey, do you remember the time we went searching for Wendigomon in the direction Kari kicked him in'?"

"This whole trip is one interesting memory after another," Takato pointed out. "Seriously, who goes through things like this?"

"We do," TK replied. "It seems like ever since we've got here, we've run into some evil freak trying to take over, and once we beat one, we run into another. First it was Devimon, then it was Dragomon, then Myotismon, and now it's Argomon."

Leomon was staring. "Are you serious? You've faced all these villains? Just what have you been through since coming here?"

Takuya gave a bark of laughter. "Oh, boy. Leomon, my friend, have we got a story for you."

As they walked off in search of Wendigomon, they were unaware of the flying figure overhead, watching them with a scowl on their face. "So, you're the ones that are causing all the trouble. Humans that can become Digimon, huh?" Their fists clenched. "Well, you won't stop us. We'll find what we're looking for, and you won't stand in our way."

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

"We really should have stacked up on food when we were at Never-Ever Land," Takuya grumbled as he gnawed on the edible plant root.

"For all the nutrition it would have given us," TK replied.

Kari nodded in agreement. "Yeah, the only thing they had was junk food."

"Hey," Davis objected, "I don't know about you guys, but I could live on junk food. Nothing like a sugar rush before a big game for an energy boost."

"Until you crash," Takato pointed out, "and then you have no energy at all. Plus, you'll get fat." He looked at Shoutmon and Leomon. "How does nutrition work with Digimon?"

"Eating healthy is important whether human or Digimon," Leomon replied.

"Yeah, we may not lose or gain muscle or weight based on what we eat like you humans do, but we still need energy, and the right kind is important."

Davis grumbled as he stared at the root in his hand. "Well, I'm not getting any from this." He tried to take a bite. "It's so tough I can't even bite the thing."

"That's because it's not cooked yet," the lion Digimon told him, taking the root and putting it back in the fire. "Let it sit a little longer."

Davis sighed. "I'm going to waste away before it's done." He eyed Shoutmon's roasted root hungrily as the dragon Digimon ate, but Shoutmon produced his mic and pointed it at him threateningly, shaking his head.

Kari chuckled and turned to Leomon. "Hey, Leomon, did you find any clues as to why Argomon is taking over this area?"

The lion Digimon shook his head. "Nothing concrete. I did discover that he's looking for something though, but I don't know what it is."

"Must be pretty important to do all this," said Takuya, looking around at all the vines. "What could he be looking for?"

Shoutmon shrugged. "It's anyone's guess. There are many mysteries in the Digital World that have yet to be known."

"Like how we got here," TK pointed out.

Leomon nodded in agreement. "Yes, that is quite a mystery. In any case, I don't know what Argomon is looking for, but I doubt it's anything good."

"Maybe he's just looking for something to eat," Davis grumbled, getting up. "I'm going to take a leak."

"Thanks for the details," Takato muttered.

Davis didn't have the energy to reply. He once again wished they had thought to stock up in Never-Ever Land. Food was scarce in this vine forest with all the green tentacles covering everything. Aside from those rough, bitter roots, they hadn't eaten anything all day.

"Maybe Snatchmon only went cannibal because he couldn't find anything to eat," he complained as he unzipped.

A sigh escaped him as he relieved himself. His business was soon interrupted from one of his friends calling to him. "Couldn't you have moved further away?"

"And get lost in this vine maze?" he responded. "No, thanks."

As he proceeded to empty his bladder, he heard movement in front of him. Frowning, he reached up and pushed aside some vines without thinking. It didn't register to him that they didn't react, but what did register was the giant face behind them.

The teens jumped as Davis came running back over to them, screaming. Kari screamed as well when she saw him and covered her eyes, but her brother's look alike didn't even notice her distress as he began pointing back where he had come from. "Face! Big! Big face! In vines!"

"Davis!" Takuya shouted. "Your pants!"

Taken aback, Davis looked down to find both his pants and his underwear around his ankles. He quickly pulled up both and pointed behind him. "There's a big face back there!"

Takato frowned. "A big face?"

"I think he means that!" TK cried, pointing.

Pushing aside the vines, Wendigomon walked into the clearing. The teens all jumped to their feet as Leomon pulled out his sword and Shoutmon produced his mic. "Well," the dragon Digimon stated, "I guess the big guy found us."

A wicked chuckle escaped the beast man Digimon as he cracked his knuckles. A smirk crept up Takuya's face as he glanced at his friends. "I think he came to get even. I guess we didn't kick enough sense into him last time."

"Well," said Kari, "at least we don't need to look for him anymore. Execute! Spirit Evolution… Angewomon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Paildramon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… WarGrowlmon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… BurningGreymon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Angemon!"

Leomon stepped forward to stand beside them. "I will fight with you this time, my friends."

Shoutmon went to stand by Oinkmon. "I guess we're sitting out." The pig Digimon's ears dropped, and Shoutmon patted Oinkmon on the back. "Ah, don't worry. I don't think we're needed anyway."

"He's right," BurningGreymon insisted. "We swept the field with you last time, Wendigomon. How about you just surrender and take us to Argomon?"

The beast man Digimon just chuckled again and pointed. The group turned around to find a second Wendigomon marching out of the vine jungle. Movement to the right brought forth a third, and a fourth came from the left. They now had four Wendigomon surrounding them.

WarGrowlmon looked around at them. "I guess he brought some friends."

There was a roar from up above, and a fifth Wendigomon came down from the sky. The DigiDestined scattered as the newest beast man Digimon punched the ground where they were. The other four let them pass, chuckling as they turned to face them.

"This could be a bit of problem," said BurningGreymon.

"Why?" Paildramon asked. "We've still got superior numbers, and almost all of us are Ultimates who can fly. We got this."

"Don't be so sure," a feminine voice that did not belong to Angewomon cried out from up above. "You humans are far too ignorant to how our world works. Wendigomon, do it now!"

The five beast man Digimon gathered close together. Bands of Fractal Code emerged from their bodies and wrapped around them, becoming entwined with each of them. The five began to glow as they cried out in unison. "Wendigomon Digivolve to… Mephistomon!"

The light faded and the five Wendigomon were gone. In their place was a single Digimon that resembled a demon ram standing on two legs with a pair of bat-like wings. A sinister smile crept up the demon Digimon's face as it stared at the group hungrily.

WarGrowlmon was suddenly feeling a little less confident. "Ooook, Shoutmon, a couple of questions. First, what happened?"

"Group Digivolving," the dragon Digimon replied. "If a Digimon isn't strong enough to Digivolve on its own, it can get together with more of its own kind and Digivolve in a group to reach the next level. The more that Digivolve together, the stronger they are."

"Oh, great," Paildramon complained.

"Ok, next question." He looked up. "Who's that?"

Up in the sky was an angel Digimon with four wings, wielding a staff. "I am Darcmon, and you pests are interfering with my plans."

"Wait, your plans?" Angewomon repeated.

"I thought Argomon was responsible for these vines," said Angemon.

Darcmon chuckled. "Oh, he is, but yours truly is behind it. Argomon is a fool; so easy to manipulate. It was me who recruited him, and all those working for him answer to me."

"I see," said BurningGreymon. "It's a classic case of the servant secretly manipulating the master behind the scenes. Interesting. I guess only Argomon can do what you can't."

A smirk grazed Darcmon's face. "It certainly makes my search easier."

Paildramon still seemed to be trying to wrap his head around the situation. "Wait, so an angel Digimon is the bad guy? How's that work? Isn't she a Light type?"

"It doesn't always matter what type, species, element, or attribute a Digimon is," Leomon told them. "It all comes down to one's choices. Although it is true that certain qualities different Digimon possess in their code make them more likely to give in to the darkness. The most easily affected are the demon species, the Dark elements, and the Virus types."

Paildramon wasn't sure he caught all that. "Well, I guess it makes sense; her name is Darkmon after all."

"It's not that type of dark, you idiot," the angel Digimon in question scolded. "Mephistomon, get rid of these nuisances!"

The demon Digimon grinned. "With pleasure, my lady. Payback time."

He closed his eyes and began muttering under his breath. Shoutmon's eyes widened and his hands flew to his head. "Cover your ears!"

"Black Sabbath!" Mephistomon roared, and fired a blast of dark energy. The DigiDestined dodged as the attack cleared out a good portion of vines.

BurningGreymon lowered his hands. "Why'd we have to cover our ears?"

"Memphistomon chants a spell before using his Black Sabbath attack," Shoutmon explained. "If you hear his spell, you'll die."

WarGrowlmon blinked. "Oh… Well, that sucks."

The demon Digimon laughed. "It keeps others at a distance."

"So does this," Paildramon exclaimed. "Cable Catcher!"

His claw shot out. Mephistomon lowered his head, using his horns to knock them away. Smirking, he raised his arms. "Dark Cloud!" A black cloud exploded from his body, consuming everything around them. The DigiDestined coughed and hacked within the cloud of blackness while the demon Digimon stood unaffected. All around them, the vines began to rot, even the structures beneath them began to decay as his attack took affect.

"I'll take care of this cloud," Angemon declared. "Omni Typh-"

"Dancing Sword!"

Angemon cried out as a flying sword pierced his wing. He looked up to find Darcmon hovering just above the Dark Cloud. She motioned for him to come to her, and he took the challenge. Brandishing his staff, he flew up to meet her, but she blocked with her own staff. In a blur of movement, she pulled out another sword, swiping at the other angel Digimon. Angemon flew back, barely avoiding getting cut.

Smirking, she brought the blade up to her mouth, licking the length of it. "This is my special blade. I call it The Maiden. I'll cut you down with it."

Angemon humphed. "Not if I have anything to say about it." He flew towards her, swinging his staff, and the two engaged in battle.

Down below, Angewomon picked up where Angemon left off. Using her Saint's Air, she cleared away the cloud, but Mephistomon simply recreated it again. "Go ahead, keep clearing it. I'll just keep making a new one. You won't last. My cloud decays everything it touches."

BurningGreymon looked up. "Well, in that case," he flew up and out of the cloud, "we'll just stay above it."

One by one, the others rose into the sky. From out here, they could no longer see the demon Digimon, but they were safe from the black cloud. Even Leomon hitched a ride on WarGrowlmon.

Mephistomon joined them above the cloud, his hands behind his back. "Yes, you could certainly do that, but," he held up Shoutmon and Oinkmon, both unconscious, "you're forgetting about these guys."

"Tai!" Angewomon shouted.

"Pyro Barrage!" BurningGreymon cried, firing a heat wave of energy bullets.

"Dark Cloud!" Mephistomon countered, creating another shroud of darkness and disappearing into it. BurningGreymon's attack missed, and the demon Digimon's laughter emitted from within the black cloud. "They won't survive long in here. You'll just have to come in and save them. You wanted to find me before for a different reason, well, now the stakes are higher, and the clock is ticking."

Angewomon called upon the winds. "Saint's-"

"I'll just create another Dark Cloud if you clear this one away. And while you search for me, I'll whisper the spell for my Black Sabbath to your friends here. The choice is yours. Come in and find them before they succumb to my cloud, or as good as kill them yourself before finishing that attack."

Angewomon scowled. "There's no choice to be made," she said, and dove right into the darkness.

"I'm in on this too," Paildramon replied before diving right in.

WarGrowlmon glanced at BurningGreymon. "Can you take Leomon?"

"Are you kidding?" the dragon Digimon exclaimed. "I'm not staying here while you guys fight. I'm going in."

He did just that, leaving WarGrowlmon to hover in the air. The cyborg dinosaur Digimon glanced at his passenger. "Leomon, I can't let you risk yourself-"

"Don't worry about me, my friend," the lion Digimon interrupted. "I lost my other friends, I'm not losing you guys too."

He leapt off the cyborg dinosaur Digimon's shoulder, disappearing into the blackness. WarGrowlmon sweat-dropped. "Ooook." He extinguished his thrusters, dropping into the cloud. He hit the ground with a mighty thud that shook the ground. "I hope I don't rust too much."

Up in the sky, Angemon attempted to join the others. "I'm coming!"

Darcmon flew into his path, pointing her sword at him. "You're a little preoccupied right now."

"Hand of Fate!"

She cut the attack in half with her sword and flew at him again to resume their battle. Below them, within the Dark Cloud, Angewomon desperately sought out her brother and Shoutmon. She didn't know how long they had before this evil cloud killed them, but judging by what she was feeling from it, they didn't have long. But it was almost impossible to see in this darkness. "Tai, where are you?"

A whistle drew her attention, and she turned to just barely make out Mephistomon in the distance. She fired her Celestial Arrow, but hit nothing as the demon Digimon faded into the blackness.

A chuckle to her left startled her, and she turned to have Mephistomon's hoofed foot slam into her chin. "Consider us even from earlier." He rammed his horns into her gut. "And now I'm one up on you."

Angewomon stumbled back. The Dark Cloud seemed to amplify the pain from his blows, and she collapsed to her knees, coughing and sputtering."

"Here you are!" BurningGreymon cried, flying in between the angel and demon Digimon. "Crimson Fanger!"

Mephistomon did a backflip as the dragon Digimon stabbed forward, kicking him in the back of his head with his hoof as he did so. "Nice try, sonny."

BurningGreymon groaned, rubbing his head. "Guys, he's here!" he shouted, igniting his body. "Over he-"

The demon Digimon's leg shot out, his hoof striking the dragon Digimon in the middle of his back. The flames went out as BurningGreymon went down, moaning in agony. Mephistomon sneered down at him. "Not so tough now, are you?"

"Atomic Blaster!"

Whirling around, he witnessed WarGrowlmon fire blasts of plasma from his chest. He countered with his Black Sabbath, the two attacks meeting and exploding. The cyborg dinosaur Digimon charged at him and used Radiation Blade, swinging his arms wildly, but he was too slow, his movements slowed down even further by the Dark Cloud, and Mephistomon easily danced out of the way.

"Here, catch!" he cried, and threw the unconscious Shoutmon at him. The dragon Digimon bounced off WarGrowlmon's face, who caught him on reflex, and Mephistomon used his new free hand to punch him in the jaw.

"Sting Strike!"

Mephistomon moved. Even the speedy Paildramon had slowed down to the point where a sneak attack failed. Mephistomon knocked the lance aside, his hand shooting out to wrap around the dragon Digimon's neck. Paildramon gagged as Mephistomon forced him to his knees, squeezing tightly. "I guess our second meeting is going a little differently than you expected, isn't it? He grinned as Paildramon clawed at the hand wrapped around his throat. "And now your little pig friend is almost out of time… and so are you."

On the ground, Angewomon struggled to lift her head. She saw Oinkmon in the demon Digimon's hand, his body pixelating in warning of his upcoming demise. She reached out for him, tapping into whatever power reserves she had left. "Holy Air!"

A ring appeared around the pig Digimon, and his body recovered from the damage Mephistomon's Dark Cloud had inflicted upon him. His eyes cracked open, and he was able to make out Angewomon's form in the darkness before she collapsed.

His eyes darted around, landing on the trembling forms of his friends as they suffered the affects of the Dark Cloud, and he began squealing. Mephistomon glanced down at him and sneered. "Well, look who's awake. Just in time to watch your friends die."

Oinkmon squealed and began struggling. Mephistomon just laughed at the pig Digimon's futile attempt at freedom. Oinkmon struggled all the more, determine to save his friends, and opened his mouth to let out a loud cry. "Trident Arm!"

Mephistomon cried out as a large metal arm burst from Oinkmon's body and buried into his gut. The small pig Digimon's body exploded into data as a large glowing form emerged. "MetalGreymon!"

Mephistomon's mouth dropped open as the cyborg dinosaur Digimon's chest opened and he fired his Giga Destroyer. The demon Digimon was blown away, disappearing into the darkness as MetalGreymon roared to the sky.

Looking up, he spotted Angemon and Darcmon engaged in battle. Raising his arm, he fired his Mega Claw. It flew between the two angel Digimon, startling them both. Angemon recovered quickly and used his Hand of Fate. Darcmon was blasted back by it, disappearing into the distance as the attack carried her away.

"Angemon!" MetalGreymon shouted up to him. "Clear the area!"

"With pleasure," the angel Digimon replied. "Omni Tornado!"

The wind began swirling around them, creating a tornado. The Dark Cloud was blown away, leaving the area free of darkness, but the damage was great. The land was clearly contaminated from the decay, and the vines were brown, dried out, and rotten. The DigiDestined were still alive, but in bad shape, greatly damaged from such longer exposure to Mephistomon's Dark Cloud.

"Are you guys ok?" MetalGreymon asked.

Grumbling, WarGrowlmon struggled to lift his head. "Metal…Grey…mon…?"

"Yeah, it's me," the cyborg dinosaur Digimon replied. "I'm back to normal."

Angemon flew down beside him. "What changed you back? Was it Angewomon's healing power?"

He shook his head. "No, that just healed the damage the Dark Cloud did to me. I somehow managed to Spirit Evolve while I was still in Oinkmon form, even though I didn't have my Digivice. I don't know how I did it."

"I think I can explain," said Shoutmon as he limped over, no longer unconscious. "It doesn't matter what form a Digimon is in, all their other forms and possible forms are still written and contained in their code. Like me, even though I'm Shoutmon right now, I still have the data that makes up my In-Training and Baby forms, along with any possible forms I could Digivolve to. That's why Digivolving is a way to break free of the Oinkmon form. When Tai was turned into Oinkmon, everything for his human form, even his Digivice, was still contained in Oinkmon's code. It looks like you managed to tap into the data for your Digivice and Spirit Evolve."

"Unbelievable," the cyborg dinosaur Digimon grumbled. "So I could have become MetalGreymon all along?"

Shoutmon shrugged. "Don't know. Spirit Evolving is still a new thing. Maybe you just needed the right motivation." He collapsed. "Man, I have no energy. That cloud takes a lot out of you."

"I'll say," Paildramon agreed. "And Mephistomon's attack just made things worse. Where is that creep anyway?"

MetalGreymon looked around. "Gone. So is Darcmon. They better hope we don't run into them again. Although, since it seems Darcmon is actually the one behind Argomon's takeover, I'm sure we'll be seeing more of her."

BurningGreymon struggled to rise. "What about Leomon?" he asked. A moment later, he collapsed as well.

"He probably got lost in the darkness," Angemon replied. "We better go look for him."

"I can't even get up," Paildramon complained. "Hey, Angewomon, you think you can heal us too?"

The angel Digimon doubted it. "I don't think so. I barely have the strength to hold my Digimon form. Oh no." She suddenly reverted back to human. "Never mind."

"Hey," said MetalGreymon, "it's ok. You all deserve a rest. Angemon and I will take care of things."

"Thank goodness for that," BurningGreymon muttered and changed back to his human form. Paildramon did too a moment later.

WarGrowlmon held his form though. Slowly, he raised his arm and pointed. "MetalGreymon… Angemon…"

"It's fine," the angel Digimon assured him. "Just relax. We can handle things from here."

"No… look…"

"Yes, we'll look for Leomon too," MetalGreymon replied. "He can't have gone too far."

"No… it's… it's…"

"Black Sabbath!"

The cry came from behind. Clutching the wound in his stomach, Mephistomon fired a blast of energy. A blur of movement came from behind him, and the demon Digimon cried out, as a familiar blade buried in his head right between in his eyes. He howled and his attack went off course, sparing Angemon and MetalGreymon as Leomon landed close by, his legs giving out in his weakened state from prolonged exposure to the Dark Cloud.

Mephistomon stumbled about and reached up to tear the sword from his head. "Damn you!"

"An ironic statement coming from a demon Digimon," said MetalGreymon. "Lets finish this. Giga Storm!"

"Hand of Fate!"

Mephistomon's face twisted with fury as the attacks came at him. "You'll pay for thi-"

The rest of his declaration was cut off as he was obliterated. As the smoke cleared, Shoutmon eyed the lingering data that he was unable to get to longingly. "What a waste."

A cry of rage drew his attention, and he looked up to see the silhouette of Darcmon fly by. He looked to his friends, but they didn't seem to have notice. "Guys, over there!"

Angemon and MetalGreymon turned to him. "What?" the latter asked.

"It's Darcmon. She's…" He trailed off. She was already gone, and he sighed. "Never mind."

He had a feeling they would be seeing her again.

Notes:

(A/N: Yay, Tai is back to normal. And our heroes have reunited with Leomon. And now they've made a startling discovery. Darcmon is the one behind everything, and she's using Argomon to find what ever it is she's seeking. But what is it, and what is her plan? And what of Leomon's friends? Things are becoming more and more complicated.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Wendigomon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Mephistomon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Darcmon

Chapter 51: Spider and Fly

Notes:

(A/N: Well, this is a big relief. Don't know why, but I had a dream last night that FanFiction was going to delete all their stories in 6 1/2 years to restart their site. Glad it was just a dream; that would have been awful for the writers and readers. But you don't want to hear about my dreams, you want to know what's happening with our heroes. Lets find out.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 51: Spider and Fly

The area was secluded, yet the vines still covered everything. They spread all about, creating a dome-like structure from which no light shined through, keeping everything inside hidden.

Within the large green dome, Darcmon bowed down to the one who created all the greenery. Argomon towered over her in a cocoon of vines, listening as she gave her report. He didn't know what was going on in his jungle of vines, but he could feel through them that something was wrong. A group of individuals had been evading his vines for some time now. While that wasn't too unusual, for surely there would be those that would be able to escape his vines, there was something peculiar about this group.

He didn't like what he was feeling, so he had sent Darcmon to investigate. She had been a useful ally ever since she had approached him with her proposition. And now she was telling him that the group in question were a bunch of humans with the power to turn into Digimon. A Leomon and a Shoutmon were with them as well, but he didn't care for them much.

"That is about the long and short of it," the angel Digimon concluded. "I don't know where they came from, or where they got their power, but they are determine to stop you."

A scowl crossed Argomon's face. "They can't stop me. They're just a bunch of puny humans."

"Of course, sir," the Darcmon replied. "However, their ability to turn into Digimon, Ultimate level Digimon at that, may prove to be problematic. And since they know how to ward off your vines, they could become a real nuisance. They may even find the keycards before we do."

Argomon frowned. Perhaps she was right. It wouldn't due to have a group of humans to get their hands on his prize. It would be best to get them out of the way rather than take a chance. "Very well, do what you must."

A sinister grin crept up the angel Digimon's face. "With your permission then… master."

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

Davis pouted as he tapped his Digivice. The screen remained blank, completely useless at this point until it was reenergized again. Leomon watched him with a curious look. "Still no power?"

The boy grumbled. "No, none. You guys?" He received shakes of the head from Takato, Takuya, and Kari. "Great. Then it looks like we're helpless again until they recharge."

"Well, Takato muttered, trying to look at the bright side, "we still have Leomon, TK, and Tai."

Shoutmon cleared his throat. "I'm here too, you know."

The lion Digimon chuckled and patted him on the back. "And we're all very appreciative of it."

His eye twitched. "I get the feeling you're not taking me seriously."

Takuya nervously scratched the back of his head. "It's not that. We know you're strong, but you're still just a Rookie, and you are the one that has been emphasizing the difference in strength between levels."

The others chuckled as Shoutmon crossed his arms. "I'm getting stronger everyday."

Davis nudged him. "Maybe you can find some more Shoutmon and DNA Digivolve with them like those Wendigomon did."

The dragon Digimon reached up and flicked his forehead. "You don't pay attention. That wasn't DNA Digivolving. It was regular Digivolving using teamwork. DNA Digivolving involves two or more completely different yet compatible species of Digimon combining together."

Tai shook his head at that. "I still can't wrap my head around this whole combining thing. How can two people just become one person?"

Shoutmon shrugged. "They just do. It's… um, hard to explain. I've never done it myself. I've only ever DigiFused, and I've still been completely me during those instances. But DNA Digivolving and group Digivolving is a blend of two or more Digimon. Their thoughts, memories, and personality merge together to become a single entity containing both, as if this new being had lived both the lives of the ones that combined to create it. The Digimon that combined will then know the other as personally and as intimately as they know themselves, even after separating. It's for this reason that DNA Digivolving is so rare, due to how personal it is and how in sync the two or more must be to combine. Group Digivolving is a little more common since the Digimon that Digivolve together are of the same species, and thus very similar, but it still doesn't happen too often."

Takuya stared. "Wow, that's pretty deep. And it certainly sounds pretty sound personal."

"Sounds like how fusion works in Dragon Ball Z," Takato noted. "You know, I'm still waiting for fusion to appear in Pokemon. It's bound to happen at some point."

Shoutmon rolled his eyes and glanced at Leomon, who looked confused. "Just ignore him. He'll randomly talk about things from the human world sometimes."

"Hey, both are really popular anime where we come from."

A thought suddenly occurred to Tai. "Hey, I have a question. When Digimon die, they just revert to Digi-Eggs, but what happens if a Digimon that was created from more than one Digimon dies? Does it split into the eggs of the individual Digimon that make it up, or does it just become a single egg?"

Shoutmon smirked. "Ah, now we're getting into some complicated stuff. Well, with DigiFusion, the combined Digimon simply become individual eggs. The same goes for Bio-Merging since even though they share one body, they're still individuals. With DNA Digivolving and group Digivolving though, it depends. In most cases, they'll become individual eggs. However, in some really rare cases, if the bond between the combine individual Digimon is really deep and they completely blend into each other until there is no longer any distinguishing difference between the two, then they'll become a single egg. Their Digi-Cores will have merged together, and they'll be permanently bound."

He shrugged. "But that only happens after spending years and years as one being. At that point, they won't even want to separate, or even recognize or acknowledge themselves as individuals anymore."

The teens were silent as they listened. "That sounds both beautiful and disturbing at the same time," Tai thought out loud.

"It can be advantageous in the long run," Leomon added. "When a DNA Digivolved Digimon does die and become a single Digi-Egg, the Digimon born from it will be able to Digivolve to the DNA Digivolved form without having to combine with anyone."

"That's convenient," said Davis. "So who's Digi-Egg will appear out of the individuals once the DNA Digimon dies if they do fully merge?"

"The strongest of the group," Shoutmon told him as if this should have been obvious. He pointed at the boy. "In fact, since you were able to go from ExVeemon to Paildramon without having to DNA Digivolve with a Stingmon or a Snimon proves that the Veemon you got your DDNA from was once two that permanently became one after its death. You wouldn't have been able to Digivolve to Paildramon otherwise."

Davis blinked. "Whoa, really? Um, cool, I guess." He looked at his Digivice. "Although, it's not doing us much good right now." As he stared at the object in his hand, it suddenly vanished. It took him a moment to register that it was gone before he screamed. "Ah! Where'd it go?"

"There!" Kari pointed. About a dozen feet away, crouching down with his back to them, was what appeared to be human boy. In his hands was Davis' Digivice, and he was staring at it intently.

The robbed teenager jumped angrily to his feet. "Hey, that's mine, you thief!"

The boy stood up and turned to face them. The teens all gasped. The boy was human alright, but he had a very unusual face. His head was large and almost shaped like a football. His face was flat, with two holes above a very big mouth that served for a nose, and two eyes that seemed a little too big and a little too round. But the most bizarre thing of all, the thing that really disturbed them, was that when the boy had turned to look at them, his body had remained in place while his head turned a complete 180 degrees around.

Takato's hand went to his neck. "Yuck. My neck hurts just looking at that."

Takuya cleared his throat. "Guys, does no one else find it strange that we just ran into another human?"

TK cocked his head to the side. "Is he human? He could be a Digimon. Some Digimon look pretty human. If Angewomon were smaller and didn't have wings, she could pass for human."

Tai had to admit that he had a point. "There's still a distinct difference. More likely he's a Digimon in disguise. Remember Bakemon? Hey, kid, who are you?"

"PA-CAW!" the boy wailed loudly, causing the teens to cover their ears. The boy began laughing and took off in a run, his head shifting forward, Davis' Digivice in his hand.

"Hey, that's mine! Give it back!"

The boy just kept running as they gave chase. He was very fast, and every now and then would have to stop running and wait for them to catch up, his head once again turning around in that disturbing unnatural way to watch them.

"Shoutmon, who is this guy?" Kari asked as they hurried along.

"No clue," the dragon Digimon replied. "Tai could be right though; he might be a Digimon in disguise."

Leomon pulled out his sword. "I'll find out." He jumped up, kicking off a wall of vines before they could grab him, and landed in front of the boy. "Return what you stole."

The boy skidded to a stop. The teens closed in around him on all sides so he had nowhere to go. He didn't seem concerned that he was cornered, his face holding the same blank expression they had seen earlier.

Davis held out his hand. "Give me back my Digivice, you little creep."

The boy looked at the device in his hand, then stared blankly at Davis. With no complaint, he tossed it to him, and Davis caught it in surprise, clearly having expected the boy to put up some kind of fight.

Tai blinked, also having expected the same thing. "Thanks. Now, who are you?"

The boy continued to stare. Then a rather sinister smile crept up his face and he began laughing. The flabbergasted teens looked on in bewilderment as his laughter continued to rise in volume. The boy, it seemed, was completely insane.

"What's so funny?" Shoutmon demanded, clearly annoyed.

The boy stopped laughing as his head spun completely around in a full 360 degree turn. "You fell for it!" he announced gleefully. "You fell for it! You fell for it!"

"Fell for what?" TK demanded.

The boy grinned. "Just take a look around."

They did, and they immediately saw the problem. They were in a closed off space, and the vines were on the move, coming for them. They were completely surrounded, and they had foolishly left their fire behind when they went to chase the boy.

"Oh, great," Shoutmon grumbled. "Fiery Fastball! Fiery Fastball! Bellow Blaster! Fiery Fastball!"

His fiery attacks burned away the vines, but there were too many, and several took the pace of the ones he destroyed.

"Fist of the Beast King!" Leomon cried, blasting away a gathering of greenery. "It's no good. I can destroy handfuls at a time, but more just keep coming. And my attacks don't contain fire."

"And mine aren't enough to keep away this many for long," Shoutmon declared as he threw another Fiery Fastball.

The boy was laughing madly as his head spun around in a horrific fashion. "We're going to get you! We're going to get you! Not another peep! Time to go to sleep! We're going to get you! We're going to get you!"

Tai had heard enough of the boy's eerie song. "Oh no you're not. "Execute! Spirit Evolution… MetalGreymon!" He turned to the vines. "Powerful Flame!"

He slashed at the air, sending out a stream of fire from his metal claw. The vines recoiled as the group was surrounded by a circle of flames.

The boy's eyes narrowed irritably as he stared at the cyborg dinosaur Digimon. MetalGreymon turned to him, tall and menacingly powerful, but the boy didn't seem worried about him, or the lion Digimon that was now pointing his sword at him threateningly. "Enough of your games. Who are you, villain?"

That wide sadistic smile spread across the boy's face again. "You little pests are proving to be quite the nuisance. We have a mission to do, and you are being a real bother."

"If you're involved with all his, then you must work for Argomon!" Takato exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at him. "Just who are you?"

The boy chuckled again, and he was suddenly engulfed in light. It faded quickly, and he stood transformed. At first it seemed that only his clothes had changed, but then the teens realized he was now covered in brown hair, looking very much like an overgrown monkey. "I am Makuramon, and I have been tasked with the job of putting you to sleep, or destroying you if I can't."

Davis scoffed. "Please. You?" He patted MetalGreymn's leg. "Have you seen this guy?"

TK took out his Digivice. "Lets not jumped to conclusions just yet." He checked the monkey Digimon's information. "Sorry, Davis, but you're about to eat your own words. Makuramon is an Ultimate level Digimon. He's one of the strongest of the twelve Deva Digimon, and he can use his Primal Orb attack to throw an exploding orb, or even control it to hit his enemies over and over again."

"What does that mean?" Takuya asked.

The monkey Digimon grinned. "This is what it means. Primal Orb!"

In an instant, what looked like a pearl the size of a baseball appeared in his hand, and he flung it at the cyborg dinosaur Digimon with lightning speed. Glowing red, it flew at MetalGreymon faster than he could react, slamming into his metal headgear.

The cyborg dinosaur Digimon cried out and stumbled back, Makuramon's attack actually managing to lift him off his feet for a moment. The orb immediately doubled back, under the monkey Digimon's mental control, and struck him again and again.

"Hold on!" Leomon shouted, jumping up to catch the flying sphere. The orb immediately flew at him, slamming into his gut before he even realized it had changed targets, then collided with his chin, knocking him back before flying towards MetalGreymon again.

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Angemon!"

Flying in front of his friend, he used Angel Staff to deflect the orb. It went off course, but immediately came back. Angemon began twirling his staff again, but this time the orb exploded upon making contact, and Angemon went crashing into a wall of vines as Makuramon laughed. They began to coil around him, but Shoutmon warded them off with a Fiery Fastball.

Still chuckling, Makuramon sneered at Davis. "So, do you still think I'm a pushover?"

The boy gripped his currently still useless Digivice. "You are a pushover, and if I could Spirit Evolve, I'd show you."

The monkey Digimon just grinned. "Oh, you simpleton. Perhaps you need to discover just how helpless you are. Treasure Ball!"

A transparent bubble appeared around the teens and Shoutmon. They suddenly found themselves about one inch tall, trapped in an orb in Makuramon's hand. He held them up to his now very large eye and grinned. "Hello in there."

Leomon got to his feet, stumbling. "What… did you do to them?"

The monkey Digimon chuckled. "Lets just say they're insurance."

Feeling like his entire body, even the mechanical parts, were bruised, MetalGreymon stalked towards him. "Let them go," he raised his metal claw threateningly, "or I swear, I'll-"

Makuramon held out his hand while holding the one gripping the orb containing his friends in the air. "Hold it! I haven't told you the best part yet. All I have to do is crush this orb in my hand and your friends are finished."

MetalGreymon froze. Leomon did as well, standing beside the cyborg dinosaur Digimon with his sword pointing at Makuramon. Angemon flew over and landed beside them, glaring at him from beneath his helmet. "What do you want?"

A wicked chuckle escaped the monkey Digimon. "Lets play a little game. If you win, I'll release your friends. But if I win…" His grip on the orb visibly tightened. "Well, I'm sure you catch my drift."

Angemon's own grip on his staff tightened. "What game?"

"It's called The Spider and the Fly. You, my friends, will be the little flies. The vines will be the web."

MetalGreymon's eyes narrowed. "And I guess you're the spider."

Makuramon laughed. "Of course not. I'm a monkey. That's the spider."

He pointed behind them. They turned around to see something large and white speeding towards them. They jumped aside as the large thing crashed into where they had been. Claws attached to flexible spider-like legs slithered out of the creature's body as if it were a turtle that had been hiding in its shell. It's long neck extended outward as well, equally as flexible. Turning to face the three Digimon, it looked every bit like a spider.

"Say hello to Infermon," Makuramon told them as a spherical barrier appeared around him, and he floated into the air. "She'll be playing the spider. The object of the game is to make it out of her web alive."

Inside the orb he held, Davis blinked. "Wait, that thing is a girl?" His hand went to his throat as his voice came out high-pitched and squeaky. "Ah! My voice! I sound like one of the chipmunks!"

"Davis!" the others cried, their voices equally as squeaky.

Infermon opened her mouth, the barrier of a gun sticking out of her throat. "Spider Shooter!"

Exploding projectiles flew from her mouth, the force snapping her head back with each blast. Leomon jumped away, but MetalGreymon was too big and too slow to avoid them, and he cried out as one blasted against him. Angemon flew in front of him, twirling his staff, but the blasts simply exploded against his staff rather than get deflated, and the angel Digimon was knocked further and further back with each blast until he ran into MetalGreymon.

The cyborg dinosaur Digimon moved in font of Angemon and launched his Mega Claw. Infermon used her legs like a springboard, bouncing out of the claw's path. MetalGreymon turned to her, firing his Giga Blaster, but Infermon was too fast, springing from one spot to another.

The spider Digimon's legs retracted into her body, as did her head, and she used her Network Grenade to launch herself like a giant missile at the group. Angemon fired his Hand of Fate, but the beam just bounced off her body like it was nothing. She plowed into him, sending the angel Digimon spinning through the air, and knocking MetalGreymon to the side as she collided with his arm.

"Hundred Beast Fists!" Leomon cried, firing numerous smaller versions of his Fist of the Beast King attacks in a continuous stream. Infermon came about, the energy bursts in the shape of lion heads flying all around her. She flew towards the lion Digimon, still curled up like a giant speeding bullet, the attacks blasting against her harmlessly. Leomon lowered his fist and raised his sword. He rushed forward to meet her, only to be sent flying as the two collided.

Infermon kept going, even after knocking Leomon away, but was stopped as MetalGreymon moved in her path, grabbing hold of her. The claws on his feet dug into the ground as he struggled to hold the spider Digimon back. Infermon's mouth opened and she began firing into MetalGreymon's bare stomach, the only protection he had being his metal chest.

Angemon came flying in, bringing his staff down on Infermon's back, but it simply snapped in two. He flew back and fired his Holy Shot, but the spider Digimon's body was too hard, and the energy bullets did nothing.

One of Infermon's legs shot out of her body and punched the angel Digimon in the gut, causing him to doubled over as the teens and Shoutmon looked on helplessly from up above. Makuramon, however, seemed to find the display to be most amusing, and he gave his victims an arrogant sneer. "It looks like your friends are losing the game."

Kari glared at him. "They're not losing."

"Yeah!" Takato cried. "They may be having a tough time, but they're not losing."

"You're forgetting the point of the game," a new voice replied. Floating down from up above. Darcmon had made an appearance. "The flies never fight the spider, because they can't win."

"Darcmon," Takuya growled at the angel Digimon.

She didn't even bother to look at him. "Your friends aren't strong enough to beat Infermon. Their destruction is eminent."

Shoutmon growled. "That's what you think." He produced his mic and began banging it against the wall. "Let us out of here!"

"Quiet down," Makuramon ordered, and shook the orb, "or I'll kill you all right now."

MetalGreymon raised his metal arm and brought it down on Infermon's back. The spider Digimon grunted as she hit the ground, her legs shooting out and springing her away from the cyborg dinosaur Digimon while simultaneously opening her mouth to fire her Spider Shooter at him.

Leomon suddenly jumped on her back and punched down on her back with his Shockwave attack. Infermon's head twisted around, and she began firing at him. He used his sword to knock away the projectiles and fired his Fist of the Beast King into her face, causing her neck to snap back.

"Smashing Kick!" he cried, delivering a roundhouse kick to the spider Digimon's head. She grunted, and one of her clawed appendages smacked him away.

Angemon raised his hand and drew a halo in the air. His Halo Attack appeared horizontally around Infermon's body and began to squeeze. She grunted as the ring of light tightened, and MetalGreymon charged forward and tackled her. The spider Digimon growled and clawed at the non-metal parts of MetalGreymon's body as Angemon's Halo Attack squeezed tighter, cutting into her. She extended her neck past MetalGreymon and began firing at the angel Digimon, but Angemon swerved around in the air, dodging the projectiles.

Darcmon frowned in disapproval. "Useless, the lot of them. Dancing Sword!" She threw her sword, and it stabbed into Infermon's side, severing the ring of light. Infermon snarled in pain, but was freed from the threat of being cut in half, and she pulled the sword from her side, her marble-like skin having protected her from too much damage.

Angemon looked up, his eyes widening with recognition beneath his helmet. He immediately flew at the female angel Digimon, creating a new staff and swinging it at her. Darcmon blocked with her own staff and pulled out her other sword. Angemon's hand shot out, grabbing her wrist before she could strike him with it, and the two wrestled in the air.

Angemon didn't know why, but for some reason, he felt a great animosity towards her. Possibly because she was an angel Digimon that chose to be wicked. It made him feel greatly insulted on behalf of Kari and all other angel Digimon out there, along with what they represented.

"Let go!" Darcmon snarled, and kicked him in the chest.

Angemon grunted and flew back. She threw her sword at him and he knocked it away with his staff. He was about to attack again when Makuramon moved in front of her and held up the orb containing his friends. "Ah, ah, ah. I'll crush it. And remember, if this orb is destroyed, everything inside it will be destroyed too."

Angemon froze as he watched the monkey Digimon's grip tighten on the orb his friends were trapped in. Angrily, Darcmon sprang out from behind Makuramon's back and struck him with her staff, knocking him to the ground, then turned to the two quarreling Digimon. "Infermon, stop fooling around! Finish it!"

The spider Digimon glanced at MetalGreymon on top of her and used her legs to spring them both in the air. She retracted her limbs into her body and plowed into the cyborg dinosaur Digimon. Two of her limbs shot out, one grabbing Leomon, the other nabbing Angemon, pulling them along for the ride until she smashed MetalGreymon into the wall. She slammed the two Champions against the wall beside him and leapt back, her mouth opening. "Spider Shooter!"

Exploding projectiles rained against the three Digimon. MetalGreymon attempted to use his much larger body to shield his friends, but that left him open to the attacks. The barrage of attacks kept coming without giving any of them a chance to retaliate.

Makuramon laughed. "Uh oh, looks like the spider caught them." He sneered at the teens in his orb. "I guess it's game over."

"Not yet," a powerful voice spoke beside him.

Both Makuramon and Darcmon turned, only to be struck by something. A metal rod flew through the air, smacking the orb out of Makuramon's hand before it stabbed into his gut and then came down on his head. Darcmon only caught a glimpse of what appeared to be a gorilla ninja on a cloud before the rod struck her in the side of the head.

The attacker suddenly dropped from the sky. They were indeed riding a cloud, enabling them to fly down and catch the orb before it hit the ground. The teens stopped screaming as they realized they weren't dead, and looked up at their rescuer.

Jumping off the cloud, the newcomer placed the orb on his fluffy ride. "Stay here," he said before rushing towards the others.

Shoutmon raised an eyebrow and glanced at the transparent walls of the orb they were trapped in. "Is he serious?"

Infermon was still firing at MetalGreymon and the others, mostly MetalGreymon. The newcomer stopped a short distance away from her and pointed his staff at her. "Super-Electrified Lighting Cannon!"

A burst of energy flew out of the end of his staff, exploding into the spider Digimon's side. Infermon cried out and was sent tumbling on her side.

The blasts against his body ceased, and MetalGreymon sighed, his body sagging. Both Angemon and Leomon poked their heads out from behind the cyborg dinosaur Digimon, the latter gasping as he recognized the one who had come to their aid. "Gokuwmon!"

Infermon snarled as she turned to the beast man Digimon. Her eyes narrowed as he took a fighting stance, pointing his staff at her. "Don't interfere!"

"Leave now," Gokuwmon warned, an air of complete calm around him.

Up in the air, Darcmon was rubbing her head where she had been hit. She turned her furious gaze upon the newcomer and shouted to the spider Digimon. "Infermon, kill that interloper!"

"With pleasure. Spider Shooter!"

"Secret Technique: Waking Shadow!"

As Infermon fired her projectiles, Gokuwmon moved with astounding speed. Behind him, he left after images of himself that Infermon's attacks passed harmlessly through. In just a few seconds, he had closed the gap between them and Infermon swiped at him. He jumped up, soaring over her head and landing on her back. "Lightning-Speed Attack!"

Stabbing downward with his staff, he jammed the end into Infermon's back. At the same time, the other end extended up into the sky, into a thundercloud that suddenly appeared at his command. Lightning was absorbed into the staff, shooting down its length and striking Infermon in one powerful electric attack, causing her to shriek.

"Now's our chance," Angemon declared. "Hand of Fate!"

"Fist of the Beast King!"

"Giga Destroyer!"

The attacks flew at the writhing spider Digimon. Gokuwmon quickly jumped off her back, his staff regressing back to its normal length, just before Infermon was blasted into data.

Anger twisted Darcmon's features at this unexpected development. "Can they do nothing right?" And with that, she took off.

Gokuwmon approached the others, all signs of hostility gone. "Are you alright?"

"Thanks to you," Angemon told him. "Who are you?"

It was Leomon who stepped forward to answer. "This is Gokuwmon. He's one of the companions I was separated from." He held out his hand. "I am glad you are well."

The beast man Digimon grasped it. "As am I. And I see you have made some new friends." He looked at the orb on his cloud. "Some rather unique friends."

A smile crept up the lion Digimon's face. "Unique is right. In more ways than you know."

"Primal Orb!"

Gokuwmon moved quickly. Using his staff, he whirled around and hit Makuramon's orb in what would have undoubtedly been a home-run if they were playing baseball. That is, if it hadn't had doubled back and sped towards them again, but a quick blast from Gokuwmon's Super-Electrified Lightning Cannon blew it apart.

Twirling his staff around, he pointed it at the monkey Digimon. Makuramon took a step back, scowling, but then smiled as he held out his hand. "You're supposed to keep your eye on the ball."

The orb on the cloud containing the teens and Shoutmon suddenly flew into his hand. Gokuwmon scowled as the monkey Digimon chuckled. Twirling his staff, he stabbed it into the ground and unleashed his Lightning-Speed Attack. Makuarmon cried out as he was electrocuted through the ground.

Angemon charged at him, reaching for his friends in the monkey Digimon's hand, but Makuramon recovered quickly and jumped into the air, no longer smiling. "That does it! Say goodbye to your friends!" He began to squeeze the orbs, causing cracks to appear over it. But as he squeezed, a light shined from it. He gave the orb a confused look. "That's not supposed to happen."

The orb shattered, not from being crushed, but from something inside bursting out. Suddenly, he was surrounded by Paildramon, WarGrowlmon, BurningGreymon, and Angewomon.

The monkey Digimon's already round eyes widened even further. "What?! They broke free?! Where'd they get the power to do that?"

"Over here, banana brain." In Angewomon's arms was Gigimon. "I gave them my energy to recharge their Digivices."

Paildramon's hip-guns rose. "Now, how about a new game. It's called Following the Leader. You lead, we follow you, straight to Argomon."

Makuramon scowled at him, but then broke into a smile. "PA-CAWWWWW!" His cry emitted so loudly that the ground shook, forcing the DigiDestined to cover their ears. Makuramon jumped up and created another orb. "How about a game of catch instead."

He threw his Primal Orb that struck the dragon Digimon before he could react. It then circled round and hit the other three. Makuramon's floating orb barrier appeared around him again, and he took off into the sky, laughing all the while.

"Hey, stop, you!" BurningGreymon shouted, gathering fire in his hands.

Gokuwmon was suddenly there, placing a hand on his shoulder. "It's alright. Let him go."

"What?!" WarGrowlmon exclaimed as the monkey Digimon disappeared above the vines. "But we need him to show us where Argomon is."

"There is no need for that," the beast man Digimon assured him. "I know where he is."

Notes:

(A/N: Well, that was certainly eventful. I decided to make this Infermon a girl for some gender diversity, as most characters seem to be male, and Infermon seems like it could either ale or female. But enough of that. It looks like our heroes are finally getting somewhere. Leomon has been reunited with one of his companions, and they know where Argomon is. But what exactly are these keycards he and Darcmon are searching for, and what do they do? It certainly can't be anything good. Hopefully they'll get some answers next time.)

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New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Makuramon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Infermon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Gokuwmon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Gigimon

Chapter 52: In The Garden of Argomon

Notes:

(A/N: I had forgotten that the latest episodes of Digimon Tri had come out. Just saw them recently, and they were awesome. The action is so much better than in the previous Seasons, and the story is a lot darker too. Props to them.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 52: In The Garden of Argomon

"And that's about the time when you showed up," Takuya concluded as the group walked along.

Floating beside them, Gokuwmon sat on his cloud as Gigimon sat on his head. "I see. You humans have been through much."

"Tell me about it," said TK. "This whole journey could fill several Seasons of an anime."

Takato glanced at Gokuwmon, then down at the cloud he was sitting on. "Speaking of anime, doesn't this guy kind of remind you of a certain someone from Dragon Ball Z?"

Gigimon groaned. "Please don't get started on your Human World nonsense again; I can't keep up with it."

"You can't keep up?" Davis exclaimed. "How do you think we feel with all this Digital World stuff?"

"Hey, I've been around since the Digital World began, and after all I've learned in that time, it's your world the confusing me, thus it's your world that's the weird one."

"I do not think it is weird," Leomon explained, "just different from what we know. I for one find it fascinating."

Gokuwmon crossed his arms. "I must admit, I too am curious about your world. It sounds quite intriguing."

"Intriguing?" Gigimon grumbled. "Let me tell you about it." He jumped off the beast man Digimon's head to land on the cloud… only to pass right through it and land on his head.

Kari winced. "Gigimon, are you ok?"

The lesser Digimon had dizzy swirls in his eyes. "What happened?"

Gokuwmon closed his eyes. "Only those who are pure of heart can ride on this cloud."

Davis grinned broadly down at Gigimon. "I guess you've been naughty."

The lesser Digimon glared at him. "Yeah, well, I'd like to see you try."

"No problem. Do you mind?"

Gokuwmon shrugged and got off the cloud. Still smirking, Davis jumped up onto it… and fell straight through, landing facedown on top of Gigimon.

"See, not so easy," the lesser Digimon mumbled beneath him.

Davis groaned as he lifted his face out of the dirt. "I tink I bi' muh tung."

"In more ways than one," TK joked.

Leaping to his feet, Davis pointed at him. "Oh yeah, well why don't you try, TM."

The blonde hesitated before shrugging. Placing his hands on the cloud, he hoisted himself up, and stayed on. Gokuwmon raised an eyebrow, impressed. "Nicely done. Not many can stay on."

Sour-faced, Davis looked away. "Big deal."

"Can I try?" Kari asked. She grasped TK's hand, and he pulled her up. She too sat down comfortably.

"Guess that's two for, two against," said Takuya. "My turn." He spun around and leapt back onto the cloud, only to land painfully on his rear end as he went through.

"That had to hurt," Takato muttered. "You ok?"

"My… tailbone…"

"Yeah, that looked painful," TK agreed as he and Kari slid off the cloud to help him up. "You wanna try, Takato?"

The other boy sweat-dropped. "Um, no, that's ok."

Davis came up behind him, a mischievous smile on his face. "Oh, come on, give it a try."

He pushed Takato forward. He stumbled and lost his balance, reaching out for anything. He ended up grabbing the cloud, and was able to stop his fall. It took him a moment to realize that the cloud hadn't rejected him. "Oh." He climbed on, making himself comfortable. "Cool."

Davis scowled. "How are you doing that?"

"Just don't have any impure thoughts," Gokuwmon explained. "Your arrogance probably made you fall through before. Rid yourself of all negativity."

Pouting, Davis stared at the cloud. "Ok, banish any negative thoughts." Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath, turned around with his arms out, and jumped onto the cloud. His bottom landed on the soft cloud beside Takato. A few seconds later, he opened his eyes and grinned. "Hey, I did it! Ah!" He fell through again, ending up on his back. The others laughed, and even Gokuwmon cracked a smile. Groaning, Davis glanced up at his look-alike. "Wanna try?"

Tai had been the only one who hadn't laughed. "No, and this isn't the time to be playing games." He turned to the beast man Digimon. "How much further until we get to Argomon?"

Gokuwmon climbed back onto his cloud. "A few more hours at our current pace. I didn't see any guards when I was there last. It seems he's quite arrogant with his power."

"So, wait, you were actually there?" TK asked.

The beast man Digimon nodded. "I was. I saw Darcmon flying and I followed her. I was going to stage an attack, but then I heard her and Argomon talk about going after you. So I followed her and arrived just in time to assist you."

"And we really appreciate that," Kari told him.

"What of our friends?" Leomon asked worriedly. "Have you heard anything from them?"

Gokuwmon sighed and closed his eyes. "Wisemon was with me for a few days after we were separated. Sadly, he was destroyed by one of Argomon's servants. I am sorry."

"No…" Leomon whispered. He dropped to his knees, his despair evident. "And what of Sanzomon?"

"Captured," Gokuwmon replied. "She must have found Argomon as well. I saw her sleeping in a pod when I followed Darcmon to Argomon's location."

Leomon's fists clenched and he punched the ground. "One destroyed, and another one captured. Then only you and I are left to defeat Argomon."

"Only us?" Gokuwmon replied. He shook his head. "No, my friend, it's not just us. Just look around you. These brave humans are ready and willing to fight by our side for a noble cause."

Takuya placed a hand on Leomon's shoulder. "Yeah, we've got your back. We'll free Sanzomon and avenge Wisemon at the same time."

The lion Digimon managed a small smile. "You are kind. I thank you." He stood up, looking more determine. "Yes, we will put a stop to this. And we'll find Wisemon again one day, or whatever Digivolution route he takes. I am certain of it." He looked back at the beast man Digimon. "Gokuwmon, lead the way."

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The sun was close to setting when Gokuwmon commanded them to stop. The vines were thick here, offering very little opening to get through them. And, worst of all, he had ordered them to put their torch out.

"We don't want to alert Argomon to our presence. No fire, and no touching the vines."

"Easy for you to say," Davis mumbled, eyeing the floating cloud he was sitting on.

"Just hold onto me," the beast man Digimon told him. "Or sit on my lap. So long as you don't touch any of the vines."

The final result was Gokuwmon sitting cross-legged on his cloud with a blushing Davis on his lap and Gigimon on his head. Leomon stood on the cloud behind him holding Tai and Takuya in his arms while the remaining teens squeezed in where they could on the cloud.

"Argomon is just ahead," the beast man Digimon told them. "Keep your voices low, and don't touch anything."

They hovered along over the vines. As they approached Argomon's base of operation, a sigh escaped TK. Kari looked at him curiously and lowered her voice. "Hey, you ok?"

He glanced at her, and offered a small smile. "Yeah, just thinking."

"About?"

He hesitated for a few moments. "It's just, I'm the only one that hasn't Digivolved yet. It makes me wonder how useful I'll be in the battle with Argomon."

She stared at him for a few moments, waiting for him to continue. When he didn't a light chuckled escaped her. "That's what you're worried about?" At his nod, a second chuckle escaped her. "Oh, TK, that's silly. Of course you're useful. Even if you're not an Ultimate, you have enough power to fight on equal ground with us. You've been a big help so far, and you'll continue to be."

TK's fists clenched. "Yeah, but I don't just want to help, I want to be able to protect all of you. I want to Digivolve too and be able to take on these evil freaks. You've all managed to Digivolve, so why can't I?"

Sighing, she reached out and took his hand. "It'll happen, TK. I know it will. I have faith in you. When the time is right, you'll find the power. I know it."

The clearing of a throat drew their attention, and Gokuwmon glanced over his shoulder at them. "If you two are almost finished, we're here."

Before the group was a massively tall dome of greenery. Gokuwmon motioned towards it, and the group shifted around on the cloud. Small spaces between individual vines allowed them to see through, and they peaked through the openings. They couldn't see much, but all the vines seemed to be originating from a large pile within the clearing.

"Argomon is in there? Kari asked.

Gokuwmon nodded. "Yes, but right now he's in his Worm Phase form."

Takuya made a face. "Gross. What's that?"

"It's the form he takes in order to spread his vines," Leomon explained. "He can still attack in it, but he's limited in his attacks and unable to move from his position."

"Ok," said TK, "then would it be better to attack while he's immobile but in control of his vines, or when he's able to move around but can't control his vines?"

"Hey, it doesn't even need to come to that," said Davis. "Lets just hit him with a sneak attack. We'll wipe him out before he even knows we're here."

"Shh! Tai shushed, even louder than his look-alike had been talking. "If we don't keep our voices down, we'll get caught before we even have a chance to-"

"PA-CAW!"

Makuramon's fuzzy face suddenly appeared upside-down on the other side of the space they were looking through. The group started back in surprise as the monkey Digimon laughed. The entire wall of vines suddenly collapsed on top of them, wrapping around their arms, legs, and torso in seconds. Even Leomon and the Ultimate level Gokuwmon were ensnared.

Makuramon continued laughing as he hung upside-down from his tail. "You caught them! You caught them!" He dropped down and began dancing backwards. "You see, Lord Argomon, I told you they would come."

"And you were right," a mighty voice boomed from the top of the large pile of vines in the clearing.

The vines pulled the group along as Makuramon danced beside them. They were lifted up the pile to the very top and came face to face with Argomon. All they could see were his head and shoulders, the rest of him being concealed by the vines growing from his body. He was humanoid in appearance, and seemed to be wearing a mask. Just behind him stood Darcmon, a knowing smile on her face and a look in her eyes that promised much suffering.

"So," said Argomon, "you are the ones causing all the trouble."

"Us causing trouble!?" Tai exclaimed. "Have you looked around? Your vines are everywhere."

The mutant Digimon smirked. "Yes, a lovely bit of greenery, isn't it?"

"Hey," Davis snapped as he struggled against his bonds, "having a garden is one thing, but this is going too far."

"Why are you doing this?" Kari demanded. "Spreading your vines everywhere, trapping other Digimon and putting them into a coma. What's the point of it?"

Argomon frowned slightly. "Not that it's any of your business, little girl, but I am searching for something."

Takuya scowled. "And you couldn't have just put up fliers or asked around?"

"What I seek was deliberately hidden away. Even the few that know of the keycards would feign ignorance."

"Keycards?" Takato repeated.

Argomon went on as if there had been no interruption. "The keycards open a door to a great and terrible power. The secret has been heavily guarded for thousands of years. No one that knows about them would give them up willingly."

Darcmon smirked. "Which is why Lord Argomon used his vines to claim this area and capture anyone that may interfere. Now his servants can freely search the area. It also gives him a nice bit of territory to rule afterwards too."

TK glared. "We don't know about any keycards," he pointed at the angel Digimon, "but we do know that Darcmon is just using you. She said as much herself."

Darcmon gave the mutant Digimon a look of pure shock and outage. "What!? Why, that is preposterous! Lord Argomon, you know that I live to serve you."

"Cut the act!" Davis snapped. "We know you're really the one behind everything. You're just manipulating Argomon and using him to do your dirty work."

"Yeah," Takato agreed, "she's probably planning on taking the power for herself once you get it; maybe even dispose of you once you lived out your usefulness."

Darcmon scoffed. "Ridiculous. My lord, surely you don't believe these lies. It's pure nonsense. I'm only a Champion; how could I possibly overthrow you. Even if I could Digivolve, not even my Ultimate form is strong enough to stand up to you, let alone control the ancient power."

"She's playing you!" Gigimon shouted. "She knows she's not strong enough to stand up to you, so she's running things behind the scenes. Wasn't she the one who told you about the keycards in the first place? Just think about it. How many of the things you've done has she suggested? How often have you taken her advice? When was the last time you-"

"It's no use, Gigimon," Leomon interrupted. "You'll never get him to believe you; he's far too arrogant to think he could be deceived like that."

Davis snorted. "That figures. Hey, Argomon, guess what. There's a movie in our world called Argo that had a play-on phrase that I think applies here. It goes 'argo f-'"

"ENOUGH!" Argomon thundered. "You humans have interfered for far too long. Now it's time for you to sleep too. Imprisonment!"

Then vines around them began to secrete the strange sap that formed the sleep-inducing pods. The group struggled, but were too ensnared to break free from the green tentacles.

Makuramon laughed. "Have a nice nap, 'cause you're going to be sleeping for a very long time."

Gigimon glared. "Not today. Gigimon Digivolve to… Shoutmon!" The change allowed him to burst free of the vines, and his mic immediately appeared in his hand. "Bellow Blaster!"

He unleashed a blaze of energy upon the vines. The green tentacles either burned up or recoiled from the flames; either way, everyone was released, and they scrambled to wipe off the goop covering them.

Argomon's face twisted with anger. "Damn you!"

Tai pulled out his Digivice. "If you think we're nuisances now, just wait until you see this. Execute! Spirit Evolution… MetalGreymon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Paildramon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… WarGrowlmon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… BurningGreymon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Angewomon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Angemon!"

Gokuwmon and Leomon stepped up beside their friends. "And we will fight too," the latter replied.

"So will I," said Shoutmon. He hesitated a moment before taking a few steps back. "From over here."

Back-flipping over to the mutant Digimon, Makuramon settled by Argomon and Darcmon. "Oh my, I do believe they intend to fight us."

"So it seems," the angel Digimon replied. "Better bring in our special friend."

"A wise decision," Argomon agreed. "Come forth, my assassin! Come destroy these fools!"

The DigiDestined braced themselves for whatever enemy might appear, but nothing could have prepared them for the horrific sight. Flying above the vines on black bat wings and coming in for a landing was arguably the most sinister Digimon they had seen thus far. It resembled the skeletal corpse of a demon wielding a staff. Despite the fact that it looked like a dried out zombie, it seemed far more durable than the fragile rotting carcasses most movies portrayed them as.

A wicked sneer spread across Darcmon's face. "Meet SkullSatamon, our trump card in taking out anyone who dares to oppose us."

WarGrowlmon shivered at the sinister creature. Even VenomMyotismon, while much larger, was more appealing to look at. "SkullSatamon? Yikes. I'd hate to see what Satamon looks like."

"There is no Satamon," Shoutmon snapped impatiently. "And this guy's no joking matter. If you think he looks scary, just wait until you see his power. H's an Ultimate, but his power borders on Mega."

"He will indeed be a formidable opponent," Leomon acknowledged. Out of the corner of his eyes, he noticed Gokuwmon staring at the demon Digimon. "Hey, you ok?"

The beast man Digimon's fist clenched, his face twisting into suppressed fury. "It's him. He's the one who killed Wisemon."

"What?!" Leomon gasped.

The demon Digimon's shoulders shook with silent mirth. "Yes, I remember you, and your friend. Such a sad little creature he was, and what a cowardly weakling you were to flee from me."

Gokuwmon's eyes narrowed. "Twist the truth around all you want. We both know that isn't what happened."

"Regardless," Darcmon declared, taking to the air, "this is as far as you go. You'll either die here, or end up like your friend." She pointed with her staff. Over in the corner was another pod. Inside it was a female Digimon that resembled a priestess, seemingly unaware of what was going on outside.

"Sanzomon!" Leomon exclaimed. Gokuwmon had told her that she had been captured, but it didn't make it any easier to see her like that. And crawling out from behind her pod, were several of the insect Digimon that they had seen flying above the vines, looking ready at any moment to attack.

"It's your choice," Darcmon told them. "You can either go to sleep, or die."

Paildramon yawned. "Well, I could use a nice long nap."

The angel Digimon smirked as Argomon's vines began moving in. "In that case…"

"But not for that long of a nap. Electric Bolt!"

He threw a bolt of electricity at her. Darcmon swerved to avoid it as Argomon's face twisted with fury. "Slaughter them!"

SkullSatamon cackled loudly. "Excellent, Skull Hammer!"

Moving so fast that he could hardly be seen, he sped through the air, coming to a stop in front of Angewomon. He swung his staff, hitting her in the gut, and when she doubled over, he brought it down on her head before speeding towards Gokuwmon. The beast man Digimon jumped up and away, but SkullSatamon flew up after him and sent him back down with a whack of his staff.

It had all happened in just a few short seconds, but it was enough time for MetalGreymon to recover from his surprise at SkullSatamon's speed and take a step forward. The demon Digimon immediately pointed his staff at him and a ray of red light flowed out and shined over the cyborg dinosaur Digimon. Sparks flowed over MetalGreymon's body, and he froze in his tracks.

SkullSatamon emitted a deranged cackle. "Next."

Vanishing with his speed, he appeared in front of Paildramon and swung his staff. The dragon Digimon dodged, surprising SkullSatamon, and Paildramon glared at him. "Did you think you were the only fast one? Sting Strike!"

SkullSatamon moved to the side and grabbed the lance. This time when he used his Skull Hammer, he landed the blow. His next target was WarGrowlmon, and he sped towards him, swinging his staff. The cyborg dinosaur raised an arm, blocking the attack, though his whole arm trembled with the effort.

"Enough of that." His other arm came up, smacking SkullSatamon's away. He then fired his Atomic Blaster, the beams from his chest blasting the demon Digimon up and away.

Leomon had shifted his attention to Darcmon, firing his Hundred Beast Fist. The angel Digimon swerved around, avoiding the stream of lion-head shaped energy blasts as she flew towards him. "Dancing Sword!"

Leomon raised his arms to defend himself, a useless attempt against Darcmon's blade, but the sword never found its mark. When he lowered his arms, he found Angemon in front of him, having blocked the sword with his staff. Frustration was written all over Darcmon's face as she futilely pushed against Angemon's staff. "You're really getting on my nerves."

A cocky smirked crept up Angemon's face. "But we never finished our battle."

"Believe me, boy, you don't want to finish this."

"Beast Sword!" Leomon cried, swinging his own sword.

Darcmon whipped out her other sword, blocking his blade. The two Digimon pushing against her were beginning to overpower her. She broke away, flying up into the sky, out of Leomon's reach, cutting through the Fist of the Beast King attack he fired at her. Angemon went up to meet her, and Darcmon came at him, swinging her swords.

On the ground, Angewomon forced herself to her feet. She looked around, seeing Angemon and Darcmon engaged in battle in the air. And right beneath them, frozen in place, was her brother. "MetalGreymon. MetalGreymon! Hey, Tai, snap out of it!"

"He can't," SkullSatamon cackled as he flew back over. "I've disrupted his data. He won't find it so easy to get out of that state. I can even render a Mega immobile, so a mere Ultimate is nothing to me."

Angewomon whirled to face him, firing her Heaven's Charm. SkullSatamon countered with his Bone Blaster, firing a yellow beam from his staff. The two attacks collided and exploded in a blast of holy and demonic energy.

Through the smoke, Gokuwmon leapt at SkullSatamon. The demon Digimon swung his staff at him, but his attack went straight through. He turned away from the after image as Gokuwmon flew up behind him on his cloud and blocked the beast man Digimon's staff with his own. His other hand shot out, wrapping around Gokuwmon's neck, squeezing tightly.

"Celestial Arrow!" Angewomon cried, firing an arrow at SkullSatamon. The demon Digimon glanced over his shoulder and whirled around. Gokuwmon cried out as the arrow struck him in the back. Angewomon gasped in horror at what she had done as SkullSatamon cackled. He kicked the beast man Digimon at her, and she caught him.

"Bone Blaster!" he cried, blasting both Digimon at the same time. Both fell from the sky as SkullSatamon grinned. Behind him, Gokuwmon's cloud continued to hover in the air, and he caused it to disperse by swiping his staff through it.

WarGrowlmon charged at the demon Digimon. "I guess I didn't hit you hard enough. Radiation Blade!"

He swiped his glowing blade, but SkullSatamon somehow blocked it with his staff and sneered at him. WarGrowlmon glared back, and then toppled over as something struck his head. Dazed, he looked around for what had hit him and saw small round object flying around wildly. It flew through the air, and Makuramon snatched it as the orb returned to him. "You didn't forget about me, did you? Primal Orb!"

SkullSatamon drifted back as Makuramon's attack hit WarGrowlmon again. The cyborg dinosaur Digimon swiped at it as it came again, knocking it away, but it kept coming.

"Megalo Spark!" he cried, firing electricity from his chest. The orb pulled back, avoiding the attack, and then slammed into WarGrowlmon again once the electricity ceased. He dropped down to one knee, seeing stars, but was repeatedly struck again and again as Makuramon laughed.

Something landed on his shoulder, and out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Leomon leaping off him at the monkey Digimon, brandishing his sword. He swiped it at the Ultimate, but Makuramon leaned back so far that his sword passed right over him. The monkey Digimon's leg shot up, his foot kicking Leomon in the chin and knocking him off his feet.

Before he even hit the ground, Makuramon's orb struck into him so hard it pushed him through the air and slammed him into a wall. WarGrowlmon started to rise, but Makuramon immediately sent his orb at him again, and the onslaught continued.

MetalGreymon was still frozen in place, and Argomon's vines were slowly creeping towards him. Shoutmon was doing his best to keep the vines away from the cyborg dinosaur Digimon, but they were gaining ground.

When the vines began to slither over MetalGreymon's legs and feet, BurningGreymon's Fire Below attack flew across them. Argomon growled in irritation as the dragon Digimon moved to defend his friend. "Your accursed fire is a nuisance, but you can't hold out forever."

Several more vines flew at BurningGreymon, but he completely reduced them to ash with his Wildfire Tsunami. "Then I'll just have to hold them off for as long as I can." His eyes narrowed. "Or maybe I'll just take out the source. Pyro Barrage!"

He fired heat-wave energy bullets. Concern flashed across Argomon's face as the attack came at him, but SkullSatamon flew in front of him and used his staff to smack them away. "Shall I take care of him, Lord Argomon?"

"No need," the mutant Digimon replied. "I will deal with this firebug myself. Imprisonment!"

BurningGreymon was caught off guard as the vines he had burned suddenly regrew at blinding speed and wrapped around him tightly. They began to secrete their fluid to put him to sleep, and he ignited his body, incinerating the vines. He then flew at Argomon, stabbing forward with his Crimson Fanger. The mutant Digimon just grinned as BurningGreymon approached. "Elimination Line!"

Beneath the vines growing from his body, beams fired from the eyes on his limbs. BurningGreymon gasped in surprise as he went flying backwards into MetalGreymon. Not even the impact caused the cyborg dinosaur Digimon to snap out of his paralysis as BurningGreymon recovered from the initial attack and began pushing it back as he moved towards Argomon.

SkullSatamon grinned and turned to look at the two angel Digimon battling in the sky. He saw right away that even though Angemon had a mere staff while Darcmon had two swords, the male Digimon was undoubtedly the stronger of the two, and Darcmon was at a clear disadvantage. "Time to step in."

He flew up at the two as Angemon knocked Darcmon's swords out of the way and brought his staff down to strike her. It struck SkullSatamon's staff instead, stopping his attack, and the demon Digimon sneered at him.

"Hand of Fate!" Angemon cried, but SkullSatamon smacked his hand away and delivered a punch that had Angemon's head rattling in his helmet.

SkullSatamon chuckled as he hovered in front of Darcmon. "Careful, my dear. You'll never advance if you can't even defeat a weakling like this."

The female angel Digimon scowled. "Take care of how you speak to me."

SkullSatamon whirled around, his hand shooting out to wrap around her neck. He brought her close, his eyes shining with unspeakable evil behind his skull mask. "No, my dear. You take care of how you speak to me. Don't forget that I am only here because I choose to be."

He smirked as he saw that he had rattled her, then let her go as he spun around again as Angemon came in for another attack. Raising his staff, he fired a beam of red light, and Angemon froze in mid-air. He dropped from the sky and crashed to the ground below, unmoving.

Darcmon and SkullSatamon hovered in the air, his shoulders shaking with silent mirth. "All too easy." He glanced at the angel Digimon behind him. "Shall I finish him off?"

Darcmon stared down at her frozen fellow angel Digimon. "No," she ran the length of one of her blades over the other, "he's mine."

She dropped down from the sky, landing beside Angemon. He was lying on his side, unresponsive to what was going on around him. Not even when she kicked him onto his back and pointed her sword at his face did he move.

A distance away, Angewomon was helping Gokuwmon to his feet. The hit of her arrow, plus SkullSatamon's attack, had damaged him greatly. Yet as she supported him, her gaze was drawn to Darcmon standing above Angemon with her sword pointed at him. "Angemon, no!"

"I got him!" Paildramon cried, flying towards the two angel Digimon. The land whizzed by as he flew, then suddenly came to a stop as something grabbed his foot. He glanced back to find SkullSatamon gripping his ankle.

"Come play with me for a bit," the demon Digimon snarled, and threw the dragon Digimon back. "Bone Blaster!"

The yellow light flew from his staff, pushing the dragon Digimon back into a wall of vines. The green tentacles immediately came to life and began wrapping around him, and he struggled to fight them off. That was when the insect Digimon finally moved in, firing attacks at the dragon Digimon, allowing the vines to get a better hold.

Darcmon, who had been watching the display, turned her attention back to her fellow angel Digimon. "You humans have bothered me long enough. You shall be the first to die."

As she pulled her sword back to stab, Angewomon left Gokuwmon where he was and made a move for Angemon, but SkullSatamon was suddenly in front of her. "Ah, ah, ah. You have your own problems, my dear." He pointed his staff at her threateningly. "Just try and get past me."

She glared at him from behind her mask and maneuvered around him. SkullSatamon's hand shot out, grabbing her hair as she passed, pulling her back. Tears wielded up in her eyes as his grip on her golden locks tightened, but she ignored the pain. "Angemon! Angemon! TK!"

"Now be gone!" Darcmon declared, and stabbed forward.

A flash of light blinded her, and she missed her target, her sword piercing the ground beside Angemon's head. The light grew in intensity, and Darcmon backed away as Angemon rose, glowing brightly. "Angemon Digivolve to… MagnaAngemon!"

Notes:

(A/N: It seems Kari was right, TK did Digivolve when the time came. Now we've got MagnaAngemon in the house. The bad guys are really in big trouble now. Did his Digivolution timing seem a little too convenient? Well, plot convenient Digivolution happens in the anime too. Digivolution always did seem to happen when they needed it to, not when they wanted it to. By the way, you know the real reason why it took Angemon to Digivolve into MagnaAngemon in the show is because he was too powerful, and if he had Digivolved when the others reached Ultimate, then the villains they faced and the situations they found themselves in wouldn't have been as threatening or as challenging. That means I'm going to have to step up the bad guy factor for this story. Ooh, exciting. But we're not done with this arc yet. Stay tuned to see where things go from here.)

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MagnaAngemon's attacks:

Gate of Destiny – Create a golden gateway to subspace from which there is no return, and consigns the opponent to oblivion through it.

Excalibur's Grace – Stabs with the energy blade, Excalibur, on his wrist.

Magna Antidote – Shines healing light to cures the ailments of others.

Soul Vanisher – Swipes sword to send out blades of purifying energy.

Flying Sword of Justice – Rushes at his opponent and slashes with his sword.

Shield and Counter – Blocks and repels an attack with his beam shield.

Magna Jump – Launches himself into the air with a blast of holy power.

Excali-burst – Powers up the sword on his wrist, increasing its size and strength.

Great Golden Gate – Creates an alternate golden gateway for himself and others to teleport to another location.

Heaven's Gate – Creates an alternate golden gateway that unleashes a beam of holy energy from within.

Heaven's Heal – Heals himself and others.

Judgment Slash – Strikes with his sword to destroy evil.

Shield Strike – Rams an opponent with his beam shield.

Holy Feather – effects unknown

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New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Wisemon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Sanzomon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/SkullSatamon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/MagnaAngemon

Chapter 53: Turning the Tables

Notes:

(A/N: I should say something. If it seems like our heroes may be Digivolving too easily or at too convenient times, their method of Digivolution and how it works will be explained in a later chapter. But in my defense, isn't that kind of how it works in the show too, they Digivolved when they needed to? But I will be explaining everything eventually.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 53: Turning the Tables

Darcmon blinked away the spots in her eyes as she stared at the new Ultimate. "You Digivolved?" She jumped back into the sky. "How?"

MagnaAngemon stared at her with a stony look on his face. "Did you really think I would allow you to hurt me and my friends?" he demanded, speaking in a deep grand voice. He held up his right arm, pointing the glowing purple blade on his wrist at her. "I will never let your evil ways prevail."

"TK…" Angewomon whispered, unable to stop smiling. MagnaAngemon was a grand sight, like a warrior archangel ready to go off to battle the forces of evil, eight shiny wings with a silver hue curving around him almost like protective armor.

The newly Digivolved Ultimate turned to her, glaring at SkullSatamon beneath his helmet. "Release her, now!"

"Eh?" the demon Digimon muttered, giving him what seemed to be the stink eye. "Awfully big words for a newly Digivolved." He grinned. "That arrogance could end up biting you in the rear."

The angel Digimon continued to scowl at him. "Hang on, Angewomon, I'll take care of this guy." He flashed her a smile. "I owe you my thanks; it was your voice that got through to me."

Angewomon b egan to raise her hand. "MagnaAngemon, be-"

SkullSatamon yanked on her hair. "Quiet, girl."

He was glaring at MagnaAngemon. No not at him, but at something behind him. Makuramon was suddenly leaping in the air, throwing his Primal Orb. MagnaAngemon whirled around and used Shield and Counter. The orb struck his glowing shield and flew back at Makuramon, literally blowing up in his face. He cried out and went flying backwards from the blast.

Turning back to SkullSatamon, he pointed his sword at the demon Digimon. "Let her go."

Instead, SkullSatamon pulled her hair harder, making her groan in pain. "No, I don't think so."

"Super-Electrified Lightning Cannon!" Gokuwmon cried behind them.

Keeping hold of Angewomon, SkullSatamon swung his staff behind him, knocking away the attack. He then used his Skull Hammer, hitting the beast man Digimon in the side of the head. Turning back to MagnaAngemon, he grinned. "You may have Digivolved, but we still have the advantage."

The angel Digimon glared. "Don't be so sure."

"And don't count me out just yet! Treasure Ball!"

A transparent ball appeared around MagnaAngemon. He looked up to see the monkey Digimon floating in the air outside the bubble. Makuramon laughed and motioned towards himself. The sphere around MagnaAngemon began to solidify and shrink in the same manner it had when Makuramon had captured his friends before.

"Magna Jump!" Similar to Angewomon's Super Jump, MagnaAngemon used his holy energy to launch himself into the air, bursting out of Makuramon's Treasure Ball. A brief moment of surprise crossed the monkey Digimon's face before it was replaced by shock and pain as MagnaAngemon's sword stabbed into his stomach and burst out his back.

"Nothing about this is funny," the angel Digimon seethed, burying his sword deeper into Makuramon's gut. "Nothing at all."

Makuramon looked down at the sword buried in his torso, then back at MagnaAngemon. "PA-CAWWW!" he screeched, and dissolved into data.

Coming in for a landing, MagnaAngemon, once again, turned back to SkullSatamon. "Do you Digimon know the saying 'three strikes and you're out'? Well this is your third and final warning. Unhand her!"

SkullSatamon cackled, but complied with his wishes, pushing Angewomon away from him. "That was quite impressive," he admitted, deliberately walking over Angewomon as he approached, causing MagnaAngemon to scowl. "You killed him quickly and ruthlessly. Perhaps you shouldn't be an angel Digimon."

MagnaAngemon held up his sword, the blade mere inches from SkullSatamon's masked face as he stopped in front of him. "Only someone like you would take pride in the way someone takes the life of another. Unlike you, I take no pleasure in any of this, I hate it, but I will do what I must to protect my friends. Besides," he glanced up at Darcmon in the air, "being an angel Digimon doesn't have anything to do with it. It's what's in our hearts that matters; if you even have one."

SkullSatamon scoffed. "How sickeningly sweet. That deserves a Bone Blaster!"

MagnaAngemon held up his shield, but was still pushed back by the attack. He retaliated with his Soul Vanisher, swinging his sword to fling blades of purifying energy at the demon Digimon. SkullSatamon sprang up into the air, and MagnaAngemon used his Magna Jump to close the gap between them and swing his sword. SkullSatamon blocked with his staff, the wooden stick, if that was indeed what it was made of, somehow managing to block the angel Digimon's blade.

Darcmon watched from a distance with a scowl on her face. As the angel and demon Digimon duked it out, she glanced down at the others. Leomon lay unmoving from where Makuramon's orb had smashed him into the wall while MetalGreymon still stood paralyzed. Angewomon had returned to Gokuwmon's side and was in the process of healing him while WarGrowlmon looked like he could use some healing himself from the beating Makuramon had given him, and BurningGreymon was still facing off against Argomon's vines. Then there was Paildramon, fighting a losing battle against them as well, with the insect Digimon making his struggles all the more difficult as they continuously attacked him.

"The situation is deteriorating. Time to bring in the others." She held up her staff, and it began shining brightly, signaling any other allies, calling them here to fight.

Paildramon was still in the process of trying to get free of Argomon's vines as he fought off the insect Digimon. His legs and one of his arms were bound, but he used his free hand to swipe at any others that came at him and rip apart the ones that already had hold of him when they tried to crawl up his body. The guns on his hips served to shoot down the insect Digimon flying around him, but it was a losing battle.

"At least none of these guys are Ultimates," he grumbled as he showered a Kuwagamon with bullets. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw a flashing light, and he turned to see Darcmon with her staff shining brightly. "Well, that can't be good."

He threw an Electric Bolt at a Yanmamon before calling out to MagnaAngemon. "Hey, I could use some help over here!"

The angel Digimon kicked SkullSatamon back before turning to him. "I'm coming!"

SkullSatamon's hand shot out, grabbing one of his wings and pulling him back. "Not so fast; we're not done here." He raised his staff. "Bone Hamm- AHH!"

An arrow shot by Angewomon from down below struck his hip. MagnaAngemon spun around, breaking out of his grip, and used Judgment Slash, slicing SkullSatamon across the chest. Whirling around, he sped towards Paildramon, using his Flying Sword of Justice to cut through all the vines binding him, and even taking out a few of the insect Digimon.

"Nice move," the dragon Digimon commented, tearing off the severed vines. "Allow me to take it from here. Sting Strike!"

His lance extended and he flew at the insect Digimon, slashing, swiping, and stabbing at them. MagnaAngemon contributed as well, his Soul Vanisher taking out several others.

"Yeah!" Paildramon cried. "We're crushing them! Teamwork rocks!"

"Well," Darcmon called to them, "I hope your teamwork does well against an army."

From out of the vine forest, several other Digimon, including more Wendigomon, came stomping out, responding to Darcmon's summoning. The angel Digimon chuckled wickedly and put more distance between the battle and herself.

At this point, Angewomon had finished healing Gokuwmon, and had thrown herself into battle with Argomon's minions. WarGrowlmon, looking a little worse for wear, stomped over to her, ready to keep fighting. BurningGreymon would have gone to help, but being a Fire-type, and thus Argomon's weakness, was determined to take out the mutant Digimon and end this whole thing quickly, if he could only get close enough.

Gokuwmon hopped onto his cloud and flew towards Argomon. The mutant Digimon barely glanced at him as a series of vines shot up and grabbed him. The beast man Digimon struggled against the vines, as several more rose up. Curling, electricity flowed along their length as Argomon used his Hypnos Claw, slashing Gokuwmon. With his arms bound, he was unable to defend himself. He cried out as the vines cut into him like deadly claws, and was then tossed into the distance, landing somewhere in the vine forest.

"Gokuwmon!" MagnaAngemon shouted. He made to go after the beast man Digimon, but was cut off as number of insect Digimon flew into his path."

Paildramon glanced at all the numerous insect Digimon blocking their path. "Geez, talk about having a bug problem. Anyone have any repellent?"

The blade on MagnaAngemon's arm began glowing brighter. "I'll take care of this quickly. Heaven's Gate!"

He drew a circle in the air, leaving behind a trail of light. The circle he drew filled with light, and a golden gate covered in intricate designs appeared. It opened up, and a beam of energy erupted from it, instantly obliterating numerous of the insect Digimon. The survivors stared at the lingering data left behind by their comrades before fleeing.

"Whoa," Paildramon awed. "Should have done that in the first place. You sent those freaks into a full retreat."

"But that won't be enough to stop me." SkullSatamon flew back over to them, sporting a cut across his chest from MagnaAngemon's attack. "You and I aren't finished here yet."

The angel Digimon glared at him. "I guess not." He motioned to Paildramon, then nodded at their friends. "Go help them. I'll finish things here."

The dragon Digimon nodded. "Sure thing." He hesitated a moment. "Be careful though. This guy is fast; even faster than me, and that's really saying something." With that, he flew down to the others. "Ok, guys, lets teach these baddies a lesson."

Darcmon pointed her sword at the group. "Kill them all!

The crowd of Digimon that had responded to her summoning charged towards Gokuwmon and the DigiDestined while, up in the sky, SkullSatamon and MagnaAngemon continued to hover in front of each other. The angel Digimon's expression was unreadable, and not because of his helmet, while SkullSatamon was looking quite pleased. "Do you really think you can win this?"

MagnaAngemon didn't miss a beat. "I believe in my friends," he replied with complete conviction. "But what about you? Do you think your army can win?" He looked down at the battle where his Ultimate level friends defeated one Champion level enemy after another. "You may outnumber us, but your forces are dropping fast."

SkullSatamon chuckled. "I don't care about that. I'm just here because Darcmon's ambitions are so entertaining. If she or the others fall, it wouldn't make any difference to me."

A disgusted look crossed MagnaAngemon's face. "You're despicable. I'll take care of her once I finish with you." He swung his sword, flinging blades of energy. SkullSatamon used his extreme speed to navigate through the storm of blades. He reached the angel Digimon and swung his staff. MagnaAngemon just barely managed to raise his shield in time to block.

"Excalibur's Grace!" he cried, stabbing forward. SkullSatamon flew back and used Nail Bone. MagnaAngemon was able to deflect it with his Shield and Counter, but not the Bone Blaster that followed, nearly knocking him from the sky.

"You're mine now!" SkullSatamon declared, flying at him. "Skull Hammer!"

MagnaAngemon raised his shield and sword as the demon Digimon's staff came down. The impact was running, yet he managed to hold off the attack. But SkullSatamon's staff came down again and again, the demon Digimon laughing madly all the while. MagnaAngemon's arms started to give as the shockwave from the impact reverberated through his whole body.

In the distance, he saw Darcmon watching. She gave him a knowing smirk, as if she expected him to die, and to know that he was going to die. Then her gaze shifted to his friends before going back to him, and she shook her head, as if telling him that they would not survive either.

"No!" MagnaAngemon shouted. "Excali-burst!"

Giving up on defending, his blade grew larger and began shining brightly with energy. As SkullSatamon's staff came down to bash him once more, he swiped upward, his blade cutting the staff in two. The demon Digimon's eyes widened in surprise as the other end of his staff went flying through the air.

"Judgment Slash!" MagnaAngemon cried. With his still energized sword, he slashed at SkullSatamon. Before the demon Digimon could react, the blade went straight through him, quick and clean. He didn't even realize he had been cut until the two halves of his body were falling from the sky. Yet even as he fell, a demented laughter escaped him as he dissolved into data, his body bursting apart upon hitting the ground.

MagnaAngemon held out his hand, summoning SkullSatamon's data to him. Not to absorb, neither he nor his friends needed to absorb another Digimon's data in order to get stronger, but there was someone else that could use it, and so he gathered it into his hand before flying over to them.

He landed by Leomon's still form. The lion Digimon cracked open an eye and stared up at him. He tried to rise, but found he still couldn't move. "Hey… congratulations on Digivolving… Sorry, I can't get up to help fight… but I think my back is broken."

MagnaAngemon stood over him. "We need you Leomon." He held out his hand. "Heaven's Heal!"

Light flowed out of his hand and over Leomon. As the seconds ticked by, he felt his body heal and his energy return. By the time the healing was finished, most of the pain was gone, and he felt most of his energy restored.

Grunting with the effort, he managed to stand, rubbing his sore back as he found his balance. "Thank you, my friend. I feel much better. I think I can keep fighting."

The angel Digimon held out the ball of data. "Take this as well. It will give you strength."

Leomon accepted his gift, absorbing the data, feeling his strength increase. When he was done, he took a deep breath and flexed his muscles. "Yes, now I know I can go on." He looked to the others. "Hang on, my friends! Here I come!"

MagnaAngemon smiled as he took off, but it soon became a frown as he looked up. Darcmon was watching the battle, but she was scowling now. It also looked like she was trying to sneak away, slowly putting distance between herself and the battle. He would not allow it. If she fled, she would just continue with her evil ways, and, undoubtedly, keep up the search for these mysterious keycards she wanted, whatever they were. He would not allow it!

Darcmon continued to back away as the tide of the battle turned even further. She had been confident before with SkullSatamon on her side, but with his death, she was having doubts. It looked like her plan was a failure. Months of work, gone, and all thanks to these human children. Well, they would pay for their interference. She would get more minions and come back. She would find those keycards, and then she would have her revenge.

"Enjoy your victory," she seethed. "You'll soon suffer for it."

She turned to leave, only to find MagnaAngemon right behind her, now nearly twice the size he was as Angemon. She flew back in surprise and brandished her sword. "Dancing Sword!" She threw the blade at him, but he easily deflected it with his with his own. Darcmon glared at him, floating a reasonably safe distance away from him.

"Going somewhere?" he asked.

"Yes," she snarled, pulling out her other sword while summoning the one she had thrown back to her, "away from you! La Pucelle!"

She came at him with her swords. He blocked with his shield and knocked them away before striking with his own blade, shattering her favorite of the two swords.

"The Maiden!" she exclaimed in dismay, crying the name of her sword. She put some distance between them again. "Damn you!"

"No," MagnaAngemon declared, "that is your fate. Beings as wicked as you have no place in this world. I hereby decree that you are to be banished from it. Gate of Destiny!"

In a similar fashion to what he did before, he used his blade to trace a circle, creating another golden gate. It opened up, revealing a surface that seemed to be made of liquid light. Using his sword as a guide, he directed it behind Darcmon. "Be gone, you fiend. I hereby confined you to oblivion!"

A suction began pulling at Darcmon, sucking her towards the gate. She resisted, but the suction was too great, and she was pulled closer and closer. "I'll kill you first!" she snarled, and threw her remaining sword at him.

He used Shield and Counter, and the sword flew right back at her, the hilt hitting her in the chest and knocking her back, the suction pulling her screaming into the gate. She vanished beneath the liquid-like surface, disappearing into the light. The gate closed behind her and dissolved into data particles, and just like that, she was gone.

One less villain to deal with. Now only Argomon himself and his last few cronies remained. MagnaAngemon fully intended to join in on the fight, but there was something he had to do first.

Flying over to the still frozen MetalGreymon, he landed on his head. "Magna Antidote!"

Rainbow light flowed out of his wings and over the cyborg dinosaur Digimon. MetalGreymon blinked, a few sparks traveling over his body, then suddenly regained full mobility and roared loudly.

MagnaAngemon smiled. "Welcome back, big guy."

MetalGreymon blinked again. "Angemon?"

"Not anymore. It's MagnaAngemon now."

Another blink. "MagnaAngemon. Everything is all a blur. It's like I couldn't process anything, or… or…"

"It doesn't matter now. We've got a battle to win. You ready?"

MetalGreymon's eyes narrowed. "Most definitely."

He charged forward into the brawl. The DigiDestined were still outnumbered, but the enemy's numbers were dropping fast. And as aRedVeggiemon riding on top of a Woodmon's head leapt off to bash Leomon, blades from MagnaAngemon's Soul Vanisher attack caused it to burst into data before it could land the blow while MetalGreymon's Mega Claw destroyed Woodmon.

The two newcomers rejoined their friends, and MetalGreymon roared loudly to announce their arrival.

"MetalGreymon!" Angewomon cried, flying over to him. "You're all better now."

"Yes, I'm fine, thanks to MagnaAngemon here."

The others, with the exception of the missing Gokuwmon, all came over to their friends. "Alright," said WarGrowlmon, "the group is at full power and ready to fight."

He roared loudly, and MetalGreymon roared with him. The enemy Digimon hesitated. They were all Champions, but were now up against several Ultimates, plus Leomon and Shoutmon. They looked around, noting that, of the leaders, only Argomon remained, and all the insect Digimon had already flown off. Several exchanged uncertain glances before one finally fled. It triggered a train reaction as more and more took off into the vine forest. Even those that had still been confident decided to cut their losses and run as their numbers continued to dwindle.

"Rotten cowards," Shoutmon grumbled.

"Hey, I didn't see you fighting," Paildramon pointed out.

"I was busy keeping Argomon's vines off MetalGreymon."

"I appreciate that," the cyborg dinosaur Digimon told him. "When I was… frozen, it's like nothing registered to me. I was aware of what was happening, but I couldn't process or comprehend anything. I don't know how to explain it."

"If you could discuss this later, I'd really appreciate some help over here," BurningGreymon called to them.

They turned to the dragon Digimon. He was still fighting off Argomon's vines and attacks. His fire was able to burn away the vines when they came at him, but whenever he attempted to turn his flames on Argomon himself, the mutant Digimon would counter with his own attacks until more vines came in. Neither combatant were getting anywhere, even with BurningGreymon being Argomon's weakness.

"Come on, lets go help," Leomon cried, and he and the others hurried over.

"I got this one," Paildramon declared. "Electric Bolt!"

The attack struck Argomon in the side of his head. He cried out and shifted to the side, his vine tower now at an angle. The DigiDestined and Leomon crowded around BurningGreymon while Shoutmon hung back at a safer distance.

Argomon righted himself and glared at the group. He seemed both angry and confused. "What is this now? You're all challenging me? Where are my men?"

"Weren't paying attention, huh?" WarGrowlmon mocked. "They're all gone. You're all alone now."

"Impossible."

"Afraid so," MagnaAngemon replied. "Many of your men have been destroyed, including Makuramon and SkullSatamon. The rest have fled, and Darcmon has been sealed away in my Gate of Destiny."

Shoutmon gave the angel Digimon a surprised look. "You sealed her in your Gate of Destiny?"

BurningGreymon looked confused. "Is that bad?"

"Oh no, it just confines her to another dimension of subspace from which there is no return, sealing her away in oblivion for all eternity unless she takes own life. From what I remember, only one has ever managed to escape from it without dying." He humphed. "It's a fitting punishment for the likes of her."

WarGrowlmon sweat-dropped. "Wow, harsh."

MagnaAngemon raised his blade to Argomon. "Perhaps now that she is gone, you will listen to reason. Darcmon was just using you. She manipulated you into trying to find the keycards."

"Whatever they are…" Paildramon muttered.

"Don't let her use you anymore," the angel Digimon continued. "Just end this now before anyone else gets hurt."

If he hoped this would get Argomon to change his mind, he was wrong. Anger twisted the mutant Digimon's face, his tower of vines seeming to rise up higher. "Whether she was using me or not is irrelevant! Our goals were still the same! The keycards shall be mine! And you are interfering with that goal! Imprisonment!"

An entire wave of vines suddenly rose up. It stretched high over the group and came crashing down towards them. BurningGreymon used his Wildfire Tsunami to burn them away before the vines got to them, and Argomon roared his fury. "That damn fire!"

"Know what goes well with fire?" MetalGreymon asked. "Explosions. Giga Blaster!"

He fired his missiles. Another wall of vines rose up to shield Argomon. They were blown to pieces, but they stopped MetalGreymon's attack. What they didn't stop was Angewomon's Celestial Arrow that she fired afterwards, and the glowing arrow pierced Argomon's shoulder.

"My turn now," WarGrowlmon declared. "This is for Gokuwmon! Atomic Blaster!"

His face twisting with pain and anger, Argomon straightened himself up on his tower and used his Elimination Line. The attacks met in the air in a stalemate, two opposing forces of energy fighting against each other, forming one massive ball that could erupt at any moment.

"He's strong," MagnaAngemon noted. "Perhaps we should attack together."

"Wait," said Leomon. He glanced in the distance at the sleeping Sanzomon in her pod. "We could still use some help. Could your Magna Antidote awaken Sanzomon from her slumber?"

The angel Digimon turned to the sleeping Digimon monk Digimon. "Yes, it can. I'll go wake her right now."

"You will not!" Argomon declared as he continued to fire upon WarGrowlmon. "She and all the others will remain asleep forever!"

His face scrunched up in concentration. The vines began moving including the ones holding the pod that contained Sanzomon. It was pulled into the vine forest, disappearing into the greenery. Leomon watched her go with a feeling of despair. He would not use any more friends!

"Bring her back!" the lion Digimon demanded.

"Never!" the mutant Digimon shouted. "If you want to save her, you'll have to defeat me!"

"That can be arranged! Lightning-Speed Attack!"

From behind, Gokuwmon stabbed his staff into the back of Argomon's vine tower. He cried out as he was electrified, his attack ceasing. WarGrowlmon pushed the gathered energy back at him, and it exploded against the mutant Digimon.

"Gokuwmon, you're alright!" Paildramon exclaimed. "We thought you were dead or captured."

The beast man shook his head. "I will not go down that easily."

BurningGreymon smirked and took to the air. "Well, thanks for the opportunity. Time to use my fire on this overgrown weed. Drago Fanger!"

Flames surrounded his whole body, taking the form of a fiery dragon. He flew at Argomon as the mutant Digimon recovered from the blast. His eyes widened behind his mask as he saw the flaming dragon coming at him. He lashed out with his vines, but they were reduced to ashes upon touching the dragon Digimon. "NOOO!"

The flaming dragon slammed into Argomon, resulting in a fiery blast. Flames completely engulfed the vine tower, including the mutant Digimon. Argomon roared as he thrashed about, tearing away from the burning body of vines.

The fire helped, and he finally managed to separate from the flaming tower. He went tumbling down the structure, the whole 'stop, drop, and roll' technique falling into effect, and he hit the ground as a blackened and burned figure. The tower of vines that had served as his base continued to burn as Argomon lay still at the bottom.

"Smoked him," said BurningGreymon, going down to land by his friends. "That wasn't too bad; it was just landing a blow that was tough."

"Yes," Gokuwmon agreed, rubbing where the mutant Digimon had slashed him. "Argomon did not stand a chance against all of us."

"Still, it's a good thing you came back when you did," WarGrowlmon told him. "I don't think I could have held his attack back much longer."

"I'm sure you and your friends would have managed just fine."

There was a groan that drew their attention, and they turned to see Argomon crawling across the ground. His leaves and vines were singed, his whole body smoking as he dragged himself along.

"Looks like we're not finished yet," Paildramon noted. He stared at the mutant Digimon for a few moments, thinking. "Hey, you think we can convince him to get rid of these vines?

"If not, then he leaves us with no choice," said Leomon. "Perhaps we should just put him out of his misery now."

MagnaAngemon shook his head. "I don't want to have to kill him if we don't have to."

Shoutmon crossed his arms. "We could consider it a mercy killing."

"If he agrees to get rid of the vines, I can heal him," Angewomon pointed out.

"As can I," her fellow angel Digimon replied. "It's worth a try. In a way, he was a victim of Darcmon. He should get a second chance." He stared hard at the burned Digimon. "After all, everyone deserves a second chance."

Notes:

(A/N: Looks like the battle is over. SkullSatamon and Makuramon have been destroyed, Darcmon has been sealed away, Argomon's servants have fled, and the big guy himself is down for the count. MagnaAngemon was right, Darcmon was the real villain here and was just using Argomon. You think our heroes will be able to convince him to turn over a new leaf? Ha, turn over a new leaf. Get it? Oh, puns. Stay tuned for more.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Yanmamon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/RedVeggiemon

Chapter 54: Weeding Out the Bad Seeds

Notes:

(A/N: Going on vacation to Florida. Whoo hoo! Super psyched. But you don't care about that. You want to know what's going to happen with Argomon.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 54: Weeding Out the Bad Seeds

Argomon reached out with a trembling hand to grab a hanging vine and attempted to climb to his feet. A shadow fell over him, and he looked over his shoulder to find the others gathered around him. He ground his teeth as he stared at them hatefully. "You interlopers are ruining everything."

"We're just putting a stop to something that never should have started," MetalGreymon told him.

"But we're giving you a choice," said Gokuwmon. "Get rid of these vines and give up this pointless search for the keycards, and we'll let you go."

Paildramon grinned. "Yeah, you can turn over a new leaf."

No one seemed to find his pun to be very funny, especially Argomon. He climbed to his feet, struggling to remain standing, and glared at them. "You think I will abide by your wishes after what you've done?"

"We're giving you the benefit of the doubt due to Darcmon's manipulation," Angewomon told him. "We're even willing to heal you once you get rid of the vines."

Argomon looked outraged. "Heal me? Heal me?! Here's a healing. Hypnos Claw!" He swiped at them with his clawed electrified vines, and they jumped back. "I don't need you to heal me. I can heal myself. Worm Phase!"

Several dozen vines suddenly sprouted from his body, shooting outward. They coiled around the other vines, seeming to melt into them until he was reconnected with his vine system. The vines around him seemed to glow and began wilting as he drained their energy, but in the process, Argomon's burns began to heal.

"Did you really expect me to undo all that I worked so hard for, that I would let all the time and energy I put into growing my garden go to waste? I tried going about this peacefully, putting everyone in the area to sleep rather than killing them to get the keycards, but no longer. It's time to do what I should have done to begin with. No more fooling around. I'm putting an end to you right now. Argomon Mega Digivolve to… Argomon Mega!"

MetalGreymon's eyes widened as Argomon Digivolution increased his size to around VenomMyotismon's height. As the Mega level Digimon emerged from the light, the only thing he could think of doing was getting his friends away from the giant. "Back! Back!"

His order was not needed as Argomon's enormous foot came crashing down where they had been standing. The mutant Digimon roared loudly as he stretched to his full height, towering over the group.

At the Mega level, Argomon was now rather muscular. Though he still resembled his Ultimate form, the biggest difference was the gapping hole in his chest. It was as if he were a suit of armor that had had the head removed, revealing the empty inside. Only this cavern-like opening didn't reveal his insides, but a pitch black void of darkness.

That wasn't to say he was without a head. At the top of the cavern in his chest, vines grew along the crevice, meeting at a single point where a mask that served as the mutant Digimon's head rested, very small in comparison to the rest of his body.

"He Digivolved," said BurningGreymon. "How could he Digivolve when he was at death's door a moment ago?"

Gokuwmon stared at the giant. "My guess is that he always could, but it was only in his Ultimate form that he could spread his vines the way he did. After reclaiming some of the energy he used to grow them in order to heal himself, he Digivolved back to his Mega level."

"But why is his name Argomon Mega?" Paildramon asked. "His name didn't really change."

"A few select Digimon's names don't change when they Digivolve," Shoutmon told him. "It's a unique case, but it does happen, so he's just given the suffix 'Mega' at the end of his name to differentiate between his Ultimate and Mega forms."

"But wouldn't MegaArgomon make more sense, like with the way Greymon becomes MetalGreymon, or Angemon became MagnaAngemon?"

"I didn't make the rules!"

"Who cares what his name is," WarGrowlmon growled. "We still need to stop him."

The little head at the top of Argomon's body turned to them, and the mutant Digimon roared.

"I think he can hear us," said MagnaAngemon.

From within the darkness of the gapping hole in Argomon's chest, several large green eyes popped open and stared down at them. Angewomon cringed at the disturbing sight. "I think he can see us."

"Judecca Cannon!" Argomon cried. Giant bullets of energy shot out of the eyes in the hole of Argomon's chest. Those that could fly took to the air as Leomon grabbed Shoutmon and leapt out of the way. MetalGreymon dove for cover as the bullets of cursed energy blasted across the ground, leaving behind a series of craters.

"Hey, Shoutmon," Paildramon called to the dragon Digimon, "I thought you said not all Mega level Digimon are giant."

"They're not."

"Then what do you call that?"

The dragon Digimon shrugged. "Bad luck? What do you want from me?"

"Just forget it," MetalGreymon grumbled. "So what now? He's a Mega Digimon, so we better leave because we're outmatched?"

Shoutmon looked up at the roaring Argomon. He considered the Mega for several moments before shaking his head. "No, no running this time. He may be a Mega, but we've got seven Ultimates on our side. One is his weakness, and Angewomon and MagnaAngemon's strength borders on Mega. And we have Leomon too. The odds still aren't in our favor, but you humans have pulled off some amazing feats." He gave them a smile. "I think we can win."

Leomon leapt away as Argomon tried to stomp down on him again and set Shoutmon on the ground. "Well, if you have faith that we can win, then I do too. Fist of the Beast King!"

The lion-head energy blast flew at Argomon, exploding against him. It didn't seem to hurt him at all, and Argomon fired his Judecca Cannon at him. Leomon fled as a series of explosions went off around him while Paildramon flew overhead, firing his Desperado Blaster. Argomon turned his attack on him, and Paildramon's speed was really put to the test as he swerved around the giant bullets.

"Brute Force!" Argomon cried, throwing a punch. Through the spray of energy bullets, his giant fist slammed into Paildramon, and the dragon Digimon was sent flying. WarGrowlmon quickly flew in to take his place, and Argomon repeated his attack. The cyborg dinosaur Digimon caught his fist, which was almost as big as he was. His jets worked overtime to hold back the giant hand, and still he was losing.

MagnaAngemon and Angewomon moved in unison. Laanding in front of Argomon, they used their Magna Jump and Super Jump to launch themselves into the air and slam into the mutant Digimon. Argomon roared as he toppled backwards, randomly firing energy bullets. One exploded against WarGrowlmon, and he dropped from the sky.

BurningGreymon flew beneath WarGrowlmon and caught him, which was no easy feat with the cyborg dinosaur Digimon's much larger size. Straining with the effort, he set his dazed friend down. "Sit tight. My fire will take care of this." He flew up into the sky, flying right over the fallen Mega. "Time to roast this vegetable. Burning Grey Blaster!"

His body ignited, and he flew down towards Argomon. The mutant Digimon looked up and saw him coming. "Distortion Line!"

BurningGreymon had been on the lookout for his Judecca Cannon, the eyes in Argomon's chest always opening in order to fire the massive energy bullets, but he hadn't been prepared for the unexpected twisted ray of light that emitted from the mutant Digimon's chest. The attack went straight through his fire and pushed him high into the sky.

Leomon jumped up onto Argomon and ran up the length of his body. Argomon's giant hand reached for him, and Leomon jumped over it, leaping over the dark void in the mutant Digimon's chest. "Smashing Kick!"

Doing a roundhouse kick in the air, his foot slammed into the side of Argomon's small head. But then he dropped down, falling into the void with nothing to stop his fall. The eyes inside Argomon's chest popped open, and Leomon knew good and well that he would not survive this.

And he wouldn't have if Gokuwmon hadn't flown by on his cloud, grabbing Leomon by the tail and pulling him along. The lion Digimon grunted as his tail was yanked, but as several energy bullets were shot into the air, he was glad to not be caught in their path.

Keeping a hold of Leomon, Gokuwmon pointed back at Argomon with his staff and fired his Super-Electrified Lightning Cannon. Argomon's inhuman wail echoed around them as he reached for the two Digimon on the cloud, but MetalGreymon fired his fired his Mega Claw, and the cable wrapped around the mutant Digimon's arm, pulling it back.

MagnaAngemon flew in front of Argomon and used Heaven's Gate. The golden gate appeared and fired a blast of energy at the giant, but Argomon summoned forth his vines. They wrapped all around him in a protective cocoon, shielding him from the angel Digimon's attack. Not even when WarGrowlmon attempted to use his Atomic Blaster were they able to get through the numerous layers of vines. "Alright then, let's just cut through this. Radiation Blade!"

He charged at the cocoon and began slashing away with his radiated blades, cutting his way through as Paildramon fired his Desperado Blaster from up above. At this point, BurningGreymon had rejoined them, hovering on the opposite side of Argomon as MetalGreymon. "We need to use our fire. You ready, big guy?"

"Let's do it." The cyborg dinosaur Digimon replied. "Powerful Flame!"

"Wildfire Tsunami!"

The cocoon went up in flames. BurningGreymon flew over to MagnaAngemon as they waited for the mutant Digimon to emerge while WarGrowlmon continued to cut his way through. After several seconds, the cocoon burst open as a series of energy bullets blasted through. MagnaAngemon used his Shield and Counter to defend himself, but BurningGreymon was left exposed, and the energy bullets exploded against him.

Argomon emerged from his cocoon, roaring. He turned his Judecca Cannon on Gokuwmon and Leomon, but the beast man Digimon leapt off his cloud, using his staff to deflect the energy bullets as he fell. Leomon jumped off as well, but he jumped towards Argomon, brandishing his sword. Argomon lashed out with his Brute Force attack, his giant fist slamming into Leomon and sending him flying through the air and crashing into the wall so hard that he remained stuck to it.

"Leomon!" WarGrowlmon shouted. He looked back up at Argomon and fired his Big Spark firing bullets of electricity. Argomon roared the attacks rained against him, then bent over as Angewomon used her Heal of Justice, kicking him in the back.

"I'll go check on him," she called, and flew after the lion Digimon.

Hoping their friend was ok, MagnaAngemon returned his attention to Argomon and used Soul Vanisher. The mutant Digimon roared as the energy blades cut across his body and lashed out at his assailants. He kicked WarGrowlmon before grabbing at the cable that was still wrapped around his arm, using it to pull MetalGreymon along and slam him into MagnaAngemon.

Gokuwmon fired his Super-Electrified Lightning Cannon. Argomon turned to him and fired his Judecca Cannon. The beast man Digimon fled from the attack, but was still caught up in the shockwave, knocking him off his feet. He landed beside BurningGreymon, who was still trying to get to his feet, and both were blasted by the energy bullets.

"Leave them alone, you giant salad!" Paildramon shouted down at the Mega. "I'm up here, come and get me!"

Argomon just ignored him and continued randomly firing energy bullets all around. Not even Paildramon's Desperado Blaster drew his attention. With a growl, he flew down towards the mutant Digimon, extending his lance. "Don't you ignore me! Sting Strike!"

He made a go for Argomon's little head. His lance severed one of the vines connecting his head to his body. That drew the mutant Digimon's attention. He used Brute Force, his giant fist coming up towards Paildramon, but with his incredible speed, he zipped out of the way, and Argomon's fists slammed into his own face.

"Stop hitting yourself," the dragon Digimon mocked. He spoke too soon though as one of the vines on Argomon's body flew at him. He didn't expect it, and the vine wrapped around his leg. This allowed Argomon to reach up and grab him. The mutant Digimon roared as he squeezed Paildramon tightly in his powerful grip.

Angewomon was busy using her Heaven's Cure on Leomon, slowly healing him. The lion Digimon's eyes slowly blinked open, and he peeled himself off the wall. "Are you ok?" she asked.

Leomon grunted, still in pain. "I will live. Thank you." He looked back at the battle, at the wailing Argomon as he held Paildramon, at his friends lying on the ground trying to get up. His fists clenched as he contemplated his own strength. "I am useless in this battle."

"That's not true," Angewomon told him.

"It is true. I'm no match for a Mega. I'd be lucky if my attacks even provide a distraction." He slammed his fist on the ground. "If only I were at the Ultimate level too, then at least I could contribute in some way."

Angewomon looked back at the others. A few of them had recovered and were now on the attack again, trying to get Argomon to release Paildramon. She looked back at Leomon. "Didn't MagnaAngemon give you SkullSatamon's data? Can't you Digivolve with that?"

He shook his head. "It's not enough. It takes a vast amount of data, accumulated over a long period of time, to reach the Ultimate level, centuries' worth even." He looked at his clenched fist. "I'm close though; I can feel it, but it's still not enough."

Angewomon took his fist in her hand. "Maybe I can help. Shoutmon said we humans possess an inner strength that can help a Digimon Digivolve; it's how we became so powerful so fast. Maybe I can give you the power boast you need."

Leomon sighed. "I don't think that will work."

"We have to try. Come on, Leomon, concentrate. Feel my power. Take it. Take what you need."

The lion Digimon stared at her, seeing her determination. Slowly, he unclenched the fist she was holding and took her hands. Closing his eyes, he tried to seek out the power she was trying to give to him. He needed that power if he wanted to save his friends. Whatever it took, even if it meant he would die, he would do what he had to for his friends.

He felt it like a sudden rush. The power that humans possessed, he felt it flow into him. His eyes snapped open in shock as he stared at her hands grasping his. They were glowing brightly, a light of pixelated energy swirling around them. Slowly, she released him, and Leomon stared at the light emitting from his once again clenched fist.

"This is the power you humans possess," he awed. He continued to stare for a few moments before raising his glowing fist into the air. "With this power, I shall protect those dear to me!"

The light erupted outward, consuming him, no longer a light of energy, but the light of Digivolution. "Leomon Digivolve to… GrapLeomon!"

The light faded, and the new Ultimate stood tall and proud. He still resembled a lion, only now he looked fiercer. Black and white armor covered his whole body, and turbines on his wrists and ankles rotated in a hypnotic fashion.

Angewomon looked him over, impressed. "You did it. You Digivolved."

"Thanks to you. You humans truly are astonishing creatures." He glared at Argomon. "Now lets put an end to this."

He charged at Argomon, Angewomon flying close behind. Shoutmon did a double take as they ran by his hiding place. "Wait, was that… Leomon?"

Argomon was stomping about, waving Paildramon around like some kind of trophy. The others were attacking from a distance, either avoiding his kicking legs or swiping arms. Argomon seemed more frustrated by the attacks hitting him, only seemingly really bothered by BurningGreymon's Fire type moves. GrapLeomon and Angewomon rushed past them all, going right up to the mutant Digimon.

"Give me a boost!" the beast man Digimon cried, and leapt into the air. Angewomon stretched out her wings for him to land on and used Angel Wing. The mighty flap acted as a springboard, launching GrapLeomon into the air, going so high he soared above Argomon's head. "Cyclone Kick!"

He spun around while kicking, nailing Argomon in his little head, causing him to stumble. Angewomon flew up to him and used Holy Charge Kick, her leg glowing as energy charged up before unleashing it in a powerful flip kick to the mutant Digimon's chin. The blow actually caused Argomon to fall backwards, but GrapLeomon wasn't done yet. As he came down, he used his signature move, The King of Fist. The turbines on his arms spun at their fastest rotation as he slammed his fist into Argomon's gut, firing a blast of energy in the process.

Argomon's fall slowed to a crawl as GrapLeomon's attack distorted gravity around him. Angewomon took aim with her Holy Arrow, firing a bolt of lighting against Argomon's wrist. The mutant Digimon roared as his fist unclenched, and Paildramon flew out of his hand.

"Thanks for that," he muttered. "I was beginning to feel like a baby's rattle." He glanced at GrapLeomon. "And when did this happen?"

"Later," the beast man Digimon replied. "Everyone, hit him while he's down." He followed this order with a blast of energy from his The King of Fist attack. Gravity once again distorted around Argomon, preventing him from finding his balance as the attack hit. Argomon roared and tried to rise, the eyes in his chest cavern popping open.

BurningGreymon quickly flew in front of him and took aim. "Oh no you don't. Pyro Barrage!"

His own flaming energy bullets flew into the void, striking the numerous green eyes. More roaring, and Argomon used Brute Force, punching at the dragon Digimon, but MetalGreymon launched his Mega Claw, once again coiling it around Argomon's arm and pulling it back.

"Angel Dash!" Angewomon cried, sliding across the ground, propelled by her power, kicking into one of Argomon's legs. The mutant Digimon fell to one knee, and Paildramon flew up behind him and threw an Electric Bolt to the back of his head. Argomon held out his hand to stop his fall, and looked up to find WarGrowlmon in front of him. The cyborg dinosaur Digimon used Megalo Spark and began randomly firing his Judecca Cannon.

MagnaAngemon used Shield and Counter and flew directly into the path of the energy bullets. They bounced off him, slamming into Argomon, and MagnaAngemon used the opportunity to use his Heaven's Gate. The beam of energy that burst from it knocked Argomon onto his back, and he emitted another monstrous wail.

Gokuwmon flew up above on his cloud. Summoning his Lightning-Speed Attack, he threw his staff down into the void of Argomon's chest. The staff extended as it disappeared into the darkness, and lightning struck. Argomon's roar echoed all around as his whole body lit up. His large hand rose into the air, reaching for Gokuwmon, then stopped. It twitched a few times before dropping to his side, and Argomon went still.

Nobody moved. They all stared at Argomon's still smoking form. It seemed he was down for the count. The group got together, realizing that the battle was over, and that they had all survived.

"Looks like we knocked him out," MetalGreymon observed as he retracted his arm.

"Yeah, I guess so," said WarGrowlmon. "That was certainly a chore."

"Weeding always is," Paildramon joked. Groans of "oh brother" followed his statement, and he rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on, that was clever."

"Yeah, real clever," Shoutmon grumbled. He motioned to Argomon. "Now, what do we do about him? All his vines are still everywhere."

GrapLeomon sighed and crossed his arms. "We have a choice to make. He's made it clear that he won't get rid of his vines. We were lucky to take him down once. The chances of us doing it again…"

Angewomon looked at the ground. "It doesn't feel right. Killing in the heat of battle is one thing, we're fighting for survival, but killing a down enemy that can't even defend themselves…"

"I agree completely," said MagnaAngemon. "It amounts to cold-blooded murder."

They looked back at Argomon. "So what do we do?" asked WarGrowlmon.

MetalGreymon continued to stare at the mutant Digimon, seemingly in deep contemplation. "I'll do it. I'm the leader. It's my burden."

Gokuwmon held up his hand to stop him. "No, I'll do it. This was our mission. I'll finish it." Without looking at them, he made his way towards Argomon. Stopping a distance away, he brought his hands together as if in prayer. "Forgive me for taking your life when you cannot fight back. I pray that when you return, you will choose a more peaceful and righteous path."

He produced a new staff and fired his Super-Electrified Lightning Cannon. As the blast of energy flew towards him, Argomon's hand suddenly shot out, smacking away the attack, and knocking the beast man Digimon back to the others. The mutant Digimon leapt to his feet, the numerous green eyes popping open in his chest.

"He played us!" Paildramon cried. "Take cover!"

"Judecca Cannon!"

A barrage of energy bullets began flying at the group. Those capable of flight were blasted to the ground as the group was hammered by a never-ending shower of attacks. Even though MagnaAngemon was able to deflect a few with his Shield and Counter, even he wasn't able to keep it up for long.

WarGrowlmon had his hands over his head as Argomon continued to fire his Judecca Cannon upon them. "We've got to do something! We won't last long this way!"

MetalGreymon grunted as another energy bullet exploded against him. "We can't even move! He's got us pinned down! We need help!"

Not even BurningGreymon's flames could protect him, and he fell to his knees. "Can't take… much more…"

As Argomon continued to fire upon his victims, something flew in his line of vision. It looked like a giant rosary bead. Then there was another one, and then another. Soon, an endless shower of rosary beads was spraying against him. They hammered over his body, causing bruising, and he wailed loudly and swiped at the beads that seemed to be appearing out of thin air.

Argomon's attacks ceased. The others lay on the ground in a pile, trying to rise as they recovered from the numerous explosions. As the smoke cleared, a roar from Argomon drew their attention, and they looked to find the mutant Digimon thrashing about as he swiped at the shower of rosary beads.

"Hey, what happened?" Angewomon wondered out loud.

Gokuwmon produced a new staff and used it to help get to his feet. "I recognize that attack. That's Endlessly Barraging Heart Sutra." He looked around and gasped. "There!"

He pointed. Over by the edge of the vine forest was Sanzomon, no longer confined in her pod. She was walking towards them, her eyes closed, her hands raised to her head with her middle and index finger on one hand extended while her other clenched fingers rested on the open palm of her other hand. It was a typical monk hand position used during prayer.

"She escaped from her pod?" said Paildramon, flabbergasted. "How?"

"Don't underestimate Sanzomon's willpower," GrapLeomon told him.

MagnaAngemon looked back at Argomon. "Well, she certainly seems to be handling Argomon well."

Gokuwmon shook his head. "It's an illusion."

"What?"

"Sanzomon's attack, it's an illusion that makes her opponent think they're being crushed beneath a never-ending shower of rosary beads, but really there's nothing happening to him. He'll figure it out eventually."

MetalGreymon trembled as he struggled to stand. "Then we have to attack while he's distracted, before he realizes it's illusion."

Paildramon was using the extended lance on his arm to hold himself up. "His head. We should attack his head. Rather than hitting him all over his big muscly body, we should focus on that puny little head of his."

WarGrowlmon took a step forward, and nearly toppled over. "After the beating we took, I don't even know if I can fight him head on."

"Don't worry," said MetalGreymon. "I can help with that."

"Excellent," said MetalGreymon. "Then lets do what we did to defeat VenomMyotismon."

Argomon roared and began firing his Judecca Cannon wildly. Sanzomon had leapt out of the way to avoid the energy bullets, shattering the illusion. Argomon blinked as the rosary beads vanished, along with any damage they seemed to have caused him, and he realized that he was unharmed. An angry roar escaped him as he began firing energy bullets in all different directions.

Sanzomon raced towards him, coming to a stop at his feet. "Argomon!"

The mutant Digimon ceased his attack. He looked down at her and roared loudly, accusingly. Sanzomon just scowled up at him, showing no fear. "Yes, I am responsible for the rosary beads." She stood her ground as he roared at her. "You wish to destroy me? To make me suffer like you made my friends suffer?" Her body began glowing brightly. "You have no idea what suffering is, what I have seen, what I have been through." She raised her hands. "With this, you will know. Butterfly's Dream Sutra!"

Her body flashed brightly. Argomon's eyes widened as her power was showered over him. Suddenly, all the ordeals Sanzomon had ever endured or suffered through since she first came to be were manifested upon him all at once. Argomon bellowed as ordeal after ordeal was inflicted upon him at once. He roared to the sky, his eyes wild and crazed as he suffered internally all that Sanzomon had experienced throughout a lifetime of fighting evil.

"Now's our chance," said MetalGreymon. He looked to his sister. "You ready Angewomon?"

She raised her hands, summoning her Bliss of Saints attack. "Ready!"

"Powerful Flame!"

"Electric Bolt!"

"Atomic Blaster!"

"Pyro Barrage!"

"Soul Vanisher!"

"Bellow Blaster!"

"The King of Fist!"

"Super-Electrified Light Cannon!"

The attacks flew into the ring Angewomon created and reformed into a Celestial Arrow. Taking aim, she pointed it at MagnaAngemon. "Do it now."

He nodded. "Right. Great Golden Gate!" Using his sword, he traced another circle in the air, and a new golden gate, different from his Gate of Destiny and Heaven's Gate, appeared. This one had two ends, the other one appearing in front of the wailing Argomon's face. Angewomon let her arrow fly as the others repeated their attacks, firing them into the gate.

In front of Argomon, the other end of the gate opened, and he was struck right between the eyes by Angewomon's arrow. The other attacks followed, the resounding blast knocking the mutant Digimon off his feet as they struck his little head, and he fell back. Roaring madly, he sat up, MagnaAngemon's gate still hovering in front of him.

Defying physics, MetalGreymon's far too large body burst out of the gate, somehow squeezing through the far too small space, and falling towards Argomon. "Metal Slash Revision!"

His metal claw slashed at Argomon's little head, and the mutant Digimon roared. Before he could recover, Paildramon emerged from the gate. "Sting Strike!"

Another blow to the head, and then WarGrowlmon was coming out, unleashing his Radiation Blade on Argomon's head. This was followed by BurningGreymon's Crimson Fanger, Angewomon's Holy Slap, GrapLeomon's The King of Fist, and Gokuwmon's Super-Electrified Lightning Cannon. Even Shoutmon leapt out to deliver a blow with his Rock and Roller.

MagnaAngemon was the last two emerge, bursting from his own gate like an avenging angel. "Excali-burst!" His sword extended and began glowing with power. "Excalibur's Grace!"

He brought the blade down, not on Argomon's head, but on the vines attaching it to his body, Argomon roared as the blade sliced through the vines, and his little head dropped from his giant body.

"Now, lets torch this freak," BurningGreymon declared. "Wildfire Tsunami!"

A fiery aura appeared around his body and exploded outward in a fiery tornado. Argomon's body burst into flames as his little head continued to fall. MetalGreymon took aim and locked onto it before launching his Giga Destroyer. Argomon's head could do nothing but watch as the missiles came at him.

MetalGreymon's attack found their mark before Argomon's head ever hit the ground, and it was lost in the fiery blast. The headless body of Argomon fell back as it continued to burn. In the void of his chest, the green eyes darted around wildly. Their movements began to slow, and, one by one, the eyes began to shut. The last one opened and closed several times before finally shutting for good, and Argomon's body began breaking down into data.

Notes:

(A/N: Phew, what an intense battle. A lot happened. Argomon and Leomon Digivolved, and Sanzomon managed to escape from her pod and join the fight. Good thing too, because Argomon almost beat them. But is it really over? You'll have to wait and see.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Argomon_(Mega)

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/GrapLeomon

Chapter 55: One Free Meal

Notes:

(A/N: These "in between arcs" chapters can be a little difficult to write sometimes, but I do my best. I try to keep them more fun and less serious, a calm before the storm you might say. I hope you're ready for the next one though, because it's gonna be a good one. For now, enjoy this new chapter.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 55: One Free Meal

Everyone collapsed, exhausted, as the giant mutant Digimon's body continued to break down. The DigiDestined reverted back to their human forms as GrapLeomon and Gokuwmon sat down beside them, completely spent. Only Shoutmon still seemed to have energy, and was jumping up and down gleefully as he absorbed Argomon's data. "Oh, yeah! That's the stuff. Mega level data, baby, yeah!"

The others paid him no mind as they struggled to catch their breath. Takato was panting heavily as he laid on his back with his eyes closed, yet he had a smile on his face. "We… We did it… We really did it."

"I didn't think we could," Takuya admitted. "Towards the end there, when Argomon had us pinned down with his Judecca Cannon, I thought we were finished."

Shoutmon finished absorbing Argomon's data. "By rights, we should have been, Statistically, even a weak Mega can't really be defeated by anything less than several dozen powerful Ultimates at least, but you humans," he shook his head, smiling proudly, "you guys work miracles."

"Indeed they do," Sanzomon replied, walking over to them.

Davis sat up. "And speaking of miracles, here comes our own personal Deus ex Machine."

The monk Digimon stopped in front of them. "Pardon?"

Gokuwmon got to his feet. "Do not mind him. I too have been warned that they say strange things sometimes." He held his hand out to her. "I am glad you are well."

She grasped his hand. "As am I, my friend. And congratulations to you on your Digivolution, GrapLeomon."

The beast man Digimon puffed out his chest. "Thank you, but it would not have been possible without my friends here."

"Nor would Argomon's defeat," Sanzomon added. She glanced at the DigiDestined with interest. "We owe a debt of gratitude to you. Humans, huh? A rather unusual occurrence."

Davis sighed. "Lady, we've been barking up that tree for months now."

"Davis, don't be rude," Kari scolded. She bowed to the monk Digimon in greeting. "It's very nice to meet you. We were hoping to meet Leomon's friends. Oops. I mean GrapLeomon."

Sanzomon returned the bow. "I am the one who is honored. It was you children that saved me. I could hear your struggles from within my pod and was finally able to break free because of it."

"Speaking of which," said TK, "what about all the other Digimon that Argomon put to sleep?"

"No need to worry about them," Gokuwmon replied. "Look."

He pointed at the vine forest. All the vines had turned brown and were in the process of wilting. Some of them were already breaking down into data. As they continued to die, the breakdown sped up as the entire forest of vines dissolved into data until the air was filled with floating data particles.

"Now that Argomon has been defeated, his vines are dying," Sanzomon explained. "All the Digimon he captured will be freed."

"I guess that includes Snatchmon," Davis grumbled darkly, thinking of the alien Digimon that had tried to eat them and turned Tai into an Oinkmon.

"Yeah," Takato muttered, "but this also means that Trailmon is free too."

Their thoughts turned to the train Digimon they had been riding when they got sucked up by the data stream and dropped into Argomon's vine forest. They hoped he'd be able to find a new set of tracks soon; Cutemon had explained to them how it was difficult for Trailmon to get around without a track. Hopefully, Ganemon wouldn't be too angry that Trailmon was late… by several weeks.

Kari's eyes were shining as they watched all the data from Argomon's vines rise up into the air and disappear. "It's so beautiful. It almost looks like it's snowing in reverse."

"Yes," GrapLeomon agreed. "Balance has been restored to this area. It is just sad that Wisemon could not be here to witness this."

Sanzomon looked at him in surprise. "You're saying Wisemon has…? I see. I suspected as much." She closed her eyes and sighed. "I wish him all the best. I hope we shall be reunited again someday soon."

Takato's shoulders slumped and he hung his head. "I'm sorry we weren't there to save him. If only we had met sooner."

Gokuwmon shook his head. "You humans have nothing to apologize for. You've undergone a great ordeal that did not concern you because the cause was just. You are to be commended."

"Indeed," Sanzomon agreed. "Although I am surprised there are so many of you. There has never been such a large group of humans in the Digital World before."

Takuya scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, we were all kind of sucked in together."

It didn't seem that anyone else had noticed, but Tai found Sanzomon's choice of words interesting. "Wait, 'such a large group'? What's that mean?" His eyes widened. "Have there been humans here before?"

The monk Digimon looked at him, her eyes holding great wisdom. "Yes. In all of history, aside from the six of you, there have been two others that have appeared."

Kari's face lit up. "Other humans! This is great! Maybe they can help us."

"Who are they?" TK inquired, equally as excited. "When did they get here?"

Sanzomon closed her eyes. "I do not know their names, but they appeared thousands of years ago."

The excitement the teens had been feeling instantly died. Thousands of years ago she had said? There was certainly no hope of finding them now. Still, the thought that there had been other humans made them feel not so alone, even if it had only been two.

"Did they ever make it back?" Tai asked. "Did they ever find a way to return to the Real World?"

The monk Digimon shook her head. "Not to my knowledge. The first eventually gave up after several years and simply made their home in the Digital World. I do not know what happened to the second. They just disappeared. Perhaps they found a way back to their world, or perhaps they perished in this one. I'm afraid I don't know."

Her answer was disappointing, yet it did not make them completely lose hope. While the first human had given up, the fate of the second was uncertain. Maybe they had gotten back to the Real World somehow. If it occurred thousands of years ago, there wouldn't likely be any record of it anywhere in the Real World, at least not one the teens heard of.

Davis kicked a rock. "Drat. And I thought we had found a clue to help us."

Takato sighed. "Well, at least we're no worse off than we were before. We'll just go with out original plan of going to meet Cherubimon."

Gokuwmon glanced at him. "You seek Cherubimon?"

"Oh, yeah, I guess we never told you. We're trying to get to Cherubimon's castle to see if he knows a way for us to get back home."

Sanzomon looked thoughtful. "I have met Cherubimon before. He is wise and powerful. He just might be able to find a way for you to get back to your world; if it's possible."

GrapLeomon motioned at the teens. "It must be; they got here somehow."

Gokuwmon nodded. "This is true. Theoretically, you should be able to find a way back."

Takuya looked up at the floating image of Earth. "You know, thinking about us coming here, it makes me wonder if Digimon are able to come to the Real World."

Tai considered this. "That's a possibility. After all, there are stories of ghost, aliens, monsters, and such in the Real World. Could these have been Digimon sightings?"

Shoutmon nudged his leg. "I doubt they're related. Digimon are made of data. We can't survive in the Realm World."

"That is only a theory," Sanzomon pointed out, "since it has never happened before. With humans being and surviving in the Digital World, perhaps Digimon can go to and survive in the Real World as well. There are many worlds out there, many universes, and some Digimon are capable of traveling to different dimensions. It is possible that in doing so, a few have managed to catch a glimpse of the Real World, and been seen in return."

That made TK smile. "Well, that gives me hope that we'll be able to find a way back. I say we head for Cherubimon's castle after getting a good night's sleep."

Gokuwmon gave him a sorrowful look. "I wish you luck, my friends, but I am sorry to say we can't go with you. There is much work for us to do, many Digimon that need our help."

"Yes," Sanzomon agreed sadly. "The Digimon here will need some help getting back on their feet after having dealt with Argomon's invasion. So I am sorry, but we will not be able to help you."

The teens seemed a little put off. Not because they had expected aid, but because they suddenly realized that this meant saying goodbye, particularly to GrapLeomon, who had been their traveling companion for several days now. The beast man Digimon seemed to realize this as well, and looked just as forlorn as they felt.

They all stared at each other, GrapLeomon at the teens, and the teens at GrapLeomon, things unspoken left hanging in the air. In the back of their minds, they had always known that they were going to have to say goodbye, but now that the moment had arrived…

"Well then…" Takato muttered sadly, "I guess… I guess this is goodbye…"

"I…" said GrapLeomon, trying to think of something to say. "I supposed so…" He looked at each of them, and a determine look crossed his face. "Or perhaps not." He looked at Sanzomon and Gokuwmon. "Our mission is to help those in need. My friends here need me now. Perhaps I should at least aid them in their quest to find a way back to their home."

The two were silent. They exchanged a look, almost as if they were having a telepathic conversation, then looked back at GrapLeomon. "You must do what you feel is right," Sanzomon told him.

"We will support you in whatever you decide."

GrapLeomon still seemed torn between staying with his old friends and helping out his new ones. Eventually though, Tai went up to him. "Hey, don't worry about us. We don't want to break up your group. There's no telling how long this could take. We can't ask you to stick around indefinitely. Sanzomon and Gokuwmon need your help too."

"Especially since you already lost Wisemon," Davis pointed out, earning him a silencing jab in the ribs from Takato.

"Seriously though," the older boy continued, "we'll be fine. Shoutmon's here to guide us, and we can all reach the Ultimate level now too. We can take care of ourselves."

The dragon Digimon chuckled. "And get this, MagnaAngemon's Magna Antidote could have changed you back from an Oinkmon."

"He could have what?!"

Gokuwmon cleared his throat loudly. "You humans are very brave, and very kind. It was an honor to meet and fight beside you."

TK stepped forward and held out his hand. "The same goes for you."

The beast man Digimon took his hand in his much larger one and shook it. "The honor was all mine."

Davis turned his back on them and casually began walking away. "Yeah, yeah. Honor, fighting. Thanks for the h-help. Hope to s-see you again, bye. Come on, we should g-get a move on."

Tai raised an eyebrow at him, not just at his behavior, but what he saw as he walked past. "Wait, Davis, are you… crying?"

His look-alike tensed. "W-What? No way. A real man never shows his t-tears." He rubbed his eyes. "Wow, all this data floating around sure is bright. It's making my eyes water."

Takato looked up. The data Argomon's vines had broken into wasn't that bright, and it was practically gone now. "But there is no more data."

"Yes, there is!" Davis insisted loudly. "Some just floated past my face. It was so bright that my eyes involuntarily teared up. Oh, look, it happened again." He rubbed his eyes some more.

A knowing smile appeared on GrapLeomon's face. "Of course, how silly of us to think otherwise." He walked over to Davis and placed a hand on his shoulder. "All the same, I shall miss you all, and I pray you have a safe journey."

"Perhaps our paths shall cross again sometime," Sanzomon offered. "I just regret that I was not able to get to know you better." She closed her eyes. "Though we may have only just met, I sense the goodness in each of you. Hold on to that purity, and you can do no wrong."

Shoutmon thumped his chest, looking entirely too smug. "Don't worry, I'll be keeping an eye on them."

GrapLeomon raised an eyebrow. "Was that supposed to reassure us?"

The others laughed at that. Shoutmon crossed his arms, fuming. "Talking to the Digimon King like that. What nerve." He pointed into the distance. "I'm more than capable of getting them to Cherubimon safely."

Sanzomon walked over to him, took his hand, and shifted it about 60 degrees to the right. "That way."

The dragon Digimon sweat-dropped. "R-Right. I just got a little turned around, what with being stuck in Argomon's vine forest for so long."

A loud grumble suddenly made the situation a lot more awkward, but at least it shifted the attention from Shoutmon to Takato, who quickly covered his stomach with his hands. An embarrassed smile appeared on his face as he chuckled nervously. "I… uh… I guess I burned a lot of calories fighting."

Gokuwmon chuckled. "I think we all did. Come, let us have one last meal together before we depart."

"Great," Davis grumbled, trying to keep the sarcasm out of his voice, "more roasted roots. Maybe we'll find some berries for dessert again."

It seemed though, that that was not necessary. With Argomon's vines gone and the residential Digimon free, civilization had returned, and businesses were up and running again. This included a restaurant run by a Digimon known as Digitamamon, an Ultimate level Digimon that resembled an egg. Several Rookie and Champion Digimon known as Burgermon and EbiBurgermon worked there as waiters and cooks, their main menu item being… burgers.

In his gratitude of having been saved from Argomon, Digitamamon declared that the group could eat all that they wanted, free of charge, and had his workers prepare an entire smorgasbord of various kinds of burgers.

"I should get free food all the time anyway," Shoutmon was saying as he stuffed his face. "I'm the Digimon King after all."

"Again with the Digimon King," Takuya grumbled, growing tired of the dragon Digimon's delusions. "You've told us several time now. We get it."

"Well, I deserve the proper respect and treatment. As do you guys for being heroes."

With his mouth full, Davis attempted to speak. "'is sesh luch etty uch ea'uchen tu mech."

GrapLeomon sweat-dropped. "Try that again without your mouth full please."

It took nearly a minute for Davis to swallow what he had shoved into his mouth. "I said, this seems like pretty good treatment to me."

Shoutmon was staring at him with hooded eyes. "Maybe you were the one that should have been turned into an Oinkmon. You're certainly acting like a pig."

"Oh, and just how many burgers have you had so far?"

"Two, three, twelve. I lost count."

Takato chuckled and closed his eyes, taking a big whiff while facing the kitchen. "I just love the smell of bread baking. It reminds me of home."

"Not to worry," Gokuwmon assured him. "You will be back in your world again before you know it."

Paying the beast man Digimon little mind, Tai stared at the burger he had taken a bite out of. "What I want to know is where they're getting the meat for these burgers."

TK chuckled. "I find it best not to think about it too much. Besides, have you tried this soup? It's great."

Beside him, Kari nodded. "Yeah, it may be the best soup I've ever had."

"Agreed," said Sanzomon, "it is quite delectable."

At that moment, a Burgermon came up to them. "Is everything to your satisfaction?"

Takato beamed. "Yeah, it's great. Thanks a lot. Even better than ramen, if that's possible."

The Burgermon appeared to be bashful. "I do not know what ramen is, but I am glad you are enjoying your meal. It is our pleasure to serve the ones who defeated Argomon."

"Well, these burgers are excellent," said Takuya. "It reminds me of this time my friends and I got into a burger making contest." He snickered. "Koji and I really got competitive over that one, but, surprisingly, it was little Tommy whose burgers came out the best."

"Sounds like a fun time," said Kari. She glanced at Burgermon. "By the way, what's in this soup that makes it so good?"

"Noodles," Burgermon replied simply.

A moment of silence passed before TK spoke up. "Yeah, but what else?"

"Even more noodles."

More silence, and Takato sweat-dropped. "Riiiight. Well, give our compliments to the chef."

"Oh, will do!"

Takato waved nervously as Burgermon hurried off. "Ok, that was kind of weird."

"Perhaps it's a secret recipe," GrapLeomon suggested.

"Yeah, maybe. By the way, have any of you guys seen Fighting Foodons? These Burgermon totally remind me of that show. Anyone else? Anyone?"

No one answered, yet they all gave him strange looks. Davis sighed and put an arm around him. "Takato, pal, let it go. There's nothing wrong with being an otaku, but you can't expect everyone to understand what you're talking about all the time."

"I'm not an otaku."

Completely lost, the three Ultimates looked at Shoutmon for answers, but the dragon Digimon just shook his head. "Don't look at me, I understood just as much of that as you did."

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"Still hungry," Shoutmon grumbled as his stomach bulged out, "but too tired to keep eating."

He toppled backwards out of his seat. Tai shook his head, but smiled as he patted his own stomach. "Yeah, it was great having a real meal."

"Tell me about it," Davis agreed. All around him were dirty dishes; he'd eaten more than anyone. "If I had to eat another roasted root, I think I would have gone crazy."

With the conclusion of their meal, Digitamamon himself, along with the rest of the staff, came out to see them off. "I hope you will come again. You are always welcome here."

"Always welcome!" the Burgermon and EbiBurgermon echoed.

TK bowed his head to them in gratitude. "Thank you for the food. It was nice to meet you all."

"It was nice to meet you too," said Digitamamon. "We've never had humans in our establishment. I hope you will come back tomorrow for breakfast. There's an inn right over there run by Atamadekachimon and Minidekachimon. They even employ Monitamon and HiVisionMonitamon, so you can watch some TV. I'm sure they'll let you stay free of charge for the night since you saved everyone from Argomon."

Davis blinked. "They have TV here?

Tai placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't get your hopes up. I don't think it's anything like what we have in the Real World."

The others chuckled as Davis sighed, his shoulders slumping. The humor didn't last as a disturbance a few blocks away drew their attention. Even Digitamamon and his staff hurried off to go see. Surprised cries rang out, and, suddenly, the streets were full of Digimon rushing to see what was happening."

"Whoa, what's going on?" Takato cried.

"I don't know," Gokuwmon growled, "but we just reclaimed this place from Argomon; I'm not about to let someone else ruin things."

They hurried down the street, over the crowd of Digimon. There, a star-shaped Digimon was doing battle with a dog Digimon that was hopping from rooftop to rooftop, a wicked sneer on its face.

TK checked his Digivice. "Doggymon, a Champion level Digimon known for causing trouble, and Starmon X. Hey, another X Digimon. Last one we saw was Vademon X."

Kari tapped on the shoulder of a Digimon that looked like it was made out of cardboard boxes, "Hey, what's going on?"

The box Digimon, who was known as Bacomon according to TK's Digivice, gestured towards the dog Digimon. "That Doggymon was one of Argomon's cronies. Now he's going around wrecking things."

Takuya's eyes narrowed. "One of Argomon's men?"

"Yeah, but don't worry. Starmon X will stop him. He's our sheriff."

It seemed, though, that Starmon X was having trouble apprehending the troublemaker. "Get down here, you fiend. Meteor Champion!"

The dog Digimon jumped to another roof to avoid the attack. "You'll all pay for overthrowing Lord Argomon. Distem Howling!"

He emitted a horrible howl that caused all the gathered Digimon to cry out and cover their ears. Countless windows shattered as the noise echoed all around, similar to Growlmon's Howling attack.

"Enough of this," Gokuwmon growled. "Somersault Cloud!"

Wisps of vapor materialized in front of him, getting together to form a cloud. He hopped up onto it and flew up towards Doggymon. He produced his staff and gave the dog Digimon a good whack, sending him toppling down the roof to the ground.

"Allow me to open this creatures eyes to the suffering the forces of evil have caused," Sanzomon declared. "Butterfly Dream Sutra!"

Her light shined outward, flowing over Doggymon as he got to his feet. His pupils shrank as the light shinned in his eyes, and he grasped his head and began shouting. GrapLeomon leapt forward. Using his The King of Fist attack, he bopped the dog Digimon on the top of the head. Doggymon bounced from the impact, moving in slow motion as gravity distorted around him. Then he collapsed with dizzy swirls in his eyes.

Starmon X stepped forward. He gazed at the unconscious dog Digimon for a moment before determining that he was out cold. Placing his foot on Doggymon's head, he puffed out his chest and declared, "Justice always prevails!"

The teens sweat-dropped. Shoutmon was staring as well, but then he laughed. "Well, I guess this town is in good hands. They'll round up whatever's left of Argomon's forces. Besides, without their boss, I doubt they'll be causing anymore trouble."

Tai smiled uncertainly. "Y-Yeah, probably not." Yet in the back of his mind, he wondered if that was true. Those keycards that Argomon had been searching for were still out there. Would they really give up the search for them? What did they even do anyway?

It looked like that was one question he would not be receiving an answer to.

Notes:

(A/N: The Argomon Arc is over, and we're moving onto the next. This one is going to be very different from the past arcs and have a different theme. I'm very excited for it, and I hope you will be too. And don't worry, the keycards aren't done yet, they'll come back later. Stay tuned for the next arc, you definitely don't want to miss it.)

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New Digimon that appear/mentioned.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Digitamamon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Burgermon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/EbiBurgermon

https://wikimon.net/Atamadekachimon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Minidekachimon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Monitamon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Hi-VisionMonitamon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Doggymon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Starmon_X

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Bacomon

Chapter 56: Clan Feud

Notes:

(A/N: Super psyched for this next arc. Gotta admit, I'm borrowing a theme from one of my favorite animes. If you've seen it, I'm sure you'll figure it out. If not, you'll find out at the end.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 56: Clan Feud

Davis' stomach rumbled loudly. His wasn't the only one, but he was the only one that kept complaining about it. "Is it time to eat yet?"

Tai sighed, trying to maintain his composure, but his look-alike's nagging was really getting to him. "Not yet. We have to stick to the schedule if we want our rations to last. We're almost out as it is."

A groan escaped the younger boy. "We should have stocked up on more before we left that town."

"We got as much as we could carry," TK reminded him. "And we were lucky we got that much. Be grateful."

Davis glared at him. "I am grateful, TP, but I'm also hungry."

Takuya's stomach growled as well. "Yeah, me too." He looked around the forest they were walking through. "If we can't touch our rations yet, then lets at least look around for more."

Davis perked up at that. "Hey, I'm fine with even eating nuts and roots again if it means filling my stomach."

Tai stopped walking. Being the leader, the party halted with him as he looked around. "I guess it'll be fine if we stocked up on whatever we find around here."

Takato didn't look so sure. "I don't know. If we leave the path, we might run into some hostile Digimon."

"I'm willing to take that chance," Davis declared, and marched off into the forest.

"Davis, wait!" Kari called. "We should stick together so we don't get lost! Davis!"

Tai sighed. "He's so reckless."

Almost on cue, a scream was heard. Worried looks crossed the teens' faces as they recognized them coming from their friend. "And accident prone," TK added. "Come on!"

They hurried after him, hoping he wasn't too far ahead. They weren't sure what they would find, but it certainly wasn't him hanging in the air by his ankle in a very cliché rope trap.

"Get me down!" he wailed.

Kari covered her mouth to keep from laughing, and she wasn't the only one. "What happened?"

"What's it look like? This stupid rope got me. Let me down."

"Yeah, yeah," Shoutmon grumbled. "Hold still."

He slashed at the rope with his claw. Davis cried out as he landed on his head. TK winced for him. "You ok?"

Shoutmon just scoffed. "He's fine. His head is harder than anything he could have possible hit it on."

Davis glared at him. "Thanks a lot."

Placing a hand on his hip, Tai sighed. "How could you fall for such a stupid trap?"

Sitting up, Davis began angrily ripping plants out of the ground and began tossing them over his shoulder in aggravation. "It's not like I walked into it on purpose! Who sets traps like that anymore? Why is it even there?"

Takato sweat-dropped. "Uh, Davis, you know that those plants you're grabbing are poison ivy."

"AHHH!" He jumped to his feet and began running. "I need soap! I need water! I need mud!"

"Davis, it's fine, you're wearing gloves!" Kari called after him.

He didn't appear to hear her, nor did he stop running, not until he stepped on a pitfall and fell into a hole. The others stared with hooded eyes, and Shoutmon shook his head. "That boy is a walking disaster," he muttered, and the others nodded in agreement.

From within the hole, Davis' voice rang out. "Guys, I really need some help. Seriously."

Sighing in unison, they made their way over to the hole, thinking Davis was being overly dramatic. But not this time it seemed. The bottom of this hole was full of sharpened tree branches sticking straight up to skewer anyone who might fall in. Davis had somehow managed to grab two of the spears and pressed his feet against two others, stopping his fall.

Shoutmon's eyes widened in surprise. "Yikes! Hold on, pal. I got you."

He jumped into the hole, careful to avoid the spears. He hopped back out with Davis a moment later. The boy looked pale and sweaty, but was unharmed. "I almost ended up as shish kebab. What are all these traps doing here anyway?"

Takuya crouched down, looking into the hole. "Aren't they just hunting traps?"

"For what game?" TK asked. "Digimon break down into data when they die. There'd be no body left for the hunter to eat. This trap isn't meant for hunting; it's meant for killing."

Kari gasped in shock, but Tai ignored her as he looked back at the rope trap. "But the trap that got Davis isn't meant to kill, just snag. That must mean that the trapper must be somewhere nearby in order to finish the job once someone steps into it."

The teens immediately bunched together and began looking around. Shoutmon produced his mic, staring at the trees intently for any sign of movement. He saw nothing.

Then, suddenly, there was something. A large tree trunk came flying at them, swinging on a rope like a bettering ram. The teens dove aside, narrowly missing being struck.

"There!" Takuya cried, pointing at a tree.

Shoutmon saw it too. Something moved from one treetop to the next, too fast to see, sticking to the shadows. He threw a Fiery Fastball at the treetop, and whoever or whatever was in them dropped down.

"Got you now!" he cried, leaping at the unknown Digimon. "Rock and Roller!"

His mic came down on something hard. At first glance, it looked like he had hit his target, but his face fell when he realized the thing he hit was actually nothing more than a log that had had a red robe wrapped around it.

"Hey," said Takato, "that's the type of ninja technique you see in anime all the time."

Shoutmon's eyes narrowed in thought. "Ninja…"

Something seemed to click in his head, and he whirled around, looking up. A shadowy figure was moving through the air, leaping high over his head. "Ninja Knife Throwing!"

Shoutmon leapt back as several shuriken struck the ground where he was standing. His attacker landed and rushed at him, swinging their sword. Shoutmon blocked with his mic, and his attacker leapt back.

Now that their assailant was in the light, they got a good look at him; at least it appeared to be a him. They were short and round, resembling Pac-Man, and wearing a red ninja mask. The eyes hidden behind the mask, however, burned with the purest hatred.

Shoutmon wielded his mic in preparation of being attacked again. "Ninjamon. I thought so."

Tai looked at his Digivice. "Ninjamon, huh? Ok, he's a Champion level ninja Digimon. Well, obviously. What a useless bit of information."

Ninjamon spat at them. "Miserable vermin! I should have known the Kogamon scum would sink low enough to bring outsiders into our feud. They've got no honor!"

Shoutmon blinked. "Wait. Kogamon? Feud? Oh no. Is this place…?" He looked around before quickly tossing down his mic. "We surrender! We surrender! We're not working with the Kogamon! We're just passing through."

"Bull crap!" Ninjamon snapped. "All passers by know not to leave the path unless they're offering their support to one side or the other. And then you started disarming my traps."

Takuya glanced at the others. "Does anyone else find it strange that they use Real World terms like 'bull crap' and such? I'm pretty sure there are no bulls in the Digital World."

"No," TK agreed, "but there are probably bull Digimon. And that's not the key issue right now."

Shoutmon ignored them as he continued to try and smooth things over with the ninja Digimon. "Really, we didn't mean to ruin your traps. My friend is just very unlucky and very accident prone."

"Hey!"

"Besides, just look at them, they're humans. They're still relatively new to this world. They don't even know about your feud."

Ninjamon glanced at the teens, who waved at him nervously, then back at Shoutmon. His hostility seemed to lessen, but he was still on guard, ready to attack at a moment's notice. "Even if they don't know, you should."

Shoutmon dropped his arms, looking weary. "Give me a break. We've been walking for days. We're low on food, on water, we're exhausted. I just lost my bearings. And when my friend ran off to find food and got caught in your trap, I admit I overlooked our location when we went to help him. We are not with the Kogamon."

"You see," Takato exclaimed. "This is why I didn't want to leave the path in the first place. I knew we'd get in trouble somehow."

Ninjamon studied them for a while, his eyes darting back and forth between the teens and Shoutmon. Finally though, he sheathed his sword. Placing his closed fist against an open palm, he bowed to them. "In that case, I apologize for attacking you. I thought you were the enemy. I wouldn't put it past those lousy Kogamon to bring outsiders into our war. They're despicable. This feud has always been between us, and should remain so. We Ninjamon would never allow someone else to defeat our enemies."

Takato sweat-dropped and smiled uncertainly. "I'm sure they feel the same," he said with a nervous laugh.

Shoutmon visibly relaxed. "What's the deal with the traps and attacking though? I thought you and the Kogamon were bound by the No Hostilities Pact."

Ninjamon crossed his arms. "We are, and we Ninjamon will honor it, no matter how much we desire to crush the Kogamon. However, one of them has trespassed in our territory and stole from us. They're still here somewhere causing trouble. We will not attack the Kogamon Clan, but we do have the right to defend and fight for our territory."

Tai looked at the pitfall. "Oh, so that's why you set up all those traps."

"Why are you fighting anyway?" Kari asked. "What the reason for this feud?"

Ninjamon scoffed. "Simply put, it's because the Kogamon are the most vile, despicable, dishonorable, evil creatures in the entire Digital World."

Shoutmon rolled his eyes. "And I'm sure the Kogamon would say the exact same thing about you if we asked them." He glanced at the teens. "This feud has been going on between the two clans for over 5,000 years."

Davis whistled. "That's a long time."

The dragon Digimon nodded. "Yeah, and after a long, bloody, and violent history, the war between them really escalated, but a mighty and powerful Digimon known as Volcanusmon, whom both the Ninjamon and Kogamon deeply respect, installed the No Hostilities Pact 1,000 years ago to stop them from constantly killing each other over and over again."

Takuya frowned in thought. "This story is sounding very familiar."

"Yeah, it's an anime and a manga called Basilisk," Davis confirmed. He looked at Takato and grinned. "Even I saw that one. It's the one with the war between the Iga Clan and the Kouga Clan. Hey, maybe they should have called you guys Igamon and Kougamon."

"Davis," Tai snapped, "this is no joking matter. If you watched Basilisk, then you should know how serious this feud is."

His look-alike held his hands up defensively. "Whoa, now, I didn't mean anything by that. Besides, they got that peace treaty of theirs, so there's no problem."

A vein bulged in Ninjamon's temple. "It's not a peace treaty. We'll never have peace with the Kogamon. We simply aren't going aren't going around killing each other." He cracked his knuckles. "At least not without cause. And this trespassing, thieving Kogamon that thought he could come onto our land and steal from us has invited his own death. I'm going to make sure he never makes it back to his clan alive."

"Unless I kill you first. Makibishi!"

It happened so fast that no one had a chance to move. From out of another tree, a different Digimon leapt from the branches, throwing several caltrops at Ninjamon. They hit their target, only Ninjamon had suddenly become yet another log dressed in robes.

The newcomer landed and the teens did a double-take. Aside from wearing purple instead of red, this Digimon looked exactly like Ninjamon in terms of appearance, yet the Digimon Analyzer revealed that this was indeed Kogamon.

Coming up from behind, Ninjamon swiped at Kogamon with his sword, only to have it pass right through, his target nothing more than shadow and vapor. Not to be fooled, the ninja Digimon whirled around as Kogamon appeared and swung his own sword, the two blades crossing.

"Kogamon," the red ninja growled.

"Ninjamon," snarled the purple.

The teens stared at the nearly identical Digimon. Davis was pointing back and forth between the two, looking flabbergasted. "They're exactly the same."

"No," said Shoutmon, "one's Kogamon, the other is Ninjamon. Despite their similar appearances, their Digi-Code is completely different."

"That's nonsense. It's just like when video game developers get lazy with character design and simply render the same enemy a different color and say it's someone else."

The two ninja Digimon continued to push against the other's sword. "How dare you come onto our land! You deserve everything that happens to you!"

"Me? I'm only here because of you. That's just like you rotten Ninjamon. You manipulate things so they're in your favor, allowing you to justify your actions and place the blame on others so you look like you're in the right."

"That's a bold-faced lie, and you know it. You were stealing, and I was merely defending our land."

"Ninjamon trash!"

"Kogamon scum!"

They leapt apart and then came together again, their swords clashing together in a blur of movements almost too fast to see. The teens stared, stunned, by the sudden fight to the death. Shoutmon though, looked rather bored, standing there with his arms crossed, as if this were completely normal.

TK continued to watch for a few seconds longer before it suddenly seemed to click that they should put a stop to this. "Hey, guys, cut it out."

He took a step towards them, and Shoutmon suddenly grabbed his arm, pulling him back. "Stay out of it."

The boy gave him a look of disbelief. "But if this goes on, one of them is going to get seriously hurt."

The dragon Digimon shook his head. "You can't stop it."

Kari stepped forward to side with the blonde boy. "We have to do something; they're going to kill each other."

Shoutmon turned to her, shaking his finger. "There's nothing you can do about it. You're just going to make the situation worse. This feud is 5,000 years in the making. Their hatred for each other runs so deep it's practically written in their code. Interfere, and each Clan will accuse the other of bringing outsiders into their feud, just as Ninjamon first assumed. It'll just make them hate each other all the more, and get you involved in a bad way. Trust me on this, there's nothing you can do to stop them. Just let them fight."

"But what if one of them dies?" Takato cried.

Shoutmon shrugged. "Then they die. I can assure you, in this feud, it will not be the first time."

Tai scowled. "If you ask me, it seems like Digimon coming back to life has made a lot of you unappreciative of life and more eager and willing to kill."

For several seconds, he and Shoutmon glared at each other, then the dragon Digimon looked away. "Perhaps, but things work differently here than in your world. You have to understand, accept, and respect that. Just like you have to accept that there is no stopping these guys."

"Iga-Style Sword Dance!" Ninjamon cried. Moving too fast to see, he vanished. His unseen blade sliced straight through Kogamon. Ninjamon appeared behind him, smirking, but the grin quickly left his face as Kogamon turned to shadows and faded away. "That damn shadow cloning technique!"

"Makibishi!" Kogamon's voice rang out.

Several ninja stars flew out of a tree. Ninjamon's eyes widened and he spun around using his Dancing Leaves attack. A tornado of leaves surrounded him that Kogamon's caltrops flew into. When the leaves dispersed, Ninjamon was gone, and the deadly stars Kogamon had thrown were in the ground, having hit nothing.

shing was heard, and the tree Kogamon was hiding in began to fall over, having been cut in half by Ninjamon's sword at the base of the trunk. Kogamon leapt out of the branches, kicked off another tree, and flew at Ninjamon. He stabbed forward, feeling his blade pierce something, but it was just another robed log.

"Where are they getting all these logs and robes from?" Takato wondered out loud. "Even in anime, that's never explained."

At that moment, Ninjamon leapt out of hiding, his sword raised. Likewise, Kogamon jumped towards him as well, swinging his own blade. Davis couldn't take it anymore and suddenly charged forward. "Forget feuds, and forget anime, this needs to stop."

"You idiot!" Shoutmon shouted after him.

Davis ran right between the two ninja Digimon. Both their eyes widened, as both were in the process of swinging their swords. "Look out!"

"Get back!"

The teens shouted their friends' name as the metal clang of swords coming together was heard. They'd shut their eyes against what was sure to be a grisly sight, but as the seconds ticked by, they slowly worked up the courage to take a peek.

Davis was on the ground with Shoutmon standing on top of him. He held his mic high over his head, both Ninjamon and Kogamon's swords resting against it, the dragon Digimon's face contorted with the strain from the effort it had taken to hold back the blows.

The two ninja Digimon leapt back, and, thankfully, did not resume their battle. Davis dared to crack an eye open, and was overcome with relief to find he was still alive. "Phew. I thought I was a goner."

Shoutmon brought his mic down on his head, hard. "You imbecile! I told you to stay out of it."

Kogamon pointed an accusing finger at Ninjamon. "Ha! I knew it! You did bring these outsiders into our feud. That's why this one defended you just now."

"Me? Don't be ridiculous. As if I'd ever let anyone else kill one of you Kogamon scum. That right belongs to the Ninjamon alone. Admit it, you hired them, didn't you? My instincts were right. Why else would they try and protect you?"

Was Ninjamon back to thinking they were the enemy again? Takuya thought it best to nip this in the bud right now. "We're not on anyone's side. We just want peace."

Ninjamon gave a bark of laughter. "Yeah, right. There can never be peace as long as the Kogamon are around."

"You're one to talk. Especially after you Ninjamon broke Volcanusmon's trust by taking the scroll."

"Why you-"

"Enough!" Tai shouted. "Regardless of whatever your beef is with each other, aren't you guys bound by the No Hostilities Pact?"

Ninjamon's eye twitched. "Yes, unless it's broken."

"And he broke it!" Kogamon accused.

"Like hell I did! You broke it with your trespassing and thievery!"

"I didn't steal or trespass on anything! You just made up a reason to attack me!"

Kari stepped forward. "Ok, ok. Lets try to resolve this without any violence. Ninjamon, what do you think Kogamon stole?"

It was a good choice of words as it neither accused Kogamon of the crime, nor did it dismiss Ninjamon's accusations. Yet what the red-clothed ninja Digimon said next was quite unexpected. "A pear."

The teens stared at him. Silence reigned for several seconds as this sunk in. "A pear as in a fruit?" Takato asked.

"Of course."

Davis made a face. "You must be kidding! You guys are trying to kill each other over a stupid pear?!"

"It's the principle of the matter," Ninjamon insisted. "If there's nothing to stop these Kogamon scum from stealing the small things, then what's to stop them from taking something important, like our half of the sacred scroll?"

"As if I'd want anything that belongs to you Ninjamon trash," Kogamon argued.

"You sure wanted our pear!"

"It was not your pear!"

"Was too!"

"Ok!" Tai said loudly. "Kogamon, why don't you give us your side of the story."

The purple clothed ninja Digimon crossed his arms. "Gladly." He glared at Ninjamon. "I did not steal your pear. The tree it was growing on was on the Kogamon side of the river. Thus it belonged to the Kogamon."

Kari glanced at Ninjamon. "Is that true?"

"The part about the tree being on the Kogamon side is," the red ninja Digimon admitted, "but the branch the pear was on was hanging over the Ninjamon side of the river above our land. It was on our side, so it was the property of the Ninjamon."

"It was the Kogamon's tree, so it was our pear."

"If it had fallen off the branch, it would have landed on the Ninjamon's side, so it was ours."

Shoutmon massaged his temple, feeling a headache coming on. "So let me get this straight, next to the river that divides the Kogamon and Ninjamon's land, there's a pear tree on the Kogamon's side whose branch grew out over the river onto the Ninjamon's side, and you're fighting over who the pear growing on that branch belongs to?"

"Yes!" the two ninja Digimon snapped.

Takuya shook his head. "I don't believe this."

"Well…" Takato ventured, "I guess I can see how it might be a gray area."

"There's no gray area about it!" Kogamon snapped. "It was a Kogamon tree!"

"That extended onto the Ninjamon's land, making it ours."

TK sighed at the hopelessness of the situation. "Kogamon, why did you even go for that particular pear anyway? Surely there were others in the tree."

"Because it was the biggest one."

Davis nodded. "A solid reason."

Kogamon pointed at his nemesis. "And this vermin attacked me when I was getting it."

"You were trespassing on Ninjamon land with the intent to steal. You're still trespassing"

Tai looked at Kogamon. "He has a point; you are on their land."

The purple ninja Digimon snorted. "Not by choice. I was walking along the branch to get the pear when this scumbag threw his shuriken at me. The branch broke when it hit, and I fell into the river and was washed up onto their land. Then before I could get back to the Kogamon side, this freak attacked me again and chased me further into their territory. He might as well have lassoed me with a rope, dragged me to his side, and declared I was trespassing."

"You are trespassing. You've been trespassing since the second you walked along that branch that hung onto our side, thief."

"Now, now," said Takato, sensing that the fight was about to resume. "Let's look at both sides of the argument. Ninjamon, if the branch of one of your trees grew out over onto the Kogamon side, would you say that the fruit on that branch belongs to the Kogamon?"

The red ninja Digimon's eyes flashed violently. "Are you taking his side?!"

Takato waved his hands. "No, no! I'm not taking sides! I'm just trying to make a point so we can come to a peaceful solution."

"He's just dodging the question," Kogamon accused. "See, deceitful and manipulative, trying to make everything work in their favor to absolve them of any responsibility."

"Shut up, Kogamon scum! I'm not dodging any question. And we Ninjamon wouldn't be stupid or lazy enough to allow anything of our trees to grow out onto the Kogamon side."

Kogamon scoffed. "As if you Ninjamon could even grow anything edible in that rot you call soil in the first place. It's no wonder you're so desperate to get a hold of our fruit; you'd never get any otherwise."

Ninjamon brandished his sword. "I'll get a hold of you!"

Kogamon did the same. "Bring it on, Ninjamon trash!"

"Guys, please," TK begged. "Can't we just work this out?"

"No way," Ninjamon snarled.

"Not a chance," Kogamon agree. "There can never be peace between the Kogamon and the Ninjamon."

"Our thoughts exactly."

The final statement had not come from either of the ninja Digimon, nor from the teens. Instead, they looked up to find four more Ninjamon in the trees, and they were all giving Kogamon looks that could kill.

Tai looked at the group of Ninjamon, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable. "Hey, Takato, I saw Basilisk too, but it's been awhile. Wasn't one side more, uh, evil and eager to kill than the other?"

Takayto nodded. "Yeah, the Iga were glad the treaty was dissolved and used trickery, deceit, and despicable underhanded tactics to wipe out then Kouga. With the exception of one or two that had personal vendettas against the Iga, the Kouga sought answers for why the No Hostilities Pact was dissolved and was more reluctant to fight."

"He's right," Davis agreed. "In fact, one of the Iga was particularly sadistic, and was even responsible for making sure the two clans continued to hate and fight each other."

"Right, I thought as much," Tai grumbled. He looked back at the group of red ninja Digimon. "And which ones do the Ninjamon represent?"

Both Takato and Davis sweat-dropped. "The Iga."

"I was afraid of that."

"Ninja Knife Throwing!" several of the Ninjamon shouted, leaping out of the trees and throwing a series of knives and shuriken. They passed through Kogamon, and the shadow faded away.

"Damn," one of the newcomers growled, this one's voice indicating that it was female, even though it looked exactly like the others. "He used his Koga Style Shadow Clone. Where's the real one?"

"There he goes!" another cried, pointing.

Kogamon was leaping through the trees. He spun around and threw a handful of caltrops at them. One of the Ninjamon knocked them away with their sword and pointed it at the retreating ninja Digimon. "Get him!"

"I got him!" A knife was thrown. It missed Kogamon and buried into the tree, but managed to snag the lace of his facemask. It held him back as he leapt away, and he tumbled down the tree. The Ninjamon cheered and surrounded him. Kogamon attempted to rise, but the Ninjamon began ruthlessly kicking him.

The teens winced with each blow. Kogamon was taking a beating, and was unable to defend himself at this point. Shoutmon had told them to stay out of it, that there was nothing they could do to help, and any attempt would just increase hostilities between the two clans, but how could they just stand by and watch this?

"We have to do something," TK insisted.

"You can't," Shoutmon repeated.

"We have to try," Davis argued. "Lets Spirit Evolve."

"You'll only make things worse!"

Tai took out his Digivice. "Just me then. This way I can take all the blame."

"Tai-"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… MetalGreymon!"

The cyborg dinosaur Digimon stomped down as hard as he could, shaking the ground. The Ninjamon's attention turned to him, and he roared. He swiped his metal claw through the air, dragging a trail of fire along intimidatingly. The Ninjamon yelped at the giant Ultimate and took off into the trees.

MetalGreymon nodded in satisfaction. "Good, it didn't come to a fight."

Shoutmon slapped his forehead. "Oh, great. You really did it now. I just hope the No Hostilities Pact will prevent an all out war."

"Well, we had to do something," Kari insisted, going to Kogamon's side. "They were going to kill him."

"Well, now they'll probably kill us. They only fled 'cause they knew the were no match for an Ultimate, but they'll be back, and in much greater numbers."

"Good to know, now shut up," MetalGreymon grumbled. He reached down and scooped up the ninja Digimon. "Hey, pal, which way is your village?"

Kogamon cracked open an eye. "Why should I tell you? So you can attack my clan members? Did the Ninjamon put you up to this? For all I know, this could be a ruse to lead you to my home. That way the Ninjamon could wipe out my clan through you without having broken the No Hostilities Pact."

"Oh, for the love of…" Davis grumbled. "We're not working with the Ninjamon. Heck, that guy thought we were working for you. Besides, he even stated how they'd never allow anyone else into your feud because they wanted to be the ones to kill you all."

Kogamon scoffed. "As if the Ninjamon would have such honor."

Takuya sighed. "Look at it this way then, if we were hired by the Ninjamon, wouldn't they have just told us where your clan is rather than make some elaborate plan to trick you into taking us there?"

"A deception. Make you look uninvolved so we'd lower our guard, and make the Ninjamon look innocent in their involvement."

Flabbergasted, Takato looked at the others. "There's no talking to these guys."

Shoutmon shook his head. "Look, there's a difference between being cautious and being paranoid. Are you Kogamon really that cowardly?"

The ninja Digimon glared at him. "We are a brave and honorable people."

The dragon Digimon smirked. "Great, then there's no problem. I'm not saying to not be careful, be as suspicious and on guard as you want; just tell us where your village is."

Kogamon hesitated, not sure if he could trust them. Eventually though, he pointed, and the group hurried off before the Ninjamon returned with reinforcements.

Notes:

(A/N: The next arc has begun. This is the Kogamon/Ninjamon Arc. As I said, I'm borrowing the theme from one of my favorite animes, "Basilisk" {great series}. What can I say, the Kogamon/Ninjamon made it way too easy {their Japanese names are even Kougamon and Igamon}. Like I said before, this arc is going to be very different from the previous ones, and I can't wait to get to it. So be sure to let me know what you think, and stay tuned for more.)

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New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Ninjamon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Kogamon

Chapter 57: Confrontations

Notes:

(A/N: Alrighty then. The next chapter is here. We're going to get some more insight in the Kogamon and Ninjamon. Did our heroes make the right choice in going to the Kogamon village? Maybe they should have just kept going. Only time, and reading, will tell.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 57: Confrontations

The Kogamon village was a complete cliché. It was a very stereotypical ninja dojo estate, the only residents being Kogamon. Most were training, but a few others were going about their daily lives or doing choirs or other duties. Being the only type of Digimon around, the teens and Shoutmon got a lot of unusual looks from the Kogamon.

Tai was glad he had changed back to his human form before having approached the village. There had to have been over a hundred Kogamon here. He may be an Ultimate, but he was pretty sure that this many Champions would be able to take him down.

The Kogamon that he and Takuya were supporting had gotten them through the gates and passed the guards without much issue and was now directing them through the estate. "I have to take you to our clan leader. As long as you have no ill intentions, everything will be fine."

TK was getting a sense of déjà vu. "This feels very familiar."

Takato felt it too. "Yeah, we're not going to be attacked by any snatchers, are we?"

Kogamon gave him a strange look. "By what?"

"Never mind," Davis grumbled. "It's a long exhausting story."

The ninja Digimon continued to look at them strangely, then shrugged. "If you say so. The only danger here is if the Ninjamon decide to break the No Hostilities Pact, or if you really are working for-"

"We're not with the Ninjamon," Takuya interrupted, growing frustrated with the way they kept coming back to the same subject.

"Then there is nothing for you to fear."

Under the teens' support, he brought them to the head household. Eight Kogamon, four on each side, stood along the steps. At the top of the stairs, sitting in apparent deep meditation, was another Kogamon. Unlike the others, there was one minor distinction between this one and the others. The mask he wore had a stitches across it, as if he had narrowly missed getting sliced in half, having only his mask cut instead, and then stitched the tear.

The injured Kogamon wiggled out of Tai and Takuya's support and knelt down before the Kogamon leader. "Sir, may I present Shoutmon and his human companions."

The clan leader was silent for several seconds before finally opening his eyes. "Humans, you say. Curious, very curious."

Takato sighed. "Yeah, this reaction is really getting old."

The injured Kogamon continued. "They saved me from the Ninjamon."

Something hostile flashed in the clan leader's eyes. "The Ninjamon? They were on our land?" His eyes narrowed. "Or were you on theirs?"

Before half-truths were thrown in, Shoutmon spoke up. "Long story short, he ended up in the river and was washed up onto their land where he was attacked. We saved him."

The leader's eyes shifted from the dragon Digimon to the injured Kogamon. "You fell in the river?"

The Kogamon looked embarrassed. "Not quite. I… let my guard down, and-"

"Inexcusable. We must never let our guard down, even when we sleep. You must hone your skills some more. We cannot allow our clan to grow soft."

Well scolded, the injured Kogamon bowed lower. "Understood."

"Good. Now, see to your injuries, and get some rest. Once you have recovered, I want you to double your training until I say otherwise."

"Yes, master." And with that, the injured Kogamon left, leaving the teens in the presence of the clan leader and his eight guards. The leader studied them with interest, keeping his expression neutral as he seemed to try and figure out what to do with them.

"Soooo…" Takato ventured, "you're the leader of the Kogamon Clan?"

"I am," the leader replied simply.

"That's cool. Um…" he looked around curiously, "is your clan made up solely of Kogamon?"

"It is. All Kogamon are welcome to join, but they must be Kogamon. And should any Kogamon Digivolve and choose to Digivolve, they are expelled from the clan."

Davis raised an eyebrow. "That seems kind of racist."

"It protects the balance and unity in our clan, keeping us as equals, and it has allowed us to maintain a peaceful living."

Tai crossed his arms. "I guess I can understand that. Do the Ninjamon do that too?"

Kogamon's gaze darkened. "They do. It's about the only thing we agree on." He leaned forward. "Why do you ask?"

TK decided to get this out of the way right away. "We're just curious. We're not working with the Ninjamon."

"And even if they did hire us, it would still be a breech of the No Hostilities Pact," Kari pointed out. "Just an indirect one."

The leader seemed to relax a bit. "This is true. We of the Kogamon Clan will honor the Pact, and we hope the Ninjamon will as well. However, if they do attack us, we will eliminate them without mercy; they are a despicable species with no honor."

Davis cut his eyes and looked away. "Yeah, they pretty much said the same thing about you"

Cries of enraged protest rang out from the Kogamon guards as the leader jumped to his feet. "We are nothing like those Ninjamon trash. As much as we despise them, we will follow the terms set by Vulcanusmon in the No Hostilities Pact. We owe him that."

Takato waved his hands. "We're not making any accusation; it's just what the Ninjamon said about you."

"Who is this Vulcanusmon anyway?" Kari asked, quickly changing the subject. "We've never heard of him."

The leader sat down again, though he was still noticeably upset. "He's a powerful Mega level Digimon who has gained the title of an Olympic Twelve. He saved both the Kogamon and Ninjamon from the chaos long ago."

Tai raised an eyebrow. "Er, the chaos?"

Shoutmon waved it off. "Please, don't get into that. It's a long complicated story of the darkest age of the Digital World. It happened a very long time ago; please, just let it go."

The Kogamon leader humphed. "In any case, soon the Kogamon and the Ninjamon will have a more… solid and lasting peace." He spat the last word in disgust, as if saying it had left a bad taste in his mouth.

Before the teens could inquire further on what this lasting peace was, the door to the main house opened and a new Digimon walked out. This Digimon was not a Kogamon, but resembled an anthropomorphic cat. She was actually quite beautiful as far as humanoid feline.

Yawning, the cat Digimon looked at the Kogamon leader. "What's going on, master? I heard some yelling."

The Kogamon leader glanced at her. "Ah, Beastmon, glad you could join us. As you can see, we have guests. Humans, this is my chosen heir, Beastmon. She will be leading the Kogamon when I retire from my position."

The teens looked at the cat Digimon, who waved at them happily, then at the leader, then at the other ninja Digimon. "Um…" Takato muttered, "not to be disrespectful or anything, but I thought only Kogamon we're allowed in your clan. So how can a non-Kogamon lead the clan?"

The leader crossed his arms as Beastmon knelt down beside him. "Long story short, even after Vulcanusmon invoked the No Hostilities Pact 1,000 years ago, he was displeased to see that we and the Ninjamon were still not at peace with one another. So he decreed that both the Kogamon and Ninjamon leaders would choose an heir to take over."

Beastmon pointed to herself. "That's me."

"He hoped that a change in leadership would reduce the hatred between our clans."

Not understanding what this had to do with anything, Takato glanced at Shoutmon for answers, but the dragon Digimon shrugged. "Ooook, that didn't really answer my question though."

The cat Digimon scratched the back of her head bashfully. "I was naughty."

Kogamon humphed again. "She was once a Kogamon as well, but one day our village was attacked by an evil Digimon, and she was killed during it."

Beastmon shrugged. "It happens."

"Ordinarily, when a member of the Kogamon dies, after we're reborn, we strive to reach the Kogamon stage again. She did as well, but by the time she was ready to return to the village, she had become good friends with another Digimon known as DarkLizardmon."

"We were besties!"

Davis felt a headache coming on and looked to his friends. "Are you guys following any of this?"

"Do not interrupt the clan leader!" one of the guards snapped.

The leader nodded his thanks to the guard. "In accordance to our laws, we only allow Kogamon into our clan to maintain peace and stability, but my heir didn't want to be separated from her companion."

"DarkLizardmon and I were BFFs," the cat Digimon declared stubbornly. She punched the air. "Girl friends are forever!"

The leader sighed. "All the same, she had a duty to her people and couldn't just leave, so to make sure she and her friend could stay together, they DNA Digivolved to Beastmon here, and refused to separate ever since."

Beastmon shrugged. "It was a fair compromise."

Kogamon's fists clenched. "I had already been training her to be my replacement for 772 years prior to that, so we sought Vulcanusmon's advice. He actually thought that it would be a good idea to have the new leader be different from the rest of the clan, and suggested the Ninjamon do the same, also through DNA Digivolution to bring a new perspective to the clan. So the Ninjamon heir DNA Digivolved with a Garurumon who was allied with their clan." He glared at Beastmon. "Although neither are allowed to Digivolve any further."

The cat Digimon just waved it off. "That's fine. I'm happy the way I am. I'll stay Beastmon forever."

The Kogamon leader shook his head. "After the Ninjamon leader and I step down, the two of them will rule the two clans after the mating ceremony."

Takuya did a double-take. "Whoa, whoa, back up. Mating ceremony?"

Shoutmon nudged him. "It's a ceremony similar to what you humans call a wedding."

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I figured as much. I meant, what mating ceremony?"

Beastmon folded her hands, lowered her head, and closed her eyes. "The one between myself and the Ninjamon heir."

"Eh?!" the teens exclaimed.

Something suddenly clicked in TK's head. "Wait, is this that longer lasting and more solid peaceful solution you mentioned?"

Kogamon nodded. "It is. This arrangement was decreed by Vulcanusmon."

"But that's…" Kari began trying to find the right words for it. "To force a union like that…"

"And what's the point in having a ceremony?" Davis asked. "Don't two people just need to have sex to be considered mates?"

The others ignored him. "Beastmon," said TK, "how do you feel about this?"

The cat Digimon kept her eyes closed. "I am duty bound and honored to serve my people."

"But this is too extreme!" Takato objected. "How could Vulcanusmon just force you guys to marry like this?"

Tai crossed his arms. "It's actually a logical idea." He received surprised looks from his friends. "I said logical, not ethical. If the clan leaders marry, or whatever it is Digimon do, then the two clans will be bound together. Things like this happened in the Real World a lot throughout history. Heck, they still do today."

"But, Tai," Kari objected, "what about Beastmon and the Ninjamon heir's feelings?"

"Again, I said logical, not ethical. Though I don't agree with it, I can see where Vulcanusmon is coming from. If two people have to sacrifice their happiness to save hundreds, then it's worth it. At least that's what Vulcanusmon probably thinks."

Kari looked down, frowning. "I don't think I could ever be in a loveless marriage."

"To us ninja Digimon, duty comes before our own personal feelings," Kogamon replied.

"And I shall do mine, and find contentment that our two clans will finally have peace," Beastmon added.

"But…" Kari began to protest, but trailed off as her brother placed a hand on her shoulder and shook his head.

"It's not our problem," he told her. "We can't get involved in this."

Actually," said Takato, "if you don't mind me bringing this up again, this is a lot like what happened in the Basilisk anime. Maybe the two will learn to love each other, or perhaps they already do." He looked at Beastmon. "Do you? Are you in love with the Ninjamon heir?"

The cat Digimon's eyes widened. "I…" She looked away and blushed.

Takato wasn't entirely sure what to make of that. "Um… ok. Well, we can at least hope things won't end as tragically as they did in the anime."

"Yes," Kogamon agreed. "As much as we hate the Ninjamon, we hope to end this with as little violence as possible." He interlocked his fingers and gave them a hard look. "Now, I hope that now that I have answered all your questions, you will now be willing to answer mine."

Takato gulped nervously. "Uh… sure…"

"Good. Now then," he leaned forward and asked in a serious voice, "what is this anime?"

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The teens were invited to have dinner and spend the night. Currently, they were seated at the head of the table while the rest of the ninja Digimon filled the room. The Kogamon leader was very curious about the Real World and asked many questions.

After Takato explained what anime was to him, he was made to explain why the Kogamon and Ninjamon's situation was similar to Basilisk. This, in turn, led to him having to explain the entire series to the Kogamon leader, who was none to happy with the ending.

"It is as I said," the leader growled, "the Ninjamon are evil, despicable, dishonorable, fiends. The Iga in your story are perfect examples of how vile they are."

Takato sweat-dropped. "R-Right. Um, you do remember what I said about it being fictional, right? The Iga and Kouga in real life were very different than how the anime portrays them."

"And the ending of our feud shall be different as well," Kogamon insisted. "The Kogamon Clan will never fall!"

Beside him, Beastmon sat quietly. She hadn't spoken a word through the entire story, but she wore a sad smile on her face and had a lost look in her eyes. Kari took notice of this and nudged TK, nodding towards her. He gave her hand a squeeze, indicating that he realized it too. Despite claiming that she was happy to do what was necessary for her people, she clearly didn't want this mating ceremony to take place.

"You know," said Takuya, "we've never seen a Digimon wedding, er, I mean mating ceremony. What's it like?"

"You can come," Kogamon told him. "It would be an honor to have humans bear witness to this union, despite who it's to."

Kari's face lit up. "Really?" Even though she did not approve of forcing this fate upon Beastmon, she did indeed want to see what it would be like. "Can we go, Tai?"

He considered it. "I don't know. We want to get home as soon as we can, and it sounds like this engagement has been around for a while. When is the ceremony going to take place?"

"In four days," Kogamon replied, clearly disgusted by the thought of it.

Tai sighed. "In that case, sure, why not? We've already been gone from home for months now. What's four more days?"

"Sweet!" Davis cried. "Wedding feast!"

TK sighed. "Isn't there another way to maintain peace besides a wedding, er, mating ceremony?"

Kogamon closed his eyes, grumbling. "If there were, I would take it. Trust me when I say that tainting the Kogamon Clan with Ninjamon trash is the last thing I want. I'd much rather wipe out those vermin, but I will honor and obey Lord Vulcanusmon's will. He has never steered us wrong before, and has always had everyone's best interests at heart. And so we shall go through with this most despicable deed." He glanced at Beastmon. "Won't we?"

She kept her eyes closed as she nodded. "Yes, master."

The mood had turned dark. There was no doubt that no one in the Kogamon Clan wanted this wedding to take place; the leader possibly just as much as Beastmon, only he was much more vocal in his distaste.

TK and Kari looked at each other, not knowing what they could do. They glanced at Tai, who caught their eye, and shook his head, silently telling them to stay out of it. Shoutmon was no help either as he continued to stuff his face.

The meal continued on, but was soon interrupted as a Kogamon that was meant to be on guard duty came bursting on. "My lord! My lord!"

The leader stood up, looking furious. "What is it? You are being very disrespectful to our guests."

"Forgive me, my lord, but the Ninjamon are coming."

The leader's eyes widened, his anger shifting from the guard to their enemies. "What? They violate the No Hostilities Pact? Well, we'll see about this. Kogamon, move out!"

All the Kogamon in the room rushed out, the leader and Beastmon close behind. Kari may have imagined it, but she could have sworn she saw a hopeful look on the cat Digimon's face before she took off.

Shoutmon got to his feet. "This could be trouble. We better go see."

They hurried outside. The Kogamon were all rushing out the gates or gathering on top of the wall, all with either their swords drawn or a handful of caltrops. The teens pushed their way to the front beside Beastmon and the Kogamon leader, ready to step in in case a fight broke out.

Coming out of the forest was a large group of Ninjamon. At the front were three Digimon leading the group. The first was another Ninjamon. This one seemed to be the Ninjamon leader, and he had an X shaped scar on his left cheek. It was the first time the teens had ever seen an actual scarring on a Digimon; possibly because a Digimon's healing and regeneration was superior to that of a humans, or maybe because a Digimon's data reset when it died, Digivolved, or DeDigivolved, ridding it of any abnormalities.

The other two were not Ninjamon. The first resembled a humanoid black crow, but seemed to be a swordsman of some kind. The one to the Ninjamon leader's right was far more intimidating and looked very powerful. It resembled a muscular four-armed warrior with flames on certain portions of his body, and he had multiple faces, each one wearing a different colored mask.

"Who are those two?" Takato wondered out loud.

Tai checked his Digivice. "The crow is Karatenmon, an Ultimate level Digimon. His special attack is Harmony Swords, allowing him to read his foe's spirit to anticipate attacks. The other one is Asuramon, a powerful Ultimate level Digimon. His four faces represent joy, anger, sorrow, and humor."

"Well, it looks he's got his angry face on right now," Takuya noted.

"He's the Ninjamon heir," Beastmon told them, "and my intended."

"Yikes," Takato muttered. "No offense, but he's pretty scary looking."

"We view looks differently than you humans do," Shoutmon reminded them. "Quite frankly, you guys look pretty funny to me."

The Ninjamon came to a stop a good twenty feet away from the Kogamon. The Kogamon leader crossed his arms and glared at the Ninjamon leader. "You're violating the No Hostilities Pact. You come onto our land, no invite, no parley, with an army of soldiers. I hope you are ready to face the consequences. You're giving us grounds to attack."

Asuramon's fists ignited. "Just try it, Kogamon scum!"

"Stand down!" the Ninjamon leader ordered, and the flames went out in the demon Digimon's hand. The leader glared at Kogamon. "We are the ones with the cause to attack."

"I beg to differ. The treaty prevents us from going onto each other's territory uninvited, or to fight without cause. I do not recall providing you an invite, or you asking for one."

The crow Digimon spoke up. "An impossible feat if we are unable to contact without entering your land."

The Ninjamon leader glared at him. "Remember your place."

Karatenmon bowed his head. "Forgive me, master."

Ninjamon's attention returned to Kogamon. "This is our parley now."

"It looks more like a war party," Kogamon accused.

"A necessary precaution to protect ourselves, especially after one of your people trespassed on our land and did battle with one of our own. The very subject we have come to discuss."

Beastmon took a step forward. "That was just a misunderstanding."

The Ninjamon hissed and backed away from her, suddenly looking much more ready to attack. The leader pointed at her and snarled, "Keep her away from us!"

Kogamon held out his hand, and the cat Digimon backed away. Takuya raised an eyebrow at this. "What's up with that?"

"Beastmon has a special ability that they're afraid of," Shoutmon told them. "Her attack can cause another Digimon to DeDigivolve to the Rookie level and prevent them from Digivolving for short while. It only lasts for about a minute at most, but that's more than enough time for a stronger opponent to wipe you out."

Takato sweat-dropped. "A special ability to basically take away an opponent's power? This is feeling more and more like the Basilisk anime."

The Kogamon leader pointed at Ninjamon. "So, my man trespassed on your territory, huh? Well, I'm sure that's what your man told you. Well, I received the full story of what happened. It was your man who was at fault for attacking mine while he was still on Kogamon ground and forcing him onto your land. That's a clear violation of the No Hostilities Pact."

"Lies! Your man was on Ninjamon territory before mine attacked."

TK sighed. "Not this again." He stepped forward. "Look, this whole thing is just one big misunderstanding. We were there, so we can tell you what really happened."

"Can you now?" came a voice from up above. "I would certainly like to hear what happened."

Flying down from the sky was a rather vicious looking Digimon. It had a serpentine lower body with arms and wings, and seemed to be cybernetic with weapons for hands. It looked very intimidating, but did not move to attack. Instead, it settled between the Kogamon and Ninjamon.

"Grimmon," said Kari, looking him up on her Digivice. "A very powerful Champion level Digimon, originally born from a mystic energy virus. His power mostly comes from summoning entities of some kind to attack."

"Interesting," Tai admitted, "but who is he?"

"He's Vulcanusmon's envoy," Beastmon told them. "He's been living back and forth between the Kogamon and the Ninjamon for months now to make sure we maintain peace until the mating ceremony."

"Unless the No Hostilities Pact is broken by anyone," Grimmon added. "I want to make sure no one has violated the terms. You, human, you say you know what happened. Good, then tell me, and I will decide who is in the wrong."

TK suddenly felt nervous. "Um, ok. You see, it was like this…"

He recounted what happened with the pear and how both Ninjamon and Kogamon considered it theirs, and what had happened afterwards. The reaper Digimon listened intently, nodding every so often with his arms crossed. TK was grateful for that; Grimmon's hands looked like lethal weapons.

"I see," the reaper Digimon replied once TK finished. "Thank you, human, for your unbiased account. A gray area to be sure. However, I must rule in favor of the Kogamon."

"What?!" the Ninjamon leader bellowed as the rest of his people objected.

"How could you side with the Kogamon scum?" Asuramon demanded. "Do you favor them?"

"I remain neutral in this!" Grimmon snarled, raising up to tower over him. "This is the reason Vulcanusmon sent me. My judgment is sound, while both clans are blinded by hatred." He flew over to a Ninjamon, snatched his sword, and threw it point first into the ground. "That sword belongs to a Ninjamon, but it is now on Kogamon land. Does that mean it now belongs to the Kogamon?"

"Of course not. It's still a Ninjamon sword, it's just on Kogamon land."

"As was the case with the pear." He looked directly into Asuramon's eyes. "Do not challenge me on this."

The demon Digimon looked like he wanted to argue, but fell silent. It was rather impressive seeing an Ultimate back down from and obey a Champion.

"What about those humans?" the Ninjamon leader demanded. "The Kogamon are bringing outsiders into our feud."

"Having guests is hardly bringing outsiders into your war," Grimmon stated.

"It is when they attack my people."

"Hey, we're not on anyone's side," Davis objected. "All we did was help someone in need, and were offered a place to stay for the night. We would have done the same for you Ninjamon if you were in trouble too. We are not involved with this feud in any way."

Asuramon's eyes narrowed. "And we are just supposed to take the word of a bunch of outsiders associating with our enemies?"

Takato sweat-dropped. "He's got a point. Why would they trust us?"

"Enough of this!" Grimmon snapped. "I will stay with the Kogamon for now. It's already been a week since I've been here last." He looked at both groups. "I do not want any violence. In just a few days, you will all be one big happy family." His eyes narrowed. "Or will you disobey Vulcanusmon, regardless of all he has done for you and the debt you all owe him."

No one objected, though it was clear that many wanted to. Grimmon nodded in satisfaction. "Good, then all of you disperse."

With great reluctance, the Ninjamon began to retreat, and the Kogamon went back inside their gate. Karatenmon lingered behind a few moments, watching the Kogamon leader and Beastmon before turning and walking away.

Asuramon remained behind as well, only he stepped forward. "I would have words with my intended."

Grimmon nodded. "I will allow it."

The Kogamon leader's eyes narrowed. "Make it fast."

Shyly, Beastmon stepped forward. Asuramon went to meet her, and the cat Digimon shifted uncomfortably. The demon Digimon nodded to her in greeting. "This confrontation has been most… regretful."

She was frowning at him now. "Did you want a fight?"

One of the demon Digimon's fists ignited. "It would not have been a fight; it would have been a massacre."

She glared at him. "Those are my people."

"Our people soon, my dear. Just a few more days, and our clans shall be one, through us." He reached for her when she looked away, taking her chin in his big hand and turning her to face him. "Such loveliness. It's just a shame it had come from the Kogamon Clan. If only you had been of the Ninjamon line. But not to worry. I shall purify you off the Kogamon scum. Soon I will breathe the spirit of the Ninjamon into you."

Angry tears appeared in Beastmon's eyes, but she refused to back away. "Kogamon is in my code. Their ways are all I know, and I am proud of it."

His grip on her chin tightened. "Foolish, naïve girl. Soon you will-"

"That's enough," Kogamon interrupted. "We have guests to see to. Come, Beastmon."

The cat Digimon stepped back, out of the demon Digimon's grip. "Until next time, Asuramon."

The hand that had been griping her chin hung in the air, and slowly closed into a fist as he lowered it. "Yes, until then."

He turned and followed after the Ninjamon. Beastmon glanced back, a look of longing on her face, before she rejoined the Kogamon leader. The teens watched the two groups disperse, not sure what they should do.

Grimmon floated over to them, looking them up and down curiously. "So, humans. Most interesting I did not expect to find such creatures amongst the Kogamon. Very curious."

Feeling intimidated by the reaper Digimon's ferocious appearance, Takato took a step back. "Yeah, that's us, very curious creatures."

Grimmon grinned in amusement. "You have nothing to fear from me as long as you don't cause me any trouble. I have been working on maintaining the peace between the Kogamon and the Ninjamon for months now."

Takuya sweat-dropped. "Yeah, well, we'd like that too."

"Then our goals are the same. Perhaps we could be friends."

Kari was feeling just as intimidated, but tried not to let her discomfort show. After all, it wasn't right to discriminate someone based on how they looked or what they were. "I guess you can never have too many friends."

He pointed at her. "Well spoken, my dear. Now tell me, how did a group of humans get to the Digital World?"

Davis groaned. "Are we really going to have to go through this every time we meet someone new? Maybe we should just wear a sign."

Tai was thinking the same thing. "At this point, we're more concerned with how to get back than how we got here."

Grimmon tapped the weapons on his hands that served for fingers together in thought. "How indeed. But I'm afraid I have no answer for that. However, if you help me make sure the mating ceremony goes off without any issue, then perhaps I can help you find the answers you seek."

"We're going to see Cherubimon," Shoutmon told him.

Grimmon's eyebrows rose. "Ah, I see. Yes, he may know. In that case, I can help guide you there."

The dragon Digimon crossed his arms. "We're doing fine. I'm perfectly capable of bringing them there."

"Shoutmon, don't be rude," TK scolded lightly.

Tai nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it could be useful having someone else along in case our Digivices run out of power."

"Hey, I can defend you guys!"

"No one said you couldn't," Kari consoled, "but it wouldn't hurt to have someone else in case we're outnumbered or outmatched."

"Yeah, you are only a Rookie," Davis added without thinking. Shoutmon glared for a moment before kicking him in the shin and storming off. Davis yelped and grabbed his leg. "What was that for?"

Takato chuckled. "I think Shoutmon's jealous. It seemed like he kind of liked having us reply on him."

Grimmon shrugged. "I don't have to go with you if it will be a problem; it was only a suggestion. The offer is on the table if you want it." He closed his eyes and sniffed the air. "It smells like dinner is too. Lets eat."

 

Notes:

(A/N: Well, things just got a lot more interesting. Two feuding clans, an arranged marriage, a unique peacekeeper, and our heroes are caught up in the middle of it all. I told you this arc would be different from the previous ones. With longer chapters too, based on the length of this one; let's see if I can keep that up. We've got a lot of exciting things to come, so stay tuned for more.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear, or are mentioned.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Beastmon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Vulcanusmon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/DarkLizardmon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Garurumon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Karatenmon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Asuramon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Grimmon

Chapter 58: Late-Night Randevu

Notes:

(A/N: You know, I first saw Beastmon in "Digimon World 3" for the PlayStation and took an immediate liking to her. Back then she was called Persiamon. I liked that name a lot better than Beastmon. I don't understand the reason the show changes the names sometimes when they dub it. Did they think it sounded racist? But then what's the excuse for the other changes? I mean, sure, some changes sound better, like changing Pinochimon to Puppetmon, but others, I don't know. Ah, whatever. Anyway, here's the next chapter. The plot starts to get complicated, and there might be a little confusion, so I'll explain everything at the end in an Author's Note.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 58: Late-Night Randevu

It was quiet that night. Or it had been until Davis started snoring. But that wasn't what woke Kari. After months of waking up at a certain time for watch duty every night, she had developed a type of internal alarm clock. So even though there was no need for it, she found herself waking up at her normal time.

Everyone else was still asleep, with the exception of the Kogamon guards stationed around the gate. Kari looked and saw her friends were all still asleep. They deserved it; it wasn't too often where they didn't need to worry about the possibility of not being attacked while they slept.

Getting up, she went to relieve herself. After finishing her business, she was heading back to bed when she caught movement out of the corner of her eyes. Something was in the trees, jumping from one to the other to remain hidden.

Ducking for cover, she stared into the branches, trying to make out who or what it was. Was it an enemy? Did one of the Ninjamon sneak in? She didn't know. But whoever they were, they seemed to be good at getting around undetected.

The person in the trees poked their head out to look around, and Kari gasped when she realized it was Beastmon. She looked around, making sure she wasn't followed before hopping over the gate.

Kari's curiosity had been piqued. Where was Beastmon going? Kari was itching to know. Was she fleeing from her unwanted wedding? Should she help her escape if she was? Maybe she could-

"Kari?"

She gasped and turned around to find TK and Shoutmon behind her. "Oh, it's just you guys."

"What's going on?"

She placed a finger over his lips. "Shh!"

TK nodded and she removed her finger. He lowered his voice and asked, "What are you doing? Shoutmon saw you leave."

The dragon Digimon nodded. "You woke me up when you left the hut, and I got worried when you didn't come back, so I woke TK here. Thought he'd be a better choice than your brother." He glared at her. "You should know better than to go sneaking around at night. Tensions and suspicions are already high here. We don't want to lose the Kogamon's trust."

She gave them an apologetic look. "Sorry. I was going to the bathroom and saw Beastmon sneak out."

"Sneak out?" the other two echoed.

She nodded. "Yeah, she just hopped the gate. Where do you think she's going?"

"Don't know, don't care," the dragon Digimon replied. "Lets just go back to bed before we get in trouble."

"But she could be in trouble."

"She's a big girl, an Ultimate. She can take care of herself."

"Being an Ultimate doesn't mean anything," said TK. "She still might need our help."

Shoutmon rubbed his head and sighed. "You humans are so aggravating. Alright, lets go. And try not to get us caught."

They snuck over to the wall. Picking up Kari, Shoutmon jumped up into the tree, then over the wall, then he came back to get TK.

"That was… fun," TK muttered, feeling a bit of vertigo from the drop down. He made a mental note not to let the little dragon Digimon pick him up again.

"Har-har," Shoutmon muttered. "Lets go, and keep quiet."

It wasn't that hard to find her since their Digivices seemed to have a type of compass that pointed towards nearby Digimon. They followed the direction the red arrow pointed to, disappearing into the woods.

They hadn't gone too far before they came to a clearing. Beastmon was there, sitting on a tree stump with her eyes closed, the moonlight shining down on her from up above, making her look all the more beautiful.

TK, Kari, and Shoutmon stayed hidden in the bushes as they watched. "What do you think she's doing?" Kari asked.

TK shrugged. "Not sure. Meditating in the moonlight, maybe."

Shoutmon shushed them. "Unless you want her to find us so you can ask her yourselves, quiet down."

Beastmon's eyes opened and she looked around as if she had heard something. TK and Kari covered their Digimon friend's mouth as she stood up. Shoutmon's shush had actually been louder than their whispers. Had Beastmon heard them? Were they busted?

It turned out though, that what she had heard wasn't them. Coming out of the forest behind her was a certain crow Digimon, the same one they had seen during the confrontation with the Ninjamon earlier today.

"That's Karatenmon!" Kari gasped.

TK's eyes narrowed. "What's he doing here? He's breaking the No Hostilities Pact by being here without permission."

"You think they're going to fight?"

Beastmon turned around to face Karatenmon. Her face lit up and she let out a joyful cry before running to him. Karatenmon opened his arms to her, and she leapt into them. She hugged him tightly, both arms and legs wrapped around him tightly as she nuzzled into his neck. She pulled back and looked up at him, her eyes shining. He smiled down at her, then leaned in to kiss her.

Kari's face lit up with joy as TK turned bright red and looked away. Kari didn't even notice as she stared at the two kissing Digimon happily. "It's not a fight, it's a late night rendezvous!"

"I can see that," the blonde boy replied, even though he wasn't looking.

Shoutmon's mouth was hanging open as he stared. "Oh no… No, no, no. You've got to be kidding me. As if things weren't complicated enough between the Kogamon and Ninjamon. Now we've got this going on? I knew I should have stayed in bed. I'm going back."

Kari grabbed his scarf and pulled him back. "Wait!"

They apparently were being too loud. Karatenmon broke the kiss and pulled Beastmon behind him, shielding her with his body. He pulled out his swords, holding them out in challenge. "Who's there? Show yourself."

Shoutmon groaned and pulled his scarf out of Kari's grip. "Now look what you did."

Karatenmon lowered his sword. "The humans?"

Beastmon poked her head out from behind the crow Digimon. "TK? Kari? Shoutmon? What are you three doing here?"

The dragon Digimon crossed his arms. "I could ask you the same thing. Seriously, Beastmon, what are you thinking? Do you have any idea of what the consequences will be if you guys get caught?"

The cat Digimon's ears drooped. "I know, I know. But I can't help it. I love Karatenmon. I've loved him for over 2,600 years, even when he was a Ninjamon and I was a Kogamon."

TK resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "It's a classic Romeo and Juliet scenario. Figures."

"I know I'm to be mated to Asuramon," she continued, shifting around uncomfortably, "and I don't mean to be unfaithful, but I love Karatenmon so much, I wanted to have whatever time I had left with him."

The crow Digimon stepped forward. "I will accept whatever punishment there is if it comes to it."

Beastmon turned to him, placing her hands on his chest. "No, my love. I will not allow you to take the fall alone."

He placed a hand over hers. "You're people need you, my darling. You are the future leader of the Kogamon. I am but another one of the many in the Ninjamon Clan, easily disposable."

"Not to me!" she wailed, and buried her face in his chest. "Not to me."

Kari's eyes were shining while Shoutmon made a "blah" noise. TK bopped him over the head. "Show some compassion. Remember Renamon." He looked back at the two love struck Digimon. "If an alliance is to be made through marriage, I mean, a mating, then why can't the two of you be wed, er, mated, whatever you call it, instead of Asuramon."

Karatenmon closed his eyes and sighed. "I wish it could be so, but I am not the heir to the Ninjamon Clan." He looked at Beastmon. "When we fell for each other, Beastmon, Asuramon, and I were still regular Kogamon and Ninjamon, and there were no heirs. We knew our romance was forbidden, so we would meet in secret. Then 1,000 years ago, Vulcanusmon demanded that our leaders choose heirs to replace them. The Ninjamon that eventually became Asuramon was chosen, as was Beastmon back when she was still a Kogamon. Despite this, there was no talk of the heirs becoming a mated pair back then, so she and I continued to secretly meet."

Beastmon looked at the starry sky with a far away look in her eyes as she took over the story. "After I died and came back with to my village with DarkLizardmon, and the two of us DNA Digivolved to my current form, that was when Vulcanusmon decided that the two heirs should become mates to establish lasting peace. So he had the Ninjamon heir find someone to DNA Digivolve with, hoping that combining with someone not of their clan would decrease the hostility the Ninjamon felt towards the Kogamon."

"Yeah, yeah," Shoutmon grumbled. "That's when the Ninjamon heir DNA Digivolved with a Garurumon to become Asuramon. I get it."

TK nodded, understanding. "So it's the fact that Asuramon is the Ninjamon heir that's the problem."

Karatenmon nodded. "I was devastated when I heard that Beastmon was to be mated to Asuramon. I hoped to prove my worth by showing that I would be a more worthy heir. I trained and studied and practiced relentlessly until I managed to Digivolve to the form you see before you now, even though I knew Digivolving was not allowed. I had hoped it would show our clan leader that I was more worthy than Asuramon, and he would name me as heir instead."

He sighed again. "I was a fool. Digivolving was not enough. Asuramon had been the heir and had been training to lead for nearly a millennia. All I ended up doing was breaking our clan's law of Digivolving out of my Ninjamon form, the punishment of which was banishment. However, I managed to convince the Ninjamon leader to allow me to stay until the mating ceremony, both to protect the peace, and to be able to depart from my clan knowing that the peace would be maintained."

Kari looked heartbroken for him. "That's so sad. Are you sure that's what you want?"

"It is no longer my choice. Only Ninjamon and Kogamon are allowed in their respected clans, with the exception of Asuramon and Beastmon. I broke our law, and must face the consequences of my actions."

"Couldn't you just DeDigivolve back to Ninjamon?" TK suggested.

The crow Digimon shook his head. "It does not matter. The fact that I would be able to Digivolve violates our laws. It upsets the delicate balance within our clans. That is why I must go once the mating ceremony ends. Besides," he shut his eyes, "I would not be able to be around Beastmon, loving her like this, but knowing that she belongs to Asuramon."

"My love…" Beastmon said sadly.

Kari's heart went out to the two of them. She reached out and took TK's hand, and he gave it a reassuring squeeze as he asked, "Couldn't the two of you just elope? You know, run away and get marr- I mean, mated?"

"They can't," Shoutmon replied with his arms crossed and eyes closed. "Beastmon is the Kogamon heir, and has been trained for nearly 1,000 years. She has a duty to her people."

Looking downright miserable, the cat Digimon nodded. "Yes, otherwise I would have left with him long ago."

Karatenmon took her hand. "And I would have taken you far away from here, my dearest."

Kari was now openly scowling. "This isn't fair. You guys shouldn't have to be kept apart or be forced to marry someone you don't love because of some stupid feud."

"It's mated," Shoutmon correct.

"Married, mated, whatever you call it here. It's not something that should be forced like this."

"Doing what is right isn't always doing what's easy."

The group looked up to see a Digimon flying above them. "Grimmon," said Karatenmon.

The reaper Digimon came in for a landing. "Sometimes for such a cause, a sacrifice must be made."

"But why this?" Kari demanded. "Why them?"

"Because only such an action will result in peace, no matter how much we wish otherwise. Lord Vulcanusmon knows this, and that is why he ordered it, despite the unfairness of it."

Shoutmon was nodding. "He's right. I have to admit it, but he us. As the Digimon King, I know what a burden one's duties can be."

Grimmon glared at the other two Digimon. "And you are jeopardizing the opportunity for lasting peace. You two should know better than to meet like this. What if your human friends or I were a member of either of your clans?"

Karatenmon and Beastmon looked away. They looked ashamed, but not sorry for what they had done, torn between their duty to their people and their duty to their hearts.

"Hey, lay off," TK snapped. "This is hard enough for them already."

Grimmon turned to him. Rising up on his serpentine body, he towered over the boy, looking very intimidating. "Do not lecture me, boy, especially when you know nothing of the circumstances. I realize this is hard for the two of them, but you must look at the bigger picture. Something like this could destroy the shaky peace the Kogamon and Ninjamon have. Of they're caught, the Ninjamon will accuse the Kogamon of betrayal by claiming that Beastmon seduced a mere foot soldier, and one that should have been banished at that.

"The Kogamon will likewise accuse the Ninjamon of something similar, and both sides will declare the No Hostilities Pact to have been broken by the other. We'll have an all out war on our hands that not even Vulcanusmon may be able to stop. Hundreds will die, one or both clans might even fall, all because these two couldn't keep their hands to themselves. It's a harsh fact, but it's the truth, and there's nothing we can do to change it. Is that what you want?"

"Grimmon, stop," Beastmon begged. She hung her head. "You're right, we were being selfish. Forgive us."

He turned back to her and the crow Digimon. "Then show your remorse by ceasing these attempts to destroy your own people, no matter how indirectly or unintentionally they may be."

Both Beastmon and Karatenmon bowed to him before turning to go back to their clans. The crow Digimon hesitated for a moment before grabbing Beastmon's wrist and pulling her back to him. He kissed her one last time, long and hard, before breaking away and disappearing into the trees. Beastmon stared after him, tears running down her cheeks. She wiped them away before she too took off for her clan, leaving the other four behind.

Grimmon sighed deeply, then turned to the teens. "I assume I don't need to tell you to keep this to yourselves unless you want a war."

Shoutmon nodded. "We understand. Don't we, guys?"

Kari looked away while TK sighed and nodded. "We'll keep quiet," he reluctantly agreed.

Kari shook her head. "It isn't fair."

"Many things in life aren't," Grimmon agreed. "But this needs to be done. Both the Ninjamon and the Kogamon have important roles to play as protectors of the sacred scroll."

Shoutmon raised an eyebrow. "What scroll?"

The reaper Digimon cocked his head to the side. "I thought you knew. Both the Kogamon and the Ninjamon guard one half of the sacred scroll. The two halves were kept separate by the two clans until a clan member tried to steal the others."

TK's brow furrowed. "Hey, now that you mention it, something was said about a scroll when Ninjamon and Kogamon were arguing over the pear."

"So which side tried to steal it?" Kari asked.

Grimmon shook his head. "That I do not know. Both halves of the scroll went missing. When the two clans found out, they sent out their warriors to find them. Eventually, they came across a Ninjamon and a Kogamon battling over both halves of the scroll. Each claimed that the other was responsible for the theft and that they were trying to stop them. Naturally, each clan took the side of their own member. During the argument, both of the accused were killed by the opposing clan. Thus began the great feud."

Shoutmon's eyebrows rose. "Oh, so that's what started the feud. I actually never knew. Guess it's not surprising since these guys' honor was called into question." He looked at the teens. "They're very big on honor."

TK couldn't resist chuckling. "Ninjas tend to be. So what is this scroll?"

Grimmon's eyes narrowed. "You are very nosy, human. Why do you ask?"

TK held up his hands. "Just curious."

The reaper Digimon studied him for a few moments before relenting. "It was given to the two clans by Vulcanusmon to guard. Supposedly, it contains the instructions on how to use mysterious keycards that unlock an ancient and terrible power."

Kari gasped. "Keycards?" She and TK shared a look. "Do you think…?"

He nodded. "The ones Darcmon was after. It's too much of a coincidence."

Shoutmon crossed his arms. "So the keycards were hidden somewhere in the city Argomon was attacking, and the two halves of the scroll explain how to use them to unleash this mysterious power. Interesting."

Grimmon was now eyeing them with interest. "So you know of the great power?"

"Distinctly."

"Then do you know of the one who knows the location of it?"

TK shook his head. "That we don't know."

The reaper Digimon continued to study him. "You humans are an interesting species. I'd like to learn more about you. My master would be most curious to learn about you as well."

"You mean Vulcanusmon?" Kari asked. "I'd like to meet him too. I have a few choice words for him about arranged marriages."

Shoutmon burst out laughing. "You're going to scold Vulcanusmon?" He shook his head "Oh, my poor, foolish, human. Let me tell you a little bit about Vulcanusmon…"

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Davis could admit that he wasn't the smartest person around, and he did have a tendency to do things without thinking. And yes, sometimes he got in trouble because of it. This seemed like it was one of those times.

While he was normally a very heavy sleeper, all the food he had devoured at dinner was having a very unpleasant side affect on his stomach. He woke up and quickly made a run for the bathroom. And upon making his way back, he noticed that TK and Kari were missing from their futons; he failed to realize that Shoutmon was missing as well.

Of all the scenarios he could have come up with, the one that came to mind was the two of them going off for a late-night randevu. It sent his jealous side reeling as he imagined them walking together in the moonlight, holding hands and kissing.

"Ooh, that cheater," he quietly seethed. "Trying to get ahead of me like that. Kari is my girl!"

It was then that he decided to go look for them. And as he crept through the village, he just happened to catch Beastmon hop over the gate. She looked around before hiding behind a tree, obviously not wanting the Kogamon guards to see her.

But Davis had, and he walked up to her curiously as she kept a look out for guards. "You ok?"

Beastmon's fur stood on end and she whirled around, claws and fangs bared, ready to attack. She stopped when she saw who it was and relaxed. "You humans are good at sneaking up on people. You're the third one who caught me."

A smirk crept up his face. "What can I say? I'm a guy of many talents. Hey, wait. The third? Are you talking about Kari and TZ?"

Beastmon cocked her head to the side. "I thought his name was TK."

"It is. I was just… Never mind. Where are they?"

She nodded at the gate. "Still in the forest. I'm sure they'll fill you in. Please don't tell any of my people."

And with that, she took off. Davis stared after her, not completely understanding what had just happened. He looked at the gate. One thing was for sure, TK and Kari were out there. And with the image of the two of them out on a lake in a rowboat in the light of the full moon in his mind, he was not about to let the blonde boy one-up him.

That was how he now found himself lost in the woods. Definitely not his smartest move. Perhaps he should have thought this through a bit more before he had gone charging into the wilderness. Beastmon had said they were in the forest, but she hadn't said where, and these were big woods.

Getting past the gate had been difficult, but no unmanageable. The guards had been more concerned with keeping people out rather than keeping them in. It made him wonder how he was going to sneak back inside though. "If I ever find my way out of here."

It was too bad he didn't ask Beastmon how she had gotten in and out. If worse came to worse, he could just knock on the door. He would have to come up with a good excuse as to how and why he had snuck out though.

As he walked along, he heard what sounded like voices. Thinking he had found TK and Kari, he tiptoed his way towards the speaker. But as he got closer, he quickly realized that the voice didn't belong to either of his friends. It did sound vaguely familiar though.

He pushed aside some bushes and found Asuramon standing in a clearing. At first he thought the demon Digimon was talking to himself, but then he spotted a bat-like creature flying over him. A quick check on his Digivice told him that it was Soundbirdmon. It didn't look that strong, but it did look quite sinister. What was Asuramon doing secretly meeting with this creepy bird Digimon in the middle of the night?

'Wait, if Asuramon is here, did I end up walking onto the Ninjamon's land? That's not good.'

"Just three more days," the demon Digimon told his companion. "Once Beastmon and I are mated, I will get the Kogamon's half of the scroll and deliver it to your master."

Davis' face scrunched up. 'What scroll? And what is it with ninjas and scrolls? Or is that samurai?'

"I trust," the demon Digimon continued, "that the master will keep his end of the bargain."

The bird Digimon fluttered closer. "Whether he does or not at this point is irrelevant. You made a deal with him. To go back on it now will be a great folly. All you can do is fulfill your end of the bargain and hope he fulfills his. Fail, and see both the Ninjamon and the Kogamon wiped out, and you along with them." He fluttered back a bit. "But I will say this, he may fulfill his end of the deal simply for sport."

Asuramon grinned. "Then it will not be long before the Kogamon Clan is completely destroyed."

"Wha-" Davis cried, and immediately covered his mouth.

Both Asuramon and Soundbirdmon turned to him. "Someone spies!" the latter exclaimed.

Davis was in the process of slipping away when Asuramon leapt in the air towards his hiding place. With a flaming fist, he brought it down on the bush Davis was hiding behind, incinerating it and punching a crater in the ground.

"The human?" Asuramon growled.

Soundbirdmon hovered close by. "Destroy him you fool! He knows!"

"With pleasure."

Davis looked down between his legs. Asuramon's flaming fist between them. He backed away as the demon Digimon stood up straight, flexing his muscles, and the fire spread across his arms and shoulders. Davis yelped and held up his Digivice. "Execute! Spirit Evolution… Paildramon!"

Asuramon was surprised as the giant egg of Fractal Code burst open and Paildramon rammed into him. He pushed the demon Digimon back, breaking through trees, before he slammed him into the ground.

"Useless fool," Soundbirdmon growled and took off.

Paildramon looked up at him. "Not so fast, little birdie. Cable Catcher!"

He fired his claws on wires at him, but the bird Digimon outmaneuvered them. Asuramon sat up and slammed a flaming fist into Paildramon's gut. The dragon Digimon stumbled backwards, and Asuramon jumped to his feet. "Asura Sweltering Fist!"

He punched forward with all four fists, and a stream of fire flew from his knuckles. Paildramon held up his arms to defend himself, but it wasn't much help, nor was his armor. "Yeow! That is hot!"

"Finish him!" Soundbirdmon ordered, and began to fly away.

Paildramon glanced up at him. "Oh no you don't." He kicked out, catching Asuramon in the stomach, then took to the air. One of his guns raised, and he took aim at the bird Digimon. "I don't know who your master is, but give him this message."

He fired a single bullet. It flew at the bird Digimon much faster than it could fly. Soundbirdmon didn't even know it was under attack before its body burst into data. Paildramon snapped his fingers. "Boo-yah! Perfect shot!"

Something hot and tight wrapped around his ankle. He looked down to see that Asuramon had leapt into the air and grabbed him. The yellow eyes on all four masks glared at him. "You'll pay for that.

He yanked and somehow managed to pull the dragon Digimon out of the sky. The two fell to the ground, and Asuramon slammed him down hard enough to crack the ground apart. Paildramon groaned and kicked out, knocking the demon Digimon away from him, then fired his Cable Catcher. Asuramon leaned back, avoiding the cables.

As Asuramon straightened, Paildramon rolled onto his feet and threw an Electric Bolt into the demon Digimon's face, causing him to stumble back. "How could you do this? You're breaking the No Hostilities Pact."

Asuramon chuckled as he waved away the smoke. "Am I? The No Hostilities Pact states that neither the Ninjamon Clan or the Kogamon Clan may attack one another unless it's in self defense. If another enemy comes along and wipes out the Kogamon, that's no fault of mine."

"It is if you made a deal to have that enemy attack them. And I thought this was a personal war, that you couldn't stand to have someone else defeat your enemies, which is why no outsiders were ever brought into your feud."

The demon Digimon grinned. "There are bigger things to worry about. I will see the Kogamon Clan crushed. They're a bunch of dishonorable, underhanded, weaklings. They deserve to be wiped out."

Paildramon crossed his arms. "How can you call the Kogamon dishonorable or underhanded if you're doing the very thing that labels someone as such? You're nothing but a hypocrite."

A vein throbbed in Asuramon's temple. "Watch it, boy."

"You watch it. Why are you even doing this? Your two clans are on the verge of permanent peace. What do you think your people will do when they find out what you've done?"

The grin returned to the demon Digimon's face. "They'll rejoice. Rejoice that the Kogamon have finally fallen. Don't fool yourself into thinking that either the Ninjamon or the Kogamon are happy with this arrangement. Our clans no longer fighting is very different from being at peace with each other. I could never allow it. Yet it seems that the more time passes, the less inclined our two clans are to continue this feud. I won't stand for it. Peace with the Kogamon makes me sick! I won't defy Vulcanusmon's will and break the No Hostilities Pact, but I won't stand for peace either."

A feeling of unease went through Paildramon. He had never seen such raw hatred before. "And what about Beastmon, your intended?"

Asuramoin raised a fist, squeezing tightly. "I will ruin her. Once we're mated and I get the Kogamon's half of the scroll, I will defile her and break her spirit completely."

Paildramon had heard enough. "I don't know what this scroll is, but I won't let you do whatever you want. Electric Bolt!"

Asuramon's flaming fist shot out, blasting apart Paildramon's attack. He fired his Asura Sweltering Fist, and Paildramon took to the air. He flew towards the demon Digimon, firing his Desperado Blaster. Asuramon's four arms covered his head as the spray of bullets showered against him. Paildramon lashed out with his Sting Strike, but one of Asuramion's arms shot out and grabbed his lance.

Smirking, he bent the dragon Digimon's arm the wrong way and twisted it behind his back. Then with his remaining three arms, he fired his Asura Exploding Fist, punching with all three fists at the same time while shooting a stream of fire from them upon contact.

Paildramon was blasted backwards. He crashed into a tree, knocking it over. A moment later, Asuramon landed on top of him, pinning him down with two of his arms while the other two flexed their muscles. "Fire Fist of Shiva!"

His fists ignited and began slamming into Paildramon's face over and over again. The dragon Digimon tried to fight him off, but was unable to, and soon his struggles ceased. Asuramon continued to rain flaming punches against him until he began glowing and reverted back to his human form.

Asuramon stood up, looming over the unconscious boy. "So you can become a Digimon, but you turn back into a human when you run out of energy. What a strange creature." His gaze shifted to the Digivice in Davis' hand, and he picked it up. "This is the source of your power? Interesting. I'll have to take a look at it later." One of his fists ignited, and he looked back down at him. "It's a shame you had to get involved, but it's your own fault. Now it's time to die."

"Asuramon!"

He turned as the speaker flew down, his eye narrowing. "Karatenmon, why are you here?"

The crow Digimon didn't miss a beat. "I was patrolling the area and heard the fight. What are you doing here?"

Asuramon scowled. "I am the future leader of the Ninjamon. I will go wherever I wish, and you, a mere guest in our clan since you had the gall to break our laws and Digivolve, have no right to question me. As for the human," he looked down at Davis, "he was trespassing. A guest of the Kogamon was sneaking around our lands at night, most likely spying for the Kogamon. I simply defended our land. Now, if you'll excuse me."

He raised his flaming fist to deliver the finishing blow, but Karatenmon stopped him. "No, he is defenseless. We do not kill those who can't defend themselves, it is not our way."

The demon Digimon glared at him. "You dare to lecture me on the ways of the Ninjamon? You who deliberately broke them in the hopes that the leader would view you as a more worthy heir than the one he had already chosen and trained for many years? You're lucky he's letting you stay until the mating ceremony instead of having kicked you out as soon as you Digivolved like he should have."

He pointed an accusing finger at the crow Digimon. "Don't think I don't know the reason for it. It's not so much for the role of leadership, but for the Kogamon heir. You love her! You should be ashamed of yourself for feeling anything for a member of the Kogamon Clan other than hatred and disgust."

Karatenmon winced. "This and that are unrelated. The humans are guests of the Kogamon, and are unrelated to our feud. Hold him captive if you will until the proper action can be done, but to kill him when he's defenseless, would you really dishonor our clan so?"

A cloud of steam escaped Asuramon's nose as he breathed out. "You want to see real dishonor? I will show it to you."

He lunged at the crow Digimon, throwing a flaming fist. Karatenmon half flipped, half flew into the air, dodging the attack, and landing beside Davis' unconscious form. He pulled out his swords, pointing them at Asuramon challengingly. The demon Digimon turned to him, his fists igniting.

Before a fight could break out, movement in the trees drew their attention. Several Ninjamon appeared in the clearing, surrounding the two of them. Among them was the clan leader, who looked from Asuramon to Karatenmon to Davis, his eyes narrowing. "What is going on here?"

Asuramon glared at Katartenmon. "I caught this human trespassing on our lands, and dealt with him appropriately."

Karatenmon put away his swords. "It's true, sir. I arrived just as he was about to take the human prisoner so you could decide on the best coarse of action; as is your right as our leader." He gave the demon Digimon a hard look. "Isn't that right, Asuramon? You were about to turn the boy over to our leader."

Asuramon's scowl deepened, but he couldn't very well tell the leader he was not about to do what honor dictated that he must, especially after Karatenmon stated he had been about to do what was expected of him. "Yes, that is correct."

The leader looked at Davis. "I see. Very good. Bind him and bring him along. I will deal with this in the morning."

The Ninjamon moved in and bound and gaged the boy. Asuramon watched as they dragged him away, the flames slowly extinguishing in his hands. His eyes narrowed at Karatenmon's retreating form. The crow Digimon stopped and glanced back at him. The two stared at each other for a few moments before the group continued back to the village.

Notes:

(A/N: Pretty intense, huh? Looks like TK, Kari, and Shoutmon have made a pretty surprising discovery. It's the cliché star-crossed lover scenario. It's not just Basilisk, it's Romeo & Juliet. Poor Beastmon and Karatenmon. But that's not the only thing going on. Davis has made a startling discovery of his own. Asuramon is up to something that could mean the end for the Kogamon. And what of these scrolls and their relation to the keycards Darcmon was after? I told you we haven't heard the last of them. But now Davis has gone and gotten himself caught. Geez, stuck in a clan feud with a forbidden romance while a conspiracy is going on, things are not looking up for our heroes. Now, since I know this chapter was a bit confusing, I decided to create a bit of a timeline. See below.)

{Thousands of years ago, Vulcanusmon entrusted one half of the scroll explaining how to use the keycards to the Ninjamon Clan, and the other half to the Kogamon Clan.

5,000 years ago, the scrolls were stolen, either by someone from the Ninjamon Clan or someone from the Kogamon Clan. Both suspects accused the other and were killed by the opposing clans, thus beginning the feud.

2,700 years ago, a male Ninjamon and a female Kogamon fall in love despite the war between their clans, and they begin meeting in secret.

1,000 years ago, Vulcanusmon installs the No Hostilities Pact to stop the war. The fighting stops, but the feud remains. Vulcanusmon declares that the two clan leaders are to choose heirs to take over in the hopes that new leadership will end the feud. The Kogamon that would become Beastmon is chosen, as is the Ninjamon that would become Asuramon, and the two begin to be trained to be the new leaders.

At some point, the Kogamon heir is killed by an evil Digimon. After she was reborn, during her time of trying to Digivolve to Kogamon again, she becomes best friends DarkLizardmon.

772 years ago, the Kogamon heir returns to her clan. In order for her and DarkLizardmon to stay together, they DNA Digivolve together to become Beastmon. Despite breaking the No Digivolving Law, an exception is made since she had already gone through several centuries of training to become the new Kogamon leader. Vulcanusmon decides that an "outside source" would do the clans some good, and decrees that the Ninjamon heir shall DNA Digivolve with someone too. The Ninjamon heir DNA Digivolves with a Garurumon to become Asuramon.

Vulcanusmon decides that Beastmon and Asuramon shall become a mated pair when they take over leadership to cement the peace between the clans.

The Ninjamon that was in love with the Kogamon heir that became Beastmon hopes to prove himself to be a more worthy heir than Asuramon so he can be with Beastmon, and he trains until he Digivolves to Karatenmon. His attempt fails, and only gets him in trouble for breaking the No Digivolving Law. He's granted permission to stay with his clan until the mating ceremony so he can see his clan at peace before being banished.

Vulcanusmon sends Grimmon to act as a mediator to maintain the peace between the two clans until the mating ceremony. Beastmon and Karatenmon continue to see each other in secret while Asuramon secretly makes plans with Soundbirdmon's master to destroy the Kogamon Clan in exchange for the scrolls.}

(Well, I hope that cleared up any confusion about the plot. If you're eager for more, leave me a review, and I'll be back with a new chapter soon. Soon as in the standard two weeks soon.)

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New Digimon that appear, or are mentioned.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Soundbirdmon

Chapter 59: Wedding Preparations

Notes:

(A/N: The chapters in this arc are turning out to be pretty long. Cool! This chapter might require some more explaining in the Author's Note again to fully understand the backstory. Time to see how a Digimon wedding takes place.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 59: Wedding Preparations

Davis groaned as he awoke to a world of pain. His body, especially his jaw, ached terribly, but it was nothing compared to the pounding in his head. Did he have a hangover? Was this what it felt like? But he didn't drink. Did he? Had something he drank at the feast last night contained alcohol without him knowing? He didn't think so.

Food poisoning then? Or maybe he just ate way too much. That seemed like the most likely scenario. 'Note to self, never party that hard again.'

He attempted to rub his head, but found he couldn't move his hands. No, he could move them, they were just bound behind his back. And what was worse, when he opened his eyes, he found himself behind bars.

"Hey, what gives?" he shouted, or at least he tried to. His mouth was gagged as well, and only muffled grunts came out.

"And so he awakens."

Davis froze. He looked around the dark room for the familiar voice. Asuramon stepped into the light, leering at him from the other side of the bars. Davis glared right back as he remembered what had happened before he had been beaten into unconsciousness.

"You're lucky you're not inside your Digi-Egg right now," Asuramon told him, "or wherever you humans come from."

Davis rolled his eyes. This guy clearly knew nothing about humans. In a way, that was a good thing; Digimon tended to underestimate them because of it. If he could just reach his Digivice…

Bending his bound arms the best he could, he felt around for his Digivice on his belt, but couldn't find it anywhere. Asuramon noticed his movement and held up the Digivice. "Looking for this?" By the look on the boy's face, the answer was yes. He looked at the Digivice curiously. "Quite a fascinating device."

Davis muffled something behind his gag. Asuramon glanced at him and smirked. "I assume you're asking why I'm doing this. Isn't that always the case?" He set the Digivice down on the table. "Simply put, I can't stand the Kogamon. To think that the great Vulcanusmon held both of our clans in equal regard that he would entrust the scroll to both of us. That honor should have belonged to the Ninjamon alone. I tried to prove that by taking their half of the scroll many years ago, but was stopped by one of those lousy Kogamon, and our clans found us before I could kill him."

He grinned evilly. "I suppose my failed attempt to get both scrolls was a good thing; it caused the hate to begin between our clans. Accusing the Kogamon who fought me of the theft and then killing him in front of the clan was the icing on the cake, even though I knew it would cost me my life, but it cemented the hatred between us."

His grin became a scowl. "After I was reborn and reached the Ninjamon stage again, I returned to my clan, fully expecting them to have won the war that was sure to have started. Instead I discovered that though the war had raged on for many years, Vulcanusmon had eventually stepped in and instilled the No Hostilities Pact. I admit, I did not see that coming, and was forced to endure this so-called truce between our clans. I was pleased, however, when Vulcanusmon later decreed that a new leader was to be chosen in the hopes to lessen the animosity between us, and the leader chose me."

Davis struggled in a vain attempt to get out of his bonds, glaring at the demon Digimon. Asuramon just chuckled. "Yes, that was fortunate. Even more so when the Kogamon heir DNA Digivolved with her friend, making Vulcanusmon decree that I was to do the same. It seemed that sending that Digimon to kill the Kogamon heir worked out well for me. Even Vulcanusmon's decree that we were to be mates worked in my favor. It allowed me to make an alliance with someone willing to wipe out the Kogamon in exchange for the scrolls. I could get rid of their whole clan without breaking the No Hostilities Pact.

"Once the mating ceremony is done, I can get my hands on the Kogamon's half of the scroll with no issue. And once I turn over both halves to my ally, they will wipe out the Kogamon." His fists clenched, and he seemed to be practically bursting with excitement. "It's been so long, I can hardly wait."

Eyes flashing, Davis rolled over and thrust his feet at the bars. Asuramon sneered at his vain attempt to escape. "You won't be going anywhere or saying anything to anyone. The only reason I didn't kill you before is because Karatenmon interfered. You're to remain here until after the mating ceremony. But at that point, it'll be too late. I'll obtain the Kogamon's half of the scroll, and my ally will wipe out them and your friends. You'll follow shortly after." He turned away. "So struggle all you want if it makes you feel better. It won't be long now."

He laughed as he exited the room, leaving Davis tied, gagged, and behind bars. He continued kicking at his cell door, but it was useless, and he soon gave up. Scooting back over to the wall, he propped up against it and tried to think of a plan. He looked around his cell for anything he could use, but found nothing. Anything useful was on the outside of the bars.

Including his Digivice!

It was still there on the table. Asuramon hadn't taken it with him. If he could get that, he could get out of here in no time; considering it still had power after the beating he took. The only question was, how did he get it?

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"Slow down," said Tai as his sister quickly recounted what she, TK, and Shoutmon had witnessed the previous night. "Who's in love now?

"Beastmon and Karatenmon," Kari told him in a loud whisper. "They've been in love for nearly three thousand years, but have been kept apart because of the feud."

"Ooook," said Takato. "And Karatenmon is that crow Digimon that arrived with Ninjamon yesterday?"

TK nodded. "Apparently, when he found out that the heir to the Ninjamon Clan was allowed to Digivolve to Ultimate, he Digivolved too in the hopes that since he was able to reach Ultimate without having to DNA Digivolve with someone else that the Ninjamon leader would view him as a more worthy heir."

"And thus allowing him to be Beastmon's mate instead," Takuya surmised.

Tai crossed his arms. "But instead he just got in trouble for breaking the no Digivolving rule and will be banished from the village once the mating ceremony is over. Got it."

Kari slapped her hands down on the table they were sitting at. "We have to do something to help them."

Shoutmon shook his head. "Why won't you listen to me and Grimmon and stay out of it? This is bigger than us, and it's not something that can be solved in battle. This is when politics needs to be used. This feud has to end, and Vulcanusmon's plan, while not perfect, will put an end to it. Is that not worth it?"

TK tapped his chin. "What if we spoke to the Ninjamon and Kogamon leaders and explain things?"

Grimmon, who was also in the room, slid closer. "To what end? It'll only make the situation that much more complicated, and the two clans will grow that much more bitter towards each other. It is Vulcanusmon's wish to end things as peacefully as possible, and I will see it done; I owe him that."

Kari looked at him. While still very intimidating and not always agreeable, Grimmon did seem to want the situation to be resolved with as little bloodshed as possible. From what he had told them, being a reaper Digimon, and a Virus type at that, he was once not a very nice person, until Vulcanusmon showed him there was another way aside from a life of violence, and thus he chose to follow the Mega Digimon's teachings.

"Maybe we can convince the Ninjamon leader to make Karatenmon his new heir," she suggested.

"And throw away the hundreds of years of leadership training Asuramon has already received just to make the enemy's heir happy?" Grimmon asked, skeptically. "He would never go for it. Nor would Asuramon."

Kari tried to think of an alternative. "Then what about having the Kogamon leader choose another heir. Then Beastmon and Karatenmon can leave the clan and be together."

"Same problem," Tai pointed out regretfully. "Kogamon wouldn't just throw away all of Beastmon's training. It's why she was allowed to stay DNA Digivolved with DarkLizardmon to begin with, remember? Besides, as much as Beastmon loves Karatenmon, I doubt she'll be selfish enough to abandon her duties and her people like that." He gave his sister a sorrowful look. "I'm sorry, Kari, but I really don't think there is anything we can do this time."

She shook her head. "I won't accept that. I can't."

Grimmon pointed at her. "And I won't have you sabotaging this. I am under orders to make sure the Kogamon and the Ninjamon don't kill each other before the mating ceremony. Interfere, and the two might go to war. We talked about this last night. I won't have you ruining this chance for peace. I've seen to much bloodshed, caused too much. Now I'm making amends. I won't let there be anymore violence than there needs to be."

"I hate to say, but I agree with him," said Shoutmon.

Tai nodded. "I don't like it either, Kari, but I don't see an alternative."

Her shoulders slumped. "But it's not fair."

"Many things in life aren't," Shoutmon told her. "I understand that better than anyone."

Takato looked up at the ceiling. "My parents used to say that fair isn't getting what you want; it's getting what you need."

Kari frowned. "Everyone needs love."

They fell silent, each lost in their own thoughts. The silence was soon interrupted by a commotion outside. It drew the group's attention, and they went outside to investigate. They found the Kogamon all rushing to the gate in a fashion similar to when the Ninjamon had come yesterday."

Takuya stopped a random Kogamon. "Hey, what's going on?"

The ninja Digimon barely glanced at him. "It's the Ninjamon. They're coming back again."

Grimmon's eyes narrowed as the Kogamon hurried off. "Again? What for? Karatenmon better not have been discovered."

He flew off to go see. The teens exchanged uneasy looks, feeling a sense of déjà vu. These confrontations between the clans was putting them on edge.

"Better go wake Davis," said Tai. "We'll need him to be ready in case things get ugly."

"I'll get him," Takato replied, taking off for their sleeping quarters. He came back out a few seconds later, looking confused. "He's not in there."

Tai looked surprised. "What? I didn't see him come out. Did any of you?"

"He must have gotten up before us."

TK's eyebrows rose. "Really? Wow, that's a first." He looked around. "Then where is he?"

It was a good question, but one they couldn't worry about at the moment. Asuramon and the Ninjamon leader were waiting outside the Kogamon village with yet another army of Ninjamon. The Kogamon leader and Beastmon went out to meet him, the latter looking around hopefully for Karatenmon, who was absent, while the former just looked angry. "This trespassing on our land is becoming quite bothersome."

The Ninjamon leader crossed his arms. "This is our parley, same as before. Although I can certainly relate to having an enemy trespass on your land."

Kogamon pointed at him. "No Kogamon has set foot on your land."

"Perhaps not." His eyes shifted to the teens. "But your guests have."

Tai blinked. "What?"

"I caught one of your friends snooping around on our land in the middle of the night," Asuramon growled.

This was a surprise to the teens. "Davis was?" Takuya asked in disbelief.

"He even engaged in battle with my heir," the Ninjamon leader told them.

Kari frowned. "Davis wouldn't do that. He may be hot-headed and reckless, but he wouldn't pick a fight without cause."

"Usually," Shoutmon grumbled quietly.

Asuramon's eyes narrowed. "So you say, but he did. He is now our prisoner."

Kogamon placed his hands on his hips. "And now you've come to demand a ransom. This sounds very much like you are trying to provoke us to fight, which is a clear violation of the No Hostilities Pact."

"There will be no ransom or bargaining," Ninjamon insisted. "At the suggestion of my heir, he is to remain our prisoner until after the mating ceremony to make sure he doesn't cause any more trouble. We just came to tell you that."

"You can't do that!" TK snapped.

"But we can," Asuramon insisted. "He trespassed and picked a fight. He is lucky all we are doing is detaining him. You can have him back once the mating ceremony is over. Until then, we don't trust him or you humans not to stick your noses in where it doesn't belong."

Tai looked at the only one he hoped could talk some sense into them. "Grimmon?"

The reaper Digimon flew forward. "As a neutral party under the orders of Vulcanusmon to see this feud come to a peaceful end, would you be willing to turn him over to me if I were to agree to keep an eye on him?"

Asuramon gave him a hard look. "Under the circumstances, we believe it would be in everyone's best interest if he were to remain in our custody until this is over. For peaceful purposes. I'm sure you understand."

The two stared at each other for several long moments. Finally, Grimmon flew back over to the teens. "I am sorry about your friend, but he does have a point. Tensions are high, and this would be the best solution. The Ninjamon are honorable; your friend will be treated fairly. It's only for three more days, then he will be released to you."

The teens looked at Shoutmon, but the dragon Digimon held up his hands. "I told you guys repeatedly not to get involved with this, but you didn't listen. Now look what's happened."

Tai sighed and looked back at Ninjamon. "You're not willing to negotiate on this?"

The ninja Digimon crossed his arms. "Our decision is final."

"How about we stay with him," TK suggested. "You can 'keep and eye' on all of us."

This time Kogamon spoke. "We would never allow our guests to be prisoners to the Ninjamon Clan, especially for no reason."

"Nor would we take prisoners that have not done anything wrong," Ninjamon agreed. His eyes narrowed. "And we will not invite potential spies into our village either."

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Tai grumbled in aggravation. It seemed they were in a no win situation. He didn't want to leave Davis, but it seemed the Ninjamon were not willing to bend. True, they could free Davis themselves if they chose to use force, but how many unnecessary deaths would that cause. Not to mention it would destroy any hope for peace between the two clans. What had Davis been thinking in snooping around the Ninjamon's territory? 'Shoutmon was right, we should have just stayed out of it.'

The dragon Digimon in question tugged on his pants leg. "If you want to take my advice, just let it go. Enough trouble has been caused already. The Ninjamon are offering us an easy out with no bloodshed. Davis will be well treated and released unharmed in three days. Trust me, this is the best solution. Just think of this as a much needed break from the guy."

Tai couldn't resist the small smile that threatened to creep up his face. He considered the situation carefully before looking back at Ninjamon. "Do you swear on your honor that he will be treated well and won't be harmed?"

"Tai!" Kari cried in outrage.

"You're not seriously thinking of leaving him there, are you?" Takato demanded.

"Shouldn't we talk about this?" asked TK.

Tai ignored them. "Do you swear it, on your clan's honor?"

Ninjamon nodded. "My heir will see to his needs personally."

"He is my captive," the demon Digimon told them. "I will take responsibility for him."

Grimmon swiped one of the weapons that served as a hand through the air. "Then an agreement has been reached. Now, return to your village."

Ninjamon bowed his head to him in departure, and he and the rest of his clan pulled out, disappearing into the forest. Beastmon watched them go, her ears drooping at not having seen Karatenmon. The Kogamon hesitantly went back inside. Grimmon went with them, pausing to glance at Tai. "I know it wasn't an easy decision, but it was the best one."

"Was it?" Takuya asked uncertainly. "It doesn't feel like it."

"Listen," Shoutmon grumbled, "when there's this much hatred and you're trying to play peacekeeper, sometimes all you can do is pick the lesser of two evils, and that's what you did."

TK looked to where the Ninjamon had disappeared to. "Did we? It feels like we hung him out to dry."

The Kogamon leader walked over to them. "Do not worry for your friend. If he has been harmed or mistreated in any way, I will deal with the Ninjamon personally; peace or no."

It was a small reassurance, but not much. They were all worried for their friend, but there was nothing more that they could do short of storming and tearing apart the Ninjamon village. And if they did that, then neither clan would ever know peace.

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In the days that followed, there were no more incidents. The teens did nothing to stop the wedding preparations or free Davis, worried that they might make the situation even worse. None of them were happy about it, but there was nothing to be done.

Even the excitement of the wedding was gone now that they knew it was not only an arranged, but the bride was also a star-crossed lover. Had the teens not become just as adamant as Grimmon to see peace, they would have left already and had Davis released.

The three days passed quickly enough, and soon the day of the event had arrived. Despite the situation, the teens were still rather curious as to what a Digimon wedding would be like.

"It's not a wedding," Shoutmon insisted. "It's a mating ceremony."

"Same difference," said Tai. "It's just different terminology."

Kari looked around the village. "You know, for a wed… I mean, mating ceremony, this place doesn't look that festive."

"Maybe they don't consider this wedding to be something to celebrate," Takuya half-joked.

Shoutmon sighed. "It's not a wedding, it's-"

"We think of it as a wedding, so we're calling it a wedding."

It turned out that the ceremony wouldn't even be taking place in either village, but in a nearby town a few miles away. Everyone had woken up bright and early to make the journey. The Kogamon leader, Beastmon, and nine other Kogamon were going along with the teens and Grimmon. Likewise, the Ninjamon leader, Asuramon, and nine other Ninjamon were to be present at the ceremony as well, and the two groups met in front of what seemed to be a sanctuary.

Out front, they were greeted by three Digimon. One the teens recognized as Candlemon, like the ones they saw back in the caves of Infinity Mountain. Another one was a Digimon with a slice of cake for a head, the Digimon Analyzer indicating that they were Shortmon, a Rookie level cake Digimon. The third was a cake Digimon as well, a Champion called Weddinmon, who appeared to be a woman wearing a wedding cake like a dress.

"Greetings!" she cried happily as the groups approached. "I'm Weddinmon, your mating ceremony party planner! My little friends here and I have a fabulous feast and a glorious reception for you as soon as the two lucky ones are mated!"

Takato sweat-dropped. "Well, she certainly seems like she enjoys her job."

Beastmon ignored the enthusiastic cake Digimon as her eyes scanned the group of Ninjamon, finding the leader and her intended, but not the one she really wanted to see. She wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not; seeing him one last time might break her resolve.

TK couldn't help but notice that someone else was missing too. "Where's Davis? Shouldn't he be here?"

The Nijnjamon leader waved this off. "He's still at our village. Once the ceremony is over, we'll escort you back there, then you and your friend can leave."

Tai sighed. "Fine. How is he?"

Asuramon crossed his arms. "He is well. I have been taking care of him." He turned to Beastmon, a toothy smile creeping up his mouth. "You look ravishing, my dear. I could just eat you up."

She just looked away and didn't say anything. A few moments later, the sanctuary doors opened and two more Digimon came out. They looked like human children dressed as nuns, the older looking one wearing black, the younger looking one wearing white and pink.

"Greetings," they said together. "We shall be ready for you shortly."

Kari cupped her cheeks. "Aww, they're so cute! Who are they?"

Tai checked his Digivice. "The black one is Sistermon Noir, a Champion, and the white one is Sistermon Blanc, a Rookie. Huh, it also says that there's a Sistermon Ciel too."

Takato glanced at Shoutmon curiously. "Er, Noir, Blanc, Ciel?"

The dragon Digimon sighed. "Are we going to go through this every time a Digimon has a unique name? They're just a subspecies of the same Digimon. Don't look too much into it."

From behind the two nun Digimon, a large angel Digimon exited the sanctuary. He greatly resembled MagnaAngemon, but was dressed in pure white robes, and rather than eight silvery white wings curving around his body, he had two very large pure white wings that looked like they belonged to a true angel spread out behind him almost like a cape.

Takuya whistled. "Now that's an angel. Uh," he glanced at TK and Kari, "no offense."

"None taken," said TK, checking his Digivice. "MagnaAngemon Priest Mode, Ultimate level." He gave Shoutmon a curious look. "What's Priest Mode? Do I have that?"

The dragon Digimon wobbled his hand. "As a MagnaAngemon, it's in your code. It all depends on whether or not you can access it, same as different Digivolutions."

"But what is Priest Mode?" Takuya asked.

"A different Mode. I've told you about Mode Changing before."

Grimmon took over. "Mode Changing is when a Digimon changes their form without Digivolving. This change could include getting stronger or faster, switching attributes, changing elements, or making other modifications."

Shoutmon nodded. "Yeah, what he said." He motioned to the angel Digimon. "He's still MagnaAngemon, but he's not as strong in this form, has less attacks, and is a pacifist by nature. H's more about purifying evil that fighting it."

TK stared at the Mode Change of his Digimon form. "This feels kind of weird to see another MagnaAngemon, even if it is in Priest Mode."

Kari nodded. "I had a similar feeling when I fought BlackGreymon, only it was even weirder since he was bad."

MagnaAngemon looked at the crowd and spread his arms. "Good day to you all. I am glad your clans have resolved their differences. I hope and pray for peaceful times for you all."

"Peace for all!" the two Sistermon chanted.

The angel Digimon motioned them forward. "Now then, come, enter, and we shall begin the ceremony."

He turned and went back inside the sanctuary, the two Sistermon following close behind. The Kogamon and Ninjamon did as well, glaring at each other with open hostility. Asuramon walked over to Beastmon, staring down at her intimidatingly. "Are you ready, my dear?"

Beastmon looked around some more. "Is Karatenmon not coming?"

"He has not been a member of our clan since he Digivolved, and thus has no place here. He is guarding the human in my absence." He leaned in and lowered his voice. "Do not fret, I will show you the true spirit of the Ninjamon Clan."

She shuddered, and not in a good way, putting distance between herself and him. He just chuckled and stepped inside the sanctuary. Beastmon seemed reluctant to enter, but the Kogamon leader came up to her. "It is time. This is Vulcanusmon's will."

She took a deep breath. "I know. He has never steered us wrong before. I will do it." She looked at the other Kogamon. "For my clan."

The large golden doors closed behind them as they all entered the sanctuary, or was it a church? Inside, there were pews that ran down an aisle. On the walls, there was an alteration of a stained glass window and a statue carved into the wall, each one a duplicate of the other. The statues resembled a divine being with the lower body of a diamond holding twin diamond blades. The stained glass windows were all the same as well, consisting of what looked like a bizarre robot in front of a tree. The pattern of the statue and windows went all the way down the aisle.

The ceiling contained a large circle divided into four quarters. Each quarter had the silhouette of a beast. The one on top was that of a green turtle, the one on the right was that of a blue dragon, the one on the bottom was that of a red bird, and the one on the left was that of a white cat. And hanging down from the ceiling were what appeared to be giant diamonds or crystals.

At the end of the aisle by the alter, there was another stained glass window, much larger than any of the others. It was the white silhouette of a humanoid figure standing in front of a castle with a multicolored background. An upside-down star was before the humanoid shape, the ends where the points met glowing. The white humanoid silhouette looked very human, but was not quite the right shape.

On either side of the stained glass window were two more statues, an angel on the left, and a godly being on the right. These two statues were carved out of solid gold rather than marble like the others running down the aisle.

Even the floor had a design on it, containing the pixelated image of a golden Digimon, and the teens looked around at it and the rest of the sanctuary in awe. "Wow," said Takato, "this place could rival the Sistine Chapel."

"I have no idea what that is," Shoutmon replied as he took a seat.

TK looked from the statues, to the ceiling, to the stained glass windows. "So what's all this then?"

The dragon Digimon rolled his eyes. "Geez, you humans are forgetful. Etemon and I explained all this to you. Those crystals," he pointed to the ones hanging from the ceiling, "they're replicates of Homeostasis, the crystal shards the Digimon God programmed with different portions of his consciousness. One was placed into the avatar body of King Drasil," he motioned to the statues running down the aisle, "which was then placed into the host computer, Yggdrasil_7D6, which dwelled in the Server Tree." He pointed to the stained glass windows beside the statues of King Drasil.

Tai nodded. "Yeah, I remember you mentioning that. And then an evil Digimon took over Yggdrasil, but was chased away by those closest to the Digimon God. This caused Yggdrasil to malfunction, so those Digimon were forced to destroy both it and King Drasil."

Shoutmon nodded. "And then the Digimon God recalled the Homeostasis that was inside King Drasil, along with all the others in the Digital World, and went to his own realm within the Digital World's kernel to give us Digimon free reign, but left those closest to him to be the Digimon Sovereigns, and then selected a single Digimon to be the Digimon King." He pointed to the four silhouettes on the ceiling. "Those are the Sovereigns. And that," he pointed to the pixelated image of the golden Digimon on the floor, "is me."

The teens' attention shifted from the ceiling to the floor. They looked at the golden Digimon, then at Shoutmon, who was beaming proudly, and burst out laughing. The dragon Digimon's red face turned a darker shade as he blushed. "Stop laughing!"

Takato wiped away a tear. "Sorry, Shoutmon, we couldn't help it." He nodded at the giant stained glass window behind the alter. "And who's that?"

It was Grimmon who answered. "Who is that? Who is that?! It's only the Digimon God!"

Tai cocked his head to the side. "Really? He kind of looks like a human."

"Ha! A human? Don't be absurd. He may be depicted as human in imagery, but he actually hates human interference, which is why the Digital World is sealed off from the human world."

Kari blinked. "Then how and why are we here?"

Shoutmon shrugged. "One of the many questions we can ask Cherubimon."

TK tapped his chin. "I used to think that it was the Digimon God that brought us here, but if he doesn't like human interfering with the Digital World, and he himself no longer interferes with its affairs, then someone else must have brought us here."

"Couldn't say. We'll ask Cherubimon when we get there."

Takuya looked up at the two golden statues on either side of the stained glass window of the Digimon God. "So who are they?"

"Geez, you humans are inquisitive," Grimmon grumbled.

Shoutmon snorted. "Welcome to my world."

MagnaAngemon cleared his throat. "If I could please have your silence, I would like to get started."

The teens quickly took their seats as everyone else got into position. The ceremony was about to begin.

 

Notes:

(A/N: So, we got a lot of insight on things. The sanctuary depicts the, I guess you could say, governing of the Digital World, but we'll get into more of that later. The wedding, I mean, mating ceremony, is about to take pace, and it doesn't look like anyone can stop it. Or maybe someone can? Will Davis be able to make a miraculous escape? He's already made another startling discovery. In case you didn't catch it, Asuramon, back when he was still a Ninjamon, was the one who stole the two halves of the scroll and blamed it on the Kogamon that caught him before killing him, thus beginning the feud. Now he's planning on mating Beastmon so he can once again obtain the scrolls to give to his ally in exchange for wiping out the Kogamon. Ooh, big conspiracy going on. What's Davis going to do with this knowledge? Will he be able to save the day? Stay tuned to find out.)

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New Digimon that appear or are mentioned.

https://wikimon.net/Holy_Angemon:_Priest_Mode

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Candlemon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Shortmon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Weddinmon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Sistermon_Blanc

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Sistermon_Noir

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Sistermon_Ciel

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/God

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Homeostasis

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Yggdrasil

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Yggdrasil#King%20Drasil_7D6

https://wikimon.net/Yggdrasill_Core

https://wikimon.net/Homeostasis

https://wikimon.net/God

Chapter 60: Forever Hold Your Peace

Notes:

(A/N: Hello, people. I hope you all had a happy 4th. So before we et started, I want to clear up any possible confusion that may occur. Last chapter, we were introduced to MagnaAngemon Priest Mode. In order to avoid confusion, when TK Spirit Evolves to MagnaAngemon, I will be referring to MagnaAngemon Priest Mode as MagnaAngemon PM.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 60: Forever Hold Your Peace

Davis was both hungry and thirsty. He'd hardly eaten anything in the three days since his capture; Asuramon had only stopped by once a day to remove his gag just long enough to shovel a few scraps of food in his mouth. As for water, there was a bucket full of it, but the only way he could get a drink was to stick his head in it and suck out the water his gag absorbed.

Asuramon clearly didn't care about his wellbeing beyond making it look like he was being cared for, but that was only for show. He had clearly said that he was going to kill him and his friends once the Kogamon had been wiped out, so taking care of Davis hadn't exactly been his number one priority. Heck, the guy hadn't even let him go to the bathroom, forcing Davis to hold it in until he couldn't any longer; that was a secret he would be taking to his grave.

At least there was one good thing about practically starving; he didn't have to use the bathroom in that way.

He had only seen Asuramon once today. The demon Digimon had stopped by to tell him that today was the big day, the day of the mating ceremony. By the end of it, he would have both halves of the scroll, and his allies' minions would wipe out the Kogamon.

That had been hours ago. Davis hadn't seen Asuramon since. Instead, that crow Digimon, Karatenmon, had been guarding him, having been ordered by Asuramon to not remove Davis' gag or enter his cell under any circumstances. That certainly didn't stop Davis from trying to communicate with him. Aside from Asuramon, Karatenmon was the only other Digimon Davis had seen since his capture, and he had tried everything he could to get the crow Digimon's attention. Unfortunately, Karatenmon had continued to ignore him the entire time.

As the hours ticked by, Davis couldn't help but notice that Karatenmon was clearly agitated. Something was clearly wrong. He almost looked like he was in physical pain, and seemed to be holding himself back. He was leaning against the wall, eyes closed, a bead of sweat running down his forehead. His teeth were clenched together tightly, and he was trembling, his hands gripping the hilt of his swords as if he wanted nothing more than to pull them out of their sheaths and slice something to pieces.

Davis wondered what was wrong, and decided to once again try and get his attention, but the crow Digimon continued to ignore his struggles and the muffled words that managed to slip past his gag. But as he tried to speak, he could see that Karatenmon was getting more and more agitated. This gave Davis the idea to annoy a reaction out of him, and he began to emit a loud continuous hum from behind his gag, pausing only to take a breath when he ran out of air.

"Will you be quiet!" Karatenmon finally snapped, still not looking at him. "It'll be over soon. Then you and your friends can leave, and the Ninjamon and Kogamon will finally have peace."

Oh, there would be peace alright, because the Kogamon would be gone. Perhaps Asuramon was right and the Ninjamon would be happier and prefer that rather than true peace between the clans, but he needed to at least tell someone, and the crow Digimon was his only hope.

But Karatenmon went right back to ignoring him. So Davis took to kicking against the bars. This got no reaction from the crow Digimon. Yet after one kick, his foot slipped between the bars, and when he pulled his foot back, his shoe slipped off a bit.

Davis stared at his shoe, then looked at Karatenmon. With several years of soccer behind him, he aimed and kicked out, flinging his shoe at the crow Digimon. It hit him in the head. That got a reaction out him, a rather violent one too.

"Will you stop it!" he roared, rounding on him. "I'm already at my limit. But I must…" he looked at his trembling hands and clenched them tightly, "I must allow this. For the clans. For the good of the clans. This is Vulcanusmon's will." He hugged himself, his fingers digging into his arms painfully. "And Beastmon, this is her choice too. She's doing this for her clan, her people. Mine too. Beastmon… Beastmon…"

Davis raised an eyebrow. It was as if Karatenmon was speaking to himself now; he seemed to have completely forgotten that Davis was even there. With an enraged cry, he punched the wall. "Beastmon," he said again, breathing heavily. "I understand. I do. My beloved. So brave, so compassionate. But this… is it really right? Why must you sacrifice yourself like this?"

His claws dug into the wall. "If you were anyone else, anyone else besides the Kogamon heir, I would take you in my arms and never let you go. But I know what duty and honor demands of you, demands of us. It must come first, for the sake of our clans."

His eyes were squeezed shut tight, but Davis could have sworn he saw a tear in them that the crow Digimon was trying very hard to hold back. Suddenly it clicked as to what was happening. He may have been a little slow in putting the pieces together, but he figured it out. This was exactly the opportunity he needed to get out of here and stop Asuramon.

If only he could talk, but he couldn't dislodge the gag. He had tried, rubbing his face against the wall and floor until his cheeks were raw, trying to slip it out, but it was too tight. He kicked out again in frustration, his feet hitting the bars. Pain exploded in his left foot. He had forgotten that he had kicked off his shoe. But as he stared at his shoeless foot, he got an idea.

Using his other foot to slip off his sock, he sat up cross-legged. He leaned over as far as he could, trying to touch his foot to his face. He felt himself pull something, but kept going, finally making contact. He just barely managed to curl his toes around the cloth and pull. It took several tries, but he finally managed to pull the gag away.

Taking a deep breath, he turned to Karatenmon. "Dude, Beastmon and the others are in trouble!"

The crow Digimon glanced at him. "What nonsense are you spouting?"

"It's Asuramon, he's a traitor. He plans to wipe out the Kogamon."

Karatenmon pulled out a sword and pointed it at him. "You lie. Asuramon would never do something so dishonorable. He is the future leader of the Ninjamon, and he's bound by the No Hostilities Pact. He would not break it."

Davis nodded impatiently. "Yeah, but outsiders aren't. It's called a loophole."

Karatenmon regarded him for a moment, lowering his sword slightly. "What do you mean?"

Good, he was willing to listen. "Asuramon made a deal with someone. He said he would give them some scroll if they would destroy the Kogamon."

The crow Digimon's eyes widened. "The scroll? Preposterous. He would never part with it. Vulcanusmon himself gave the two halves to the Ninjamon and Kogamon to guard."

Davis snorted. "Well, he certainly doesn't care as much as you guys about Vulcanusmon's choice in guardians. At least not if the Kogamon are involved. That's why he tried to steal it all those years ago."

Red eyes narrowed as Karatenmon's anger returned. "Another lie. It was a Kogamon that stole the Ninjamon's half of the scroll and tried to make off with them both. Asuramon was also a Ninjamon at the time, and was the one to discover the Kogamon in question trying to slip away."

Davis rolled his eyes. "Dude, of course he's going to say that. What else is he going to say? But since he's planning on killing me once my friends and the Kogamon are wiped out, he practically bragged to my face about it. He really hates the Kogamon. He thinks they're worthless, that Vulcanusmon should have relied solely on the Ninjamon to protect the scroll. That's why he tried to steal it. He framed the Kogamon."

It was clear that Karatenmon was skeptical, crossing his arms as he gave the boy a suspicious look. "And why should I believe anything you say? You're a Kogamon spy."

An aggravated cry escaped Davis. "I'm not a spy! That's just what Asuramon said because I stumbled across him meeting with his contact. He said he would have killed me back then, but was stopped by…" His eyes widened. "It was you. He said you were the one who stopped him from killing me."

The crow Digimon looked away. "It would not have been honorable to kill a defenseless prisoner."

"Well, thanks for that. Now trust me, I'm trying to return the favor. Asuramon is planning on trading both halves of the scroll to someone so they'll destroy the Kogamon. If this mating thing takes place, he'll be able to get the Kogamon's half of the scroll and trade it. I heard everything when I came across him and his contact. That's the real reason he attacked me."

He could see that Karatenmon was considering this, but the crow Digimon's loyalty was strong. "He said he attacked you because you were trespassing on Ninjamon territory in the middle of the night, and you were."

Davis had to admit that he had him there. "Ok, yes, I was, but not on purpose. I got lost when I went looking for my friends."

"Your friends?"

"Yeah, I woke up and they were gone. I went looking for them and discovered Beastmon sneaking back into the village. She said my friends were in the forest and would explain everything. I tried to find them and got lost. That's when I ran into Asuramon."

Karatenmon was taking in everything he heard. He turned away from the boy as he considered the possibility that he was telling the truth. "It can't be… Asuramon started the feud? He's really planning to…"

He was getting through to him! "The Kogamon and my friends are in trouble. Beastmon is in trouble. I get that you don't like the Kogamon. I get that you're loyal to your clan and want to believe them, and that means believing Asuramon. But, dude, you have to consider the possibility that I'm telling you the truth. Do you really want to lose Beastmon? Are you really willing to take that risk?"

Karatenmon covered his ears. "Shut up."

"You love her, man. I can tell you do. He told me he was going to break her, and who knows what else. Do you want that to happen?"

"Shut up!"

"He'll completely ruin her and kill her, but not before crushing her entire clan. Do you really want to take that chance? We can still stop them. There's still time. But we have to go now."

"I said shut up!"

Davis pressed himself against the bars. "What's it going to be, pal? Are you going to sweep her off her feet, or are you going to just stand by as the freak who's been behind so much death and hatred breaks her and destroys the entire Kogamon Clan?"

Karatenmon let out an agonized cry and whirled around, his swords flying around wildly. Davis cried out and jumped back, falling on his rear. He stared up at Karatenmon, but the crow Digimon had already sheathed his swords and was now standing in silence.

Davis hesitantly sat up. "Uh, what…?"

A moment later, the bars fell apart, Karatenmon's blades having cut straight through them. The crow Digimon stepped through and lifted Davis to his feet. "Let's go."

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As far as Digimon mating ceremonies went, it was very much indeed like a human wedding. As were the speeches that went along with it, MagnaAngemon's in particular.

"Though the Digimon God no longer intervenes in our lives, know that he is watching us, bearing witness to this moment, to this union of Asuramon and Beastmon. I now ask the two to approach."

The demon and cat Digimon came together, standing before the angel Digimon. A grin was plastered on Asuramon's face while Beastmon looked stoic and unfeeling.

"Asuramon," said MagnaAngemon, "do you take Beastmon to be your mate from this day forward, 'til death do you part?"

The demon Digimon reached out and stroked her cheek, and it was plain that it took a great deal of effort on Beastmon's part not to pull away from him. "I do."

In the pews, Takato leaned over to Shoutmon and whispered, "Hey, how does the 'til death do you part thing work since Digimon are just reborn?"

"Just how it sounds," the dragon Digimon whispered back. "Once one of them dies, the mating is considered over, and they can take another if they want. But matings are very rare in the first place and require a deep commitment, so if one dies and the other survives, they'll usually seek each other out again once the one that died is reborn."

TK looked at Asuramon and his eyes narrowed. "Something tells me that won't be the case this time."

Kari nodded in agreement. "You're right. That should be Karatenmon up there with Beastmon."

MagnaAngemon now turned to the cat Digimon in question. "Beastmon, do you take Asuramon to be your mate from this day forward, 'til death do you part?"

She closed her eyes, refusing to meet Asuramon's gaze as she spoke. "Yes. For my clan, I do."

A slight frown appeared on MagnaAngemon's face at her words, yet he continued. "I will now ask both to produce their Fractal Code. To symbolize your union and that you are giving yourself to the other, I ask that you turn over a portion of it to the other."

This time it was Takuya who leaned over. "I thought that a Digimon's digital makeup was contained in their Fractal Code."

Shoutmon nodded. "It is. Everything beside their basic data. All the power, energy, and data they've accumulated since hatching from their Digi-Egg."

"Then won't they turn into a Digi-Egg if they give away their Fractal Code?"

Grimmon spoke. "Only if they give it all away. Say you're a Champion, and you give up the part of your Fractal Code that makes up your Champion level, you'll lose the ability to Digivolve to it until you manage to achieve that level again. Give it all away or have it taken and you'll be reduced to an egg, and have to start from scratch, just as if you died. But in this instance, they're only giving away a very small portion that it won't even affect them."

TK looked on as Asuramon held out his hand and a ribbon of Fractal Code emerged from his palm. "So does exchanging Fractal Code like this bond them or something?"

Shoutmon shook his head. "Nah, it's purely symbolic. Now shush."

The demon Digimon held out his hand, presenting his Fractal Code to Beastmon. "With this, I offer myself to you."

The cat Digimon held out her hand, and a single bar code broke off of Asuramon's Fractal Code and floated over to her. It dissolved into data and she absorbed it. "I accept, and now offer myself to you, symbolizing our union."

Her own Fractal Code emerged from her hand. This was it, once Asuramon accepted her Fractal Code, MagnaAngemon would declare them to be life mates. A part of her hoped that Asuramon would actually go ahead and absorb her entire Fractal Code, reducing her to an egg, so she wouldn't have to be his mate. Even if she somehow managed to prevent him from ever consummating their relationship, she didn't want to be bound to him in any way, even if it was only symbolic or for show.

'Karatenmon…' she thought desperately as she felt Asuramon begin to draw on her Fractal Code.

Before a piece could break away, one of the stained glass windows shattered. All heads in the room turned as a certain crow Digimon flew in, wielding his blades. Her Fractal Code disappeared back into her hand as Beastmon's face lit up, joyful tears appearing in her eyes as she saw him. "Karatenmon!"

"Sacrilege!" MagnaAngemon bellowed in rage. "How dare you violate the sanctity of the Digimon God's sanctuary!"

The crow Digimon ignored him as he turned towards the alter, his red eyes flashing as they landed on the demon Digimon beside Beastmon. "Asuramon!"

Behind him, Paildramon flew into the sanctuary. "Dude, I told you to wait for the 'does anyone object' part."

"Paildramon?!" the teens exclaimed in unison.

The Ninjamon leader was immediately on his feet. "Karatenmon, what is the meaning of this?!"

The crow Digimon ignored him as he pointed his sword at Asuramon. "Get away from Beastmon, you filth!"

Paildramon addressed the crowd. "Everyone, listen up, Asuramon is a traitor! He's been conspiring with others to have them destroy the Kogamon in exchange for the scrolls you guys have been guarding!"

The Kogamon leader rounded on the Ninjamon leader. "What is this?"

Paildramon turned to them. "Don't blame him; he didn't know anything. Asuramon has been behind this feud from the very beginning. He was the Ninjamon that originally stole both halves of the scroll 5,000 years ago and blamed it on the Kogamon who caught him. He bragged about it right to my face after he bound and gagged me, saying how he would kill me and my friends once the Kogamon were destroyed."

He turned to the demon Digimon in question. "That's why he captured me in the first place, because I walked in on him making plans with his ally's confident to destroy the Kogamon when I went searching for TK and Kari that night. He would have killed me then and there if Karatenmon hadn't been drawn to our fight and stopped him from killing me while I was unconscious."

Fury twisted all four of Asuramon's faces as he saw all his carefully laid plains come crashing down. The Kogamon and Ninjamon were all muttering amongst themselves. Curse that miserable human. He should have killed him and said he had been trying to escape.

"SILENCE!" the Ninjamon leader bellowed. He pointed at Paildramon. "How dare you tell such lies!"

"They're not lies," the dragon Digimon insisted. "He said peace with the Kogamon disgusted him and you Ninjamon would rejoice at their destruction, even if it meant giving up the scroll Vulcanusmon entrusted to you. And in giving it to his allies, they would wipe out the Kogamon, so the No Hostilities Pact wouldn't be violated." He nodded at Asuramon. "Go ahead, ask him yourself. In fact, while you're at it, ask him why he was even out in the forest in the middle of the night on the night I was captured."

All attention shifted to Asuramon. Even the Ninjamon leader gave him an expectant look. "Well, Asuramon?"

The demon Digimon ground his teeth together. He had nothing to say, no explanation to counter Paildramon's claim. Out of one of the eyes one of his side faces, he saw Beastmon step away from him. The two Sistermon were glaring, and even the passive MagnaAngemon was frowning in disapproval.

It was time for plan B.

His hand shot out and grabbed Beastmon, pulling her towards him. "Death to the Kogamon!"

"Let her go!" Karatenmon shouted, flying towards him.

One of Asuramon's arms wrapped around Beastmon's neck while two others grasped her head. His fourth hand pointed at the crow Digimon. "Come any closer and I'll snap her neck."

Karatenmon froze a few feet from them. Up in the air, Paildramon took aim with his guns and fired a single shot from each. One bullet hit the arm across Beastmon's throat while the other hit one of the hands holding her head. Asuramon cried out and let her go. Beastmon hissed and slashed at him with her claws, scratching him across his front face, allowing her to pull away. Karatenmon made his move, slashing at the demon Digimon with his sword. Asuramon leapt away, avoiding the blade. Karatenmon did not pursue as Beastmon threw herself into his arms.

Snarling furiously, Asuramon turned to his comrades. "My Ninjamon brethren, this is the moment we have been waiting for! Remember who the enemy is! Remember your hatred! The time has come to put an end to the Kogamon once and for all!"

"Oh no you don't!" Tai cried, pulling out his Digivice. "Execute! Spirit Evolution… MetalGreymon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… WarGrowlmon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… BurningGreymon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Angewomon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… MagnaAngemon!"

With his friends all in their Digimon forms, Paildramon flew over to join them. "You'll have to get through all of us if you want to touch any of the Kogamon."

Asuramon's eyes narrowed. "Fine then. The Ninjamon have no fear. I've waited thousands of years for this day. The Kogamon will fall!" A grin crept up his face. "And you won't be able to save them either. You see, I brought along some friends of my own just in case things didn't go according to plan."

Placing two fingers in his mouth, he whistled loudly. A few moments passed, and suddenly the walls were suddenly kicked in. Four new Digimon were outside, looking ready and willing to fight.

The smallest resembled a black wolf on two legs, dressed like a street fighter. The other three were much larger, enormous even. The first resembled a misshaped skeleton of T-Rex with what seemed to be an organic missile on its back. The second looked like it could pass for a Transformer, as if it had once been a house that had shaped itself into a man. The last one was essentially a giant round creature with a giant yellow eye for a face, a pair of red batwings, and another eye on the palm of each of its claws.

Asuramon smirked. "Say hello to ShadowWereGarurumon, an old friend of the Garurumon I had DNA Digivolved with when I was still a Ninjamon." He licked his lips. "Beastmon, you might recognize him from when you were a Kogamon."

The cat Digimon pointed. "Yes, I do! He's the Digimon that attacked our village and killed me."

The wolf Digimon punched his palm. "Looks like I get to have that honor twice."

Asuramon chuckled. "As for our other guests, we have SkullGreymonHousemon, and-"

"Ghoulmon!" Shoutmon exclaimed as he looked at the giant demon Digimon with the enormous eye.

Asuramon folded his two front arms. "It seems my ally came through by sending someone who was sure to wipe out all my enemies."

Shoutmon still couldn't believe what he was seeing. "But Ghoulmon? You actually brought that monster?!"

"What's wrong?" Angewomon asked worriedly, not liking how distraught the dragon Digimon seemed. "Who's Ghoulmon?"

"He's a Mega level demon Digimon," Grimmon told her, "and he has the potential of becoming one of the most powerful and destructive of all Digimon if he-"

"That guy?!" Paildramon interrupted. "Seriously? I mean, sure he's big, but he doesn't look so tough. Neither does that house guy."

"That 'house guy' is Housemon," Shoutmon told him, "and he's a Mega too."

Asuramon laughed. "Not feeling so arrogant now, are you? Looks like the odds are on our favor. Now, come, Ninjamon, come and fight with us. Lets put an end to the Kogamon!"

The Ninjamon leader rounded on him. "Have you lost all reason?! This is not the way we operate! This is a clear violation of the No Hostilities Pact! You dishonor yourself and our clan! What would Vulcanusmon say?"

Asuramon scowled. "Vulcanusmon was destroyed nearly three months ago!"

Stunned silence fell up the Ninjamon and Kogamon. They stared at Asuramon in disbelief. "Vulcanusmon has fallen?" the Kogamon leader whispered.

Ghoulmon opened and closed his claws. "I killed him myself. I wonder if he's even reached the In-Training level yet."

The Ninjamon leader closed his eyes. "Vulcanusmon has fallen. After all he has done for us, you betray him." His eyes snapped open, shining with fury. "Asuramon, you are unworthy of being a part of the Ninjamon Digivolution line, let alone be a member of our clan! Choosing you as my heir was the most foolish decision I ever made!"

The demon Digimon gave him a hard look. "After all that I've done for our clan, you cast me aside me from your side? You are the traitor. All of you! I must cleanse the Ninjamon of all impurities!"

WarGrowlmon raised an eyebrow. "This guy's gone completely mad."

"Destroy them!" Asuramon yelled to his allies. "Destroy them all!"

"ENOUGH!" MagnaAngemon PM bellowed. "I will not allow this sacrilege to continue!"

Ghoulmon chuckled. "Oh, you mean like this? Explosion Eye!"

He fired a laser from the eye on his torso, splitting the sanctuary in half, and the entire ceiling came crumbling down. Laughing, he followed up with his Death Arrow, firing arrows of death from the eyes on his hands to destroy the walls until the entire sanctuary was in ruins.

Paildramon looked around at all the destruction. "Wow, what a jerk."

MagnaAngemon PM said nothing; he didn't even move. Slowly, his hands clenched, and he spoke in an emotionless voice. "Sistermon Blanc, Sistermon Noir."

"Yes," replied the first as the other one said, "Right."

"Sistermon Blanc Slide Evolution… Sistermon Blanc Awakened!"

"Sistermon Noir Slide Evolution… Sistermon Noir Awakened"

The two Sistermon had changed from adorable nuns to warrior women nuns more than capable of fighting evil.

BurningGreymon glanced at Shoutmon. "Awakened?"

"Really? Right now? It's unique naming. Just go with it."

But MagnaAngemon PM wasn't done yet as he motioned to the cake Digimon at the back of the sanctuary. "Weddinmon."

She nodded. "Understood. Candlemon, Shortmon, are you ready?"

The two Rookies came up on either side of her. "Ready!"

"Lets do it!"

Light engulfed the three of them and their voices cried out. "Weddinmon/Shortmon/Candlemon DNA Digivolve to… ReverseWeddinmon!"

It was like the time the five Wendigomon had Digivolved together to become Mephistomon. Now an enormous Digimon that resembled an upside-down wedding cake stood where the other three once were.

"Cool," said Paildramon. "That must be DNA Digivolving."

Shoutmon nodded. "Yes, different Digimon use it to reach stages that would usually be otherwise unreachable for them as opposed to group Digivolving where two or more of the same Digimon Digivolve together to reach the next level they can reach on their own, but simply aren't strong enough to reach yet."

Asuramon laughed. "You fools. I have two Megas on my side. You have no chance."

"Oh no?" MetalGreymon asked. He surveyed the scene. It was him and his friends along with the Ninjamon Clan, the Kogamon Clan, Grimmon, MagnaAngemon PM, the Sistermon, and ReverseWeddinmon versus Asuramon, ShadowWereGarurumon, SkullGreymon, Housemon, and Ghoulmon. Even with superior numbers the fact that they were up against not just one, but two Megas did not put the odds in their favor. "I guess we'll have to see."

 

Notes:

(A/N: Looks like this wedding just turned into an all out war. We've got a big group of good guys against a small group of bad guys, of which include two Megas. Despite their superior numbers, things are not looking up for the good guys. I hope you're ready for a big battle, because one is definitely underway.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear or are mentioned.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/ShadowWereGarurumon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/SkullGreymon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Housemon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Ghoulmon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Sistermon_Blanc_(Awakened)

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Sistermon_Noir_(Awakened)

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Reverse_Weddinmon

Chapter 61: The Enemy Of My Enemy…

Notes:

(A/N: Here's some exciting news. After years of delaying, I'm finally getting around to writing a Pokemon/Digimon crossover story. Don't worry, it won't affect the updating of this story, but in case anyone is interested, I'll have the first chapter out next week. For now, we've got an all out brawl to get to. Things might get a little confusing, but I'll explain my writing style in the Author's Note at the end.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 61: The Enemy Of My Enemy…

The two groups charged at each other. Unspoken decisions seemed to be made as certain Digimon on the DigiDestined's side split off to face different members of Asuramon's group. The DigiDestined, being the strongest members of their side, went to face Ghoulmon, the strongest of their opponents. The Ninjamon went to after ShadowWereGarurumon while the Kogamon attacked SkullGreymon. Being a pacifist, MagnaAngemon PM hung back from actually attacking, but still went to aid the two Sistermon and ReverseWeddinmon against Housemon.

It seemed only natural that Karatenmon faced off against Asuramon. Beastmon went to fight with him, but the crow Digimon seemed to prefer to protect her rather than let her fight.

Crying out, Karatenmon brought his swords down. Asuramon caught them with two of his arms and used his other two to rain punches against the crow Digimon's chest. Karatenmon jumped back and charged at him, swinging his swords. Asuramon stepped backwards, smacking the blades away as the two performed a mock dance.

Asuramon was over a head taller than Karatenmon, and physically much stronger, but the crow Digimon had speed on his side, and knew how to use it. He avoided Asuramon's flaming punches, but the demon Digimon's massive girth allowed him to block most of his attacks.

Karatenmon stabbed forward with his swords, and Asuramon grabbed the blades. He then shifted his wings to attempt to stab the demon Digimon with the ends, but Asuramon's extra hands grabbed these as well, and the two remained locked together.

"You know, I never liked you," Asuramon told him. "Ever since you Digivolved, I knew what you wanted, and my dislike for you has grown ever since."

The crow Digimon pushed harder with his blades and his wings, but Asuramon held him at bay. "I never wanted to lead. All I ever wanted was Beastmon. You care nothing for her."

The demon Digimon chuckled. "Oh, you're wrong about that. I care about her wellbeing a great deal, and I intend to destroy it. I'm going to violate her and break her in every way imaginable. I'll have her crawling beneath my heel like the wretched cur she is. Oh, how I wish you could watch."

Fury twisted Karatenmon's features. "You're a monster."

"And you're a pitiful fool, falling in love with a member of the Kogamon Clan. You loved her even when she was a Kogamon and you were a Ninjamon, when your hatred for her should have been at its strongest. How could you? Have you no self-respect? Have you no Ninjamon pride? Falling in love with the enemy, it's disgusting!"

A groan escaped Karatenmon as the demon Digimon began to bend his wings back. "You manipulated our clans."

Asuramon chuckled. "I didn't manipulate them. I simply made sure they hated each other as much as possible, and continued to do so over the years."

"And Vulcanusmon? Do you deny betraying him?"

"I had nothing to do with that. Ghoulmon was the one to destroy him. My ally approached me shortly afterwards when he learned that the Ninjamon and the Kogamon were keeping the scrolls for him. That's when we made our deal. But I needed to find out where the Kogamon hid their half. That's where my mating to Beastmon came in."

Disgust flashed in Laratenmon's eyes. "You aid those that destroyed Vulcanusmon? After everything he's done for us?"

"That was a long time ago. How long are we to cater to that fool's whims? We should have moved on long ago."

Karatenmon leaned back. "The same should be said for your hatred towards the Kogamon!"

He brought his head slamming against Asuramon, the long, pointy, nose-like portion of his mask stabbing into the demon Digimon's chest. Asuramon grunted and his hold eased up. Karatenmon twisted his blades in Asuramon's hands, the edges cutting into the demon Digimon's palms, and pulled away. "Feather Sonic!"

He flapped his wings outward, and unleashed a sonic wave. Asuramon was blasted backwards, but managed to remain on his feet. Karatenmon followed up with Feather Flare, flapping his wings to shoot feathers at the demon Digimon like knives. Asuramon covered his face and chest with his four arms, the feathers stabbing into them.

Lowering his arms, Asuramon glared at Karatenmon furiously. He bellowed with rage and charged at him, his fists igniting. "Fire Fist of Shiva!"

His fists went flying, shooting out at such speeds that it looked like he had twelve arms instead of four. Karatenmon backed away, barely able to deflect and avoid the flaming punches. He was quickly losing ground, and decided to take to the air.

"Get back here!" Asuramon bellowed, grabbing the crow Digimon's ankle. He slammed Karatenmon on the ground, and he landed flat on his back, hitting his head hard. Asuramon roared again and used Asura Exploding Fist, all four fists slamming into Karatenmon at once and unleashing a stream of fire.

"Fire Fist of Shiva!" he shouted again, and began pummeling the crow Digimon with fiery punches all over his body.

"Leave him be!" Beastmon shouted, jumping onto his back. "Mind Fogger!"

She sank her fangs into his neck and began rapidly sucking his blood. Asuramon cried out and one of his fists flew back, slamming into her face and knocking her off him. He turned around and marched over to her fallen form, reaching down and grabbing her around her neck. He lifted her in the air, squeezing her throat tightly, cutting off her air supply. "This is where it begins, your breaking point."

She cracked her eyes open, glaring at him. Her hands came up, grasping his arm tightly, her claws digging into his flesh. "Vampire Jewel!"

Asuramon hissed as he felt his energy being drained. His fist shot out, burying into her gut. Her stomach was flat and well-toned, yet his fist still buried in deeply. Beastmon sputtered, the breath completely knocked out of her. Her arms dropped to her side, and she simply hung there, sputtering and gasping in pain.

"It may take a little longer than I thought to completely crush your spirit," he hissed at her.

"Let her go."

Asuramon turned to see Karatenmon getting to his feet, using his swords for support. He grinned arrogantly and let the cat Digimon fall to the ground. "You still have some fight in you? How delightful. I'll break every bone in your body and then force you to watch what I plan to do to your beloved for weeks to come before I put an end to you."

Karatenmon was on his feet again. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, composing himself. "Harmony Swords!"

His eyes snapped open, glowing brightly. He stared at Asuramon, and the demon Digimon sneered at him before going on the attack. Karatenmon remained completely still as Asuramon threw a punch. With complete and utter calm, he dodged at the last possible moment.

Asuramon stumbled past him, bewildered at how he could have possibly missed. He turned back to Karatenmon and threw another punch. Just like before, the crow Digimon dodged at the last moment, his movements smooth and precise. Asuramon scowled and began punching wildly. Karatenmon deflected and dodged the blows with relative ease, remaining completely calm and collect the entire time.

Karatenmon's glowing eyes brought on by his Harmony Swords attack were not just for show. They allowed him to read Asuramon's spirit and anticipate his moves. He could see them before they happened, like a ghostly image moving in slow motion, showing him what Asuramon was about to do before he did it. Even with all four of the demon Digimon's flaming fists coming at him, Karatenmon maneuvered around them with ease.

Asuramon lashed out with his Asura Exploding Fist, punching out with all four fists at once. Karatenmon knew he would not be able to dodge this attack and jumped up instead, flipping over the demon Digimon's head, kneeing him in his front face as he did so. His hands came down as he flipped, the hilts of his swords slamming into Asuramon's side faces, and as he completed his flip, his heel collided with the fourth face in the back of Asuramon's head.

The demon Digimon stumbled forward, seething. His back face saw Karatenmon standing directly behind him. With an angry snarl, he whirled around, using his Asura Sweltering Fist. Fire shot out of his knuckles like a flamethrower. Karatenmon leaned far back, both the fire and Asuramon's fist passing over him. His swords came up and sliced straight through Asuramon's arm. The demon Digimon cried out and stumbled back as his severed arm flew through the air, dissolving into data.

"My arm!" he bellowed, clutching the stump that used to be his front right arm.

Karatenmon stood up straight again. He closed his eyes for a moment and opened them again. When he did, they had stopped glowing. He pointed his sword at the demon Digimon and took a step forward. Behind him, Beastmon got to her feet, stumbling. She moved to stand beside Karatenmon, raising her claws and bearing her fangs. Asuramon glared at the two of them and backed away. With an angry snarl, he bolted, disappearing into the crowd of battling Digimon.

"Let him go," Karatenmon said to Beastmon. "He's finished. Neither of our clans will ever have him. For now, we have to help our friends."

They looked to their clan members first. The Ninjamon were engaged in battle with ShadowWereGarurumon. The beast man Digimon was a fierce fighter, and, being an Ultimate, he was more than a match for the ten Champions.

"Garuru Kick!" he cried, kicking away a Ninjamon. Four more jumped up and flung several shuriken at him. ShadowWereGarurumon used his Shadow Claw to knock them away, then used Full Moon Kick, kicking out in a circle to knock away all four of the ninja Digimon.

The first Ninjamon he had kicked away was on its feet again, and it and the other five formed a circle around the Ultimate. "Dancing Leaves!" the Ninjamon leader ordered.

He and the others unleashed their attack, and ShadowWereGarurumon was surrounded by a tornado of leaves. He howled loudly and unleashed his Foxfire, breathing a stream of blue fire into the swirling leaves. Bursting from the ashes, he unleashed his Baldy Blow, raining a shower of punches covered by the spiky brass knuckles on one Ninjamon after another, going around the circle until all six had been knocked away.

"Iga-Style Sword Draw!" a Ninjamon cried.

ShadowWereGarurumon held up his hand, and the sword clanged against his brace knuckle. He grabbed the ninja Digimon, holding him close to his mouth as blue flames escaped his jaws. "Foxfire!"

A stream of blue fire was unleashed in the Ninjamon's face. It lasted for several seconds before the ninja Digimon burst into data, which the wolf Digimon promptly absorbed.

"Our comrade has fallen!" the Ninjamon leader cried.

Another Ninjamon came to his side. "Master, he is too strong for us."

The leader's eyes narrowed. "Then lets kill his senses. Smoke Ball!"

The other Ninjamon followed suit, throwing more Smoke Balls all around. ShadowWereGarurumon was surrounded by a cloud of smoke. His eyes darted around, but he saw nothing but a shadow here and there moving in the cloud. He could not smell them due the smoke, and the sounds of swords clashing within the cloud masked the Ninjamon's already silent movements.

"Ninja Knife Throwing!"

A shuriken flew at the beast man Digimon, but he caught it before it could hit him. A Ninjamon jumped at him from behind, sword raised, but ShadowWereGarurumon's fist shot out and punched them back into the cloud of smoke. Several more shuriken were thrown at him, but the beast man Digimon was too fast and danced out of the way.

The Ninjamon leader jumped at ShadowWereGarurumon. The beast man Digimon threw a punch, knocking him back, but not before the leader tossed another Smoke Ball, this one hitting ShadowWereGarurumon in the face. He stumbled back, coughing, and the other Ninjamon made their move.

They lunged at him, swinging their swords, but ShadowWereGarurumon jumped up, above the cloud of smoke, landing outside of it. He turned back to the cloud of smoke and unleashed his Foxfire, making sure to cover every inch of the inside of the cloud. Then he stopped and waited.

The cloud began to disperse, as if it were being blown away. When it cleared, he saw Karatenmon standing in front of the Ninjamon, having cleared the smoke by flapping his wings. His swords were glowing red from the heat, having been used to slice through the flames ShadowWereGarurumon had breathed at the Ninjamon.

The beast man Digimon growled and raised his fist, preparing to fight, but a whistle to his left drew his attention. He turned to find Beastmon standing a distance away, moving her arms around in an enchanting way.

"Witch Warp…" she breathed, moving about in a mesmerizing belly dance. ShadowWereGarurumon blinked his eyes a few times, trying to stay focused as hypnotic waves flowed off of Beastmon and over him.

"Feather Flare!" Karatenmon cried, firing a series of feathers, and the beast man Digimon snapped out of his stupor and howled in pain as the feathers stabbed into his back.

As ShadowWereGarurumon turned to him, Karatenmon held out his arms. There was no need for instructions as the Ninjamon jumped up, leaping off the crow Digimon's shoulders, and flung their shuriken at ShadowWereGarurumon. Another agonized howl escaped him as the ninja stars rained across his body.

As the beast man Digimon stumbled back, Karatenmon rushed towards him. He stabbed forward, his sword piercing ShadowWereGarurumon's gut and bursting out his back, then maneuvered around him and stabbed backwards, his second blade going into the beast man Digimon's back and coming out his chest.

"Feather Sonic!" Karatenmon cried, unleashing a sonic wave that blasted ShadowWereGarurumon off his feet. He hit the ground hard, tried to get up, but collapsed again before bursting into data.

"Well done," the Ninjamon leader told Karatenmon. "I see now that I was a fool to over look you in favor of Asuramon."

The crow Digimon bowed his head to him. "You were thinking of the clan. When Asuramon and I were still both Ninjamon, he was indeed the stronger and more suitable of us."

The leader smirked. "Well, it seems I'm in need of a new heir. And they must be an Ultimate…"

Karatenmon raised his head, looking at the Ninjamon leader, but before more words could be exchanged, Beastmon called out to him. "Karatenmon, my people!"

She took off towards the Kogamon as they battled with SkullGreymon. Karatenmon looked back at the Ninjamon leader, the two staring at each other for a moment before he went to help. Ninjamon watched him go to aid the Kogamon, his clan's enemies, feeling torn between the truths that had been brought to light and 5,000 years of hatred.

Unlike ShadowWereGarurumon, SkullGreymon was little more than a savage beast. And while this gave the Kogamon a better chance, it also made the skeleton Digimon more dangerous. For that reason, the Kogamon tried to keep their distance from him.

Currently, they were running circles around him, throwing caltrops. The ninja stars either bounced off his body or embedded themselves in bone, but were relatively ineffective.

"Master, this is not working," one of the Kogamon unnecessarily reported to the leader.

"I can see that. We need a new strategy."

SkullGreymon roared and lashed out at them. Three of the Kogamon jumped up and ran up the length of his arm, and he turned his attention to them. "Curse Breath!" the skeleton Digimon cried, breathing a massive stream of fire and poison from his mouth as the Kogamon reached his head.

The ninja Digimon jumped over the poisonous flames and threw some more caltrops into the skeleton Digimon's empty eye socket. SkullGreymon's only reaction was to swipe at them, knocking them away from his face.

"Go for his legs!" the leader ordered, and the Kogamon immediately rushed to obey. They attacked from behind, wielding their swords, and swiped at the back of the skeleton Digimon's ankles where his tendons would have been if he had any flesh. Their swords left minor imprints in the bone, but far from any real damage.

SkullGreymon growled and looked down at them, his abnormally large jaw hanging open. His hand came down to crush the Kogamon, and the ninja Digimon hopped away. SkullGreymon lashed out with his tail before they could escape completely, and several of the Kogamon were knocked away.

"We need more men," the leader acknowledged. "Lets go for the next best thing. Koga Style Shadow Clone!"

He leapt from where he was, splitting into four individuals as he did so. The others mimicked him, creating three to five duplicates, and soon a much larger group was charging at the skeleton Digimon. Half a dozen leapt at him, and SkullGreymon swiped at them. His claw passed right through the shadow copies, and they vanished. That's when several of the real ones landed on him, stabbing into his bony body with their swords.

SkullGreymon roared angrily and began unleashing his Curse Breath all over, and the Kogamon retreated. The skeleton Digimon then stood up straight and held out his arms, bracing himself. On his back, the fleshy missile ignited at the bottom. "Dark Shot!"

He was just about to launch the missile from his spinal cord when Beastmon came leaping at him. Her fist slammed into the side of his head, causing him to stumble just as his missile was launched, causing it to go off course and explode in the distance.

SkullGreymon roared and backhanded her. She hit the ground hard, and the Kogamon rushed over to her. "My lady, are you alright?"

The cat Digimon grunted and opened her eyes, rubbing her head. "I think so."

What seemed to serve as a chuckle escaped SkullGreymon as he stalked towards the group. The Kogamon moved in front of Beastmon protectively, even though she was far stronger than any of them. Raising his bony hand, he prepared to swipe at them when Karatenmon flew up behind him and buried both swords in the back of his head.

SkullGreymon roared and swatted the back of his head. Karatenmon pulled out his swords and took to the air. The skeleton Digimon's head turned completely around until he was looking up at him. "Curse Breath!"

"Feather Sonic!"

The attacks collided, the shockwave from Karatenmon's attack caused SkullGreymon's poisonous fire to flow outward. He flew around the toxic flames and landed beside Beastmon and the Kogamon, who regarded him with suspicion.

"We have to be careful," he told them. "He's a lot stronger than ShadowWereGarurumon."

"Can't you just read his movements like you did with Asuramon?" the cat Digimon asked.

He shook his head. "He's too feral and savage to get a reading on, even with my Harmony Swords. His wild nature makes him unpredictable."

Beastmon frowned. "Darn, then my Witch Warp won't be able to enchant him either."

SkullGreymon marched closer. He took a deep breath and prepared to unleash more toxic fire. That's when the Ninjamon attacked. As SkullGreymon had bent down to unleash his Curse Breath, he was pelted by several Smoke Ball attacks. He rose to his feet, unable to see his prey, and breathed his fire into the sky in aggravation.

The nine remaining Ninjamon appeared beside the Kogamon. The two leaders looked at each other for a few moments before turning to face SkullGreymon. "Kogamon/Ninjamon, attack!"

Numerous shurikens from the Ninjamon, caltrops from the Kogamon, and feathers from Karatenmon sprayed against SkullGreymon. The skeleton Digimon roared, more annoyed that hurt. The attacks were more of a nuisance than anything else, and he ignored them as he fired his Curse Breath.

The two groups scattered, avoiding the flames. They were getting nowhere fast. SkullGreymon was proving to be a very fierce opponent. Not only was he strong, his body made him practically immune to their attacks.

"We need a new strategy," said the Ninjamon leader. "Lets try causing a diversion and then move in close."

"We don't take orders from Ninjamon trash," a Kogamon snapped. "Everything that has happened in this feud has been your clan's fault, and now it's led to this."

"That's enough!" the Kogamon leader scolded. "We'll work this out later. Lets just survive this first. Move out!"

There was no argument from anyone, and they leapt away as SkullGreymon's hand slammed down on where they had been. The Ninjamon formed a circle around SkullGreymon and used their Dancing Leaves. A leaf-filled tornado formed around the skeleton Digimon, and SkullGreymon swiped at them furiously. The Kogamon, accompanied by their newly created shadow copies, fearlessly rushed into the vortex and began hopping up and down SkullGreymon's body, slashing him with their swords.

Roaring, SkullGreymon shook himself like a wet dog. He breathed more poisonous fire, causing the leafy tornado to go up in flames. Both groups of ninja Digimon retreated as SkullGreymon emerged from their fiery vortex.

"Our attacks are useless," Beastmon growled. "We need to try something else."

Karatenmon's eyes ran over SkullGreymon's body, looking for a weak spot. He spotted none, but his eyes landed on the organic missile that had regenerated in his back. "If our attacks won't work, that only leaves us with one option. We'll have to use his own attacks against him."

This earned him several bewildered looks. "What?" Beastmon asked.

He nodded towards the skeleton Digimon. "His missile. If I can get him to launch it at me while I'm in the air, I might be able to redirect it back at him. Fortunately, he's not too smart and runs almost purely on instinct."

The Kogamon leader raised an eyebrow. "Impressive. I thought all you in the Ninjamon Clan were fools."

Beastmon was currently thinking that of the crow Digimon as well. "That's insane! Once he launches it, that missile could go off at any moment. What if it blows when you're right there? You'll never survive it."

But Karatenmon looked determine. "I have to try."

"You'll be killed!" She hugged him tightly from behind, pressing her face into his back. "I love you, Karatenmon. I can't lose you."

Placing his hands over hers, he pried them off, then turned to face her. "I'll come back. Even if I die, I'll come find you. I don't care if it takes 100,000 years. I'll never stop searching."

With tears in her eyes, she gave him a small smile. "I'm the future leader of the Kogamon. There's only one place I'll be."

He returned the smile and kissed her, right there in front of their clan members. "I'll see you there; one way or another."

He pulled away and took to the air. Beastmon watched him go, her hands over her heart. The Kogamon leader looked on with a bewildered look on his face. "What was that about?"

"Yes," the Ninjamon leader exclaimed, looking just as surprise, "what was that about?"

She glared at them. "Shut up! I'm the future leader of our clans; I can do as I wish!"

SkullGreymon swiped at the crow Digimon as he flew towards him. Karatenmon maneuvered around the claw and flew above him. "Feather Flare!"

A shower of feathers flew down, stabbing into SkullGreymon like knives raining from the sky. The skeleton Digimon growled in annoyance and breathed more fire up at him. Karatenmon flew up higher, out of the fire's reach, and unleashed his Feather Sonic.

This attack seemed to be more affective as the shockwave caused SkullGreymon to stumble back. Karatenmon repeated the attack several more times before finally getting the reaction he wanted. SkullGreymon held out his arms and spread out his legs, bracing himself for the launch. "Take cover!"

Beastmon and the ninja Digimon did just that, putting distance between themselves and the skeleton Digimon. Unfortunately, the movement was caught by SkullGreymon, who immediately turned his attention to them, changing his target.

"No, not them!" Karatenmon shouted, flying at the skeleton Digimon. SkullGreymon swatted him away, and Karatenmon crashed into the remains of a wall. The skeleton Digimon seemed to grin before bending down onto all fours as his head rotated, exposing an opening to the inside of his chest cavity, where a second missile lay encompassed by his ribcage. "Double Dark Shot!"

The end of the missile on his back, as well as the one inside his chest, ignited, preparing to fire. A lone Kogamon skidded to a halt and ran back the other way, towards SkullGreymon. Pulling out his sword, he leapt at the skeleton Digimon just as the two missiles began to move. "Long live the Kogamon!"

He stabbed forward, his blade stabbing into the nose of the missile coming out of SkullGreymon's chest before it even cleared the skeleton Digimon's body. It went off, the explosion flowing over the second missile, setting that one off as well. Both SkullGreymon and the Kogamon were consumed by the blast. And when the smoke cleared, only the fading remnants of their data remained.

The Kogamon leader punched the ground. "Damn it! Poor, brave, fool. What was he thinking?"

The Ninjamon leader moved to stand beside him. "What all of us should have thought of and done." He humphed. "Saved by a Kogamon. This feud is certainly taking a left turn."

The Kogamon leader stood up. "There's no time for this. The battle isn't over yet." He looked to Karatenmon, who was being helped up by Beastmon. "Can you still fight? We need all the warriors we can get."

The crow Digimon motioned to Beastmon that he was ok and nodded to the Kogamon leader. "For as long as I need to."

Kogamon nodded. "Good, now, listen up, I have a plan." He looked from one Mega Digimon to the other. "Ghoulmon is far too powerful for any of us to defeat. Housemon though, we have a much better chance at defeating him. There are ten Ultimates here, and Angewomon and the two MagnaAngemon's power borders on Mega. If we can get the ten of them to fight Housemon together, they might stand a chance."

The Ninjamon leader considered this. "Maybe, but what about Ghoulmon? He won't just stand by while everyone gangs up on Housemon."

Kogamon's lips thinned. "No, that's why all us Champions will fight him. I know we can't win, but we can at least provide a distraction to give the others a chance to take out Housemon."

"Master," said another Kogamon, "we won't survive long against that monster."

"It's not about surviving. It's about giving the others a fighting chance."

Ninjamon's fists clenched. "If we fall, there will be no one to inform either of our clans of what Asuramon has done. They won't listen unless it comes from either you or I."

"Then we'll just have to make it through this."

Ninjamon stared at him for a moment before sighing. "Well, if I die, at least I won't have this scar on my face anymore when I come back." He chuckled. "Some day of peace this turned out to be."

"Maybe we'll drink to it one day. Now come on, let's move!"

The two groups charged forward into battle, both the Kogamon and the Ninjamon fighting together.

Notes:

(A/N: This is a switch. Both sides, once trying to kill each other, are now fighting along side each other for survival. You know, fight scenes with multiple battles going on can be tough to write. For my style, when I jumped from one fight to another, you can assume that these fights were happening at the same time. For example, the delay before Karatenmon and Beastmon joined the Ninjamon to fight ShadowWereGarurumon was because their battle with Asuramon was taking place during that time. Did I explain that properly? Tune in next week to find out how our heroes are fairing in the battle.)

Chapter 62: A Mega Problem

Notes:

(A/N: Alrighty then. Last chapter, we saw the Kogamon and Ninjamon work together to take out a few enemies. Now it's time to see how our heroes are fairing. In other news, my Pokemon/Digimon crossover story has begun. It's called "Pokemon vs Digimon: When Worlds Collide" in case anyone is interested. If not, here's the next installment.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 62: A Mega Problem

"I'll tell you this much," Grimmon told Shoutmon as he protected the dragon Digimon from any stray attacks or debris by coiling his serpentine body around him, "your friends sure are brave."

The dragon Digimon snorted. Brave was not the word he would have chosen. More like downright foolish. Not simply because they were fighting a Mega, they had done that before, but because of who they were fighting. VenomMyotismon had been one thing, Argomon Mega had been another, but Ghoulmon…

There was no way they would be able to defeat Ghoulmon, not even if they had had a Mega or two of their own on their side. He was just too powerful. While normally a neutral member in the war between good and evil, when Ghoulmon did attack, it was catastrophic, especially if…

"They're going to die," he whispered. "They can't win. They're going to die! I have to help!"

He started to climb out of Grimmon's coils, but the reaper Digimon wrapped around him tighter. "And just what exactly are you, a Rookie, going to do against that thing? You won't last ten seconds, not unless he decides to draw out your death for sport."

Shoutmon's fists clenched, but he knew the reaper Digimon was right. Ghoulmon was already playing with his friends; there was nothing he could do for them as he currently was. The only thing he would accomplish would be getting himself killed.

"Oops, got something in your eye, pal?" Paildramon mocked as he fired his guns. "Desperado Blaster!" His bullets sprayed across Ghoulmon's giant eye, yet the demon Digimon didn't react short of blinking once. Paildramon stopped firing and his shoulders sank. "I just shot him in the eye. How did that not hurt?"

"Grey Claw!" Ghoulmon cried, his claw shooting out. Paildramon swerved out of the claw's path, but was knocked to the ground when the demon Digimon backhanded him. "Oops, got something on your face there, pal?"

BurningGreymon's Pyro Barrage slammed into him from behind, drawing the demon Digimon's attention. "One person with bad jokes is more than enough. Burning Grey Basher!"

His body ignited and he flew at Ghoulmon, but the demon Digimon grabbed him, regardless of his flaming body. "I agree. Let me give you a real punch line." He punched the ground with the claw grasping BurningGreymon. "Now that will crack you up."

"So will this! Atomic Blaster!"

The plasma beams blasted against Ghoulmon's back, and he turned to the cyborg dinosaur Digimon. "Is that your way of telling me you're having a blast?"

"Here's a blast!" Angewomon cried as she and MagnaAngemon flew above WarGrowlmon. "Heaven's Charm!"

"Soul Vanisher!"

Angewomon's attack blasted Ghoulmon back, but he recovered quickly and held up his arm to block MagnaAngemon's energy blades. "I see your point. Explosion Eye!"

He fired a laser from his eye. MagnaAngemon moved in front of Angewomon and used Shield and Counter to repel the attack, but was unable to and ended up getting blasted away by the resulting explosion.

"MagnaAngemon!" his fellow angel Digimon shouted. She forced herself to look away and returned her attention to the demon Digimon. "Celestial Arrow!"

Ghoulmon just laughed as he easily swatted away her attack. "You call that a good use of arrows? I'll show you how to use arrows."

He was suddenly grabbed from behind by MetalGreymon. "I don't think so."

The demon Digimon just chuckled. "I'll be with you in a moment. I'm in the middle of a demonstration." He held his claw up to Angewomon. "Death Arrow!"

Arrows went flying from the eye in his palm. Angewomon used Bliss of Saints and began absorbing them, but there were too many, and she was struck repeatedly. WarGrowlmon caught her before she hit the ground. "Angewomon, you alright?"

Ghoulmon laughed and then reached back, his claw closing over the top of MetalGreymon's head and squeezing. "Now it's your turn."

WarGrowlmon set Angewomon down and charged, using his thrusters to push himself along. "No, now it's your turn. Radiation Blade!"

He swung his radiated blade, but Ghoulmon managed to catch his arm and chuckled. "Oh, it's my turn? Why didn't you say so?" He closed his giant eye and slammed into WarGrowlmon, keeping a firm grip on his arm as the cyborg dinosaur Digimon dropped to his knees.

A spray of bullets came down from up above, and Ghoulmon looked up to see Paildramon firing down at him. "Oh, you're back." MagnaAngemon and Angewomon joined him. "And you brought your friends. How delightful."

"Metal Slash!" MetalGreymon cried, stabbing the demon Digimon with his metal arm.

Ghoulmon glanced at him, tightening his grip on the cyborg dinosaur Digimon's head. "Oh, are you jealous that you're the only one of your friends that can't fly? Well, here, let me help you with that." He flew up, pulling MetalGreymon and WarGrowlmon along with him. He stopped several feet away from the other three and chuckled. "Nice weather, isn't it? A perfect day to die."

"Speak for yourself, monster," Paildramon snapped.

The demon Digimon chuckled. "Don't take it personally. I'm just following orders."

"Well, follow this. Electric Bolt!"

MagnaAngemon drew a circle as Angewomon took aim. "Heaven's Gate!"

"Celestial Arrow!"

Ghoulmon just laughed off Paildramon's attack, but grunted as he was hit by the other two. "I actually felt those. Good job. Here's your prize."

He threw MetalGreymon at them. MagnaAngemon half caught, half collided with the cyborg dinosaur Digimon. Ghoulmon then fired his Explosion Eye at them. Once they were out of the way, the lasers shot to the left and struck Paildramon.

"Super Jump!" Angewomon cried, launching herself out of the way from the wandering explosive laser towards Ghoulmon with a blast of holy energy shooting her forward.

The demon Digimon lashed out with his Grey Claw attack, his claw slamming into Angewomon and knocking her away before she could even reach him, his claw shredding one of her wings. "Sorry, there was an insect buzzing around my head."

He was still gripping WarGrowlmon's arm, and the dangling cyborg Digimon angled his body towards the demon Digimon. "Megalo Spark!"

Electricity flowed out of his chest and over Ghoulmon. The demon Digimon's large yellow eye shifted to him, shining with mirth. "That was quite shocking. But don't worry, I haven't forgotten about you." Grabbing him with his other claw, he lifted WarGrowlmon above his head. "We're in a free fall."

He dropped from the sky, bringing the struggling WarGrowlmon with him. Just before they reached the ground, he slammed the cyborg dinosaur Digimon down, creating a large crater from the impact. WarGrowlmon lay flat on his stomach with Ghoulmon standing on top of him. "I think you look good in the dirt."

"Atomic Blaster!"

Firing his attack into the ground, WarGrowlmon launched himself and the demon Digimon into the air. Ghoulmon's giant eye narrowed slightly at his opponent's determination. "Well, at least you don't let anything keep you down."

"Salamander Glide!"

BurningGreymon slammed into Ghoulmon from behind, knocking him away from WarGrowlmon. The demon Digimon kept to the air as he turned to face his assailant. "Well done, you actually hit me that time. Probably would have been more effective if you had set yourself on fire like before. Time to pay for your blunder."

He held up his claw, preparing to attack when MetalGreymon's Giga Destroyer hit him in the back. The demon Digimon turned to him, scowling slightly. "You guys have a bad habit of attacking while your opponent's back is turned."

MetalGreymon snorted. "That's rich coming from an evil demon Digimon."

Ghoulmon chuckled. "You're right. But I have no problem attacking head on either. Death Arrow!"

A storm of arrows flew down. MagnaAngemon quickly flew over to MetalGreymon and used Shield and Counter, this time managing to deflect the individual arrows. Angewomon hurried over, taking cover behind her fellow angel Digimon's barrier, and fired a Celestial Arrow. It flew through the storm of Ghoulmon's attack, but never reached its target as Ghoulmon caught the arrow and snapped it in half. "Care to try again? Third time's a charm."

Angewomon scowled. "He's too strong. We've never faced anyone this powerful before."

"You're right," MagnaAngemon agreed, "but what else can we do?"

"Tag out," a familiar voice suggested. The Kogamon leader had arrived. He was immediately joined by the Ninjamon leader and the rest of their brethren. "We'll handle this. You guys take care of Housemon."

Paildramon flew over. "Are you mad? No offense, but there's no way you can beat him."

"We know that," the Ninjamon leader replied. "But we can't beat Housemon either. You guys might be able to defeat him though. We'll distract Ghoulmon while you take out Housemon, then we can all gang up on Ghoulmon. It's our best chance."

"What are you blabbing about?" Ghoulmon demanded from the air.

MetalGreymon glanced at the ninja Digimon. "You sure about this? You could be killed."

"And I'm sure many of us will be," Kogamon replied. "Just don't take too long with Housemon, and some of us just might survive. Move!"

The 18 ninja Digimon charged forward as the DigiDestined reluctantly changed their opponent. Ghoulmon's giant eye widened in surprise as his opponent changed from a group of Ultimates to a larger group of Champions. "What's this now? You all want to fight me?" He came down for a landing. "Alright then, this could be fun. Explosion Eye!"

He fired his laser. The Kogamon and Ninjamon hopped from here to there as the laser danced in different directions. The Kogamon split into shadow copies as the Ninjamon tossed their Smoke Balls, providing both a cover and fake targets.

Ghoulmon laughed. "Have you fools seen my eye? Did you really think I couldn't see through your trickery? Death Arrow!"

Arrows went flying into the smoke. The ninja Digimon maneuvered around the arrows, some jumping up and out of the smoke to avoid them. Ghoulmon locked onto them. "Targets acquired."

He fired his laser, once, twice, three times. Two Ninjamon and a Kogamon were instantly destroyed. Ghoulmon laughed as those remaining moved in; there was no time to mourn their losses.

"Ninjamon attack!" the Ninjamon leader ordered. "Ninja Knife Throwing!"

"Makibishi!" the Kogamon joined in.

Countless knives and ninja stars rained across the demon Digimon's body. Ghoulmon barely even reacted, even when the weapons flew into his giant eye. He simply blinked them away, the protective jelly covering over his eye acting as a barrier. "Ready or not, here I come."

He charged at the group, swiping at them with his Grey Claw. The Kogamon and Ninjamon kept moving, jumping around to avoid his slashing claw and stomping feet. Ghoulmon was laughing, even as the ninja Digimon jumped up and down his body. Even when they began slashing at him with their swords, he seemed to be enjoying himself.

The Kogamon copies proved to be a nuisance though, as every time he thought he had one, it faded into shadows and vapor. He did manage to grab one, and wasted no time in crushing it into data. "As fun as this is, I think there's a few too many of you. Death Arrow!"

He raised his arms and began firing his arrows. They flew into the sky and came down like a deadly rain. Ghoulmon just laughed as the arrows rained down over him, but the ninja Digimon were not so immune. Three more Ninjamon and two more Kogamon were destroyed, leaving only four of the former and five of the latter left.

"Provide a distraction and go for that eye!" the Kogamon leader cried once the arrows stopped falling. The nine remaining ninja Digimon leapt at Ghoulmon. The Ninjamon threw their Smoke Balls at him as the Kogamon multiplied with their Koga Style Shadow Clone. They stabbed forward with their swords, only to have Ghoulmon smack them away.

They hit the ground hard as Ghoulmon flapped his wings to clear the smoke. He stalked towards the fallen ninja Digimon, his giant eye darting from one group to the other. "Don't tell me you're finished already."

The two clan leaders had landed close by to each other. Kogamon forced himself sit up. "This may not have been the best plan."

Ninjamon, likewise, was struggling to get up too. "We need to keep fighting. If we fall, then the plan will backfire, and the others will have two Megas to deal with."

Kogamon looked over at Housemon, who was still fighting with the others. "We have to keep Ghoulmon distracted, no matter what."

"I'm open to suggestions."

Kogamon's fists clenched. He looked revolted by what he was about to say. "Well, I do have one idea, but you're not going to like it."

Ninjamon glanced at him. He studied the purple-clad ninja Digimon for a moment before his eyes widened in understanding. "You can't be serious!"

"I told you that you wouldn't like it."

"I'd rather die a thousand deaths!"

"And I'd rather die 10,000, but we have no choice. Our people are dying. But you and I are still the leaders of our clans. We must do whatever is necessary to preserve them, just as our heirs were going to."

Ninjamon ground his teeth together, but had to admit that Kogamon was right, there was no choice, not if they wanted their clans to survive. "Alright, fine, lets do it," he grumbled, holding out his hand. "Just know that I'm not happy about this, you Kogamon scum."

Kogamon reached out and grasped his hand. "Right there with you, Ninjamon trash."

Bands of Fractal Code emerged from their linked hands and wrapped around them. Light shined brightly as the two leaders spoke the words they never thought they would say. "Ninjamon/Kogamon! DNA Digivolve to… Cherrymon!"

Two clans, sworn to hate each other for all eternity, now forced to come together to save both. This union took the form of a large tree Digimon. His multiple tree root legs held him tall and proud as he turned to face Ghoulmon as an Ultimate. The surviving Ninjamon and Kogamon stared in sheer disbelief stared as their leaders now stood as one being.

Ghoulmon regarded his new opponent curiously. "So you've become that desperate. Over 5,000 years of hatred, and now you're forced to work as close together as possible. Kind of ironic, isn't it?"

"Or destiny," Cherrymon growled.

The demon Digimon chuckled. "Then lets see how long destiny can last against Death."

Cherrymon gripped his cane tightly. He just had to distract him for a little longer. Just until the others could defeat Housemon.

That was easier said than done. Housemon, it seemed, preferred to use his fists and feet rather than his actual attacks, but nevertheless, he was still a Mega. Sistermon Blanc Awakened and Sistermon Noir Awakened were giving it their all, but as a Rookie and a Champion, they couldn't even scratch the house Digimon.

MagnaAngemon PM, with his passive and peaceful nature, was not engaging directly in battle. He was merely deflecting any attacks thrown at the Sistermon, but not attacking himself. ReverseWeddinmon was the best off of the group, but as an Ultimate, she was still no match for the Mega. That certainly didn't stop her from trying though.

"Crazy Cracker!" she cried, firing the wedding crackers from her right hand. They exploded uselessly against the house Digimon as Housemon lunged at ReverseWeddinmon, throwing a punch.

The cake Digimon jumped back as the giant fist slammed into the ground. Sistermon Noir rushed past her and jumped up onto Housemon's arm, running along its length while firing her Mickey Bullet from her guns.

Sistermon Blanc attacked from below, wielding her triple pronged electrified trident dubbed Cross Barbée. She slashed at Housemon's heels, then leapt into the air to be grabbed by MagnaAngemon PM. He flew above Housemon, then let her go. She stabbed downward with her trident, stabbing into the back of his head with her Divine Pierce attack.

Still firing her Anthony guns, Sistermon Noir reached Housemon's shoulder. The house Digimon ignored the pain in the back of his head as he reached for her. Putting complete trust in the angel Digimon, Sistermon Noir jumped back, still firing, and was snatched up by MagnaAngemon PM.

Housemon grumbled in irritation and reached for Sistermon Blanc behind his head. She pulled her Cross Barbée free and ran down the length of his body. Housemon may have been large and powerful, but he was slow and clumsy. And as he reached for the nun Digimon running down his leg, ReverseWeddinmon struck with her Fork Dance attack, stabbing him with the forks on her left hand. She followed up with an uppercut, knocking the house Digimon back, then repeated her attack.

Before her Fork Dance could find its mark, Housemon grabbed her arm. His fist shot out, slamming into the cake Digimon's face, and she went down. His foot shot out, slamming into her side and kicking her away.

"Leave her be!" Sistermon Noir shouted, taking aim. "Bless Fire!" A continuous line of bullets rapidly shot out of her gun, spraying across Housemon. The Mega turned to her, seeing her up in the sky in MagnaAngemon PM's grasp. Reaching down, he gathered up an armful of debris and began throwing it at them.

MagnaAngemon tossed Sistermon Noir up in the air. She landed on his shoulder as a glowing purple blade slid down his sleeve. "Gate of Destiny!"

He drew a circle, creating a gate to the endless empty space of oblivion. The debris Housemon tossed at them was sucked up into it, and the gate shut and vanished afterwards.

Housemon grumbled in annoyance. ReverseWeddinmon was suddenly on her feet again, wrapping her arms around the house Digimon. "Take cover!" she shouted to the others. "Candle Service Inferno!"

The candles on her head unleashed fire in all directions. Housemon grunted as the flames consumed him. He elbowed her, knocking the cake Digimon over, then spun around while kicking. ReverseWeddinmon went down, and Housemon lifted his foot and began stomping down on her. Sistermon Noir fired at his back while Sistermon Blanc slashed at his other foot, but Housemon ignored them as he continued to stomp down.

"Feather Sonic!"

The attack hit Housemon from behind, and he stumbled forward. Karatenmon had arrived, as per the Kogamon leader's plan. As Housemon turned to him, he flung his feathers at the Mega. Housemon raised his arm to block, and the feathers stabbed into it. Then he felt his energy being drained, and he looked down to see Beastmon latched onto his foot, using her Vampire Jewel to drain him.

He kicked out, and Beastmon went flying. Karatenmon flew in her path to catch her, and carefully set her down before flying at the house Digimon. Housemon swiped at him, still ignoring the two Sistermon attacking him. ReverseWeddinmon was still down and MagnaAngemon PM was attempting to rouse her, to no avail.

"Mind if we give it a try, fellow MagnaAngemon?"

MagnaAngemon PM turned to find the MagnaAngemon of the DigiDestined and Angewomon standing behind him. The other four members of the group were there as well, but he moved to let the two angel Digimon take a look at ReverseWeddinmon.

"Heaven's Cure!" Angewomon cried.

"Heaven's Heal!" MagnaAngemon added.

The two healing powers flowed over the cake Digimon, and she opened her eyes. "Oh my, that feels much better."

Angewomon gave her a smile. "We need everyone to be fighting fit."

MetalGreymon glanced at the battle with Ghoulmon before turning back to Housemon as he swiped at Karatenmon. "We have to do this fast. There's no time to spar. Giga Destroyer!"

He fired his missiles. Housemon seemed to sense they were coming and turned just in time to be blasted away. The crow Digimon he had been attempting to catch flew over as everyone regrouped. "We can't hold back or worry about safely." He glanced at Beastmon. "Try to enchant him as best as you can while we attack."

She nodded. "I'll do my best."

"I'll cast a barrier to keep her safe," Sistermon Blanc added.

The two hurried over to Housemon as he got to his feet, getting as close as they dared. "Protect Wave!" Sistermon Blanc cried, stabbing her trident into the ground, and a barrier formed around her and Beatsmon.

"Witch Warp!" the cat Digimon cried, and began dancing.

Grumbling, Housemon reached for them, his hand coming in contact with the nun Digimon's barrier. His gaze fell on Beastmon, and his movements slowed. A low groan escaped him as he stared at her.

"He's enchanted!" Karatenmon declared. "Attack now! Feather Flare!"

"Bless Fire!"

"Crazy Cracker!"

"Over Flame!"

"Desperado Blaster"

"Atomic Blaster!"

"Pyro Barrage!"

"Heaven's Charm!"

"Heaven's Gate!"

The numerous attacks came in a continuous stream. Housemon cried out as the attacks slammed into him. He stumbled backwards and fell over.

"Keep it up," said BurningGreymon. "He's down."

But not for long it seemed. Slowly, the house Digimon sat up, struggling against the onslaught of attacks. He slowly got to his feet, taking one step, then another, moving closer to the group.

"Yo, MagnaAngemon!" Paildramon called to the Priest Mode angel Digimon, "we could use some help."

MagnaAngemon PM looked regretful. "I have sworn never to use violence, even at the cost of my own life."

"How about the cost of ours?"

Housemon stepped closer, running into Sistermon Blanc's shield. He kicked outward and the barrier shattered, sending Beatsmon and the nun Digimon inside flying.

"Oh boy," ReverseWeddinmon grumbled. "This isn't looking very good."

They weren't looking well for Cherrymon and the remaining seven ninja Digimon either. The only thing the new Ultimate brought to the table was further amusement from Ghoulmon. Powerful and arrogant, the demon Digimon took great pleasure in tearing through his opponents.

"Pit Pelter!" Cherrymon cried, unleashing a stream of cherries from his branches.

Ghoulmon just laughed as the small bits of fruit, that if used upon anyone else would amount to being sprayed by a series of bullets, showered against him. His claw shot out, grabbing the tree Digimon, and lifted him in the air as if he were a weed being plucked. "Cut it out, you're tickling me."

"Unhand him!" a Ninjamon shouted, leaping at the demon Digimon with his sword drawn. Ghoulmon's other claw simply came crashing down on him, and the ninja Digimon hit the ground hard. Ghoulmon lifted his foot and brought it down on him, ending yet another clan member.

"Down to six," he taunted, noting the four remaining Kogamon and two Ninjamon. His giant eye looked at Cherrymon. "Your men are dropping like flies."

The tree Digimon glared. "You'll fall too. Vine Attack!"

Vines flew from his branches and smacked Ghoulmon's giant eye. He squinted slightly and threw the tree Digimon down. "I already have." He placed his foot on top of Cherrymon and began applying pressure. "Now I think I'll do some gardening."

"Makibishi!" a Kogamon cried, throwing several caltrops.

Ghoulmon glanced at his attacker. "Fine, you can go first." He held up his claw and fired his Death Arrow. The Kogamon danced around as the arrows flew past it, but one found its mark and the ninja Digimon burst into data.

Ghoulmon laughed. "Another one down." He looked down at Cherrymon, grinding his foot into him. "You're a rather incompetent leader, aren't you?"

"How dare you insult our master!"

Ghoulmon looked up. Standing on a portion of what was left of a wall were the last three Kogamon. On the ground, the two remaining Ninjamon attacked the foot that was not on top of Cherrymon with their Iga-Style Sword Draw. As Ghoulmon's attention shifted to them, and the Kogamon leapt at him, splitting into shadow copies. With swords drawn, they attacked his wings, stabbing their blades into them and letting gravity pull them down.

Ghoulmon snarled, seemingly angry now, and stepped back, removing his foot from Cherrymon, and swiped at the Kogamon. He mostly struck the shadow copies, but managed to hit one. He fired his Explosion Eye, but the ninja Digimon and the shadow copies danced about, avoiding the traveling laser.

Cherrymon got to his feet as Ghoulmon continued to attack the others. His laser found one, and another Kogamon was destroyed. Only three Kogamon and two Ninjamon were left. They were running out of time. A little longer and they would all be destroyed.

Cherrymon glanced at Housemon. The house Digimon was slowly making his way towards the group of Ultimates as a continuous stream of attacks flowed against him. This wasn't working. They would never be able to defeat Housemon like this, let alone the far more powerful Ghoulmon. If only one of them was a Mega too.

"That's it!" the tree Digimon gasped. He turned back to the demon Digimon. "Hey, Ghoulmon! Illusion Mist!"

A thick fog flowed out of his branches and over to Ghoulmon. The demon Digimon turned to him as the mist settled over him. He squinted, trying to see through the fog. "You think this will help you? Death Arrow!"

His stream of arrows flew through the air. A loud wail echoed all around, and Ghoulmon blinked a few times, squinting harder. He saw the larger form of Housemon collapsing as his arrows along with several attacks from the Ultimate Digimon he was fighting caused him to dissolve into data.

The demon Digimon flapped his wings, clearing the area of Cherrymon's mist. He saw the tree Digimon standing off to the side, well out of range from the attack he had thought he had fired upon him. "Very impressive, Cherrymon. I have to give you credit; you deceived me."

The Ultimate Digimon came over to join Cherrymon and the last five ninja Digimon. "You don't seem too beat up over the loss of your comrade," MetalGreymon growled. "Or any of your comrades for that matter."

Ghoulmon chuckled. "On the contrary, I'm kind of glad they're gone. Now I can have you all to myself."

"Careful," BurningGreymon told him. "You're dealing with 11 Ultimates now."

The demon Digimon roared with laughter. "And you think that concerns me? You humans truly underestimate the power of a Mega. Especially a Mega like me. Let me show you just how hopeless your situation is."

Standing behind Grimmon, Shoutmon's eyes widened. "Oh no. He's not going to…"

"Ghoulmon Digivolve to… Ghoulmon Black!"

The dragon Digimon slapped his head. "Yup, he did." 

Notes:

(A/N: The sh*t just hit the fan. If you didn't know, Ghoulmon Black is a god of destruction that has occasionally been given the title of Demon Lord. Not one of the Seven, but that's still bad. Like, very bad. I'm being completely serious when I say that our heroes are well and truly screwed. How are they going to get out of this? That is something you'll have to wait until next week to find out.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear or are mentioned.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Cherrymon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Ghoulmon_(Black)

Chapter 63: Happily Ever After?

Notes:

(A/N: A three chapter ongoing battle. I think this is the longest one yet. Or maybe not, would have to go back an check. But will it have a happy ending? The conclusion is here.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 63: Happily Ever After?

 

Not much had changed about Ghoulmon physically after becoming Ghoulmon Black. The only notable difference was that his skin had gone from light gray to black. Other than that, he looked exactly the same.

WarGrowlmon blinked. "Wait, he's a Mega, and he Digivolved again?"

"Shoutmon said they could do that," MagnaAngemon reminded him. "Go from one Mega form to an even more powerful Mega form."

"Big deal," Paildramon grumbled. "So now he's black instead of gray. It couldn't have made that much of a difference."

Shoutmon jumped out of Grimmon's coils and ran up the length of his body, hopping onto his head. "Hey, don't be fooled by his appearance! He may not have changed much physically, but he's a lot more powerful now."

Paildramon glanced at him. "Oh, come on. How much stronger could he be?"

"And shouldn't his name be BlackGhoulmon?" Angewomon asked, remembering BlackAgumon and BlackGreymon.

Shoutmon grunted. "How many times must we go through this? I don't name them. Their names are written in their code. And yes, he's a lot stronger now. In this form, he's considered a god of destruction."

The others looked back at the demon Digimon. "A god of destruction?" BurningGreymon repeated. "Well, that's not good."

"You have no idea," Ghoulmon growled, sounding far less playful. "Death Wave!"

He raised his arms and unleashed a confusion inducing radio wave. It flowed over the group, and they became disorientated. Ghoulmon leapt at them, landing on top of WarGrowlmon, tackling him to the ground. His arm shot out, backhanding MetalGreymon to the left of him, and his other arm raised to fire a much more powerful version of his Death Arrow upon the Digimon to his right.

"Mickey Bullet!" Sistermon Noir cried, firing upon the demon Digimon.

Ghoulmon looked at her and unleashed his Black Claw, a more powerful version of his Grey Claw. Sistermon Blanc rushed in front of her fellow nun Digimon and used Protect Wave to create a barrier. Ghoulmon's attack easily broke through it, and the two nun Digimon were sent flying from the backlash.

"Feather Flare!" Karatenmon cried, shooting his feathers.

Ghoulmon didn't even turn to him, holding up his claw and using the eye in his palm to see. He fired his Death Arrow, and Karatenmon maneuvered around the arrows until he was struck down by one.

Beneath the demon Digimon, WarGrowlmon struggled. He used his Megalo Spark to electrify him, but this did little more than to draw Ghoulmon's attention back to him.

"I am Death," the demon Digimon told him emotionlessly. It seemed his entire personality had changed, and he raised his claw for the killing blow, but MetalGreymon fired his Mega Claw, and the metal limb on a cable wrapped around Ghoulmon's arm, holding it back.

"Atomic Blaster!" WarGrowlmon cried, firing beams of plasma from his chest. Ghoulmon was blasted off him, but flapped his wings a few times and easily stuck the landing. MagnaAngemon flew at him and struck with his Judgment Slash, but Ghoulmon easily blocked the attack and retaliated with his Black Claw, knocking him away.

"Let me show you why I hold the title of a god of destruction." He turned to the others. "Explosion Eye!"

Rather than a single explosive laser shot from his pupil, Ghoulmon's entire eye glowed brightly before unleashing a massive beam. The others dove out of the way as the beam tore through the air past them, disappearing upon the horizon. It struck something far in the distance, and a massive mushroom cloud rose up, the resounding blast was that much bigger than his previous form's blast as the beam was to his laser.

Paildramon stared at the explosion in shock. "Whoa, talk about upgrading your attack."

"I told you!" Shoutmon called. "He was just playing with you before. Ghoulmon may be wicked, but he usually stays neutral between the Darkness and the Light. But once he assumes his Black form, he becomes-"

"Death," Ghoulmon finished for him. "I become Death."

Paildramon turned back to him. "Well, here's my Electric Bolt!"

"And my Wildfire Tsunami!" BurningGreymon added.

The demon Digimon unleashed his Death Wave again, and the two attacks were halted by it. Ghoulmon charged towards them, grabbing both dragon Digimon. He slammed Paildramon down and dragged him across the ground, leaving a deep groove, before slamming him down several more times, hard enough to crack the ground. Keeping a firm grip on BurningGreymon, he fired his Death Arrow at point blank range directly into his torso. Both dragon Digimon reverted back to their human forms.

"Giga Blaster!" MetalGreymon cried, shooting his missiles as ReverseWeddinmon fired her Crazy Cracker. Ghoulmon stumbled back as the attacks exploded against him, leaving Davis on the ground, but keeping hold of Takuya. Angewomon fired a Celestial Arrow at his hand, and he dropped the boy. MagnaAngemon PM caught him before he hit the ground and brought him over to Davis. Gathering up both boys, he retreated over to Shoutmon and Grimmon to keep them safe.

Beastmon rushed around Ghoulmon and leapt onto his tail. Using her Mind Fogger, she bit down on the end and began drinking his blood. Up above, Karatenmon circled overhead, repeatedly sending out shockwaves at the demon Digimon while Cherrymon fired his Pit Pelter.

Ghoulmon growled and flicked his tail, sending Beastmon crashing into the remains of a wall that instantly collapsed on top of her. Karatenmon's attention was immediately diverted to his love and he headed in her direction. Ghoulmon looked up at him, and his eyes began glowing as he prepared to unleash his Explosion Eye.

"Look out!" a Ninjamon cried, leaping at the demon Digimon and throwing a Smoke Ball. It exploded in Ghoulmon's eye just before he fired his attack, sending it slightly off course. Karatenmon came to a sudden stop in the air as the explosive beam passed by mere inches in front of him.

Though he had saved Karatenmon, the Ninjamon suddenly found himself in Ghoulmon's clutches as the demon Digimon's claw shot out and grabbed him. Before he even realized he had been caught, Ghoulmon crushed him in his grip, and the ninja Digimon burst into data. Only one Ninjamon remained.

"Not another one!" Cherrymon shouted.

ReverseWeddinmon charged at the demon Digimon. "I'll avenge him! I'll avenge them all! Candle Service Infer-"

"Black Claw!" Ghoulmon's claw stabbed into the cake Digimon, interrupting her attack. He lifted her into the air and threw her away.

Cherrymon glared at the demon Digimon before waving the others over. "Come, lets attack together."

It was worth a shot, and all those able bunched up and attacked. "Bless Fire!"

"Feather Sonic!"

"Pit Pelter!"

"Makibishi!"

"Ninja Knife Throwing!

"Giga Storm!"

"Atomic Blaster!"

"Heaven's Charm!"

"Soul Vanisher!"

The attacks came all at once, exploding in Ghoulmon's giant eye with a mighty blast. The group cheered, thinking they had managed to deal some damage, but when the smoke cleared, Ghoulmon didn't even have a scratch on him; he hadn't even moved.

"That's impossible!" WarGrowlmon exclaimed.

"Death Wave!" Ghoulmon's confusion radio wave flowed out and over the group. They cried out in torment, not noticing as the demon Digimon's eye began glowing. "Explosion Eye!"

The massive beam flew at the group, but by the time they realized the danger, it was too late to act. The beam was coming for them, and something large moved in its path. ReverseWeddinmon cried out as the beam struck her while simultaneously unleashing her Candle Service Inferno to counter the resulting explosion.

"ReverseWeddinmon!" the Sistermon shouted.

Despite the situation, the cake Digimon smiled. "Don't worry, I'll come back as soon as I can, and we'll do more mating ceremony party planning. See you lat-"

That was all she was able to get out before dissolving into data. The others stared at the lingering data, not even reacting as Ghoulmon absorbed it. "Guess there will be no cake."

"You killed her!" Sistermon Noir shouted.

"Murderer!" cried Sistermon Blanc.

The two took a fighting stance, their movements mirroring the other. "Grand Sister Cruz!" they shouted together, using their unison attack. They charged at Ghoulmon, still matching each other's moves, as if they were mirror images. Ghoulmon lashed out at them, and they leapt up onto his arm, running up its length. They jumped up, kicking Ghoulmon in his large eye, Sistermon Blanc slashing with her Cross Barbée, Sistermon Noir firing her guns. Ghoulmon barely reacted short of smacking the two of them away.

A distance away, MagnaAngemon PM dropped to his knees. "ReverseWeddinmon, no…" He lowered his head. "How could this have happened? Weddinmon, Shortmon, and Candlemon have been working with the Sistermon and I for centuries."

Shoutmon glared at him. "Then why don't you go out there and help them? You're an Ultimate, and a very strong one at that; they could use your power."

"You know it's not in his nature," Grimmon told him.

The dragon Digimon glared at him. "And it's in yours to be vicious and violent, yet here you are sitting on the sidelines. You got over your nature by choice, so can he."

Grimmon returned the glare. "You know it's not that simple." He looked back at the others. "I'm afraid they're on their own."

"Mega Claw!" MetalGreymon cried, firing his arm. Ghoulmon grabbed it and yanked, pulling the cyborg dinosaur Digimon towards him by his cable, and then used his Black Claw to slam MetalGreymon to the ground. WarGrowlmon rushed at him, using his Radiation Blade, but Ghoulmon swung MetalGreymon around like a lasso, slamming him into the angel Digimon. Cherrymon began firing his Pit Pelter from below while Karatenmon shot feathers from up above. Ghoulmon's large eye darted from one to the other, trying to decide which to attack, when Angewomon's Celestial Arrow struck him in the center of his pupil.

MagnaAngemon's own eyes widened and he waved his fellow angel Digimon over. "Angewomon, I have an idea."

She flew down to him. "What is it? I'm open to anything."

"Well, it seems like we've been on a role with using these guys' attacks against each other, so here's my plan."

He whispered it to her as Ghoulmon unleashed his Death Wave on both Cherrymon and Karatenmon, and the two of them grasped their heads, the latter falling from the sky.

"Got it?" the cyborg dinosaur Digimon asked.

She nodded. "But what if he doesn't use it?"

"We have to try. Just be ready." His thrusters ignited and he flew up into the sky. Firing his Soul Vanisher, he drew Ghoulmon's attention. "This is the end, Ghoulmon! I'm not going out like Reverse Weddinmon!"

The demon Digimon took a step towards him. "Oh, you're not?" His eye began glowing. That was Angewomon's cue. As MagnaAngemon drew a circle, she ran towards Ghoulmon and used Super Jump to launch herself into the air until she was right in front of his eye, directly in his line of fire. "Explosion Eye!"

"Heaven's Charm!"

The two attacks collided, exploding right in Ghoulmon's face. Behind Angewomon, MagnaAngemon's Great Golden Gate had opened, allowing Angewomon to fly into it to escape the blast. Ghoulmon went crashing to the ground, finally having taken damage. He lay still with his large eye closed, facing the sky.

WarGrowlmon slashed at the sky. "Yeah, we got him."

MagnaAngemon smiled and gave the cyborg dinosaur Digimon a nod as Angewomon emerged from the other end of the golden gate beside him. "That was a good plan," she told him.

"It was," MetalGreymon agreed, limping over to them. He looked at Ghoulmon. "He definitely felt that one."

Cherrymon pointed at the fallen demon Digimon. "Now lets finish him off."

Ghoulmon's eye snapped open. "Finish me?" He got to his feet, looking only slightly worse for wear. "You finally do some damage, and you think I'm finished. Poor, simple fools. I am Death. I am the one who does the finishing." He held up his claws. "And I'll finish this now. Death Arrow!"

The arrows began flying. The others cried out as they whizzed by, avoiding most, but still getting struck. Ghoulmon did not let up, continuously firing. The number of arrows that found their marks increased as more damage was delivered, slowing down their movements, allowing more arrows to hit.

"This is the end for you," Ghoulmon told them as he continued to fire.

A distance away, a pile of rubble shifted, and Beastmon emerged from it, breathing heavily. She shook her head and looked to the battle, horrified to see her friends pinned down by Ghoulmon's barrage of arrows. "Karatenmon! Cherrymon! Everyone!"

She fell over as she tried to get them. This was hopeless, they just couldn't beat Ghoulmon; he was far too powerful. It wouldn't be long now before he killed them all.

"No choice then," she whispered. Climbing to her feet, she ran up to Ghoulmon, getting only as close as she needed to. It was time to use the power everyone feared her for. It would require time and a great deal of energy that she didn't know if she would be able to spare, which was why she hadn't done it before, but she had to now.

Summoning up the deepest reaches of her power, she called upon her special attack. Her body began glowing as an aura surrounded her. "Ghoulmon!" She wanted him to see her, and when he turned around, she unleashed her power. "Helter Skelter!"

The aura leapt off her body and flowed over Ghoulmon. The demon Digimon's giant eye widened as it flowed over him, and he felt it altering his very code. "What?!"

His body began glowing, similar to Digivolution, but instead he went backwards. His body shrank, getting smaller and smaller as he reverted. When the DeDigivolution stopped, he had been reduced to his Rookie level, and was now in the form of a pink bird Digimon known as Biyomon, looking far more adorable than it was threatening.

The DeDigivolved Digimon looked at his wing-like hands and gasped. "This can't be!"

Beastmon's strength left her, and she dropped to one knee. This was her special power, the one the others feared she would use. It took a great deal of energy, but she could DeDigivolve other Digimon back to the Rookie level. And being an Ultimate, she could then destroy them very easily.

But it wouldn't last. Biyomon could Digivolve back to the Mega level in as little as thirty seconds. Her attack may revert others to the Rookie level, but there was nothing stopping them from Digivolving back to their previous form. Helter Skelter was meant to be a combo move, first to DeDigivolve an opponent, then to quickly destroy them with another attack before they Digivolved again.

But she had no strength left. The battle had taken its toll, and that last attack had used up all her energy. Any more, and she would no longer be able to maintain her Ultimate level form.

She looked to the others, but they were down for the count. The onslaught of Ghoulmon's attack had brought them down, and they no longer had any strength left to fight. Her last ditch effort to defeat Ghoulmon was a waste. There was no one left to fight. Any moment now, he would Digivolve back to the Mega level again and wipe them all out.

Something whizzed past her, moving quickly towards Biyomon. The bird Digimon looked up, his eyes widening as MagnaAngemon PM flew towards him, a sword appearing in his hand.

"Excalibur's Grace!" he cried, slashing at the Rookie. The bird Digimon screeched loudly and exploded into data. And just like that, the battle concluded.

Shoutmon's mouth dropped open as he stared at the angel Digimon. Regardless of what he had said before, he had not expected MagnaAngemon PM to actually fight. They were passive Digimon that abhorred violence. Unlike MagnaAngemon in his natural Battle Mode, who had a variety of attacks, MagnaAngemon Priest Mode only possessed two; Gate of Destiny, to seal away evil, and the one he had just used. It must have taken a great deal for him to go against his peaceful nature.

"He did it," the dragon Digimon whispered, climbing out of Grimmon's protective coils.

The reaper Digimon seemed just as shocked. "Yes… he did… I didn't think he would."

It seemed, though, that the angel Digimon was regretting what he had done as he stared at his sword. Shoutmon ignored him for now as he went to check on his friends. "Hey, you guys ok?"

Lying down, MetalGreymon grunted. "What's going on? Where's Ghoulmon?"

The dragon Digimon smirked. "He's gone to pieces. We won. Shame I couldn't get to his data though. That would have been quite a power boost."

The cyborg dinosaur Digimon relaxed. "Thank goodness for that." He reverted back to human form. "Man, those arrows really hurt."

One by one, the teens became human again. "Geez, Shoutmon," Takato grumbled. "I know you told us that Megas were strong, and we got an idea with VenomMyotismon, Argomon, and Housemon, but that was ridiculous. We couldn't even scratch him."

Shoutmon nodded. "I told you. You've been really lucky so far, but today you faced the real deal."

"Beastmon!" Karatenmon exclaimed suddenly, using his swords to help him get to his feet. "Where's Beastmon?"

The cat Digimon stumbled over to him. "I'm here, my love."

He went to her and they collapsed against each other, holding the other up as they embraced. Grimmon slithered over to the group, carrying Davis under one arm and Takuya under the other. "What do you want me to do with these two?"

Tai looked at his unconscious friends. "Just set them down there, I guess." He winced as the reaper Digimon simply dropped them. "Not quite what I had in mind."

The two Sistermon changed back from their Awakened and walked over to MagnaAngemon, looking concerned. "Sir, are you ok?" Sistermon Noir asked.

The angel Digimon stared at his sword before dropping it. "I broke my vow. I used violence. I didn't just use it, I took a life."

"And saved many in the process," Cherrymon told him.

MagnaAngemon shook his head. "It doesn't matter. I still killed another."

The tree Digimon stomped his cane on the ground. "And how many would you have killed if you didn't act? Just look at my clan." He motioned to the three remaining Kogamon and the single Ninjamon. "Fourteen of us were killed in this battle, as well as ReverseWeddinmon. That's 15 dead. You stopped that number from being higher. If you hadn't acted, we would have died too, and our blood would have been on your hands; murder through failure to act."

Shoutmon nodded. "He's right. If you have the power to save someone, but you don't act, then you as good as killed them yourself. You saved us."

The Sistermon pulled on the angel Digimon's arm. "He's right."

"You did good."

Grimmon slithered by. "Look at it this way, if you hadn't acted, I would have. The end result would have been the same either way."

MagnaAngemon seemed to consider this. In the end, he took a deep breath and raised his head to the sky. "It doesn't matter. I'll have to live with this regardless. But I will make amends." He looked at the destroyed sanctuary. "I will begin by rebuilding the sanctuary, exactly the way it was before. Better. So when Weddinmon, Shortmon, and Candlemon return, they will have an even grander establishment."

Sistermon Noir smiled. "We'll help you."

"Yes, help you," Sistermn Blanc agreed.

The angel Digimon placed a hand on their heads and smiled back. "I know you will. Thank you, my little ones."

Kari sighed in relief. "Good, it looks like everything will be ok."

TK nodded. "Yeah, but I can understand where he's coming from. I hate all this fighting too, but sometimes it's necessary."

"Speaking of fighting," said Takato, glancing at Cherrymon and the four remaining ninja Digimon, "what's going to happen with them?"

All attention shifted to the tree Digimon. Though combined, he was still the leader of both the Ninjamon Clan and the Kogamon Clan. Many secrets and lies had been brought to light this day, and there were hundreds of ninja Digimon back at the two villages that still had no idea about any of it.

The three Kogamon and the Ninjamon looked to Cherrymon for instruction. He in turn looked to Karatenmon and Beastmon, who were still holding each other. Finally, he sighed. "It's strange being what I am, considering who I was. Being both the Ninjamon Clan leader and the Kogamon Clan leader, I have great love for both, but I still feel the same hatred that has consumed both clans for the past 5,000 years." He closed his eyes. "Perhaps it is better if I remain as I am instead of splitting back into two. I feel I will be able to make peace with both sides, and with myself."

"But what of Vulcanusmon's orders, master?" a Kogamon asked.

Cherrymon opened his eyes and looked to the sky. "Despite all that Asuramon did, I feel he was right about one thing. We really did rely on Vulcanusmon too much, rather than work things out for ourselves. Perhaps we did need him until now, so consumed by hatred for each other we were. But I think now we can move on. This feud is finished. We shall have peace between us."

"And the no Digivolving law?" the remaining Ninjamon asked. "You have violated it."

The tree Digimon nodded. "That is true, but Vulcanusmon allowed our heirs to achieve Ultimate. They were the only exceptions. We shall continue to uphold this law, for it has brought balance and peace to our clans. I will remained as I am, and act as a medium between our two clans, and my heirs shall remain as they are as well, a status of their leadership."

Beastmon raised an eyebrow. "Heirs? You speak of myself and Asuramon?"

A scowl crossed Cherrymons face. "Asuramon will never be welcome in either clan again." He looked at Karatenmon. "The Ninjamon heir I speak of is you, Karatenmon."

The crow Digimon sucked in a breath. "Me?"

The tree Digimon nodded. "I was a fool not to see it before. Karatenmon, you possess the wisdom and heart needed to lead. It will require some training, but I will be honored to call you the future leader of the Ninjamon."

The crow Digimon cast his eyes downward. "Truthfully, master, I never wanted to be leader out of a desire to rule. Leadership is meant to be a title to guard and protect the clan, not one of power and control. When I Digivolved in the hopes that you would choose me as the Ninjamon heir instead of Asuramon, it was a desperate attempt to gain Beastmon's hand."

The cat Digimon took his hand. "Darling…"

The tree Digimon smiled. "Your words are wise and true. Being a leader should not be for the sake of power, but for the sake of your clan. It was for that reason why heirs were chosen with no argument when Vulcanusmon decreed it. The fact that you understand this only makes me more certain that I'm making the right choice."

Squeezing Beastmon's hand tightly, Karatenmon bowed his head. "You honor me, master. I will do everything in my power to make you proud and be a worthy leader. However, I have a proposition." He glanced at Beastmon, then back at Cherrymon. "I wish to be with Beastmon always. With us as leaders of both clans, it would require us to be away from one village for extended periods of time while we're in the other. But both your Ninjamon side and your Kogamon side have been wise and mighty leaders. The only reason Vulcanusmon decreed that you were to step down was because he hoped that new leadership would lessen the hatred between our clans. But now that the feud is over, and the two of you have become one, I think you should remain as leader. Beastmon and I will rule one village while you rule the other. We will switch villages on a monthly basis to keep things balanced, and so nothing like this will ever happen again." He turned to Beastmon. "Do you accept this, my love?"

She clapped her hands together. "I think it's a fabulous idea!"

Cherrymon stared at him for a moment before bowing his head. "Already you are proving your worth. You shall indeed be a fine leader. Very well, I accept your proposal. And knowing Vulcanusmon, he would have given his blessings as well. What more, I think he would be proud of you, of all of us."

The Kogamon and Ninjamon walked over. Almost as one, they stabbed their swords into the ground, got down on one knee, and bowed to the three Ultimates. "We pledge our loyalty to you."

Karatenmon sweat-dropped. "This is going to take some getting used to."

Beastmon gleefully hugged his arm. "I have faith in you."

Tai let out a sigh of relief and placed his hands on his hips. "It looks like everything is going to work out after all."

Shoutmon nodded. "Yeah. It'll probably take some time for all the animosity between both clans to disappear completely, but at least now there will be real genuine peace."

"Truth be told," said Grimmon, "I didn't think it would happen, even with Vulcanusmon's decree. I thought he gave me an impossible mission."

TK chuckled. "Well, I could see why. It didn't look like they would ever get along, but I'm glad things worked out in the end."

Kari clapped her hands, feeling giddy. "Hey, now there can be a real wedding; the way one is supposed to be." In a moment of irony, a portion of the sanctuary wall collapsed. Kari sweat-dropped. "Well, almost."

Karatenmon took Beastmon's hand in his. "I don't need a traditional mating ceremony in a sanctuary or temple. You're already my mate in all ways that matter."

Her eyes shined brightly. "I feel the same. Lets have the ceremony right here. Right now."

"If that is what you desire, my love."

She looked behind him at Cherrymon. "Master?"

The tree Digimon bowed his head to her. "You are master as now as well. The decision is yours. Even as the leader, I see now that I had no right to make it for you."

MagnaAngemon smiled as the two Sistermon jumped up and down beside him joyfully. "Then let us begin this ceremony again."

"Wait," Takato said suddenly, "what about Davis and Takuya?"

They looked to their unconscious friends. Both were still out cold; Davis was snoring loudly.

"Hey, wake up," said Shoutmon, smacking their faces. This managed to awaken Takuya, but Davis just kept right on snoring.

"How can he snore when he's been knocked unconscious?" Tai wondered out loud.

"Here," said Cherrymon, "try this. Cherry Blast!" A strange fruit grew on one of his branches, and he plucked it off, holding it in front of Davis' face. "Knowing what I do about your friend, nothing is stronger than his stomach."

The aroma from the fruit was mouthwatering. The teens suddenly felt like they were starving as its scent hit them, and they became willing to do almost anything for just as taste. Cherrymon continued to wave it around in front of Davis' face. Even in sleep, his nose followed it as it was waved back and forth, his mouth opening and closing as if to bite it.

"Careful," Cherrymon told the others. "It smells sweet, but it's deadly if eaten."

Davis bit at the air and Cherrymon pulled the fruit back. Slowly, his eyes opened, and he looked up into the face of the tree Digimon. "What happened?"

"Long story short," said Tai, "we won."

Kari giggled. "Come on, we'll give you the details later. We've got a wedding to attend." She looked at the crow and cat Digimon and smiled. "They've waited long enough."

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

He was out of breath, tired, and in pain, but he had made it. And he had his prize. Down to three arms, Asuramon entered further into the cave, wondering what his ally would say when they saw him.

Things had not gone according to plan. No, they had completely fallen apart. Everything had gone to ruin because of that lousy human walking in on him and Soundbirdmon. If only he had managed to kill him before Karatenmon had shown up.

"Karatenmon," the demon Digimon growled, rubbing the stump where his arm used to be; it would take a vast amount of data to restore it. He should have known that lovesick fool would get in his way. He'd had the perfect plan, one that had been years in the making, but now it was all for naught.

Well, not completely for naught. He had what he needed. In two of his remaining hands, he held both halves of the scroll. It had been a simple matter getting the one from the Ninjamon village; he was the future leader after all, and he had known where it was hidden. It hadn't taken much to convince the Ninjamon to let him leave with it, claiming that the leader needed it.

Getting the Kogamon's half had been much more difficult. The distrust the Kogamon had for him, being of the Ninjamon Clan, was great. He'd had to humble and humiliate himself as he spun a fantasy story of an enemy Digimon that had showed up to kill the clan leaders and heirs while they were away from the villages. He'd actually had to bow down and plead with the Kogamon scum, begging them to hand over their half.

As far as the Kogamon in the village knew, the mating ceremony had taken place, just as intended, and both he and Beastmon were now the leaders of both clans. He told them that the Kogammon leader had ordered him to get the scroll to a new hiding place before the enemy Digimon could get to it. He showed them the Ninjamon's half of the scroll as proof that he was going to hide them in a secret location until the enemy Digimon was dealt with.

His argument that their mission to protect the scroll for Vulcanusmon took precipice over their clans' hatred for each other had done it. It hadn't been easy, and it had taken a long time, but he managed to convince them that what he said was true. They had wanted to wait for their leader or Beastmon to confirm that what he said was true, but he assured them that there was no time. He had made himself out to be a weakling and a coward, showing off his injuries to them and throwing away all self-respect. That had definitely helped sway the Kogamon with the way he lowered himself. In the end, they had turned it over to them. After all, Vulcanusmon had entrusted the scroll to both clans.

And now here he was, with both halves of the scroll, going to meet his ally. This may not have worked out as he planned, but he still needed to fulfill his end of the bargain. Soundbirdmon had been right; to not do so would be very foolish indeed. His very life would be at stake if he didn't.

"I see things didn't go as expected."

Asuramon stopped and turned. Sitting on what seemed to be a throne carved into the cave wall was another Digimon wielding a lethal looking scythe. No, they weren't sitting, they were lounging on it, their legs hanging over one armrest while their head hung over the other. A large sinister grin was plastered on their face as they stared at Asuramon in amusement.

The demon Digimon turned to him. "That is an understatement. The entire plan is ruined."

The lounging Digimon chuckled. "Oh my, how tragic. But things are always more interesting when they take unexpected turns, don't you think?"

A cloud of steam escaped Asuramon's nostrils. "Interesting?! I'm an outcast! Do you have any idea of what I lost? Everything!"

The Digimon frowned. Moving in a way that suggested extreme flexibility, they hopped off the throne. The end of their scythe landed right in front of Asuramon, the weapon standing upright. The Digimon clung to it like a profession aerobics master, glaring down at Asuramon from the top of the scythe. "Is that any way to speak to me? Where are your manners? Don't forget who I am, who I represent."

Asuramon winced. Slowly, he lowered himself into a bow. "I… apologize. It has been a rough day. Forgive me."

The Digimon smirked and placed a hand to his ear as if he couldn't hear. "Hmm?"

Asuramon's fists clenched. "Forgive me, Jokermon, sir."

The Digimon that appeared to be a cross between a clown and a jester grinned once more. "Well, I guess I'll accept your apology since you have a boo-boo." He roared with laughter, as if this were the most hilarious thing in the world. Hopping off his scythe, he pulled the weapon out of the ground. "If you want, I can even things out for you."

He swung his scythe, and Asuramon ducked. "That won't be necessary."

Jokermon frowned. "You're such a party pooper." He sighed. "Oh, very well, straight to business." His grin returned as he spoke with a forced mafia accent. "I believe you have something that belongs to my boss."

Scowling, the demon Digimon handed over the two scrolls. "Both halves, as promised."

Jokermon snatched them up, dropping the accent. "Ah, yes. These will make the boss very happy. Almost as happy as me." He winked. "It's simply not possible to be as happy as me, but this should improve his mood." His grin widened. "Any idea why he's so moody?"

Asuramon shook his head, and the clown Digimon chuckled. "Apparently, everyone he sent to wipe out the Kogamon for you was destroyed. He's quite distraught by their loss, especially with Ghoulmon's."

Asuramon looked up in surprise. "They were destroyed? All of them?"

Jokermon nodded. "Afraid so. Even your old friend, ShadowWereGarurumon. Such a tragedy. Of course, this may have been avoided if you hadn't fled because of the loss of one lousy arm." He snickered. "For all of your ninja honor, you're nothing but a coward when things don't go your way. Who would have thought that a couple of humans would cause so much trouble?"

The demon Digimon's eyes widened. "How do you know so much?"

Jokermon's grin widened. "The boss has eyes and ears everywhere. It seems you've forgotten that. Honestly, you'd lose your head if it wasn't attached to your neck."

There was a flash of light as the dim glow of the torches reflected off the metal of Jokermon's scythe. The movement was so fast that Asuramon didn't even realize it was happening until it was too late. His severed head fell from his shoulders, bouncing on the ground, and his body collapsed beside it.

"Oops," said Jokermon, "looks like you did anyway."

He roared with laughter as Asuramon's body dissolved into data. 

Notes:

(A/N: Ooh, the plot thickens. It looks like things didn't go Asuramon's way at all. And now Jokermon has the scrolls. But who is his master, and what role will he play? You could look at this as the end of the Asuramon arc, or as the mid-point of a bigger arc featuring this mysterious master. At least things have worked out for the two clans, minus losing the scrolls of course. In case you couldn't tell, since I based this arc off Basilisk, I was trying to replicate the way Oboro defeated Tenzen with how Beastmon used her power to defeat Ghoulmon. That was planned from the start. At least she and Karatenmon got a happier ending than Oboro and Gennosuke did. But you know our heroes can't just leave things as is. They've got some scrolls to find, and it might just get them into even bigger trouble.)

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New Digimon that appear or are mentioned.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Jokermon

Chapter 64: The History of Jesmas

Notes:

(A/N: Who's up for a Christmas in July party? Well, ok, so it's August now, but I have had a Christmas in July party before. Why am I bringing up Christmas? Just read the chapter title. It's a pun. What, you don't get it? You will once you read the chapter.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 64: The History of Jesmas

It seemed the teens had gained another traveling companion in Grimmon. The reaper Digimon had said that he would help them get to Cherubimon's castle, and it seemed like he meant it. There was just something that needed to be taken care of before that.

They had gone to the Ninjamon village first. There was a lot that needed to be explained, particularly about Asuramon's treachery. The Ninjamon were shocked and astounded to see Cherrymon, not to mention to find out that it was Karatenmon who had been mated to Beastmon instead of Asuramon. But it wasn't just the newly mated pair or the merged Ninjamon and Kogamon leaders that surprised them. According to Asuramon when he had been there, they had all been destroyed by an enemy Digimon, and their leader's last order had been for Asuramon to retrieve the scroll and hide it so the enemy Digimon couldn't get it.

Fearing the worst, the group had hurried over to the Kogamon village, only to find that a similar story had been told to the Kogamon, and Asuramon had made off with their half of the scroll as well.

Cherrymon punched the wall furiously. "How could we have been so blind to Asuramon's trickery for so long?"

Tai sighed. "Blinded by hatred. Asuramon had the Kogamon and Ninjamon so focused on each other that they couldn't see what was right in front of them."

Beastmon's hands were covering her mouth. "What are we going to do?"

The tree Digimon sat down. "There's nothing we can do. Asuramon could be anywhere by now. Who knows what he plans to do with the scrolls. We've failed Vulcanusmon."

Silence fell over the group. After all that, everything they had been through, Asuramon had won. Or at least his ally did. The Ninjamon and Kogamon now had peace, and Beastmon and Karatenmon had gotten to be together, but Asuramon's ally, whoever they were, now had the scrolls.

"It may not be too late," said Grimmon. Everyone looked at him. "I have an idea of where he might have gone. I can take you there, and we can get back the scrolls."

Cherrymon got up. "Where? Where is this place?"

Grimmon motioned into the distance. "A few days journey based on these humans' walking speed."

"Hey!" Davis objected.

The reaper Digimon ignored him. "A group of evil Digimon ruled over by someone very powerful staked their claim there two years ago. I'm certain that's who Asuramon's ally is."

The others shared uncertain looks. "What do you think?" Takato asked.

"Well," said Takuya, "if we're wrong, we'll be no better off than we are now. At least there's a chance."

"I agree," Karatenmon replied. "We should leave immediately."

Tai shook his head. "No, leave this to us. We'll go get the scrolls."

Cherrymon tapped his cane on the ground. "Volcanusmon entrusted them to us. We have a responsibility."

Kari placed a hand on his. "You're responsibility if to your people first. Let us handle this."

Karatenmon shook his head. "At the very least, I must go. I was the one who allowed Asuramon to escape."

"Aww, come on," said Davis. "You and Beastmon just got married. You don't want to miss your wedding night." He gave them a big knowing grin and winked. Karatenmon and Beastmon blushed as the others sighed.

TK cleared his throat. "Look, your clans are just now entering a time of peace. They need their leaders now more than ever to help with that. Your duty to them takes precipice over whatever job Vulcanusmon gave you."

Grimmon was nodding. "They're right. And don't forget, Vulcanusmon wanted you to have peace. Don't jeopardize it after 5,000 years for the very thing that started the feud in the first place. Besides, these guys are a lot stronger than you. I'll lead them to the right place, and we'll recover the scrolls. You work on establishing peace. As Vulcanusmon's representative, that's an order."

And that was how the DigiDestined Data Squad had gained one more member and was now making their way to the next town over. Along the way, Grimmon asked a lot of questions about the human world, as well as their ability to become Digimon. Unfortunately, they could offer no explanations for the latter other than the little bit they knew.

When he couldn't get a satisfactory answer out of the teens, Grimmon turned his questions on Shoutmon, but the dragon Digimon didn't know much more than the teens, and he was getting frustrated with the reaper Digimon's questions. "Ask Cherubimon yourself. Hopefully, he can give us all answers."

Grimmon nodded. "Right, Chrubimon. I'll do that. I still stand by what I said. I fully intend to bring you to his castle once we deal with this scroll business."

"If the scrolls are even there," Davis pointed out.

The reaper Digimon shrugged. "If they're not, we'll still have done a great deal of good. Several Digimon have tried to save Jesmas and failed."

Shoutmon stopped. "Saved… Wait, we're not going there, are we? But those are just rumors. There's been no proof. Even those that tried haven't been able to confirm if he's there or not."

The teens stopped, feeling like they were missing something. "Wait," said Tai, "what's this about saving Christmas?"

Shoutmon gave him a look. "Christmas? I didn't day Christmas. I said Jesmas. It's a holiday."

Kari's eyebrows rose. "A Digimon holiday? How interesting. How's it work? What's it for?"

"Once a year on Jesmas, a Digimon known as Santamon goes around giving data dust packets to all the good Rookie, In-Training, and Baby Digimon."

The teens stared at him in disbelief. They waited for him to tell them that he was kidding, but he didn't, and they shared a look.

"You are so lying," Davis accused. "There is no way there's a Digimon called Santamon."

Shoutmon's eyes narrowed and he looked completely serious. "Sure there is. He's about this big, he's red, he has a mouth here, and a shiny tail-"

"But, come on, Santamon? Really?"

The dragon Digimon nodded. "Yes, I'm serious. He's a very rare Digimon though. Only one has ever managed to reach his stage. Throughout the year, he spends his time producing data so he can give it to children Digimon to help them Digivolve. He only gives it to good ones though; he can read their code to see if they're good or bad."

Davis just looked at him, then glanced at his friends. "Is he serious right now?"

TK shrugged. "Maybe. Remember Petermon and Tinkermon? I guess Santamon isn't too farfetched."

"Of course he's serious," Grimmon grumbled. "But Santamon disappeared over two years ago on Jesmas. According to rumors, he was captured by an evil Digimon who's been forcing him to produce data for them. Most of the rumors say he's being held prisoner at the place that we're going. Many have tried to free Santamon or simply gone to see if the rumors are even true, but were all destroyed by the Digimon that rules the place. And worst of all, they've never been able to confirm the rumors one way or another."

"Ooook…" Takato muttered. "And you think that this evil Digimon that is supposedly holding Santamon captive is the same one that Asuramon made a deal with to bring the scrolls to?"

The reaper Digimon nodded. "That is my belief, yes. Best case scenario, we defeat the evil Digimon, free Santamon, and recover the scrolls. Worst case scenario, neither Santamon or the scrolls are there, but we still manage to defeat the evil Digimon and stop any others from walking to their deaths to see if the rumors are true or not."

"No," Shoutmon grumbled, "the worst case scenario is that the rumors about Santamon being held prisoner there are just rumors, the Digimon there is not the one Asuramon allied himself with, and the Digimon that is there is far too powerful for us to defeat, and we die like all the others that went to investigate." He shrugged. "But, hey, I'm feeling optimistic. Lets go."

He continued on his way. The teens looked at Tai, who shrugged and went after him. The others followed, uncertain about all this, with Grimmon bringing up the rear.

"Soooo…" Takato began, "holidays are usually meant to mark special occasions, usually a historical event. So what's Jesmas in celebration of?"

Grimmon have a bark of laughter. "Boy, is that a story that goes back. Back to the beginning."

"The very beginning," Shoutmon added. "To the creation of the Digital World itself."

"That's a long time," Kari agreed. "So what happened?"

Shoutmon stopped. He looked up into the sky with a haunted look on his face. "Dark times. In the beginning, when the Digimon God created the first Digimon, there was another creature already roaming the Digital World. We don't know where it came from, if the Digimon God created it or not, but it was there since as long as we could remember. We called it the D-Reaper."

"D-Reaper?" Tai repeated. "What's that?"

"Can't be anything good," said Davis. "Nothing that holds the title of 'reaper' ever is."

Grimmon cleared his throat. "Is that a fact?"

Realizing his mistake, he gave the reaper Digimon a bashful smile. "Of course, I didn't mean you. You're the exception, having turned over a new leaf and all that." He laughed nervously and quickly changed the subject. "So, the D-Reaper. What's the 'D' stand for? Digimon? Data? Digital?"

Shoutmon's eye twitched. "Do you want to hear this story, or not?" When Davis fell silent, he nodded. "Now then. This creature, the D-Reaper, had a very simple purpose. It was meant to keep life in balance by deleting anything that evolved beyond its boundaries. Unfortunately, that rule didn't seem to apply to itself. The D-Reaper grew and evolved as well, becoming a creature beyond anything you could even hope to comprehend."

Grimmon nodded. "You've never seen anything like it. A thick red mass that expanded for miles, immune to attacks, and capable of deleting anything, animate or inanimate, with just a single touch. So many Digimon died."

A chill ran down TK's spin. "Wow, that sounds really… bad."

"You have no idea," Shoutmon growled. "Nothing could stop this thing. It was even capable of creating powerful agents at will, some strong enough to defeat Megas. They were separate entities that were still connected and a part of the D-Reaper, like extensions of itself. They attacked anyone that approached the D-Reaper as it went around deleting anything in its path, killing everyone and everything it came across. Many think that what it ultimately wanted was to delete the entire Digital World and to have all Digital life forms indefinitely trapped in their egg forms with no hope to ever grow or evolve."

"That's seriously twisted," Takuya muttered. "It sounds like it was against life itself."

"In a way, it was. It deemed everything as unworthy of life since it would eventually evolve and need to be deleted anyway, just to have the process start all over again. So it decided to just destroy everything until there was nothing left and nowhere for anything to go. That's why most Digimon came to call it 'the chaos'."

Tai nodded. "Sounds appropriate."

"And familiar," Takato added. "Didn't the Kogamon leader say that Vulcanusmon saved them and the Ninjamon from the chaos? Was he talking about the D-Reaper?"

Grimmon chuckled. "So you remember that, eh? Yes, it's true. Long ago, both the Kogamon and the Ninjamon almost had their homes destroyed by the D-Reaper, but Vulcanusmon came to their aid. He lured the D-Reaper away from their villages, almost dying in the process, and had his own home deleted for his troubles."

"So that's why they honored and respected him so much," Kari realized. "He not only saved their lives and their homes, but both their clans."

The reaper Digimon nodded. "Yeah, that pretty much hit the nail on the head."

"So what happened to it?" asked Davis. "I'm assuming this D-Reaper was destroyed somehow."

Shoutmon shook his head. "No, not quite. It was just neutralized. Trapped and sealed away so it can never hurt anyone again. And that's where Jesmas comes from. Before the D-Reaper was banished, it had already deleted 47 percent of the Digital World. Something had to be done. That's when a newly Digivolved Digimon known as Jesmon challenged the D-Reaper. It managed to lure it away, all the way down to Digimon-Hell, the bottom most layer of the Digital World. He drew it down into a subspace from which it was unable to escape. It's already next to impossible to get out of Digimon-Hell, and it became completely impossible for the D-Reaper once it was trapped.

"You know the saying, 'if you dig yourself into too deep of a hole, you won't be able to get out without help'. Well that's kind of what happened to the D-Reaper, only on a multidimensional scale, not a literal hole. It had been deleting everything in its path as it went along and ended up trapping itself in a space in the deepest depths of Digimon-Hell with no way out, leaving it unable to escape no matter how hard it tried. And with no more data to absorb, it could no longer grow, evolve, or develop anymore.

"It's still there, trapped, unable to get out, but it's reverted to a more dormant and docile state due to the lack of life around it. Even so, the only thing it can do is dig itself deeper into subspace, further and further away from everything and everyone. I guess, in a way, it kind of got what it wanted, a void lacking any life."

"That is an eerie but fascinating way of looking at things," Tai noted. "So the D-Reaper was sealed away. But what happened to Jesmon? You said he lured the D-Reaper away. That must mean he lured it down to wherever."

The dragon Digimon sighed. "He died. In luring the D-Reaper into the depths of Digimon-Hell, he trapped himself. The D-Reaper blocked his only way out, and he eventually ran out of places to go. He was caught and deleted, but his plan worked, the D-Reaper was indefinitely trapped. He was a hero, but after he was reborn, he never claimed credit for his deed. Many Digimon had died that day, and there was no way to tell which of the Digi-Eggs was his. He was a humble Digimon that had no wish to be honored as a hero, so he kept his silence about who he was, possibly even taking another Digivolution route."

Davis crossed his arms. "If no one knew who he was after he died, then couldn't anyone have just taken the credit and say that they were the Jesmon that saved the world?"

The dragon Digimon wobbled his head. "They could have, but no one ever did out of respect for the one that actually made the sacrifice, not even other Jesmon that appeared afterwards. So, life went on, and the Digital World eventually recovered and repaired the damage the D-Reaper caused to it, yet we honor what Jesmon had done for us, and what he sacrificed to do it. After all, Jesmon is such a rare and powerful Digimon that only can have his stage reached under unique circumstances, and even then it had taken millions of years."

"That's why we celebrate Jesmas," Grimmon concluded, "and why Santamon does what he does. The D-Reaper sought to end evolution and progress. So Santamon provided data to the younger Digimon that need to evolve and progress." He looked upon the horizon. "Or at least he did until he was captured. Now, whoever is holding him captive, is hogging all the data Santamon develops to themselves."

"That's horrible," Kari exclaimed. "Poor Santamon. We've got to free him, and stop whoever it was that captured him."

Shoutmon held out his arms. "Now, now, remember, it's only rumored that he's being held at the place we're going. There's no guarantee that he'll be there. Or even the scrolls for that matter."

"No, but it's a chance," Davis pointed out. "And a chance is all we need. Only…" his stomach rumbled, and he fell to his knees, "I'm too hungry to go on."

The others fell over anime style. It had been decided that they would be more careful with the rations they had received from the Kogamon and Ninjamon, yet Davis seemed to be hungry all the time.

Grimmon sighed and whipped his serpentine body outward. "Climb on. I'm big enough for all of you to ride on."

Davis was instantly on his feet. "Ok, sweet."

He hopped onto the reaper Digimon's body, as did Shoutmon. The others climbed on as well, sitting along the length of his long tail. "Is everybody on?" Grimmon asked. When they all confirmed that they were, he began flapping his wings. "Alright, hold on."

The teens cried out in surprise as he took to the air, and soon they were rising into the sky. The land below got smaller and smaller the higher they went, and the teens clung to Grimmon's body tightly.

"Why didn't you warn us you were going to fly?" Tai shouted over the wind speed.

"I did, I told you to hold on," Grimmon replied. "This'll get us there much faster."

"Then why didn't you just do this before?" TK asked.

"I wanted more time to get to know you and your world some more. You humans fascinate me."

"I'm pretty fascinated right now myself," Takato cried as he looked down fearfully. The sight just made him hold on tighter. "Can you please not fly so high?"

A wicked grin crept up the reaper Digimon's face, and he flew even higher.

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It really was a shame they couldn't spare the energy to fly from place to place in their Digimon forms; it would have made getting around a lot faster. But riding on Grimmon was a good alternative. They reached their destination in a fraction of the time it would have taken to walk there.

Unfortunately, there was no warm welcome to be had. As they flew over the small town that rested in the shadow of the large mountain, a dragon Digimon flew up to them. It didn't look friendly, and the attack fired at them supported this.

"Wing Cutter!" it cried, flapping its wings to send blades of wind at the group.

Grimmon's eyes narrowed. "Hold on tight!" He maneuvered around the blades of wind. Takato cried out as he fell off, but Grimmon quickly grabbed him. He placed him on his back next to the others again, and his tail wrapped around them.

"Not so tight," Davis complained.

Grimmon ignored him and turned to the Digimon that had attacked them. "Airdramon, why do you attack us?"

"You are not permitted to fly here," the dragon Digimon replied, its voice suggesting that it was female. "Land now, or be brought down. Wing Cutter!"

Grimmon lashed out, knocking away the blades of wind. "You want to fight? Then lets fight."

"Hey!" Tai shouted. "Don't forget about us!"

Once again, Grimmon ignored his passengers. "Black Blast!"

He fired a ball of darkness at the dragon Digimon. Airdramon maneuvered around it and breathed a stream of fire at Grimmon. He countered by using his Call Bird attack to summon a flock of Digital birds to take the brute of the attack. The remaining birds then flew at Airdramon and began scratching and pecking.

"Call Dragonfly!" Grimmon cried, and just like with the birds, several dragonflies appeared. These weren't ordinary dragonflies though; they were giant insects that began firing bolts of lightning at Airdramon.

"Grimmon," TK called, "that's enough! Stop it!"

"Don't bother," Shoutmon told him. "The guy's a reaper Digimon. He won't stop until his foe is defeated."

He was proven right as Grimmon used his Summon Bat. Numerous bats appeared, flying towards the dragon Digimon with venom dripping from their fangs. Airdramon snarled as the birds and dragonflies continued to attack, glaring at the approaching swarm of bats. "God Tornado!" she cried, breathing out a tornado that sucked up and blew away the attacking swarms. "Spinning Needle!"

Flapping her wings, Airdramon sent out vacuum blades towards the group. Grimmon used the weapons he had for hands to knock them away, then fired his Dark Crusher. An arrow of paralyzing darkness struck Airdramon and the dragon Digimon began to fall from the sky. But Grimmon wasn't finished yet. Keeping a firm hold on the teens, he flew towards the falling dragon Digimon. "Power Cutter!"

A crisscross of slashes flew across Airdramon's body Grimmon then grabbed her and sped towards the ground. The teens screamed as they descended quickly, then began coughing as a dust cloud rose when Grimmon slammed the dragon Digimon to the ground.

"Had enough?" he growled at her. He lowered his face down to Airdramon's. "You've got a lot of nerve attacking us out of the blue like that. Perhaps I should make sure you won't do it again."

"Cease this!" another voice demanded, and a metallic Digimon bearing a large shield on each arm marched over to them. "I am Mercurymon, guardian of this town. I demand thee end this violence at once."

Grimmon glared at him. "You wish to fight me as well? Fine Summon Cat!"

A digital cat appeared, and it pounced at the mutant Digimon, claws extended. Mercurymon suddenly performed a roundhouse kick, knocking the cat away where it burst into data. The reaper Digimon growled at him. "Then I'll take you on directly."

"Grimmon, wait!" Kari shouted to him.

Grimmon didn't seem to hear her as he fired his Small Breath attack, spitting a fireball at him. Mercurymon held his ground and lifted up his shield. "Dark Reflection!"

His shield seemed to contain a mirror on it, and Grimmon's attack was pulled into it. Mercurymon then held up his other shield, and Grimmon's attack, now infused with negative energy, flew out of the mirror on it. The now black fireball slammed into Grimmon, blasting him back, his tail uncurling from the teens. They immediately jumped to their feet and turned to the mutant Digimon, ready to fight.

No longer pinned down, Airdramon got up, looking ready to attack again, but Mercurymon held out his hand to stop her. "Cease! There be no need to fight. Thou was not told to attack to begin with."

The dragon Digimon bared her fangs. "Hasn't our town suffered enough? Hasn't there been enough death because of those stupid rumors?"

"And thou hast decided to solve this with more death? Nay, there shall be no more fighting." He received a growl in return from Airdramon, but the dragon Digimon obeyed, and he turned back to the teens. "Thou must forgive her. She was sent to request that thee land and make yourselves known if thee wished to enter our town."

Grimmon had recovered at this point and was making his way over to the group. "An interesting method she uses," the reaper Digimon growled angrily.

Mercurymon bowed his head in apology. "She was not meant to attack. I pray thee will forgive us for our misdeeds. We were but being cautious. Not too long ago, a Digimon entered thy town and headed for the mountain. We believed him to be just another Digimon come to investigate the rumors of Santamon. When a resident attempted to warn them, they were killed. They declared that more would be coming, and it would be in our best interest to leave. Thus we increased security."

Grimmon pointed at him. "That is still no reason to attack me."

Kari patted him. "Calm down. Remember what Vulcanusmon taught you; you don't have to live a life of violence."

"Self defense," the reaper Digimon snarled.

Shoutmon nudged him. "Hey, come on, you know that Airdramon can be ferocious."

"Nay," Mercurymon disagreed, "thy friend speaks true. Airdramon acted out of term. I shall exchange words with her."

The dragon Digimon growled. "I don't need a talking to. This guy just needs to land when ordered to do so."

"Maybe I just don't respond well to threats," Grimmon growled. "None but my master may command me."

TK waved his arms. "Whoa, ok. Lets just take this down a few notches. Neither side handled the situation properly. Lets just put this behind us before it gets out of hand."

The reaper and dragon Digimon glared at each other, growling. Airdramon looked away first, spreading her wings. "Just watch yourself next time."

Grimmon slithered closer. "Is that another threat? You had best be careful with how you speak to me. You have no idea of who you're dealing with, or who I represent."

Airdramon snorted. "You speak of Vulcanusmon? Word has already reached us that he was destroyed. The next time you respond to a threat with another one, make sure you actually have something to back up what you say."

With that said, she took off into the sky. Grimmon growled, looking like he wanted to go after her, but didn't. Mercurymon sighed in relief that there was no further violence and looked back at the teens. "I thank thee for understanding, and once again offer my humble apologies."

"Hey, it's fine," Tai told him. "Misunderstandings happen. I'm just glad that things didn't escalate to much."

Grimmon huffed. "Speak for yourself."

Takato raised his hand. "Um, excuse me, Mr. Mercurymon, sir, but that Digimon that you said came and killed a residential Digimon, was it by any chance Asuramon?"

The mutant Digimon possessed no eyebrows, or even eyes, but if he did, the teens got the impression that they would have raised up in surprise. "How did thoust know?"

"I knew it!" Davis cried, punching the air. "Looks like Grimmon was right, Asuramon did come here." He pointed to himself and his friends. "We're chasing after that guy. He stole something we're trying to recover. And we think he's in league with whoever it was that captured Santamon and is holding him prisoner."

Mercurymon cocked his head to the side. "So thou have heardst the rumors as well. Truth be told, I know not if Santamon really be up there. This town simply be the last place he was sighted before his disappearance. But it's true that there be a powerful Digimon living up on that mountain, and that be where Asuramon hadst gone. Yeh will surely find Asuramon up there, but thou would have to check for yourselves to see if Santamon really be held prisoner there. Many have gone searching, but none have returned alive. Truthfully, we hadst hoped that Asuramon had met his end up there as well."

"How encouraging," Davis muttered. "So what type of Digimon have gone up there to investigate?"

"Champions and Ultimates mainly. And a single Mega. None survived."

Takuya sighed. "Well that's just great. That means that whoever's up there is a Mega as well."

TK crossed his arms. "Not necessarily. Don't forget about Ghoulmon and Housemon. If Asuramon was in league with whoever is up there, then they could have sent the two of them to attack the Kogamon. Maybe the two of them were the ones defeating everyone who went up to investigate the Santamon rumor."

Shoutmon nodded. "It's possible, but not likely. We'll have to go check to know for sure."

Mercurymon motioned towards them. "If thou art planning to seek Santamon, then though best be in top form. Come, I shall provide thee with loggings for today. Eat and be well rested before heading out. Consider it my apology for the hostile welcome thou hadst received."

Davis' stomach growled loudly. "You mentioned food? As in a free meal? I'm down with that."

"Oh, brother," the others muttered.

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The town was small, and the inn was simple, but it did provide rooms for each of them, and a meal. Mercurymon had paid the innkeeper for their stay and had joined them at the table. Grimmon had still been grumpy and had gone straight to bed after eating, but the others remained behind as they listened to Mercurymon explain what had happened on Jesmas night two years ago.

"Santamon hadth come during the night, just as yeh would expect. He delivered the data dust packets to the Digimon of our town, then left as always." He paused to take a drink from his mud before continuing. "Shortly after he left, the sound of a battle was heard. Residents say that they saw flashes of his attacks in the distance, but I know not if this be true, I hadth gone to sleep."

"And that was the last time Santamon was seen?" Tai asked.

Mercurymon nodded grimly. "He never went to the next town he would go to after ours, nor any town nearby, or anywhere else in the Digital World for that matter, even though his travels hath always been like clockwork in the past. The following Jesmas, he made not a single appearance or delivery. That was when the rumors began. And not long ago, prior to that, a wicked Digimon hath moved into the cave up in the mountain. That coupled with this being the last place Santamon was sighted, along with the stories of the battle that was seen that Jesmas night caused others to theorize that he was being held prisoner by the Digimon up in the mountain."

TK crossed his arms. "Hmm, I can see why people would think that. Still, isn't it possible that he was just destroyed in the battle he was in?"

Mercurymon nodded. "Yay, it is possible, but with his ability to create data, it would be far more beneficial to keepth him alive and use him rather than to kill him and absorb the limited amount of data his death would provide." He nodded to the window, the mountain overlooking the town visible outside. "Over the past five months, several have gone up there to see if the Digimon that moved into the mountain really did capture Santamon, but none have been able to confirm or disprove them."

"Great," said Davis, "I guess we're being promoted to detectives."

Takato nodded. "Yeah, hopefully we'll be able to kill two birds with one stone. We'll get the scrolls back, and free Santamon."

"Hmm," Mercurymon muttered. "Thou be more brave than I."

Shoutmon glanced at him. "Aren't you the town guardian? You should have been the first one up there."

"And leave the town unguarded should I perish? I think not. Call me a coward if thou wish, but I'll not leave my duties to investigate a wild rumor that could potentially lead to my death, and leave this town without a guardian."

"Hey, no judgment," said TK, holding his hands up defensively. "We understand duty. The town's protection comes first."

Mercurymon nodded. "Thank thee for understanding. I will say this though, if thou can get proof that Santamon is being held captive up there, I shall fight with all I have to free him, as will many others."

Kari chuckled. "Glad to hear we have backup."

"Now then," said the mutant Digimon, "I have some questions for thee." He leaned in close. "What many of creatures are thee exactly?"

The teens groaned as Takato leaned back in his chair and sighed. "Here we go again." 

Notes:

(A/N: So, did you see what I did with the play on words? Christmas, Jesmon, Jesmas. And for further Digimon lore, Jesmon was based off Jesus. Oh, and no, I did not make up Santamon. He has n ever made an appearance, but there is a song about him that was released for a Digimon holiday CD. They've also recently made an Appmon version of him. The real question, are the rumors true? Is he being held captive up on the mountaintop? At the very least, it is the location of Jokermon. But was it Ghoulmon who was killing everyone that came to investigate the Santamon rumor, or is there someone else up there with Jokermon even more terrible? It seems that one problem being solved simply makes way for another. But if they can get through this, with Grimmon's help, they just might make it to Cherubimon's castle. Could this be the final leg of their journey? Stay tuned to find out.)

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New Digimon that appear or are mentioned.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Jesmon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Santamon_(Appmon)

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Airdramon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Mercurymon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/D-Reaper

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digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Santamon_o_Sagase!!

animelyrics.com/anime/digitame/santamonwosagase.htm

Chapter 65: Tournament

Notes:

(A/N: Alrighty then. Last time, our heroes heard several rumors about a certain mountain. Time to see if there's any truth to them. Are the scrolls there? Is Santamon? And who is the Digimon waiting for them? Is it just Jokermon, or is there something else. And pay close attention, because there's something important that will be mentioned that will come into play later.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 65: Tournament

It was with great reluctance that Airdramon provided the teens with transport to the top of the mountain. Or at least to the cave near the top where all those that had gone before them had ventured into, and apparently met their end. Truth be told, they were a little more anxious than usual. At least in the previous battles with Devimon, Dragomon, Myotismon, and Argomon, they had known what they were getting into. This time, it was the uncertainty of who and what they were going to face that made them extra nervous.

Airdramon was still sore from her defeat by Grimmon, and had no qualms about showing her distaste as she flew the group to the cave. "I still don't see what you humans can do. You're puny and weak. Digimon far stronger than you have entered that cave and failed."

"Have you ever gone in?" Tai asked?

The dragon Digimon snorted. "Have you seen me? Do I look like I'm built for crawling through caves? I'm meant to fly free in the sky."

Takato frowned. "Don't you care about Santamon?"

"Don't get me wrong, what Santamon does for others is selfless and generous, but it's also foolish. He should have known better than to go around displaying his ability to provide data to others. Of course someone is going to grab him and use his power for themself. He got himself into this mess, he can get himself out."

Davis snickered. "Sounds like someone's been getting coal in her stocking for Jesmas the past few years."

"Santamon doesn't deliver to anyone above the Rookie level," Shoutmon replied. He raised an eyebrow. "And what's coal have to do with anything?"

The boy blinked. "Oh, well, you see, in our world, if you're naughty, instead of getting a Christmas present…" He trailed off at the dragon Digimon's confused look. "You know what, never mind."

They made it to the cave a few minutes later. Airdramon settled down on the ledge and the teens slid off as Grimmon landed beside him. Airdramon threw him a dirty look, and received one in return, before glancing at the teens. "Well, good luck to you. I don't know what you'll find in there, but I doubt it'll be pretty."

"We'll be sure to tell you when we return," Grimmon told her.

The dragon Digimon growled as she turned to him. "You I'm hoping don't come back. I don't know what it is, but there's something about you that I don't like."

The reaper Digimon sneered. "Could it be that I beat you?" His grin widened as Airdramon snarled at him. "Maybe you should be more careful with who you attack." He glanced down the mountain. "Look, someone else is entering the town now. Why don't you try giving them a warmer welcome than you gave us?"

Airdramon looked. Way down at the town's entrance, there was indeed a little speck entering the town. It made the dragon Digimon growl. "Again? I'm tired of all these wannabe heroes coming to solve the great Santamon mystery. Our town has gotten a bad enough reputation as it is."

She began flapping her wings, getting ready to fly off. TK raised a hand to bid her farewell. "Ok, well, thanks for all your…" the dragon Digimon was already flying away, "help… Bye…"

Takuya frowned. "She's got a real attitude problem."

Shoutmon gave a bark of laughter. "You got that right. Hard to believe her species are close to the Digimon God." He looked at the cave entrance. "So, you guy's ready for this?"

Kari looked at the cave. It was a big opening, definitely large enough for Ghoulmon, Housemon, or SkullGreymon to fit through. "As ready as I'm gonna be."

"Yeah!" Davis cried, punching the sky. "Lets prove a rumor! Or disprove. Whatever. Lets go!"

"Wait!" Tai said loudly. He cautiously approached the cave, studying the mouth and inside. "We don't know what type of enemy we'll end up facing. We should be cautious."

"Well, we know there's at least Asuramon," Takato pointed out. "If we're lucky, there will only be him and the one that captured Santamon, and they won't be any higher than an Ultimate."

"Can we please just do something," Grimmon growled impatiently as he hugged himself. "It's freezing up here."

He was right about that. At this altitude, the mountain was covered in snow and ice. The inside of the cave, however, was warm and humid. The teens stepped inside, Grimmon bringing up the rear. Nothing attacked them once they were inside.

The walls of the cave were aligned with torches, providing light to the inside. The tunnel seemed to go on a long way, and the further in they went, the more they began to relax when nothing jumped out at them.

"Hey, you guys remember the caves of Infinity Mountain?" Takato asked suddenly.

TK smiled at the memory. "Yeah, with Grumblemon, Renamon, BlueMeramon, and everyone. Wow, that seems so long ago."

"It was long ago," Tai reminded him. "Months ago."

Davis jokingly poked the back of Shoutmon's head. "It was also when our little buddy here found love."

The dragon Digimon blushed. "I-I have no idea what you mean."

The boy grinned. "Oh, come on. Are you gonna deny that you completely fell for Renamon?"

"Davis, I swear to you. One more word and I'll…" He trailed off, hearing something up ahead. It sounded like movement. Was someone else here?

Holding a hand up to his ear, he tried to listen. Davis, it seemed, didn't pick up on what he was doing and continued to tease his little friend, poking him in the head again. "Oh, come on, you can tell us. It's ok that you're in lo- OW!"

Shoutmon had spun around and bit his poking finger. Davis waved his hand around, screaming as the dragon Digimon kept his jaws tightly clenched.

"Shh!" Tai hissed, slamming his look alike against the wall.

The dragon Digimon released him. "Don't make fun of me, or Renamon. And I think whoever's here already knows about us. I heard them moving."

"That could have just been us echoing down the tunnel," Grimmon pointed out.

Shoutmon shook his head. "No, the sound was coming towards us, not heading away."

The group fell silent and listened. They heard nothing, only their breathing and the occasional drip of water falling from the ceiling.

Takato frowned. "I don't here anything. Are you sure?"

The dragon Digimon crossed his arms. "Are you saying you don't trust me? I know I heard something."

"No, no! I'm not saying you didn't! It's just that we're in a spooky cave, going to face an unknown enemy. Sometimes you might-"

"There it is again!" the dragon Digimon interrupted. "Someone's definitely there. Quick, follow me!"

He took off running through the cave, ignoring Kari's cries of how they should stick together. The tunnel only led in one direction, and it was lit by the torches. Shadows were cast on the walls, either from the torches sticking out of the walls or from the rock formation. Either way, they should not have been able to move. And that was exactly what one did when he got close enough. "Ah-ha! I saw you! Get back here! Asuramon, is that you?"

It wouldn't be until later that he would realize that if it had been the demon Digimon in question, he would have been crazy for chasing after him on his own as a mere Rookie to Asuramon's Ultimate. Right now though, he was focusing on catching whoever had been spying on them. That didn't seem like it would be happening any time soon though; whoever he was chasing was very fast.

The tunnel came to an end, opening into a large cavern. Unlike the tunnel, the cavern was not lit, and only a dim light filled it, making it very difficult to see. Whoever he had been after had disappeared into the darkness, and Shoutmon squinted as he struggled to see in the dim light.

"Shoutmon, wait up!" came Takuya's voice from behind him. The teens caught up, almost running into him as they came out of the tunnel. "It's dangerous to run off like that in here."

The dragon Digimon snorted. "Life is full of danger. I had a lead, and I went with it."

"Shoutmon," Grimmon growled, "there was nothing there. You're being paranoid."

He stomped his foot. "I'm telling you, I heard someone back there. Saw them too. I chased them into this place."

"It was nothing."

"It was someone spying on us, and I followed them right into here!" He threw a Fiery Fastball into the cavern. It blasted against the wall… lighting up a sinister looking face next to where it struck. A low growl emitted from the face as the embers burned out and darkness concealed it once more.

"Did you see that?" Kari asked, feeling a shiver run down her spine.

TK nodded. "I saw it. There's definitely something there."

"I told you!" Shoutmon exclaimed.

Grimmon rose up to his full height. "I'll handle this. Call Dragonfly!"

The electric flying insects appeared and unleashed their lightning in all directions, lighting up the cavern. The creature they had seen leapt off the wall it was clinging to and landed a short distance from the teens. In the dim light, it was truly menacing, and the growls escaping its lips made it all the more terrifying.

Takato gulped. "T-That's not Asuramon."

A loud deranged laughter that was not coming from the creature echoed off the cave walls. "Well, so much for Hide-and-Seek. I was hoping to watch you squirm around in the dark. Oh well. Lights!"

Torches on the walls lit up, filling the cavern with light. The creature crouching down before them looked up at the teens, and they suddenly wished it had remained in the shadows. It looked like a humanoid demon crossed with a goat and a crow. It was a hideous beast that may have been even more horrifying than SkullSatamon.

"I know who that is," Shoutmon whispered uneasily. "Aegiochusmon Dark."

Takato blinked. "Boy, that's quite a name. Who's he?"

Tai was checking his Digivice. "Aegiochusmon Dark. He's an Ultimate level god Digimon, and one of Aegiochusmon's five forms. Along with his dragon based regular form, he also possesses a metal based Blue form, an evil based Dark form, a plant based Green form, and an angel based Holy form."

"And of course we get struck with his evil Dark form," Davis grumbled irritably. "Figures. Why couldn't we have run into his Holy form?"

TK tore his eyes away from the horrifying Digimon and turned them to the throne where a certain clown Digimon wielding a lethal looking scythe sat with a big grin on his face. "Forget about him. Who's that guy?"

The clown Digimon's grin widened. "So nice to meet you. I am Jokermon, at your service."

Takuya cut his eyes at him. "Something tells me we don't want any type of service this guy is providing."

Jokermon roared with laughter, as if this were the funniest thing he ever heard, but there was something very off about his laugh, something akin to madness, and the teens exchanged uncertain looks, not sure what to make of him.

"Somebody better call Batmon," said Takato, "'cause this guy is completely off his rocker."

"Yeah," Davis agreed, "next thing you know, he'll start saying 'why so serious'."

The clown Digimon laughed even harder, pounding his fist on the armrest of his throne. "Why so serious? I like that. I think I will start saying that."

Aegiochusmon didn't seem to find the situation funny, looking ready to go in for the kill at any given moment. "May I take them?"

Jokermon's laughter quickly quieted down. "Not just yet. Lets have a little fun with our guests first. After all, they came such a long way just to die."

"We came for the scrolls Asuramon stole," Tai told him. "Return them to us. And if you're really keeping Santamon prisoner, then let him go too."

The clown Digimon just grinned and rested his cheek against his knuckle. "My, you're certainly demanding, aren't you. Unfortunately though, I no longer have the scrolls. I'm afraid I sent them off to the boss."

"The boss?" TK repeated. "Then there's someone else in charge?"

"Looks like your hunch was right, Grimmon," Takuya told the reaper Digimon. "Asuramon did bring the scrolls here."

"I thought we had established that already," said Davis.

Jokermon's shoulders began to shake as he tried to hold in his laughter. "You don't need to worry about Asuramon anymore. He got his… just deserts. His head decided to desert his body."

He began laughing again and started swinging his scythe back and forth. Tai's hand went to his neck as he got the clown Digimon's punch line. It seemed his friends did too if the looks on their faces was any indication. "And Santamon? Is it true that you're holding him captive here?"

The laughter stopped, but Jokermon's smile remained. "So you heard that rumor too, huh? Well, let me shed some light on it."

He snapped his fingers and another torch lit, this one above a cell built into the wall. It was dark inside, but the teens could see something red moving around behind the bars. "Yes, as a matter of fact, he is here. You wouldn't believe how many fools came here to investigate a single rumor, each one as weak and pathetic as the last." Grinning, he looked at the cell. "Hello in there. How's it feel to know that so many died trying to save you?"

"You're sick!" TK shouted, and made a run for the cell. Aegiochusmon moved with lightning speed, placing himself in front of TK and growling at him.

Jokermon shook his finger. "Ah, ah, ah, none of that. If you want to save the Jesmas man, you're going to have to win his freedom."

Takuya glared. "So you wanna fight?"

A frown crossed the clown Digimon's face, and he placed a hand on his chest. "Me? Oh, no, no, no, no. Not me." He grinned again. "How can I enjoy the show if I'm fighting? Let me introduce you to our contestants."

He clapped his hands. Aegiochusmon leapt away from TK and landed beside the clown Digimon. A few moments later, two more Digimon flew down from the roof of the cave, the first resembling a white gryphon, the other looking a lot like Paildramon, only opposite, being where insect where Paildramon was dragon and dragon where Paildramon was insect. Something else came down from up above after them, only this one dropped down instead if flying, and it shook the entire cavern with its impact.

"What's that?" Davis asked as he regained his balance. "A giant gold Rubix cube?"

Jokermon roared with laughter. "Not quite. This is something far more difficult to deal with. But it does open up." He snapped his fingers, and pipe-like limbs expanded from the giant object, and a head rose up. Jokermon grinned and motioned to it. "Meet Bulbmon. And this here is Hippogriffomon and Dinobeemon. I believe you've already met Aegiochusmon."

Shoutmon looked at each of the Digimon. "These guys are all Ultimates."

"Oh," said Jokermon, "we're not done yet. I wanted the teams to be even." He whistled loudly, and an entire wall blew apart as two much larger Digimon burst into the cavern, one resembling a bulky Tyrannosaurus Rex, the other resembling a demonic sea creature.

"Meet MasterTyrannomon and MarineDevimon," Jokermon announced, "the last two contenders. In a way, you can consider them your life mates, since they'll be with you for the rest of your lives, as short as that is."

Takuya ignored the clown Digimon's laughter as he looked at the aquatic beast Digimon. "MarineDevimon, huh? Guess that's why he looks like Devimon crossed with a giant squid."

"These guys are Ultimates too," Shoutmon told them, looking increasingly uneasy.

"As are your friends," the clown Digimon pointed out. "At least they are when they turn into Digimon. Oh yes," he chuckled, "I know all about your abilities, your Spirit Evolution. I have ever since you stayed at the Kogamon village."

"So Asuramon told you," Tai guessed. "It's a shame we couldn't finish him off back then."

"You're not still planning on destroying the Kogamon Clan, are you?" Kari asked worriedly.

More laughter from Jokermon. "As if the boss cares about that little speck of land. There are more important things to worry about. And now that we have the scrolls, we can focus on unleashing the great power that had been sealed away."

The teens exchanged looks. It seemed that Jokermon was unaware that he still needed the keycards. They still didn't know what this great power was, but if this mysterious boss didn't have the keycards, then the directions the scrolls provided on how to use them were worthless.

"Darcmon must have been working for Jokermon's boss," TK theorized, "and she recruited Argomon into finding the keycards while Jokermon here made a deal with Asuramon to get the scrolls on how to use them."

"Well, that simplifies things a bit," said Davis. "Lets just beat up these guys, defeat their boss, and leave the scrolls wherever they are. Vulcanusmon should have just destroyed them to begin with."

"Don't be so hasty," Takuya argued. "We don't know what this great power is. It may be needed one day."

Jokermon was scowling now. "What are you whispering about? Lets get this show underway."

"Fine then!" Tai cried. "Let's go everybody. Execute! Spirit Evolution… MetalGreymon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Paildramon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… WarGrowlmon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… BurningGreymon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Angewomon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… MagnaAngemon!"

Jokermon clapped at the DigiDestined's Digimon forms. "Bravo! Bravo! Most impressive! It seems I chose wisely."

WarGrowlmon glared. "What do you mean, 'chose wisely'?"

Covering his mouth, the clown tried to suppress his chuckles. "Opponents for you. We're going to have a little tournament. Each of you will face one of my hand picked friends here in a fight to the death." He shook his finger at them. "But no helping each other. That's a big no-no. These are one on one battles."

BurningGreymon took a step forward. "You think we're going to play by your rules?"

Jokermon's smile widened. "Oh, I know you will."

He snapped his fingers, and one of MarineDevimon's tentacles shot out. It wrapped around Grimmon and dragged him over, tossing him at Jokermon's feet. While he was dazed, the clown Digimon hooked the blade of his scythe around Grimmon's neck, the blade pressing against his throat.

"Grimmon!" Angewomon cried. "Don't hurt him!"

The clown Digimon snickered. "That will be up to you, I could kill him very easily right now. All it takes is a single sawing motion, and it's bye-bye Grimmon. Now, if anyone breaks the rules, I'll simply adjust the angle of my blade here, and you'll be down a friend."

The reaper Digimon reached for the blade at his throat as he glared up at Jokermon. "You wretch. You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

The clown Digimon winked at him. "Immensely."

Grimmon growled in response. "You will pay for this."

This just caused Jokermon to smile more broadly. "Oh, I'm sure I will, but for now, it's fun time." He looked back at the DigiDestined. "So, what's it going to be? My way," he wiggled his scythe, "or the die way?"

MetalGreymon grit his teeth. "You're not giving us much of a choice."

"Bingo! And now that we've got that out of the way," he sat down on Grimmon's shoulder, his legs around the reaper Digimon's neck, his blade still against his throat. "Let the show begin!"

MasterTyrannomon marched over to WarGrowlmon. "Lets see which of us dinosaurs are better, the master, or the machine."

"Cyborg," WarGrowlmon corrected, "and that's fine with me."

Bulbmon pointed at MetalGreymon. "And we can find out which of us machines is better too."

MetalGreymon's eyes narrowed. "I'm also a cyborg, and you may come to regret your choice."

Aegiochusmon suddenly moved, flying right in front of MagnaAngemon, baring his fangs to the angel Digimon. "You are mine."

A frown crossed the angel Digimon's face. "Should have seen that coming."

Punching his palm, Paildramon looked at the remaining three opponents. "So which one is mine?"

A sudden movement, and a punch to the face delivered by Dinobeemon knocked the dragon Digimon over. "That would be me. I was chosen specifically so we can see which of us is superior."

Rubbing the spot he was punched, Paildramon got to his feet. "Cheap shot, pal. And what do you mean, specifically chosen."

"Dinobeemon is an alternative DNA Digivolution of ExVeemon and Stingmon," Shoutmon explained.

Understanding dawned on Paildramon's face. "Ah, so this is a rivalry thing. You want to prove you're better. I can work with that." He cocked the guns on his hips. "Bring it on."

Looking at the remaining two, Angewomon crossed her arms. "MarineDevimon, huh? Going with this competing theme, I assume you'll be my opponent."

The aquatic beast Digimon chuckled. "Your executioner would be a far more appropriate title."

Jokermon roared with laughter, the movement bringing his blade dangerously close to Grimmon's neck. "Good one!"

BurningGreymon cracked his knuckles as he stared down Hippogriffomon. "I guess I'm stuck with the leftovers. That's fine with me."

The gryphon Digimon's eyes flashed violently. "Is this fine with you too? Sonic Voice!"

Rings of sound flew from his mouth. BurningGreymon jumped up and the attack struck the cave wall, creating a large hole. The dragon Digimon glared down at him. "Using a sneak attack, huh? That's fine with me too. Pyro Barrage!"

Hippogriffomon screeched and flew at him, maneuvering around the energy bullets. As the gryphon Digimon zoomed in, BurningGreymon's arms shot out, grabbing Hippogriffomon's wings to hold him back as he swiped at him with his claws.

"Ooh, and the first fight has begun!" Jokermon declared with a smirk. "This is sure to be a show." He leaned down towards Grimmon. "Don't you think so, big guy?"

The reaper Digimon turned his head as much as he could without slicing his throat. "Under different circumstances, I would kill you. I still might."

"Easy, Grimmon," MagnaAngemon told him. "Remember whatever it was that Vulcanusmon taught you about not needing to give into your killer reaper instincts. We got this."

"Do you now?" the clown Digimon asked, still smiling. "Lets just see."

Hippogriffomon was surprisingly strong, and he somehow managed to slam BurningGreymon against the wall, even as the dragon Digimon kept a firm grip on his wings, his claws scratching at BurningGreymon's chest.

Using his mighty beak, he pecked at his opponent's face. BurningGreymon moved his head to the left, then to the right, Hippogriffomon's beak cracking the rock behind him. As he leaned back to peak again, BurningGreymon head-butted him. With his opponent dazed, he brought his leg up, kneeing the gryphon Digimon in the stomach, allowing him to spin around and slam Hippogriffomon against the wall, reversing their positions.

Pulling back his fist, he prepared to punch the gryphon Digimon, but Hippogriffomon unleashed his Sonic Voice again, and BurningGreymon was blasted backwards. With a shriek, he flew after him, slashing at the dragon Digimon as he whizzed past. He changed directions and flew back, slashing him again, then came about to do it again.

"Wildfire Tsunami!" BurningGreymon cried, unleashing his fiery tornado. Hippogriffomon pulled back from the flames. He screeched loudly and fired his Sonic Voice into the flaming vortex, but hit nothing.

"Come out and face me, you coward!"

BurningGreymon complied. From within the flames, he came flying out, covered head to toe in fire. Using his Burning Grey Basher, he crashed into the gryphon Digimon, tackling him into the wall. He backed off after that, letting him get to his feet. "You regretting your decision yet?"

Hippogriffomon growled at him. "Heat Wave!" He breathed a powerful wind of scorching temperatures at the dragon Digimon.

BurningGreymon felt the level of heat in the attack and had to admit, had that been used on any other Digimon, it would have caused some pretty extensive damage, but not to him. "Dude, are you kidding?" He motioned to his flaming body. "How is an attack like that supposed to hurt me?"

"Sonic Voice!"

Once again, BurningGreymon was blasted back. He landed on his back, skidding across the ground until he came to a stop in front of Shoutmon. The smaller dragon Digimon raised an eyebrow at him. "Um, BurningGreymon…"

"Yeah, yeah, I pretty much put my foot in my mouth there."

He suddenly felt his tail being grabbed and was dragged away from his friends. Keeping a grip on him, Hippogriffomon flew him up towards the roof of the cave where several stalactites hung down. Hippogriffomon flung BurningGreymon up towards them to be skewered, but BurningGreymon was able to flip himself around and kick off the ceiling. He used his Drago Fanger, forming a flaming dragon around himself and slamming into Hippogriffomon. The two hit the ground in a fiery explosion, scorching the area around them.

Blinking through the smoke, Hippogriffomon was able to make out BurningGreymon above him. He opened his mouth to fire his Sonic Voice, but BurningGreymon's Rudriya Darpaṇa clamped down around his throat, cutting off his attack.

"Enough of that," he declared. "Just remember, you wanted this. Fire Below!" He fired his lasers into the ground on either side of Hippogriffomon's head. The ground exploded beneath them with BurningGreymon pinning down his opponent. The gryphon Digimon cried out as the fiery blast flowed over him, and BurningGreymon used his Crimson Fanger, stabbing into the Hippogriffomon's chest.

When the flames from the explosion died down, only Hippogriffomon's lingering data remained. BurningGreymon stood up and dusted himself off, then turned to throw a dirty look in Jokermon's direction. "I believe that's one down."

The clown Digimon stared at him for a moment before he burst into laughter. "Well, that was one 'hot' match. You were really 'on fire'."

He roared with laughter again, as if his horrible puns were the greatest joke ever told. The DigiDestined glanced at each other again, each thinking the same thing. "This guy is seriously out of his mind," WarGrowlmon muttered, giving voice to their thoughts."

Jokermon stopped laughing, but his grin remained. "I'm glad you're so outspoken, 'cause you're next."

WarGrowlmon looked at MasterTyrannomon. The dinosaur Digimon stepped forward, tall, powerful, and pure muscle. WarGrowlmon growled at him and ran his blades over each other, sending sparks flying. "That's fine. I can take it. Don't worry, Grimmon, we'll free you and Santamon soon."

"Can't wait," the reaper Digimon grumbled.

MasterTyrannomon roared and charged towards WarGrowlmon, moving faster than the cyborg dinosaur Digimon would have expected. But not fast enough. Igniting his jets, he shot towards his opponent, slamming into him. MasterTyrannomon grunted as they crashed into the wall, and WarGrowlmon raised his claw to use his Radiation Blade. But as he brought it down, MasterTyrannomon caught his wrist.

His strength was incredible. No matter how hard WarGrowlmon pushed, MasterTyrannomon didn't budge, nor could he pull his claw free of the dinosaur Digimon's grip. A sneer crept up MasterTyrannomon's face as he raised his other hand. "Master Claw!"

He slashed at WarGrowlmon, his claws leaving deep grooves in the cyborg dinosaur Digimon's metal chest. WarGrowlmon stumbled back and MasterTyrannomon opened his mouth and unleashed his Master Fire. The blazing stream hit WarGrowlmon with such force that he was knocked off his feet and pushed all the way to the other side of the wall.

"My turn now," MasterTyrannomon declared, and rushed at him. He wasn't that fast, but he came forward like a charging tank. WarGrowlmon stabbed forward with his Hammer Edge, but MasterTyrannomon ducked to avoid it, head-butting into the cyborg dinosaur Digimon's stomach and slamming him into the wall again.

The air was knocked out of WarGrowlmon from the impact, but MasterTyrannomon didn't give him a chance to catch his breath. He rammed into him a second time, then began pounding his fist into the cyborg dinosaur Digimon's side. WarGrowlmon grunted and lashed out with the cable on his back. It wrapped around MasterTyrannomon's arm, preventing him from punching as WarGrowlmon grabbed the dinosaur Digimon. Gritting his teeth, he lifted the massively heavy Digimon in the air and threw him across the cave. MasterTyrannomon hit the ground so hard the entire cave shook.

"Atomic Blaster!"

"Master Fire!"

The beams of plasma and stream of fire collided with each other. The two attacks pushed against each other for several moments before the power erupted and exploded outward.

With his hands occupied with holding his scythe to Grimmo's throat, Jokermon clapped with his feet. "Ooh, fireworks! What a show!"

WarGrowlmon ignited his jets and sped towards MasterTyrannomon again, but this time the dinosaur Digimon was ready. Bracing himself, he caught WarGrowlmon as he collided into him. His arms wrapped around the cyborg dinosaur Digimon in a powerful bear hug, and he began squeezing. WarGrowlmon cried out as MasterTyrannomon crushed him, unable to break his grip. "Let go of me! Megalo Spark!"

Electricity flowed out of his chest and over MasterTyrannomon. The dinosaur Digimon roared just before WarGrowlmon head-butted him. His grip loosened, and WarGrowlmon broke free. "Atomic Blaster!"

Firing at point blank range, his plasma beams pushed MasterTyrannomon back until he crashed into the wall. When the attacked ceased, the dinosaur Digimon slid down the wall, his front smoking from WarGrowlmon's attack.

Breathing heavily, WarGrowlmon took a stumbling step towards his opponent, his body aching from being crushed. "Do you… really want… to make this a fight to the death?"

MasterTyrannomon looked up at him, seeming to consider the cyborg dinosaur Digimon. But then he grinned and rose to his feet. "I insist upon it. Zen Recovery!"

His body began glowing with rainbow light. It lasted only a few seconds, and when the light faded, he was completely healed. The injuries he had received were gone, including the large burn on his chest.

"He can heal himself?" MetalGreymon gasped.

Jokermon chuckled. "He can heal himself."

"I can heal myself," MasterTyrannomon agreed. "Meaning I can go on for a very long time." He gave the cyborg dinosaur Digimon a toothy grin. "Can you?"

WarGrowlmon took a hesitant step backwards. "Guys, I think I'm in trouble."

 

Notes:

(A/N: Well, this isn't good. Our heroes have never faced of against someone who could heal themselves before. This could prove to be a very difficult fight. And eve n if WarGrowlmon manages to win, there's still several more opponents to fight. I wanted to try doing a tournament type of thing, but I'll try not to drag it out too long, hence why Hippogriffomon was beaten so quickly. But as long as Jokermon has Grimmon hostage, the teens have to play along. Will they all be able to defeat their opponents, or will something interfere with the tournament? Stay tuned for more.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear or are mentioned.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Hippogriffomon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/MasterTyrannomon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Dinobeemon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Bulbmon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Aegiochusmon_Dark

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/MarineDevimon

Chapter 66: To The Victors

Notes:

(A/N: It's part two of the tournament. I wanted to try and write a tournament, but I didn't want to drag it out for too long, so sorry if some of these battles seem like they go by a little fast. Last time, WarGrowlmon discovered that his opponent, MasterTyrannomon, had the ability to heal himself. Lets see how he deals with the problem.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 66: To The Victors

This could indeed prove to be a problem. They had never gone up against an enemy with a healing ability, though they had used these types of techniques themselves in the past. It undoubtedly gave one combatant an advantage over the other, and WarGrowlmon now found himself at the short end of the stick.

"WarGrowlmon, you still have a chance!" Shoutmon called to him.

The cyborg dinosaur Digimon didn't look away from his rejuvenated opponent. "I'm open to suggestions."

"Healing abilities will heal physical damage, but they use up a lot of energy, so they need to be used sparingly. You have to make a judgment call of when you think he'll heal. Hold back for as long as you can until you damage him enough to the point you suspect he might heal himself, then go all out and destroy him before he can."

MasterTyrannomon chuckled as he stepped forward. "A good strategy, but do you really think you can pull it off? I'm not going to give you the chance."

He charged forward and threw a punch. WarGrowlmon's head snapped back as the dinosaur Digimon's fist slammed into his jaw. He growled and used Hammer Edge, swiping his claws upward. MasterTyrannomon stumbled back, and WarGrowlmon wrapped his arms around his torso and ignited his thrusters. The two took off, spinning around wildly in the air as MasterTyrannomon's weight threw off his steering. They crashed into the ceiling, the dinosaur Digimon's back pressed against the hard rock, and WarGrowlmon dragged him across the rough surface, crashing into stalactites along the way.

MasterTyrannomon grunted as his back was torn up and grabbed WarGrowlmon's head. He began slamming his own much larger one into the cyborg dinosaur Digimon's face. WarGrowlmon grunted with each blow and used his Megalo Spark. MasterTyrannomon roared and maneuvered his body, allowing him to kick off the ceiling, and they crashed down to the ground.

WarGrowlmon's thrusters were still ignited, and they pushed him up. He lifted the dinosaur Digimon over his head and tossed him back. MasterTyrannomon grabbed his cable as he was thrown and landed on his feet. He gave it a yank, pulling the cyborg dinosaur Digimon to him, then began spinning him around. He let go, and WarGrowlmon crashed into the wall, his thrusters dying down.

"Hyper Heat Blast!" MasterTyrannomon roared, and a shower of embers went flying from his body. WarGrowlmon raised his arms as the spray of fire flew against him. He unleashed his Megalo Spark again, and the electricity countered the embers, allowing him to get to his feet. He took one step forward, then another as he continued to produce electricity.

The embers stopped flying as MasterTyrannomon used Master Fire. This blasted straight through WarGrowlmon's electric attack and flattened him against the wall as the stream of fire flowed over him. The heat was unbearable, and WarGrowlmon felt his energy draining rapidly.

In a desperate move, he ignited his thrusters again, pushing himself across the room, through the flames, as he moved closer to his opponent. The heat got more intense as he closed the distance between them, his metal body parts glowing bright orange, but he finally reached his opponent. "Hammer Edge!"

He thrust his claw upward into the underside of MasterTyrannomon's mouth. The dinosaur Digimon ceased his attack and roared as WarGrowlmon's claw stabbed through his lower jaw. Pulling his claw free, he relentlessly attacked with his Radiation Blade, slicing all across MasterTyrannomon's torso.

"Master Claw!" the dinosaur Digimon cried, wracking his nails across WarGrowlmon's face. He then followed up with his Hyper Heat Blast, sending the cyborg dinosaur Digimon crashing into the wall once again. "Zen Recov-"

Thrusters igniting, WarGrowlmon launched himself at MasterTyrannomon. He couldn't let him heal again. Tackling the dinosaur Digimon, he used Megalo Spark, and MasterTyrannomon's healing technique was interrupted as he roared.

Grabbing his opponent's head, WarGrowlmon positioned his chest so it was right in front of MasterTyrannomon's face. "Atomic Blaster!"

The plasma beams erupted in the dinosaur Digimon's face. MasterTyrannomon cried out and unleashed his Master Fire to counter it. The attack did little at this close range as WarGrowlmon's beams continued to flow out, pushing through the flames. MasterTyrannomon then began to pound his fists against WarGrowlmon's sides, but the cyborg dinosaur Digimon refused to let up until, finally, MasterTyrannomon stopped moving. This was soon followed by a breakdown of his body into data, signaling the battle's end.

As MasterTyrannomon disappeared beneath him, WarGrowlmon fell to the ground, breathing heavily. He had expelled a great deal of energy doing what Shoutmon had suggested to prevent his opponent from healing, and though it had worked, it left him drained.

Glancing at his friends, the cyborg dinosaur Digimon had to use the blades on his claws to hold himself up so he wouldn't collapse. "Good strategy, Shoutmon. Thanks."

The dragon Digimon gave him a thumbs up. "It's what I do."

"Unfortunately, I think that I… I… Uh oh." He reverted back to human form, no longer having the energy to maintain the transformation. "Yeah, I had a feeling that would happen."

"But you won," MetalGreymon pointed out. "That's one step closer to victory."

Jokermon chuckled. "Oh my, someone is confident." His grin widened. "Why so serious?"

The cyborg dinosaur Digimon cut his eyes at him. "Really?"

Keeping one hand on his scythe, the clown Digimon pointed at him. "Why don't you step into the ring next?"

MetalGreymon looked at his intended opponent. Bulbmon was big, a lot bigger than him, and he looked quite powerful. But they had faced worse. "I'm not afraid."

"You tell him, MetalGreymon," Takato breathed. "Just let me catch my breath, and I'll get out of your way. Shouldn't take more than a few… hours."

The clown Digimon's grin spread wider. "Let me help you with that. Bulbmon!"

The machine Digimon marched over to the boy and lifted his large foot. MetalGreymon gasped and fired his Giga Blaster. The missiles exploded against Bulbmon, knocking him onto his back, his arms and legs kicking around like a flipped over turtle.

"Ha!" Paildramon laughed. "He may look big and strong, but he's not so tough."

He spoke too soon as Bulbmon retracted his arms, legs, and head into his body. "Octagon Attack!"

Like something out of a video game, Bulbmon began flip-rolling end over end towards MetalGreymon, only, unlike in a video game, there was no opening for him to duck into to avoid being crushed. MetalGreymon fired another Giga Blaster, but this did nothing against Bulbmon's hard metal body. He backed away until he hit the wall, then braced himself as the machine Digimon slammed into him, crushing him between rock and metal.

Rolling back, he came at him again, and MetalGreymon was once again crushed. He rolled back for a third hit, but this time MetalGreymon was ready. Bending down, he lifted Bulbmon's massive body as he came at him. His legs threatened to collapse beneath the weight, but he gritted his teeth and tossed the machine Digimon from him.

The cave shook as Bulbmon came down, and MetalGreymon sent out a wave of fire with his Powerful Flame, but Bulbmon remained unaffected by the attack. Flipping twice, he popped out of his body and raised his hand. Power gathered in it as he unleashed his Valve Extreme, firing a beam of condensed energy. MetalGreymon dove to the side, and the beam bore a hole into the wall, deep into the mountain.

"Mega Claw!" the cyborg dinosaur cried. His metal claw flew at Bulbmon, the cable wrapping around Bulbmon's extended arm that fired the beam. MetalGreymon pulled with all his might, yanking at the machine Digimon's arm, but Bulbmon himself didn't budge. He glanced at the cable wrapped around his wrist before yanking on it.

MetalGreymon was yanked off his feet and slammed into the wall on the other side of the room. With a flick of his arm, Bulbmon unwound the cable from his wrist and took aim at the cyborg dinosaur Digimon. "Mad Pump!"

A jet of water flew out of his hand. MetalGreymon hadn't even completely risen yet before the stream of water slammed him against the wall. He would have cried out, but the water pressure was so strong that he couldn't even breathe. The metal covering over his chest dented under the pressure as the wall behind him cracked from the force of the spray.

Jokermon slapped his knee. "It looks like he's all washed up."

The blade of his scythe came dangerously close to Grimmon's throat. "Hey, watch it."

MetalGreymon couldn't move. His feet were not even touching the ground as the spray of water pinned him to the wall. Slowly he raised his metal claw and fired it into the air. It buried into the ceiling, and he reeled himself in, pulling himself out of the way of the water's spray.

Bulbmon looked up at him as the cyborg dinosaur Digimon swung around. He began firing his Valve Extreme, but didn't seem to be good at aiming, the attack blasting the ceiling apart, but missing MetalGreymon. It didn't last long though as the cyborg dinosaur Digimon's weight caused his metal claw to become dislodged, and he fell to the ground, several chunks of rock from the ceiling dropping down on top of him.

Grumbling, MetalGreymon looked up. Bulbmon was standing above him. The giant machine Digimon slowly raised his big hand and brought it down on MetalGreymon. He did it again, making a slow drawn out spectacle of it as he continued to beat down on the cyborg dinosaur Digimon.

"Oh my!" Jokermon cried with false concern. "It looks like this could be it."

Angewomon's eyes narrowed beneath her helmet. "Not a chance! Come on, MetalGreymon, get up!"

"On your feet, big guy!" BurningGreymon shouted. "Our leader ain't going out like this!"

More cries of encouragement came from the DigiDestined, and MetalGreymon attempted to rise again, only to be knocked down once more. As Bulbmon raised his hand once more, MetalGreymon lashed out above him. "Over Flame!"

The flames did little damage, but Bulbmon recoiled on reflex. MetalGreymon jumped to his feet and leapt back as the machine Digimon brought his hand down again, missing MetalGreymon, but crushing the pile of rocks the cyborg dinosaur Digimon had been buried under to dust.

"Giga Blaster!" MetalGreymon cried, firing two missiles. They blasted against Bulbmon's body, once again knocking him over, but still not doing any notable damage. Just like before, Bulbmon's limbs retracted into his body, and he rolled until he was right-side up once again. MetalGreymon expected him to use his Octagon Attack again but instead a compartment opened on his body and a cannon protruded from the opening.

Taking a step back, MetalGreymon realized that he was backed up against the wall with nowhere to go. "Oh, crap."

"Force Beam!"

A massive beam was fired from the cannon. Its brightness blinded the others as it flew through the air towards the cornered MetalGreymon. There was the terrible sound of the beam tearing through rock as Bulbmon's attack blasted straight through the mountain, bursting out into the air and disappearing into the distance.

When the light from the attack died down, the DigiDestined blinked the spots out of their vision. The cave was filled with smoke, but even with it, one thing was obvious, MetalGreymon was gone.

"And it looks like we have a winner!" Jokermon declared gleefully. "MetalGreymon has left the building."

The DigiDestined stared in horror and disbelief at the place where MetalGreymon had once been. Slowly, Paildramon dropped to his knees, refusing to accept what his eyes were seeing. "It can't be… It just can't be…"

"No!" Angewomon wailed, and lunged forward, only to be restrained from behind by MagnaAngemon. "He can't be gone! He can't be gone! Tai! TAI!"

Jokermon cackled manically. "Parting is such sweet sorrow, but I'm afraid we must move on. You didn't see any of us bailing our eyes out when our friends fell, did you? So, next up will be-"

"Don't count me out just yet." From within the smoke, Tai rose to his feet, an arrogant smirk on his face. "I'm not done yet."

"Tai!" the DigiDestined cried.

Even Grimmon seemed surprised to see him. "How did you survive?"

Tai held up his Digivice. "I knew I couldn't avoid the attack as MetalGreymon; I was too big. So I changed back to my human form, then I ducked and covered. The attack flew right over me. Execute! Spirit Evolution… MetalGreymon! Now, lets finish this."

Jokermon stared, blinking a few times in surprise. "Alright, it looks like we're going into extra innings." He pointed. "Bulbmon, blast him again."

Still balled up, Bulbmon began to shift until his cannon was pointed at MetalGreymon again. The cyborg dinosaur Digimon's eyes narrowed as Bulbmon took aim. But now he had his own strategy. Bulbmon's armored body protected him from most of MetalGreymon's attacks, but it wasn't impenetrable.

"Giga Destroyer!" The missiles went flying with precise precision. One and then the other went straight down Bulbmon's cannon. For a few seconds, no one moved or spoke, then Bulbmon's body burst into an explosion of data that filled the cave.

"No!" Jokermon grumbled, once again making a movement that nearly caused his scythe to cut Grimmon's throat. "That was meant to be our victory." He hung his head, as if in defeat, but after a few moments, he immediately perked up. "Ah well. What are you gonna do about it? Dinobeemon!"

"Sir?"

"I expect you to win this one, is that understood."

The mutant Digimon rubbed his hands together eagerly. "With pleasure."

He stepped forward, eager to face his opponent. Everyone waited in anticipation, but Paildramon didn't go to meet him. All heads turned to him, and the dragon Digimon blinked, finally getting the message. "Oh, right. It's my turn."

He too went out to meet his opponent. A feeling of unease ran through him as Dinobeemon stared him down, looking at him as if he were a piece of meat he was longing to devour. "I've been waiting a long time for this."

Paildramon sweat-dropped. "Um, just for the record, I've got nothing against you. We can walk away right now."

Dinobeemon simply cracked his knuckled. "Oh, but I've got a great deal against you. Now I will prove I'm superior."

"Right… Um, you do know that there are other Paildramon out there in the world you can fight, right?"

"Yes, but none like you, human."

The dragon Digimon cut his eyes. "Lucky me."

"Begin!" Jokermon shouted.

Dinobeemon wasted no time, immediately slashing at his opponent. Paildramon's speed managed to save him as he danced away from the mutant Digimon' swiping claws. But Dinobeemon was very fast as well, and as Paildramon thrust his lances at him in a counter attack, the mutant Digimon managed to catch them.

Paildramon attempted to kick him, and Dinobeemon flew backwards, avoiding the blow. "Witness my Dance of Hell. Masquerade!"

He vanished. Paildramon blinked, staring at the place the mutant Digimon had been standing, wondering where he had gone. Could he teleport? That would make things far more difficult.

A cry came from behind him, and Paildramon whirled around, stabbing with his lance. His blade found its mark, stabbing into Dinobeemon's chest, and the dragon Digimon smirked at his opponent. "Got you, pal." He looked again. "Huh?"

The Dinobeemon he had stabbed was not the true Dinobeemon, but a mere after image, a transparent illusion of the mutant Digimon.

The image slowly faded away as Paildramon looked around for the real thing.

A painful slash struck him shoulder as the real Dinobeemon landed a blow. "Wrong! I got you."

Paildramon turned to strike the real thing, but only succeeded in hitting another after image. But Dinobeemon found his mark again. And as Paildramon looked around, more and more copies began to surround him. He caught a glimpse of the real Dinobeemon before it disappeared on him again, leaving behind yet another after image.

Soon several dozen illusions surrounded him, and several more scratches covered Paildramon's body, cutting straight through his armor. He wasn't getting anywhere like this.

"What's wrong?" Dinobeemon taunted. "Is my Masquerade attack too much for you?"

"Hardly," Paildramon retorted. "I'm just coming up with a contingency plan. Desperado Blaster!"

His spray of bullets began showering over the after images. The illusions faded away as Paildramon began taking them out faster than Dinobeemon could create them, until only the real thing was left behind.

"Got you now!" the dragon Digimon declared, firing at his opponent.

But with his speed, Dinobeemon was able to maneuver around the spray of bullets, flying towards the dragon Digimon and coming to a stop right in front of him. "Don't bet on it, human. Irritant Buzz!"

Paildramon had been about to strike, but the buzzing sound Dinobeemon had suddenly unleashed forced him to cover his ears. Sneering, the mutant slashed at Paildramon again before disappearing, once more resuming his Masquerade attack while buzzing madly.

Down on the ground, the others were not immune to Dinobeemon's Irritant Buzz. Even Jokermon had removed his scythe from Grimmon's neck to cover his ears, but the reaper Digimon was too busy covering his own ears to even notice.

Paildramon didn't think he could take it anymore, the noise or the slashes. And as the number of after images increased, he couldn't even aim properly with his guns. "Enough of this! Cable Catcher!"

He fired his claws on a wire, striking an illusion of Dinobeemon. He didn't care that it was fake as he began waving his cables around wildly. They passed through the after images, interrupting the illusions and causing them to fade away. They finally latched onto the real thing, and the persistent buzzing stopped.

"Now then!" cried Paildramon. "Electric Bolt!"

The blast of electricity struck Dinobeemon, dislodging him from the dragon Digimon's cables and sending him crashing to the cave floor. With the buzzing no longer going on Jokermon lowered his hands from his ears. "Phew, never would have thought I'd be glad the enemy managed to one-up an ally. Oops." He quickly returned the blade of his scythe to Grimmon's neck. "That was close. Almost lost you there." His grin widened. "Hey, isn't it ironic that a scythe is being used against a reaper Digimon?"

As Jokermon roared with laughter, Paildramon landed beside the fallen Dinobeemon. "Is there any chance we could end this fight without one of us dying?"

The mutant Digimon looked up at him. "I would destroy us both before I'd let you win."

Paildramon sighed. "I was afraid of that." His lance extended from his arm. "When you come back, try to be good."

Dinobeemon bellowed and threw himself at the dragon Digimon, avoiding the lance. He tackled him into the cave wall, breaking straight through it and into another cavern. The DigiDestined cried their friend's name as the sound of a struggle took place. It was dimly lit inside the cavern the two fought in, the combatants' casting their shadows on the wall. But due to the similar body structures, the DigiDestined were unable to tell which was which.

Finally, one managed to grab the other around the neck, the trapped Digimon struggled against the hold as the other seemed to be attempting to snap their neck. The shadows continued to struggle before the captive one finally became still, their body going limp. A moment later, it dissolved into data.

The victor let out a sigh and began making their way towards the hole. The DigiDestined still had no idea who had been victorious, and all they could do was wait and hope for the best.

Paildramon poked his head out of the hole, looking beat up and exhausted. Joyful cries and cheers came from the DigiDestined as he waved to then. "Please don't get up. In fact, I think I'll lay down."

He collapsed on the ground, reverting back to his human form. BurningGreymon flew over to them and picked him up. Davis appeared to be totally drained, but it didn't matter; he had won.

"Ooh, too bad," Jokermon pouted. "And after such a suspenseful climax too."

"You're one step closer to your defeat," Grimmon warned him.

The clown Digimon shook his finger. "Ah, ah, ah. I still have two friends left. And even if one of them wins, that's a victory for me."

Takato gave him a look of disbelief. "What? When was that established?"

"Just now," Jokermon declared, and began laughing loudly.

An impatient growl came from Aegiochusmon. "Enough. I'm done waiting. I want to fight. Tear them apart. Rip them to shreds. Kill, kill, kill!" His red eyes stared hungrily at MagnaAngemon as he spoke to the clown Digimon. "Let me fight."

Jokermon glanced at MarineDevimon, biting his bottom lip as he seemed to be thinking it over. "Hmm, I don't know. I was planning on saving you for last."

Beneath him, Grimmon growled impatiently as well. "Just let him fight."

The clown Digimon grinned. "Okey dokey then. Aegiochusmon, you may-"

The god man Digimon didn't wait for him to finish as he charged at the angel Digimon. MagnaAngemon held up his sword and shield, blocking Aegiochusmon's attack. Jokermon blinked in surprise. "Fight… Um, ok then. Begin."

Aegiochusmon's ugly face was inches from MagnaAngemon as he pressed back against the blades on the god man Digimon's arms. He could feel the beasts' hot breath against his face, and it smelled like death. "I should have seen this coming."

"You will soon see death," Aegiochusmon growled. "Evil Hunt!"

He went wild, slashing about with the blades on his arms. MagnaAngemon defended and deflected the blades before going on the attack. "Judgment Slash!"

His own blade made contact with Aegiochusmon's, and the two struggled for a few moments before MagnaAngemon increased his sword's strength with Excali-burst. Aegiochusmon's arm began to buckle under the power of the sword, and he suddenly took a swipe at the angel Digimon with the blade on his other arm. A trail of black was left in the blade's wake as it was infused with dark energy, and MagnaAngemon began flying backwards to avoid the evil swipes as Aegiochusmon attacked with his Cross Cutter again and again.

"Shield and Counter!" he cried, blocking the god man Digimon's attack, and Aegiochusmon was repelled back by the force of his own attack. MagnaAngemon followed up with his Magna Jump, launching himself at Aegiochusmon with a blast of holy energy.

"Dark Crystal!" the god man Digimon cried, and was suddenly engulfed with a purple and black aura. As MagnaAngemon flew at him, his claw shot out, seizing the angel Digimon around the neck and slamming him to the ground. "Did you really think your type advantage would help? My Dark Crystal allows me to reduce elemental attack damage, especially if that element is Light.

MagnaAngemon strained to speak. "Good… to know… Magna Jump!"

He launched them both into the air, and they crashed into the ceiling. Aegiochusmon grunted and released him, grabbing at his shoulder where a stalactite pierced him. MagnaAngemon stabbed forward with his Excalibur's Grace attack while he was distracted, but Aegiochusmon moved quickly, blocking with one of his blades.

"Tri-Scythe!" he cried, lashing out at the angel Digimon, and MagnaAngemon gasped as three stingers stabbed into his body. "Triangles!"

An agonized wail escaped the angel Digimon as he was injected with corrosive energy. Aegiochusmon kicked downward, and MagnaAngemon crashed into the ground. The god man Digimon landed a short distance away and began stalking towards him like a predator closing in for the kill. "Can you feel it? The darkness as it eats away at you?" His red eyes positively shined with exhilaration. "Show me how much you're suffering."

Consumed by dark energy, MagnaAngemon struggled to his feet. "Your darkness will never overcome the light. Magna Antidote!" A new rainbow aura flowed over his body, and he felt the dark energy inside him be neutralized. "Never."

Aegiochusmon snarled like a maddened animal and charged at him. The god man Digimon batted them away with his arm blades before crossing them with MagnaAngemon's sword. Loud clang sounds were heard as the two fought furiously, MagnaAngemon using his shield and sword to block against Aegiochusmon's blades, unable to keep up with his speed.

Several of Aegiochusmon's swipes found their mark, and MagnaAngemon was soon covered in numerous cuts. "You foolish human," Aegiochusmon hissed. "You can't defeat me. Gods are superior to angels. Dark Consumption!"

He tossed several shadow spheres at him. MagnaAngemon didn't know what they did, nor did he want to know. He blocked with his shield and swiped with his sword. Surprisingly, this did not deflect the spheres. Rather, they attached to him, and immediately began draining his energy. MagnaAngemon cried out as his power was zapped, the sphere changing from black shadow to a golden light. They detached from his sword and shield and floated over to Aegiochusmon, entering his body. The wound on the god man Digimon's shoulder began to heal as he absorbed MagnaAngemon's energy.

"Did you see that?" MetalGreymon exclaimed. "He can steal energy!"

"And heal himself with it," Davis unnecessarily pointed out. "This isn't good."

Behind his helmet, MagnaAngemon glared at his opponent. "Is that why you're so strong? Because you steal energy?"

"Trust me," the god man Digimon replied, "there was hardly anything worth taking."

"We'll see about that. Flying Sword of Justice!" He flew towards Aegiochusmon with blinding speed. The god man Digimon just sneered. As MagnaAngemon swung his blade, Aegiochusmon caught it. His other hand shot out, grabbing him around his throat once again, his claws digging into the angel Digimon's neck. MagnaAngemon struggled, but couldn't break his hold. His other hand came up to strike the god man Digimon, but Aegiochusmon's stingers suddenly stabbed into his arm, holding it back.

A coughing gargle escaped MagnaAngemon as Aegiochusmon's grip on his neck tightened, and he slowly bent the angel Digimon's head back. On the ground, Angewomon was on the verge of stepping in. "MagnaAngemon is in trouble. We have to help him."

Despite the iron grip on his neck, MagnaAngemon managed to find his voice. "D-Don't… G-G-Grimmon will be…"

Grinning, Jokermon slid his finger across his neck as he pressed the blade of his scythe against the reaper Digimon's throat. "He's right!"

MagnaAngemon still struggled to speak. "I'll… b-beat… him…"

Aegiochusmon grinned wickedly. "Will you now? And just how do you plan to do that?"

"H-H-Heaven's Heal!" His body lit up, and the wounds covering his body healed. Gritting his teeth, he forced himself into an upright position again. "Excali-burst!"

Aegiochusmon hissed in pain and released the blades as it expanded in size and power. MagnaAngemon brought his knee up, slamming it into the god man Digimon's gut. He was released as Aegiochusmon clutched his stomach, glancing furiously at the angel Digimon.

"Judgment Slash!" MagnaAngemon cried, swiping his sword at him. Aegiochusmon avoided it and countered with his Cross Cutter. MagnaAngemon blocked with his shield, and Aegiochusmon came at him again. He threw a punch, his fist slamming into MagnaAngemon's jaw, and the angel Digimon went flying backwards. Yet he took advantage of his momentum, spinning around in the air and drawing a circle with his sword. "Great Golden Gate!"

His momentum carried him right into the portal he created, and it closed behind him as Aegiochusmon fired his Dark Consumption at him. A flash of light directly to his left distracted him as the exit to MagnaAngemon's portal appeared. He emerged, already drawing a second circle, this one for a different purpose. "Heaven's Gate!"

Aegiochusmon's eyes widened as the gate opened and unleashed a powerful beam of energy. It struck the god man Digimon at point black range, blasting him backwards, and slamming him into the cave wall, pinning him there. MagnaAngemon was still coming. With the god man Digimon pinned, he stabbed forward with his sword, already having been enhanced by his Exacli-burst technique.

"Excalibur's Grace!" He buried his sword into Aegiochusmon's gut. Already under the assault of the angel Digimon's Heaven Gate attack, his pained roar echoed through the cave. MagnaAngemon pulled his sword back, raised it up high, and brought it down on Aegiochusmon's head, slicing him in two. "Be gone."

A few moments passed as what happened slowly seemed to register to Aegiochusmon. As his two halves began to slid apart, one last cry erupted from the god man Digimon as he dissolved into data. The beam of holy energy ceased as the portal faded away, and MagnaAngemon slowly floated to the ground, breathing heavily. The battle may not have lasted long, but Aegiochusmon had undoubtedly been one of the strongest and most vicious opponents he had faced.

The DigiDestined stared dumbfounded at MagnaAngemon, surprised at how he had been able to turn the battle around. "He did it," Shoutmon whispered. Then his face lit up. "He did it! Woohoo! I knew he would!"

Takato bonked him on the head. "Yeah, sure you did."

"Please," said Davis. "How could our team ever lose?" He turned to Jokermon, holding up two of his fingers to form a V for victory. "How do you like that, you clown? Now you're down to one baddie."

The clown Digimon tapped his chin. "Yes, I suppose you're right. Quite the unexpected turnout." He pointed. "Ok, MarineDevimon, it's up to you."

The aquatic beast Digimon grunted and stepped forward. The largest of them all, he could barely move on the cave, but still looked as deadly and as powerful as any of them. Despite his size and undeniable power, Angewomon stepped forward to meet him. "I guess it's up to me to end this tournament."

"Good luck, sis," MetalGreymon told her.

As she stood before her opponent, Angewomon frowned up at MarineDevimon in disgust. "A Devimon-species, huh? I'm not one to be racist, but I've had some bad experiences with your kind." She took a fighting stance. "So I probably won't feel too much guilt when I take you down."

MarineDevimon just chuckled. His mouth suddenly became bloated as he prepared to unleash his Dark Deluge attack, but a piercing stabbing sound suddenly echoed through the cave, and MarineDevimon's three red eyes bulged out.

"Enough of these games," a new voice declared. "It's my turn now."

Slowly, MarineDevimon's mouth fell open, a flood of venomous ink spilling out. He fell forward, collapsing to the ground, four swords buried in the back of his head, and floating behind him, coming to land on his back, was a new Digimon.

"What the hell?" BurningGreymon exclaimed. "Who is that now?"

Smirking, the Digimon in question motioned with his fingers, and the four swords buried in MarineDevimon's head sprang to life. They began flying about, slicing the aquatic beast Digimon to pieces, before flying back into their sheaths on their owner's back. As Angewomon's opponent broke down into data that the newcomer proceeded to absorb, he grinned at the DigiDestined.

"So nice to meet you, humans. My name is Piedmon, and I'm the one in charge of this operation."

Notes:

(A/N: Well now, this is a twist. It looks like the tournament has been interrupted by a newcomer. And it looks like this newcomer is the one in charge. The DigiDestined have finally met the big boss, and it looks like he's done playing games. Things are about to take a serious turn here. Are our heroes a match for Piedmon? Find out next time.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear or are mentioned.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Piedmon

Chapter 67: A Bag of Tricks

Notes:

(A/N: We had a bit of a twist last chapter. Now that mastermind behind everything from Darcmon controlling Argomon, to Asuramon deceiving the Kogamon and Ninjamon, to the kidnapping of Santamon. How will the DigiDestined handle Piedmon? specially after most of them tired from battle and Grimmon still stuck as Jokermon's hostage. Lets see how it goes.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 67: A Bag of Tricks

Like Jokermon, Piedmon was a clown Digimon as well, only with a far more colorful, elaborate, and more sinister, as if he had been crossed with a demonic entity of some kind, like a vampire or a ghoul.

Speaking of Jokermon, the clown Digimon seemed rather surprised to see the newcomer. "Master Piedmon, what are you doing here? I thought we had decided to have a tournament with the humans fighting our men."

Piedmon chuckled. "Come now. This tournament is a failure. It's not even fun to watch anymore. These humans are much stronger than we thought. It's obvious who would have won; I simply moved things along a bit."

Despite MarineDevimon being an enemy, Davis was still outraged by the way Piedmon had carelessly slaughtered his own man. "Moved things along? You killed your own guy, you twisted psycho! What is wrong with you?"

A tug on his pant leg drew his attention, and he looked down at Shoutmon. The dragon Digimon was staring at Piedmon rather nervously. "Please don't piss him off. Piedmon is a Mega, and a powerful one at that."

MetalGreymon's eyes narrowed. "Oh, great."

Frowning, Davis looked the clown Digimon up and down. "This guy's a Mega? But he's so small compared to the other Megas we faced."

"Lots of power in a small package," Shoutmon replied. "I told you, size doesn't matter when it comes to power for Digimon."

BurningGreymon snorted. "Ok, so he's a Mega. So what? We've beaten Megas before. Remember VenomMyotismon?"

"Piedmon is stronger," the dragon Digimon told him.

"Argomon at the Mega level?"

"Piedmon's stronger."

"Um, Housemon?"

"He's still stronger."

"…Ghoulmon?"

Getting impatient, Shoutmon glared at him. "Look, you can spend all day naming various types of Mega Digimon, and still Piedmon will be stronger than many of them." He looked back at the clown Digimon. "He's one serious bad guy that holds the rank of Dark Master with an assortment of magic tricks; none of which you want played on you."

Chuckling, the clown Digimon bowed. "You flatter me, really, although not even you know that I'm truly capable of."

Ignoring Shoutmon's warning, MetalGreymon pointed his metal claw at him. "So you say you're the boss. Then you better give back the Kogamon and Ninjamon scrolls."

Looking amused, Piedmon nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders and held out his empty hands. "Sorry, I don't have them with me. And besides, you're in no position to make threats. You're a team of four Ultimates, two humans, and a Rookie, and you dare to threaten me? What nerve."

"Teach them a lesson, master," Jokermon cried gleefully. "Show them what happens to those that defy you."

Cracking his knuckles, Piedmon seemed very eager to do just that. "Oh, I intend to."

"We're not afraid of you!" Davis shouted. "You're just a big bully, stealing the sacred scrolls and kidnaping Santamon."

Shoutmon cut his eyes at him. "So says the guy who can't even fight right now."

Piedmon chuckled again. "I must say, you lot are quite amusing. I wouldn't want to end this too quickly. I'll tell you what, why don't you all attack together. That'll make this more interesting."

Angewomon hesitantly glanced at Grimmon still under Jokermon's blade. "But…"

Smirking, Piedmon shook a finger at her. "Oh, don't worry about him. Your friend will be safe. I want him to see you die."

"The only one dying today is you!" BurningGreymon declared. "Fire Below!"

He fired a laser at Piedmon. The clown Digimon's grin widened as a hand mirror suddenly appeared in his hand. "Clown Trick!"

He held the mirror up, and the laser bounced off it and flew towards BurningGreymon's feet. The ground exploded beneath him, and the dragon Digimon was blown to the ceiling before he came crashing down.

"Careful!" Shoutmon shouted. "His Clown Trick is a unique technique that allows his to do various things, like disguising himself, transforming things, and even reflecting and neutralizing attacks."

BurningGreymon sat up, rubbing his head. "Thanks for the warning."

Piedmon laughed. "As if a warning would have saved you. Your lives were forfeit the moment you got involved in our affairs. Toy Wonderness!"

He slashed at the air, creating a powerful gust of wind. The DigiDestined were blown off their feet, the force of the wind slamming them against the wall and flattening them against it.

Angewomon groaned as she struggled against the wind pressure, yet she managed to unleash her Saint's Air attack, the tornado negating the wind from Piedmon's attack, and the DigiDestined dropped to the ground.

"What the hell was that?" Davis grumbled. "How is something called Toy Wonderness a wind attack?"

Shoutmon, who had landed on his head, and was still on it, toppled over. "Piedmon has a few deceptive attacks."

MetalGreymon got to his feet. "Well, there's nothing deceptive about this. Giga Destroyer!"

The missiles flew at Piedmon, but he held his ground, smirking. "Clown Trick!"

The ribbons hanging from his neck lashed out, striking the missiles and causing them to explode. They extended further, wrapping all around the cyborg dinosaur Digimon and lifting him in the air.

"Let him go!" MagnaAngemon cried, and charged forward with his Flying Sword of Justice.

Keeping hold of MetalGreymon, Piedmon leapt over the charging angel Digimon. He landed a short distance away while keeping his prey dangling in the air. Angewomon fired a Celestial Arrow at him while his back was turned, yet he managed to snatch it out of the air before it hit him, trapping it between his middle and index fingers.

"Shooting someone in the back," he said, smirking over his shoulder at her. To show the futility of her sneak attack, he snapped the arrow of light in two between his fingers. "That's not very nice."

"Neither is this! Drago Fanger!" BurningGreymon cried, charging at him as a fiery dragon.

"Clown Trick!" A large red cape appeared in the clown Digimon's hands. "Toro, boy." Like a bullfighter, he held the cape out in front of him, and, like a fool, BurningGreymon felt himself drawn towards it by a compelling force. "Olay!"

The cape fell over the flaming dragon, and BurningGreymon felt his flames get extinguished right before he hit something hard, crashing through it. Even though it hadn't been there a moment before, when Piedmon dropped the cape over him, a brick wall was revealed to be behind it. And as BurningGreymon crashed through it, Piedmon happily leapt over him.

"Heaven's Gate!" MagnaAngemon cried, and a golden gate appeared to unleash a beam of energy. Piedmon just sneered as he brought MetalGreymon down and threw him in the attack's path. Behind his helmet, MagnaAngemon's eyes widened. "No, stop!"

But it was too late, and he watched in horror as his attack blasted his friend into the wall. Badly damaged, MetalGreymon dropped to the ground, his body twitching.

On top of Grimmon, Jokermon chuckled. "Good one, sir."

MagnaAngemon continued to look on in horror at what he had done. "MetalGreymon…"

"Pay attention!" Piedmon cried. "Ending Snipe!" He threw a handful of electricity at the angel Digimon, who cried out as it flowed over his body. Angewomon fired her Heaven's Charm at him, but Piedmon just snapped his fingers. "Masks Square!"

A ring of energy flowed from out of him and across the ground. All around, squares appeared on the floor. As Angewomon's attack came at him, he stepped back onto a square, causing it to light up. A moment later, he vanished, and the attack missed.

Angewomon blinked in surprise. "Wha…?"

She failed to notice the square behind her light up a moment before Piedmon appeared on it.

"Behind you!" MagnaAngemon shouted to her.

She whirled around, only to have Piedmon's fist slam into her jaw. As she stumbled away, the four swords flew out of the clown Digimon's back, and he motioned towards her. "Trump Sword!"

The swords began flying around rapidly, slashing at the angel Digimon. She cried out as several deep gashes appeared over her body, unable to react quickly enough to defend against them. Three of the swords pierced her wings, carrying her away with them, and then buried into the wall, pinning her there. The fourth sword flew over to her, floating in the air as it took aim at her heart.

Piedmon chuckled and pointed at her. The sword sped forward, and MagnaAngemon dove in its path, knocking it away with his own sword before flying towards him, once again attempting to use his Flying Sword of Justice.

Behind Piedmon, BurningGreymon was on his feet. "Pyro Barrage!"

As if he didn't have a care in the world, Piedmon raised his had in the air and snapped his fingers. "Clown Trick!"

Curtains appeared around him and MagnaAngemon, halting the angel in his tracks. A moment later, the curtains dropped and disappeared, revealing that Piedmon and MagnaAngemon had switched places.

"What?" MagnaAngemon inquired, caught off guard by his new position. A moment later, BurningGreymon's energy bullets bombarded against him, and he collapsed.

"MagnaAngemon!" the dragon Digimon cried. His gaze shifted to Piedmon, his eyes burning furiously. "You-"

From behind, Piedmon's fourth sword stabbed him in the back. BurningGreymon stood frozen in shock, the pain not yet setting in. Then it hit him, and an agonized grunt escaped him as he fell. His hold on his Digimon form failed him, and he became Takuya again. Piedmon's sword, thankfully, was not stuck in his back, but laying on the ground beside him.

Piedmon crossed his arms and humphed. "Well, this has been disappointing. I mean, even though I knew you would be no match for me, I was hoping for more of a challenge than this."

From behind, a pair of missiles suddenly struck him, and Piedmon was blasted off his feet. He sat up and looked to who had hit him and saw MetalGreymon leaning against the wall. "Awfully big talk from someone who didn't step in to fight until the very end."

Smirking, the clown Digimon got to his feet. "Ah, MetalGreymon. I almost forgot about you."

"A mistake you'll come to regret. Over Flame!"

He fired a stream of fire from his claw. Piedmon countered with his Clown Trick and a flower appeared in his hand. In a classic clown gag fashion, the flower sprayed a jet of water at MetalGreymon, a very powerful jet of water. It collided with his fire attack, the two streams producing a rising cloud of steam where they met, yet it wasn't long before the water overpowered the fire and sprayed against MetalGreymon, the force pinning him against the wall in a manner similar to Bulbmon's Mad Pump attack.

Piedmon laughed, and with his free hand touched the stream as he unleashed his Ending Snipe, electrifying the water. MetalGreymon cried out as the clown Digimon's counterattack did twice as much damage. And when the water finally stopped flowing, he dropped to the ground and reverted back to his human form.

"Tai…" Angewomon muttered. Reaching up, she cried out in pain as she pulled Piedmon's swords from her wings. Falling to the ground, she groaned in agony and struggled to get to her feet.

MagnaAngemon was right there with her, recovering from BurningGreymon's attack. Piedmon turned to them, looking amused. "Just two injured angel left."

"And it looks like they're about to collapse," Jokermon joked. "I guess that will make them 'fallen' angels."

He roared with laughter, finding his horrible play on words hilarious, yet even Piedmon cracked a smile. Beneath Jokermon, however, Grimmo appeared to be very agitated and at the end of his patience. "Enough of this nonsense."

Risking having his throat slit, he grabbed at the scythe at his neck and flapped his wings. Slamming into the ceiling, he crushed Jokermon against the hard rough surface. The clown Digimon yelped, and the scythe fell away from Grimmon's throat. Swinging his tail, it curled around Jokermon, tearing him off his back and flinging him against the wall hard enough to crack the rock.

Turning to Piedmon, Grimmon glared at him. "I'm done with these games. Now it's my turn."

Still smirking, Piedmon tapped his chin, looking unconcerned. "Oh my. Are you sure?"

"But Grimmon," Davis called, "didn't you make some kind of vow to Vulcanusmon to never resort to violence, or something?"

"Um, Davis," Takato muttered, "I think there are more pressing matters to worry about."

"I've sat on the sidelines for too long," the reaper Digimon continued. "But no more. Grimmon Digivolve to… ChaosGrimmon!"

The DigiDestined gasped in surprise as their friend's suddenly Digivolved to the Ultimate level. ChaosGrimmon resembled a red and blue cybernetic dragon-like warrior, complete with flaming dragon wings and lethal looking weapons for hands. When Grimmon had said that he would fight, they hadn't been expecting this.

"Whoa, ChaosGrimmon," said Takuya. He checked his Digivice. "He's an Ultimate level Digimon whose summoning power is taken up a notch. With his Chaos Slash attack, he unleashes the power of chaos and induces confusion while cutting his opponents apart, and his AT Change can swap his strengths and weaknesses."

Takato looked confused. "What does that mean?"

"It means," said MagnaAngemon as ChaosGrimmon headed over to him and Angewomon, "that our chances have increased." He exchanged a look with his fellow angel Digimon. Seemingly knowing what the other was thinking, they nodded. "Heaven's Heal!"

"Heaven's Cure!"

Their recovery power flowed over them, healing a portion of their damage. Piedmon just crossed his arms as he continued to look amused. "Are you sure that was a wise decision? You were both pretty damaged. The more damaged you are, the more energy it requires you to heal yourselves. Can you really spare that much energy? At what point does healing yourself become a drawback?"

MagnaAngemon pointed his sword at him. "As long as it allows us to defeat you. Lets do this."

"Yes," ChaosGrimmon breathed, "lets. Chaos Slash!"

It was almost like watching the Tasmanian devil from a certain American cartoon spin around in a ferocious display of claws. Blades of pure chaotic energy trailed behind ChaosGrimmon's knife-like claws, slicing through everything in their path, and MagnaAngemon cried out as the reaper Digimon's attack tore his back to shreds. Feathers went flying as he fell forward, collapsing on the ground, even more heavily damaged than he had been before.

Tai's eyes widened in shock and confusion. "What the hell?!"

Angewomon whirled around, staring at ChaosGrimmon in disbelief. "What are you doing?

"Multi Gatling!" the reaper Digimon cried, firing a series of bullets from his three-bladed hand at the collapsed angel Digimon, pushing him across the floor. MagnaAngemon could no longer hold his form, and he turned back into TK.

Angewomon quickly threw herself in front of him, shielding him with her body in case ChaosGrimmon fired at him again. "ChaosGrimmon, what's the meaning of this? What's wrong with you?"

The reaper Digimon lowered his hand. "What do you mean, what's wrong with me? Is it not obvious? Clearly Piedmon and Jokermon have managed to brainwash or take control of me somehow and have made me turn against you." He cocked his head to the side curiously. "No? Then how about this. Digivolving to my Ultimate form has apparently altered my nature and personality the way, as you should know by now, Digivolving is known to do, making me vicious and violent, unable to distinguish friend from foe. Still no? Well then, Jokermon must have told me that he and Piedmon are holding someone I care about hostage and are now forcing me to fight you if I want to save them. Do any of these sound good to you?" Slowly, he raised his blade, pointing his knife hand at Angewomon. "Or maybe, you humans are just so damn gullible that it's disgusting."

The DigiDestined stared, trying to comprehend this, trying to make sense of what they were seeing and hearing. The sound of Jokermon's laughter soon drew their attention as the clown Digimon walked over to them. "Isn't that cute. They trusted you so much that they can't accept the truth, even when it's right in front of them."

Takuya struggled to find his voice, forcing himself to speak the horrible truth. "You're… You're with them?"

ChaosGrimmon turned to him. He raised his hand and fired at him. Takato and Tai grabbed their friend and pulled him to the ground before he was peppered with bullets. "Does that answer your question?" he asked in an emotionless voice. "Why do you think I brought you here? How do you think I knew Asuramon would bring the scrolls here in the first place? Did you really think it was just a lucky guess?"

Grumbling, TK slowly sat up. "But… back at the Kogamon village… you…"

"Did everything I could to maintain the peace so Asuramon and Beastmon would be mated. You thought I actually cared about maintaining peace? Fools, it was so Asuramon could get the Kogamon's half of the scroll and turn it and the Ninjamon's scroll over to his ally, Piedmon, in exchange for wiping out the entire Kogamon Clan. But tell me, who do you think approached Asuramon with the proposition?"

He thumped his chest. "It was me, you fools. I needed to keep the peace between the two clans so the mating ceremony would take place in order for Asuramon to become the new leader of the Ninjamon Clan in exchange for the scrolls. So I played the peacekeeper, claiming I had been sent by Vulcanusmon to make sure a war didn't break out." He chuckled. "Those foolish Ninjamon and Kogamon. They have such faith in Vulcanusmon, enough to believe he could actually turn a reaper Digimon like me away from violence."

A growl escaped Shoutmon. "Damn it. I had my suspicions in the beginning, but it was precisely for that reason that I trusted you. Why would a reaper Digimon with a violent nature be sent to be a peacekeeper? Everyone would be suspicious of them, making them the least likely person to be a spy. That's why I dropped my suspicions."

Jokermon laughed. "That's some grade A reverse psychology."

Tai was now glaring at ignominious. "That's why you never actually lifted a finger to help us in the battle with Ghoulmon and the others. You made us think you were trying to resist the temptation of returning to your violent ways, but it was because they were really your allies. The only time you actually fought was when Airdramon attacked you."

Takuya glanced at Jokermon. "And then you put on that bull crap act about being Jokermon's hostage so we would participate in your sick tournament. You were never in any danger."

The clown Digimon chuckled and swung his scythe. "I did get a little carried away with my role though."

"For which I said you would pay," ChaosGrimmon growled.

Still grinning, Jokermon rubbed his back, still sore from being slammed into the ceiling and tossed across the cave. "Yes, I certainly did."

TK climbed to his feet. "Then what was the point of it all? Why befriend us? Why bring us here?"

ChaosGrimmon's masked face turned to him. "Humans in the Digital World is not something you come across everyday. And with the ability to turn into Digimon at that. How could I not take an interest? You gave me a lot of interesting information about you and your world."

"I wanted to see what you were capable of as well," Piedmon added. He motioned to the area they had been fighting. "That was the true purpose of this little tournament, to see what you were truly capable of. And I must admit, I was rather impressed by what I saw. Against your opponents at least."

"But now the charade is over," ChaosGrimmon told them. "You have no idea how hard it's been holding myself back all this time. I was actually worried I would expose myself too soon." He held up the blades on his hand. "It feels so good to show the real me again."

The DigiDestined were silent, most either angry or in shock at the secrets that were coming to light. One, however, had a nervous smile on his face; his eyes shining with unshed tears. He stepped forward, as if in a daze, looking at ChaosGrimmon hopefully.

"This is a joke, right?" Davis practically pleaded, his voice cracking slightly. "You're playing a joke on us. Or it's some ploy to trick Piedmon, right? You're really still on our side, aren't you?"

ChaosGrimmon turned to him, his expression cold behind his mask. "You were the most intolerable, and the hardest one not to kill."

"Nooooo!" Davis wailed, running towards the reaper Digimon.

ChaosGrimmon waved his hand. "Call Machines!"

From out of thin air, a cloud of nanobots appeared. Davis came to a stop as they cut him off and began backing away as the cloud of tiny robots came towards him and the others.

"Step aside," Shoutmon ordered. "Fiery Fastball!"

The nanobots scattered as the attack flew at them, but he still managed to incinerate a few. But there were many more where they came from, and they began moving in for the attack once more.

ChaosGrimmon turned back to Angewomon. "Now then, it's time to put you down."

From beneath her helmet, a tear ran down the angel Digimon's cheek. "How could you do this? How could you betray us like this?"

The reaper Digimon cocked his head to the side. "Betray? Oh, my silly little human, how can it be betrayal when I was never on your side?"

The tear dripped from her chin and fell to the cave floor. Slowly, her frown shifted to a snarl as her sadness gave way to anger. "You traitor!"

She fired her Celestial Arrow at him. ChaosGrimmon's claw shot out, cutting the arrow to pieces. "Clearly you do not understand what treason is. Multi Gatling!"

He began firing bullets from his hand. Angewomon danced around the stream of gunfire. Coming to a wall, she kicked off it while using her Super Jump, launching herself at the reaper Digimon. "Heel of Justice!"

ChaosGrimmon held up his arms to block the blow, but was unprepared for the amount of power behind it, and was sent crashing into the cave wall. He gave Angewomon a look of surprise as she flew towards him, preparing to unleash her Holy Slap. ChaosGrimmon reacted quickly, grabbing her arm before she could land the blow, and whirling around to slam her against the wall.

"Impressive. You've still got a fair amount of energy, even after wasting so much to heal all that damage Piedmon caused."

She glared at him from beneath her helmet. "Enough to take you down. Angel Wing!"

ChaosGrimmon released her and flew back as her wings swiped at him. He lashed out with his claws, but Angewomon flew straight up, and his blade buried into solid rock. Ripping his hand free, he turned to her, raising it in the air. "Call Leyner!"

Above Angewomon's head, a thick dark green cloud appeared. It began to rain furiously, and Angewomon cried out as the downpour fell over her. This was no ordinary rain; she knew that right away. There was poison in this rain, and she could feel it seeping into her body.

"Saint's Air!" she cried, creating a tornado that blew away the poisonous cloud. She motioned towards ChaosGrimmon, and the tornado moved towards him. Against the wall as he was, the reaper Digimon was unable to escape, and the tornado flowed over him.

"A little help here!" Shoutmon cried before unleashing his Bellow Blaster on the nanobots again.

Angewomon turned to him, finding her friends surrounded by the little robots. She sent her Heaven's Charm their way, destroying a good portion of them, giving her friends some room to move.

"Chaos Slash!" ChaosGrimmon cried from within the tornado. Angewomon turned back to him to find the reaper Digimon emerging from the vortex, spinning around rapidly in a swirl of swiping claws and blades of chaotic energy. He came at Angewomon, slashing about wildly, leaving streaks in the air.

"Lift Your Spirits!" she cried, flipping in the air and kicking outward. But before her leg could make contact, ChaosGrimmon's furious swiping claws slashed at her leg. Recoiling from the cut, she retaliated with her Holy Slap, only to have her arm receive the same treatment as her leg.

Pulling back, she fired her Celestial Arrow, only to have it sliced apart before it made contact. Focusing all her energy into her leg, she charged her attack before unleashing her Holy Charge Kick, yet not even this made it through ChaosGrimmon's deadly attack as yet another gash appeared along her thigh.

With one last attempt, Angewomon used her Angel Wing attack. ChaosGrimmon's Chaos Slash sliced her wings apart, sending feathers flying before he finally made contact with her. Clothes and flesh were sliced up, down, and sideways by the reaper Digimon's claw blade, the chaotic energy filling the attacks making the cuts far more painful and causing even further damage.

Stabbing forward, ChaosGrimmon buried his claw blades into Angewomon's gut. "Got you." He fired four times from his Multi Gatling directly into her stomach. He tore his claws free, letting Angewomon hover in the air, clutching her stomach, her mouth hanging open in pain.

Angewomon knew this was bad. She was gravely wounded, suffering from the damage the chaotic energy was causing, and the poison that was weakening her. She didn't have much energy left, and didn't think she could spare any, but she needed to heal herself, or else she wouldn't make it.

"Heaven's Cure!" she risked, turning the technique on herself. Her wounds began to heal, and her wings regenerated, the pain subsiding. Even her shredded clothes repaired themselves as the poison vanished from her body.

"Chaos Slash!" ChaosGrimmon cried, and Angewomon's relief immediately gave way to agony as the reaper Digimon sliced her back, just as he had done to MagnaAngemon. He then flew above her and kicked Angewomon down to the cave floor, hitting hard enough to crack the hard rock ground.

"Kari!" several of the teens shouted as Angewomon lay trembling on the cave floor.

Jokermon giddily bounced from on foot to the other. "See, it's just like I said; a fallen angel."

ChaosGrimmon came in for a landing, glaring down at the angel Digimon in disgust. "More like a complete let down. I expected more of a challenge."

TK pointed an accusing finger at him. "You wouldn't be so cocky if you had faced us at full strength."

"Yeah," Takato agreed, "I'll bet- Ahh!" One of Shoutmon's Fiery Fastballs flew by a little too close to him to take out more of the nanobots. Looking embarrassed, he attempted to ignore what had just happened. "I'll bet any of us could have beaten you if we fought you right off the bat."

The reaper Digimon turned from him and looked down at Angewomon. "Perhaps, but I guess we'll never know." He raised his claw. "Such a shame this wasn't even worth my time."

Piedmon yawned. "Then just finish it already. I've grown bored with this whole thing."

Giggling, Jokermon stepped forward. "Wait, let me do it. I haven't had a chance to have any fun."

ChaosGrimmon looked at him, then glanced at Piedmon, who just shrugged. Lowering his hand, he began walking away. "I don't care. Just see to it that they don't leave here alive."

The teens stared as both Piedmon and ChaosGrimmon headed for the exit. "Hey, where are you going?" Takuya demanded.

"We have things to do," Piedmon told him, not even looking in his direction, "and can't be bothered to waste time here anymore. Goodbye, humans, it's been a pleasure."

"Get back here!" Tai shouted to the two Digimon, but was unable to get past the cloud of tiny robots.

Angewomon struggled to lift her head as she watched Piedmon and ChaosGrimmon disappear down the tunnel. "Wait…"

Standing above her, Jokermon jabbed the end of his scythe into her back, earning him a grunt of pain from the angel Digimon. "Oh, don't worry about them; you're with me now." He laughed as he continued to jab her over and over again. "So, what should we play first?"

 

Notes:

(A/N: Did I surprise you with Grimmon's betrayal, or did I make it too obvious? I figured some of you might be suspicious since he was a villain in the games, but I thought that since he was someone you would expect to be a villain, you wouldn't think he was a double agent. Know what I'm saying. And if you think about all his interaction with the teens, he never once actually stepped in to actually help them, and he was supportive of Asuramon's plan. Grimmon does have the ability to manipulate and control others, and now he's finally revealed his rue colors. Stay tuned to see what becomes of our heroes, and how this betrayal will turn out.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear or are mentioned.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/ChaosGrimmon

Chapter 68: Old Friends and Old Wounds

Notes:

(A/N: Alrighty then, we're back with more. Remember how I said a few chapters back that something would come into play later, well, it's happening in this chapter.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 68: Old Friends and Old Wounds

 

Angewomon's pained cries echoed through the cave as Jokermon continued to assault her. At the very least, he hadn't used any actual attacks on her yet; she likely wouldn't survive if he did, or at the very least be unable to hold her Digimon form. Instead he opted for punching or kicking her.

"Come on," Jokermon goaded, as began kicking her side, "get up and face me. How can I knock you down if you don't stand up?"

He apparently found this to be hilarious. The teens, however, weren't the least bit amused, but were unable to help until Shoutmon cleared out the last of ChaosGrimmon's miniature robots.

"You'll pay for this," TK promised the clown Digimon. "I swear you'll pay!"

Jokermon frowned at him. "Oooh, why so serious?" He began cackling madly. "You see, I told you I was going to start saying that." He cupped his cheeks. "I like the way it sounds."

A groan came from Angewomon as she climbed to her feet, shoulders slumped, wings drooping, arms hanging uselessly at her sides as she breathed heavily. She knew that she didn't have enough power left to heal her injuries, but she wasn't willing to give up. "I'm not… done yet…"

Jokermon chuckled in amusement as he twirled around his scythe, speaking in a singsong voice. "Spirit's willing, body's trash, time to feel my Lunatic Slash!"

He swung his scythe flinging a blade of energy from the sickle. Angewomon cried out and stumbled back, a deep gash going across her arms and torso. She fell over, facing her friends. Looking at them, even with Shoutmon using his Bellow Blaster, ChaosGrimmon's nanobots were closing in on them. She couldn't save herself, she knew that, but maybe she could save them.

"Bliss of Saints…" she whispered, holding out her hand, and rainbow light flowed from her palm. It flowed over to her friends, and the nanobots were sucked into the light, disappearing into it. A smile grazed her face, a moment before the blade of Jokermon's scythe stabbed into her back.

"Pay attention to your surroundings," Jokermon told her with a smile. He pulled his scythe free. "You could get stabbed in the back."

Angewomon seemed unable to find her voice as a silent mumble of pain escaped her. She heard her friends calling her, but their voices sounded very far away. She collapsed, having no strength left, and finally returned to her human form.

"Oh my," said Jokermon, reaching down and picking her up. "I guess she needed her beauty sleep."

"Put her down!" Tai shouted.

"Certainly. Here, catch."

He tossed Kari to the teens rather hard. Tai, Davis, and TK all ran forward to catch her, and she crashed into all three of them, knocking them all off their feet.

"Sorry…" she grumbled, barely conscious.

"Oh, you're going to be sorry alright," Jokermon said with a smile. "Sorry you ever came here that is."

Shoutmon suddenly charged past the teens. "I'll make you sorry! Rock and Roller!"

Smirking, Jokermon swung his scythe, cutting Shoutmon's mic in two. The dragon Digimon stood still, holding his broken mic, completely at a loss. Jokermon flashed him a toothy grin before his fist flew through the air, slamming into Shoutmon's face. The dragon Digimon shot backwards, crashing into the wall and dropping to the floor with dizzy swirls in his eyes.

"Shoutmon!" Takato cried, running over to him. He picked up his friend, cradling him in his arms. "You ok?"

"I'm fine," the dragon Digimon replied, sounding completely out of it. "Just gonna take a little nap."

He seemed to pass out after that, and Jokermon laughed as he twirled around his scythe. "Now he lay down his little head; when he awakes, he will be dead." His grin widened. "Well, in an egg. Can't say the same for you humans though. You don't come back to life after you die. Such a shame." He held out his scythe. "Well, here's to wherever you're going." The smile on his face and the look in his eyes seemed to change as he spoke, shifting from joyful amusement to sadistic madness. "But then, you never belonged in this world to begin with."

The teens bunched up as the clown Digimon advanced on them. With his face partly hidden in the shadows, the light from the torches reflecting in his eyes, he truly looked like a deranged maniac. Yet there was nothing they could do. Their Digivices had no power left, and Shoutmon was out cold. Even if the clown Digimon were an ordinary human, that lethal-looking scythe he was wielding made him as deadly as the grim reaper himself.

"Better say your goodbyes," Jokermon told them. "It's the end of the line. Gia Magi-"

"Jack Hammer!"

The cry came from the cell Santamon was in, and then bars went flying off its hinges as something smashed into it from the inside. All heads turned to the cell in surprise, Jokermon's with disbelief. "What? But that's impossible. We had Santamon bound and were draining his power; he shouldn't have the strength to break out."

"That's because I'm not Santamon." From out of the cell, a small purple and white Digimon emerged. He was smaller than Shoutmon, and even resembled him a bit in appearance. At the end of his tail, there was a sludge hammer with a gold ring clamped around it.

Jokermon stared at this new arrival, dumbfounded. "What the? How did you get in there?"

The Digimon pointed to the entrance of the cavern. "I peaked in here earlier when these guys were fighting Piedmon. I saw where Santamon's cell was, so I doubled back and," he spun around, slamming the hammer at the end of his tail against the cave wall, shattering it, "broke my way through into the cell from the other side without anyone knowing it and freed Santamon. He's already long gone from here."

Davis suddenly pointed at the newcomer. "Hey, isn't he that purple Digimon we saw entering the town when Airdramon dropped us off up here?"

The purple Digimon cracked his head side to side. "Yeah, she tired to make me leave too; said some other pointless rescue mission for Santamon was already underway. I didn't listen to her."

Davis blinked. "Useless?"

Jokermon was still staring at the purple Digimon. "Santamon's gone? He escaped?" He suddenly grabbed his head and began screaming madly. "NOOOO! Piedmon and ChaosGrimmon are going to be so mad!" He suddenly looked thoughtful, his hysteria gone. "Oh my, I guess we're getting nothing for Jesmas."

This soon gave way to his deranged laughter. The purple Digimon just glared at him before suddenly charging forward. "Fire Vortex!"

He began somersaulting in the air, his hammer tail igniting. Jokermon stopped laughing at the last moment and blocked with his scythe, sneering at the dragon Digimon. However, this didn't deter his opponent. "Jacked Hammer!"

He spun around, swinging his tail. The sludge hammer at the end of it grew to an enormous size, smashing into Jokermon and sending him crashing into the wall. Even though the clown Digimon was the enemy, Takato couldn't help but wince. "I guess that's how he broke through the cell. Who is that little guy?"

Jokermon stood up, grinning. "Is it not obvious? He's dead. Lunatic Slash!"

He flung an energy blade at the purple Digimon, who used his Ran-gum Break, smashing his hammer tail against the energy blade. Then Jokermon was suddenly there, kicking outward. The purple Digimon went flying backwards, back into the cell and even through the hole he had made in the wall to get into Santamon's cell.

Jokermon chuckled. "Two points. But really, was he actually foolish enough to think he could beat me as a Rookie." He turned back to the teens. "Now then, where were we?"

The group prepared themselves, ready for anything, but it seemed the newcomer wasn't done yet as the cell lit up with a familiar golden light. Moments later, a much larger, far more ferocious dragon Digimon shot out of the cell, ramming into Jokermon and slamming him against the wall. "You were right about that Rookie remark. Guess that's what I get for trying to make an entrance."

The clown Digimon was still smiling, even as his face was being pressed against the wall. "So you Digivolved. It still won't be enough."

He swung his scythe, and the dragon Digimon jumped back. The two opponents began staring each other down, one growling, the other chuckling. Even though their Digivices were out of power, the Digimon Analyzer on them still worked, and Kari, having seemed to have woken up more, was busy getting a reading on the newly Digivolved Digimon. "Arresterdramon, Champion level. He specializes in using his tail in various ways to cut his opponents to pieces."

"Yeah, no kidding," Takuya muttered, staring at the weapon on the dragon Digimon's tail. "Look at that thing, it looks lethal."

Jokermon held up his scythe. "So does this. Lunatic Slash!"

"Spin Caliper!" Arresterdramon countered, spinning around and cutting the energy blade in half with his tail. He then charged at Jokermon. "Mach Flicker!"

He began with a series of punches so fast that it looked as if numerous punches were flying at the clown Digimon all at once. Jokermon just kept laughing as he twirled his scythe, using the weapon to deflect the punches.

Arresterdramon gave up and used Spiral Shredder, rapidly spinning around while swinging his deadly tail. Jokermon jumped over it and kicked off the dragon Digimon. He surprised the teens by landing in front of them. Smirking, he raised his scythe to cut them all down, only to have Arresterdramon tackle him. The dragon Digimon opened his mouth, exposing his knife-like teeth, and bit deeply into Jokermon's shoulder.

The clown Digimon cried out loudly, but his scream soon gave way to a mad cackle. Making a pushup motion, launching both him and Arresterdramon into the air, slamming the dragon Digimon against the ceiling. Arresterdramon grunted, but kept his jaws clamped shut. As the two came down, Jokermon jumped backwards, crushing Arresterdramon against the wall. This finally dislodged his teeth from Jokermon's shoulder, and he jumped away from him.

Whirling away to face the dragon Digimon, he twirled his scythe over his head. "If you're hungry, eat this. Lunatic Slash!"

"Eraser Flog Shot!" Arresterdramon countered, his tail slashing through the energy blade. "Prism Gallet!"

He began spinning, becoming a cutting light as he came at the clown Digimon. Jokermon just smirked and charged at him. Jumping up, he did a roundhouse kick, his foot colliding with Arresterdramon's head, sending him crashing into the wall on the other side of the cave.

Jokermon humphed, stomping his scythe on the ground. "Looks like this is as far as you go. But be satisfied that you were at least able to save Santamon. You just weren't able to save yourself as well." He glanced at the teens and grinned sadistically. "Or them."

Grunting, Arresterdramon stood up and turned back to Jokermon. "I haven't failed yet, but it looks like I should stop holding back. Arresterdramon Warp Digivolve to… XrosUpArresterdramon Superior Mode!"

The light of Digivolution faded, and a new more powerful opponent now faced the surprised clown Digimon. He wasn't the only one, the last thing the teens had expected was for their rescuer to Digivolve a second time. And straight to the Mega level no less.

"This is a very deus ex machine moment," Takato commented.

Tai was checking his Digivice. "XrosUpArresterdramon Superior Mode. Boy, that's quite a name. He's a powerful Mega level dragon Digimon that takes down his enemies with his Tail Anchor and Blaze Spiker attacks."

Jokermon swung his scythe through the air, grinning once more. "A powerful dragon Digimon, you say. Never faced a XrosUpArresterdramon before. Lets see just how strong he is. Lunatic Slash!"

The blade of energy flew at XrosUpArresterdramon, but the dragon Digimon appeared unconcerned. At the last moment, he slashed at it with his tail, neutralizing the attack. Spreading his wings, he flew at the clown Digimon. Jokermon grinned and swung his scythe downward. XrosUpArresterdramon side-stepped out of the way and lashed out with his tail, cutting the scythe in half.

Jokermon stood at the broken scythe in surprise. A moment later, XrosUpArresterdramon's fist slammed into his jaw. Jokermon went down, dropping his broken scythe. He began to get up, his hand covering his throbbing mouth. He glanced at the dragon Digimon, staring at him for a few seconds before his shoulders began shaking with silent giggles. It wasn't long before he let his hand drop and was once again roaring with laughter.

XrosUpArresterdramon's eyes narrowed and he lunged forward, grasping Jokermon's face and slamming his head against the cave wall. "Stop laughing!"

But Jokermon's laughter did not cease, not even when XrosUpArresterdramon began dragging him against the wall, skidding his face against the rocky surface as he charged down the tunnel. After a moment's hesitation, the teens hurried after them, Takato carrying the unconscious Shoutmon.

XrosUpArresterdramon burst out of the cave and threw Jokermon out onto the ledge. The clown Digimon was still laughing madly, despite nearly having his face sandpapered off. XrosUpArresterdramon had had more than enough of his opponent and moved in for the kill. "It's time to end this. Blaze-"

"No, wait!" Tai shouted as he and the others rushed outside. The dragon Digimon stopped and glanced at him questioningly. "We need to know where Piedmon and ChaosGrimmon are." He looked at Jokermon. "It'll go a lot easier for you if you just tell us."

More deranged laughter, and Jokermon stumblingly got to his feet and turned to them, still wearing a smile. "No need to make threats. If you want to rush off to your deaths, I won't stop you." He pointed off into the distance. 'There's a Dark Tower several miles in that direction. There you will find them both." He snickered some more. "I'm sure they'll give you a very warm welcome. But first, allow me to see you off. Gaia Magi-"

XrosUpArresterdramon stabbed forward with his tail. The blade at the end of it stabbed through Jokermon's chest and burst out his back. The clown Digimon stood frozen, impaled on XrosUpArresterdramon's tail. The dragon Digimon lifted his tail and flicked it, flinging Jokermon off the blade. The clown Digimon went flying off the edge, laughing all the while, even as his body began to dissolve. His laughter grew fainter as he fell, leaving a trail of data particles in his wake before he hit the ground, the remainder of his body bursting into data, and then he was gone.

Davis walked over and looked down the mountainside. "Geez, that guy was completely out of his mind."

"It was in his nature," XrosUpArresterdramon told him. "Everything, even his own death, was one big joke to him. It's not easy for a Digimon to go against its nature, which is why the form a Digimon Digivolves into basically reflects their personality."

Kari glanced at the dragon Digimon in Takato's arms. "That's why Shoutmon became BlackShoutmon when Devimon's black gear took him over; it made him bad, so his form changed to match."

XrosUpArresterdramon raised an eyebrow. "I'm not sure what you mean about black gears, but yes, if it changes one's personality to a wicked one, it can force them into a Dark Digivolution form. Or, if they don't have one, when they next Digivolve, they'll take one on."

He turned to the teens, studying them with interest. "I must admit, I'm a little perplexed by you humans. I heard enough of the conversation to understand some of it, but I still have questions."

TK chuckled. "Believe me, you're not the only one."

"Yeah, like, why did you wait so long to step in and help us?" Davis asked. "Who are you anyway?"

XrosUpArresterdramon looked upon the horizon. "Just someone trying to clean up the trash."

Davis' eyes widened, and he glanced at his friends. "Ok, that was one awesome introductory line," he told them, not realizing that the dragon Digimon hadn't answered his first question.

Takuya pointed to the dragon Digimon. "Um, you did something when you Digivolved. You went straight from the Champion level right to the Mega level. How'd you bypass the Ultimate level like that?"

"Warp Digivolving," XrosUpArresterdramon replied. "Once a Digimon manages to unlock the Mega level, it can jump straight to its previous stages if it ever goes go back to a lower level. In my case, I skipped over my Ultimate level Arresterdramon Superior Mode form to go straight to my Mega level XrosUpArresterdramon Superior Mode, which I had managed to reach just a few months ago."

Takuya snapped his fingers. "Oh yeah, Shoutmon mention Warp Digivolving as a type of Digivolution."

XrosUpArresterdramon glanced at unconscious Shoutmon. "Why are you hanging around him of all people?"

The teens looked surprised at this. They glanced questioningly at Shoutmon, then back at XrosUpArresterdramon. "What do you mean?" Kari asked. "He's our friend. He's been helping us to get back home."

The dragon Digimon's eyes narrowed. "He's not anyone's friend. He's just using you. That's all he does, hide behind and use others. Some Digimon King."

Takuya pointed an accusing finger at him. "That's not true."

"No? I couldn't help but notice that he wasn't doing any of the fighting, not until he was the only one left to do anything, in which case you all would have died if he didn't step in."

"Well…" Takato muttered as he glanced down at the dragon Digimon in his arms, "he was warding off ChaosGrimmon's machine."

"While leaving you to fight the real battle. He's a weakling and a coward who's using you for your power, and he'll abandon you at a moment's notice if he needs to."

"Hey, shut up!" Tai snapped. "We're grateful to you for saving us, but we're not going to let you badmouth our friend."

The raised voiced seemed to rouse Shoutmon, and he groaned in Takato's arms. "Ow, my head. What happened?"

XrosUpArresterdramon glared at him. "Well, look who's awake now that the action is over. What a surprise."

Shoutmon gasped and sprang up as his gaze landed on the dragon Digimon. "Hey, you're…"

XrosUpArresterdramon began glowing with gold light. He began shrinking and changing form as he DeDigivolved. He reverted back to the Rookie level, appearing once more as the small purple Digimon with a hammer tail he was before. "Hello again, old friend."

"Gumdramon!" Shoutmon cried, leaping out of Takato's arms. "You're here! What are you doing here? I didn't know when I'd be able to see you again!"

The purple dragon Digimon just scowled at him. "As far as I'm concerned, it's too soon." He saw Shoutmon wince and crossed his arms, glancing at the teens. "I see you're still using others to do your dirty work. You're a coward, like always."

Davis was looking back and forth between the two dragon Digimon. "Wait, Gumdramon? This is the friend you told us about?"

Gumdramon raised an eyebrow. "So he told you about me, did he? I'm surprised he said I was his friend and not his subordinate."

"Gumdramon…" Shoutmon pleaded, walking towards him with his hands out.

The purple Digimon backed away from him, scowling. "Don't! Just don't! You don't get to feel bad after what you did. I thought we were friends."

"We are friends."

"Friends don't do what you did. You just abandoned me, left me for dead. How could you? I believed in you, I trusted you, I looked up to you, and you just ran away, leaving me to fight that… that… thing all on my own."

Kari looked like she wanted to interfere with the fight, but a look from her brother told her not to get involved. Davis, however, didn't seem to take the hint, and slowly approached, holding his hands up. "Now, come on, you two."

Shoutmon just ignored him as he continued to plead with his friend. "You know what we were up against. There was no hope of winning. We would have died if we stayed. You did die. I only survived because the Guardians arrived. But at the time, staying was death for sure."

"Then we should have fought to the death, especially if dying was the only outcome either way. I'd rather die fighting instead of running like a coward. I was ready to go down standing by my friend's side, but, apparently, you weren't. We had a responsibility. No, you had a responsibility; I chose to stand by you because we were friends. Yet as I charged fearlessly into battle, you ran away and left me there. That was the last thing I saw before I died; you running away and leaving me there all alone." He crossed his arms. "Some friend."

The teens never would have believed it, but they saw a tear run down Shoutmon's cheek. "I've always regretted it. It's been tens of thousands of years since then, yet there hasn't been a day that's gone by where I didn't wish I that I had stood by you instead of running."

The purple dragon Digimon scoffed. "Fat load of good that does. You really want to make up for abandoning me, then do some good. Repent instead of regretting." He glanced at the teens. "But instead, I see you've opted for hiding behind others stronger than you." He fixed Shoutmon with a glare. "As you said, it's been tens of thousands of years since we last met, but tell me something, why are you still at the Rookie level. You were a Rookie the last time we met too. Why is that? Have you died at all during the years since we were last together."

Shoutmon fidgeted uncomfortably. "No."

"No, huh? Well, can you Digivolve and are simply staying at the Rookie level for some reason?" He received no response this time, but that was all the answer he needed. "Just as I thought. You can't Digivolve because you don't do anything to get stronger."

"He's been absorbing data," Takato defended.

Gumdramon raised an eyebrow. "From enemies that he defeated, or from ones you defeated?" When Takato fell silent, Gumdramon nodded. "Thought so." He looked back at Shoutmon. "When you stop being such a coward and actually work to make a difference rather than using others, then we'll talk about me forgiving you. Until then, just stay out of my way."

With that, he hopped over the ledge, leaping down the mountainside, and disappearing once more from Shoutmon's life.

 

Notes:

(A/N: Wow, talk about an unexpected outcome. I don't think that was the type of reunion Shoutmon had in mind when he wanted to see Gumdramon again. But now we've got some more insight on Shoutmon's past. Just what was it that he had run away from rather than stand by his friend? How will this reunion affect things to come? Stay tuned for more.)

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New Digimon that appear or are mentioned.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Gumdramon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Arresterdramon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Arresterdramon_Superior_Mode

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/XrosUpArresterdramon_Superior_Mode

Chapter 69: The Three Great Catastrophes

Notes:

(A/N: We're gonna be getting some more history about Shoutmon's past, especially in regards to Gumdramon. This is important stuff that will be referenced many times, and some stuff will be coming into play later, so keep an eye out for it in later chapters.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 69: The Three Great Catastrophes

"I still can't believe you did it," Airdramon told the teens on his back as she flew them through the air. "I thought you were just another batch of wannabe heroes. I never thought you'd actually pull it off."

Upon making it down the mountainside, the teens had returned to the small town below to inform Mercurymon and Airdramon of what had transpired. Both Champion Digimon were shocked and astounded by what they had heard, but one thing stood out above everything else in their tale, Santamon was free once again.

"Thou hast doneth a great thing," Mercurymon had told them. "We shall never forget this."

He had attempted to give them the reward they hadn't even known about for saving Sanatmon, but they had politely declined. After all, it was actually Gumdramon who was the real hero, but the purple dragon Digimon had already moved on to places unknown.

Airdramon's attitude had changed towards them as well. Upon learning that they were planning on going after Piedmon and ChaosGrimmon to retrieve the Kogamon and Ninjamon scrolls, she insisted on being their mode of transportation. And so, as soon as their Digivices were recharged, they had taken off for the Dark Tower Jokermon had spoke of.

"You know, you don't have to do this," TK told the dragon Digimon. "Truthfully, we're not even the ones who freed Santamon."

"Don't look a gift horse in the mouth, TY," Davis told him.

Airdramon just laughed. "Don't worry about it. You humans did more than enough. You may not have freed Santamon yourselves, but you did defeat six of his guards, got rid of Piedmon, and distracted Jokermon so Gumdramon could free him. Giving you a ride is the least I could do. It'll take you a while to reach the Dark Tower without…" she paused, realizing she had brought up a sensitive subject, "without Grimmon to fly you there."

Silence fell over the group. It was indeed a painful subject, and the group was still struggling with the fact that after all the time they had spent together, the reaper Digimon they had considered a friend had actually been an enemy deceiving them all along.

Tai's eyes narrowed in determination. "He made his choice. Now we have to make ours. ChaosGrimmon must be stopped. He and Piedmon both."

Takato looked down at the ground far below. "Do you think Gumdramon will be heading towards the Dark Tower too?"

All heads turned to Shoutmon. The dragon Digimon was sitting down, hugging his knees with his back to them. He was silent for a moment before finally saying quietly. "It's unlikely; he's just a wandering vagabond. He was like that when we first met, and we began traveling together when we became friends. Our reunion was just a coincidence; he just stopped by that town to see if the rumors about Santamon were true. He cleaned up the mess, then moved on, just like he always does."

He hugged himself tighter. The teens were silent, exchanging uncertain looks with each other. "Hey," said Tai, "don't worry about what Gumdramon said. He was just talking in anger. He's wrong about-"

"No," the dragon Digimon interrupted, "he's not."

The teens stared. "Shoutmon…" Kari whispered.

"It's true. I do hide behind others and get them to do my dirty work rather than do it myself." He looked at them sadly. "I even used you guys when we first met. I planned to use you to defeat my enemies and rise to the top."

More silence. Shoutmon's confession hit hard, especially with Grimmon's recent betrayal being so fresh. Yet as they thought about, when Tai had first Spirit Evolved into Greymon, Shoutmon had seemed a little calculating, almost like he was coming up with a plan, and he had seemed rather excited for it.

But he had said that this had been when they first met. When had things changed? How much had changed? They all seemed to be thinking it, but it was TK who voiced it. "And now?"

"Now?" the dragon Digimon repeated. "I would give my life for you guys. I know that's not saying much to you humans since we Digimon just come back to life, but-"

"Not mean much!?" Kari exclaimed. "It means a great deal!"

"No one wants to die," TK told him. "You Digimon coming back to life afterwards doesn't make death any less horrible."

"At least not by much," Davis added, promptly earning him an elbow to the ribs from Takuya and Takato. "Oww! What'd I say?"

"The point is," said Tai, "despite what you once were, we know who you are now. People change, Shoutmon, and so do Digimon."

The dragon Digimon looked at each of them, a sad smile creeping up his face. "Thanks, you guys. But the truth is, I haven't changed all that much. I'm still a coward, never challenging myself or taking on more than I know I can handle most of the time."

He looked at his hand. "I wasn't always like this though. I was once fearless, the top of the line. I met challenges and anything thrown at me. I didn't think there was anything I couldn't do. I actually deluded myself into thinking I took precipice over most things in this world."

"Guess that superiority complex is where the whole 'Digimon King' thing came from," Davis whispered to the others.

Shoutmon didn't seem to have heard as he clenched his hand into a fist. "Then I died for the first time. I didn't think it was possible for me to be defeated. But now I see how vain I was. All my power amounted to nothing. My belief that I stood above others, that I was special, it was all torn away from me, and I was left with nothing. That… that scared me, and I've never been the same ever since."

"No one ever is," Airdramon replied, causing the teens to jump; they had actually forgotten that their ride was alive. "It's hard for everyone the first time they die. It certainly was for me. I was traumatized for decades."

Takato sweat-dropped. "Yeah, I'll bet dying would do that to you."

"Sounds kind of like PTSD," TK theorized. At Shoutmon's questioning look he elaborated. "Post traumatic stress disorder."

The dragon Digimon shook his head. "It was different for me than other Digimon. I was the Digimon King. I thought I was above everyone else. I was royalty!"

Airdramon rolled her eyes. "Sure you were."

Hugging himself again, Shoutmon shivered. "Dying really changed my perspective on things. I became afraid. What Gumdramon said was true, I never did more than what I knew I could accomplish. I used shortcuts, took the coward's way out. Only to die again, needing to start over once more from scratch. So many deaths…"

Sighing deeply, he sat back. "Then one day in Primary Village, I met Gumdramon, or Pichimon as he was back then. He was the egg beside mine; we hatched only a few hours apart. We became fast friends, and when we Digivolved to In-Training, we ventured out into the Digital World together." He chuckled. "Things were different this time. I wasn't on my own anymore. The two of us were best friends, inseparable. Once I rose to power again, I was going to make him my top knight."

He frowned slightly. "Being with him helped, but I was still unable to get over my past. I relied on Gumdramon a lot. Too much. Sure, I had his back too, but there were still times when I wanted to retreat rather than fight. Gumdramon helped me find my courage again though, and I began meeting those challenges. It felt like we could do anything as long as we were together."

"It sounds like you two were pretty close," Takuya said with a smile.

The dragon Digimon nodded. "We were." His expression grew dark. "That is, until that thing showed up. The Third Catastrophe."

Beneath them, Airdramon briefly lost altitude as if she had been startled. "The Third Catastrophe? You actually faced that monstrosity?"

"What's the Third Catastrophe?" Kari asked.

"A Digimon," Shoutmon replied. "A Digimon unlike anything the Digital World had ever seen, and more terrible than you could possibly imagine. There have only been three Great Catastrophes in all of history. The first you know about, the D-Reaper."

The teens gasped. They still remembered the horrible story of the D-Reaper, and how Jesmon managed to seal it away, thus resulting in the holiday Jesmas. If this Third Catastrophe Digimon was anything like the D-Reaper…

"No one could have possibly imagined any Digimon could come to be," Airdramon told them, "not after the Second Catastrophe."

Takuya glanced down at him curiously. "So the Second Catastrophe was a Digimon too?"

"The Second Catastrophe was nothing compared to the Third," Shoutmon continued. "Not even the First. The Third only lasted a short time, and thank the Digimon God for that, otherwise, not just the Digital World, but even the human world would have been annihilated. This was an evil god Digimon capable of freely moving through space and time. An unstoppable force of destruction that had come to be only through the most precise and exact perfect combination of elements. The Digimon God knew of his eventual coming though. Homeostasis even made a prediction of it once. When he appeared, the Digimon God himself actually had to step in and seal off the monster's true destructive power, and he never directly interferes with then Digital World, but even that wasn't enough."

"Geez, how bad could one Digimon be?" Takato wondered out loud.

Airdramon shook her head. "Don't know, I wasn't there. I've only heard the stories, and I thank the Sovereigns for that."

Not satisfied, Tai turned to the smaller dragon Digimon for answers. "Shoutmon?"

But he didn't answer. Shoutmon was literally blue in the face, his eyes wide and unseeing, caught up in a flashback. He could see it as if it were happening right in front of him. A tornado of silvery blue and reddish bronze, it was like standing in the middle of the worst hurricane in history with a destructive power infinitely greater than any man-made weapon. Time and space itself were torn apart by its very presence, the horror of that unleashed power apparent.

He was shaking uncontrollably now, hugging himself once more as his claws dug into his skin deep enough to draw blood. He seemed completely oblivious to the pain and everything around him as well.

"Uh, Shoutmon?" TK asked worriedly. He reached out and shook him. "Shoutmon!"

The dragon Digimon blinked, coming back to the present. "Huh? What? Oh, sorry. I was, um, I mean… Sorry."

"Hey, it's ok," Davis told him. "It sounds like it was pretty bad."

Tai nodded. "I definitely agree with TK's theory of PTSD, both for the first time you died and for your experience with this Third Catastrophe thing."

Shoutmon sighed again. "In any case, once that monstrosity appeared, I knew it was all over for us. Gumdramon did too, but he wasn't willing to run away. He knew we were going to die, but he wanted to die fighting by my side." He hung his head, grasping it in his hands. "But I was too afraid. I ran away and left him there to die alone. I was a coward."

"Shoutmon, there was nothing you could have done," Tai told him.

"That's not true. I could have stayed. I could have died an honorable death fighting beside my friend instead of running away, only for death to catch me in the end."

"But you survived," Davis pointed out.

"By pure dumb luck, because help arrived at that exact moment. But if I had stayed, then perhaps the two of us working together could have lasted long enough until the Guardians arrived."

Takato raised an eyebrow, having recalled Shoutmon mentioning something about Guardians when he was talking to Gumdramon. "Who are the Guardians?"

Shoutmon just waved this off. "That's a story for another time. We're talking about me and my cowardice right now."

Tai shook his head. "I don't think it was really cowardice. It sounds like instinct took over. When someone becomes fearful enough, instinct takes over, and they go into what's called 'fight or flight mode'. It sounds like you went into flight mode."

Shoutmon just snorted. "So you're saying I was so afraid that I lost my senses. Nice." He punched down, making Airdramon grunt. "I should have been braver."

Kari reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. "We can't live on what-ifs, Shoutmon. We have to move forward, or we'll just let our regrets consume us."

He slapped her hand away. "What-ifs aren't the problem. Instinct or cowardice, the fact of the matter is that I abandoned my friend to die because I was too afraid; just to save my own skin, even though I knew I wouldn't be able to escape." He looked up at the sky. "And deep down, I'm still the same coward, unwilling to fight when the situation gets too difficult."

TK suddenly grabbed him and turned him around. "Well then, that's the answer."

The dragon Digimon blinked. "Huh? What is?"

"Change yourself. If there's something you don't like about yourself, then work to change it. Become someone you can be proud of."

Tai nodded. "He's right. That's part of life, growing and bettering yourself as a person."

Shoutmon stared at them for a few moments before looking away. "I don't know how."

"One step at a time," Kari said with a smile. "One step at a time. Acknowledging you have a problem is the first step. One day, you'll be able to look back and see how far you've come, and you'll wonder how you ever came so far. You've already come a long way."

"She's right," Davis agreed. "The Shoutmon we know is nothing like the pathetic coward Gumdramon was talking- Ow! What was that for, Takuya?"

The older boy just shook his head. "You can do it, Shoutmon. We have faith in you."

Beneath them, Airdramon cleared her throat. "I hope your faith holds up, 'cause we're almost there."

The attention shifted from Shoutmon to the land below. Before them stood a tall cylindrical tower, a dark reddish black in color with an ominous atmosphere about it. The Dark Tower was an appropriate name for the structure, and it seemed just like the place where Piedmon and ChaosGrimmon would hang out.

"I don't see any guards," Takato noted.

"We might have killed them all back at the mountain," Davis pointed out.

Flying around the tower, Airdramon wasn't sure where to go. "Do you want me to land on top of the tower, or at the bottom?"

Tai considered this. "Lets start at the top. This way we can just make our way down to the bottom."

The dragon Digimon nodded. "Top it is." He began heading back up, but as he flew, something flew out of the tower windows and began flying down towards them. "Um, guys, we have a problem."

They had noticed it too. A swarm of ChaosGrimmon's nanobots were coming at them, in much greater numbers than in the cave. Airdramon fired her Spinning Needle, destroying a fair few, but there were far too many, and the swarm flowed over the group.

"Fiery Fastball!" Shoutmon cried. "Fiery Fastball! Fiery Fastball! Bellow Blaster! Fiery Fastball! I hate these stupid things!"

"You and me both," Davis grumbled as he swatted at the tiny robots.

As Airdramon destroyed several more with her Wing Cutter, something even more alarming drew her attention. "We have another problem."

High in the sky, a massive green cloud was forming above the tower. The teens recognized it as ChaosGrimmon's Fool Rainer attack, the deadly cloud ready to unleash its poisonous rain.

"It's ChaosGrimmon!" Tai cried

"Guess that confirms that he's here," said TK. "We better Spirit Evolve. Execute! Spirit Evolution… MagnaAngemon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… MetalGreymon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Paildramon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution…WarGrowlmon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Angewomon!"

The downpour started, the poisonous rain soaking the DigiDestined. Shoutmon sought cover beneath Airdamon's horns, but still ended up getting wet. The nanobots didn't seem to be affected by the toxic rain though, and they latched onto Airdramon, dragging her to the base of the tower.

"I guess we're starting at the bottom after all," BurningGreymon commented as he carried WarGrowlmon to the ground.

The nanobots slammed Airdramon into the ground, immediately dispersing after that. The DigiDestined landed beside her, and MetalGreymon picked up the dragon Digimon. "Someone get us out of this rain!"

"I'm on it," Angewomon replied. ""Heaven's Charm!"

Rather then seeking an entrance, she simply blasted one in the side of the Dark Tower big enough for even the largest of them to fit through, and they all slipped inside. The nanobots did not follow.

"MagnaAngemon," said MetalGreymon.

The angel Digimon nodded, no further words needed. "Magna Antidote!" His healing light flowed over them, and the poison from the toxic rain was purged from their bodies.

Not too worse for wear, the group now stood in the Dark Tower. They looked around the gloomy insides, not sure where to go, exchanging uncertain glances with each other. "Now what?" Paildramon asked.

As if to answer his question, the swarm of nanobots suddenly flew inside. They swirled around the group for a few seconds before flying off, going through a door on the other side of the room.

"Are we supposed to follow them?" Angewomon wondered out loud.

BurningGreymon growled. "I smell a trap."

"As do I," MetalGreymon agreed. "Keep your eyes peeled."

Yet despite the warning bells going off, there were no surprises as they followed the mini-robots. No tricks, no traps, just one room leading into another, until they eventually came to what could only be called a fighting arena. The room was massively large, and contained a ring that seemed to be for the sole purpose of viewing some spectacle. Resembling the Roman Colosseum, there were numerous seats all around the arena, and the nanobots were swarming in the middle of it.

"What is this?" WarGrowlmon wondered out loud.

"This," a voice spoke from within the swirling swarm of nanobots, "is where you die."

The nanobots dispersed, revealing a certain reaper Digimon standing in the arena. Paildramon glared at him in disgust. "ChaosGrimmon."

"You weren't supposed to make it out of those caves alive," the reaper Digimon growled.

"And you weren't supposed to betray us," WarGrowlmon told him.

"It seems you still don't know the difference between a mole and a traitor. No matter. Soon I'll be rid of you humans for good."

MagnaAngemon pointed his sword at him. "You're outnumbered. Do you really think you can defeat all of us?"

ChaosGrimmon cocked his head to the side. "You seem to be under the impression that I will be fighting all of you at once. I am not so foolish. This will be a continuation of our battle from back in the cave. A one-on-one fight. Either to the death, or elimination upon being knocked from the ring."

MetalGreymon stomped his foot, making the entire tower shake. "We're not playing your game anymore."

"Oh, I think you will."

Something dropped down from up above, and Piedmon landed in the middle of the group. The DigiDestined jumped away on reflex as the clown Digimon pulled a handkerchief out of his sleeve. "Clown Trick!"

He threw the cloth in the air. It grew in size and draped over Airdramon, bringing the dragon Digimon down from the air. She roared beneath the cloth, but her roar soon trailed off and fell silent. The lump beneath the cloth then began to shrink until the dragon Digimon was gone.

"What?" Angewomon gasped. "What happened to her?"

Chuckling, Piedmon picked up the oversized handkerchief. Airdramon was indeed gone, but not completely. In her place was a keychain, and dangling from it was a small figurine that was unmistakably Airdramon.

The DigiDestined looked on in horror. "What did you do to her?" BurningGreymon demanded.

The clown Digimon held up the Airdramon keychain. "I just added her to my collection. And gained the perfect leverage to get you humans to play our little game." He grasped the keychain tightly. "Unless you want me to crush your little friend here to dust, you'll cooperate."

The DigiDestined glared at him, cursing themselves for not expecting something like this. "Well, she's not really our friend…" Paildramon tried.

"Paildramon, don't bother," MetalGreymon told him. "He got us. Again. We can't bluff our way out of this. We don't have a choice. Very well, we'll play your game."

Chuckling, Piedmon flew up into the box seats and sat down, making himself comfortable. "I knew you'd see things our way. You humans are far too caring." He sat back, putting his feet up. "Make it a good show."

WarGrowlmon glared up at him. "I really hate that guy."

"We'll deal with him soon enough," MagnaAngemon assured him. He looked back at ChaosGrimmon. "Once we take care of this guy."

"I call dibs," BurningGreymon declared. "I want the first go at him."

"Fine," said MetalGreymon. "Just be careful. Remember what he's capable of."

"How could I forget?"

He entered the arena, making his way over to ChaosGrimmon. The reaper Digimon stared at him hungrily, running his blades against each other. "I'm looking forward to this. Truthfully, I was very unsatisfied with what happened back at the cave. I wanted to beat you humans at your best."

BurningGreymon glared at him. "Even fighting us one-on-one, do you really think you can beat all us of? Six Ultimates?"

ChaosGrimmon chuckled knowingly. "You make a good point. I am strong, but the odds are not exactly in my favor. Piedmon!"

The clown Digimon smirked. "It's time then? Very well, here it goes."

He tossed a glowing sphere towards the reaper Digimon. It was the size of a basketball and appeared to be made entirely out of Fractal Code. ChaosGrimmon snatched it out of the air and held it up for the others to see.

BurningGreymon didn't have a good feeling about this. "What is that?"

"This," said ChaosGrimmon, "is pure data. All the data we forcibly harvest from Santamon since his capture, over two years worth. He would usually produce this and give it to the good Baby, In-Training, and Rookie Digimon throughout the Digital World on Jesmas to help them Digivolve, but now it's mine."

No, BurningGreymon definitely didn't like the way this felt. "And what are you going to do with it?"

"I may be a reaper Digimon, but it's in my nature to use, manipulate, and control others. As you can imagine, that can make it difficult to become stronger since I rarely get involved in a fight, but rather cause the destruction on the sidelines. As such, I've been having a tough time gaining enough power to unlock my Mega form, but I think this will do the trick, don't you?"

No, this was most definitely not a good thing. "And if it's not enough? If you still can't Digivolve, the you'll be stuck at the Ultimate level, left to fight all six of us as you are."

"Yes," ChaosGrimmon agreed, "it's a gamble, but I think the odds are in my favor. Lets see if I'm right."

He pressed the ball of data to his chest, and it sank into his body. He lit up for a moment as he assimilated the data, then he exhaled deeply. "Well, it looks like I was right. Brace yourselves, humans. ChaosGrimmon Mega Digivolve to… ExoGrimmon!"

Despite Shoutmon's claims, Mega levels did indeed seem to favor larger sizes. In his Mega form, ExoGrimmon resembled a giant mechanical dragon with an axe on his tail and numerous blades sticking out of his body. He was very intimidating to look at, and BurningGreymon unconsciously took a step back. "Somehow, I knew this was coming."

Piedmon began clapping his hands as he watched in the box seats. "Good show. I guess extracting all that data from Santamon paid off after all. Such a shame he got away."

Shoutmon's fists clenched together tightly. "Damn it!" He produced his mic and began slamming it on the floor, bending it out of shape. "Why does this keep happening!?"

Taking a step forward, ExoGrimmon stared down at BurningGreymon hungrily. "Now then, to answer your question of whether or not I think I can beat all six of you, the answer is yes, I think I'll manage that just fine."

Notes:

(A/N: Well that's not good. Now our heroes have a Mega to deal with. And they can't even team up to fight this time with Piedmon holding Airdramon hostage. This is going to be a problem. But we also learned some more about Shoutmon, and of these events called the Three Great Catastrophes. The D-Reaper was the first, and the second and third were two very powerful Digimon. But what type of Digimon could be on par with the D-Reaper. We know that Shoutmon fled during the Third Catastrophe while Gumdramon stayed to fight, only to die in the process. There's still a lot of questions to be answered and more battles to fight, so stay tuned for more.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear or are mentioned.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/ExoGrimmon

Chapter 70: Elimination

Notes:

(A/N: It's time for the big confrontation with the traitorous ChaosGrimmon. Actually, it's ExoGrimmon now, not good. And is he actually a traitor if he was actually never on the DigiDestined's side? Will BurningGreymon be able to defeat him? Remember, this is an elimination battle, so he can still win if he knocks ExoGrimmon out of the ring. Lets see how things go.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 70: Elimination

"I'm not afraid of you," BurningGreymon declared.

ExoGrimmon laughed as he took another step towards him. "Don't make me laugh. You're so afraid, I can smell it. And rightfully so. I possess the power of the gods."

"What does that mean?"

"Air God!" At his call, the sky tore open, almost as if it were a movie screen being ripped apart. Behind the tear, the DigiDestined could just barely make out the silhouette of a divine being. The air god held out their hand, and lightning began raining from the sky. BurningGreymon began leaping around the arena, trying to avoid the bolts of lightning. He got too close to ExoGrimmon, and the reaper Digimon punched down towards him. BurningGreymon dodged the blow, but the force of the impact from ExoGrimmon's fist shattering the arena floor still sent him flying.

Jumping up, BurningGreymon returned his attention to the sky. The air god was gone, as was the rip in the sky, or ceiling, or wherever the rip had appeared. His gaze shifted back to ExoGrimmon, and he fired his Pyro Barrage. The energy bullets slammed against the reaper Digimon, but did no visible damage. With a flick of his tail, the axe at the end of it flew towards BurningGreymon. He ducked beneath it, and used Salamander Glide, flying towards the reaper Digimon.

"Prominence!" ExoGrimmon cried, breathing a massive stream of fire. BurningGreymon came to a stop in the air and quickly unleashed his Wildfire Tsunami. The two fire attacks collided, fighting against each other for a brief moment before ExoGrimmon's overpowered BurningGreymon's. The dragon Digimon covered his head and folded his wings around himself as the flames consumed him. He hit the arena floor hard as the tiles around him were reduced to ashes.

"Fool," ExoGrimmon growled. "Did you really think that an Ultimate level attack could counter a Mega's?"

BurningGreymon struggled to get up, his body singed. "I am… the master of fire… I'm resistant to heat."

"Resistant, but not immune."

Feeling disoriented, BurningGreymon took a step towards him. "I can take… anything you…" He fell to one knee. "What's wrong with me? I feel so… vulnerable."

ExoGrimmon laughed. "That would be the affects of my attack. The flames of my Prominence lower my opponents' defense."

"Lowers their defense?" WarGrowlmon repeated. "What is this, an RPG?"

"I don't know what an RPG is," ExoGrimmon commented, "but this will definitely be your downfall."

BurningGreymon studied his opponent, sizing him up as he came up with his plan. "Technically, I don't have to kill you to win, just knock you out of the ring."

ExoGrimmon smirked, seeing where he was going with this. "If you can."

"Well, in that case… Fire Below!" He fired a laser at the ground by ExoGrimmon's feet. The ground exploded beneath his right foot, throwing him off balance. "Burning Grey Blaster!"

Covering himself in fire, he flew at the reaper Digimon, slamming into his chest. ExoGrimmon stumbled back towards the edge of the ring as BurningGreymon pushed him back, trying to force him out of bounds.

ExoGrimmon's fist came down on BurningGreymon, knocking him to the arena floor. "Impressive. I have to admit, that was a nice try. You almost knocked me out." He kicked the dragon Digimon towards the other side of the ring. "But in the end, it was futile. Chrono Destruction!"

The attack came at BurningGreymon. He barely had time to get to his feet before it struck. The resounding blast blew apart a portion of the arena. Pieces of it went flying, the data scattering as the attack consumed the area.

ExoGrimmon grinned. "My Chrono Destruction completely destroys data. I'm afraid there won't be anything left of your friend."

The DigiDestined looked on in horror at the damage ExoGrimmon's attack had caused. "It can't be…" MagnaAngemon whispered. "Takuya!"

There was a coughing from inside the smoke. "I'm here." And it was indeed Takuya lying in a crater in the ring, having returned to human form. "I'm fine… still here…"

A growl ExoGrimmon. "So you survived. No matter, I'll end you now."

He began stomping towards Takuya. The boy tried to get up, but couldn't seem to find the strength after taking on a hit from ExoGrimmon's attack. His friends made a move to go to him, but a whistle from up above drew their attention. Looking up at Piedmon, they saw him shake his finger at them as if they were naughty children, then hold up Airdramon's keychain for them to see.

"Damn you," MetalGreymon growled. He looked back at Takuya. "We still have to help."

"But Airdramon-" WarGrowlmon began.

"Will come back after he dies. Takuya won't. We've got to help."

Before anyone could even make a decision, one of Piedmon's swords stabbed into the ground in front of them. When they turned to him again, he reached up to slightly unsheathe another sword, his threat evident.

Shoutmon growled. "Don't bother. He'll cut us down before we even reach the arena."

Despite his condition, Takuya heard his friends' conversation, and knew they wouldn't be able to help him with Piedmon looming over them. If he didn't do something fast, he would lose much more than this match.

Wait, that was it! Gripping the shredded arena floor, he dragged himself out of the crater. ExoGrimmon was almost directly over him, ready to deliver the finishing blow. Takuya reached out and grabbed the edge of the arena, pulling himself along and dropping onto the floor.

"I'm out of the ring!" he panted. "The match is over!" He looked up at the reaper Digimon. "You're eliminated if you're killed or knocked out of the ring, right?"

ExoGrimmon stopped, taken aback. A growl escaped him as he glared at the boy. "You coward."

Takuya returned the glare. "You've got no right to call anyone a coward, not after you waited until we were all out of strength the first time before you fought us, or until you demanded we face you one-on-one only after you stole Santamon's data to Digivolve to Mega."

The reaper Digimon took a step towards him. "I could still kill you now."

"That won't be necessary," Piedmon announced. "Clown Trick!"

He tossed out a handkerchief. It grew as it fell, draping over Takuya. His friends called out his name as his form shrank beneath the cloth. It then flew into the air, returning to Piedmon's hand. By the time it reached the clown Digimon, it was back to its original size. Piedmon shook it, and a Takuya keychain dropped into his hand. "Another one for my collection."

WarGrowlmon pointed up at him. "Hey, what gives?"

The clown Digimon chuckled. "What? Did you think there would be no consequences for losing? No, no, my friends." He held up the Takuya keychain. "This is the fate of all those who are eliminated."

"You bastard," MetalGreymon growled.

"Don't worry," ExoGrimmon told him. "You'll be joining him soon. Or you'll be dead. Either or. Personally, I prefer the latter."

The DigiDestined glared at him with open hostility. "Great, so what now?" Paildramon muttered.

"Either MagnaAngemon or Angewomon should fight," Shoutmon replied. "They're the strongest of us."

"Then I'll fight next," Angewomon stated, beating MagnaAngemon to the punch.

"Wait," her fellow angel Digimon protested, "let me."

"No, this is my fight. We never finished things back at the cave."

"But, Angewomon-" MetalGreymon began.

"No buts. I'm going."

Before anyone else could protest, she flew into the ring. ExoGrimmon just sneered at her. "So, you're ready for round two?"

Angewomon knew he was referring to her defeat back in the caves. "Unless you plan on running away again."

That knocked the grin of the reaper Digimon's face. "My mistake last time was letting someone else finish you off. I will not make that mistake again."

"And I won't make the mistake of thinking you're my friend. Lift Your Spirits!"

She jumped up and kicked him, but ExoGrimmon's hand shot out and grabbed her leg before she could land the blow. She gasped in surprise as ExoGrimmon sneered at her and slammed her down in the ground. He did it again, forming a crater beneath her, and Angewomon used Super Jump, blasting out of his grip, the holy energy singeing his hand.

Taking to the air, she unleashed her Heaven's Charm. ExoGrimmon stumbled back as the attack blasted him in the face, and then countered with his Prominence, breathing a stream of fire at her. Remembering the flames' affects, Angewomon used her Bliss of Saints to absorb the attack and converted it into energy for her own attack. "Holy Arrow!"

The lightning bolt hit ExoGrimmon's shoulder, and he growled at the angel Digimon in response. "Nice move. Now absorb this. Air God!"

Just like before, the sky ripped open, and the air god beyond the rip rained down lightning upon Angewomon. She flew about, trying to avoid the stream of electricity. She wasn't able to do so for long, and a bolt struck her. She fell from the sky, her body smoking.

As the air god vanished, ExoGrimmon once again became the primary threat. "I have another god at my disposal as well. Allow me to introduce the two of you. Death God!"

Once again, the sky was torn open, but this time, a different god lay beyond the rip. Raising its hand, four beams flew from its palm. They struck the arena and flowed across it, cutting the hard marble apart like tissue paper. Angewomon used her Super Jump to avoid the attack; the arena now tore into four sides.

"Heaven's Charm!" she cried, once again hitting ExoGrimmon in the face with the same attack. This time though, he didn't stumble back, he merely winced, the damage less significant.

"Surprise?" he taunted. "I should have mentioned that the lightning the air god unleashes reduces the victim's attack power." He chuckled. "That's right. I can reduce an opponent's attack and defense."

Angewomon refused to be intimidated. "Can you actually fight on your own, or can you only summon gods to attack for you. Heel of Justice!"

Her foot collided with his head, snapping it to the side. ExoGrimmon was scowling now, either from her attack or her remark, but soon broke out into a grin. "You tell me. Chrono Destruction!"

As he unleashed his attack, Angewomon flew back and fired her Heaven's Charm. It collided with ExoGrimmon's Chrono Destruction, all but blowing up in her face, and she went spinning through the air. ExoGrimmon emerged from the smoke lingering from the blast and breathed flames from his Prominence attack.

Angewomon cried out as the stream of fire hit her from behind, pushing her through the air and slamming her against the wall. Smoking, she dropped down and hit the ground… outside of the ring.

Right on cue, Piedmon tossed out a handkerchief. A few of the DigiDestined fired attacks at the cloth, but more fire from ExoGrimmon knocked them aside. The cloth fell over Angewomon, and Piedmon ended up with another addition to his collection.

"Change her back!" MetalGreymon demanded.

Piedmon chuckled. "Sorry, but rules are rules." He held up all three key chains. "I think this is going well. Soon I'll have the whole set."

"Not if I have anything to say about it!" MagnaAngemon declared. "It's my turn now."

Paildramon held up his hand. "Wait, let me go."

Shoutmon gave him a look. "What? Why you? MagnaAngemon is the strongest of us."

"But ExoGrimmon is still stronger. We tried fighting power with power, and that didn't work. So now lets try fighting power with speed."

"That's…" WarGrowlmon began, "actually a pretty good idea."

"No amount of speed can turn the tides in our favor as long as he's a Mega and we're Ultimates," Shoutmon replied, "but perhaps it'll enable us to knock him out of the ring. That's our only hope of winning, 'cause we'll never be able to destroy him."

ExoGrimmon was tapping his foot impatiently. "I don't care who it is, but if one of you doesn't get in here, I'll consider it a forfeit."

"As will I," Piedmon stated, waving his handkerchief.

Almost reluctantly, Paildramon flew into the ring. ExoGrimmon cracked his head left and right, looking a little too eager to begin. "Are you ready?"

The dragon Digimon hesitated. "Please, ExoGrimmon, don't do this. It's not too late. We can go back to the way things were before."

Shoutmon sweat-dropped. "Is he seriously trying this?"

"Just think of how well we got along," Paildramon continued. "We were friends. Even if it was all just an act, we can make it real. Think about it. Is this really what you want? Throwing your lot in with that guy," he motioned to Piedmon up in the box seats, who was nonchalantly whistling as he twirled around Takuya's key chain, "over real friends who actually care about you? All that you've done can be forgiven. Make amends. Help us save our friends. You can join us, for real this time."

ExoGrimmon stared at him for several long moments before closing his eyes. "Paildramon… Davis…" he opened his eyes again, "I've always hated you the most. You were the most annoying out of all your pathetic friends, and the one I've been the most eager to kill. I'm really going to enjoy this."

Paildramon sighed in resignation. "I had to try. I couldn't live with myself if I didn't at least try. But now I know. Electric Bolt!"

ExoGrimmon's head snapped to the side, and Paildramon quickly followed up with his Sting Strike. His attack never made contact as ExoGrimmon's hand reached up and grabbed him around the waist.

"Desperado Blaster!" His guns fired directly into the reaper Digimon's palm. At this close range, the attack left a painful stinging sensation, and ExoGrimmon threw Paildramon away from him. He followed up with his Air God attack, and Paildramon maneuvered about as he avoided the raining lightning, flying closer towards the reaper Digimon. "Cable Catcher!"

ExoGrimmon's tail axe came up, and Paildramon's claws bounced harmlessly off them. "Chrono Destruction!"

Paildramon dropped down, flattening himself to the arena floor as the attack passed by above him. He couldn't stay down long though, and quickly took to the air as the arena was torn into four more pieces. Unfortunately, he ended up flying straight into ExoGrimmon's fist, and ended up cracking the ground.

ExoGrimmon moved to stand over him, flames escaping his jaws. "I've been wanting to do this since we first met. Now, goodbye. Prominence!"

Paildramon's name was shouted as the dragon Digimon was engulfed in flames. The fire flowed in a continuous stream, completely engulfing him as Paildramon cried out.

Amidst the burning fire, Paildramon looked up at the reaper Digimon. "EXOGRIMMON, YOU'RE A FOOL! YOU THREW AWAY FRIENDSHIP! AND FOR WHAT?! FOR THIS!?"

ExoGrimmon's eyes narrowed. "I'm just amazed that you can still speak rationally right now. Just die already!"

Still burning, Paildramon forced his way out of the stream of fire, flying into the air. "I WILL STOP YOU!" The flames exploded outwards, causing ExoGrimmon to recoil. Paildramon's armor blazed bright orange, but he seemed completely dissociated from the heat. The burning embers soon gave way to a much brighter glow, a golden glow, one that completely consumed the dragon Digimon. "Paildramon Mega Digivolve to… Imperialdramon!"

The arena shook as the massive form of the Mega level Digimon came crashing down onto it. Resembling a robotic cross between a dragon and a bear, the armor clad Digimon looked every bit as intimidating as his opponent. ExoGrimmon took a step back at the sight of him. "No, that's not possible."

The amusement vanished from Piedmon's face as he dropped the key chains and leaned over the railing. "Mega? He Digivolved to Mega? How? From what power boost? He didn't absorb any data?"

ExoGrimmon's shock soon gave way to fury as he rounded on Shoutmon and the rest of the DigiDestined. "What is this? How could he just Digivolve to Mega like that? You never mentioned anything like this!"

Shoutmon had seemed just as dumbfounded as the two villains, but upon realizing that he was being questioned, he quickly pulled himself together. Placing his hands on his hips, he puffed out his chest and gave a very forced laugh. "Ha, ha, ha! Of course we did! We explained how their power comes from within. It's the human spirit that gives them their strength. You just didn't understand what we meant." He waved. "Way to go, Imperialdramon!"

The others were still staring in utter disbelief at the dragon Digimon, the first of them to reach the Mega level. But as impressive as he was, was he strong enough to defeat ExoGrimmon?

"Shoutmon?" MetalGreymon asked. "Now that we have Imperialdramon on our side, what are our chances of winning?"

The dragon Digimon beamed at him. "Very good, actually. And not just because we now have a Mega. Imperialdramon is very powerful." He returned his attention to the arena. "I'd say the two of them are about evenly matched."

"Don't bet on it, you royal reject," ExoGrimmon grumbled, glaring at Imperialdramon. "Even if you did reach Mega, it still takes time to get acclimated to your new form before you can reach your potential and tap into your true power."

Imperialdramon returned the glare. "Get off your pedestal. You only just Digivolved too."

A growl escaped the reaper Digimon. "That may be true, but unlike you, I'm a real Digimon. Prominence!"

He breathed fire. Imperialdramon leapt into the air, moving astonishingly fast for such a large Digimon. As the flames passed by beneath him, he flew at ExoGrimmon, tackling the reaper Digimon to the ground. ExoGrimmon struggled beneath him, holding back Imperialdramon's snapping jaws and lethal claws. His tail came up, the axe burning into the dragon Digimon's side, and Imperialdramon roared.

ExoGrimmon kicked Imperialdramon off him, and the dragon Digimon would have gone out of the arena if it weren't for his ability to fly. "Mega Crusher!"

ExoGrimmon climbed to his feet and jumped out of the way as the sphere of dark matter struck where he had been, exploding outward for a few hundred meters, destroying everything inside. The reaper Digimon surveyed the destruction before him, growling at his opponent. 'You've destroyed most of the arena."

Imperialdramon growled back. "I don't care about the arena. I'm taking you down."

The reaper Digimon stared at him before chuckling. "Fool. You can't beat me. Death God!"

The summoned god appeared, but did not attack Imperialdramon. Rather, it attacked the wall at the reaper Digimon's command, creating a hole to the outside. Moonlight spilled into the room, and ExoGrimmon sneered as he stepped into it. "In the light of the moon, I have the ability to heal myself. Moon Tears!"

Within the glow of the moon, light particles flowed into the reaper Digimon. The wounds on his body instantly healed, and he chuckled as he turned back to Imperialdramon. "And the best part about this is, unlike your healing abilities, this doesn't require the use of my own energy, just the light of the moon. So you see, no matter how powerful you are, I can just heal any damage you deliver."

But Imperialdramon didn't seem the least bit intimidated by this. "Big deal. I don't care what abilities you have. I said I'm taking you down, and I meant it."

He charged at ExoGrimmon like an angry bear. The reaper Digimon rushed forward to meet him, the tower shaking from the impact of their feet. Imperialdramon rose up and mauled ExoGrimmon. The reaper Digimon held his ground as Imperialdramon came down on him, the two biting and scratching at the other. ExoGrimmon attempted to breathe fire at his opponent, but Imperialdramon pushed his head to the side, and the flames flew past his face.

"Shining Blade!" Imperialdramon cried. Still holding ExoGrimmon's fire breathing head away, he used his other claw to stab and slash into the reaper Digimon's side again and again. ExoGrimmon roared and struggled to get away, but unable to with Imperialdramon's weight pushing down on him. His axe tail flew threw the air, slamming into the area between Imperialdramon's neck and shoulder. The dragon Digimon roared and chomped down on ExoGrimmon's shoulder.

Snarling, ExoGrimmon used Imperialdramon's weight against him, bending down so he could lift the dragon Digimon into the air and throw him to the other end of the arena. "Prominence!"

"Eternal Zeal!"

Both breathed fire, Imperialdramon's in a swirling vortex. The two blazes met, erupting into a wall of fire that the DigiDestined could feel the heat from where they were as the two combatants slowly closed the distance between them, neither letting up.

When he was within range, Imperialdramon swiped with his Shining Blade, but ExoGrimmon took to the air. Imperialdramon took aim and began firing his Positron Laser, shooting a beam of energy from the cannon on his back. ExoGrimmon swirled around the attack and came crashing down on top of Imperialdramon, flattening the dragon Digimon to the arena floor.

Imperialdramon attempted to get free, but ExoGrimmon kept him pinned down. With a blast of strength, he took to the air, bringing ExoGrimmon with him. He began doing flips and turns in the air until he finally got the reaper Digimon off his back. Both flying now, they began attacking in the air, crashing into and slashing at each other, occasionally breathing a stream of fire.

"It looks like they're evenly matched," MetalGreymon noted.

Shoutmon glanced at him. "You think so?" he turned back to the battle. "Look again. ExoGrimmon is wearing out, but Imperialdramon is still coming on strong. ExoGrimmon was right about it taking time to get used to your new form and power."

WarGrowlmon cocked his head to the side curiously. "Then how come Imperialdramon isn't struggling the way ExoGrimmon is?"

It was MagnaAngemon who answered. "Because ExoGrimmon is fighting out of pure spite and a desire to destroy, but Imperialdramon is fighting for a purpose, for something he believes in. He's fighting to save his friends."

Imperialdramon managed to get on top of ExoGrimmon, bringing him back down and crashing him into the arena floor. ExoGrimmon threw the dragon Digimon off him and jumped to his feet. "Chrono Destruction!"

Imperialdramon whirled around. "Mega Crusher!"

The attacks collided and exploded, consuming the entire arena. Both combatants flew back from the blast as the ground was leveled, the arena vanishing entirely. They hovered in the air above where the ring once was, the dragon Digimon looking at his opponent inquisitively. "Now what? There's no ring."

ExoGrimmon considered this for a moment before landing. "No ring, no out of bounds. That leads to only one way to eliminate your opponent."

"I can work with that. Positron Laser!"

He fired a beam of energy, not at ExoGrimmon, but at the ground in front of him. ExoGrimmon took a step back as a cloud of smoke rose up in front of him. A moment later, Imperialdramon burst through the cloud and tackled him to the ground. Face to face, Imperialdramon unleashed his Eternal Zeal, the flames flowing over ExoGrimmon's head. "Not much fun when it's being done to you, is it?"

The reaper Digimon continued roaring, and managed to use his Air God attack. But Imperialdramon was prepared as the sky ripped open, and grabbed hold of ExoGrimmon. As the lightning rained down, he rolled them over, and the reaper Digimon's own attack came down on him instead.

"That's the problem with having others attack for you," Imperialdramon told him before kicking the reaper Digimon off him, "it's too unreliable."

Groaning, ExoGrimmon struggled to his feet. "You think you can do this to me? You, a lousy human? You have no idea who I am."

Imperialdramon's eyes narrowed. "I don't care."

With a snarl, ExoGrimmon began making his way over to the moonlight flowing into the room. He reached for it, preparing to heal. Only to have the light vanish before he could touch it. He looked up at the hole he had created, and found MagnaAngemon and WarGrowlmon hovering in front of it, blocking the moonlight.

"Positron Laser!" Imperialdramon cried.

ExoGrimmon turned, but not in time, and Imperialdramon's attack blasted him across the room and slammed him into the wall. He went down, and stayed down, but not yet out. His eyes cracked open, and he saw the dragon Digimon approaching. He looked up at Piedmon questioningly, but the clown Digimon just shrugged.

"Were you expecting him to help you?" Imperialdramon asked. "It hurts, doesn't it, when someone you trust turns their back on you."

ExoGrimmon scowled. "You whine too much. If you're so upset about losing me as your friend, I wonder how you'll feel when you lose them all. Air God!"

Imperialdramon braced himself, but the sky did not tear open above him. Instead, the rip appeared above his friends, and lightning began raining down towards them. They fled the lightning, yet it came down in abundance, ExoGrimmon laughing all the while. "Kill them all!"

"No!" Imperialdramon shouted. He charged at the reaper Digimon, flattening him against the wall, his cannon pointing directly at him.

ExoGrimmon's eyes widened. "What are you doing? If you fire that thing at this close range, we'll both go down."

Imperialdramon just glared. "Now you know what real friends will do for each other. And you willingly threw that away. Mega Crusher!"

 

Notes:

(A/N: Boom baby! Imperialdramon has finally arrived. Congrats to Davis for being the first to reach Mega. But what's this? Have we already lost him? And what about ExoGrimmon? Did he survive? Will Piedmon be stepping in next? Things are really going to start heating up now.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

Imperialdramon's attacks:

Mega Crusher – Fires super-massive dark matter that swallowing everything within a few hundred meters in a dark space, completely annihilating it.

Positron Laser – Fires a beam of positronic energy from his cannon.

Shining Blade – Slashes with his glowing claws.

Eternal Zeal – Releases a maelstrom of fire.

Mega Fire – Fires dark matter from his mouth.

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear or are mentioned.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Imperialdramon_Dragon_Mode

Chapter 71: Mastermind

Notes:

(A/N: Last chapter ended on a major cliffhanger with Imperialdramon firing his most powerful attack at ExoGrimmon at point blank range. Neither one is going to get out of that unscathed. Was it enough to end the battle? And what of Imperialdramon? If the battle ended it a tie, what happens with the tournament? Lets find out.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 71: Mastermind

The attack was just as devastating as before, consuming a good portion of the floor and wall, including both Imperialdramon and ExoGrimmon. Up above, the lightning stopped coming down, and the rip in the air leading to the air god's realm closed.

In the box seats, Piedmon leaned closer, trying to see into the cloud of smoke left behind by Imperialdramon's attack. With the threat of lightning raining down on them gone, the DigiDestined looked to where the two combating Digimon had been. The destruction caused by Imperialdramon's Mega Crusher was almost certain to have been wiped out both of them.

Something moved in the smoke, something big. Whoever it was, they were gravely wounded, that much was evident by the silhouette alone. But they were alive, and they were heading for the DigiDestined.

"It's Imperialdramon!" MagnaAngemon exclaimed.

"He's ok!" cried WarGrowlmon.

It was indeed the dragon Digimon, but he was far from ok. The damage done by getting caught up in his own attack was extensive. He had known it would be, if he even survived; his Mega Crusher was not meant to be used at such close range.

There was no sign of ExoGrimmon.

Struggling to hold up his head, Imperialdramon looked to his friends. Seeing that they were ok, what served as a smile crept up his face. "You're… ok… I'm glad…"

His legs gave out, and he collapsed. A moment later, he reverted to his human form, no worse for wear, but seemingly unconscious. His friends cried out his name and rushed towards him. Moments before they reached him, a familiar cloth fell over his body.

"No!" MetalGreymon shouted as the cloth returned to Piedmon, and he presented them with his brand new keychain. "You can't do that!"

"Oh, but I can," the clown Digimon replied. "He obviously cannot battle any longer. That means he lost." He tossed the Davis keychain in the air and caught it. "Just a few more to go, and I'll have the complete set."

WarGrowlmon pointed at him. "That's not fair! We won your stupid game, now give us back our friends!"

Smirking, Piedmon set Davis' keychain down beside the others and leapt off the balcony. He landed a short distance from the DigiDestined and crossed his arms. "Oh, I'm sorry. Were you under the impression that ExoGrimmon was your only opponent? Oh, no, no, no, no. You still have me to contend with if you want your friends back." He cocked his head to the side. "I wonder how you'll fair without your Mega friend."

MagnaAngemon stepped forward. "I'm about to find out."

MetalGreymon moved in front of him. "No, I am."

The angel Digimon looked at him. "But-"

"It's only fitting that the two leaders face each other. Besides," he glared at the clown Digimon, "he has my sister."

Piedmon just grinned. "Don't worry, once I add you to my collection, I'll place the two of you next to each other on my shelf."

"Or I'll destroy you and have her change back. Giga Blaster!"

"Clown Trick!" Piedmon pulled a giant tennis rocket from out of nowhere and used it to whack the missiles away, laughing all the while. One of them flew at MetalGreymon, exploding into his chest and sending him crashing into the wall.

Roaring, MetalGreymon jumped to his feet and charged at Piedmon. He used his Metal Slash attack, but Piedmon grabbed his claw. "You can't hurt me with attacks like this."

Showing surprising strength for his size, he swung the much larger Digimon around and threw him across the room. MetalGreymon dug his metal claw into the ground, sending sparks flying as he skidded to a halt. "Powerful Flame!"

"Clown Trick!" Piedmon whipped out a hoop. The flames seemed to be drawn toward it, covering the ring in fire. "Jump through this if you can."

He tossed the hoop at MetalGreymon. As it soared over the cyborg dinosaur Digimon's head, it expanded before coming down over him. MetalGreymon predicted what would happen next, and was proven right as the ring of fire shrank. He slashed at it with his metal claw, and the ring fell apart.

"Mask Square!" Piedmon cried, and the teleportation squares appeared across the floor. Piedmon stepped on one and vanished, reappearing on the square beneath MetalGreymon. He jumped up and delivered an uppercut to the cyborg dinosaur Digimon's lower jaw, then followed up with his Toy Wonderness attack, the gust of wind blowing him off his feet.

MagnaAngemon glanced up at the box seats where his friends' keychains were. He looked back at Piedmon, who was distracted with his fight with MetalGreymon. If he could recover his friends, then they wouldn't need to follow these one-on-one rules anymore, and they could all attack Piedmon together.

"I'm going for the others," he whispered to Shoutmon and WarGrowlmon.

With one last glance at Piedmon, he took off for the box seats. The keychains were resting on the railing, almost mockingly, just waiting to be grabbed. He got close, but Piedmon's sword suddenly flew past him, cutting him off. He looked back at the clown Digimon, who was watching him with a smirk on his face.

Stepping onto another square, he teleported up to the box seats. "Did you really think I'd just let you steal my collection? Naughty, naughty." He leaned in closer. "I can teleport up here a lot faster than you can fly up here. Don't try it again, or I'll destroy them. Now, sit back down before I add you to my collection sooner than necessary."

With no choice in the matter, the angel Digimon settled back down next to his friends. Still smiling, Piedmon teleported back down to where MetalGreymon was. The cyborg dinosaur Digimon was on his feet again and attacked with his Metal Slash Revision.

Piedmon teleported to another square. MetalGreymon turned to him and attacked again, only to have the clown Digimon vanish once again. The process repeated several times before Piedmon began rapidly and randomly teleporting from square to square, not even waiting for MetalGreymon to attack, laughing all the while, moving faster than his opponent could blink.

MetalGreymon followed his appearances, trying to pick up a pattern. He soon realized that there wasn't one, and began lashing out at random, hoping he would get lucky. He did one time, for all the good it did, as Piedmon once again caught his metal claw, grasping the blades. "Tell me, does this hurt?"

He began pushing the two blades he held apart. MetalGreymon grunted in pain as he felt something akin to his fingers being bent in the wrong direction. "Mega Claw!"

His metal claw fired, taking Piedmon with it, and crashing into the wall. Without even bothering to retract it, he fired his Giga Blaster, blowing a larger hole in the wall. He pulled his claw back into place and stared into the cloud of smoke, trying to make out the clown Digimon. He knew he hadn't beaten him, but he had landed a direct hit with his strongest attack; surely that must have caused some damage.

As the smoke dissipated, Piedmon was revealed to be unharmed. Still smiling, he dusted himself off with his handkerchief. "That was a good try. You managed to impress me. As your reward, you can join my collection without having to feel any more pain. Clown Trick!"

He tossed out his handkerchief at MetalGreymon, where it grew large enough to cover the cyborg dinosaur Digimon. MetalGreymon took a step back and used his Over Flame, both shredding and burning the cloth. "I'm not interested in joining your collection."

Piedmon shrugged. "No matter, I can always make another one. But if you wish to feel pain first, I can arrange that. Trump Sword!"

His swords went flying. MetalGreymon swiped at them, and they scattered. It was just like back in the cave when Angewomon faced him. The four swords flew through the air, slashing and cutting the cyborg dinosaur Digimon as he unsuccessfully tried to ward them off.

It wasn't long before numerous wounds covered the cyborg dinosaur Digimon's body, and he fell to one knee, using his metal claw to help hold himself up. The swords returned to Piedmon's sheaths, and he crossed his arms, looking very satisfied with himself. "This is your fault. Your failure was a sure thing from the beginning. I offered you a painless acceptance of your fate, but you chose to suffer instead."

Coughing, MetalGreymon forced himself to stand up. "I can't… afford to lose…"

The clown Digimon seemed to be delighted in the cyborg dinosaur Digimon's pain. "Foolish boy, an Ultimate can't possibly beat a Mega."

MetalGreymon glared at him. "In that case, I'll just have to Digivolve to Mega as well."

Piedmon stared at him for several long moments, looking stunned. Then he started to chuckle before bursting into full-blown laughter. "You truly are an imbecile. You can't simply Digivolve just like that. That's not the way it works."

"Davis did it."

Piedmon scowled at him, now looking annoyed. "Ending Snipe!" He fired electricity at the cyborg dinosaur Digimon. MetalGreymon roared as his body lit up, his cries echoing throughout the room. "You delusional child! Your friend was just fortunate enough to be at the point of being able to unlock his Mega form! It was a fluke! You know nothing of Digimon! And you dare to call yourself MetalGreymon!"

Amidst the electricity, MetalGreymon cracked an eye open. "And you know nothing of humans." Despite the electric charge coursing through his body, he managed to rise to his full height. "My sister and friends need me, and I'll do whatever it takes to help them. All these rules and boundaries you have, I won't let them stop me. I might not know everything there is to know about Digimon, but you know nothing about the human heart!"

He roared loudly, breaking free of Piedmon's electric attack. The clown Digimon leapt away as he swiped at him. MetalGreymon didn't pursue as he continued to roar his fury to the heavens. "MetalGreymon Mega Digivolve to… WarGreymon!"

For the first time, MagnaAngemon and WarGrowlmon witnessed a reduction in size when it came to Digivolution. MetalGreymon had gone from being over ten times their human size to only about three times. Despite that, there was no doubt as to who was superior. A great deal of power condensed into a smaller form, as Shoutmon had said. And WarGreymon certainly looked powerful.

Completely covered in armor, he looked every bit ready for war, and capable of achieving victory on his own. The claw-like blades on his gauntlets looked very deadly, and the partially formed metal wings MetalGreymon had possessed now seemed to be complete, providing the new dragon Digimon with the ability to fly in addition to acting like a shield for his back.

Piedmon was staring again, but he didn't look amused or angry now, just genuinely stunned. "I don't understand. This can't be a coincidence." His shock quickly gave way to rage once again. "What is this ability you humans posses that allows you to tap into your Digimon forms' greatest power?"

WarGreymon just glared at him. "Someone like you could never understand. You only fight for your own petty greed. You lack any and all compassion. Without that, you can't even begin to comprehend the human heart. Now, feel my power. Terra Force!"

He gathered a massive amount of energy, forming it into a ball above him several times his size. He threw it at the clown Digimon, and Piedmon leapt away, the attack leaving a large crater behind. WarGreymon flew towards him, slashing with his claws. Piedmon blocked and avoided the lethal blades until WarGreymon did a flip in the air, bringing his foot down on Piedmon, sending him crashing to the ground.

"Great Tornado!" Spinning around with his arms stretched out above him, WarGreymon formed himself into a mini-tornado and launched himself at Piedmon. The clown Digimon was already on his feet, and easily leapt out of the way as WarGreymon practically drilled into the ground.

On the sidelines, three mouths hung open as the DigiDestined watched their friend do battle with the clown Digimon. "Two Megas," said WarGrowlmon "We now have two Megas on our team. That's a good thing, right?"

Shoutmon gave him a look of disbelief. "Good? It's great! Incredible even! You humans are truly amazing." He looked back at the two combatants. "Only…"

"What?"

"WarGreymon is very strong, but, unfortunately, Piedmon is the superior Mega. The odds are still in his favor."

"Don't worry," MagnaAngemon assured him. "I'm certain that WarGreymon will win. I know he will."

Shoutmon did his best to look confident. "I hope you're right."

WarGreymon and Piedmon stood a distance apart from each other, staring their opponent down. The dragon Digimon held a fighting stance while Piedmon appeared more relaxed as he studied his opponent. Slowly, a grin crept up his face and he burst into a fit of laughter. WarGreymon hesitated, not liking the look of this. "What's so funny?"

The laughter slowly died down, and Piedmon looked back at him with a sadistic gleam in his eyes as they shined with excitement. "This just suddenly became a lot more interesting. It's been a while since I had a real fight. I do hope you can keep me sufficiently entertained."

WarGreymon pointed at him, the claws on his gauntlet reflecting the moonlight. "I'm not your entertainment, and this is not a game. I'm taking you down."

Piedmon chuckled. "Don't make the mistake of thinking that just because you're a Mega that you're my equal. And unlike the battle with ExoGrimmon and Imperialdramon, I'm not new to my Mega form." He unsheathed two of his swords. "You are."

He charged forward, swinging his swords while WarGreymon swiped with his gauntlets. The power of their weapons meeting ripped the air apart as the two moved in a blur of movement, swiping and slashing at each other, sending sparks flying with each impact. The onlookers winced with every clang of metal as the two combatants fought it out.

Piedmon stepped onto a square and teleported behind WarGreymon. The dragon Digimon whirled around, just barely managing to block the sword. "War Driver!"

His gauntlets glowed as energy built up in them, and he swiped at Piedmon. The clown Digimon flew up into the air and used his Trump Sword, throwing all four of his swords. WarGreymon blocked with his Brave Shield, the wing-plates on his back appearing in front of him to defend against the attack.

"Ultra Tornado!" WarGreymon cried, spinning around. This time, however, he didn't simply spin himself into a tornado, but created a fiery twister stretching from the ceiling to the floor. The spinning vortex began shooting out smaller tornadoes at the clown Digimon, who jumped and teleported out of their paths before finally countering with his Toy Wonderness, blowing the smaller tornadoes away.

WarGreymon stopped spinning and threw his Terra Force. Piedmon fired his Ending Snipe, but WarGreymon's attack overpowered the electric attack, and Piedmon was blasted backwards.

"Dramon Cutter!" WarGreymon cried, rushing at the clown Digimon. He sliced at him as he passed by, then doubled back and slashed him again. This was repeated several times before Piedmon managed to use his Clown Trick. When WarGreymon cut him again, the image of the clown Digimon was revealed to be nothing more than a cardboard cutout.

"Ending Snipe!"

WarGreymon didn't even bother to turn around; he knew Piedmon was behind him. Instead, he jumped straight up, avoiding the attack, before whirling around in the air. "Grey Fire!"

Piedmon danced away as the dragon Digimon threw fireballs at him. "Trump Sword!"

WarGreymon knocked the swords away. "Aerial Dramon Killer!"

Soaring downward like a missile, arms extended, he attempted to stab the clown Digimon. Piedmon teleported to a farther away square and used Clown Trick, throwing a pie at WarGreymon. It grew as it flew towards the dragon Digimon, colliding with him and splattered against the wall.

Piedmon laughed, wiping off a bit of the cream that had gotten on him and licking it. "Piedmon pies. They're the best around."

The pie-tin burst open and WarGreymon came rushing out, covered in cream. Using his Dramon Cutter attack, he sped towards the clown Digimon, preparing to slash him. When he was right in front of him, Piedmon's hand shot out, grabbing WarGreymon's wrist. "I've had enough of your claws, thank you very much."

He kicked outward, sending the dragon Digimon flying. With a smirk, he flew after him, unsheathing two of his swords. WarGreymon managed to recover and kicked off the wall before he crashed into it, launching himself back at Piedmon. The clown Digimon's eyes widened in surprise as WarGreymon came at him, and he raised his swords in an X shape.

WarGreymon swiped at him. Both of Piedmon's swords shattered as WarGreymon's gauntlet broke off his arm. Losing his gauntlet hurt, like getting his fingernail ripped off, but he didn't let that stop him as he delivered a punch to the clown Digimon's face, sending him tumbling back. "Terra Force!"

Piedmon was on the ground as the giant ball of energy made impact with a resounding boom. WarGreymon landed a short distance away. He looked around, spotting his broken gauntlet on the ground. Picking it up, he reattached it to his arm as best as he could, then turned back to the cloud of smoke. It was beginning to dissipate, and when it cleared, Piedmon was found to be lying on the ground.

He didn't stay down long though, and was soon rising to his feet, smiling. He was smiling, and the look he gave WarGreymon was one of excitement. "Yes, that's it. It's been forever since I've faced a worthy opponent. I want more. Give me more!"

He flew at WarGreymon, positively ecstatic. WarGreymon braced himself, ready for whatever was coming, but not for what happened next.

"Piedmon!"

The voice that echoed throughout the room brought the clown Digimon to a halt. As the DigiDestined looked around for the source of the voice, Piedmon looked up. The others eventually realized where he was looking and spotted a small crystal floating down from the box seats. It settled in front of Piedmon and projected a giant square hologram in the air.

Like a floating TV screen, the transparent image hovered above the clown Digimon. On the screen was another Digimon, but neither Piedmon nor the DigiDestined could make out who it was. Hidden in the shadows, only the dark silhouette could be seen, yet Piedmon seemed to know exactly who they were.

"Why have you not reported in?" the unknown Digimon demanded. "Surely a group of humans could not take this long to deal with."

Piedmon lowered his head, crossing an arm across his chest. "My apologies, sir. There were some…complications. I am dealing with them myself."

WarGrowlmon glanced at MagnaAngemon. "Did Piedmon just call him 'sir'?"

The Digimon on screen leaned forward, but not enough for his features to be made out. "What kind of complication? And why is ChaosGrimmon not dealing with them? Did I not grant him permission to use the data gathered from Santamon for that very purpose?"

Piedmon simply shrugged. "Yes, and he was able to use it to Digivolve to ExoGrimmon. Unfortunately, he was destroyed. Two of the humans have managed to unlock their Digimon forms' Mega levels." He smiled wickedly. "But not to worry, I am dealing with them myself."

A movement and a thud on the projection screen suggested that the unknown Digimon had slammed his fist down on something. "You are wasting time, and I won't have it! We have the scrolls, but we still need to find the keycards! Stop fooling around and finish the job!"

The screen vanished as the crystal stopped glowing and floated back up to the box seats. Piedmon sighed and turned back to WarGreymon. "Well, it's been fun, but the boss says I need to wrap things up."

"The boss?" WarGreymon repeated.

"We thought you were the head honcho," said WarGrowlmon. "You said as much back at the cave."

Piedmon raised an eyebrow. "Did I say that? I believe all I claimed to be was in charge of the operation. That is, keeping Santamon prisoner. But even I have someone I answered to."

"And who is that?" Shoutmon demanded.

Piedmon just chuckled. "That is none of your concern."

MagnaAngemon considered this, including what he had heard the mysterious Digimon say. "Then they're the one who's really behind everything. You were the one in charge of keeping Santamon prisoner, ChaosGrimmon was in charge of obtaining the Kougamon and Ninjamon scrolls, and Darcmon was in charge of obtaining the keycards. You all had different jobs, but that guy is the one you all answer to."

Piedmon looked impressed and began clapping. "Bravo! Bravo! You've figured it out. For all the good it will do you. You may have freed Santamon, but he was just a means of gathering data, he wasn't completely necessary for the real plan."

"And what plan is that?" WarGreymon asked. "What are the connections between the scrolls and the keycards?"

The clown Digimon roared with laughter. "You really don't know anything, do you? The keycards open a door to a great power, and the scrolls explain how to use them to open the door. We captured Santamon in order to harvest enough data to control the great power, but, oh well; I guess we'll have to make due with what we've got. We already have the scrolls, all that's left is to obtain the keycards."

"That won't happen," MagnaAngemon declared. "We'll stop you, and whoever your master is."

More laughter. Piedmon truly believed they were out of their league. "I admire your fighting spirit, but your adventure ends here."

WarGreymon took a step forward. "This battle isn't over yet. As far as I'm concerned, we still have a fighting chance."

Piedmon flashed him a knowing smile. "Then I better stop sandbagging. After all, I have my orders. It's time for you to witness my true power. Now you will see the futility of your struggles. Piedmon Digivolve to… ChaosPiedmon!"

To say WarGreymon was shocked would be an understatement. Piedmon was already a Mega, and a powerful one at that, but now he had just Digivolved to an even more powerful one. WarGreymon had known that Piedmon had been holding back, but he hadn't expected this.

Twice the size of his previous for, ChaosPiedmon was practically his polar opposite. Nearly all his colors had been swapped with black, white, and various shades of gray, his ribbons turning red and his hair turning yellow. There were no other notable changes, but one thing was for sure, his level of power had undoubtedly gone up.

"Now then," said ChaosPiedmon, taking a step forward, "how confident are you feeling now?"

 

Notes:

(A/N: Oh snap! What a chapter! A whole lot happened. Davis managed to destroy ExoGrimmon, but was turned into a keychain as well. MetalGreymon Digivolved to WarGreymon, but Piedmon Digivolved as well to an even stronger Mega level. We learned some more about the keycards, and the scrolls, but most troubling of all, we learned that someone else has been pulling the strings the whole time. Who is this unknown Digimon that's been behind everything? And do our heroes even have a chance against them if they can't even defeat ChaosPiedmon. There's a lot more to come, so stay tuned.)

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WarGreymon's attacks:

Terra Force – Takes all of the energy within the atmosphere and concentrates it into one giant molten fireball, and fires it as an extremely dense, high-temperature energy shot.

Great Tornado – Spins at tremendous speed to cloak himself in a tornado and drills into his opponents.

Dramon Cutter – Slashes with his Dramon killing claws on his gauntlets.

Ultra Tornado – Wraps himself in a giant tornado of flames, sending out smaller tornadoes.

War Driver – Builds up energy in his claws and strikes.

Grey Fire – Throws small fireballs.

Dragon Killer – Sends out a fiery shockwave across the ground.

Dramon Tackle – Charges at his opponents.

Aerial Dramon Killer – Flies downward while stabbing with his claws.

Brave Shield – Uses his Brave Shield to defend against attacks.

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear or are mentioned.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/WarGreymon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/ChaosPiedmon

Chapter 72: The Clown of Chaos

Notes:

(A/N: Last chapter, Piedmon made the shocking revelation that he could Digivolve all along and was simply playing with WarGreymon. Now that he's even stronger, what chance do our heroes have? Their only option is to break the rules, or else ChaosPiedmon is going to pick them off one by one. Lets see if they can get out of this seemingly hopeless situation.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 72: The Clown of Chaos

WarGreymon unconsciously took a step back. "You could Digivolve? All this time?" No wonder the guy had been so arrogant; he'd had this ace up his sleeve. "Why didn't you just start out in this form from the beginning?"

ChaosPiedmon chuckled. "Where would the fun in that be? If you'd known you were doomed going in, then I wouldn't get the chance to see that look of hope in your eyes die out."

The dragon Digimon glared at him. "Who says I gave up hope? I haven't given up anything. Great Tornado!"

Spinning around, he flew at the mime Digimon like a deadly flying drill. ChaosPiedmon simply held up his hand, holding WarGreymon back, as he collided with his palm, but was unable to deliver any damage.

Thrusting his hand outward, he pushed WarGreymon back. "If you think you can still win this battle, then you're delusional."

"I'll show you delusional. Dramon Tackle!" Charging forward, he slammed into ChaosPiedmon's gut and wrapped his arms around him. ChaosPiedmon grunted, but still smiled. Standing nearly twice the size of the dragon Digimon, he brought his elbow down on him, knocking him to the ground.

Licking his lips in anticipation, he reached down with his ribbons, lifting WarGreymon to his feet. The dragon Digimon lashed out with his War Driver, but ChaosPiedmon grabbed his wrist and bent his arm back. He tried again with his other hand, but the mime Digimon grabbed this one as well, twisting it away. WarGreymon looked up into his smiling face before the ChaosPiedmon flashed his fangs and slammed his head into WarGreymon's face. He then kicked him in the chest, releasing his arms so the dragon Digimon could go flying backwards.

WarGreymon dug his claws into the ground to stopping his momentum, leaving deep grooves and creating a shower of sparks. "I won't ever quit."

He charged forward. ChaosPiedmon just smirked and raised his hand. "Mask's Square!"

"That can't hurt me!"

But he was wrong. A ball of black energy appeared in the mime Digimon's hand, and he threw it at WarGreymon, blasting him backwards.

On the sidelines, WarGrowlmon pointed at the mime Digimon. "Hey, I thought that that attack covered the field to teleport on."

Snickering, ChaosPiedmon glanced at him. "It's time you learned proper grammar. Masks Square creates the teleporting field, Mask's Square is an attack."

"That's… really deceptive."

"That's the point."

With a battle cry, WarGreymon flew up into the air and unleashed his Ultra Tornado. ChaosPiedmon returned his attention to the dragon Digimon, still smiling. "Trump Sword Two!"

From out of thin air, numerous swords appeared. They began flying about wildly, slicing through the smaller fiery tornadoes the much larger one unleashed, causing them to disperse. Several then flew into the giant flaming vortex, knocking WarGreymon out of his tornado. The blades flew all around, and WarGreymon dodged and batted them away. Several swords, after missing their mark, then began teleporting through the air, making it all the more difficult for the dragon Digimon to fend them off.

"Things aren't looking good," MagnaAngemon unnecessarily stated. "We never anticipated that Piedmon could Digivolve."

"That seems to be a running theme," WarGrowlmon commented. "We should prepare for that from now on."

The angel Digimon glanced at Shoutmon. "Is there any chance that WarGreymon can still-"

"No," Shoutmon interrupted, knowing what he was going to ask. "Piedmon was already stronger than him; he'll never be able to beat ChaosPiedmon on his own."

WarGrowlmon looked up to where the box seats were, where their friends still rested on the railing. "If only we could save our friends, then we could all fight him at once." His gaze landed on the teleporting squares that had remained even after Piedmon had Digivolved. "But as long as ChaosPiedmon can teleport, we'll never get to them before he does."

Beneath his helmet, MagnaAngemon's eyes widened. "Teleport, that's it! Shoutmon, come with me."

The dragon Digimon blinked. "Um, ok." He glanced one last time at the battle, where ChaosPiedmon was whipping WarGreymon repeatedly with his ribbons. He followed the angel Digimon behind WarGrowlmon's much larger body and gave him a questioning look. "What?"

MagnaAngemon didn't answer as he used his Great Golden Gate to trace a circle. As the portal appeared, he glanced back at Shoutmon, motioning to it. "Go."

The dragon Digimon's eyes lit up in understanding. "Right, I gotcha."

He leapt through the portal and was bathed in light. He could see the exit, and when he emerged, he was in the box seats. Wasting no time, he snatched the keychains of Davis, Takuya, Angewomon, and Airdramon, then quickly leapt through the gate again.

"I got 'em!" he cried as he exited the portal.

MagnaAngemon nodded. "Well done. Set them down here." As Shoutmon set the four keychains on the ground, MagnaAngemon stood over them. "Magna Antidote!"

Rainbow light poured out of his wings and flowed over the keychains. They began glowing and started to grow, the small metal chains disappearing as the figurines returned to normal.

Davis blinked. "Whoa, we're back. That was weird."

"Yeah," Airdramon agreed, "I had this really big urge to hold some keys."

Shoutmon was frantically waving his arms. "Never mind that!" He pointed to the battle where ChaosPiedmon had managed to wrap his ribbons around his opponent and was now repeatedly slamming him against the floor and walls. "WarGreymon needs help!"

Angewomon, feeling much better from before she had turned into a keychain, looked to the battle. She noted the difference in Piedmon's appearance and quickly came to the appropriate conclusion. She quickly noted that neither ExoGrimmon nor MetalGreymon were present, but considering the reaper Digimon was nowhere in sight and Shoutmon had referred to ChaosPiedmon's opponent as WarGreymon, it didn't take long for her to figure out what had happened. "You'll have to give us the details later. Celestial Arrow!"

"Atomic Blaster!"

"Heaven's Gate!"

ChaosPiedmon was still laughing as he slammed WarGreymon on the ground one last time. Overhead, the numerous swords came together and fused into one enormous sword pointed directly at WarGreymon, ready to end the battle. That's when Angewomon's arrow struck him in the back. He cried out, the giant sword disappearing. A moment later, he was hit by the beams from WarGrowlmon and MagnaAngemon's attacks, knocking him over.

The ribbon binding WarGreymon loosened, and the dragon Digimon pulled free. As WarGrowlmon, Angewomon, and MagnaAngemon rushed to meet him, he leapt away from the fallen mime Digimon.

"Kari, you're back to normal," WarGreymon said in relief.

The angel Digimon nodded. "So are the others." She motioned to Davis, Takuya, and Airdramon. "Now there's nothing to stop us from taking down this guy together."

ChaosPiedmon was getting to his feet. "So it would seem." He smirked. "But tell me, do you really think the assistance of your friends will save you from me?"

"Strength in numbers," MagnaAngemon replied. "With all of us fighting together, I'm sure we can give you a run for your money."

The mime Digimon laughed. "You truly underestimate my power."

"I don't," Airdramon declared, taking to the air. "You humans are way out of your league, and you're not taking me down with you. I only came in here to get out of ChaosGrimmon's toxic rain, but I'm done with this now. Goodbye."

With that said, she flew out the opening in the wall, disappearing into the night. ChaosPiedmon let her go and sneered at MagnaAngemon. "Where is your faith now?"

Without the slightest bit of doubt, the angel Digimon motioned to his friends. "Right here. As long as my friends are with me, I'll never give up, and I know they won't either."

"How touching. Mask's Square!"

"Terra Force!" The black and gold balls of energy exploded against each other, the shockwave flowing across the room.

"I guess that's our cue to start," said WarGrowlmon. "Atomic Blaster!"

ChaosPiedmon stepped onto a square and teleported directly beneath the cyborg dinosaur Digimon. He jumped up, slamming his fist into WarGrowlmon's jaw, sending the much larger Digimon flying across the room, before flipping in the air to avoid WarGreymon swiping at him with his Dramon Cutter, and kicking him away.

He whirled around, whipping out a sword to block MagnaAngemon's blade. With his other hand, he blasted the angel Digimon away with his Mask's Square, then cut through the arrow Angewomon had fired at him. He lashed out with a ribbon, binding her, and slammed her down hard on the ground. WarGrowlmon was coming at him again, using his Aerial Dramon Killer, but ChaosPiedmon easily dodged the attack and threw his sword at him.

"Great Tornado!" WarGreymon cried, and began spinning. He knocked the sword aside as he flew at the mime Digimon. ChaosPiedmon thrust his hand out, unleashing his Mask's Square.The black ball of energy met with WarGreymon's spinning attack and erupted in both Digimon's faces.

ChaosPiedmon hit the wall, taking Angewomon with him. WarGrowlmon ignited his thrusters and flew towards him. "Hammer Edge!"

The mime Digimon pushed off the wall as WarGrowlmon's blade buried into it. He maneuvered around the cyborg dinosaur Digimon's body and seized the cable coming from his back. Once again showing off his superior strength, he swung him around and threw him across the room.

Flying Sword of Justice!" MagnaAngemon cried, rushing towards ChaosPiedmon. He slashed with his sword, and the mime Digimon caught it. Smirking, he kicked him away, then lashed out with his other ribbon, binding him as well.

Winding both ribbons together, he caused MagnaAngemon and the still bound Angewomon to collide. "Aww, don't you make a lovely couple." He pulled out a sword. "Such a shame I need to cut the honeymoon short."

"Not on my match!" WarGreymon declared. "Ultra Tornado!"

As the fiery vortex appeared, ChaosPiedmon swung his wound ribbons at him. "Then by all means, take them."

WarGreymon was knocked out of his tornado as the two angel Digimon slammed into him, and he crashed into the wall. ChaosPiedmon threw his four swords at him, and they buried in the wall around his arms and legs, pinning him there.

"Radiation Blade!" WarGrowlmon cried. He flew towards ChaosPiedmon's extended ribbons and sliced through them, freeing the two angel Digimon, then turned to the mime Digimon. "Megalo Spark!"

ChaosPiedmon grit his teeth as the electricity flowed over him. The two angel Digimon tore out of their bindings and Angewomon fired her Heaven's Charm at him while MagnaAngemon unleashed his Soul Vanisher. Angewomon's attack blasted the mime Digimon back, and he turned the momentum into a series of backflips to avoid MagnaAngemon's energy blades.

Ceasing the backflips, he held out his hands. 'Trump Sword Two!"

Countless swords appeared and flew at the angel Digimon. MagnaAngemon grabbed Angewomon and pulled her close, using his Shield and Counter to repel the swords. He knew his barrier wouldn't last long, but he attempted to buy as much time as he could.

Help came in the form of WarGreymon. He charged at the mime Digimon, using his War Driver. ChaosPiedmon jumped back as the dragon Digimon's claw struck the ground, shattering the floor, and landed on a square, teleporting away. When he reappeared, he redirected the flying swords towards him, and they flew through the air, fusing together once more into one giant sword.

Unable to avoid it, WarGreymon caught the massive blade. It pushed him back until he hit the wall, threatening to literally cut him right down the middle if his grip slipped. Free from the threat of the flying swords, MagnaAngemon and Angewomon used their Magna Jump and Super Jump to launch themselves at ChaosPiedmon. The mime Digimon jumped up to avoid them and fired his Mask's Square down at them, but MagnaAngemon had drawn a Great Golden Gate circle for both him and Angewomon to fly into. They reappeared just above ChaosPiedmon, and Angewomon struck him with her Holy Slap while MagnaAngemon drew another circle to fire his Heaven's Gate attack.

WarGrowlmon, meanwhile, was on his feet again, and fired his Atomic Blaster, at the giant sword WarGreymon was attempting to hold back. The blade shattered, and WarGreymon wasted no time in flying towards ChaosPiedmon while he was caught up in MagnaAngemon's attack. "Terra Force!"

He all but slammed the giant ball of energy down directly onto the mime Digimon. The attack flattened him against the ground and erupted, obscuring the mime Digimon from view.

"And that's the power of teamwork," WarGrowlmon declared.

The smoke began to clear and ChaosPiedmon was revealed to be standing once more. "How completely worthless. Trump Sword Two!"

The swords appeared overhead and began raining down. The DigiDestined cried out as the blades made various cuts as they passed by, disappearing when they hit the ground and reappearing above them again. Out of the reach of the raining swords, ChaosPiedmon took to the air, and threw four Mask's Square attacks, three at the two angel and dragon Digimon, and another at WarGrowlmon. Each of them hit the wall with enough force to crack it, even with WarGreymon and MagnaAngemon using their Brave Shield and Shield and Counter.

Takuya and Davis hurried over to them. "You guy's ok?" the former asked. "Those were some pretty hard hits."

WarGrowlmon groaned. "I've been better."

ChaosPiedmon laughed. "I told you it wouldn't do any good."

Davis glared at him. "Oh yeah? Well, if I could become Imperialdramon, we'd wipe the floor with you"

The mime Digimon shrugged. "Yes, perhaps you would stand a chance then, but, alas, it looks like you'll never get the opportunity."

Shoutmon quickly joined his friends, glancing at ChaosPiedmon. "Don't be so sure." He turned to the others. "Listen, instead of fighting him as you are, I think you should try to recharge Davis' Digivice."

The DigiDestined exchanged looks. "Will that be enough?" WarGrowlmon asked. "We're not at full strength. What if we can't recharge it enough and only succeed in giving up more energy?"

MagnaAngemon stood up as well. "I think I might have a way to get around that."

Up in the air, ChaosPiedmon crossed his arms. "What are you whispering about? Saying your goodbyes?"

WarGreymon stood up. "We're out of options. You guys get to work; I'll keep him busy."

He flew up to engage the mime Digimon in battle. Davis looked at his friends questioningly, and WarGrowlmon got up. "Alright, lets do it."

He and Angewomon stood before Davis, who held his Digivice out to them. They began pouring their energy into the device as MagnaAngemon moved behind them. "Heaven's Heal!"

His healing power flowed over the two Digimon as they continued to recharge Davis' Digivice. Up in the air, ChaosPiedmon toyed with WarGreymon as he attempted to keep the mime Digimon distracted. He knew of the no attacking during Digivolving rule, but didn't know if it applied to what his friends were doing.

One of ChaosPiedmon's ribbons, having regrown, shot out and wrapped around the dragon Digimon's throat. Smirking, he pulled him in close, giving him a mocking look as he spoke in a low voice. "Just between us, do you really believe you and your friends actually have a chance, or are you just trying to prevent them from losing hope?"

WarGreymon blared at him. "I believe… we can… win…"

"Then you are a fool."

If WarGreymon's mouth were visible, ChaosPiedmon would have seen it break out into a grin. "You wouldn't know it… looking at them…"

ChaosPiedmon's gaze shifted to the others. WarGrowlmon, Angewomon, and MagnaAngemon were on their knees, looking exhausted, but Davis was holding up his Digivice victoriously. "Get ready, 'cause I'm coming at you. Execute! Spirit Evolution… Imperialdramon!"

ChaosPiedmon's eyes widened. "But how?"

"War Driver!"

WarGreymon's attack cut him free of the ribbon while striking the mime Digimon, knocking him to the ground. Imperialdramon shifted and took aim with his cannon. "Positron Laser!"

"Terra Force!"

WarGreymon threw his massive ball of energy. It flew in the path of Imperialdramon's attack, and the beam pushed it towards the mime Digimon. ChaosPiedmon jumped to his feet and held out his hands, catching the combination attack. It pushed him back, his feet leaving skid marks as he tried to hold off the attack. Cracks began to appear beneath his feet, but, slowly, he stopped sliding backwards.

"What!?" WarGrowlmon exclaimed, unable to believe what he was seeing. "No way!"

"He's holding off the attack," MagnaAngemon noted, "but he can't deflect it completely. Imperialdramon, don't stop!"

The dragon Digimon grunted. "I don't plan to, but I don't know how long I can keep this up; I'm using a lot of energy to keep this attack going."

At the other side of the attack, ChaosPiedmon continued to hold back WarGreymon's Terra Force as Imperialdramon's Positron Laser pushed it towards him. "So, it's become a test of endurance, has it? That's fine with me. Lets see who will last longer."

Gritting his teeth, he took a step forward, and then another, pushing back the attacks as Imperialdramon growled and put out more energy, his beam's intensity increasing in intensity. ChaosPiedmon wobbled a bit at the attack's increase in strength, but then took another step forward.

"It's not enough," WarGreymon growled. "He's taking control."

He flew over, hovering just out of range of the attacks, and used Grey Fire. The fireballs began slamming against ChaosPiedmon. His face twisted with frustration as he began to slip up. With an angry glare at WarGreymon, he unleashed his Trump Sword Two attack. Several swords appeared in the air behind him. They flew at the dragon Digimon, cutting through his armor, and WarGreymon cried out as he fell from the sky.

"WarGreymon, no!" Angewomon shouted.

"Come on," said WarGrowlmon. "We need to help!"

As they flew off, Shoutmon took a few steps in their direction. "Wait, don't! It's too dangerous!"

MagnaAngemon struggled to get to his feet. "Me too."

Shoutmon rounded on him. "I don't think so. You just replenished the energy they gave up with your own. You're staying right here."

Takuya reluctantly agreed. "He's right, man. Just stay here. There's no point in getting yourself killed."

WarGrowlmon and Angewomon took positions on either side of ChaosPiedmon. WarGrowlmon fired his Atomic Blaster in a continuous stream as Angewomon began repeatedly firing her Holy Arrow. ChaosPiedmon winced as the attacks kept coming at him, but still managed to hold back the Terra Force and Positron Laser. "You're beginning to get on my nerves. Trump Sword Two!"

More swords appeared, and the two Digimon were struck down, reverting to their human forms, their energy depleted. MagnaAngemon's jaw clenched and he began making his way towards the battle, but Shoutmon stopped him. "Didn't you hear me? You're in no position to fight."

"They'll die," the angel Digimon told him. "Whether ChaosPiedmon overpowers Imperialdramon or falls, they'll be killed in the blast. I have to get them."

Without waiting around to argue further, he flew over and gathered up the unconscious Kari and Takato. He brought them over to Shoutmon and Takuya, then, despite the dragon Digimon's protests, flew back over to ChaosPiedmon. "I can at least do this much. Gate of Destiny!"

His golden gate appeared and opened, and the suction began. ChaosPiedmon felt himself getting pulled backwards and glanced at the angel Digimon out of his peripheral vision. "A useless attempt."

One of his ribbons shot out and wrapped around MagnaAngemon's ankle. The angel Digimon was yanked off his feet and thrown across the room. He slammed into the wall and reverted back to his human form. Behind ChaosPiedmon, the Gate of Destiny closed and vanished.

Keeping up the attack was beginning to take its toll on Imperialdramon. His legs began to give out, and he almost collapsed, but managed to catch himself. He couldn't waste this opportunity his friends had given him.

Despite the struggle he was facing, ChaosPiedmon grinned. "It looks like you're reaching your limit. I wonder how much longer you can hold out."

"War Driver!"

ChaosPiedmon cried out as WarGreymon's claws wracked down his back. He dropped to one knee and glared at the dragon Digimon who had dared to step into the attacks' path.

Taking one hand off the Terra Force, he pressed it against WarGreymon. "Mask's Square!"

The dragon Digimon was blasted backwards. He hit the wall and fell to the floor. He remained there for several seconds before slowly climbing to his feet. He managed to take a few steps forward before finally collapsing. He returned to his human form before he even hit the floor.

"Stop hurting my friends!" Imperialdramon roared, and unleashed even more power.

ChaosPiedmon was pushed back several feet, but soon managed to hold back the two attacks. He slowly got up, struggling a great deal, and grinned at Imperialdramon. "You missed your opportunity. You could have had me there, but it looks like it's all over now."

Takuya and Shoutmon looked on in growing despair. Their friends were down for the count. Things were not looking good. "Now what?" Takuya wondered out loud. He looked at his Digivice in despair. "I've got no power to fight."

Shoutmon's fists clenched. He could give his own energy, but knew his Rookie level power wouldn't be enough to recharge Takuya's Digivice. He looked back at ChaosPiedmon, his eyes narrowing. "Change myself. Change myself."

Taking a deep breath, he charged forward, producing his mic. Upon reaching ChaosPiedmon, he jumped up and used his Rock and Roller attack, bringing his mic down on the mime Digimon's head. ChaosPiedmon glared at him and kicked outward, kicking the dragon Digimon away. Shoutmon crashed headfirst into the wall and fell to the ground with a large lump on his head and dizzy swirls in his eyes.

Smirking, ChaosPiedmon looked at Imperialdramon on the other side of the beam. "You're out of friends to help you. I guess that means that this is the end." He began pushing forward, advancing on the dragon Digimon with each step, pushing the attacks back further. "It was fun, and you kids gave me a bigger challenge than I expected, but it's time to meet your doom."

"Spinning Needle!"

Needle-shaped vacuum blades suddenly stabbed ChaosPiedmon in the back. The mime Digimon looked over his shoulder and saw, much to his surprise, Airdramon flying in the air. "You!?"

'Now,' Imperialdramon realized, 'while he's distracted!'

He unleashed all the power he could in a single burst. The beam of his Positron Laser visibly thickened as the excessive energy flowed down the length and slammed into the Terra Force at the end of it. ChaosPiedmon's head snapped forward again just before he was blasted off his feet. He cried out as he was carried across the room and slammed into the wall where the two attacks finally erupted in a massive blast.

"Mega Crusher!" Imperialdramon cried, unleashing all his remaining energy in a single attack. He fell to the ground in his human form as the mass of dark matter flew through the air and into the explosion, resulting in an even bigger blast as it struck ChaosPiedmon.

The mime Digimon cried out as his body began to break down into data. "This can't be! I'm a Chaos General!"

They were his last words as he vanished into a cloud of data.

Notes:

(A/N: Boom! And ChaosPiedmon goes out with a bang. I'll bet you didn't expect Airdramon to come to their rescue. If you're a Dragon Ball Z fan, you may have noticed the similarities of this scene to the climax of the battle with Cell. Not gonna lie, I based a portion of this from that, but I think it turned out well. Our heroes have managed to defeat, possibly, their toughest opponent yet. But it's not over yet. Who is the one ChaosPiedmon is answering to? And what did he mean about being a Chaos General? More to come, so stay tuned.)

Chapter 73: The Face In The Shadows

Notes:

(A/N: Ok, the time has come to meet the mastermind behind all this. I had someone make a good guess based ChaosPiedmon's last words, which will come into play later. For now, lets put a face to the big boss.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 73: The Face In The Shadows

It was over. ChaosPiedmon had been destroyed. But the victory had not been easy. The entire group had all but been defeated, only coming out on top at the last possible moment. With a little help.

Airdramon floated over to the group. Imperialdramon had reverted back to his human form, and was laying in a crumbled heap on the floor. "This is what I get for caring," she grumbled. Leaning down, she nudged Davis with her nose. "Hey, wake up."

"Ow," the boy grumbled. "Not so rough; I hurt all over."

"Be glad you can feel anything," Takuya told him as he came up beside Airdramon. "You ok?"

"No, I just said I hurt all over."

The dragon Digimon snorted. "You humans are so fragile. But," her expression softened, "you did well. I honestly didn't think you guys would pull it off." She shook her head and cleared her throat. "So, how are your friends?"

She floated over to each of them, rousing Kari and Takato awake before moving onto Shoutmon. The dragon Digimon proved the most difficult to awaken, refusing to open his eyes. "Leave me alone. I'm not ready to hatch yet."

TK chuckled. "You're not in your egg, Shoutmon. You didn't die."

The dragon Digimon cracked an eye open. "I didn't? We won?" He sat up. "Well, who knew?"

Davis gave him a thumbs up. "I did, of course. We had this in the bag."

Airdramon rolled her eyes. "Then I shouldn't have bothered to come back. To think I was actually worried."

Kari smiled. "You're such a softy. I knew it all along."

The dragon Digimon bared her fangs. "Don't get cute with me, human. Next time, I'll leave you all to die."

"What next time?" Takato asked. "We won. It's over."

Tai glanced at him with a forlorn look on his face. "Is it? Is it really?"

Takato appeared confused. "Well, yeah. We beat ExoGrimmon, and ChaosPiedmon. What's left?"

TK pointed up. "Don't you remember that crystal projection? Whoever that was on there, they're the one behind everything. Santamon's kidnapping, Argomon taking over that place so Darcmon could look for the keycards, the Kogamon and Ninjamon scrolls being stolen-"

"Speaking of which," Kari interrupted, "we still need to get those scrolls back, and it sounds as if they were sent to whoever this master of ChaosPiedmon's is."

Shoutmon was biting his lower lip, looking very uncomfortable. He seemed to be having an internal battle, his nervousness increasing as flashes of guilt crossed his face. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore. "Guys, I need to tell you something!"

The others looked at him, surprised by his outburst. "Um, ok," said Takato. "What's up?"

The dragon Digimon was sweating nervously. "I think I know who it is. I suspected it when I realized that ChaosGrimmon and Piedmon were working together, but not until he Digivolved to ChaosPiedmon did I became certain."

The teens shared a look while Airdramon seemed disinterested. "Ok, so what are you sure about?" Tai asked uncertainly.

Shoutmon took a deep breath. "The one behind all this. I think it was-"

"Piedmon!" the same voice from before thundered. From up above, the crystal projector floated down, and the hologram screen appeared once again with the same silhouette as before. "Is it done yet?"

All attention had shifted to the hologram. The teens seemed surprised at first, but Davis recovered first. Puffing out his chest, he stood up straight and addressed the image. "Sorry to burst your bubble, but your friend is certainly staring at the inside of his Digi-Egg right now."

The unknown Digimon was silent for several moments. "You? You humans defeated him?"

"And as ChaosPiedmon no less," Takato added, attempting to intimidate the Digimon on screen. "So you should think twice about messing with us."

The Digimon shifted in a way that suggested he was now resting his chin, if he even had one, on his knuckles. "Me, mess with you? I think you have that backwards, littler human. It was you who involved yourself in my affairs. A fatal move on your part. There are significantly better ways to end your life. Less painful ways."

Tai glared at the image. "Yeah, it's real easy to make threats when you're hiding behind a hologram in the shadows. Why don't you show yourself?"

The Digimon on screen shifted again, as if he were now standing up straight from having been sitting down. "Hiding? You think I would hide? From you? Oh, human, you truly delude yourself." He began walking forward. "Nevertheless, if you wish to look upon the face of your death, I shall indulge you."

He stepped into the light, and his features were revealed. Clad head to toe in white, green, and gold armor, it was impossible to say who or what lay beneath it, yet ten purple bat wings that seemed more solid than leathery grew from his back. His entire head, including his face, was covered by a helmet that possessed a golden X on it, though it looked like it should have been turned into the position of a cross instead.

"Behold your doom," the Digimon told them. "I am ShadowSeraphimon, and you shall have the honor of dying at my hands."

"ShadowSeraphimon…" TK repeated, feeling a sense of foreboding.

Shoutmon was sweating again, even worse than before. "It's you. ChaosPiedmon and ExoGrimmon were working for you."

"Shoutmon," ShadowSeraphimon acknowledged. "I see you're still being a nuisance. We'll have to do something about that."

Kari glanced at the dragon Digimon. "Shoutmon, you know him?"

"Everyone does. He's the most powerful of all the fallen angel Digimon. In a way, you can consider him to be Cherubimon's opposite. He too has been around since the Digital World began, never dying once."

"Something you cannot claim," the fallen angel Digimon stated. "You should have known better than to challenge me. Your humans don't know any better, but that's still no excuse. And since ChaosPiedmon failed, that will leave it to me to finish the job."

"It doesn't have to come to that," Davis told him. "We can still end this peacefully. Just give us back the Kogamon and Ninjamon scrolls, and we can end this now."

ShadowSeraphimon laughed. "You humans are so ignorant. There are events taking place that you know nothing about. If you seek death that badly, then come to me. I will be waiting for you. Come to die if that's really what you want. Or run and hide, the result will be the same either way. You deaths were certain the moment you opposed me."

"I'm hanging up now," Shoutmon declared. "Fiery Fastball!"

The crystal shattered, and the image of ShadowSeraphimon disappeared. That was it then, they knew who the enemy was. After several red herrings, they now knew the real face of the enemy; figuratively speaking since ShadowSeraphimon's face was hidden beneath his helmet.

"It's never going to end," said Takato, the despair in his voice evident. "Every time we defeat one enemy, someone new and even stronger comes to take their place."

Davis clapped him on the shoulder. "Hey, no worries. We're getting stronger too."

Takato shook the arm off. "It doesn't matter if we get stronger. We can't fight all the evil Digimon of the world. What if ShadowSeraphimon is just the beginning? How many of these guys do we have to fight?"

Tai grabbed him. "Get ahold of yourself. We can do this. We've come this far; we can't turn back now. For all we know, ShadowSeraphimon could be the final obstacle."

The younger boy sighed, his shoulders slumping. "I just… I want to go home. I'm tired of all this fighting, and killing, and almost dying. Even though we can turn into Digimon, that doesn't make us Digimon."

The group was silent as they took this in. "He's right," Takuya muttered. "This is getting out of hand. It's already out of hand. We're in way over our heads. We're kids, we shouldn't be here. We should be home, going to school, playing with our friends. Not stuck in a world that's not our own, fighting monsters."

Davis threw his hands in the air. "Come on, guys! Don't let it get you down. Look at it this way; we're on an adventure, an adventure no one else will ever be able to experience. This should be fun."

Takuya glared at him. "This is serious, Davis. It's not some game. Don't you realize how many times we've almost been killed since coming here? If we keep this up, one of us is going to die!"

"Then what would you have us do?" Tai shouted suddenly. All heads turned to him, surprised by his outburst. "What choice do we have but to strive onward? It's the only way we can get home. Yes, it's tough. Yes, it's dangerous. Yes, one of us, or all of us, could end up dead, but when it comes down to it, we don't have any other options. Even if we didn't want to fight anymore, we can't run away. ShadowSeraphimon has made it perfectly clear that he doesn't intend to let us go. I hate it too, but there's no other way. We have no choice but to keep fighting."

Everyone stared at him, but Tai was too lost in his own emotions to notice the looks they were giving him. Finally, TK placed a hand on his shoulder and nodded. "I agree with Tai. We have to fight. Not only do we not have a choice, we also have an obligation." He looked at the others. "We made a promise to recover the scrolls. It's our fault ShadowSeraphimon has them in the first place; we let Asuramon get away. We have a responsibility to fix our mistakes. I'd never forgive myself if innocent people were hurt because we failed, especially if we did nothing."

TK seemed to have said what Tai was thinking, and the older boy slowly regained control of himself. "My thoughts exactly." He closed his eyes. "However," and opened them again, "once we defeat ShadowSeraphimon, that's it. We're not involving ourselves in any more of the Digital World's affairs. We can't afford to. Takato and Takuya are right; if we keep this up, it's never going to end, and we're eventually going to end up dead. No more sticking our noses in where it doesn't belong." He looked at the dragon Digimon. "Shoutmon, if we beat ShadowSeraphimon, can we count on you to return the scrolls to the Kogamon and Ninjamon once we go back to the Real World?"

The dragon Digimon blinked. "Who? Me? Oh, sure, of course. I won't let you guys down." He gave Takato and Takuya a smile. "And here's a little fun fact that'll make you feel better. I know where ShadowSeraphimon's castle is, and it's not that far from Cherubimon's. We'll be able to make it there is just a few days."

Collective gasps escaped the teens. "Are you serious?" TK demanded.

Kari clapped her hands together. "We're really that close to getting home?"

The dragon Digimon nodded. "If Cherubimon can help you, then yes."

"That's great!" Tai exclaimed. He turned to the larger dragon Digimon. "Airdramon, can you give us a ride?"

The dragon Digimon blinked. "What? Fly you to ShadowSeraphimon's castle?" She snorted. "Are you out of your mind? I'm not going anywhere near there, especially if he's after you. Don't make the mistake in thinking we're best friends. I only brought you here out of gratitude for rescuing Santamon. And I only came back to help in order to repay my debt from when you saved me from being stuck as a keychain. But no more, you're on your own from now on. Good luck to you; I'm out."

She took to the air and flew out the opening in the wall. Takato stared after her before glancing at his friends. "She's kidding, right? She's going to come back, isn't she?"

But she didn't, and soon the dragon Digimon disappeared into the night. "No, I don't think she's joking," Takuya replied. "She's gone."

Davis scowled. "Geez, what a jerk. I can't believe she actually left us like that. Again."

"Well, she did save our lives," TK pointed out. "And she brought us this far. I suppose we should be grateful for that."

"Yeah, great, but what do we do now?"

Kari looked at the opening in the wall. "I guess we walk. We've done plenty of that."

Davis sat down. "I'm too tired to walk."

Tai chuckled. "You're not alone there. We'll stay here for tonight and head out tomorrow." He looked at his Digivice. "None of us have any power anyway. It'd be better to stay here."

Takato looked around nervously. "Really? Staying in the enemy's home? Is that really such a good idea?"

Takuya placed his hands on his hips. "Well, we beat ExoGrimmon and ChaosPiedmon."

"I'm not talking about them. I'm talking about any possible guards or subordinates."

Shoutmon just waved this off. "Ah, I don't think we need to worry about that. Those two wanted to fight us, so they probably sent all their servants away, or at least told them not to attack us. Besides, most tyrannical Digimon like them rule out of fear. Any servants they had wouldn't bother us now that they're gone. If we haven't seen any by now, I doubt we'll run into anyone at all."

"And those that served out of loyalty?" Takuya asked.

"Wouldn't dare to challenge the ones who managed to beat their masters. If we beat them, we'd wipe the floor with their subordinates."

TK sighed. "Ok, you made your point." He looked at his Digivice. "But we have no power left. If they attack now, we're done for."

Shoutmon chuckled. "Yeah, but they don't know that. Trust me, I think we're good."

At that moment, Davis' stomach rumbled loudly. "Well, I'm convinced. So what do you say we go find out where the kitchen is."

The others sighed.

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ShadowSeraphimon sat patiently on his throne as he waited for his… guests to arrive. All around him, several Bakemon flew about, catering to his every whim. The ghost Digimon looked at their master nervously, fearful for their very lives. He had been eerily calm since he had learned of ExoGrimmon and ChaosPiedmon's defeat.

Hesitantly, a lone Bakemon hovered over to the fallen angel Digimon. "Master, do you require anything of us?"

ShadowSeraphimon didn't even bother to glance at the clearly terrified ghost Digimon. "Only silence."

The Bakemon bowed its head and drifted back into the swarm of ghost Digimon, and ShadowSeraphimon received the silence he requested. The only bit of discontent he displayed was the tapping of his finger against the armrest of his throne.

Finally, the doors to his throne room opened, and a Digimon that perfectly resembled a Bakemomn, with the exception of a black witch's hat that fell over its eyes, floated in. "My lord, your guests have arrived."

ShadowSeraphimon dismissed him with a wave of his hand. "Send them in and leave us."

The Bakemon look-alike bowed and exited the room as the actual Bakemon began to exit, but their master's voice stopped them. "Not you. You all remain here."

Still looking nervous, the ghost Digimon did as they were told. A few moments later, five new Digimon entered the room, each one more ferocious and vicious in appearance than the last. They came to a stop in front of ShadowSeraphimon, and the giant-winged dragon Digimon, and apparent leader of the group, addressed their host. "You summoned us?"

The fallen angel Digimon leaned forward. "I did, and I welcome you, ExamonMetalPhantomonMurmukusmon, Phelesmon, SkullMeramon. The five of you have a reputation of being the most notorious team of assassins in the entire Digital World. I have a job for you."

The Digimon known as Phelesmon, a hideously demonic black and red creature, chuckled. "I guess our reputation proceeds us."

"We'll take any job as long as the pay is agreeable," Examon acknowledged. "Who would you like us to kill?"

ShadowSeraphimon stood up and began walking to the side with his hands behind his back. "I'm sure you've heard the rumors of there being humans in the Digital World."

SkullMeramon, a Digimon that resembled a large muscular man with a metal skull face, wearing chains and covered in blue fire, snorted. "Nonsense. They're just ridiculous stories that have gotten out of hand."

ShadowSeraphimon stopped. "No, the rumors are true. There are humans in our world, and they dare to challenge my power. This is inexcusable. I want you to hunt them down and kill them."

MetalPhantomon, a Digimon that could pass for the grim reaper, gave the fallen angel Digimon a curious look. "Why not simply kill them yourself?"

The fallen angel Digimon glanced over his shoulder at them. "I have far more important things to do than worry about a group of miserable humans. All the same, I cannot let their defiance go unpunished, especially after they destroyed ChaosGrimmon and ChaosPiedmon."

Murmukusmon raised an eyebrow. "They defeated the Chaos Generals. That's rather impressive."

ShadowSeraphimon turned to them. "Indeed. ChaosGrimmon even managed to Digivolve to his Mega form, and he still fell. I cannot have others questioning my power or defying me. These humans must pay."

MetalPhantomon cocked his head to the side. "How much?"

"If you kill all seven of them, I'll pay each of you 100,000 bits. Deliver me Shoutmon alive, and you will each receive an extra 20,000."

SkullMeramon's eyes shined with excitement. "So, 600,000 bits altogether. Sounds like a good deal."

ShadowSeraphimon gave him a hard look from behind his helmet. "If you can pull it off."

"You doubt us?" Examon asked.

ShadowSeraphimon tilted his head forward slightly as if he were studying them. He snapped his fingers, and the Bakemon reacted. Coming together, they merged into a single giant Bakemon, its claws as well as its enormous size distinguishing it from other Bakemon. Snarling, it flew at Phelesmon.

The demon Digimon just laughed and fired a beam at the giant Bakemon. The ghost Digimon instantly turned to stone and dropped to the floor. Phelesmon jabbed forward with his pitchfork, shattering the statue, and the broken pieces dissolved into data.

ShadowSeraphimon nodded, seemingly satisfied. "Three seconds. Not bad. Quick and efficient."

"As always," Examon replied. "We'll take care if your human pest problem in no time."

The fallen angel Digimon sat down again. "Very good. And don't forget, bring Shoutmon to me alive, and there's an extra 20,000 for each of you."

Phelesmon ran his tongue over his fangs hungrily. I'll bring you back a nice little statue of him."

ShadowSeraphimon nodded again. "In the end, I don't care, but I want these this opposition eliminated. Take care of them, and you shall have your reward."

Examon bowed. "It will be our pleasure."

 

Notes:

(A/N: Well, the true enemy behind a great many things have been revealed. Now, I know what so me of you are probably thinking. How can ShadowSeraphimon be the big boss when in Season 4, Aldamon seemed to defeat him effortlessly? Well, there are a few factors to consider. First is that Mercurymon wasn't a necessarily a "true" ShadowSeraphimon, he was just using Seraphimon's Fractal Code to become him. Second is that he had just Digivolved, and thus hadn't had time to acclimate to his new form and power. This is a genuine ShadowSeraphimon, that's been around since the beginning of the Digital World, growing progressively stronger over time. Much different scenario. And now he's sending a team of some lethal assassins after our heroes. Will they be able to handle what could possibly be the final villain? Stay tuned to find out.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear or are mentioned.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/ShadowSeraphimon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Examon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/MetalPhantomon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Murmukusmon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Phelesmon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/SkullMeramon

Chapter 74: Assault on the Dark Tower

Notes:

(A/N: Well, looks like we had a little scare with Fanfiction being down a couple days ago. It's never fun when our favorite websites aren't working. I was somewhat afraid it was due to the fact that the clock is ticking for Net Neutrality. I still can't believe they're doing that. Stupid, greedy, power-hungry officials. What about our rights? Lets at least hope Fanfiction won't be affected, but who know with those cheapskate money-grabbers. Lets just enjoy what we have while we have it until we can repeal what those #$%ers are attempting. Sorry, do I sound ticked? Well I am. So, to lift our spirits, here's a nice long chapter.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 74: Assault on the Dark Tower

The Dark Tower was no hotel resort, but it did have several bedrooms. Rather luxurious ones at that. Some of the beds were enormous, which the teens supposed made sense due to the size some Digimon got.

"Dibs!" Davis cried, jumping into a bed the size of a professional swimming pool.

Sufficient to say, the group was exhausted after their fight. Despite that, a lookout was still required, and Shoutmon volunteered to take the first watch. "Actually, if one of you is willing to carry me tomorrow, I can sleep as you walk and keep watch all night tonight."

Tai raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure you're ok with that? What if we run into trouble? You'll be too exhausted to do anything."

The dragon Digimon just waved this off. "It's fine. You guys need the sleep. Don't worry about me."

Taking up his position, he bid the teens goodnight. Each going into their chosen rooms, they collapsed on the beds, savoring the softness. Tomorrow, they would go back to roughing it in the wilderness during the night, seeking shelter where they could. It was not something any of them were looking forward to. And as they settled in for the night, they were completely unaware of the massively large figure that had begun to make its way towards the Dark Tower.

TK was sleeping when a knock at his door woke him. Perhaps it was this sleeping outside and constantly being on guard that made him a light sleeper, but he rolled over and rubbed his eyes, looking towards the door with sleepy curiosity. "Who is it?"

The door opened and a head popped in. "Hey, sorry to wake you. Can I come in?"

He blinked sleepily. "Kari? Um, sure, come on it. What's the matter? Couldn't sleep?"

"Kind of." She closed the door behind her and walked over to the bed. "I just need to talk to someone, and I didn't want to wake up Tai after today's battle; he really needs the sleep. Do you mind?"

He shook his head. "Not at all. I'm here for whenever you need anything." He noticed that she was hugging herself, trying to keep warm, and he scooted over, offering her the blanket and space on the bed.

She gave him a grateful smile and climbed in, snuggling under the covers. They had slept in the same bed before when they were kids, but it was different now. It was also different from how they slept close together outside as well. Being in the same bed, under the same covers, it felt more personal, more intimate, and it brought a blush to Kari's cheeks. "Thanks."

TK was blushing as well, looking anywhere but at her. "Yeah, don't mention it." A few seconds of silence went by before he cleared his throat. "So, um, what's up?"

She didn't respond right away, simply bringing the covers up to her nose and mouth, almost as if she were hiding. "Just thinking about the future, and what lies ahead."

He gave her a curious look, wondering if what Takato and Takuya had said earlier had gotten to her. "You mean the upcoming battle with ShadowSeraphimon?"

She nodded, almost shyly. "That's one of the things. This could be our final battle."

Now he was confused. "But isn't that a good thing?"

Another nod. "Yes, but we've never faced anyone this powerful before. And isn't the last boss always the hardest?"

He chuckled. "This isn't a video game, Kari. I have no doubt that he's stronger than anyone else we've faced so far, but I have faith in us. I know we can do this. And then we have a clear path to Cherubimon's castle."

She looked away. "That's something else that worries me. We've all been acting under the assumption that Cherubimon will be able to tell us how we can get home." She sat up suddenly. "What if he doesn't know? What if no one knows? What if we never get home?"

"Whoa, whoa, calm down." He sat up too and took hold of her, detecting the telltale signs of hysteria rising in her voice; this must have been building up inside her for quite some time now. "Listen to me, Kari. We can't deal with what ifs. We don't have any certainties for this. Right now, we're just following our best lead and hoping for the best. We have to hold onto that hope. And if it turns out that Cherubimon can't help us, then we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. But for all we know, he can actually send us home himself. Just think, we could be back home in a matter of weeks."

She looked at him with something akin to worry in her eyes. "That's something that worries me too. We've been in this world for so long. I'm almost afraid to go back, to find out what's changed in our absence. We've been away for several months, TK. Several months! Our families and friends surely think we're dead by now. How can we just suddenly reappear back into their lives? What would we even tell them? They'll think we're crazy if we tell them the truth. Should we just say we don't remember anything? Will they even believe that?"

"One step at a time, Kari. Lets find out if we can even get home first. And in the meantime, we'll talk it over with the others and see if we can come up with a good story to tell everyone back home. As for everything else, there's no point in dwelling and worrying about what can't be changed." He took her chin and turned her head so he could look into her eyes and gave her a reassuring smile. "Hey, it'll be ok, 'cause no matter what happens, we'll be together."

She stared into his smiling face, trying to read how genuine he was being, or if he was simply telling her what she wanted to hear to reassure her. But she saw it; he truly believed that everything would work out. Hopeful TK, always hoping for the best. That was all she needed.

Slowly, the tension left her body, and she returned the smile. "Thanks, TK. That really helps." With her worries somewhat set at ease for now, the exhaustion hit her full force, and she closed her eyes, leaning in to rest against the blonde boy. "I'm so tired."

Feeling flustered, TK gave her somewhat of a one-arm hug. "Come on, I'll take you back to your room."

"Mmm," she mumbled sleepily, nestling into him. "Can't I just sleep here tonight?"

TK's blush deepened. His mind immediately jumped from one image to the next. While some were rather appealing, the vision of Tai coming down on him for 'sleeping' with his sister made his stomach coil with dread, and the thought of how much complaining Davis would do was already giving him a headache.

But then he dismissed these fears. Unless they were on watch duty, Tai and Davis were always the last ones to wake up. And after the battle they had, they must be especially tired. The chances of either one of them waking up before him and Kari, let alone catching them in the same bed together, were slim to none. And besides, having Kari next to him like this was… nice.

"Sure," he told her, "you can stay."

But she didn't answer; she was already asleep. TK carefully laid her down and adjusted the covers around them. She scooted closer to his warmth in her sleep and sighed in contentment. TK smiled as he settled beside her and shut his eyes. He was asleep in seconds.

Outside, the ground shook as the unknown figure continued its approach.

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

The entire tower shook with such intensity that it literally threw the teens out of their beds, giving them a very unpleasant awakening. Davis didn't wake up as he went flying through the air like the others did, but the landing on his head certainly got the job done.

"Alright, I'm up!" he snapped, rubbing his head. "No need to hit me."

The tower shook again, raining down stone and plaster as ceilings and walls collapsed. As Davis sat up, a rather large chunk of ceiling dropped down and landed a little too close to home. That startled the boy into waking up fully, and he scurried to his feet, looking at the trembling tower in confusion. "Hey, what's going on?"

He hurried out of the room, meeting up with the others in the hall. They all seemed just as bewildered as him as debris continued to rain down around them. Fortunately, during all the commotion, no one noticed TK and Kari coming out of the same room.

"What's happening?" Takato cried, pulling his goggles over his eyes. "Earthquake?"

Davis snapped his fingers. "I know just what to do." He ran over and stood in the doorframe. "See, this way nothing will fall down on you."

Tai cut his eyes at him. "Uh, Davis…"

"Come on, you guys; get under here!"

"Davis-" TK began.

"Look, I know what I'm talking about. I learned all about this disaster stuff."

"Davis!" the teens all shouted.

"What?" He looked around and realized that the entire wall had collapsed, leaving only the doorframe he was under standing. "Oh, ok then. Plan B. Duck and cover!"

He crouched down and covered his head as Shoutmon came running over to them. "It's no earthquake! We're under attack!"

"Under attack?" Takuya repeated. "I thought you were keeping watch."

"I fell asleep, ok! I'm sorry! I'm a bad Shoutmon!"

The tower shook violently again as whoever was attacking dealt more damage. "So who's attacking us?" Tai asked. "ShadowSeraphimon? One of ChaosPiedmon's servants?"

The dragon Digimon shook his head. "No, I don't think it's anyone related to them at all. It's-"

The tower shook more violently than ever, and, suddenly, the ceiling was completely lifted away as the top half of the tower broke off, and they got a good look at their attacker. Whoever they were, they were enormous, easily the biggest Digimon they had ever seen, resembling a demonic ram of some kind.

Catching sight of the teens, the Digimon looked at them with interest, and not the good kind, but the kind where it was curious as to how it should kill them. On what was pretty much reflex, Takato checked his Digivice. "Gulfmon, a Mega level demon beast Digimon. He has a second mouth on his lower body that somehow connects to the abyss of the Dark Area, and anyone who gets swallowed up by it will have their soul shattered and remained trapped there. He sings to unleash his Dead Scream attack, which instantly kills anyone who hears it. That sounds creepy."

"And familiar," Davis replied. "Didn't that Memphismon guy have a singing power like that?"

"It's Mephistomon," Shoutmon corrected, staring up at the giant Mega Digimon looming over them. "And considering that Gulfmon is the Mega level of Mephistomon, it makes sense."

"This guy is Mephistomon's Mega?" Kari asked, pointing up at the demon beast Digimon.

"Obviously not the one we fought, but still formerly a Mephistomon. He's no ordinary Mega though. His power is so great that it's said he could destroy the world in seven days."

"That's… pretty messed up," said Takato.

"Hey, guys," TK called, "how about we stop talking about this and RUN!"

They took off as Gulfmon's giant hand reached for them. It slid on the ground after them, smashing against the wall as they ran through the door. The demon beast Digimon roared and began clawing at and digging through the ceilings and floors as the teens ran down the stairs, the Dark Tower coming down around them.

"What's this guy's deal?" Takuya shouted over all the noise. "Why's he destroying everything?"

"With ChoasPiedmon gone, he's probably trying to claim the territory," Shoutmon called back. "It's not uncommon for a Digimon to try and take over an area once the big shot that had it before is out of the picture."

A large piece of ceiling dropped in their path, creating a large gap in the staircase. One by one, the teens leapt over the gap before continuing on their way.

"Why's he after us? Kari asked. "What'd we do?"

"Word is spreading across the Digital World that humans with Digimon powers are taking down the evil Digimon. Gulfmon is most likely trying to get rid of the competition since you beat ChoasPiedmon."

Ahead of them, Gulfmon's giant hand tore through the wall, destroying the staircase ahead of them completely. The teens came to a stop, unable to go any further. "So much for escaping," Takato grumbled. "Looks like we'll have to Spirit Evolve and fight him."

"Yeah, about that," Davis muttered as he looked at his Digivice. "I still don't have any power."

"Neither do I," said Tai, checking his. "It hasn't had enough time to recharge. It must take longer to reenergize a Mega level's power." He looked at the others. "How about you guys?"

TK looked at his Digivice. "I'm good to go."

"So am I."

"Same here."

"And me."

"Then lets do this. Execute! Spirit Evolution… MagnaAngemon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Angewomon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… WarGrowlmon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… BurningGreymon!"

There was no time to waste. Gulfmon's fist burst through another wall, and the entire ceiling collapsed. WarGrowlmon threw himself over Tai, Davis, and Shoutmon, allowing the rubble to come crashing down on his back rather than on his friends.

The others immediately began to dig them out, but the cyborg dinosaur Digimon burst out of the rubble unharmed, holding the others in his arms protectively. "Lets get out of here."

The four Ultimates took to the air, flying out the opening. Gulfmon's large eye followed them, and he reached out to grab them, just missing. Now that they were outside, they could see just how big the demon beast Digimon really was. He was definitely the largest one they had ever encountered. In fact, he was even bigger than they thought. His lower body was like that of a centaur, only it was like some kind of beast rather than a horse, and seemed much larger than necessary for his upper body. And right around his lower abdomen, there seemed to be a face of some kind, or at least a mouth, and the DigiDestined assumed it was the one that led to the Dark Area as described by Takato's Digimon Analyzer. And right now, it was beginning to open as energy gathered inside it.

In WarGrowlmon's arms, Shoutmon began to thrash around. "Move! Move! Get us out of the way!"

"Black Requiem!" Gulfmon cried, and a massive red beam erupted from his lower mouth. The DigiDestined flew in four different directions. Gulfmon shifted his body to send the beam after Angewomon, who used her Super Jump to launch herself at a faster speed away from the attack as the entire sky lit up in red from the blast.

"Whoa," WarGrowlmon muttered. "Now that's an attack. I can see how he would be able to destroy the world in just seven days. And how is it that a Digimon that seems incapable of speech can still scream out the names of their attacks?"

"The attack name is like a security code to use it," Shoutmon replied.

"Oh, well, I guess that makes sense," the cyborg dinosaur Digimon replied. He came in for a landing, setting his friends down as he stared at the demon beast Digimon. "So, how are we supposed to beat this guy? He's a Mega, and a super strong one at that. We're just four Ultimates."

"There's still a chance," Shoutmon told him, surprising the others. "He's very strong, but that massive power makes him unstable. The four of you might be able to bring him down. Just be sure not to let him sing, and watch out for his attacks."

"Good to know," WarGrowlmon replied, igniting his thrusters. He joined the others in the air and told them the good news. "Hey, guys, Shoutmon said that even though this guy's a Mega, he's very unstable, so we have a chance to beat him."

"Awesome," BurningGreymon replied. "Then lets teach this behemoth a lesson. Pyro Barrage!"

The energy bullets he fired sprayed across Gulfmon's face and torso. The demon beast Digimon hissed and held up his hand against the attack. MagnaAngemon flew forward and slashed Gulfmon's palm with his Flying Sword of Justice. Gulfmon screeched and smacked the angel Digimon away with his other hand.

"Atomic Blaster!"

"Heaven's Charm!"

WarGrowlmon and Angewomon's attacks exploded into Gulfmon's face. The demon beast Digimon glared at them before firing his Black Requiem. Fortunately, the attack took a long time to charge, allowing the group to flee from its path.

WarGrowlmon flew forward, slamming into Gulfmon's upper body, and began slashing away with his Radiation Blade. Gulfmon's hands clapped together on either side of the cyborg dinosaur Digimon. Dazed, WarGrowlmon unleashed his Megalo Spark, and Gulfmon reacted by lifting himself into the air as if to make a slam-dunk before throwing him into Angewomon, whose Celestial Arrow she had been about to fire went way off course.

BurningGreymon flew towards Gulfmon and unleashed his Wildfire Tsunami. Gulfmon reached onto his hind legs, recoiling from the flames. As he came down, he brought his fist down on the dragon Digimon, and BurningGreymon hit the ground, hard.

"Dead Scream!" Gulfmon cried, his voice rising to a singsong voice.

Shoutmon immediately covered his ears. "Don't let him sing!"

As the demon beast Digimon's tuneful cry began to emit, MagnaAngemon slammed into his lower jaw with his Magna Jump, cutting him off. He then used his Excalibur's Grace, stabbing into Gulfmon's neck with his sword. "Let's see you try singing now."

Gulfmon's claw suddenly closed around him. The demon beast Digimon snarled before tossing MagnaAngemon to the ground as if he had made the winning touchdown. MagnaAngemon groaned from the impact, but barely had time to register the pain before Gulfmon's enormous foot came down on him, crushing and pinning him to the ground.

"Get off my friend!" BurningGreymon demanded, flying into Gulfmon's gut with his Burning Grey Basher! He then followed up by repeatedly stabbing him with his Crimson Fanger.

Gulfmon roared and raised his fist, only to have lightning strike his hand as Angewomon fired her Holy Arrow. WarGrowlmon fired his Atomic Blaster at the leg stepping on MagnaAngemon, and Gulfmon removed his foot, allowing Angewomon to retrieve their comrade.

"Are you ok?" she asked, supporting him

"I've been better."

"Hang on a second. Heaven's Cure!"

MagnaAngemon felt himself healing and gave her a smile. "Thanks for that." A moment later, BurningGreymon crashed into the ground beside them, having been smacked away by Gulfmon. "Looks like he could use some healing too."

"I'm fine," the dragon Digimon replied stubbornly. "Save your energy. I don't need healing."

Gulfmon was looking down at them. He roared loudly, and the mouth around his abdomen opened and began gathering energy.

"There!" WarGrowlmon cried. "That's how we'll beat him. Give it all you've got! Atomic Blaster!"

"Fire Below!"

"Heaven's Charm!"

"Heaven's Gate!"

Shoutmon realized what they were attempting to do and immediately protested. "No, don't do it!"

"What?" Davis asked.

"They'll never be able to hold off his attack."

But it was too late to turn back as Gulfmon fired his Black Requiem. The massive beam collided with the other four attacks was held back for a brief moment. Then began to rapidly push them back.

"Crap!" BurningGreymon shouted as the attack came at them.

"Shield and Counter!" MagnaAngemon cried, and the attacks collided with his barrier. He knew right away that he wouldn't be able to hold it back for long, let alone repel it. "Get out of here!"

The others didn't need to be told twice, and immediately flew out of the attack's path. MagnaAngemon, however, was unable to move, not without allowing the attacks to consume him.

"MagnaAngemon, get out of there!" Angewomon shouted.

He struggled to hold the attack back, but felt himself slipping. "I can't!"

He felt the attack burst through his barrier, and he dropped to his knees, watching as the beam came at him. That's when something struck him, sending him flying out of the attack's path. The beam exploded against the ground and erupted outward in a powerful blast.

"BurningGreymon!" the others shouted.

Caught up in the blast, the dragon Digimon went flying through the air and crashed to the ground, where he remained, unmoving. MagnaAngemon stared at his motionless friend in horror. "BurningGreymon… no…" He turned back to Gulfmon. "You monster!" He launched himself at him with his Magna Jump. "Why can't you all just leave us alone!?"

He flung his Soul Vanisher at the demon beast Digimon, and was soon joined by Angewomon and WarGrowlmon. Gulfmon swiped at them and batted away their attacks, occasionally firing his Black Requiem as Tai, Davis, and Shoutmon ran over to the fallen BurningGreymon. The dragon Digimon was out cold, or so Tai hoped, giving Shoutmon a nervous look. "Shoutmon, you don't think that since we humans don't break down into data when we die that he could be…?"

"We already went over this," the dragon Digimon replied. "He's not dead, but it was close. He only got caught up in the blast. Good thing to, 'cause if he had actually gotten hit, he wouldn't be here right now." He shook his head and reached out to touch his fallen friend. "What were those idiots thinking, challenging Gulfmon's Black Requiem like that? I said Gulfmon's body was unstable, but his attacks are still incredibly powerful."

From up above, water droplets began dropping down as it began to rain, almost as if the heavens were weeping for BurningGreymon's defeat. Or perhaps to wake him from unconsciousness, as the dragon Digimon began to stir. His eyes slowly cracked open as water ran down his face, and a pained groan escaped him as he rolled onto his side. "What happened?"

"What do you think?" Shoutmon scolded. "You got blasted off your feet, you idiot. What were you thinking? First you challenge Gulfmon's attack, then you jump in front of it. Do you have a death wish?"

The larger dragon Digimon hung his head. "I was trying to save MagnaAngemon. He's the strongest of us Ultimates. I'm utterly useless at this point."

Tai gave him a look of disbelief. "How can you say that?"

BurningGreymon slammed his fist on the ground. "Because it's true. I've been useless for a while now. The last time I really did anything useful was during my fight with Hippogriffomon, and I barely won that. I couldn't do anything against, ChaosGrimmon, Piedmon, and Jokermon. I got my ass kicked by ExoGrimmon, I wouldn't have been able to scratch ChoasPiedmon, and now I can't even stand up to Gulfmon. What am I going to be able to do when we meet ShadowSeraphimon?"

He looked up into the sky, letting the rain flow over him. "You were right all along, Shoutmon. The power of these guys on the mainland, it's beyond anything we're capable of fighting against."

"Hey, man, it's not your fault," Davis told him. "These guys are Megas. I'm one too, and I can vouch for how strong they are."

BurningGreymon was silent as he continued to face the rain. All the while, the others kept up the fight against the demon beast Digimon. WarGrowlmon fired his Atomic Blaster, and Gulfmon slammed his head forward, going straight through the attack and head-butting the cyborg dinosaur Digimon.

"That's my point," BurningGreymon finally said. "I want to get stronger too. I want to be able to fight guys like this." He looked back at the fight, a fire in his eyes. "I want to be able to protect my friends."

MagnaAngemon flew behind Gulfmon and began flinging energy blades at his backside. Gulfmon kicked back like a horse, his foot slamming into the angel Digimon and sending him flying into the horizon.

"I've had enough of being protected," BurningGreymon seethed. "I want to be the one to protect."

Angewomon was making sure to stay out of range of Gulfmon as she continuously fired her Celestial Arrow at him. The demon beast Digimon roared at her and reared up onto his hind legs. Angewomon had been sure to keep enough distance between her and him in case he did this, but she had not anticipated him leaping into the air, nor had she expected his wings to be able to hold up his massive body to enable him to get as much air as he did. His claw shot out and snatched her out of the sky as he came down with a mighty earth-shattering thud. Squeezing her tightly, the demon beast Digimon held her up close and roared at her. His breathe smelled like death itself.

"Gulfmon!" BurningGreymon bellowed. Slowly, the giant Digimon turned to him. "I'm your opponent! You leave my friends alone!"

He roared loudly, and his body burst into flames, the falling raindrops evaporating before they even touched his flaming body. He launched towards Gulfmon like a fiery meteor, but the demon beast Digimon just sneered at him as he drew back his giant fist to knock the flaming dragon Digimon from the sky.

"I'm not backing down!" BurningGreymon declared as he continued to fly towards Gulfmon's approaching fist, his body shining all the brighter as his flames danced around him. "Not now, not ever again! BurningGreymon Mega Digivolve to… Aldamon!"

Gulfmon's fist met with the incoming fireball. Aldamon's own fist slammed into the much larger one, the impact sending out a shockwave that shook the land. Gulfmon's wrist snapped back as it buckled under the strength of the newly Digivolved Mega's power, and he howled in pain, dropping Angewomon from his other hand.

The flames surrounding the fire wizard Digimon's body erupted outward, revealing Aldamon's form. Half the size of BurningGreymon, he now resembled a cross between his Ultimate and Champion forms, containing the most powerful parts from each, as if any weak or lacking parts from one form were replaced or filled in by the other to create one perfect powerful body that lacked any flaws the other two stages might have had.

But Aldamon seemed completely oblivious to his new form, all his attention focused entirely on his opponent. "Lets see what this does for you. Solar Wing Destroyer!"

A massive fireball was thrown at Gulfmon, blasting the demon beast Digimon back, and causing him to fall onto his rear end. From behind, Aldamon heard the sounds of thrusters, and turned to find WarGrowlmon in the air behind him with Angewomon on his shoulder. "Nice move, um, Aldamon. And nice attire."

Angewomon nodded as she joined the two. "Yes, congratulations to you."

Aldamon turned his attention back towards Gulfmon. "Don't congratulate me just yet. We still have to take this guy down. Where's MagnaAngemon?"

"I'm here," the angel Digimon in question replied as he flew over to them. "You wouldn't believe how far he kicked…" He trailed off as he noticed the new Digimon amongst them. "Wait, did I miss something?"

Aldamon refused to take his eyes off the demon beast Digimon. "I just Digivolved. Nothing important. Now lets finish this."

"I'm onboard with that," WarGrowlmon replied.

Gulfmon roared and began marching towards them. Aldamon unleashed his Atomic Inferno attack, firing countless fireball missiles at the demon beast Digimon. MagnaAngemon came up beside him and used Soul Vanisher, his energy blades joining Aldamon's fireballs.

Gulfmon recoiled from the attacks, shielding his face with his hands. WarGrowlmon flew forward, latching onto Gulfmon's chest and used Megalo Spark. The demon beast Digimon looked down at him and brought a fist down. WarGrowlmon immediately let go and used Atomic Blaster to push himself from the demon beast Digimon, avoiding his fist.

He didn't move far away enough to get out of range, and Gulfmon reached for him. Angewomon launched herself forward with her Super Jump, slamming into Gulfmon, causing him to stumble back. He swiped at her when she retreated, but missed, and he glared at the four Digimon before him. "Dead Scream!"

"I don't think so!" Aldamon shouted, flying forward. As Gulfmon opened his mouth to begin singing, he fired his Solar Wind Destroyer down his throat. Gulfmon coughed and sputtered, grasping his throat as flames and smoke shot out of his nostrils.

"You know," said WarGrowlmon, "for someone whose body's supposed to be unstable, this guy's certainly holding up pretty well."

"Well, he is a Mega," MagnaAngemon pointed out.

Angewomon pointed. "Heads up, guys!"

Gulfmon's lower mouth was opening again, and energy was gathering in preparation for his Black Requiem. Aldamon's eyes narrowed at the sight. "Let's try our previous strategy again, a little sooner this time. Solar Wing Destroyer!"

"Atomic Blaster!"

"Heaven's Gate!"

"Celestial Arrow!"

Their timing was quicker, their attacks flying forward and into Gulfmon's second mouth. The demon beast Digimon looked down as his lower body began to expand, tears began spreading across his lower body as stream of light burst through his stomach, back, and sides.

There was a fiery blast, and the entire backside of Gulfmon's lower body burst into data, leaving the demon beast Digimon standing on two legs. With an inhuman wail, he started to fall backwards as he began to break down into data. His body completely dissolved before he even hit the ground.

The four DigiDestined hovered in the air, another threat eliminated. WarGrowlmon sighed, his shoulders slumping as he watched the vast amount of data flow through the air. "Well, I'm beat. As if being woken up in the middle of the night hadn't been bad enough."

"You're telling me," MagnaAngemon agreed. "Too bad we don't have those beds anymore."

Angewomon made an unhappy noise. "I know. All I want to do is sleep for the next year."

"Not me," Aldamon replied. "I'm full of energy. I feel all fired up."

WarGrowlmon cut his eyes at him. "That's because you just Digivolved, and you're a Fire type." He looked down at the others. "We should go see if they're alright."

One by one, they came down from the sky. They landed by Tai and Davis while Shoutmon had taken off, presumably to try and get to Gulfmon's data before it disappeared. The two boys were unable to tear their eyes away from Aldamon.

"You guys ok?" the fire wizard Digimon asked.

"Are we ok?" Davis asked. "Are you ok? Just look at you; you're a Mega!"

Aldamon glanced down at himself. "Yeah, so I am."

"How'd you do it?" MagnaAngemon asked.

He reverted back to Takuya. "I just… I couldn't stand being useless anymore, just stuck on the sidelines, unable to help. The next thing I knew, I felt this overwhelming energy filling me up. And then, well, you know."

The other three changed back to their human forms as well. "It seems that all of us are gaining access to our Mega forms." Kari pointed out. "Maybe by the time we reach ShadowSeraphimon, we'll all be Megas."

"What do you think, Shoutmon?" Takuya asked. He looked around, realizing that the dragon Digimon wasn't there. "Um, Shoutmon? Where'd you go?"

Tai cut his eyes. "He went after Gulfmon's data. That guy can be so greedy."

"Hey, I'm not going to let good data go to waste," Shoutmon objected as he made his way over to them. He nodded at Takuya. "Nice job reaching Mega. Our team is getting stronger."

TK nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it's almost like the power comes to us when we really need it."

Grinning broadly, Davis crossed his arms. "I guess we're just totally awesome."

Shoutmon tapped his chin. "I think I'm beginning to understand this human-Digimon relationship. I've been coming up with a few theories, and I think I'm starting to make sense of it all."

"Great," said Takato. "So, what is it?"

The dragon Digimon shook his head. "I can't say for sure yet. It's still just a theory. I need to see more." He looked out upon the horizon with a forlorn expression on his face as the rain continued to pour down. "And, unfortunately, something tells me I'll get the chance to see it."

 

Notes:

(A/N: Well, this was an exciting chapter, wasn't it? We had a bit of fluff between TK and Kari, an exciting battle with Gulfmon, and to top it off, BurningGreymon managed to Digivolve to the Mega level. Things are looking up. Or are they? Kari had some pretty legitimate concerns. TK may have made her feel better, but those were some good concerns. How will things work out for our heroes? Things are going to get very dramatic and action packed in the upcoming chapters.)

Aldamon's attacks:

Solar Wind Destroyer – Creates an explosive ball of holy fire as hot as the sun's core and throws it.

Atomic Inferno – Rapidly fires extremely high-temperature shots.

Praying Sutra – effects unknown.

Meditating Prayer – effects unknown.

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Gulfmon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Aldamon

Chapter 75: Angst

Notes:

(A/N: Hello, my readers. Merry Christkwanzanukkahmas! Was that a little over the top? Ok then, Seasons Greetings everyone. I've been waiting to get to this chapter for a while. I hope you'll enjoy it. I'm really excited for it, especially the end. But I don't want to spoil anything, just be prepared for things to get a little dark and emotional.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 75: Angst

The rain that had begun during the battle with Gulfmon had lasted for three days straight. While the teens had suffered through rainy days before, it had never been for so long. The nights were hard, finding whatever shelter they could, huddling together for warmth, unable to even keep a fire going.

Being stuck in the rain for so long, it was only a matter of time before one of them eventually got sick, and that's exactly what happened. And the unfortunate one was none other than Kari. She had tried to hide it at first, but it soon became apparent that something was wrong. She kept insisting that she was all right, but eventually it became too much for her, and she finally collapsed.

Based on her symptoms, it was determine that she had most likely developed pneumonia. The whole group was worried about her, but Tai was having the most trouble keeping it together. It was all he could do to keep from panicking. "Isn't there a hospital or something we can take her to?"

Shoutmon sighed, growing impatient. "Does it look like there's a hospital around? Where in the middle of nowhere. There's nothing around for miles."

The boy growled in frustration. "Well, we've got to do something! She's got a fever." He walked over to his sister where she was lying down, her head resting on a pile of leaves, seemingly asleep. He looked down at her worriedly, crouching down beside her. "Kari…"

Her eyes cracked open, and she looked up at him. "Hey, Tai."

He gave her a smile. "Hey, Kari. How you feeling?"

She shut her eyes again. "Tired. Hot. Thirsty."

He frowned and looked around worriedly. Their rations and other supplies they had received had been lost when the Dark Tower collapsed, and now they were stuck out here without food or water. The others had hurried off to try and find anything that could help while he stayed with her, but none of them were back yet.

Reaching out, he felt her forehead. She was burning up, and her skin felt clammy. He wished he could take her temperature, or maybe he didn't want to know how high her fever was.

"Don't worry," he told her, the others are getting you something to eat and drink."

"Mmm," she muttered sleepily. "Where's TK?"

He gave her hand a squeeze. "He'll be back soon. They all will. You'll be ok, Kari. I'll take care of you."

She didn't answer, and seemed to have fallen asleep again. Tai stood up and began pacing impatiently. Shoutmon watched him, wishing there was something he could do, but he didn't know how to treat humans. Besides, it was only a cold. She should be fine after a few days of rest, shouldn't she? Or were colds much more serious for humans than they were for Digimon?

Takato was the first to return. He'd found a stream and had filled his goggles with water. They managed to get Kari to drink some, even though her throat was sore. TK was the next to return, his arms full of sticks and branches. With a Fiery Fastball from Shoutmon, they soon had a fire going, despite the wood being damp.

Takuya arrived shortly after that, carrying several giant leaves that were easily two or three feet long. "I figured we could wrap them around her and she could use them like a blanket to keep warm.

Tai nodded and began to do just that. "That's a good idea, thanks."

He was just finishing up tucking the leaves around her when Davis came running over, his hands full of berries. "Hey, guys, I found a berry bush a ways from here, so I grabbed all I could and- wah!" He tripped over his own feet and fell to the ground, dropping his handful. His concern shifted to his pants pocket, and he turned it inside out to find that all the berries inside had been crushed. "Aww…"

Salvaging what they could, they tried to get Kari to eat, but she turned them down, claiming she wasn't hungry, and soon fell asleep again. TK sighed and asked Takato to show him where the stream was. He then aligned the inside of his hat with leaves and filled it with water, essentially turning it into a water pouch. He then proceeded to soak a wet rag in the water and drape it over Kari's forehead. Unfortunately, the rag was actually a sock, but beggars couldn't be choosey.

Tai stood off to the side as TK tended to his sister, chewing on his lower lip anxiously with his arms crossed, drumming his fingers against his side in frustration. "This is ridiculous! My sister is sick, and I can't do anything!"

Takato winced and gave the older boy a hopeful look. "I think we should be grateful that only one of us got sick."

"And that none of us got sick before now too," Takuya added. "We've been lucky."

Tai rounded on the two of them furiously. "That doesn't help us right now! I feel so damn useless! There's got to be something I can do!"

He stormed off angrily. Takato and Takuya shared a look, both wishing they had kept their mouths shut, even if they had been trying to look on the bright side. Shoutmon just raised an eyebrow and looked at the teens curiously. "What's he so bent out of shape about? It's just a cold. It's not like she's dying or anything."

"That's besides the point," TK told him as he dunked the sock back in the water before ringing it out and placing it back on Kari's head. "Remember that conversation we had a long time ago, of how Kari had poor health when she was younger. Even though that's no longer the case, that fear and protectiveness Tai has when it comes to her health is still there. Add in the fact that we're in a strange world where she can't just be taken to the hospital, or even get medicine, and he's doubly worried."

Well, heck, if that didn't make Shoutmon feel like a real jerk. He immediately chastised himself for being so insensitive, even if he hadn't meant to be. He was concerned for Kari too, but he hadn't thought that a cold was that big of a deal. Now it made him seem like he didn't care.

"Ah, crap," he grumbled. "Stay here, I'll be back." He hurried after the older boy.

Tai didn't even know where he was going, nor did he have a plan of what to do; he simply couldn't just sit there feeling useless. He had to get moving, do something, anything. If he stayed there a moment longer, he was really going to lose it.

"Hey, Tai, wait up!" Shoutmon called after him. He hurried over as the boy stopped to let him catch up. "Hey, look, I'm sorry if I came across as being insensitive. I want you to know that I'll do whatever I can for your sister, for any of you guys actually."

Tai sighed. "No, I'm sorry. I know I'm not handling this well. I'm just worried about her. I still remember how she used to get sick a lot when she was little."

Ah, so TK had been right about that. "Yeah, that's why your mother started with all those super healthy, horrible tasting recipes you told us about." He saw that his attempt at humor hadn't worked and sighed. Walking up to him, he nudged his leg. "Hey, don't worry, your sister's strong. She'll pull through this. I have faith in her."

He felt like there was more he should say or do, and so he reached up and awkwardly hugged the teen's leg. Tai was silent as he tried to take the dragon Digimon's words to heart, telling himself over and over again that Kari was indeed going to be all right.

Releasing his leg, Shoutmon looked up at him and motioned back towards the campsite. "Come on, let's head back. There's nothing more we can do right now."

Tai sighed again, knowing he was right, and nodded. They were on their way back when it happened. The whistling sound of something flying through the air was heard, and the two stopped to listen. A moment later, the ground all but exploded beneath them. Tai and Shoutmon went flying, landing hard on the ground several feet from the impact sight.

The other teens, save for Kari, came running over to see what had happened. "Hey, what's going on?" Davis cried. "What was that noise?"

Tai groaned as he sat up, rubbing his hand. "Someone shot at us. Who was it?"

There was laughter from up above, and the teens looked up to see five Digimon flying down towards them. The one who was laughing was Phelesmon as he looked at the hole in the ground. "Wow, Examon, you almost got them."

The enormous gun-wielding dragon Digimon just snorted. "Ah, I would have got them had they not stopped walking."

Takuya glared up at them. "Who are these guys?"

Leaping off Examon's shoulder, SkullMeramon landed on the ground. "We're the ones who will be putting an end to you humans."

Davis made a sour face. "Why does everyone want to kill us? What did we do?"

Murmukusmon came in for a landing. "You're making waves that those in charge are not liking."

"That's why ShadowSeraphimon has put a hit on you," MetalPhantomon replied. "And we've come to collect."

TK fists clenched. "ShadowSeraphimon. Should have known. And he's not 'in charge' of anything. He's just a bully."

"And why'd he send you guys?" Takato asked. "I thought he wanted us to come fight him. So why's he trying to stop us?"

Phelesmon chuckled. "ShadowSeraphimon has more important things to worry about than a bunch of lousy humans causing trouble. So he hired us to take care of things."

Takuya took out his Digivice. "Who are you guys anyway? Lets see. SkullMeramon, an Ultimate level flame Digimon. He uses his fire and chain whips in a deadly combination. Phelesmon, an Ultimate level demon Digimon who grants a person's desire in exchange for their soul. Murmukusmon, a Mega level demon Digimon that was once a high-ranking angel Digimon before falling from grace. He has the power to take on the forms of different Digimon. MetalPhantomon, an Ultimate level cyborg Digimon whose power comes from another dimension. His sickle is capable of storing energy taken from the souls of those he's killed and unleashing it in a powerful blast. Examon, a Mega level dragon Digimon who holds the title of Royal Knight and is known as the Dragon Emperor. His giant sentient wings are made entirely out of the nearly indestructible Chrome Digizoid, and his gun lance is loaded with special shells stocked with viruses that have various effects."

"Ok, great," Davis grumbled. "What does that mean?"

"It means," Shoutmon said, backing away, "that we are in serious trouble."

TK couldn't help but notice that Shoutmon was staring at one Digimon in particular, and he studied Examon. "Hey, Shoutmon, do you know him?"

The little dragon Digimon gulped. "Everyone knows a Digimon like Examon. I'm not kidding here, guys. Examon is seriously powerful. He's easily the strongest Digimon we've come across so far."

The dragon Digimon in question held up his gun-lance. "You flatter me, but I'm afraid it won't save you. Don't take it personally; it's just a job. Lets just end things quickly."

"Get out of here." The command was spoken so softly that it was barely heard, yet all attention still shifted to Tai. He was standing with his head hanging, his shoulders trembling with suppressed emotion.

"Get out of here," he repeated, finally raising his head. "I don't have time to deal with you guys right now. My sister is sick; I can't be bothered with a bunch of freaks like you."

There was something in his eyes, something that sent a chill down his friends' spines. The group of assassins simply seemed caught off guard, never having had such a reaction from one of their targets.

A sadistic grin eventually spread across Phelesmon's face as he apparently found this to be very amusing. "You hear that, guys, he doesn't want to deal with us." He sneered at the boy. "What's wrong? Is this an inconvenient time for you to die?"

"No one's dying today!" Davis declared, holding up his Digivice. "Except for you guys. Execute! Spirit Evolution… Imperialdramon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… WarGrowlmon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Aldamon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… MagnaAngemon!"

Tai did not take part in spirit Evolving. He looked at his Digivice before glancing back at his sister, the worry clearly written on his face. He felt a tug on his pants leg and looked down to see Shoutmon. "I'll stay with her. Don't worry, she'll be safe."

Still looking uncertain, Tai nodded. "Thanks, pal. Execute! Spirit Evolution… WarGreymon!"

"Focus on Examon," Shoutmon told him. "He's too strong for any one of you to fight on your own!"

"Got it. Imperialdramon, you're with me."

"Sounds good."

MagnaAngemon pointed his sword at Phelesmon. "I'll take him. I'll have the type advantage."

"Good call," Aldamon agreed. He zeroed in on Murmukusmon. "I guess the other Mega is mine. But that still leaves two left."

"I can handle them both," WarGrowlmon insisted. "Just leave it to me."

SkullMeramon laughed and crossed his arms. "How cute. They think they can stand up to us."

"This could actually be pretty fun," said Murmukusmon. "Lets see how long they last."

"Last against this!" Imperialdramon cried. "Mega Fire!"

He fired a beam of dark matter from his mouth. Four of the assassins took to the air, but Examon's giant wings wrapped around him. Imperialdramon's attack slammed into him, pushing him back, but when the beam finally ceased, Examon's wings were completely undamaged, as was he. WarGreymon charged forward and began slashing at the wings with his Dramon Cutter. Sparks went flying with each slash, but not a single scratch appeared on Examon's wings.

When WarGreymon finally stopped attacking, Examon's wings burst open, his gun-lance pointed at the dragon Digimon. He fired, and WarGreymon was blasted backwards. Imperialdramon rushed forward to take his place, using his Shining Blade. Examon's left wing came up, blocking his claw, and Imperialdramon unleashed his Eternal Zeal. The flames flowed over Examon, and he flew backwards, taking aim. "Pendragon's Glory!"

The laser struck Imperialdramon's shoulder and he fell forward. WarGreymon returned, leaping over him and threw a Terra Force. Examon's wings coiled around him again, protecting him from the blast. Spreading them apart, he open fired on the dragon Digimon, but WarGreymon used his Great Tornado, deflecting the bullets as he sped towards Examon.

When he got too close, Examon once again wrapped himself in his wings, but WarGreymon anticipated this. He stopped spinning and used his Grey Fire, performing a slam-dunk with the ball of fire into the opening at the top of Examon's wings.

Examon's wings burst open and he roared. Taking to the air, he was soon joined by WarGreymon and Imperialdramon. He looked from one to the other and grinned. "Alright, lets see what you've got."

A distance away, Murmukusmon chuckled as he watched the scene. "Those fools have no idea who they're dealing with." He turned to Aldamon, who had approached him. "What about you? Do you have any idea who you're dealing with?"

The fire wizard Digimon just glared at him. "I could ask you the same thing."

Murmukusmon chuckled. "Touché, my friend. Necro Interrogation!"

A sphere of dark energy appeared in his hand, and he threw it at Aldamon. The fire wizard Digimon knocked the attack away and pointed his Rudriya Darpaṇa at the demon Digimon. "Atomic Inferno!"

Literally thousands of fireballs flew towards Murmukusmon. The demon Digimon laughed and began zigzagging through the air, avoiding and knocking aside the fireballs as Aldamon had his own attack. "You enjoy playing with fire? How about some literal hellfire? Gehenna Flame!"

A stream of fire flew from his mouth. Aldamon held up his arms to shield himself as the flames flowed over him. Even as a Fire type Digimon, Murmukusmon's flames burned, badly. He lowered his arms, and immediately witnessed Murmukusmon's claws clamp down over his face. He was brought crashing to the ground with the demon Digimon on top of him.

He held out his hand, and another sphere of dark energy appeared in it. "So disappointing."

He moved to bring the sphere down on Aldamon, but the fire wizard Digimon's hand shot out, his Rudriya Darpaṇa clamping down on Murmukusmon's wrist. "Solar Wind Destroyer!"

Murmukusmon was blasted off him and sent flying. Aldamon jumped to his feet and sped after him, flying between Phelesmon and MagnaAngemon a moment before they came together, MagnaAngemon's blade pressing against Phelesmon's pitchfork. The two pushed against the other, the demon Digimon sneering at his opponent. "I'm going to enjoy this."

MagnaAngemon glared at him. "You demon Digimon are all seriously twisted."

"How's this for twisted?" He pulled back and leapt away. "Black Statue!"

"Shield and Sword!" MagnaAngemon deflected the beam, and it hit a nearby tree, instantly turning it to stone. He charged at the demon Digimon, but Phelesmon unleashed his Demon's Shout. MagnaAngemon came to a halt as the sound waves flowed over him, clawing at his head. The wail increased in volume, eventually causing MagnaAngemon to drop to his knees.

Ceasing his scream, Phelesmon approached him, grinning. "My scream contains a curse that drives others mad. Are you feeling a little mad, MagnaAngemon?"

The angel Digimon began pounding his fists on the ground as he started foaming at the mouth. Phelesmon stood over him, laughing as an agonized wail escaped MagnaAngemon. He suddenly lunged forward, slashing Phelesmon across the chest, cutting off his laughter. MagnaAngemon forced himself to his feet, growling madly.

"I won't… give in…" he snarled, trying to keep his thoughts in order. "I won't… Magna Antidote!"

He turned the technique upon himself, and his mind immediately cleared of the madness that was plaguing him. He shook his head, and took a fighting stance, facing Phelesmon. The demon Digimon was looking down at the slash across his chest. After a few moments, he began to chuckle. "Impressive. I didn't think you had it in you." He grinned at the angel Digimon. "This is going to be even more entertaining than I thought." He glanced at the combatants a short distance away. "Though I can't say the same for your friend."

The friend he was referring to was WarGrowlmon. Claiming to be able to handle both SkullMeramon and MetalPhantomon was one thing, but actually doing it was another. The two assassins were double-teaming the cyborg dinosaur Digimon, barely giving him a chance to attack.

"Flame Chain!" SkullMeramon cried, sending out a chain covered in fire. It coiled around his neck, and the flame Digimon yanked back on it. WarGrowlmon took an unwilling step forward, trying to pull back. With a snarl, he swung his Radiation Blade, cutting through the chain, and SkullMeramon tumbled over.

"Atomic Blaster!" WarGrowlmon cried, managing to get off an attack. MetalPhantomon flew down and cut through the attack with his sickle. He slammed into the cyborg dinosaur Digimon, knocking him over, then raised his sickle to strike.

"Grave Scream!" Swinging his scythe, the sickle became pure energy and sliced through the air with an eerie sound. WarGrowlmon ignited his thrusters, sliding across the ground and avoiding the attack. Shifting his body, his thrusters lifted him onto his feet again, but SkullMeramon was already on his.

"Blazing Iron Whip!" he cried, sending out numerous chain whips. They wrapped around WarGrowlmon, binding him. The cyborg dinosaur Digimon attempted to pull free, but despite his much smaller size, SkullMeramon was surprisingly strong. "Metal Fireball!"

Opening his mouth, he spat out a ball of melted metal that was pushed along by a stream of blue fire. WarGrowlmon wailed as it splashed against him, dousing him in burning liquid metal.

MetalPhantomon flew towards him, raising his sickle. At the last moment, WarGrowlmon stepped back, lifting his arm as much as he could. MetalPhantomon's scythe sliced through the air, cutting through a chain and freeing one of WarGrowlmon's arms.

"Thanks for that," the cyborg dinosaur Digimon mocked. "Megalo Spark!"

The electricity flowed through the chains and into SkullMeramon, who cried out and dropped to his knees. With his free hand, WarGrowlmon grabbed a handful of chains and yanked. SkullMeramon was pulled through the air, and WarGrowlmon swung him around, smacking him into MetalPhantomon. He then ripped the remaining chains off him and began stalking towards the two assassins.

"Get off me," MetalPhantomon snarled, pushing the flame Digimon off him. The two got up and turned to face WarGrowlmon, resuming fighting stances.

Up in the sky, neither WarGreymon nor Imperialdramon were making much progress with Examon. On the contrary, the assassin seemed to be playing with them. Though they managed to get a few hits in, Examon's seemingly indestructible wings were proving to be a real problem, shielding him from most of their attacks.

"I've had enough of this," WarGreymon growled. "Imperialdramon, lets try that combo move we used on ChaosPiedmon."

"Sounds good to me. Positron Laser!"

"Terra Force!"

The giant ball of energy flew into the path of Imperialdramon's attack, the laser pushing it towards Examon. The dragon Digimon just smirked and wrapped his wings around himself. The explosion was massive, and the two attackers looked on in hope, yet when the smoke cleared, Examon was still intact.

"Are you kidding me?" Imperialdramon wailed. "I'm done with this." He flew over to Examon, who still had his wings wrapped around himself, and pressed his cannon up against him. "I survived this once. Mega Crusher!"

The blast sent both of them flying back. WarGreymon dodged as Imperialdramon nearly crashed into him. "Nice one." He looked back to where Examon landed. "That had to have done something."

Rising up from the ground, the cocoon that was Examon encased in his wings rose up into the air. WarGreymon couldn't believe it, there still wasn't a scratch on him. "No, that can't be."

He flew towards the cocooned Examon and began slashing at the dragon Digimon's wings. Sparks continued to fly with each impact, but still no damage appeared on Examon's wings. "This can't be! I can't lose here! I need to save Kari!" He struck again, and his gauntlet broke off. Snarling, he lashed out again, and his second one broke off as well, leaving his hands bare.

"You don't get it, do you?" said Examon, his wings slowly opening. "My wings provide me with the ultimate protection." He suddenly stabbed forward with his gun-lance, jabbing it into WarGreymon's gut. "Unfortunately, I can't say the same for you. Avalon's Gate!"

All the shells in Examon's gun-lance suddenly went off all at once. WarGreymon's eyes bugged out and he was blasted back, speeding through the air in a blur of movement, crashing to the ground and leaving a deep groove behind. He groaned in agony, his armor cracked to pieces, and a large wound present in his stomach. He immediately reverted to his human form and lay still.

Up in the air, Examon chuckled. "That's one down. No one can take a hit from my Ambrosius' full power and live."

"You'll pay for that!" Imperialdramon declared, flying towards him and using his Shining Blade. Examon batted away the dragon Digimon's swipes with his wings in a mock aerial dance.

Back on the ground, Shoutmon looked from Kari to Tai before hurrying over to the older sibling. He jumped into the groove, dancing around a bit as the hot surface burned his feet, and shook him. "Tai, Tai, wake up."

The boy groaned in pain, his eyes cracking open. "What happ- ow!" He clutched his stomach, curling into a ball. "What is this? Why's it hurt so much?"

The dragon Digimon breathed a sigh of relief. "Be grateful. That attack should have killed you. Turning back to your human form is probably what saved you; that seems to dispel your injuries."

"Saved me?" He looked up at the sky and witnessed the two dragon Digimon exchanging blows. His eyes narrowed. "Examon. I can't believe how strong he is."

"I told you. Even if Aldamon had been fighting with you, it'd still be a tough match, especially with his defense."

"Defense…" Tai repeated. That's when he remembered that Shoutmon was meant to be defending someone. He climbed to his feet, wincing at the pain in his stomach, and looked around. "Where's Kari?"

He spotted her a distance away and limped over to her. She was still out, the heat from her fever causing a blush to form on her cheeks. Slowly, Tai reached out and felt her forehead; she was still very warm.

Shoutmon hurried over to them, looking down at Kari. "She's ok for now; she's still sleeping." He turned back to the melee. "But we've got to do something about these guys, or we're all going to end up dead."

A dark look appeared in Tai's eyes as he stared at his sister. "I won't let that happen."

He looked back at the others and the battles taking place. Examon, duking it out with Imperialdramon, his wings still defending him from a majority of Imperialdramon's attacks. WarGrowlmon being tag-teamed by SkullMeramon and MetalPhantomon, the flame Digimon whipping WarGrowlmon with his chains while the latter's scythe collided with the cyborg dinosaur Digimon's blade. Phelesmon and MagnaAngemon fighting out a duel, the demon Digimon using his pitchfork like a sword. Murmukusmon and Aldamon exchanging blows, both seemingly evenly matched.

Tai looked at his Digivice, seeing the blank screen. He squeezed the device painfully tight as a feeling of helplessness sent his anger skyrocketing. "They won't stop. These beasts, they just won't stop. Every time we defeat an enemy, a new and stronger one takes its place."

Shoutmon glanced at him, seeing the fire in his eyes. An uneasy feeling gripped him as he stared at the boy. "Tai…"

"I have to protect Kari. I will protect her, no matter what it takes."

His grip on his Digivice tightened further, and blood began to seep from his palm and run over it, but Tai didn't even seem to notice. Despite lacking power, a chiming began to emit from the device, drawing Shoutmon's attention to it. When the screen suddenly lit up completely red, he stepped back in surprise.

"I'll kill them," Tai seethed. "I'll kill them all. They won't lay a hand on my sister!"

A black fog seemed to flow out of the Digivice, consuming it and Tai's hand. It suddenly clicked as to what was happening, and Shoutmon gasped in realization. "No, not that!"

Tai didn't seem to hear him as a dark aura seemed to emit from his body. "Whatever power I have left, I will use it to stop these guys. No matter what it takes."

Shoutmon reached for him. "Tai, wait, you don't know what you're doing!"

"Execute!"

"Tai, don't! You can't use that power!"

"Spirit Evolution…"

"No!"

"BlackWarGreymon!"

 

Notes:

(A/N: Ok, I'm sure I don't need to point out how this is a very bad thing. Someone asked me long ago if any of our heroes would end up going dark, and the answer was yes. Did anyone expect it to happen to Tai? And during a serious battle at that. Things are about to take a very nasty turn, for everyone. Stay tuned to see what happens next.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/BlackWarGreymon

Chapter 76: Black War Path

Notes:

(A/N: I've been waiting for this chapter to come up for quite some time now. And I love the chapter title. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. If not, well, I still liked writing it, your enjoyment just makes it that much better.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 76: Black War Path

The name was suitable for the new form. Mirroring WarGreymon in physical appearance, BlackWarGreymon was almost identical, the only real difference being that his color pattern was made up almost entirely of black and shades of gray. The eyes were wrong though, Shoutmon acknowledged, they weren't supposed to be glowing red like that.

"What did you do?" he asked quietly, backing away.

The Spirit Evolution had drawn the attention of the others as well. SkullMeramon had ceased striking WarGrowlmon with his chains to stare at the new dragon Digimon. "Hey, how'd he do that? He was beat."

BlackWarGreymon's red gaze settled on him. A low growl emitted from him and he roared his rage to the sky. Taking off, he sped towards SkullMeramon. Before the flame Digimon could react, he lashed out with his gauntlets, the three blades stabbing into his gut, and he carried him into the sky.

"Black Storm Tornado!" Spinning around, he caused a large black tornado to form around himself. Unlike WarGreymon's Ultra Tornado, this one did not send out smaller ones, but its power was far greater.

After a few moments, SkullMeramon went flying from the tornado. The black vortex subsided as BlackWarGreymon stopped spinning and cupped his hands together. "Terra Destroyer!"

Like WarGreymon's Terra Force, a massive ball of energy gathered above BlackWarGreymon's head. Only this attack was full of darkness, glowing an angry red as all the world's negative emotions gathered in a single spot. He threw this giant ball of energy at SkullMeramon, who could do nothing to defend himself as he fell from the sky. The attack quickly caught up with his falling form, and erupted in a mighty blast. SkullMeramon's cry was lost amongst the resounding blast, and his body burst into data.

BlackWarGreymon roared his victory to the sky as the others looked on in shock at the brutality in which he had destroyed SkullMeramon.

"You'll pay for that!" MetalPhantomon declared, flying towards him with his scythe raised. "Soul Predator!"

BlackWarGreymon whirled around, using his Dragon Cutter, his claws slicing through the cyborg Digimon's scythe, cutting it to pieces, even the blade. MetalPhantomon stared at his destroyed weapon. BlackWarGreymon then used Dramon Fire, throwing a fireball into MetalPhantomon, sending him flying backwards.

WarGrowlmon walked over to the dragon Digimon. "Wow, those were some moves."

Suddenly, out of the blue, BlackWarGreymon grabbed his friend and threw him. "Stay out of my way."

He turned his attention to Murmukusmon. This seemed to snap the demon Digimon out of his stupor, and he delivered a punch to Aldamon's face while the fire wizard Digimon was still distracted. "Dark Interrogation!"

Aldamon was blasted back, and Murmukusmon turned his full attention to BlackWarGreymon. The dragon Digimon was already flying towards him. He flew at him as well, and the two met in the air. BlackWarGreymon slashed at him, but Murmukusmon batted his claw away and pressed a sphere of deadly energy into him. BlackWarGreymon was blown backwards, and Murmukusmon followed up with his Gehenna Flame, breathing a stream of fire that flowed over the dragon Digimon.

"Black Tornado!" BlackWarGreymon cried, spinning around with his arms extended, cutting through the fire like a drill. Murmukusmon moved to the side at the last second and reached out, grabbing BlackWarGreymon around the middle as he whizzed by, stopping his spinning.

"Solar Wind Destroyer!" Aldamon cried, launching a fireball at the demon Digimon's back. Murmukusmon cried out and released BlackWarGreymon, allowing the dragon Digimon to spin around in the air and deliver a kick to him, sending Murmukusmon flying. He was far from grateful though as he turned to Aldamon.

"War Blaster!" he cried, throwing a series of fireballs.

Aldamon's eyes widened as the flaming spheres came at him. "What are you doing?" He maneuvered around the fiery spheres, but they started exploding in the air around him. When the last one erupted, he threw BlackWarGreymon an angry look. "What was that for?"

"Interfere again, and I'll kill you," the dragon Digimon snarled, and then turned and flew after Murmukusmon.

Aldamon growled. "Someone's forgotten the meaning of teamwork." Then, ignoring BlackWarGreymon's warning, he flew after him.

Down on the ground, Shoutmon's fists clenched. "No. I was afraid of this."

"Afraid of what?" WarGrowlmon asked, flying down to him. "What happened to Tai?"

Grumbling, Shoutmon looked on as Murmukusmon and BlackWarGreymon continued to fight while Aldamon attempted to assist the dragon Digimon, only to have BlackWarGreymon turn his attack on him. "He's running on pure anger and hatred. That's what's fueling his Digivice right now. It allowed him to tap into the dark part of his Digi-Code, turning him into BlackWarGreymon."

"Which I'm guessing is bad," WarGrowlmon muttered. "But why's he attacking us?"

Shoutmon shook his head. "He can't control the darkness. It's clouding his judgment. All he can think about is fight, kill, destroy."

"As should you," MetalPhantomon cried, flying towards WarGrowlmon, swinging his scythe. The cyborg dinosaur Digimon blocked with his blade and ignited his thrusters, bringing MetalPhantomon back into the air and away from Shoutmon and Kari. All the while, BlackWarGreymon continued to fight against Murmukusmon, attacking Aldamon every time he tried to assist him.

"Tai, cut it out!" Imperialdramon shouted as BlackWarGreymon once again swiped at the fire wizard Digimon.

One of Examon's wings struck Imperialdramon, the end stabbing into his side. "You have your own problems to worry about."

Imperialdramon growled, turning back to him. "That was a cheap shot. You'll pay for that."

As the battle between the two dragon Digimon resumed, Aldamon continued to struggle to try and fight Murmukusmon while avoiding BlackWarGreymon, but every time he got close, the dragon Digimon would turn on him. "Damn it, Tai, let me help!"

"Don't call me that. I am BlackWarGreymon now, and I don't need your help."

"Yes, you do," Aldamon retaliated, only to have BlackWarGreymon throw a fireball at him, which he promptly knocked away. "Tai!"

Murmukusmon hovered close by. "Here's a suggestion," he told the dragon Digimon, "how about you kill him, then you and I can fight without any interruptions."

BlackWarGreymon turned back to him. "I don't need your impute. Black Storm Tornado!"

The large black vortex reappeared, sucking in all around, including Aldamon and Murmukusmon. The latter breathed his Gehenna Flame, but the fire never breached the tornado. With a growl, his gaze landed on Aldamon, who was attempting to resist the tornado's heavy winds, and a wicked grin spread across his face. "Murmukusmon Slide Evolution… Aldamon!"

Having taken on the fire wizard Digimon's form, he flew towards the original. The real Aldamon's eyes widened in surprise as he saw his doppelganger coming towards him, and the two collided together, moving away from the dark tornado.

BlackWarGreymon stopped spinning, and his tornado dispersed. He turned to find two Aldamon floating in the air, having broken away from each other, and were now staring the other down. He vaguely recalled that Murmukusmon was able to become other Digimon, and it appeared that he was now trying to pull the old fake-out routine; it was the oldest trick in the book.

The two Aldamon seemed to realize at the same time that BlackWarGreymon was watching them, and they turned to him. "Can you believe this guy?" one of them asked. "He's trying to pretend to be me. As if that would work."

"Don't listen to this copycat," the second retorted. "He thinks he can fool you."

"Come on, Tai. I know you can tell which one of us is the real Aldamon."

"He's trying to trick you. Just ask us something only the real one would know."

"Yeah, that's a good idea. You'll see this guy's just a fakemon. Go ahead, ask."

BlackWarGreymon's glowing red eyes narrowed. "I have a better idea. I'll just get rid of you both. Terra Destroyer!"

Both Aldamon reacted in surprise as BlackWarGreymon threw the giant ball of negative energy at them. They were both blasted from the sky and hit the ground hard. A few moments later, the fake Aldamon reverted back to Murmukusmon. He groaned, laying on his back, and opened his eyes to witness BlackWarGreymon coming at him with his Dragon Crusher, his arms extended as he came at him like a deadly spear.

Murmukusmon rolled to the side, and BlackWarGreymon hit the ground with a mighty crash that sent up a large dust cloud. Murmukusmon got to his feet and began moving away from the impact sight. "He actually attacked us both. That guy is out of contr-"

His words suddenly became a pained bellow as BlackWarGreymon's claw burst through his chest. He looked down at the blades sticking out of him before glancing over his shoulder at the dragon Digimon. "Y-You…"

"You're annoying," BlackWarGreymon growled. "Disappear."

He twisted his claw inside Murmukusmon, and the demon Digimon cried out and broke down into data. BlackWarGreymon didn't even bat an eye as he turned his attention to Examon and Imperialdramon. Without a moment's hesitation, he flew towards the two dragon Digimon. He carelessly knocked Imperialdramon out of the way, kicking off his head, and lashed out at assassin. Examon's gun-lance came up, catching BlackWarGreymon's claw.

"Welcome back," he mocked. "I didn't expect you to make a comeback like this. You humans are astounding. I can see why ShadowSeraphimon wants you out of the way."

"I'll kill him," BlackWarGreymon seethed. "But first I'll kill you. I will keep my sister safe."

"Well, I like your new look. Lets see how you far against me now."

One of his wings knocked BlackWarGreymon away. He recovered quickly and went on the attack again. Imperialdramon attempted to rejoin the fight, only to be given the same treatment as Aldamon by BlackWarGreymon.

The fire wizard Digimon in question picked himself up off the ground and glared at BlackWarGreymon. "I really hate this new form of his. He's not thinking right, and doesn't care who he hurts." He looked at Shoutmon. "Hey, Shoutmon, BlackWarGreymon is seriously trying to kill us. Should we just let him fight Examon on his own?"

The dragon Digimon shook his head. "He'll never survive. No chance. Examon is just too strong. We can't let him fight on his own, he'll be killed for sure."

Aldamon growled. "Great. Well, here we go."

He flew up to join Imperialdramon and BlackWarGreymon, even as the latter turned his attacks on his friends. Phelesmon grinned at the sight as he continued to exchange blows with MagnaAngemon. "It looks like your friend can't tell the difference between friend and foe anymore. He might actually do the job for us."

He thrust his pitchfork outward, but MagnaAngemon blocked with his shield. "Tai's stronger than that. He'd never let the darkness control him."

Phelesmon laughed and stabbed forward, only to have MagnaAngemon raise his sword, catching between two of the spikes. "Then maybe I'll use my Demon's Shout on him to completely set him off."

"I'll never let that happen." He pulled his sword free and jumped back. "Gate of Destiny!"

His golden gate appeared and opened for Phelesmon. The demon Digimon stumbled forward as it began to suck him in, but then he grinned. "Did you really think that would work on me? Black Statue!"

The beam he fired struck the golden gate, and it instantly turned to stone, the entrance replaced with smooth black rock. It dropped to the ground, cracking in half, and Phelesmon laughed as he flew towards MagnaAngemon. They collided together, and MagnaAngemon lost his footing, falling backwards. Phelesmon ugly face was inches from his own, the only thing separating the two being his sword and Phelesmon's pitchfork.

Shoutmon looked at the three different battles taking place. WarGrowlmon and MetalPhantomon seemed to be evenly matched, as did MagnaAngemon and Phelesmon. The fight with Examon was still not in his friends' favor, especially with BlackWarGreymon being so uncooperative and actually attacking his comrades. They needed more help, otherwise Examon would kill them all.

His gaze returned to the fight between the angel and demon Digimon. Creating a Fiery Fastball, he threw the flaming music note at Phelesmon. It struck him in the shoulder, and he glared at the dragon Digimon. "Wait for your turn. Black Statue!"

"Shoutmon, no!" MagnaAngemon shouted.

The beam flew at the dragon Digimon, who took a step back, knowing there was no escape. "I knew this was a bad idea! Ahhhhh-"

The beam had struck, and Shoutmon was reduced to a stone statue, his mouth frozen in mid-scream. MagnaAngemon stared in horror at his friends, unwilling to believe what he was seeing. "Shoutmon!"

Phelesmon laughed. "Maybe ShadowSeraphimon can use him as a paperweight."

"Bastard!" the angel Digimon bellowed. "Excali-burst!"

His sword flooded with power, and he knocked the demon Digimon back. He slashed at him with his powered up blade, and Phelesmon raised his pitchfork. MagnaAngemon's sword cut straight through, leaving the demon Digimon holding the two broken halves. "Heaven's Gate!"

He created his alternative golden gate, and the doors opened to unleash a beam of holy energy. It struck Phelesmon, knocking him off his feet, and carried him away, the demon Digimon screaming all the while.

MagnaAngemon immediately flew over to his petrified friend, crouching down beside him. "Hold on, Shoutmon. I'll fix you in a moment. Magna Antidote!"

His holy light flowed over the statue. Color began to return as black rock slowly shifted back to red and white flesh, and Shoutmon's cry from before once more began to emit from his mouth. "Ahhhhhh… Oh, I'm back."

MagnaAngemon sighed in relief. "You scared me. I thought he'd killed you."

"MagnaAngemon?"

The two turned to see Kari on her feet, coming over to them. She was still pale and sickly looking, her eyes hooded with dark rings under them and a fevered blush on her cheeks. MagnaAngemon stood up. "Kari, what are you doing? Go lie back down."

She ignored him, her eyes going up to the battle with Examon. BlackWarGreymon was currently trying to land a blow on Aldamon for interrupting again while Imperialdramon was swiping at Examon, who easily batted away his claws with his gun-lance. Kari's gaze landed on BlackWarGreymon, and she cocked her head to the side in confusion. "Is that… Tai?"

"Kari…" MagnaAngemon pleaded, kneeling beside her.

She collapsed, and MagnaAngemon caught her before she hit the ground. "I'm sorry Kari. There's nothing you can do right now. I wish I could just heal you with my power, but I…" He trailed off as a light bulb flicked on in his head. Quickly, he turned to the dragon Digimon. "Hey, Shoutmon, can I heal Kari? If I use my Magna Antidote, will it cure her?"

The dragon Digimon blinked. "That's… a good question. Why didn't we think of it before?"

It wasn't exactly an answer to his question, but he gave it a try anyway. The healing light of his Magna Antidote flowed over her, and he watched for any signs of improvement.

Shoutmon had been right, they should have tried this much sooner. Kari's color returned, and the fever blush on her cheeks vanished as all signs of sickness disappeared. Her eyes opened, the dreariness gone, and she looked up at the angel Digimon holding her. "MagnaAngemon?"

A relieved sigh escaped him. "Kari, are you alright?"

She slipped out of his arms, feeling herself all over. "I'll say. I feel better than ever. I wish we had healing power like this back home." A gasp escaped her as she suddenly remembered the situation. "Tai!" She looked back up at her brother. "We have to help him."

Despite her seeming to be completely recovered, MagnaAngemon gave her a worried look. "You sure you're up for it?"

She held up her Digivice. "Does this answer your question? Execute! Spirit Evolution… Angewomon!"

The angel Digimon beside her nodded. "Well, if you're sure."

A wicked laugh reached them as Phelesmon flew back over to them. "What a pretty picture this is."

MagnaAngemon glared at him. "You again."

The demon Digimon grinned. "Now I can bring ShadowSeraphimon back a pair of angel statues. Black Statue!"

He fired his beam. MagnaAngemon faced it head on, his face contorting with anger. "I've had enough of this guy. Shield and Sword!"

His shield began glowing as it projected a barrier. He thrust it at the beam, deflecting it back at Phelesmon. The demon Digimon's eyes widened, and he turned to flee. Not fast enough though as he was hit by his own attack, and a black stone statue posed to run stood in his place.

Angewomon held up her hand, making a finger gun. "Now it's my turn. Holy Arrow!"

A bolt of lightning flew from her fingertip. It struck the Phelesmon statue, and it crumbled to pieces. As the pieces dissolved into data, Shoutmon made a run for it as Angewomon turned her attention to the sky. "Now we have to get my brother back to normal."

"Right," MagnaAngemon agreed. But then his attention shifted to WarGrowlmon. If they took out MetalPhantomon first, then they could all attack Examon together. "But what about WarGrowlmon?"

The cyborg dinosaur Digimon blocked a blow from MetalPhantomon's scythe. "Don't worry about me. The others need your help more. I can take handle this guy until you're done. Maybe I'll even beat him by then."

"You shouldn't be so arrogant," MetalPhantomon replied. "Soul Predator!"

His sickle enlarged to an enormous size, and he swung it at WarGrowlmon. The cyborg dinosaur Digimon jumped back and unleashed his Megalo Spark, shocking MetalPhantomon, then glanced at his friends. "Go!"

Angewomon nodded. "Hang in there, WarGrowlmon, we'll be there soon."

Notes:

(A/N: Ok, so, as you probably predicted, Tai becoming BlackWarGreymon was obviously very bad. He's faster and stronger than WarGreymon, but also far more dangerous, attacking friend and foe alike. Now that Kari is all better, will they be able to return him to his senses? And if they do, they still have Examon and MetalPhantom on to deal with. This chapter ended with the battle not being finished, so there will be an update next Wednesday. Look forward to it.)

Chapter 77: An Angel's Healing

Notes:

(A/N: A lot of people like how I had Tai become BlackWarGreymon. I thought that'd get a lot of likes. I also got a few fans with theories of what will come from this. While I'm not going to provide any spoilers, just know that I have everything in this story planned out, and I've got a plan for everything that's happened, even if it seems like I've forgotten it or it seems inconsequential. But for now, lets see how and if Tai can be saved from the darkness that has consumed him.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 77: An Angel's Healing

Taking to the sky, Angewomon flew towards the battle. BlackWarGreymon was swiping at Examon while his opponent easily deflected the blows with his wings. Imperialdramon and Aldamon kept their distance, knowing BlackWarGreymon would simply attack them if they tried to help, but still remained ready to step in if they needed to.

"Die!" BlackWarGreymon snarled, slashing at Examon, only to have his attack deflected. "Die! Die! Die! I'll kill you!"

His opponent continued to bat away the dragon Digimon's blows with his gun-lance. "You may be stronger than before, but you're still no match for me, human."

He backhanded BlackWarGreymon with his wing, sending him tumbling backwards through the air. Stopping his momentum, BlackWarGreymon roared his frustration to the sky and prepared to go on the attack again.

"BlackWarGreymon!" Angewomon shouted, making sure to keep a good amount of distance between her and her brother. He turned to her, his glowing red eyes staring at her. "It's me. It's Kari. You can stop; I'm all better now. See, I've even become Angewomon again. I'm ready and raring to go."

A growl escaped the dragon Digimon. "Angewomon. This is your fault. It's because of you that Kari always has to put herself in danger. If you weren't here, then my sister wouldn't have to fight all the time!"

"Tai…" Angewomon whispered sadly.

BlackWarGreymon cupped his hands, gathering energy. "Be gone! Terra Destroyer!"

"Kari/Angewomon!" the others shouted, all attention having shifted to the two siblings; even Examon and MetalPhantomon had stopped to watch as BlackWarGreymon threw the giant ball of energy at his sister. It flew down towards her, but Angewomon refused to move.

"Get out of there!" MagnaAngemon shouted.

"No!" Angewomon cried. Using her Super Jump, she actually launched herself towards the attack with a burst of holy energy. "You're always helping me and looking out for me, Tai. Now it's my turn to help you. I'm not backing down now." She flew through the air and began glowing as she sped towards the massive ball of energy. "Angewomon Mega Digivolve to…Ophanimon!"

The glowing form slammed into BlackWarGreymon's Terra Destroyer. The light dispersed, revealing the new Mega, and Ophanimon thrust out her shield. The Terra Destroyer pushed against it, yet Ophanimon resisted. Gritting her teeth, she let the ball of energy roll over her shield before hurling it up and away.

With the Terra Destroyer no longer obscuring their vision of her, the others got their first real look at Angewomon's Digivolution. As stunningly beautiful as she was before, she had now taken on the form of an angelic Valkyrie warrior. There was no doubt that she was clearly a warrior angel, her body clad in turquoise armor, even her wings were either encased in or actually made of gold. She wielded a shield in one hand and a javelin in the other, looking more than ready to use it in battle.

"Whoa," Imperialdramon muttered. "I think I'm in love… again."

"Is that really Angewomon?" WarGrowlmon asked, both he and MetalPhantomon seeming to have for gotten that their blades were pressed against each other.

"Not anymore," Shoutmon replied. "Now she's Ophanimon, one of the three Celestial Angels, and one of the most powerful of all angel Digimon. She just became the strongest member of our group."

MagnaAngemon smirked. "You know what, that doesn't surprise me."

Ophanimon hovered in the air, moving closer to her brother, no longer worrying about keeping her distance. "BlackWarGreymon."

The dragon Digimon continued to glare at her. "You think this changes anything?"

"Tai…" she cooed, "it's ok now. I can make you better. You just have to let me in, and I can restore you."

They were close now, and BlackWarGreymon didn't seem to appreciate it. "Make me better? Let you in? I'll kill you!"

He closed the distance between them and slashed at her. Releasing her javelin, which continued to hover in the air beside her, Ophanimon's hand shot out and caught his claw. "The darkness has taken over your body, but it has not tainted your soul. You're heart's still pure, Tai. I can sense it. Let me help."

"Get away from me," BlackWarGreymon demanded, though most of the hostility in his voice seemed to have been replaced with uncertainty.

"It's ok…" she told him. Reaching out, she gently placed her hands on either side of his head. "It's ok…"

An aura of rainbow light surrounded Ophanimon. Almost as if to challenge it, a black aura rose up around BlackWarGreymon. Ophanimon just smiled and closed her eyes behind her helmet. He aura began to spread from her to BlackWarGreymon, consuming the black aura. It flowed over the dragon Digimon completely, and the black aura disappeared.

Ophanimon backed away as the rainbow aura continued to dance around BlackWarGreymon. The red glow vanished from his eyes, revealing pale gold ones, and recognition and reason appeared in them once more. "Ophanimon… Kari…"

She smiled at him. "Hi, Tai."

"I've… I've done something horrible…" He sounded like a small child ashamed of his actions.

Ophanimon moved forward and wrapped her arms around him. "No, Tai, you're just doing the very best you can. Sometimes, even the most noble of intentions can have horrible results. Remember, it's the thought that counts."

Slowly, BlackWarGreymon's arms came up to return the hug. "I'm so sorry. I love you, Kari."

"I love you too, big brother."

Down on the ground, Shoutmon wiped away a stray tear. "So this is the bond between siblings. It's beautiful."

Examon seemed to have a different opinion and fired his Pendragon's Glory, the laser striking BlackWarGreymon in the back, making him cry out. "Well, that was anti-climatic. And things started out so interesting too."

Seething, BlackWarGreymon turned back to him. "Trust me, things are going to get interesting. BlackWarGreymon Slide Evolution… WarGreymon!"

The return of WarGreymon seemed to signal the resumption of the battle. As MetalPhantomon and WarGrowlmon began exchanging blows again, Aldamon, Imperialdramon, and MagnaAngemon flew over to WarGreymon and Ophanimon, all ready to face Examon. The dragon Digimon simply flashed them a grin and spread his wings. "It doesn't matter how many of you there are, you'll never get through my defenses."

Aldamon growled. "He's right about that. Those wings of his are impenetrable."

"I think I have a way around that," said MagnaAngemon. "Just be ready to attack when he drops his guard."

"When will that be?" Imperialdramon asked.

"Trust me, you'll know. But first, Soul Vanisher!"

He flung energy blades at the dragon Digimon. Examon just smirked and wrapped his wings around himself. "I don't know what you're planning, but it's not going to work."

"Gate of Destiny!"

The smirk vanished from Examon's face as he felt himself being sucked forward, and he was forced to unwrap his wings in order to fly back. "Clever."

"Mega Crusher!" Imperialdramon cried, unleashing his strongest attack the moment Examon's wings opened. The attack hit dead on, and Examon went spinning backwards.

"Eden's Javelin!" Ophanimon cried, pointing her javelin at him, a beam of rainbow light flying from the end.

Examon straightened himself out, just in time to have the beam strike. There was no time to use his wings, so he brought up his arms to block. The beam hit, pushing him back as the attack's purifying power penetrated his very core.

When the beam ceased, he lowered his arms, only to find WarGreymon right in front of him, lashing out with his War Driver. He slashed at Examon once, twice, then moved back and launched a Terra Force. Examon attempted to close his wings, but wasn't fast enough, and actually ended up closing them on the attack.

Examon was blown from the sky, and that's when Aldamon made his move. "Atomic Inferno!"

The storm of fireballs that was unleashed bombarded against the dragon Digimon, knocking him the rest of the way to the ground. The onslaught continued, the flaming spheres raining down on Examon, keeping his wings open and flattened against the ground as more blasted against his body.

When the storm of fireballs finally ceased, Examon made to rise, but Imperialdramon dropped from the sky, landing on his left wing, pinning it down. WarGreymon, Aldamon, and MagnaAngemon did the same to his right wing, preventing him from using them to defend himself.

A battle cry came from up above, and Examon looked up to see Ophanimon speeding down towards him, her javelin pointed at him. Raising his gun-lance, he took aim at her. "Avalon's Gate!"

Shots were fired off as Ophanimon hit the ground with such force that the shockwave sent her friends flying. They hit the ground several yards away, but recovered quickly, turning to the dust cloud that had risen, waiting. Examon had managed to use his attack, and WarGreymon knew how devastatingly powerful it was first hand. "Ophanimon…?"

The dust began to settle, and when it cleared enough, the angel Digimon was standing victoriously over Examon, her javelin buried deep in his chest, undoubtedly penetrating the ground beneath him.

Examon was staring up at the sky, seemingly not seeing anything, a look of shock on his face. Then, much to the surprise of everyone, he smiled, a low chuckle escaping him. "Well done…"

They were his final words as his body broke down into data. Ophanimon, a scowl on her face, grabbed her javelin and ripped it out of the ground.

"You guys, that was amazing!" Shoutmon exclaimed as he raced over and began absorbing Examon's data. "You really have no idea just how powerful Examon is."

WarGreymon's hand went to his stomach, remembering the feeling of Examon's Avalon's Gate attack. "Trust me, I have an idea."

Ophanimon turned to their last remaining enemy. "We're not done yet. There's still one left."

"An Ultimate?" Imperialdramon growled. "No problem. Let me at him."

He and the others flew over to WarGrowlmon and MetalPhantomon. The cyborg Digimon seemed to have gained an advantage on his opponent, and was repeatedly swinging his scythe. WarGrowlmon continued to block, but he was losing ground, forced to take a step back with each blow.

"Flying Sword of Justice!" MagnaAngemon cried, rushing towards MetalPhantomon and swinging his sword. The cyborg Digimon noticed him and dodged, flying up into the sky.

WarGrowlmon sighed in relief as his friends gathered around him, having grown tired from fending off his opponent. "Thanks for the help."

"Not a problem," Aldamon replied. "Sorry it took so long; we didn't mean to neglect you."

"Don't worry about it. I understand, you had to deal with the real threat. I could have taken him; I was just a little tired from the earlier tag-team he and SkullMeramon pulled on me earlier."

WarGreymon held up his claws. "Well, we're here now. Lets wrap this up."

MetalPhantomon looked from one to the other, realizing he was now on his own against four Megas and two Ultimates. Closing his eyes, he lowered his scythe and sighed. "I surrender."

This caught the DigiDestined off guard, and they exchanged uncertain looks. "What is this?" Aldamon demanded. "An attempt to trick us? Make us lower our guard so you can strike while our backs are turned?"

MetalPhantomon shook his head. "No tricks. While what you suggest is indeed a useful strategy, I am not fool enough to fight all of you on my own. We told you from the beginning that this wasn't personal. I owe no loyalty to ShadowSeraphimon; this was merely a job, and it was a failure. I know when I'm beat."

The others still seemed uncertain, and they looked to Shoutmon for advice as the dragon Digimon came over to them. "What do you think?" WarGreymon asked.

He humphed. "I think he's telling the truth. He'd be crazy to challenge you any further."

The larger dragon Digimon looked back at MetalPhantomon. "Then you'll leave us alone?"

The cyborg Digimon chuckled. "I have nothing to gain by staying. You're free to do as you wish; I will not interfere further." He looked at them with a look that could only be described as admiration. "You humans truly are an interesting species. I did not expect this when my comrades and I took on the job. Heh, hard to believe they've all been killed, especially Examon. I guess that's it for our team. It was fun while it lasted."

Aldamon raised an eyebrow. "Then you're not going to wait for them to come back?"

MetalPhantomon casually rested his scythe over his shoulder. "I've got more important things to do. I guess you do too." He gave them a warning look. "A word of advice though. Do not take ShadowSeraphimon lightly. He's been around since the Digital World began, and is very powerful. I'd tell you to stay away from him, but something tells me that you wouldn't listen." He saluted them and began flying away. "Good luck to you, humans. Maybe we'll meet again someday. Farewell."

The DigiDestined watched him leave. He didn't even look back as he vanished into the distance. It seemed he really was leaving. What more, he had also seemed sincere when he advised them to stay away from ShadowSeraphimon. And not as a minion trying to ward away his master's enemy, but as a genuine individual who didn't want them to die. It was very strange considering he had just been trying to kill them.

"Hey, Shoutmon," WarGrowlmon ventured, "is what he said true? Is ShadowSeraphimon really that strong?"

The dragon Digimon sighed. "I'm not going to lie, yes, ShadowSeraphimon is stronger than any of you." He glanced at the newest Mega. "Even you, Ophanimon. And that's just through natural Digivolution. You know that Digimon get stronger over time by absorbing data. Well, ShadowSeraphimon has been gathering data since the Digital World began."

Imperialdramon's wings drooped slightly. "So you're saying we don't stand a chance?"

A smirk crept up Shoutmon's face. "Well now, I didn't say that. ShadowSeraphimon is strong, yes, and if we fought him one on one, he would undoubtedly crush us." He grabbed the air. "But we're a team. I have no doubt that when the time comes, we'll be able to take down that brute. He won't stand a chance against us."

Ophanimon gave him a curious look. Usually, Shoutmon was warning them and was doubtful of their abilities. This new optimism Shoutmon was different. "Do you really mean that?"

Still smiling, the dragon Digimon nodded. "You bet I do?" He looked out into the distance to where he knew ShadowSeraphimon's palace stood. "That's what I've come to believe."

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

ShadowSeraphimon sat on his throne, tapping his finger on the armrest impatiently. All around him, a number of Bakemon hovered about, having given their report. They made sure to keep their distance in case he lashed out in anger.

But the fallen angel Digimon didn't seem to be mad per say, just having taken the news with irritable acceptance. "So they failed to stop them. What a nuisance. I suppose I'll have to deal with them myself once they get here."

One of the Bakemon dared to get close. "If I may make a suggestion, master, why not use your trump card?"

ShadowSeraphimon's hand shot up and grabbed the ghost Digimon that had spoken. Without even glancing at him, he crushed the Bakemon into data. "My trump card, eh? I suppose that is an option. It would save me the trouble of dealing with those nuisances."

The Digimon resembling a Bakemon wearing a witch's hat floated over, looking uneasy. "It would cause a great deal of damage, master."

"I could cause a great deal of damage."

The ghost Digimon cringed. "I meant nothing by it, my lord. I merely sought to remind you of how destructive he can be."

A chuckle escaped the fallen angel Digimon. "As if I or anyone else could forget. But tell me, Soulmon, what is the point of having such a weapon if you never use it." He pointed at the ghost Digimon. "See that it's done. And send someone with him so he doesn't get too out of control."

Soulmon and the Bakemon all bowed and faded away to carry out his orders. Left alone, ShadowSeraphimon walked over to the window and looked outside. Somewhere out there, six human children with the gall to challenge him were coming. If they were smart, they'd take a hint from the assassin attack and go hide under a rock. But from what he knew of them, they'd stubbornly push forward, walking towards their own deaths.

"Come, humans," he said quietly. "Come forth and die."

Notes:

(A/N: Phew, well it looks like Tai was saved, in more ways than one. That won't be the only corruption we'll be seeing before this story is over though, and Ophanimon won't always be able to heal them like she did with BlackWarGreymon. By the way, if it seemed that Angewomon's Digivolution was a little too… sudden, it's because this chapter and last were originally going to be one chapter, but I split it into two due to the length That may have been a mistake in hindsight this time. Oh well. But it looks like the final battle is approaching. Only this "trump card" is standing in the way of our heroes and ShadowSeraphimon. But what is it? And will our heroes be able to handle it? Find out next time.)

Ophanimon's attacks:

Eden's Javelin – Fires a beam of purifying energy from her javelin.

Sefirot Crytal – Manifests ten crystals in the shape of the Sephirot to fire at opponents.

Holy Rings – Creates a holy of light to heal herself.

Final Aura – Shines a rainbow light to heal others.

Shining Laser – Fires beams of energy from her hands.

Holy Light – Emits a bright shining light that damages opponents.

Air Sefirot – Unleashes air from the tree of life.

Eden's Needle – Fires needles of light from her javelin.

Eden's Air – Creates a holy tornado.

Unicorn Shield – Uses her shield to deflect elemental attacks.

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Ophanimon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Soulmon

Chapter 78: World Breaker

Notes:

(A/N: Were getting close to the final confrontation with ShadowSeraphimon. If you think about it, this arc technically goes all the way back to the ChaosPiedmon arc and the Asuramon arc, as he was the one behind everything. Lets see how our heroes handle things.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 78: World Breaker

Takato whistled at the giant structure before them. "Now that's what I call a castle."

They had finally made it to the location that would be, hopefully, their final battle. The palace stood tall, seemingly made entirely out of white marble, and it had several giant spikes jutting out in several directions, larger ones at the bottom, smaller ones at the top, almost making it look lime a Christmas tree. And somewhere in there was ShadowSeraphimon.

"Ok," said Davis, "here's the plan. We go in there, kick ShadowSeraphimon's butt, retrieve the Kogamon and Ninjamon scrolls, then we're in the clear."

Shoutmon rolled his eyes. "You make it sound so easy."

Kari glanced at him. "I thought you had faith in us."

She'd said it in a teasing tone, but he must not have picked up on it. "I do have faith in you, but that doesn't mean this is going to be easy."

He looked at his friends. He was telling the truth when he said that he believed that they could do this. However, that didn't mean they would all make it out of this alive. TK and Takato were still only in their Ultimate stages. ShadowSeraphimon was ruthless, and could easily crush them. "Just be careful," he told them. "It would really suck to lose at the end."

"We didn't come all this way just to fail," said Tai. "Come on, let's do this. Execute! Spirit Evolution… WarGreymon!"

Execute! Spirit Evolution… Imperialdramon!"

Execute! Spirit Evolution… WarGrowlmon!"

Execute! Spirit Evolution… Aldamon!"

Execute! Spirit Evolution… Ophanimon!"

Execute! Spirit Evolution… MagnaAngemon!"

So this was it, the final showdown. Had everything they'd been fighting for lead up to this moment? It certainly seemed so. At least everything since they wound up in Argomon's vine forest. Now they were about to face the one behind it all.

"Time to kick some ShadowSeraphimon butt," Imperialdramon commented.

Booming laughter followed this statement, but it was not coming from any of the DigiDestined. Appearing in front of the castle, a giant hologram of ShadowSeraphimon appeared. "So, you humans actually came. I admire your bravery, though your foolishness amuses."

Shoutmon growled. "ShadowSeraphimon."

"How's this for foolish," Aldamon snarled. "Solar Wind Destroyer!"

The large fireball flew at the hologram, passing through it and exploding against the castle. The fallen angel Digimon simply crossed his arms. "It seems your intelligence is lacking even more than I thought."

"Don't bother attacking," Shoutmon told his friends. "That's not the real ShadowSeraphimon, it's just a projection."

A bead of sweat ran down WarGrowlmon's head. "He's really not that big though, is he?"

"We've faced big before," Imperialdramon pointed out.

"Yeah, but not this big."

Shoutmon just waved this off. "Don't worry, he's only about the size of WarGreymon. But still, don't take him lightly."

ShadowSeraphimon looked down at him. "Is that what serves as your warning to them? You're practically sentencing your friends to their deaths. If you value your lives, you will turn back now. If not, I will be waiting."

With that, the hologram disappeared. The DigiDestined remained where they were, feeling somewhat intimidated. Despite the fact that Shoutmon had faith in them, the lack of concern and the nonchalant way ShadowSeraphimon spoke made them a little uneasy.

"Well," Imperialdramon finally spoke up, "we're not getting anywhere just standing around here. I say we go in."

Shoutmon sighed. "Might as well. Just be careful, ShadowSeraphimon is not like the others. He won't play games or draw things out. He's all about business, and will make quick work of-"

There was a blur of movement, and Shoutmon vanished. It took a moment for the DigiDestined to realize he was gone, and they began looking around when they did.

"Hey, where'd he go?" WarGrowlmon asked.

A low chuckle drew their attention. "Are you looking for this?"

They looked up to find a ruthless looking Digimon hanging from a tree. He held Shoutmon in a headlock as the dragon Digimon struggled to breathe.

"Hey, who are you?" MagnaAngemon demanded. He pointed at him. "Let our friend go."

Another chuckle escaped the beast-like Digimon. "No, I don't think so. I have orders from ShadowSeraphimon to give you a proper greeting. Allow me to introduce myself. I am MadLeomon, and I'm the welcoming committee."

WarGreymon's eyes widened. "MadLeomon? As in Leomon Leomon?"

"He's a corrupt version of Leomon," Shoutmon managed to croak. MagnaAngemon grit his teeth as he thought about their friend Leomon, feeling insulted on his behalf. He glanced at his fellow angel Digimon. "Ophanimon, can you purify him the way you did with BlackWarGreymon?"

She shook her head. "I can only purify someone with a good heart if they've been corrupted or are being controlled by darkness. MadLeomon here has a dark heart. He chose a path of evil. There's nothing I can do for him."

MadLeomon's grip on Shoutmon tightened. "You can't do anything for your friend here either. I could kill him at any moment."

WarGreymon held up his hands. "Ok, ok, just don't hurt him. Now tell us, what do you want?"

A sinister grin spread across MadLeomon's face. "Follow me."

Still holding Shoutmon, he leapt over the DigiDestined's heads and took off running towards the castle. Imperialdramon took aim at the undead Digimon with his cannon. "I've got him."

Aldamon punched the dragon Digimon's front leg. "No, you idiot! You'll kill Shoutmon too."

Imperialdramon's shoulders sank. "I was going to hold back."

"Too risky," said MagnaAngemon, "even if WarGreymon or I attack. Come on."

They followed after the undead Digimon, making sure to keep their distance. The path they followed soon blended into a canyon with large stonewalls on either side. MadLeomon continued down it, going right up to the castle, and stopping by the large grated entrance.

Here he stopped and turned to the DigiDestined. "We have arrived."

Glancing up at the castle, Ophanimon gave him a strange look. "We were on our way to the castle anyway."

"But not this part of the castle," MadLeomon pointed out. "And as I said, I'm the welcome committee. Now I can welcome you properly."

WarGreymon took a step forward. "I wouldn't be so cocky. You're up against four Megas and two Ultimates. And what are you? A Champion?" He pointed at him threateningly. "You should just let Shoutmon go and get out of here."

MadLeomon just grinned. "I never said I was the only one here to welcome you."

He snapped his fingers. Several dozen Bakemon suddenly appeared, floating above MadLeomon. The DigiDestined looked at the ghost Digimon in disdain, having had a bad experience with a Bakemon back on File Island. But it didn't appear that they would be fighting. Rather, they grabbed the bars of the gate and began to lift it. MadLeomon chuckled as it rose higher and higher until it was fully opened.

Heavy breathing came from within the darkness. Then movement was heard over it. It sounded mechanical, but the glowing eyes indicated that whatever was inside was more than a mere machine. What emerged was a giant Digimon that looked like a cross between a dinosaur and construction machine with several limbs containing drills at the ends.

Still held in MadLeomon's headlock, Shoutmon looked up at the machine Digimon with wide eyes. "You're kidding me," he managed to croak out. "You have him here?"

From the sound of it, Shoutmon knew who this Digimon was. That was usually not a good thing. "Shoutmon," said Aldamon, "you know who this is?"

The dragon Digimon opened his mouth to reply, but MadLeomon tightened his grip, cutting him off. "Of course he knows. Everyone knows who this is." He sneered at the DigiDestined. "Let me tell you a little story. Once upon a time, there was a powerful Mega level Digimon known as Breakdramon. This Digimon was so powerful and so destructive that he actually broke apart and fragmented one of the layers of the Digital World into 108 different zones."

Imperialdramon's eyes widened. "Wow, that's pretty impressive." He noticed the looks the others gave him. "I mean, horrible. That's really horrible."

MagnaAngemon looked up at the machine Digimon. "And I'm guessing that this is that very Breakdramon."

MadLeomon laughed. "Not quite. This is the one who broke the layer, but he's Digivolved since then. You're looking at GigaBreakdramon, and he's here to say hi."

The machine Digimon roared, and WarGreymon took a step back. "A Mega Digimon that Digivolved again? They can do that?"

"Shoutmon did say that a Mega can Digivolve to an even stronger Mega," Ophanimon reminded him. "Remember Ghoulmon Black?"

MadLeomon began leaping up GigaBreakdramon's body, coming to a rest on top of his head. "We're gonna drive you humans into the ground."

"Let Shoutmon go!" Aldamon demanded, "then we'll fight you."

MadLeomon just shook a finger at them. "I don't think so. I'll be holding onto him for insurance. Besides," his grin widened, "he's safer here with me than he is in my friend here's path. Go, GigaBreakdramon! Flatten them!"

GigaBreakdramon roared and charged forward at the DigiDestined. They took defensive stances as the machine Digimon came at them. "Destroy Rush!"

He struck the ground, splitting it apart. The ground completely cracked in half in what could be considered an earthquake. The DigiDestined took to the air and split up, flying around the machine Digimon. GigaBreakdramon's limbs lashed out, his drills whirling, and the DigiDestined swerved to avoid them.

Aldamon, however, challenged the spinning point, launching a Solar Wind Destroyer at the drill. The fireball exploded against it, but the drill kept coming. He grabbed the end, trying to stop it, but just ended up spinning around with it. A moment later, the drill was launched from GigaBreakdramon's limb, sending the fire wizard Digimon crashing into the rock wall.

"Aldamon!" WarGreymon cried, foolishly taking his eyes off the machine Digimon. GigaBreakdramon lashed out, the scooping bucket of his bulldozer hand slamming into the dragon Digimon, sending him flying into the rock wall as well and falling to the ground.

"Well done!" MadLeomon cried. "Now hit them with your Gravity Press."

Obeying, GigaBreakdramon rolled over to the fallen WarGreymon as he began getting to his feet. GigaBreakdramon suddenly rose up and came down onto WarGreymon, crushing his lower body beneath his massive weight. He rose up and came down a second time, causing the dragon Digimon to cry out as the ground beneath him cracked apart.

"Hold on, WarGreymon," Ophanimon called. "Sefirot Crystal!" In front of her, ten rainbow crystals manifested in a Sefirot formation. They fired at GigaBreakdramon, who cried out as they exploded against him in a blast of holy light. He retaliated by thrusting one of his drills at her, but she blocked with her Unicorn Shield, deflecting the blow. It didn't save her long as GigaBreakdramon backhanded her with his bulldozer hand.

"Flying Sword of Justice!" MagnaAngemon cried, slashing at the machine Digimon's neck. His sword just bounced off his metal body. "What's this guy made of?"

MadLeomon chuckled. "Harder material than your sword. In fact, at the Ultimate level alone, he had elements of Huanglong Ore in his body, something only he and one other Digimon have managed to obtain, and there is nothing that can even scratch Huanglong Ore except for other Huanglong Ore."

"Is this ore hard enough for this?" Imperialdramon asked. "Mega Crusher!"

The blast knocked GigaBreakdramon off WarGreymon, and he crashed into the rock wall. MadLeomon hung on with one hand while keeping hold of Shoutmon with the other. Climbing back onto GigaBreakdramon's head, he pointed at their attacker. "Take him down!"

The machine Digimon roared and charged towards the dragon Digimon. WarGrowlmon flew into his path and began firing his Atomic Blaster. Though not built for speed, GigaBreakdramon's strength was amazing. He simply ignored WarGrowlmon's attack as he plowed the cyborg dinosaur Digimon down, even bringing one of his drills down on WarGrowlmon's back as he passed by.

Imperialdramon glared at him as he approached. "Fine then, lets turn up the heat. Eternal Zeal!" He breathed a maelstrom of fire that completely consumed the machine Digimon as MadLeomon ducked for cover behind GigaBreakdramon's head. Imperialdramon kept up the attack, intent on melting the machine Digimon down into a pool of liquid metal.

Before him, GigaBreakdramon emerged from the fiery vortex, his bluish-green and purple body glowing orange from the heat. Imperialdramon gasped in surprise as the machine Digimon seemed relatively unharmed. GigaBreakdramon's arms shot out, grabbing Imperialdramon, the hot metal burning his skin. With the two nearly being the same size, GigaBreakdramon lifted Imperialdramon up over his head, the dragon Digimon's legs kicking at the air as if he were a flipped over turtle.

"Soul Vanisher!" MagnaAngemon cried, flinging energy blades from his sword at GigaBreakdramon; they seemed to be ineffective.

Dancing along the machine Digimon's hot metal skin, MadLeomon gestured. "Toss him over there."

GigaBreakdramon turned and threw Imperialdramon at MagnaAngemon. Using his Magna Jump, the angel Digimon launched himself out of Imperialdramon's path. Ophanimon flew over to him, the two seeming to share a silent conversation before turning back to their opponent.

"Air Sefirot!" she cried, and air from the tree of life materialized around her and began blowing GigaBreakdramon back. At the same time, MagnaAngemon flew behind the machine Digimon and used his Gate of Destiny, preparing to save Shoutmon before their friend was sucked in.

Clinging to GigaBreakdramon's head against the wind and the suction of MagnaAngemon's gate, MadLeomon called out, "Use your Infinite Boring!"

GigaBreakdramon roared and fired all the drills on his body. MagnaAngemon was struck down, even as he tried to use his Shield and Counter, and his Gate and Destiny closed and disappeared, but Ophanimon's Unicorn Shield saved her. In response, GigaBreakdramon raced towards her and used his Destroy Rush, his drills rematerializing at the end of his limbs. She used her superior speed to avoid the attack, and GigaBreakdramon ended up striking ShadowSeraphimon's castle, causing several large cracks to run up the side.

MadLeomon stomped down on GigaBreakdramon's head. "Idiot. The master sent me here to make sure you don't go destroying everything."

"How about just destroying you?" Aldamon cried, flying overhead. "Atomic Inferno!"

Fireballs rained down from up above. Aldamon was very careful not to hit Shoutmon, or even MadLeomon, hoping instead to get the undead Digimon to drop his friend. Growling, GigaBreakdramon looked up at the fire wizard Digimon and launched the drill on his nose at him. Aldamon stopped shooting fireballs and instead punched the approaching drill. He managed to destroy it, but grasped his wrist in response, feeling as if it were broken.

A rumble that served as a chuckle escaped GigaBreakdramon as his drill-nose reappeared. A moment later, he felt someone grab him from up above, and he began to rise into the air as Imperialdramon lifted him up.

"Geez, you need to lose some weight," the dragon Digimon grunted.

As GigaBreakdramon was lifted higher and higher, WarGrowlmon flew beneath him and unleashed his Megalo Spark. GigaBreakdramon roared more out of frustration than pain, and his limbs shot up, the drills boring into Imperialdramon's underbelly. The dragon Digimon roared and dropped him, and the land shook as GigaBreakdramon came crashing down.

WarGreymon struggled to get to his feet, having taken heavy damage. With a growl, he forced himself into the air and began gathering energy. "Terra Force!"

GigaBreakdramon looked up as the ball of energy came at him. He reached out, catching hold of it, the power behind the attack forcing him back a bit. Yet he managed to regain control and sent the attack up and away.

"Destroy Rush!" he cried, shooting his drill nose at the dragon Digimon. WarGreymon attempted to defend with his Brave Shield, but the drill burst straight through it and hit WarGreymon, slamming him into the wall and pinning him there.

"Eden's Needle!" Ophanimon cried, pointing her javelin at GigaBreakdramon. Needles of light were fired from the tip, drawing the machine Digimon's attention.

"Kill her!" MadLeomon shouted. "Make her pay for opposing us!"

"Will you shut up!"

MadLeomon turned to find WarGrowlmon flying towards him. He lashed out with his Radiation Blade, but the undead Digimon stepped to the side, avoiding the attack.

WarGrowlmon's cable lashed out as he flew past, wrapping around MadLeomon's ankle and yanking him off GigaBreakdramon's head. He dragged the undead Digimon to the ground, slamming him down.

Uncoiling his cable from MadLeomon's leg, he took aim at the undead Digimon. "Now, let Shoutmon go."

MadLeomon just chuckled and got to his feet. "Go ahead and fire. I may be a Champion, but chances are I'll survive. Can't say the same for your friend though. So quit your bluffing and false threats, it's embarrassing."

Still stuck in a headlock, Shoutmon's hands were free. He produced his mic and began futilely whacking MadLeomon's arm with it. The undead Digimon just glanced at him and grinned. "Don't bother. Your attacks are pathetic."

Shoutmon glared at him as MadLeomon turned his attention back to WarGrowlmon. Bringing the microphone to his mouth, he chomped down on it, biting through wires and metal, twisting it as he crunched down. He ended up with a metal pole, the end ripped to a point, and used it to stab MadLeomon in the arm that was wrapped around him.

The undead Digimon howled and dropped Shoutmon, grabbing at his wounded arm. "You little-"

"Atomic Blaster!" WarGrowlmon cried, firing at MadLeomon. The undead Digimon snarled and leapt away from the attack. Throwing one last hateful glare at the two, he hurried towards GigaBreakdramon. WarGrowlmon let him go, turning his attention to Shoutmon. "You ok, pal?"

The dragon Digimon coughed, rubbing his throat. "Yeah, great. I think he crushed my larynx." He forced himself to his feet and turned to the battle. "We have to help WarGreymon."

WarGrowlmon's attention shifted to his friends as they battled the machine Digimon. "I think they could all use some help."

Shoutmon shook his head. "No, I mean we need WarGreymon specifically. He's our ace in the hole for this battle."

"Really? How?"

"He's a Dramon destroyer."

Confusion crossed WarGrowlmon's face. "What's that mean?"

"It means he's capable of easily taking out Digimon with the title 'Dramon' in their name. As in GigaBreakdramon."

WarGrowlmon's eyes widened. "Ah, I get it. Ok, hop on."

As Shoutmon climbed up WarGrowlmon's body, MadLeomon climbed up GigaBreakdramon's. "It's time to stop fooling around. Finish them off."

GigaBreakdramon roared and began lashing out violently, swinging his drill and bulldozer limbs. WarGrowlmon completely ignored them as he flew over to WarGreymon, who was still pinned to the rock wall. "Hammer Edge!"

He struck the giant drill, shattering it, and WarGreymon fell to the ground. WarGrowlmon landed beside him, and Shoutmon hopped off his shoulder. "WarGreymon, get up. We need you to fight."

A groan escaped the larger dragon Digimon as he cracked open his eyes. "I don't know if I can. I took some pretty hard hits."

"But we need you. You're the key. We need your power."

Another groan escaped him. "Ok, I'll try." He struggled to get to his feet, his body shaking. He almost managed to stand before his crushed legs gave out and he collapsed.

"Oh, come on," Shoutmon grumbled.

MadLeomon's gaze landed on them. "Oh no you don't. Beast Blaster!" He unleashed an attack similar to Leomon's Fist of the Beast King, the blast of energy having taken the shape of a lion head, chomping anything in its path as it flew towards Shoutmon. The dragon Digimon saw the attack coming and jumped away as it blasted a hole in the ground.

"I know what you're planning," MadLeomon continued, "and it won't work. GigaBreakdramon, crush them into dust."

The machine Digimon turned and began stomping in their direction. Aldamon fired his Solar Wind Destroyer, but GigaBreakdramon back-handed him away. Imperialdramon moved into his path and lashed out with his Shining Blade. GigaBreakdramon grabbed his claw and spun him around. Ophanimon and MagnaAngemon were hit by the dragon Digimon's massive body and were flattened against the rock wall. GigaBreakdramon then dug his drills into the rock wall, starting an avalanche that buried the three DigiDestined.

Turning back towards WarGreymon, GigaBreakdramon continued towards him. WarGrowlmon stood protectively in front of his friend and fired his Atomic Blaster. GigaBreakdramon glared down at him and rose up onto his hind legs. "Gravity Press!"

WarGrowlmon glanced at WarGreymon; GigaBreakdramon would crush him completely this time. "Oh great."

Igniting his thrusters, he flew up and began pushing against the machine Digimon. GigaBreakdramon's drop was reduced to a slow descent as he came down. WarGrowlmon put all his strength into his thrusters, but was unable to hold GigaBreakdramon up.

"This doesn't look good," he grumbled as he felt his feet touch the ground. Pushing against the ground while continuing to ignite his thrusters, he managed to slow down GigaBreakdramon's drop even more, but the ground began cracking around him, caving in, and he felt himself getting buried in rubble as he was pressed into the ground. "Can I get a little help here?"

"Hold on!" Aldamon cried, flying over. He swerved as GigaBreakdramon swiped at him and landed by his friends.

"Get WarGreymon out of here," WarGrowlmon demanded from beneath the machine Digimon, now buried up to his chest in shattered rocks.

"But what about you?"

"I'll be fine, just get WarGreymon."

The fire wizard Digimon hesitated a moment before grabbing the dragon Digimon and flying him out from underneath GigaBreakdramon. The machine Digimon roared and fired the drill from his nose. It struck Aldamon from behind, and both he and WarGreymon fell out of the sky.

At least they were out of the way of GigaBreakdramon's Gravity Press. The same couldn't be said for WarGrowlmon though. "Can't… give… up…" he grunted as the ground cracked apart more and more around him, burying him further. "Oh crap…"

GigaBreakdramon's full weight finally came down, crushing WarGrowlmon into the ground. MadLeomon laughed triumphantly and glanced at Shoutmon, who had taken cover. "Looks like you're down a friend. And now," he grinned in triumph, "I'm about to finish off the others."

 

Notes:

(A/N: Our heroes are having a lot of trouble, especially WarGrowlmon, but what can you expect when you go up against the Digivolution of the one who broke apart the world? Who would have thought that ShadowSeraphimon had someone like that on his side? And if his servant is this powerful, just how strong is he? Will our heroes even make it inside? Find out next time.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/MadLeomon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Breakdramon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/GigaBreakdramon

Chapter 79: Aerial Assault

Notes:

(A/N: Um... yeah, I got nothing to say. Lets get straight to it.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 79: Aerial Assault

Despite MadLeomon's taunts, Shoutmon just glared at him. "Don't be so sure. If I know my friends like I think I do, then you're in for a big surprise."

MadLeomon just sneered at him. "Oh, really? How so?"

"Just you wait." He looked at the spot where WarGrowlmon had been crushed into the ground. "Come on, WarGrowlmon. Prove my theory right."

He waited anxiously, crossing his fingers, but nothing happened. After several seconds, MadLeomon began to grow impatient. "Well, whatever it is you were hoping for, it looks like it won't be-"

"WarGrowlmon Mega Digivolve to…" The light shining beneath GigaBreakdramon erupted outward, causing the machine Digimon to topple over into the rock wall. A beam of light shined out of the ground as a figure slowly emerged. "Gallantmon!"

The beam of light faded out, and a Digimon completely different from WarGrowlmon's cyborg dinosaur Digimon form hovered in the air. Less than half the size of his Ultimate form, Gallantmon resembled a knight with only minor traces of his previous form. His right hand was a large lance and his left was an equally as large shield. A bright red cape hung from his shoulders, billowing in the breeze, and he seemed to have retained WarGrowlmon's assault balancer cable hanging from his head.

Aldamon sat up. "Is that really Takato? How did he go from a dinosaur robot to… that?"

Shoutmon jumped up, punching the air. "Yahoo! I was right! This confirms my theory!"

The fire wizard Digimon glanced at him. "What theory?"

"I'll tell you later." He suddenly frowned. "Boy, it would have been useful to know this much sooner."

GigaBreakdramon straightened out as MadLeomon regained his balance, staring at Gallantmon in bewilderment. "How? How did you do that?"

The knight Digimon came in for a landing. "Truthfully, I have no idea. I just knew I had to keep fighting with everything I had. The next thing I knew, this power rose up within me, and I was suddenly Digivolving."

MadLeomon growled. "It won't save you. Get him, GigaBreakdramon."

The machine Digimon roared and began marching towards Gallantmon. The knight Digimon held up his lance, getting ready to attack. "Time for some payback. Gram Strike!"

He launched himself at the machine Digimon, his lance extended as he cut through the air. GigaBreakdramon smacked him aside, and Gallantmon crashed into the rock wall, making his friends wince. "Um, let me try that again. Gram Strike!"

Kicking off the wall, he was able to land a blow this time. GigaBreakdramon's head snapped to the side as he was struck, and Gallantmon whirled around, repeating his attack again.

MadLeomon struggled to remain balanced on top of GigaBreakdramon's head. "This doesn't change anything. You can't beat us alone."

"He's not alone," Imperialdramon declared as he shook the rocks off himself. "Learn to count."

He flew at GigaBreakdramon, slamming into him. The machine Digimon nearly fell over, but was able to remain standing. One of his drills came up over Imperialdramon, ready to burrow into him.

"Gallant Charge!" Gallantmon cried, striking the ground with his lance. This sent out a burst of electricity that tore the ground apart, and GigaBreakdramon stumbled, the drill he had been planning on burying into Imperialdramon instead only smacking against his side.

Aldamon, having taken to the sky, flew above GigaBreakdramon and zeroed in on MadLeomon. "Atomic Inferno!"

The undead Digimon looked up to see a shower of fireballs coming down at him. Covering his head, he ran down GigaBreakdramon's neck as the balls of fire exploded around him. "Damn humans."

The pile of rocks Imperialdramon had emerged from shifted again and Ophanimon emerged, followed shortly by MagnaAngemon. The two angel Digimon flew over to assist their friends, the former firing her Sefirot Crystal at the machine Digimon.

"Aldamon, leave MadLeomon to me," MagnaAngemon declared. "You help the others."

The fire wizard Digimon nodded and moved in to attack as MagnaAngemon flew after MadLeomon. GigaBreakdramon tried to chomp down on the angel Digimon as he flew past, only to have Aldamon's Solar Wind Destroyer blast against is face. GigaBreakdramon turned his attention towards him, and Gallantmon came spinning towards him with his lance outstretched as he unleashed his Spiral Saber attack, knocking him back.

GigaBreakdramon roared in frustration and buried all his drills into the ground. He began to trigger an earthquake as cracks spread across the ground.

"He's going to destroy everything," Ophanimon realized. "Eden's Air!"

A powerful tornado picked up, swirling around GigaBreakdramon. The machine Digimon roared as the powerful wind lifted even his massive weight into the air, ripping his drills from the ground.

"Take cover everyone," Imperialdramon warned. "Mega Crusher!"

The attack blasted GigaBreakdramon into the wall, and he ended up on his back, He seemed dazed for a minute, but then his limbs began flailing about violently.

"Lets turn up the heat," Gallantmon suggested. "Spiral Saver!"

He began spinning around, forming a tornado of fire around himself as Imperialdramon unleashed his Eternal Zeal and Aldamon began firing his Atomic Inferno. The fiery attacks flowed over GigaBreakdramon, consuming him in fire.

"I'll fan the flames," Ophanimon declared. "Air Sefirot!"

The massive gathering of fire grew twice in size and intensity as life-giving air blew into it. From a distance, WarGreymon struggled to lift himself up, but his body wouldn't cooperate. "I have fire attacks too. I should be there."

Shoutmon placed a hand on him. "Just rest up, big guy, you got hurt pretty badly." He looked back at the others. "They can handle this."

In the meant time, MagnaAngemon was still chasing down MadLeomon, but the undead Digimon was very fast and good at maneuvering around his attacks. Using his Soul Vanisher, he flung blades of energy, but MadLeomon kept jumping around, avoiding them. "You can't catch me, you pathetic human."

MagnaAngemon growled. "Enough of this. Great Golden Gate!"

He created a portal and flew into it, coming out the other end in front of the undead Digimon. MadLeomon skidded to a halt and jumped back. "Beast Blaster!"

MagnaAngemon simply sliced the chomping lion-head of energy, causing it to disperse. MadLeomon snarled and leapt at him, using his Poison Claw attack. MagnaAngemon held up his shield, blocking the attack, and knocked the undead Digimon back. "Surrender. We have you beat."

MadLeomon growled, but then his gaze shifted towards the castle, and he grinned. "Not yet you don't."

Beneath his helmet, MagnaAngemon raised an eyebrow, but then he heard a mighty voice cry out, "Strike of the Seven Dark Stars!"

Flying down from up above, seven balls of dark energy, six in a circle, the seventh in the center, flew down towards the angel Digimon. They struck the area by MagnaAngemon, and he was blasted away. The attack was repeated, only this time it hit where the others were. Their assault on GigaBreakdramon ceased as they were sent flying as yet another seven energy balls came at them.

MadLeomon chuckled as he turned away from the fallen MagnaAngemon. "Serves you right." He hurried back over to the machine Digimon, who was once again glowing orange from the heat. "Get up, GigaBreakdramon. It's time to finish this."

The machine Digimon's eyes snapped open and he rolled over, roaring as he climbed to his feet. The DigiDestined began getting up again when another Strike of the Seven Dark Stores hit, knocking them back down.

"Who's shooting at us?" Aldamon growled.

Ophanimon looked up as yet another attack came. "It's someone from in the castle. I can't see anyone though."

"I'll make quick work of this," Imperialdramon declared. "Mega Crusher!" His blast of dark matter flew up towards the castle, but another Strike of the Seven Dark Stars met it, and the two attacks exploded in the air, causing the dragon Digimon to growl. "Crud. I can't get to them."

GigaBreakdramon, with MadLeomon once again on his head, suddenly fell upon him, driving his drills into his side. Imperialdramon cried out and collapsed as GigaBreakdramon's weight bore down on him, the drills buried into his sides sending sparks flying.

"Imperialdramon!" Ophanimon cried. She held out her arms. "Eden's Aura!"

A blinding light shined from her body, and GigaBreakdramon roared as it seemed to hurt him. His arm rose up and came down on her, smashing the angel Digimon to the ground, his bulldozer hand keeping her pressed there.

"Lightning Joust!" Gallantmon cried, firing a blast of lightning from his lance. GigaBreakdramon roared as the attack hit and lashed out with a drill. Gallantmon held up his shield, but the impact still slammed him against the rock wall, sending sparks flying as the drill bore into his shield.

"I'm coming!" MagnaAngemon cried, making a move towards them, only to be skimmed by another attack from up above.

Aldamon looked up at the castle. "Who's doing that? Atomic Inferno!"

He began shooting fireballs all along the castle, hoping to hit whoever was attacking them. Another Strike of the Seven Dark Stars came down, knocking away any fireballs in its path as it flew towards Aldamon. The fire wizard Digimon realized it was coming at him and tried to counter with Solar Wind Destroyer. He wasn't fast enough, and though the seven energy balls didn't hit him, they made contact with the giant fireball he had created, causing it to blow up in his face and send him crashing to the ground.

WarGreymon felt helpless, but his body was broken. Heck, his legs were probably completely smashed from GigaBreakdramon crushing them. Summoning up his power, he took to the air, using whatever strength he had left. "Terra Force!"

He threw the giant ball of energy. Almost immediately after, a Strike of the Seven Dark Stars came at him. Using whatever was left of his Brave Shield, he tried to defend against the attack, but it was no use, and he got blasted to the ground. It took everything he had to maintain his Digimon form.

The Terra Force he had thrown still found its mark, and GigaBreakdramon was blasted onto his side. The others were granted a reprieve from his deadly limbs, and quickly put distance between themselves and the machine Digimon.

"Seriously, what's this guy made of?" Gallantmon wondered out loud. "He just won't stay down."

Even now, GigaBreakdramon was getting up. That's when Shoutmon's voice reached them as he spoke into his mic. "Hey, someone with healing power get over here and heal WarGreymon!"

Ophanimon turned to her brother. "I'll go."

She flew towards the fallen dragon Digimon. GigaBreakdramon fired a drill at her, but Imperialdramon knocked it out of the air with his Eternal Zeal.

"I'm here," she said, landing beside the two dragon Digimon.

Shoutmon pointed at WarGreymon. "Hurry, heal him and we can end this." His eyes suddenly widened and he cried out. "Incoming!"

Another Strike of the Seven Dark Stars was coming at them. Ophanimon knew she could avoid the attack, but WarGreymon could not, nor would he survive another attack, and she couldn't move him out of the way in time.

Gallantmon came to their rescue. Flying in front of them, he used his Flying Spiral Saber, cutting the sky, and the seven balls of energy blasted against the attack. "If you're going to do something, do it fast."

Ophanimon nodded and held her hands out over her brother. "Final Aura!"

Healing light flowed over WarGreymon, and he felt his injuries heal. He was still weak and in pain, but it was significantly better than before. "Thanks, sis," he said, getting to his feet.

"Thanks her later," Shoutmon snapped. "Listen to me, WarGreymon, you can take this guy out."

That got the larger dragon Digimon's attention. "How?"

Shoutmon pointed. "Your gauntlets. They're specifically designed to take out Dramon. Use them on him, and GigaBreakdramon is finished."

WarGreymon's attention shifted to the machine Digimon, who was flailing his limbs about wildly, keeping the others at bay. "Sounds like a plan." Taking to the air, he flew towards GigaBreakdramon. A Strike of the Seven Dark Stars came at him, and Ophanimon quickly came to his defense, firing her Sefirot Crystal to cancel out the seven energy balls.

"GigaBreakdramon, look out!" MadLeomon shouted.

The machine Digimon turned to WarGreymon and fired a drill. Remembering what Shoutmon had said about his gauntlets, WarGreymon slashed at the drill, surprised at how easily the claws on it sliced through it.

That's when GigaBreakdramon's bulldozer hand struck, and WarGreymon hit the rock wall. MadLeomon laughed and pointed at him. "Excellent! Now finish him off!"

GigaBreakdramon roared and charged at WarGreymon, who was still stuck against the wall, brandishing his drills. Gallantmon suddenly flew in front of WarGreymon and held up his shield.

"I don't think that will stop him," the dragon Digimon told him.

"Then how about this?" Gallantmon replied. "Shield of the Just!"

The markings on his shield began to light up one after the other, and then the entire shield began glowing. A powerful beam burst out of the shield and struck GigaBreakdramon. It slowed down his charge, but the machine Digimon kept coming. Ophanimon moved beside the knight Digimon and unleashed her Eden's Javelin. Her beam joined Gallantmon's, bringing GigaBreakdramon to a complete stop.

MagnaAngemon was next to join them, drawing a circle with his blade. He fired his Heaven's Gate, and a third beam joined the other two. GigaBreakdramon began sliding backwards as he was pushed back more. Next came Imperialdramon, firing his Positron Laser. GigaBreakdramon was pushed back further, eventually slamming against the rock wall, four beams coming at him.

"Atomic Inferno!" Aldamon cried, unleashing countless fireballs against the machine Digimon. A Strike of the Seven Dark Stars suddenly came down from up above at the, but WarGreymon kicked off the wall and threw a Terra Force into the approaching attack, resulting in a massive explosion.

"Do something!" MadLeomon shouted to GigaBreakdramon, stomping down on the machine Digimon's head. "Fight back!"

"Dramon Cutter!"

MadLeomon looked up to find WarGreymon coming at him. He ducked and covered, but the blow never came. Cracking open an eye, he looked around and saw the dragon Digimon pulling out of a dive down by the ground. "Ha! What was that? You didn't do anything."

He felt a shift beneath him that wasn't related to the stream of attacks blasting against GigaBreakdramon. Suddenly, the machine Digimon's head fell from his body, his neck severed in three places. His limbs dropped away too, also sliced to pieces. MadLeomon cried out as he fell towards the ground, just as GigaBreakdramon's body exploded from the onslaught of attacks. MadLeomon was caught up in the blast, dissolving into data along with the diced pieces of GigaBreakdramon's body.

"Holy…" Gallantmon muttered as he watched the data from GigaBreakdramon float through the air. "Shoutmon wasn't kidding. WarGreymon took him out like he was nothing."

"I told you," the dragon Digimon replied. "See what happens when you listen to me."

"Hold up, guys, there's something we need to take care of first," MagnaAngemon reminded them. We've still got our mysterious attacker to deal with."

They turned their attention to the castle and waited. They searched for any sign of movement or another attack so they could pinpoint where the attacks were coming from, but there was nothing."

"I guess it's over," Imperialdramon finally said after several long moments. "Maybe we scared them off."

"Doubt it," Shoutmon replied. "I recognized that attack. It was ShadowSeraphimon's signature move."

"ShadowSeraphimon?" Gallantmon repeated. He threw a glare up at the castle. "Should have known. Think he's feeling nervous now that I Digivolved to Mega too?"

Aldamon gave Shoutmon a curious look. "Which reminds me, what was your theory that you said you were right about?"

Shoutmon crossed his arms, looking entirely too smug. "Ah, that. It's the secret to you guys being able to Digivolve." He smirked at their confused looks. "I noticed it early on, and have been keeping close tabs on it. Now I'm convinced."

"What is it?" Ophanimon asked eagerly. "What's your theory?"

The dragon Digimon chuckled. "That the power comes from you humans." He pointed at them. "You guys have managed to reach levels that should take several centuries, several millenniums, of training and absorbing data to unlock. Yet you've achieved them like they were nothing."

Gallantmon sweat-dropped. "Um, it wasn't exactly easy," he muttered, recalling how GigaBreakdramon had crushed him into the ground.

Shoutmon ignored this. "The power came when you needed it. A Digimon's Fractal Code contains any and all forms and powers they can obtain, but circumstances and a substantial amount of data is required to unlock them. But you humans seem to possess an inner strength that empowers your Digimon forms, allowing them to Digivolve in a supernatural way so they don't need to absorb data. The power has been inside you all along, and it comes to you in a time of need."

WarGreymon looked down at himself, then at his friends. "So you're saying that we could have Digivolved straight to our Mega forms from the very beginning?"

"Does that mean I can do it now?" MagnaAngemon asked.

Shoutmon wobbled his head. "Well, kind of. I guess you could say that you needed the proper motivation. When the situation called for it, you were able to summon forth your inner strength and bring it out. That strength is what unlocked your Digivolutions. It came to you when you needed it, and now it's yours. It seems that a human and a Digimon's strength goes hand in hand. As humans, you hold a great power, but don't have the means to use it. As Digimon, we have the power, but we have to struggle to obtain enough power to reach our potential. But with humans and Digimon working together, you humans can give us the power you can't use so we can use it for you. That's how you've achieved your Digivolutions so easily. In comparison to how we Digivolve on our own that is."

Gallantmon considered the dragon Digimon's explanation. "That… really kind of makes sense. Sounds kind of like how to unlock the Super Saiyan transformation. It comes in response to a need, not a desire."

Shoutmon gave him a bewildered look. "Super what now?"

"Never mind him," WarGreymon replied. "But based on your theory, the power came to us when we needed it based on our circumstances."

"Yes, exactly!"

Ophanimon glanced at her fellow angel Digimon. "So, in theory, if MagnaAngemon were in a situation where he would need more power, he'll be able to Digivolve?"

Shoutmon nodded. "If he can manage to find the strength within himself, then yes, I do believe he can. That's what happened with all of you every time you Digivolved."

"Wow," Aldamon muttered. "You're right, that would have been useful to know a lot sooner. Figures we'd only figure it out at the end of our journey."

"Not quite the end," WarGreymon pointed out. "We've still got ShadowSeraphimon to deal with."

Ophanimon looked up at the castle. "Should we go in then?"

"Yeah, lets take this guy out!" Imperialdramon encouraged.

"No," Gallantmon said suddenly, surprising the others. "That's what he wants. We should turn back."

The others gave him a look of disbelief. "Gallantmon, what are you saying?" Aldamon exclaimed. "After we've come all this way?"

"We have to consider what this is," the knight Digimon continued. "We just defeated the main guard, or at least what I hope was the main guard. Think about it, when playing a video game, after you defeat the min-boss before the last boss, you don't go charging in to the final battle right away. You go back to the save point, save your progress, heal your character, then you go fight the last boss. That's what we need to do too, play it smart, not rush recklessly into battle after battle."

The others considered this. The more they thought about it, the more sense it made. WarGreymon's shoulders slumped and he sighed. "He's right. It would be foolish to go in now. That's what ShadowSeraphimon is counting on, having us go in to face him while we're battle worn. Well, we're not going to play by his rules."

Imperialdramon looked astounded. "You're actually suggesting that we retreat?"

WarGreymon shook his head. "No, not retreat, make a strategic withdraw. We'll rest up, get something to eat, let our power recharge," he looked back at the castle, "then we'll come back and finish this once and for all."

It was with great reluctance that the others agreed, they couldn't afford to make a mistake now, not when they were so close. And so they turned away, heading back in the direction they came, while up in his castle, ShadowSeraphimon watched from his window. He had to admit that they were smarter than he thought they were. Not smart enough not to come here at all, but smart enough to not let the rush of battle get to them, and to know when to call it a day. He knew they would be back, and he would deal with them then.

He briefly considered going after them now, but decided against it. Despite the fact that they were battle weary, their biggest strength was their teamwork. He would work on tearing their group apart when they returned. And then, once they realized the hopelessness of their situation, they would die. That was the punishment for opposing him.

"Run along, little humans. Your deaths will be waiting for you when you return."

 

Notes:

(A/N: Whew, what an intense battle. Even ShadowSeraphimon got involved a bit. And now we have another Mega, yeah! If the Digivolution seemed to sudden, it's because, like when Ophanimon Digivolved, this chapter and last were originally going to be one chapter, but I split it up due to the length. I still think it worked out well, as it allowed me to provide a nice action-packed battle. And what could be the final one is coming up next. It's going to be a good one, so make sure you're here for it.)

Gallantmon's attacks:

Lightning Joust – Fires lightning from his lance.

Shield of the Just – Fires a beam of holy energy from his shield that purifies everything it touches.

Saber Shot – Fire a ball of lightning from shield.

Spiral Saver – Spins to form a fire tornado.

Gram Slash – Slashes an opponent with his lance.

Shield Bum Rush – Charges at an opponent and cuts upward with his lance.

Spiral Saber – Spins around to perform a spiraling thrust with his lance.

Flying Spiral Saber – Spins through the air to stab an opponent with his lance.

Lightning Charge – Casts lightning magic from his lance to surrounds himself with a sphere of electricity.

Gallant Charge – Stabs an opponent with his electrified lance.

Shield Attack – Unleashes a burst of holy energy from his shield.

Gram Strike – Stabs an opponent with his lance.

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New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Gallantmon

Chapter 80: Divided and Conquered

Notes:

(A/N: It's Valentine's Day! And because I love you all so much, I've got a really long chapter for you, but then again, everything has been leading up to this point for a while now, so it's bound to be long. You'll also learn why ShadowSeraphimon let our heroes go last chapter, and what is plan is for them now.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 80: Divided and Conquered

They were discrete this time when approaching the castle. It wouldn't do to run into any more guards and have to wait yet another day. It was time to put an end to ShadowSeraphimon's reign of terror and reclaim the Kogamon and Ninjamon scrolls.

Takato came to a stop. "Wait, guys, I just thought of something. What if the scrolls aren't here? What if he hid them somewhere else, or gave them to a servant he trusts, and won't tell us where they are?"

Davis patted him on the back. "One step at a time, pal. We'll worry about that if it comes to it."

"Even if we can't return the scrolls," Tai continued, "at least we'll have stopped whatever ShadowSeraphimon's planning."

"The great power," TK whispered. "The one behind the door the keycards open."

"Yeah, yeah," Davis grumbled. "And the scrolls explain how to use them to open the door. We all know this already, TR. Not that it matters. We're going to go in there, and knock ShadowSeraphimon off his pedestal. So come on, lets do this already. It feels like we're stalling."

He marched forward. The others exchanged uncertain looks before hesitantly following. Davis fearlessly led the way, marching onward exaggeratingly with a determine look on his face.

This time, they had opted to circle around the castle and approach from the other side, just in case. They knew it wouldn't make much of a difference, for there was nowhere for them to hide or take cover. Anyone who actually looked down from the castle would be able to see them.

"Shouldn't we Spirit Evolve?" Kari asked. "We don't want to suddenly walk into a trap and be unable to defend ourselves."

Davis just looked over his shoulder and grinned at her. "Hey, don't worry, I'm on top of thing. There's no trap anyone can set up that I can't spot- AH!"

The ground collapsed beneath his feet, and he fell into what was undoubtedly a pitfall that had been meant to catch intruders. The others sweat-dropped and walked over to the hole with hooded eyes. "You were saying?" Shoutmon asked.

Groaning, Davis got to his feet. "I was distracted."

He began climbing up the side, as full of energy as ever. "Need a hand?" Takuya offered.

"Nope, I'm good. I'm almost out." He reached out of the pit, feeling for something to grab, and his hand landed on something soft. "Hmm, what's this?"

He poked his head out of the hole and saw that his hand had landed on a black witch's hat that had randomly been lying on the ground. He gave it a curious look as he completely climbed out of the hole. "Why's there a hat just lying here?"

To his surprise, the hat twitched in his hand. He yelped and dropped it, but the hat remained in the air. The others rushed over to him as the hat floated a short distance away. Something became visible beneath the hat. It turned around, raising its arm, and screeched loudly.

Takuya pointed. "Look out, guys! It's a Bakemon!"

The ghost Digimon practically fell out of the air. "No, you idiot! I'm Soulmon, a sub-species of Bakemon."

Davis pointed as well. "Dude, you're totally a Bakemon wearing a hat. How can you even see, that thing is covering your eyes."

A vein throbbed in Soulmon's head. "I'm not a Bakemon. Despite similar appearances, my DigiCode is different from the Bakemon species."

"He's right," Kari replied, checking her Digivice. "Soulmon was once a Bakemon who first came to be after it took the data of a witch that entered through a fantasy. This gave it powerful magic attacks and the ability to use curses."

Soulmon crossed his arms. "Told you."

Davis cut his eyes at him. "Dude, that's just stupid, and it doesn't even make sense."

Soulmon pointed at him. "Says the moron who stepped right into my trap."

Takato glanced at the pitfall. "You set this up?"

"Well, that," the ghost Digimon admitted. "And this!" From all around, numerous actual Bakemon appeared. The teens were completely surrounded as several dozen of the ghost Digimon flew around them. Soulmon laughed as he motioned towards them. "Get 'em!"

Before the teens could grab their Digivices, the Bakemon fell upon them. They fought back as best as they could in their human forms, but there were far too many, and they were too strong. One by one, they were lifted into the air and carried higher and higher.

"Put us down, you freaks!" Takuya demanded. "Where are you taking us?"

A Bakemon chuckled. "To where you want to go. To your deaths."

"What?"

The swarm of Bakemon just laughed as they flew them up towards the castle. Then they began splitting into groups, separating the teens from each other as they flew into different windows. Tai continued to struggle as the three Bakemon, led by Soulmon, carried him inside. "Ok, boys, right here's good."

The Bakemon dropped their cargo. Tai hit the ground hard, grunting in pain, and glared up at the ghost Digimon; he'd half expected them to drop him from a height too high for him to survive. "What are you guys playing at?"

Soulmon and the Bakemon laughed. "Just following orders. Nice knowing you, human."

One by one, they disappeared, leaving Tai alone in a dark room. He looked around, but couldn't make out anything. Then the lights turned on, blinding him, and he blinked several times.

As his eyes adjusted, he became aware that he was standing in the shadow of something, something alive. He felt a chill run down his spine, and turned around to find the one they had come for standing on the other side of the room, casting the shadow over him.

"So, you are the leader if your group. I must admit, your Digimon form aside, you're not much to look at."

Tai wished he could say the same, but ShadowSeraphimon's appearance was very intimidating, and he settled for sending him a glare. At least Shoutmon had been right about his size, he only was about as big as WarGreymon. "ShadowSeraphimon. I should have known. So you had your cronies separate us, huh? Where are my friends?"

"They are safe for now," ShadowSeraphimon replied uncaringly. "At least until I get to them." He leaned forward. "Did you think I would be fool enough to let you all take me on together? I am not so careless. I don't take unnecessary risks, and I crush my competition. Just like I shall crush you." He made a fist to emphasize his point. "You humans have no idea how much you've inconvenienced me."

Tai gave him a look of disbelief. "How much we've inconvenienced you? We don't even want to be here, yet freaks like you won't leave us alone!"

"You should have just minded your own business and stayed out of my way."

"And let you do whatever you want to our friends? Just stand by while you steal and destroy their way of life? No way. We don't turn our backs on our friends."

"And that is why you will die here today."

Tai held up his Digivice. "No way, not today. Execute! Spirit Evolution… WarGreymon! If anyone is going down, it's you. Guys like you are the ones who need to learn to butt out-"

As quick as lightning, ShadowSeraphimon flew at him and delivered a kick to his head, knocking him down. "I'm not going to waste my time listening to your human nonsense."

He threw a punch, but WarGreymon blocked it. "Fine with me. Dramon Cutter!"

"Shadow Shockwave!" With a flick of his hand, he sent out a powerful invisible shockwave. WarGreymon was thrown backwards, and ShadowSeraphimon sped towards him. He grabbed WarGreymon by the ankle as he flew through the air, swinging the dragon Digimon over his head and slamming him on the ground.

He did it again, slamming the dragon Digimon back and forth until WarGreymon used his Great Tornado, breaking out of the fallen angel Digimon's grip with his spinning. He whizzed across the room before doubling back, heading for his opponent. ShadowSeraphimon used his Shadow Shockwave again, but WarGreymon kept coming, pushing through the attack.

At the last second, ShadowSeraphimon sidestepped around the attack. Raising his arm, he brought his elbow down as WarGreymon passed by, knocking him to the ground and out of his tornado. With WarGreymon laying on his stomach, ShadowSeraphimon kicked him in the side, and the dragon Digimon hit the wall.

"Shadow Starburst!" ShadowSeraphimon cried, throwing a bolt of lightning.

With a growl, WarGreymon defended with his Brave Shield. He then kicked off the wall and flew at ShadowSeraphimon using his Grey Fire to throw fireballs at the fallen angel Digimon. ShadowSeraphimon easily knocked them away one after another as WarGreymon approached him. "War Driver!"

The two collided and began exchanging blows, WarGreymon slashing away and ShadowSeraphimon throwing punches. Both found their marks several times until, finally, ShadowSeraphimon's fist collided with one of WarGreymon's gauntlets, breaking it off. The dragon Digimon grunted in pain, feeling something akin to having his fingernails being torn off, and lashed out with his remaining one. ShadowSeraphimon caught his arm, grasping his remaining gauntlet, and drove his knee into the dragon Digimon's gut.

As WarGreymon doubled over, ShadowSeraphimon's other hand came up and gripped his arm, ripping his other gauntlet off. A groan escaped him and he glanced up at the fallen angel Digimon, only to get backhanded by his own gauntlet. ShadowSeraphimon repeated this several times, whacking him with his own weapon before sending him crashing into the wall again with another Shadow Shockwave.

"Strike of the Seven Dark Stars!" ShadowSeraphimon cried. Seven dark energy orbs appeared in front of him and flew at WarGreymon. They exploded against his body, and the dragon Digimon fell to the ground, surrounded by a cloud of smoke.

"You should know your limitations, human," the fallen angel Digimon replied, crushing the gauntlet in his hand like an empty soda can and tossing it aside. He began approaching the cloud of smoke as he continued speaking. "It was your special ability alone that allowed you to defeat GigaBreakdramon, but that won't help you against me."

WarGreymon suddenly burst from the cloud of smoke. "Ultra Tornado!" Spinning around, a tornado of fire appeared around him. ShadowSeraphimon attempted to hold his ground against the heavy wind as small tornadoes flew from the larger one. But at this close range, the tornado pulled him in, and the fiery winds spun the fallen angel Digimon around before sending him flying across the room and crashing into the wall. As luck would have it, one of the smaller tornadoes hit him almost immediately afterwards, and ShadowSeraphimon was engulfed in flames.

WarGreymon burst from the fiery vortex. "Terra Force!" He threw the giant ball of energy at ShadowSeraphimon, and it blasted against him, blowing a large hole in the wall.

Dropping to his knees, WarGreymon began panting, trying to catch his breath. ShadowSeraphimon was a lot stronger than he thought, and the plan had been to fight him as a team. But ShadowSeraphimon had been smart and separated them, using the whole 'divide and conquer' strategy. That was proving to be a major problem.

"Is that all you've got?" As the smoke cleared, ShadowSeraphimon was revealed to be on his feet again. A little beat up, but not too worse for wear. "It was a nice attempt, but this is as far as you go."

He flew towards WarGreymon, the dragon Digimon on his knees being at the perfect position to kick in the jaw. He hit the wall once again, and ShadowSeraphimon was suddenly right in front of him, his hand around WarGreymon's neck. Lifting the dragon Digimon off his feet, he slammed him against the wall several times before bringing his elbow down on his head. WarGreymon collapsed, but ShadowSeraphimon didn't let up as he began stomping down on his back until the dragon Digimon finally stopped moving.

"I'm not a fool like ChaosPiedmon and ExoGrimmon," he told his fallen opponent. Placing his foot on WarGreymon's head, he began applying pressure. "I do not fool around or give my enemies a fighting chance. I conquer all in my path, and that includes you."

WarGreymon's power finally ran out, and he reverted back to his human form. ShadowSeraphimon removed his foot and looked down at the unconscious boy. "One down."

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"I mean it, put me down!" Davis yelled as he struggled against the Bakemon.

The ghost Digimon just laughed as they flew him into the middle of the room. "Ok, if you say so."

They dropped him, and Davis landed on his rear end so hard he wouldn't have been surprised if he broke his tailbone. He would have cried out, but he ended up biting his tongue, and his hands came up to cover his mouth.

The Bakemon laughed. "What's wrong? Cat got you tongue?"

"No, we do."

They continued laughing as Davis glared up at them, his tongue throbbing. "I'l s'ow 'ou. Ech-hute! 'irit El'lou'in… Imperialdramon!" He turned to the Bakemon, aiming with his cannon. "Ok, you guys want some?"

No longer laughing, the ghost Digimon fled. Imperialdramon grinned, and that's when he realized that neither his tongue nor his tailbone hurt anymore. "Got to love these transformation benefits."

But as he walked along, he came across a bit of a dilemma. He was so large that the room he was in didn't give him much room to move around. That could prove to be a real problem if a fight were to break out.

"Why not make accommodations for larger Digimon?" he wondered out loud. He considered returning to his human form, or at least DeDigivolving to Paildramon so he could move around easier, but decided against it in case ShadowSeraphimon showed up.

He looked around and spotted a door. It was far too small, but one swipe of his claw against the wall fixed that. Unfortunately, the next room didn't offer much more room. "It's going to take me forever to find the others this way."

As if in response to his statement, something burst through the floor beside him. "Allow me to help with that."

ShadowSeraphimon's fist slammed into Imperialdramon's jaw. This was immediately followed up by an elbow to the top of his head, and he fell flat on the ground. "Oh, you better just kill me now."

"That is the plan," ShadowSeraphimon told him. "Strike of the Seven Dark Stars!"

"Mega Fire!"

The attacks collided and exploded, consuming both Digimon. Imperialdramon dug his claws into the ground to stop his momentum while ShadowSeraphimon used his to kick off the wall and launch himself at the dragon Digimon. Imperialdramon swiped at him with his Shining Blade, and ShadowSeraphimon was knocked through the wall.

"Ha! How'd you like that, freako?" He walked over to the wall and peaked through. He did not see ShadowSeraphimon, but there was another hole in the ground. "Huh?"

ShadowSeraphimon burst from the floor beneath Imperialdramon, slamming into his underbelly and driving him into the ceiling. "Shadow Starburst!"

Rather than throwing the lightning this time, ShadowSeraphimon let it flow through his body, and Imperialdramon cried out as he was electrocuted and began randomly firing his cannon, blasting massive holes in the ceiling and walls.

Flying out from beneath the dragon Digimon, ShadowSeraphimon let him fall to the ground. Imperialdramon groaned and started to get up as the fallen angel Digimon floated in front of him with his arms crossed.

"Shining Blade!" Imperialdramon cried, swiping at him. ShadowSeraphimon caught his claw and twisted, flipping the enormous dragon Digimon onto his back. "Eternal Zeal!"

The vortex of fire flew out of Imperialdramon's mouth and flowed over ShadowSeraphimon. He held up his hands, shielding his face from the fire. Flying threw the flames, he balled his fists and brought them down on Imperialdramon's lower jaw. The dragon Digimon's mouth slammed shut over his attack, and two small fiery tornadoes, followed by a cloud of smoke, flew from his nostrils. "Ouch. That burned more than milk coming out of my nose."

ShadowSeraphimon humphed. "You hold more power than your so-called leader, yet you are easily the most pathetic of your group."

"Pathetic?" Imperialdramon repeated as he flipped back onto his stomach. "Hardly. I call it untapped potential."

"That potential shall remain untapped. Shadow Starburst!"

"Mega Crusher!" Imperialdramon's attack plowed straight through the lightning ShadowSeraphimon had thrown. The fallen angel Digimon began to fly back, but wasn't fast enough and was caught up in the blast of anti-matter, the attack blowing a massive hole in the castle. "Potential, baby. Potential."

Bursting from the cloud of smoke, ShadowSeraphimon flew at Imperialdramon and kneed him in the nose. "You fool! Do you really think you can kill me?" He flew around back, seizing the dragon Digimon's tail. "I've lived for countless years. I've survived since the beginning." He spun around, throwing him across the room, the giant dragon Digimon's enormous body breaking through several pillars. "I will not be defeated by a pathetic human."

He hovered over to the dragon Digimon. When he was close enough, Imperialdramon sprang to his feet and lunged at ShadowSeraphimon. The fallen angel Digimon backed up until he hit the wall, finding himself face-to-face with Imperialdramon's cannon.

"Want to see how I beat ExoGrimmon? Like this. Mega Crush-"

"Strike of the Seven Dark Stars!"

ShadowSeraphimon was no fool. He knew how Imperialdramon had defeated the reaper Digimon, and had been anticipating a moment like this. During the few precious seconds it took for Imperialdramon to charge his up his attack, ShadowSeraphimon had fired off his signature attack into the cannon. The seven energy orbs collided with the gathering energy, causing the dragon Digimon's attack to backfire. Imperialdramon's cannon blew apart on his back, and he cried out and collapsed.

Turning back to human again got rid of any injuries he had sustained in his Digimon form, yet a phantom pain still lingered, and Davis rubbed his back where it was greatest. Then all pain disappeared completely as ShadowSeraphimon moved behind him and delivered a light blow to the back of his head, knocking him out cold.

The fallen angel Digimon humphed as he reached out and grabbed the back of the boy's shirt before he even hit the ground. "Two down."

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

Aldamon walked through the castle, searching for any signs of his friends. He'd been carried through room after room before the Bakemon had finally released him. Expecting them to attack him, he had Spirit Evolved the moment they had dropped him, but they had disappeared. He waited a few moments for someone else to come and challenge him, but no one did. Not yet anyway.

Wary of traps, he had begun making his way through the castle, searching for his friends. Despite the situation, he couldn't help but admire the castle's interior. Everything seemed to be made of either crystal, diamond, or marble. True, he thought it was a bit much, but it was nice to look at nevertheless. If only it wasn't owned by such an evil monster.

"Where is everyone?" he wondered out loud. "Are those Bakemon the only other ones here?"

He opened the golden doors to another room, and countless candles on the walls ignited, illuminating the room. Aldamon's eyes narrowed as he wondered if they were meant to poke fun at his Fire type. There was nowhere else to go, however, and he reluctantly headed inside.

"This is getting ridiculous," he grumbled impatiently. "Hey, guys! Are you there? Can you hear me? Give me a sign or something!" Realistically, he knew there was no point in shouting; this castle was huge. There was no way they would be able to hear him calling.

Or so he thought. As he walked along, he soon became conscious of what sounded like someone knocking. Looking around, he identified the source, and hurried over to it. He came to a marble wall with no door in sight. Yet he could tell that this is where the knocking was coming from, just on the other side of the wall.

"Guys, is that you?" he called.

The knocking stopped, and there was silence. Aldamon called out to whoever it was again, but received no response this time. Frowning he walked up to the wall and pressed his ear against it, listening.

Something burst through the wall, and Aldamon was pushed back into a pillar. ShadowSeraphimon was grasping his face tightly, but Aldamon barely acknowledged his predicament before the fallen angel Digimon used his Shadow Starburst, and electricity flowed through him.

Aldamon began punching into the fallen angel Digimon's side, trying to get him to let go, but ShadowSeraphimon didn't loosen his grip or cease his attack. Aldamon felt his strength draining rapidly and resorted to drastic measures. He fired his Solar Wind Destroyer between them, the blast sending ShadowSeraphimon flying. The force of the explosion also caused him to get blasted straight through the marble pillar he had been pressed up against, but at least he was no longer being electrocuted.

ShadowSeraphimon was still standing, his hands covering the smoking part of his stomach where he had been burned. "Very resourceful, human. You're the second one willing to get caught up in your own attack today in an attempt to take me out. I'll have to remember how suicidal you humans are when I take out your friends."

He flew towards the fire wizard Digimon. Aldamon fired his Atomic Inferno, but ShadowSeraphimon soared straight through the storm of fireballs, knocking away any in his path. Aldamon flew up into the air, and ShadowSeraphimon swooped up to meet him. Aldamon fired his Solar Wind Destroyer down at him, and ShadowSeraphimon countered with his Shadow Starburst. This time actually throwing a bolt of lightning, the explosion from the attacks colliding creating a cloud of smoke.

Aldamon blinked, trying to see through the smoke. He'd lost sight of ShadowSeraphimon, but knew he was still there. Flapping his wings, he began blowing away the smoke, but ShadowSeraphimon was nowhere to be seen. That was when he was suddenly hit from behind by a Strike of the Seven Dark Stars, the blast lurching him forward. ShadowSeraphimon came down from up above, slamming into him. The two dropped from the air and hit the hard marble ground, forming a large crater.

"Shadow Shockwave!" ShadowSeraphimon cried, and the shockwave he sent out against Aldamon made the crater he was laying in twice as big. "You humans must never have been in a real fight." He placed a foot down on one of Aldamon's wings, then grabbed the end. "Or you've never had to fight an opponent on your own."

He savagely yanked the wing back, and there was a sickening crush as it broke. Aldamon howled in pain as ShadowSeraphimon let it fall limp and walked in front of him. "Do you know your place now, human?"

Biting down the pain, Aldamon forced himself to rise, his broken wing hanging uselessly beside him. He jabbed forward with his Rudriya Darpaṇa, but ShadowSeraphimon dodged it. He grabbed Aldamon from behind and used his Shadow Shockwave again. Aldamon cried out and tried to get away, but was unable to break free of the fallen angel Digimon's hold. ShadowSeraphimon did not let up until Aldamon finally stopped moving and reverted to his human form.

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

Like Takuya, Takato had also decided to become Gallantmon. He'd flown from outside the castle and looked around, but hadn't seen anyone. There were also far too many different windows the Bakemon could have taken his friends to, so he had reluctantly gone back inside and decided to search the interior.

The only problem now was that he had gotten lost. The castle, or at least the section he was in, was like a maze, and most of the rooms looked alike. He'd had to resort to marking them just to know whether he had been in them or not. Once he had begun doing this, he discovered that he was going around in circles.

"How'd I end up back here again?" he cried out in frustration as he spotted the three scratches he had made on the floor. He looked at the doors on each side of the wall. He'd gone through two of them already, and somehow had still doubled back. It was with a great deal of irritation that he made his way to yet another door, hoping this one would lead him somewhere promising. "If it's ShadowSeraphimon's intention to kill me with frustration, he's succeeding."

He opened the door, and the fallen angel Digimon in question stood before him. "No, not with frustration."

He threw a punch. Gallantmon got over his surprise and held up his shield. ShadowSeraphimon's fist struck it, sending out a powerful shockwave from the impact. Opening his hand, he used his Shadow Shockwave against the shield, sending Gallantmon skidding backwards. "Strike of the Seven Dark Stars!"

Gallantmon, who had stuck his head out from behind his shield, quickly ducked behind it again as the seven dark energy balls came at him. His shield protected him from the attack, but the blast still sent him flying, and he ended up on his back.

ShadowSeraphimon was leaping through the air, coming down on top of Gallantmon. The knight Digimon had barely landed before he saw him coming down towards him, and he quickly rolled to the side. ShadowSeraphimon ended up punching the ground, cracking the hard marble floor all the way across the room as Gallantmon got to his feet and stabbed forward with his lance. ShadowSeraphimon's other hand quickly came up and caught the end, but this ended up working in the knight Digimon's favor. "Lightning Joust!"

ShadowSeraphimon was blasted backwards, hitting a pillar. Gallantmon soared towards him with his Gallant Charge, stabbing forward, but ShadowSeraphimon sidestepped the attack, and Gallantmon's lance buried into the pillar. Before he could pull it out, ShadowSeraphimon was behind him, grabbing the end of the cable coming out of his head and giving it a yank. "You're about to go around in circles some more."

Gallantmon didn't appreciate the joke as the fallen angel Digimon began spinning him around. He wasn't just being spun, ShadowSeraphimon was flying them through the air, deliberately causing the knight Digimon to crash into the pillars. He lost track of how many he hit after nine before ShadowSeraphimon slammed him to the ground.

Standing over his fallen opponent, he kept hold of the cable as he pressed his foot against his back. He wrapped the cable around Gallantmon's neck and began pulling back while pushing his foot against the knight Digimon's back. "This is where you meet your end."

Gallantmon gagged. His lance shifted to an actual arm, and he began clawing at his throat, but it was no use; there was no way he'd be able to get the cable out from around his neck like this.

He shifted his shield beneath him and used his Shield Attack. A burst of holy energy from his shield launched both him and ShadowSeraphimon to the ceiling, crushing the fallen angel Digimon. They fell back to the ground, ShadowSeraphimon losing his grip on Gallantmon's cable.

Using the fall to his advantage, Gallantmon landed in a one-handed handstand and flipped himself upright, his shield pointed at ShadowSeraphimon. "Shield of the Just!"

The beam struck the fallen angel Digimon, pushing him across the room and crashing him straight through the wall. Gallantmon lowered his shield and carefully approached the hole. Looking through it, he saw that his attack had blasted ShadowSeraphimon through seven different walls. Alas, at the last wall, ShadowSeraphimon stood up.

"He's still standing after that?" Gallantmon gasped.

"Shadow Starburst!"

The bolt of lightning flew through the series of rooms and struck Gallantmon in the face. He stumbled back, clutching his face, and a Strike of the Seven Dark Stars completely knocked him off his feet. With a groan, he looked up at the hole in the wall and saw ShadowSeraphimon stepping through it. "You are beaten. But then again, you should have known that you couldn't stand up to a real Digimon."

Gallantmon sat up. "Don't be so confident. You're looking a little battle weary yourself."

ShadowSeraphimon cocked his head to the side. "Don't be absurd." He walked over to Gallantmon, his hand shooting out and grabbing him around his neck, lifting him off the ground. "I've lived for countless millennia, since the beginning of the Digital World, gaining power, growing stronger, never dying once. You think you and your pathetic friends can defeat a force like that?"

Within his helmet, Gallantmon smirked. "My friends and I have never died before either." He shifted his shield to the front. "Shield of the-"

"Shadow Shockwave!"

The feel of ShadowSeraphimon electrifying his body as he kept hold of Gallantmon interrupted the knight Digimon's attack. His hand came up to strike him, but ShadowSeraphimon grabbed it and bent it back as he continued to electrocute him.

Gallantmon wasn't sure how long the attack lasted, maybe a couple seconds, maybe a few minutes, maybe several hours. All he was aware of was the pain, and the welcome relief of when it finally stopped. The reprieve didn't last long though as ShadowSeraphimon tossed his smoking body away from him before blasting him with a Strike of the Seven Dark Stars.

ShadowSeraphimon stared as the smoke cleared. "Here's an interesting fact for you to dwell on. If you and I had reached our current forms at the same time, we would be close in strength, and you would have actually stood a chance. Unfortunately, you only Digivolved just yesterday. When it came down to it, you just didn't have the experience. Strike of the Seven Dark Stars!"

He fired again and again, and again and again, not showing the knight Digimon any mercy. All Gallantmon knew was pain.

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

The room was enormous, like some grand dining hall. It was also completely filled with mirrors. Mirrors on the walls, the ceiling, the floor, standing randomly all around, even floating in the air. But Kari was smart enough to realize that this was no carnival funhouse, and quickly Spirit Evolved after the Bakemon had dropped her off.

But the ghost Digimon didn't seem overly bothered by her Mega form as they hid amongst the countless reflections. It was a useful hiding method too, as Ophanimon had no idea if she was dealing with four Bakemon or 400, nor did she know when she was looking at a real one or a reflection.

"Can't find us! Can't find us!" one of the ghost Digimon chanted.

Ophanimon's grip on her javelin tightened as she stared at the countless reflections. "I don't have time for these games," she snapped. "I've got to get back to my friends."

"You'll see them soon," a Bakemon taunted.

"Yeah, real soon," said another.

Annoyance gripped Ophanimon as she searched for the exit. The taunting laughs of the Bakemon were proving difficult to ignore, but she did her best. There had to be some way out somewhere, but she was lost amongst the maze of mirrors. She couldn't even find the window the Bakemon had flown her through.

One of the ghost Digimon suddenly appeared right in front of her, pulling its lips apart and exposing its fangs. Startled, she thrust outward with her javelin, and the mirror shattered; it had only been a reflection.

The Bakemon laughed some more, setting her teeth on edge. "Maybe I should just break all these mirrors."

A Bakemon swooped past her. "I'd advice against it."

She glared at the ghost Digimon. "Why?"

"They make it more difficult for me to find you."

Ophanimon gasped and whirled around. Several mirrors were suddenly reflecting ShadowSeraphimon's image. She took a step back and held up her javelin and shield, looking around at all the different images, wondering which one was real. It was too hard to tell. For all she knew, he could be all the way on the other side of the room, his image bouncing off one mirror to another.

"Where are my friends?" she demanded.

"So much concern for others," the fallen angel Digimon taunted. "It is you who are in danger now."

The images were moving now. He was coming for her. And while he may not know where she was, he did know how to navigate through this mirror maze.

"Why do people like you have to cause such trouble?" she demanded, her eyes jumping from one image to another. "Why can't you just leave us alone?"

"You can't just be left alone," a reflection seemed to say, and Ophanimon shattered the mirror, a loud crash echoing through the room. "You humans are like insects." Crash, another mirror down. "And when you see an insect, you need to crush it." Crash. "And now, just like the vermin you are, you've infested my home." Crash. "You leave me with no choice but to exterminate you." Crash. "If you didn't want to be involved in this, you should have stayed away and kept your head down like all the others."

Crash. Just another reflection. Ophanimon had to admit, she was beginning to feel intimidated with all these images of ShadowSeraphimon around her, his emotionless voice getting closer. "We couldn't stay away. You're causing trouble for our friends."

"The one who becomes WarGreymon said the same things. You're all fools."

Ophanimon tried not to let his suggestion that he had already dealt with her brother get to her. "But it won't just stop there, will it? Whatever your planning will spread across the entire Digital World. Why can't you just leave everyone in peace?"

"The strong are meant to rule the weak. It is simply the way of things." From behind Ophanimon, ShadowSeraphimon's arm broke through the mirror as if it were transparent glass and wrapped around Ophanimon's neck. "And I am very strong."

Ophanimon struggled, but ShadowSeraphimon's grip was strong. She used her Eden's Aura, an intense purifying light shining from her body. ShadowSeraphimon hissed and released her. She jumped away from him, then turned back, holding up her javelin and shield. ShadowSeraphimon stepped through the glass and began stalking towards her, the broken shards crunching beneath her feet.

"You've got it backwards," she told him. "Those that are strong are meant to help the weak, to aid them when they need help."

"A foolish claim," the fallen angel Digimon countered. "You work hard to gain power, and you expect me to just give it away or waste it on those that can't do anything on their own? Only a fool would do such a thing."

"Then I guess I'm a fool. Eden's Needle!"

Needles of light flew from the tip of her javelin. ShadowSeraphimon simply held up his hand, blocking the needles as he stalked towards her. He sent out a Shadow Shockwave, and Ophanimon was knocked backwards, the mirrors around her shattering to pieces. She countered with her Eden's Air, summoning forth a holy tornado. ShadowSeraphimon stopped walking as he attempted to remain grounded and threw a bolt of lightning at her with his Shadow Starburst, which she blocked with her Unicorn Shield, sending the attack right back at him. He held his arms up to block, but was still knocked back several feet.

"Sefirot Crystal!"

"Strike of the Seven Dark Stars!"

Holy crystals and dark energy orbs met, erupting in a blast of light and dark power that shattered nearly all the mirrors in the room. Ophanimon didn't even wait for the blast to die down before she launched herself at the fallen angel Digimon, thrusting forward with her javelin. ShadowSeraphimon's hands shot out, grabbing the end and stopping the angel Digimon in her tracks.

Ophanimon used it to her advantage. "Eden's Javelin!"

A beam of holy energy burst from the end of her javelin, pushing ShadowSeraphimon back. She followed up with her Sefirot Crystal, hitting him again before he could recover. Charging forward, she tackled him to the ground, pinning him beneath her, her javelin at his throat. "Now, where are my friends?"

"Where you will be soon enough." He grabbed her javelin, and Ophanimon cried out as he used his Shadow Starburst. He kicked her off him, and she lost her weapon. ShadowSeraphimon got to his feet, holding her javelin, and snapped it in half over his knee. He fired his Strike of the Seven Dark Stars, and she attempted to block it with her shield, but failed to do so completely. The attack hit, sending her shield flying, leaving her open to the fallen angel Digimon.

"Air Sefirot!" The wind picked up, blowing towards ShadowSeraphimon, shards of glass flying along with it. His armor protected him from any damage the glass might have caused as he leapt towards Ophanimon, the wind barely slowing him down. She gasped as he suddenly appeared in front of her and held up her hand. "Shining Laser!"

ShadowSeraphimon knocked her hand aside, the beam flying off course, and delivered a punch to her face. She went down, and ShadowSeraphimon floated in the air above her. "Shadow Shockwave!"

Ophanimon cried out as she was hit by a powerful shockwave, the ground cracking and caving in beneath her as the shards of glass were reduced to dust. He repeated the attack several more times, the crater she was lying in growing larger and larger until it filled the entire floor.

Finally letting up, ShadowSeraphimon landed by the angel Digimon. He reached down, grabbing a handful of her hair and lifting her up, ignoring her pained groans. "This was your fate the moment you chose to oppose me."

Ophanimon glanced up at him. "Even if I fall, my friends will stop you."

ShadowSeraphimon humphed and kicked her, sending her flying across the room. He followed up with a Strike of the Seven Dark Stars, and the attack struck her before she even hit the floor. She hit the ground hard and stayed down. "You're friends were just as pathetic as you. I've already taken care of them."

Behind her helmet, Ophanimon's eyes snapped open. "What?" She didn't believe it; she refused to. "No, you're lying."

"But I'm not, my dear. One by one, they all fell before me."

He was lying; he had to be. Yes, he was strong, but he couldn't possibly have defeated all of them. No, this must be a scare tactic he was using. They hadn't even been separated all that long ago.

Just long enough for ShadowSeraphimon to pick them off just as quickly as he had taken her out.

"It can't be…" She forced herself to get up. "Tai… TK… Everyone…" She gazed at the fallen angel Digimon furiously. "How dare you! Holy Ring!"

A ring of light surrounded her, healing her injuries. ShadowSeraphimon crossed his arms uncaringly. "So you're resorting to use you own energy to heal yourself. You must be desperate."

"You'll pay for this." She held up her hands. "Shining Laser!"

Beams of light began repeatedly firing from her hands. ShadowSeraphimon flew towards her, avoiding the attacks, and buried his fist in the area of her stomach that wasn't protected by armor. She sputtered in pain, stumbling back as she clutched her stomach. ShadowSeraphimon didn't give her time to recover as he punched her square in the jaw.

"I am no gentleman," he told her. "I have no qualms about hitting a woman. Strike of the Seven Dark Stars!"

The attack blasted her against the wall, but the pain was nothing against the ache in her heart as she thought of the others. "You killed them. How could you…?"

ShadowSeraphimon humphed. "I never said I killed them, girl. Be that as it may, you will all die very soon, once I've made an example out of you to anyone who would think of opposing me."

Ophanimon's head shot up. "They're alive?"

"For now, but they still belong to me. You are the last remaining threat to me, however minor." He crossed his arms. "Well, you and the Ultimate."

"The Ultimate…? TK."

The fallen angel Digimon cracked his knuckles. "I'll deal with him once I finish with you."

A smirk crept up Ophanimon's face. "You'll find we won't go down so easily."

She kicked off the wall, flying towards ShadowSeraphimon while materializing a new javelin. With a battle cry, she made to stab him. ShadowSeraphimon didn't react until the last possible moment when she was directly in front of him. "Testament!"

An explosion of dark energy erupted from his body. It flowed over Ophanimon, completely filling the room, obliterating the walls, ceiling, and floor, along with everything in the blast's radius. It only lasted for a few seconds, and when the dark energy died out, Ophanimon was lying on the floor of the room beneath the one with the mirrors.

ShadowSeraphimon floated down and stood above her. When Ophanimon tried to get up, he stomped down on her chest, pinning her to the ground. "It's over. You and your miserable group are finished."

She glared up at him. "No, we're not. TK will stop you. I know he will."

ShadowSeraphimon stared at her for a few seconds before kneeling down. His fist suddenly struck her face, followed by his other one. The blows kept coming one after another, her helmet doing little to protect her.

"Still you defy me!" he raged, raining blows down on her. He balled his hands together and began bringing them down on her head repeatedly. "I will show you what true power is. No one will dare to stand against me once I'm through with you. No one."

The blows kept coming, even when Ophanimon stopped moving. He only stopped when she reverted back to her human form. He stared at the unconscious girl for a few moments before standing up. "Just one more."

Notes:

(A/N: Geez, ShadowSeraphimon tore them apart. But he had the right idea. Teamwork was one of their greatest strength, perhaps their greatest strength. He acknowledged that, and the fact that he wouldn't be able to defeat them if he fought them all together, which was why he separate them before picking them off one by one. Now only TK remains. Will he be able to defeat ShadowSeraphimon? And if not, what will become of our heroes? And whatever happened to Shoutmon? You won't want to miss the next chapter. Now, since it's V-Day, show your love by hitting that review button.)

Chapter 81: The Holy and Unholy

Notes:

(A/N: IMPORTANT, PLEASE READ. Hello everyone. Before I get started, I would like to give a big THANK YOU to Shancurty Ignacio. Apparently, someone back in 2013 stole my Spirited Away and used it to win the 2013 NaNoWriMo contest under the username TheKittyLove63. She then posted it on WattPad to promote her own stories under the username DanielleJoy25, made a hard copy, and a YouTube video bragging about "her" story. She even tried to hide by blocking me and changing her username to LindyBong23 when I messaged her about the theft, calling me a "lying, trolling b*stard". Well, not to worry, I contacted the site administrators on both sites, provided evidence for my claim, and the appropriate action was taken. Even if it is a fanfiction, plagiarism is still illegal. Anyway, I just wanted to publicly express my thanks to Shancurty Ignacio for informing me, so THANK YOU!

(A/N: We had a long action-packed chapter last time that ended with ShadowSeraphimon dominating our heroes. Now there's only one left, and he's nowhere near ShadowSeraphimon's league. But don't forget, Shoutmon is still out there. How will this showdown play out, and who will come out on top. Read on to find out.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 81: The Holy and Unholy

The Bakemon showed no fear of MagnaAngemon as they flew around, taunting the Ultimate. Perhaps it was because they realized that he would not attack them as long as they did not attack him. That didn't stop him from swiping at them threateningly with his sword when they got too close, although they seemed to find this to be more humorous than anything.

It seemed that the ghost Digimon were simply keeping an eye on him. But whatever game they were playing, he wasn't going to be a part of it. He realized early on that they weren't going to tell him where his friends were when he asked, and decided he'd have to find them on his own.

After Spirit Evolving, he had flown back outside, waiting to see if his friends emerged from the castle. When none did, he had reluctantly gone back inside, this time through a different window, unwilling to go back to the room the Bakemon had wanted him to be in, figuring there was some kind of trap ahead.

The ghost Digimon didn't seem to mind that he had switched rooms and was now wandering through the castle, but they did stay with him the whole way, taunting and laughing. MagnaAngemon almost hoped they would try something so he could get rid of them. "Don't you guys have anything better to do?"

"Nope," a Bakemon replied, giving his hair a yank. "This is what we're supposed to do."

MagnaAngemon swiped at him, giving him ample time to dodge, and the ghost Digimon took off snickering. "You guys need to get a life."

"And you should leave if you value yours," another mocked, this one a female by the tone of her voice.

"I'm not leaving without my friends."

"Suit yourself. You'll join them shortly."

MagnaAngemon didn't like the way that was said. It made it sound like something bad had happened to his friends, and he felt his stomach clench with worry as horrible possibilities occurred to him. Shoutmon had said that ShadowSeraphimon was powerful, but he was also confident that they could defeat him together. 'Together' being the keyword. But the Bakemon had split them up. ShadowSeraphimon might not be able to defeat them all at once, but he could separate them and pick them off one by one.

"Where are they?" he demanded of the Bakemon. "Where did you take them?"

The ghost Digimon just laughed and refused to answer. Furious, MagnaAngemon grabbed one and pressed the point of his sword against it threateningly. He once again demanded answers, but the Bakemon, once it got over its initial surprise, just laughed. MagnaAngemon grit his teeth in frustration, unable to bring himself to hurt someone so defenseless against him. "Damn it."

He released the Bakemon, and it floated back over to its comrades as they laughed even harder. MagnaAngemon just stood where he was, seething. There'd be no point in searching for his friends. This castle was enormous; ShadowSeraphimon wouldn't separate them if they'd be able to find each other again by simply wandering around. If only he could use his Great Golden Gate to teleport to them, but, alas, he had to know where his friends were in order to create a portal to their location, otherwise he would have simply created one straight to Cherubimon's castle when he first achieved Ultimate. There was little he could do but wait for whatever was going to happen to happen. In the mean time, he tried thinking of a way to get them all out of this.

He wasn't sure how long he stood there trying to come up with a solution, but he was eventually aware of one of the Bakemon speaking over the laughter. "It's time! It's time!"

"It's time!" the others cried.

MagnaAngemon glanced up to see the ghost Digimon disappearing one after another until he was alone. He didn't like that, sensing that something was coming. Was it ShadowSeraphimon? Some other opponent?

"Yoo hoo!"

He turned to see a Bakemon floating on the other side of the room in a doorway. Chuckling, it waved him over before disappearing. MagnaAngemon scowled, knowing he shouldn't follow. It was obviously a trap, or an ambush. But still, it was the only lead to his friends. And better to walk into the trap you knew of than to step into one unexpectedly, or however the saying went.

He flew towards the door, spotting another Bakemon in the room. He flew towards it, only to have it disappear, and for another one to reappear farther away, only to have the process repeat. He followed them through the castle, through various rooms, and now found himself going up a flight of stairs. Following the Bakemon like this reminded him of those old folktales of people following spirits or will-o'-wisps, only to be spirited away. Was this what was happening to him? Was he walking towards his death?

No, he would not think about that. He would face whatever would come and reunite with his friends, then they would take out ShadowSeraphimon together.

The Bakemon at the top of the stairs vanished as he reached it, bursting into a large room fit for royalty. A blinding light shined down from up above, and MagnaAngemon held up his hand to block out the light as he braced himself for an attack. Was this the plan, to blind him and then unleash a surprise attack?

"I bid you welcome, MagnaAngemon. You've finally made it."

The angel Digimon squinted. Looking across the room, he could make out ShadowSeraphimon sitting on a throne that seemed to be made of crystal. He couldn't tell due to the fallen angel Digimon's face being hidden behind his helmet, but judging from his lazy posture, he seemed rather bored. That greatly irritated MagnaAngemon, it was as if ShadowSeraphimon considered him and his friends as an insignificant waste of his time.

ShadowSeraphimon regarded the angel Digimon curiously. "What troubles you? Is the light too bright? Allow me to fix that."

He snapped his fingers, and the light dimmed considerably as the source slowly lowered from the ceiling. MagnaAngemon gasped as he saw his friends trapped in a cage of light. "Guys, what happened?"

"Sorry, MagnaAngemon," Takato told him. "He was just too strong for us."

"I could have taken him," Davis insisted. "He just got lucky."

Shoutmon was sitting with his arms crossed, looking putout. "I didn't even get to fight; the Bakemon just took me here right away."

MagnaAngemon turned back to ShadowSeraphimon, his fears from earlier confirmed. "You're a coward. You know you couldn't beat us head on, so you separated us and attacked us individually."

ShadowSeraphimon cocked his head to the side. "A coward, you say? Why? Because I was not foolish enough to take on all my enemies at once? There is a fine line between fighting strategically and fighting cowardly. I could argue that it is you humans who are cowards for only going into battle when you're with your comrades and can outnumber your opponent."

MagnaAngemon pointed his sword at him. "I'm here now, aren't I?"

"Indeed you are. And you are the last obstacles in my way." He stood up. "Don't be thinking that I'll be taking you prisoner like the others. It is now time for punishment."

Tai glared down at him. "What do you mean, 'punishment'?"

The fallen angel Digimon glanced at him. "Why, the only reason you and your friends are still alive. I'm going to make an example out of you, humans. Your punishment for your defiance is to watch your friends die one after another." He turned back to MagnaAngemon. "Starting with you."

He flew across the room and threw a punch. MagnaAngemon launched himself into the air with his Magna Jump to avoid the hit, and ShadowSeraphimon fist struck the floor, cracking it apart. He attacked with his Judgment Slash, but ShadowSeraphimon caught his blade without even glancing at him, and threw him into the wall.

"MagnaAngemon, be careful!" Takuya cried. "He's very strong."

The angel Digimon groaned. "Thanks for the warning."

"You will need far more than a warning," ShadowSeraphimon replied. "Shadow Shockwave!"

"Shield and Counter!"

The shockwave hit MagnaAngemon, pushing him back, the wall cracking behind him, yet he managed to hold back the attack and send it back at the fallen angel Digimon. ShadowSeraphimon was blasted back by his own attack, crashing into his crystal throne, causing it to crumble beneath him.

The teens cheered from their prison as MagnaAngemon peeled himself off the wall. ShadowSeraphimon rose to his feet, dusting himself off calmly. "Impressive, but it's not enough. Shadow Starburst!"

He sent out a bolt of lightning. MagnaAngemon tried to counter it again, but only managed to block this time. ShadowSeraphimon sped towards him, throwing a punch. MagnaAngemon moved his head to the side, and ShadowSeraphimon's fist burst through the wall beside his head. He punched with his other hand, only hitting the wall once more, but this time caging MagnaAngemon between his arms. His knee came up, slamming into the angel Digimon's chest, and he burst through the wall.

"MagnaAngemon, no!" Kari shouted.

The angel Digimon sat up, feeling as if his ribs were broken. ShadowSeraphimon walked through the hole in the wall and stood over him. MagnaAngemon stabbed forward with his Excalibur's Grace, but ShadowSeraphimon smacked his blade aside and grabbed his arm. His other hand shot out, grabbing MagnaAngemon by the back of his neck, the pain in his chest exploding; yes, his ribs were definitely broken.

"Lets go back inside," the fallen angel Digimon mocked. "I want your friends to see this."

Rather than throwing him through the hole in the wall that was already there, he slammed him into solid marble, and the angel Digimon went crashing back into the room. ShadowSeraphimon stepped in after him as MagnaAngemon stumbled to his feet. "Soul Vanisher!"

The blades of energy flew at the fallen angel Digimon, but ShadowSeraphimon easily smacked them away. "Your attacks are pathetic. My power far outstrips you own."

Breathing heavily, MagnaAngemon used his Excali-burst, powering up his blade to twice its size and length. He charged at ShadowSeraphimon with his Flying Sword of Justice, but ShadowSeraphimon maneuvered around his attempts to slash him.

"This is futile," the fallen angel Digimon told him as he continued to dodge MagnaAngemon's sword. "If your Mega level friends could not defeat me, what makes you think that you, an Ultimate can? Shadow Shockwave!"

MagnaAngemon went flying backwards. ShadowSeraphimon followed up with his Strike of the Seven Dark Stars. Gasping, MagnaAngemon spun around and traced a circle, disappearing into his Great Golden Gate, ShadowSeraphimon's attack blasting the gate apart when the seven dark energy balls hit. He reappeared behind the fallen angel Digimon, drawing another circle as he emerged from his portal. "Heaven's Gate!"

ShadowSeraphimon glanced over his shoulder just as the beam burst forth. It hit him in the back, taking him off his feet, and slammed him against the wall as the continuous golden beam of energy flowed from the gate.

"Great shot!" Tai shouted.

"That'll teach him," Davis added.

The beam died out, and ShadowSeraphimon remained pressed against the wall, his back smoking. It didn't last long as he turned to face MagnaAngemon once again. "Not bad, for a human."

He flew towards the angel Digimon, punching him square in the face. MagnaAngemon was knocked off his feet, but before he even hit the ground, ShadowSeraphimon moved behind him. Grabbing the angel Digimon, he brought him down over his knee, and a sickening crack was heard as his back was broken, his friends crying out for him.

ShadowSeraphimon dropped him to the ground and stood over him, victorious. "It is done. Your last hope has failed you." He looked to the caged teens, his gaze landing on Kari. "Tell me, girl, was this not the one you said would defeat me? Now he lay broken at my feet."

With tears in her eyes, Kari shook her head. "He will beat you! He will!"

ShadowSeraphimon humphed. "A foolish attempt to cling to hope."

He suddenly felt a hand wrap around his ankle, and looked down to see MagnaAngemon trying to move. "I… will… beat… you…"

An irritated growl escaped the fallen angel Digimon, and he kicked MagnaAngemon away from him. "You truly are a hopeless fool. You never stood a chance to defeat me, and I'll tell you why. Once upon a time, I too was a MagnaAngemon."

There were shocked gasps from the teens and an annoyed growl from Shoutmon, who already knew this. MagnaAngemon would have gasped in surprise too if he weren't in so much pain.

"That's right," ShadowSeraphimon continued. "I was once an angel Digimon of the light as well. That is, until I got a taste of the exquisiteness of the darkness, and all the power it offers." He pointed at MagnaAngemon. "That is why you could never defeat me. I am you, only stronger. I am the Dark Digivolution of MagnaAngemon."

He said this as if he were proud of it. The pride in his voice really irked MagnaAngemon, as did the knowledge that his own DigiCode also possessed the data for such a Digivolution. "You lost you way," he grunted, pushing aside the pain. "But I won't lose mine. Nor will I lose to someone who was too weak to resist the temptations of the darkness. Heaven's Heal!"

There was a blinding pain in his back and chest as his ribs and spine healed along with his other injuries. The relief he felt afterwards was well worth it, as was the amount of energy he had used to heal himself.

ShadowSeraphimon cocked his head to the side as MagnaAngemon got to his feet. "Still you resist? Very well. I must sufficiently break your spirit in order to teach you a lesson."

"No, I'm going to teach you a lesson. Excali-burst!" His blade powered up. "Magna Jump!" A blast of holy energy sent him flying towards ShadowSeraphimon. Excalibur's Grace!"

He stabbed forward, his powered up sword aiming for ShadowSeraphimon's black heart. The fallen angel Digimon remained where he was until, at the last possible moment, he sidestepped out of the blade's path. He raised his arm and brought his elbow down hard on top of MagnaAngemon's head, denting his helmet.

MagnaAngemon hit the ground hard enough to crack it, and ShadowSeraphimon's foot shot out, slamming into the angel Digimon's side, sending him flying.

"Strike of the Seven Dark Stars!" The dark energy balls flew at MagnaAngemon. He defended with his Shield and Counter, but it did little to help as the attack struck and he hit the ground hard. ShadowSeraphimon just humphed. "Was that your last ditch effort to stop me? Pathetic."

MagnaAngemon struggled to his feet, his head pounding and body aching. "No, this is. Gate of Destiny!"

He didn't like using this attack, condemning someone to the space between worlds, but he didn't have a choice, and if anyone deserved it, it was ShadowSeraphimon. Tracing the circle to create the portal, the golden gate appeared. Opening, it began sucking ShadowSeraphimon into oblivion.

The fallen angel Digimon was lifted off his feet as he was sucked towards the portal. "I see, so you're resorting to this. Do you really think I will allow you to seal me away? Testament!"

An explosion of dark energy erupted. It flowed over the golden gate, destroying it, consuming MagnaAnegmon as well.

"TK!" Kari shouted. She had been on the receiving end of that attack, and knew how devastatingly powerful it was.

When the dust finally settled, most of the walls had been completely blown out. MagnaAngemon lay on the ground, unmoving, any amount of healing he had performed completely undone, the blade of energy on his wrist flickering out.

"I guess that ends it," said ShadowSeraphimon. He walked over to the collapsed angel Digimon as the captured teens shouted insults and threats at him. "I trust you have learned your lesson. If you apologize, I'll give you a swift death."

Struggling to lift his head, MagnaAngemon reached for him, and not in an attempt to ask for help. "I… will… defeat you…"

ShadowSeraphimon's fists clenched and he stomped down on the angel Digimon's back. "You really are a glutton for punishment, aren't you?"

"I will… defeat you…"

"No," ShadowSeraphimon snarled, stomping down again and again. "You want to defeat me. You need to defeat me. But you can't. You can't always get what you want. You're not strong enough for that, and you can't do what's not in your power."

"I… will… defeat… you…"

A low growl escaped the fallen angel Digimon and he stopped stomping on him. "You never learn, do you?" He turned away. "I was going to finish you off first, but now you've pissed me off. I think I'll make you watch as I kill your friends first. Perhaps that will finally break your spirit."

He began walking towards the cage of light. MagnaAngemon reached out towards him. "No…"

"You brought this upon yourself," ShadowSeraphimon told him, not even looking back. "You should have known you were out of your league."

He continued towards the cage when he heard something unexpected. "MagnaAngemon Mega Digivolve to…" He stopped and glanced over his shoulder. MagnaAngemon had somehow managed to climb to his feet. "MagnaAngemon Mega Digivolve to…"

"What's this now?" ShadowSeraphimon inquired.

"MagnaAngemon Mega Digivolve to…"

The fallen angel Digimon turned back to him. "Are you actually trying to Digivolve?"

"Shoutmon told us," said MagnaAngemon, "that we had the power. That the power was inside us. I'm going to prove him right. MagnaAngemon Mega Digivolve to…"

ShadowSeraphimon humphed. "Foolish human, you're more ignorant than I thought. That's not how Digivolution works. You can't simply Digivolve at will. I would have thought you would have at least known that much."

"MagnaAngemon Mega Digivolve to…"

The fallen angel Digimon turned back to the cage. "Well, while you futilely try to Digivolve, I'll be busy slaughtering you friends." He reached for the cage. "I think start with your pretty little girlfriend."

The teens in the cage moved as far away from him as they could, but they had nowhere to go. ShadowSeraphimon's hand had grabbed the door when a light brighter than that of the cage illuminated behind him, drawing his attention. "What now?"

"MagnaAngemon Mega Digivolve to… Seraphimon!"

All gazes shifted to the light source as it faded away. A Digimon similar in appearance to ShadowSeraphimon stood in all his glory. An angel warrior with ten golden wings, clad in silver, gold, and blue armor, was now in the place of MagnaAngemon. He nearly mirrored the fallen angel Digimon in appearance, only he was angelic where ShadowSeraphimon was demonic, the markings and color of his armor being different, his wings being those of an angel while ShadowSeraphimon's were those of a bat.

"Incredible," Tai awed. "He really did it."

Takuya patted Shoutmon on the head. "It looks like you really were right."

"TK, you're amazing!" Kari called. "I mean, Seraphimon."

Takato looked at his Digivice. "Lets see. Seraphimon, Mega level, special attack Strike of the Seven Stars. Whoa, it says he hold the highest ranking of all the angel Digimon, and holds authority over all of them. Along with Ophanimon and Cherubimon, he's one of the three Celestial Angels, and the angel Digimon closest to the Digimon God, who's the executor of his laws." He whistled. "That's quite a resume."

ShadowSeraphimon took a step back. "This can't be. No one can Digivolve just like that. It took me several millennia to reach the Mega level. How did you achieve this!?"

Seraphimon placed a hand over his heart. "The power was in me all the time," he said, speaking in a grand majestic voice that radiated power and authority. "Shoutmon was right. You Digimon need to absorb large amounts of data to grow stronger and unlock your Digivolutions, but we humans have another power that we draw our strength from in order to Digivolve. What you see is a result of that power."

ShadowSeraphimon humphed. "It doesn't matter. My power still surpasses that of yours. I possess all your holy power infused with the darkness. And I've been a Mega far longer than you."

This didn't seem to bother Seraphimon in the least. "Perhaps, but you've been fighting for quite a while now, haven't you? You may have beaten my friends, but taking on five Megas must have worn you down." He pointed at him. "Don't think I haven't noticed it, you're running out of steam. I think I have more than a fair chance now."

The fallen angel Digimon laughed. "I'm afraid that goes both ways, boy. You may have Digivolved, but how much power do you have left after the punishment I delivered?"

Seraphimon looked at his hands, then back at ShadowSeraphimon. "I don't know. I actually feel pretty good right now. There's no pain or exhaustion at all. Perhaps Digivolving brought me back to full strength. I don't know, there's still so much to all this that I don't understand."

"I see," ShadowSeraphimon replied. "So this is what you think it comes down to, the full powered novice versus the exhausted expert."

"Something like that."

"Then lets test your theory and see who comes out on top. Shadow Starburst!"

"Hallowed Knuckle!"

Seraphimon punched forward, launching a ball of light from his fist as ShadowSeraphimon fired a bolt of lightning. The two attacks collided and exploded. ShadowSeraphimon leapt over the cloud of smoke and flew down towards the angel Digimon. Seraphimon dodged and ShadowSeraphimon's fist cracked the marble floor apart.

"Heaven's Kick!" Seraphimon cried, kicking at him while fueling his leg with holy energy.

ShadowSeraphimon caught his leg and began spinning him around. He let go and flew after him, delivering his own kick that sent the angel Digimon towards the ceiling. ShadowSeraphimon flew up and grabbed him before he even hit the ceiling. "Shadow Starburst!"

Electricity flowed through his body and into Seraphimon, causing the angel Digimon to cry out. He grit his teeth against the pain and summoned forth his own power "Hallowed Ascension!"

Bolts of lightning rained down from the sky and struck ShadowSeraphimon. Crying out, he released the angel Digimon as he was filled with electricity that was not his own. Seraphimon whirled around and threw a punch while simultaneously using his Hallowed Knuckle, sending him crashing to the ground.

"Strike of the Seven Stars!" Seraphimon cried. An attack similar to ShadowSeraphimon signature move manifested, the seven balls of holy energy appearing in front of him, six in a circle, one in the middle, and launched at the fallen angel Digimon.

ShadowSeraphimon looked up as the attack came at him, but didn't have time to avoid it, and a good portion of the floor was blown apart as the seven energy balls hit. The teens cheered as Seraphimon came in for a landing and waited to see what would happen next.

ShadowSeraphimon flew out of the hole, glaring at Seraphimon from behind his helmet. "Now you're really beginning to irritate me."

He flew at the angel Digimon, throwing a punch. Seraphimon's hand caught his fist, but he was pushed back until he hit the wall. Still, he managed to hold back the punch, and he slowly pushed ShadowSeraphimon back.

"Impudent brat!" ShadowSeraphimon snarled, throwing another punch. Seraphimon dodged, and his own fist collided into ShadowSeraphimon's head. The two began exchanging physical blows, not even bothering to use their attacks as the battle was reduced to a street fight.

"Wow," said Takato, thoroughly impressed as he watched the two of them go at it. "I didn't know TK had it in him to fight like that."

Kari just smiled. "He's always full of surprises."

Davis glanced at her, then looked away, fuming. "I could fight like that too…"

"Enough!" ShadowSeraphimon roared, sending out a Shadow Shockwave that sent Seraphimon skidding backwards.

Having held up his arms to defend against the attack, Seraphimon slowly lowered them and said almost arrogantly. "You really must be running out of gas."

A growl escaped the fallen angel Digimon. "Then I best end this quickly. Testament!"

Dark energy exploded outward, flying towards Seraphimon. Having felt the devastatingly destructive power of that attack before, he was in no hurry to experience it again. "Hallowed Knuckle!"

A ball of light shot out of his hands and collided with the exploding sphere of darkness. The spreading blast of dark energy slowed, the area where the electrified holy orb was pushing against, bending inward. But it wasn't enough, and the blast began to pick up speed once again.

"You can't stop this attack!" ShadowSeraphimon declared. "You will die!"

Seraphimon held his ground. "Not yet. Justice Genome!"

The strength of his Light attacks grew, and the ball of light doubled in size and power. It penetrated the blast of dark energy, striking ShadowSeraphimon in the middle of the dome. The dark explosion dissipated as the fallen angel Digimon dropped to the ground. He didn't stay down long though, and his clawed fingers dug into the marble floor, leaving deep grooves.

"This cannot be," he seethed, climbing to his feet. "I cannot fall here, not after all this. Not to a human."

"I put my faith in the light," Seraphimon told him. "You put your faith in the darkness. But no matter how deep the darkness, even the smallest flicker of light will illuminate the darkness."

ShadowSeraphimon humphed. "I'll show you the power of the darkness. Strike of the Seven Dark Stars!"

"Strike of the Seven Stars!"

Fourteen balls of energy, seven dark, seven holy, flew towards one another, colliding. They sent out a powerful shockwave, coming to a stalemate in the air. Bolts of dark and holy energy flew from the collision points, the entire room shaking from the two opposing forces. Seraphimon and ShadowSeraphimon pushed harder, but neither attack overpowered the other, the energy intensifying.

A mighty blast finally erupted from the attacks, and the entire castle cracked apart as if a mighty earthquake were tearing threw it. ShadowSeraphimon held up his hand as pieces of debris flew against him, and he strained his eyes to see through the cloud of smoke as the floor completely collapsed beneath him. "This farce has gone on long enough. It's time to end this."

Seraphimon suddenly came flying towards him through the cloud of smoke. "Yes, it is. Excalibur!"

A sword of pure energy burst from his hand and he stabbed forward. The blade stabbed into ShadowSeraphimon's stomach piercing through his armor, and bursting through his back. The two Digimon hovered in the air over the dark chasm that had opened up beneath them, ShadowSeraphimon held up by Seraphimon's blade.

"Impossible…" he wheezed.

He slowly reached out, his hand grasping the face portion of Seraphimon's helmet. The angel Digimon dissipated his energy blade, and ShadowSeraphimon fell, dropping into the split that ran down his castle and disappearing into the darkness below.

Seraphimon hovered in the air, staring down into the darkness below before finally turning his attention to his friends and flying over to them. "Are you guys ok?"

"Are we ok?" Takato replied. "Are you ok?"

"Of course he is!" Davis cried. "Didn't you see what happened? He totally whooped ShadowSeraphimon!" He grinned broadly. "You had us worried in the beginning though, but you came through in the end."

"You were amazing," Kari awed. She reached through the cage of light, touching the angel Digimon's helmet with her fingertip, causing a blush to appear on her cheeks. "Wow."

Seraphimon's much larger hand came up to grasp hers. "I couldn't have done it without you guys. You all weakened him enough for me to defeat him."

"I guess even when we're apart, we're still a team," said Takuya. "Think you can get us out of here?"

Seraphimon examined the cage of light. "Not quite sure how to do this, but I'll give it a shot. Excalibur!"

The energy sword formed around his hand again, and he swiped at one of the strands of light the cage was hanging from. The strand bent inward, but did not break, and Seraphimon examined the cage some more. "That didn't work. Lets try this. Heaven's Kick!"

He kicked the cage, and it rattled about, shaking the teens on the inside, yet the cage remained intact. With dizzy swirls in his eyes, Shoutmon waved his hand. "Stop! Stop! We're not going to get anywhere like this."

"I'm open to suggestions," the angel Digimon replied.

Shoutmon looked around the cage, and finally pointed at a place where there was a gap, as if one of the bars was missing. "There. I thought I saw one of the bars vanish. It happened when the room started to crack apart. Yes, look there." He pointed at the area above them. It was a dome made entire out of crystals pieced together. The strands of light that made up the cage seemed to be coming from different crystals. And one of them was cracked.

"I see it," Seraphimon replied. He punched another crystal, and the strand coming from it flickered out. "That's working."

He proceeded to destroy the crystals until enough strands and bars of light were gone to allow the teens and Shoutmon to climb out of the cage of light. They all gathered around Seraphimon, cheering, and Kari hugged the angel Digimon's leg. "We're all back together."

"And all the obstacles in our way are gone," Takato pointed out. "We now have a clear road to Cherubimon's castle."

"Not quite," Tai reminded him. "We've still got to find the two halves of the Kogamon and Ninjamon scrolls."

Davis snapped his fingers. "Darn, I knew we were forgetting something."

Takuya looked around. "But this is a big castle. There's no telling where ShadowSeraphimon hid them. We could be searching for a very long time."

"Maybe Soulmon or one of the Bakemon knows where they are," Kari suggested.

Tai's face lit up. "Hey, yeah, good plan. Seraphimon, you think you can find one of them?"

The angel Digimon cracked his knuckles. "It'll be my pleasure."

They headed for the door, or what was left of it anyway, as several portions of the walls had come down. Seraphimon was in the lead, just in case any of the Bakemon decided to do a sneak attack on them. Instead, much to everyone's surprise, he barely stepped onto the stairs when the ground literally exploded beneath him.

Seraphimon and the teens were thrown backwards from the blast, but were relatively unharmed for the most part. Dazed, Davis sat and looked around. "What was that?"

Another explosion went off beneath them, sending them flying, followed by another as something burst through the floor and blasted against the ceiling.

"What is this?" Tai demanded. "Are the Bakemon attacking?"

Another blast went off, this one a distance from them, leaving the group unharmed. "This isn't the Bakemon," Shoutmon replied. "Bakemon don't have explosive attacks."

"Then what about-"

"Soulmon doesn't either."

Another explosion went off, and the entire castle began to rumble, the floor cracking apart further as pieces of the ceiling came tumbling down. "Then what's going on?" Takato cried. "Are these bombs going off? Was the castle booby-trapped, or rigged to blow if we won?"

Shoutmon shook his head. "I don't think so."

Another blast, and the source of the explosion flew up towards the ceiling before blasting through that as well. This time though, Shoutmon managed to get a good look at it. The explosion was caused by a familiar attack of six dark energy balls aligned in a circle with a seventh in the middle. "I know that attack…"

"So do I," Seraphimon replied. "That's ShadowSeraphimon's Strike of the Seven Dark Stars. He's still alive!"

Another blast shook the castle, and the entire structure shook as it began to collapse in on itself. Kari wobbled, trying to keep her balance as the ground shook violently. "Is he trying to bring down the entire castle?"

"I think that's exactly what he's trying to do," Shoutmon replied. "He knows he can't beat us anymore, so he's trying to crush us, even if it means he'll die too."

Unable to keep his balance, Takuya fell over. "What a sore loser." He looked up as a shadow fell over him and rolled aside moments before a large chunk of the ceiling hit the ground where he had been.

"He's firing blindly right now," Shoutmon continued. "But it won't matter if he brings down the castle." He glanced at his friends. "Seraphimon will most likely survive, ShadowSeraphimon too for that matter, but the rest of us are sunk."

"No!" the angel Digimon cried as another Strike of the Seven Dark Stars blew apart the floor. He flew over to the crevice ShadowSeraphimon had fallen into, but it was impossible to see anything down there. Not, it seemed, impossible for anyone inside looking up. The next Strike of the Seven Dark Stars came right at him. He moved back, and the attack missed, but another one came, blowing apart the ground beneath Seraphimon.

"Do you see him?" Tai asked.

Seraphimon peaked over the edge, and another Strike of the Seven Dark Stars, hitting from below, knocked him back from the shockwave. "Can't see anything down there. I'd just be taking shots in the dark, and end up helping him to bring down the castle."

Another explosion, this one directly beneath him, sent the angel Digimon flying. Shoutmon growled and threw a glare at the crevice. Taking a deep breath, he ran towards the crevice and leapt out over the dark abyss, much to Seraphimon's horror. "Shoutmon, don't!"

"Fiery Fastball!" He threw a fireball in his best estimated guess as to where ShadowSeraphimon might be based on where the attacks were coming from. He was, predictably, off target, but the fire his attack left behind provided just enough light to make out the fallen angel Digimon's outline in the darkness far down below.

Grabbing onto the ledge of the other side of the crevice, Shoutmon looked down into the darkness, barely making out the fallen angel Digimon. "There he is!"

"Strike of the Seven Dark Stars!" ShadowSeraphimon cried, firing at the dragon Digimon.

"No!" Seraphimon shouted, flying out over the crevice. "Strike of the Seven Stars!"

The two attacks came at each other. The energy balls in the middle met and erupted, but the remaining six passed by the spaces between the opposing six and sped towards their targets. Seraphimon grabbed Shoutmon and pulled up as ShadowSeraphimon's attack hit the area a moment later, the force of the blast sending the two Digimon crashing into what was left of the wall, but leaving them relatively unharmed.

The remaining six energy balls of Seraphimon's attack flew down towards ShadowSeraphimon. The fallen angel Digimon bellowed with rage as the attack came at him. The explosion blasted apart a good portion of the remaining support for the upper part of the castle, and ShadowSeraphimon's cry mixed with the sound of the blast before he was finally silenced for good.

Up above, the tower shook worse than ever before it finally collapsed. As the structure crumbled, the teens cried out as they rose into the air while the tower dropped. Seraphimon flew towards them and gathered them in his arms. Firing a Hallowed Knuckle at the ceiling, he broke through layer after layer until they finally burst outside.

The tower continued to collapse, falling onto the rest of the castle, causing it to crumble apart as well. The rumbling and shaking finally stopped as ShadowSeraphimon's castle fell to ruin. Seraphimon and his friends hovered in the air over the destruction, staring down at the remains of what had once been a magnificent palace.

"I guess it's official," said Tai. "ShadowSeraphimon's reign of terror is finally over."

"I'll say," Seraphimon agreed, and went in for a landing. He set the others down and reverted back to his human form as they stared at the destroyed castle. "I can't believe things came to this."

"I know," Takato agreed. "I thought we were done for."

"But what about the Bakemon?" Kari exclaimed. "And Soulmon?"

Shoutmon glared at her. "What are you worried about them for? They were working for ShadowSeraphimon." He looked back at the remains of the castle. "They probably high-tailed it out of there when the castle started coming down. I doubt they'll be a problem."

Takuya cleared his throat. "Um, guys, not to be the bearer of bad news, but we have another problem. A big problem." He pointed at the rubble. "How exactly are we going to find the Kogamon and Ninjamon scrolls in that mess?"

The others sweat-dropped as they realized he was right. "It'll take years, maybe even decades, to go through all that," said Tai, "and we still might not find them. Hell, they were probably torn to shreds."

They looked to Shoutmon for what they should do. The dragon Digimon stared at the mess for a few moments before sighing. "Just forget them. Maybe it's best if they stay lost, or even destroyed. That way no one can use them for evil. I'll go back to the Kogamon and Ninjamon and explain what happened. If they want to come out of here and shift through all this rubble, they can. As for me, I've got something far more important to do."

TK glanced at him curiously. "What's that?"

The dragon Digimon flashed him a smile. "Why, taking you guys to meet Cherubimon, of course." He thrust his thumb behind him. "It won't be long now. At the speed we move, I'd say we'll get to his castle in about two weeks."

Kari clapped her hands together. "Two weeks? Really? We could be there in just two more weeks?"

There was excited chatter amongst the teens as they realized that getting home was nearly in their grasp. And now there was no longer anyone trying to stop them. Finally, after a long hard journey, they could return to their world.

Shoutmon smiled up at them. "Come on, it's high time I got you guys home."

 

Notes:

(A/N: It's over. ShadowSeraphim on has been defeated, and it appears that the scrolls are lost forever. What more, there are only a couple weeks journey from Cherubimon's castle. It seems like things are finally beginning to wrap up. Or are they? Who knows what kind of trouble our heroes will get into? At least they're all Megas now. Yeah, yeah, I know it was predictable that MagnaAngemon Digivolved to Seraphimon, but I think it worked well. Stay tuned to see how things go when our heroes finally make it to Cherubimon's castle.)

Seraphimon's Attacks:

Strike of the Seven Stars – Fires seven super-heated orbs of holy energy.

Hallowed Knuckle – Punches to send out an electric orb of light from his fist.

Hallowed Ascension – Calls down powerful boys of divine lightning.

Rising Halo – Sacrifices himself to convert his life energy into a blast equal to that of a Big Bang.

Excalibur – Generates a sword of holy energy from his right hand.

Justice Genome – Increases the power of his Light type attacks.

Perfect Revival – Shines holy light to heal others.

Final Heal – Creates a holy of light to heal himself.

Heaven's Kick – Delivers a powerful kick.

Seven's Wing – effects unknown

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Seraphimon

Chapter 82: No Digivolving Zone

Notes:

(A/N: Alright! I'm on a roll with lengthy chapters lately. Three in a row, baby. Lets see if I can keep it up. This chapter title should give you a hint of what to expect. They'll also be a few surprise appearances.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 82: No Digivolving Zone

"Look, there it is!" Shoutmon exclaimed, pointing into the distance.

The teens emerged from the trees after having wandered through the woods, or forest, or jungle, or whatever for the past nine days. Now they were finally out, and had a clear view of the sky for the first time in over a week. There, upon the horizon, floating in the sky, was a bright red aurora borealis in the shape of a rose. According to Shoutmon, Cherubimon's castle was located directly under it. It was still a few days journey away, but their goal was finally, at long last, in sight.

"Whoa, that's amazing," Davis marveled.

"You were right, Shoutmon," TK told him. "The Rose Morning Star really is an appropriate name."

The dragon Digimon smiled. "Yeah, I never get tired of seeing it."

Tai chuckled. "I'll bet Cherubimon had to pay top dollar to get a home like this." He suddenly looked curious. "You know, I never asked, but what's he like?"

"Cherubimon? Amazing! He's wise and powerful. He's very compassionate, but don't cross him, or you'll find out that he has a pretty ruthless side that he reserves for his enemies." He motioned to TK and Kari. "Along with Seraphimon and Ophanimon, he's the last of the three Digimon that have earned the title of Celestial Angel." He looked back at the aurora, smiling. "It'll be good to see him again."

"And you're sure he can send us home?" Takato asked hopefully.

"There's a very good chance." He waved them over. "Come on, there's a village up ahead where we can spend the night. We'll set out again in the morning."

They continued for some time, each talking about what they would do once they got home. To no one's surprise, Davis proudly stated that he would stuff his face full of his favorite foods while watching his favorite shows on TV before sleeping for a week, and then finally waking up to play video games for the next week.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Shoutmon told him, "but it probably wouldn't surprise me if I did." He suddenly came to a stop, staring into the distance in disbelief. "No, it can't be."

He took off running without another word, ignoring the others when they called his name. The teens exchanged looks before running after him. They ran until Shoutmon came to a stop in front of an obelisk that seemed to be made of black marble. He stared at the structure, a notable hostile look on his face.

The teens came to a stop behind him, breathing heavily, and gave the dragon Digimon a confused look. "Shoutmon, what's going on?" TK asked. He looked at the obelisk. "What is this thing?"

Shoutmon's fists clenched. "A Control Spire. They come from the Dark Ocean. They're pure evil. What's it doing here?"

"It's not the only one," Davis told him. He pointed. "Look."

He was right, there were several of these Control Spires standing in random locations all around, and Shoutmon was not happy about them. "I don't get it. How could anyone let these things stand? They're normally destroyed by someone the moment they're discovered. So why are there so many, especially this close to Cherubimon's castle?"

"What's so bad about them?" Takato asked. He was getting a chilling feeling from the large black obelisk, but it seemed harmless.

"For one thing, they prevent Digimon from Digivolving past the Rookie level unless an outside source is used."

"What's that mean?" Tai asked.

"I explained that there were many different ways to Digivolve. Some of them require an alternate power source, but most are within a Digimon's own abilities." He nodded to the Control Spire. "These things prevent any Digimon from Digivolving on its own past the Rookie level. They'll even DeDigivolve Digimon at the Champion level and up if they fall within range of their power." He produced his mic. "I can't stand to look at this thing. Bellow Blaster!"

He attacked the Control Spire. It didn't take much damage, but he attacked repeatedly, chipping away at the structure until it finally collapsed. With the job done, Shoutmon humphed and dispersed his mic. "Wish I had the time to clean up all these stupid things. Seriously what's going on? We need to get to the bottom of this. Come on."

He marched towards the village, the teens hesitantly following as the destroyed Control Spire began dissolving into data. He apparently knew where he was going as he made his way towards one of the huts that made up the village. He stopped in front of the door and began pounding on it. "Open up! I demand answers!"

Takato sweat-dropped. "Wow, he's really ticked off."

The door opened and a Digimon that looked like a drum stuck its head out. "Oh, hello. Are you here for the job?"

Shoutmon puffed out his chest. "I have a job. I'm the Digimon King, and I want to know what's going on here."

Now TK sweat-dropped. "He's making that claim again."

Shoutmon motioned towards the teens. "These guys are my loyal servants. They work for me."

"Since when?" Davis objected.

The drum Digimon eyed them questioningly before returning his attention to Shoutmon. "If you're not here for the job, then you should probably leave. This isn't the best time for a visit. As you can see, we've got a Control Spire problem."

"Yes, I do see. That's what I'm asking about. Why are those things still standing, and why are there so many? You should have destroyed them the moment they started appearing. Why haven't you?"

The drum Digimon sighed and opened the door further. "I'll explain everything. Please, come inside."

Shoutmon humphed and held his head up high as he marched inside. "Thank you."

The teens followed. "Thank you."

"Yes, thanks."

"Appreciate it."

"Thank you, um…" Kari checked her Digivice. "Dondokomon."

The drum Digimon nodded as they entered the hut. Despite the simplicity and primitiveness of the outside, the inside was rather modern and luxurious. "You're not the first ones to arrive. We also have two more here that took the job."

"What job?" Tai asked.

Dondokomon raised an eyebrow. "Clearing out the Control Spires, of course." He led them into the next room. "These two have been here almost a week trying to get rid of them."

Sitting on the couch were two more Digimon stuffing their faces. The first resembled a little green robotic knight with red blades for hands and wheels for feet. The second was a gray-furred mammal of some kind with metal claws and a large magnifying glass attached to his big red helmet. They glanced up at the newcomers, and the latter raised a hand in greeting. "Yo!"

TK checked his Digivice. "Gatchmon. It says he's a species of Digimon called an Appmon. He's a Standard level search app Digimon. His special attack is Gatch Claw. With his Deep Search ability, he can mentally dive into the Net Ocean and gain information on almost anything in the Digital World." He looked at the green Digimon. "Navimon, also a Standard. His Navigation Arrow can target his opponent and fire explosive homing arrows. It says he's a Standard as well."

"What's that mean?" Davis asked, glancing over TK's shoulder at his Digivice.

Shoutmon gave him a look. "Do you not listen? I explained this months ago when we were on that stupid raft. Appmon refers to a group of Digimon that have the ability to AppFuse. It's a unique type of Digivolution that only they can do, but it's the only way they're capable of Digivolving at all. They're levels are the same as Rookie, Champion, Ultimate, and Mega, but we call them Standard, Super, Ultimate, and God levels."

Tai raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

The dragon Digimon shrugged. "Heck if I know. But the only way they can get to a higher level is if they AppFuse with another Appmon."

"Which is why we're here," Navimon explained. "We can get around the Control Spires' no Digivolving affects."

Shoutmon crossed his arms. "Then why are you guys in here stuffing your faces instead of being out there destroying them?"

"Lunch break," Gatchmon replied simply, shoving more food in his mouth. "We get free food and a place to stay while on the job." He gave them a curious look. "You guys here for the job too?"

Dondokomon glared at him. "Just so you know, if these guys get the job done, not only will they be the ones to get the reward, but you two will be charged for everything you got for free."

A spray of water flew from Navimon's mouth in surprise while Gatchmon somehow inhaled the entire apple he had been about to take a bite of. It got caught in his throat, and he began thumping his chest, somehow managing to swallow the fruit whole. "That's going to hurt coming out." He threw a glare at Dondokomon. "You never mentioned anything about that before."

The drum Digimon placed his hands over his hips. "Obviously we'll only be paying the ones who complete the job. You two have been here for a while, and the job still isn't done. If someone else beats you to it, then it's your own fault for being lazy."

Shoutmon cleared his throat. "Which brings me to my original question. Why are those Control Spires still standing? Even if you are stuck as Rookies, you should be able to clear them out. I brought one down myself already."

Dondokomon gave him a confused look. "You don't know? It was in the job description."

Takato raised his hand. "Um, we're not actually here for a job. We're just passing through to get to Cherubimon's castle."

Navimon motioned to them. "See, they're not here for a job. Problem solved."

"But we'd be happy to help," Kari added, earning a growl from the navi app Digimon.

Dondokomon glared at glared at Gatchmon and Navimon. "If you want to get to Cherubimon's castle, then we have the same problem. There's another Digimon here who keeps stopping us from destroying the Control Spires. He's also preventing anyone from going to Cherubimon's castle. In fact, that's why he and the Control Spires are here in the first place."

"But can't you just take care of him?" Takuya asked. "He should be stuck at the Rookie level too, so you should be about even."

"Ha!" Gatchmon laughed. "How little you know. This Digimon has a method of Digivolving that the Control Spires can't block." He pointed to himself. "That's why they need me and Navimon to save the day."

Davis placed his hands on his hips and puffed out his chest. "Not anymore. We're taking over this operation." He flashed his friends a grin. "I always wanted to say that."

The others sweat-dropped, and Tai turned to Dondokomon. "Yeah, we'll help you out. All we ask in return is some food and a place to spend the night. You can keep your reward."

"Done!" Dondokomon exclaimed. "Thank you so much!"

Gatchmon jumped up. "Now wait just a minute. We don't even know who or what these things are. How do we know we can trust them?"

"Oh, well, we're humans," Takato told him.

"And we can turn into super powerful Digimon," Davis added.

Gatchmon reached up and pulled his magnifying glass over his eye. "Humans, huh? I find that suspicious. I better look into this. Deep Search!" A few seconds passed as he searched for results. When didn't get any satisfactory results, a frown crossed his face and he removed his magnifying glass. "What gives? I found next to no information on humans."

"That's because we're from another world," TK told him.

Gatchmon scowled at that. "Well that's not fair. I can't look up information on that."

With a groan, Dondokomon looked at he teens pleadingly. "You see what I'm dealing with. If you can really help our village, then please, I beg you to do so."

Tai gave him a thumbs-up. "Not a problem. We'll go take care of this right now."

A tap on his shoulder drew his attention, and he turned to Takato. "Um, didn't we agree not to get involved in any more trouble?"

"Oh, come on!" Davis cried. "It's not like we're going out of our way or anything. This is just a minor obstacle we've got to take care of to get to Cherubimon's castle. We can handle it."

The drum Digimon's face lit up. "Great! Follow me."

He led the teens out of the hut, and Gatchmon immediately turned to Navimon. "Come on, we need to go after them."

His friend gave him a curious look. "Why? Just let them take care of it."

The social Digimon bopped him on the head. "Dummy, if they complete the job, then we won't get paid. Worse, we'll get charged."

Navimon's eyes widened. "Oh, right!" He leapt of the couch. "Lets go."

The two hurried outside and spotted the teens a short distance off. They quickly caught up to them as Dondokomon led them through the village to where there were more Control Spires. He pointed at the obelisks as he addressed the teens. "If you start attacking the Control Spires, he'll come."

"We can handle that," Gatchmon insisted. "Lets do this, Navimon. Gatch Claw!"

His claw began glowing as he struck the base of a Control Spire, cracking it. Navimon took aim and fired his Navigation Arrow, further damaging it. Shoutmon and Dondokomon joined in as well, unleashing their Fiery Fastball and Donodoko Rush, the latter sending out shockwaves.

The first Control Spire eventually fell, and they turned their attention to another one. They were about halfway through when an electric attack crossed paths with Shoutmon's Fiery Fastball with a cry of, "Super Shocker!"

"There he is!" Dondokomon cried, pointing. "He's the one who keeps attacking us."

The Digimon in question was an insect Digimon that resembled a red beetle. It didn't look overly threatening, and was no bigger than Shoutmon. "You guys again. I thought you learned your lesson."

Gatchmon smirked. "Then you're even dumber than you look. And I'm referring to you personally, not your species."

Takato checked his Digivice. "Tentomon, Rookie level, special attack Super Shocker." He gave the insect Digimon a curious look. "Wait, this is the guy that's been giving you such a hard time?"

Tentomon glanced at him. "And who are you supposed to be?"

Davis snorted, ignoring the question. "Dude, he's not so scary. Just break out the bug spray." He pointed. "Seriously, you should be able to take this guy out, no problem."

Tentomon's face didn't seem capable of expressing emotions, but it was clear that he was glaring. "Oh, you think so, do you? Well, I hope you're ready for this."

Something suddenly manifested in his insect-like limb, and he held it up for them to see. It was a red oval-shaped object with fire designs on it and a blade protruding from the side. Shoutmon growled in the back of his throat as he stared at it. "So that's how you're doing it."

Davis looked at him curiously. "Doing what? What is that thing? It looks cool."

"A Digimental. That's the Digi-Egg of Courage. They're incredibly rare objects in the Digital World that allow a Digimon to Armor Digivolve."

"And the Control Spires don't affect them," Dondokomon added. "That's why we haven't been able to get rid of these stupid things, 'cause he keeps using that dumb Digi-Egg to stop us."

"And I'll do it again," the insect Digimon replied, holding the Digimental up. "Behold. Digi-Armor Energize!"

The Digimental in his hand began glowing with the light Digivolution. Bands of Fractal Code flowed out of it and wrapped around the insect Digimon, and the light grew all the brighter, surrounding him. "Tentomon Armor Digivolve to… FlameWizardmon!"

The light vanished, and anything even remotely insect-like was absent from Tentomon's Armor Digivolution form. He looked more like a scarecrow dressed in red rather than a wizard, wielding a large match like a staff. He twirled the match around and smirked at them with lips that were sewn together.

Takato pointed at him. "Ok, that's more along the lines of what I was expecting."

FlameWizardmon chuckled, pointing his match at Dondokomon. "I've had enough of you bringing others in to try and ruin things. I think I'll burn down your little village and be done with you."

"We're not going to let that happen," Tai swore. "Ready guys?"

"Lets do it!" the others cried.

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Agumon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Veemon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Guilmon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Flamemon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Patamon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Salamon!"

They stood in battle formation, ready to fight the demon Digimon. Yet as the seconds ticked by, it soon became very apparent that something wasn't quite right. A bead of sweat ran down Veemon's head as he glanced nervously at the others. "Um, guys, does something feel a bit off to you?"

"Oh no!" Shoutmon cried. "I was afraid of this. The Control Spires are affecting your Spirit Evolution. They're not letting you go past your Rookie levels."

Salamon looked at herself, then at her friends. "How are we supposed to fight him like this? Some of us look more cuddly and cute than anything."

Patamon examined himself. "I guess I fall into that category."

"I think I'm more cool than cute," Guilmon commented.

FlameWizardmon roared with laughter. "Is this all? I thought you were going to stop me. You were so sure of yourselves a minute ago."

Flamemon stared at his hands. "Yeah, that was when we could access our Mega forms."

A chuckle escaped Navimon. "Looks like we're back in the game. You ready for this, Gatchmon?"

"Ready and willing, pal. Lets do it. App Link!"

A cable suddenly extended from Gatchmon's back and flew towards Navimon. Another came from Navimon's back as well, rushing out to meet Gatchmon's. The two ends came together and connected, pulling the cords tight.

"Gatchi!" Gatchmon exclaimed.

"Navi!" his partner cried.

The two began glowing as they continued chanting "Gatchi" and "Navi", speaking faster and faster until their chant sounded little more than one continuous, high-pitched screech. The connecting cables pulled the two Digimon together, and they collided, forming one glowing mass. "Three, two, one! Appli Fusion! Gatchmon plus Navimon!"

The egg-shaped mass of light burst open, and a new Digimon stood. It resembled a hybrid version of Gatchmon and Navimon wielding an energy blade, but there was something different about it. It was almost as if it had an extra dimension to it, like it was a 3-D CGI image in a 2-D world. And as the light faded away, the new Digimon cried out its name. "DoGatchmon!"

The DigiDestined stared at the new Digimon, baffled not only by this new form of Digivolution they had witnessed, but also by the result's unusual appearance. Veemon rubbed his eyes and took a second look. "Is it just me, or does he look really funky?"

"That was the AppFusion I mentioned," Shoutmon told them. "It's a type of Digivolution that only Appmon type Digimon can do, similar to DNA Digivolving."

"So he's at the Champion level now too?" Salamon asked.

The dragon Digimon wobbled his head. "In a way. This is the Super level, but yes, he's the equivalent of a Champion."

"Ha, ha!" DoGatchmon laughed, his voice a combination of Gatchmon and Navimon's. "There's no need to fear, DoGatchmon is here!"

Guilmon sweat-dropped. "Did he just quote Underdog?"

"I don't think they know who that is," Agumon replied, "but yes, he did."

DoGatchmon held his hand out to them. "You guys stay back. I'll deal with this fiend."

He charged towards FlameWizardmon, swinging his sword. FlameWizardmon smirked and raised his match, blocking the blade. He dragged his match along the length of DoGatchmon's blade, lighting the end in the process. He blew on the end, and a stream of fire flew outward as if from a flamethrower.

DoGatchmon leapt back, dodging the flames, then lunged at the demon Digimon again. Sword and match came together, the latter leaving a trail of fire in the air, and the two began exchanging blows.

"What is this now?" FlameWizardmon asked mockingly. "Like the fifth time we've fought? And I've forced you to retreat every time."

"Those days are over. This time I'm going to win. DoGatch Blade!"

He fired a blast of energy. FlameWizardmon jumped back and kicked off a Control Spire, launching at the search app Digimon. He swung his match, hitting DoGatchmon in the side of his head. DoGatchmon went down, and FlameWizardmon dropped down on top of him, pointing the end of his flaming match into his face. "As weak as ever. I think I'll burn a reminder of your sixth failure on your face."

"Go ahead. It'll be gone the next time I AppFuse."

A cruel smile spread across FlameWizardmon's face. "Then I'll just have to burn it again."

"Rock Breaker!"

FlameWizardmon glanced up and jumped back as Guilmon slashed at him. Agumon immediately used his Pepper Breath, breathing a fireball that the demon Digimon promptly knocked away.

"Vee Headbutt!" Veemon cried, leaping through the air and slamming head first into FlameWizardmon, knocking the wind out of him. With a growl, he brought his elbow down on the dragon Digimon, and Veemon hit the ground.

"Boom Bubble!" Patamon cried, inflating and letting out a burst of air. FlameWizardmon turned to him as the attack struck him from behind, and breathed a stream of fire at the mammal Digimon from his match.

As Patamon flew out of the flame's path, Salamon jumped up behind the demon Digimon and unleashed her Petty Punch, raining a rapid series of punches against his back. FlameWizardmon spun around, smacking her away. He glared at the DigiDestined as they stood in front of DoGatchmon, who was once again on his feet. "What is this? You Rookies dare to challenge me?"

"So what if we're Rookies?" Agumon asked. "Did you think we would just submit to you because you're stronger? We've fought guys more powerful than us before, and we've always come out on top."

"Strength in numbers," Patamon added. "We know that a Champion is stronger than numerous Rookies, but just how many can you take on at once before it becomes too much for you?"

FlameWizardmon held up his match. "More than you."

DoGatchmon took a step forward. "Heh. I'm really starting to like you guys."

"Glad you're warming up to us," said Flamemon. "Now lets turn the heat up on this guy some more. Flame Toss!"

He threw a fireball, but FlameWizardmon easily deflected it with his match. "You think you can hurt me with that puny flame? Fool. I'm the fire master here. Let me show you a real fire attack. Fire Cloud!"

A red cloud burst from his body, covering the area. Everything the cloud flowed over immediately burst into flames. The cloud came at the DigiDestined, but DoGatchmon cut through it with his Sonic Slash. It still left the entire area covered with fire, which FlameWizardmon seemed to find amusing. "You see, you're no match for my power."

"Bad guys talk too much," Veemon declared, and charged at the demon Digimon. "Gyral Punch!"

He swung his arms like windmills, rushing at the demon Digimon. FlameWizardmon simply raised an eyebrow and held out the unlit end of his match, pressing it against the dragon Digimon's head, lazily holding him back as Veemon continued to swing his fists. "You humans are so pathetic it's not even funny."

Salamon's eyes widened. "Hey, how did you know we're human? We never told you what we are."

Still holding back the fist swinging Veemon, FlameWizardmon glanced at her. "I've heard the stories. It's becoming pretty well-known what you humans are doing, and I must say, it's becoming a bit of a problem."

He pushed back with his match, and Veemon somersaulted backwards. Rubbing his head, he looked up at the demon Digimon. "Hey, it's not like we go looking for trouble; it just always seems to find us. It's rather annoying really."

"Yeah," Guilmon agreed. "We just want to get to Cherubimon's castle."

"No one is permitted to go near Cherubimon's castle," FlameWizardmon told them with a growl.

"Why not?" Shoutmon demanded from the sidelines.

"That's none of your concern. Or mine. I'm just here to make sure everyone stays away."

"Blah, blah, blah," DoGatchmon grumbled impatiently. "Enough talk, let's fight. Deep Dive!"

A portal that looked more like a puddle made of pixelated CGI water appeared. DoGatchmon jumped inside with a splash of Fractal Code droplets and the puddle vanished.

FlameWizardmon began looking around. "Diving into the Net Ocean won't help you."

Another puddle-like portal appeared behind him, and DoGatchmon burst out. "Sonic Slash!"

He swiped with his sword. FlameWizardmon held up his match to block, and DoGatchmon's blade cut it in half. Spinning around he kicked outward, knocking the demon Digimon back. Patamon and Salamon charged forward with their Petit Tackle and Sledge Dash, the two head-butting into his back. FlameWizardmon grunted before smirking as he reached back and grabbed the two mammal Digimon He slammed them together, then drove them into the ground, chuckling as he rubbed them into the rocky surface.

DoGatchmon flew at him, swiping his sword, but FlameWizardmon dodged and delivered an uppercut to the search app Digimon. Leaving Patamon and Salamon on the ground, he grabbed DoGatchmon's arm and threw him into Agumon as the reptile Digimon charged at him.

"Pyro Sphere!" Guilmon cried, firing a blast of pure plasma from his mouth. It exploded against the back of the demon Digimon's head, and he slowly turned to the reptile Digimon, smiling.

Speeding towards Guilmon, he punched him hard enough to knock him off his feet. Then Veemon was there, leaping onto FlameWizardmon's back, attempting to put him in a headlock. FlameWizardmon easily reached back and grasped the dragon Digimon's head, pulling him off. He held him out in front of him, looking amused, and Veemon retaliated with a Vee Punch to his jaw. This only served to knock the smirk off the demon Digimon's face, and he shot him a glare and began to squeeze. Veemon's eyes began to bug out as the pressure on his head increased. His arms dropped to his side and he went limp as his head was squeezed harder and harder.

"Baby Salamander!" Flamemon cried, an aura of fire appearing around his body that he launched at FlameWizardmon. The demon Digimon turned to him before the attack hit and held up his other hand, blocking the attack.

"Foolish human. You should know by now that you can't-"

"DoGatch Blaster!"

The demon Digimon was blasted off his feet by DoGatchmon's attack, dropping Veemon in the process. He turned his fall into a flip and landed on his feet, whirling around to face his attacker. DoGatchmon moved to stand by Flamemon as the other five Rookies joined them, Veemon clutching his head with dizzy swirls in his eyes.

FlameWizardmon humphed. "Alright then. The gloves are coming off." He produced a new match. "Its time to really turn up the heat."

He twirled his match, striking it against the ground in the process to light it, then charged at the group. They rushed out to meet him, DoGatchmon speeding ahead of the others. His sword and FlameWizardmon's match came together. They exchanged a few blows before FlameWizardmon's foot came up, kicking DoGatchmon away.

Flamemon reached him next, attacking with his Noble Heart attack, his body bursting into flames. FlameWizardmon easily knocked him away with his match, then used it to block Agumon's Claw Attack. Veemon flew at him with his Vee Headbutt, but FlameWizardmon's hand shot out, grabbing Veemon before he could land a blow, and slammed him into Agumon.

Guilmon came at him with his Quake-a-later, spinning as he flew through the air, his claws acting like drills. FlameWizardmon easily sidestepped him, kicking out as the reptile Digimon passed by, catching him in the side. A beam of holy energy fired from Salamon's Puppy Paw struck his shoulder, and he turned to the mammal Digimon. Patamon moved in front of her and began spinning around as he unleashed his Thousand Wind, firing blades of wind from his ear-wings. FlameWizardmon batted them away with his match before breathing on the flame at the end, shooting a stream of fire at the two mammal Digimon.

DoGatchmon came to their rescue, cutting through the flames with his sword as he flew at the demon Digimon. The two came together and once again began exchanging blows. The duel lasted a little longer this time before their sword and match came together again, the flaming end of the match ending up between their faces. FlameWizardmon blew on the flame, and a stream of fire flew into DoGatchmon's face. FlameWizardmon moved back and jammed the end of his match into search app Digimon's gut, making him double over, and then brought it down over his head, knocking him to the ground.

"Puppy Howling!" Salamon cried, and emitted a howl. FlameWizardmon pressed his hands over his ears as paralysis gripped him. The other DigiDestined remained behind Salamon so as not to be affected by her attack as they began bombarding FlameWizardmon with their own attacks.

"Enough!" the demon Digimon shouted, and unleashed his Fire Cloud. The others were blown away by the attack, their bodies covered in various burns. DoGatchmon, having been lying on the ground by FlameWizardmon's feet, had managed to avoid the attack, and began to rise. FlameWizardmon stood over him and brought the end of his match down on his back, knocking him back down and pinning him to the ground. "No more. It's time you stayed down."

On the sidelines, Shoutmon and Dondokomon looked on in concern. "It's not enough," the latter stated. "Even with your friends fighting, it's still not enough to beat him."

"You're right," the dragon Digimon agreed. "We have to help."

"But what can we do?"

"That depends on what you're willing to do," Shoutmon replied. He glanced at the drum Digimon, giving him a curious look. "Do you trust me enough to fight with me?"

Dondokomon looked at him. "Well, I guess. But what good would it do?"

"No, I mean, do you trust me enough to fight with me?"

It took a moment, but understanding soon appeared on Dondokomon's face. "You mean…?"

Shoutmon nodded. "It's the only option left. What do you say?"

Dondokomon looked back at the battle. FlameWizardmon was laughing as he continuously brought the end of his match down on DoGatchmon's back. "I guess I have no choice. We're dead otherwise. Ok, lets do it."

"Good call. Here we go. Shoutmon!"

"Dondokomon!"

"DigiFuse!"

Golden light engulfed the two of them in a manner similar to Digivolution. The two came together, Dondokomon's body breaking down into data and reforming around Shoutmon, transforming him. The end result was a Digimon that resembled a cross between the two, wielding two of Shoutmon's mics rather than Dondokomon's drumsticks. "DonShoutmon!"

Turning toFlameWizardmon, DonShoutmon used his Stick attack, throwing one of his mics. FlameWizardmon glanced at him just in time to have the mic hit him in the head, causing him to stumble back. DoGatchmon jumped to his feet and swiped at him with his sword, once again cutting his match in half.

FlameWizardmon looked down at his broken match in irritation. "Not again." He glared at DonShoutmon. "What's this now?"

The drum Digimon twirled around his mics and pointed one at him. "This is me doing what I should have from the beginning. Get ready, FlameWizardmon, 'cause no one hurts my friends and gets away with it."

"Shoutmon?" Salamon asked, climbing to her feet.

He winked at her. "Close, but not quite. I'm DonShoutmon now, the DigiFusion of Shoutmon and Dondokomon, here to provide my assistance."

"You DigiFused?" Guilmon asked. "Like Gatchmon and Navimon?"

"Not quite. DigiFusion is different from AppFusion. It's like a cross between DNA Digivolving and Armor Digivolving, where one or more Digimon become a body part, a weapon, or an accessory of another Digimon. Fusion forms don't really have levels, as there are various degrees of it, but my power is that of Shoutmon and Dondokomon's combine."

FlameWizardmon grumbled. "Everyone knows what DigiFusion is. It's not going to help you."

"We'll see about that. It's time to sound the drums of war. Manly-soul Random Drum!"

He began pounding his mics on the top of his drum-like head. Music notes flew out of his mics each time they struck his head. FlameWizardmon used the broken halves of his match to knock the music notes away, backing away as the notes kept coming. DoGatchmon flew towards him, attacking with his Sonic Slash, but the demon Digimon kept dodging the swipes.

DonShoutmon turned to his friends. "How's it going?"

Veemon winced as he touched one of his burns. "I've been better. We were hit pretty hard."

The drum Digimon smirked. "Lets see if I can help with that. Rowdy Drummer!"

He began rapidly banging his drum-head. Unlike his previous attack, which seemed completely random, this one contained an actual rhythm. It didn't seem to be doing anything at first, but as the beat continued, something began to rise up inside the DigiDestined. It could only be described as a desire to fight. No, more like an undeniable need to keep fighting, despite their burns.

"What's happening?" Guilmon asked as he climbed to his feet. "I feel… I feel…" A growl escaped him, his pupils shrinking to pinpricks.

DonShoutmon smirked. "Yes, that's it. Give in to your fighting instinct. Let the fire rise up inside you."

With a drive to fight filling them, the DigiDestined turned back to the battle between DoGatchmon and FlameWizardmon. "We can't quit now," said Flamemon. "We've come too far to fail. We've faced guys more powerful than we could possibly imagine. We can't let this small fry beat us."

"Lets finish this and go home," Agumon agreed. Clamping his mouth shut, he built up fire in his mouth, his entire head turning red. "Spitfire Blast!"

A massive fireball flew from his mouth. It exploded against FlameWizardmon, who stumbled backwards. "What was that?"

"Sonic Slash!"

The demon Digimon leapt back, but not before DoGatchmon's blade sliced his shirt open. "You'll pay for that."

"Body Blow Tackle!" Patamon cried, inflating himself and slamming into FlameWizardmon's head.

The demon Digimon's eyes rolled around from the impact, and he grabbed the mammal Digimon. "Why you-"

"Vee Shot!" Veemon cried, firing a burst of energy from his mouth. It struck FlameWizardmon in the face, and he grunted. Flamemon attacked next, striking the demon Digimon's arm with his Flame Tail, and he released Patamon.

"Breeze Blaster!" the mammal Digimon cried, spitting a cloud in his face, obscuring his vision.

"Petty Punch!" Salamon cried, leaping up and showering punches into his stomach.

FlameWizardmon's fist came down, knocking her to the ground. He raised his foot to stomp down in her, only to be hit in the forehead by DonShoutmon's mic as he used his Stick attack.

"Sharper Claw!" Agumon cried, slashing at FlameWizardmon as he rushed past him. Guilmon followed up with his Hazard Claw, trails of fire following his claws as they slashed him. Veemon charged forward next and jumped up to deliver a Vee Punch to his jaw, knocking him back.

"DoGatch Blaster!" DoGatchmon cried, firing an energy blast. The attack blasted FlameWizardmon off his feet, carrying him through the air, and he slammed into a Control Spire. The surface cracked behind him, and he remained stuck there.

DonShoutmon twirled around his mics. "Oh yeah! Now that's how it's done."

Groaning, FlameWizardmon looked down at them. "You fools," he whispered in resignation. "You have no idea what you're getting involved with. You're all dead."

DoGatchmon humphed. "Typical villain's final threat. I've had more than enough of you. Time to earn my pay. DoGatch Blaster!"

"Pepper Breath!"

"Vee Shot!"

"Pyro Sphere!"

"Flame Toss!"

"Boom Bubble!"

"Happy Paw!"

"Manly-soul Random Drum!"

The numerous attacks came at FlameWizardmon from different directions, striking at the same time. The blast cracked apart the Control Spire, and it collapsed, taking down FlameWizardmon with it. It hit the ground, and the demon Digimon cried out as he was flattened beneath it.

When the dust settled, FlameWizardmon's hand was all that could be seen of him, sticking out from beneath the fallen Control Spire. It twitched a few times before finally relaxing, then dissolved into data. The Control Spire followed, breaking down into data until it too disappeared completely. Only a small portion of red data lingered behind, and it came back together to form into the Digi-Egg of Courage, its host gone.

DoGatchmon tossed his sword in the air and caught it. "And that's how it's done! Job accomplished. I'll be taking my reward now."

DonShoutmon began glowing and separated back into Shoutmon and Dondokomon again. "Job accomplished nothing," the latter remarked. "You've already failed five times. It took these guys, plus me, to join you in battle in order for you to finally complete the job."

"Really, it was nothing," Patamon told him as he and the others resumed their human forms. "We're just happy to help. No reward required."

DoGatchmon split back into Gatchmon and Navimon. "There you go," the former replied. "They don't want the reward. That means more for us, right, pal?"

"You know it," Navimon, tapping Gatchmon's fist with his sword-hand in what served as a fist bump.

Dondokomon snorted. "You want your reward? Fine, but you're going to have to compensate for the work these humans and I did in battle. Had it not been for them, you most likely would not have survived." He looked around. "I say destroying all the rest of the Control Spires will be sufficient."

Gatchmon and Navimon gulped, looking at all the black obelisks. They went on for quite a ways, disappearing into the distance. "All of them?" Navimon asked uneasily.

"All of them."

Takato chuckled. "You gotta work if you wanna get paid."

Dondokomon turned to them. "Speaking of work, I can't believe you actually went to fight FlameWizardmon as Rookies. He could have killed you."

"Trust us," said Kari, "we've faced far worse odds."

The drum Digimon shook his head. "You humans are far braver than I could ever imagine. How could I possibly repay you?"

"Like we said," Takuya replied. "Just a room for the night, and something to eat. We're heading out first thing in the morning for Cherubimon's castle."

Shoutmon crossed his arms. "Yeah, maybe he could shed some light about why all these Control Spires showed up. Based on what FlameWizardmon said, the whole point was to try and prevent anyone from getting to Cherubimon's castle."

"But why?" Tai asked.

The dragon Digimon shook his head. "I don't know." He looked towards the Rose Morning Star. "But I don't like it. Something tells me there's something very bad going on."

 

Notes:

(A/N: They really can't catch break, can they? Even at the end of their journey, they run into trouble. Hopefully Shoutmon is right and Cherubimon will be able to shine some light on the situation. Then maybe our heroes will finally be able to return to their world. The time for answers is approaching, so stay tuned for more.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Dondokomon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Gatchmon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Navimon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Tentomon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/FlameWizardmon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/DoGatchmon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/DonShoutmon

Chapter 83: Destination Reached

Notes:

(A/N: Another long chapter. Sweet. But we are getting close to our heroes' destination, so chapters are going to be a bit longer. As you can tell from the chapter title, the DigiDestined are finally going to make it to Cherubimon's castle. Will they get the answers they seek? And what about the Control Spires they saw last chapter? Why were they there? Read on to find out, and be prepared for a surprise.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 83: Destination Reached

They had finally made it. At long last, after months and months of traveling and fighting, they had made it to Cherubimon's castle. High above, the Rose Morning Star shined brightly, bathing the castle in a magenta light, giving the land an air of mystery.

None of this meant anything to the teens. To them, this wasn't the home of a wise and powerful Digimon. It wasn't some tourist trap with a sight unlike anything they had ever seen before. It was the end of their journey, their ticket home, and it was the most beautiful thing they had ever seen.

"We're really here," Tai awed. "I can't believe it."

Davis had tears in his eyes. "I can't remember the last time I've been so happy."

TK nodded. "It was a long and hard journey, but we finally made it."

"I didn't think we would ever get here," said Takato. "Especially with all the battles we were in."

A chuckle escaped Shoutmon. "Yeah, we certainly did your fair share of fighting."

Takuya jokingly flicked the back of his head. "You hardly fought at all."

Rubbing the back of his head, the dragon Digimon glared at him. "What do you call the battle with FlameWizardmon?"

"Your first real contribution."

"Bah, everyone's a critic."

Kari chuckled. "That reminds me. When you fused with Dondokomon, you became DonShoutmon. Are all fusion forms just a combination of names?"

The dragon Digimon bobbed his head back and forth. "Only when two Digimon DigiFuse together. Anymore and it's genuinely a powered up version of the one who's the basis. In my case, if I DigiFuse with more than one Digimon, I would become Shoutmon X2, then Shoutmon X3, then X4, then X5, then-"

"Ok, we get it," Davis interrupted. "So why haven't you done any DigiFusion before? Like with Leomon or Beastmon? I remember you saying that it was your specialty."

Shoutmon nodded. "Yes, but it usually requires a great deal of trust. With me as the basis, anyone that DigiFuses with me will basically become an accessory while I control the body. They would be completely relying on me in the battle. Not everyone would trust their life with someone so completely like that."

"Then why don't you become the accessory and let the other person be the basis?" Takato asked.

The dragon Digimon snorted. "And trust my life to someone else? Fat chance. Besides, we don't really get to control how the fusion works. It just is the way it is."

Takuya suddenly clapped his hands to get their attention. "Uh, guys, are we going to stand around talking about this, or are we going home?"

"Yeah!" the others cheered, and took off in a run. They headed down the path that led towards the castle, getting closer and closer, laughing all the while. They could see the massively large double doors from where they were as the path curved.

They turned the corner, the entrance right before them, and came to a stop. Standing in front of the door was large Digimon. It was obviously a warrior of some kind, a type of cross between a knight and a samurai, and they looked very strong. Whoever they were, it was obvious that they were guarding the door.

"That's not Cherubimon, is it?" Takuya asked.

Shoutmon shook his head, looking confused. "No, that's Tactimon. What's he doing here?"

It was almost a reflex by now as Takato checked his Digivice. "Tactimon, Mega level. He possesses the Sword of Storms that contains enough power to split a star and cause it to collapse. Geez. Due to its power, he never actually draws it, but it still gives him a wide range of attacks. It's said that he's a master strategist, and that whenever he leads an army, the battle is over before it even begins."

Davis whistled. "Wow, that's really… Wow."

"Yeah, no kidding," Tai agreed. "That's some guard. Um, he is a guard, isn't he?"

Kari glanced at Shoutmon. "Why would Cherubimon have someone guarding the door? I thought he was an incredibly powerful Digimon that helps others."

The dragon Digimon shook his head. "Don't know. It's been a few hundred years since I've been here. I guess things have changed. Maybe it's related to the Control Spires appearing."

"Well, we're no threat," Takato pointed out. "Lets see if he'll let us in."

They approached the samurai Digimon, who regarded them curiously. He did not move from his spot, but he did point his sword, still sheathed, at them. "Halt."

Davis just waved. "Hey, big guy. Don't worry about us. We're just here to see Cherubimon. Hope you don't mind. Think you could let us in?"

The others sweat-dropped at the casual way he spoke to the samurai Digimon. Even Tactimon seemed uncertain of what to make of him. "What manner of creatures are you?"

Davis pointed a thumb at himself. "I'm human, and so are my friends. Well, except for Shoutmon. Perhaps you've heard of us. We really need to see the guy in charge. Could you let us in, please?"

Tactimon continued to study them before lowering his sword. "But of course. You should have said so sooner." He moved aside and motioned to the doors. "Please, step this way."

Grinning broadly, Davis gave his friends a thumbs-up. They smiled back uncertainly and began to approach as the doors began to open for them. It was too dark to see, and the teens cautiously approached.

"Can't see anything," Tai complained. He squinted into the darkness. "What's that?"

Shoutmon rolled his eyes and created a fireball, providing them with just enough light to see a few feet ahead of them in the darkness. They could just barely make out something moving towards them, and recognition flashed across the dragon Digimon's face. "Down!"

"Tiger Typhoon!"

The teens heeded Shoutmon's command as a massive jet of water flew above them. They stayed down until the attack ceased. Looking behind them, they saw that there was now a large hole in the canyon wall where the attack had hit, the water pressure so great that it had torn through dozens of feet of solid rock.

"Out!" Shoutmon cried, ushering them out of the castle. "Out, out, out, out, out!"

The teens quickly ran back outside, passing by Tactimon, who smirked at them behind his mask. "What's wrong? I thought you wanted to see Cherubimon."

The Digimon that had attacked them stepped outside. It was, perhaps, the most bazaar creature the teens had seen thus far; a hodgepodge of seemingly random Digimon stuck together to form a hideous monstrosity, as if the creature couldn't decide what it was supposed to be.

"That's Cherubimon?" Takato exclaimed.

Shoutmon jumped up and hit him over the head. "Idiot! Does that look like a Celestial Angel to you?"

"Then who is he?" Tai asked, taking out his Digivice. "GrandGeneramon, Mega level. He's a unique type Digimon who holds the title of the Ultimate Death General, and is the result if the fusion of the seven Mega level Digimon that hold the title of Dark General. He doesn't possess any attacks exclusive to himself, but instead has the signature attacks of the Dark Generals that make him up."

Davis began sputtering. "Seven? Seven Megas in one? That's not fair."

Shoutmon pointed at Tactimon. "Where's Cherubimon? What have you done with him?"

The samurai Digimon chuckled. "I haven't done anything. He's here in the castle, but he can't see anyone right now. So you get to play with us instead. GrandGeneramon, kill them, slowly."

The unique Digimon growled. The finger of his arm that looked flat and seemed to be made of cloth pointed at them. "Octogravity!"

A beam was fired from his fingertip. It didn't hit the teens, but struck the ground before them. A dome of light spread out around them, and with a flick of GrandGeneramon's finger, they began to rise into the air as the gravity disappeared entirely.

"Hey, what's going on?" Davis cried as he began to rotate in the air until he was upside-down.

"It's his attack," Shoutmon cried, trying to swim through the air. "He can manipulate gravity to make things lighter or heavier."

"Speaking of which," said Tactimon. "GrandGeneramon."

The unique Digimon gestured with his finger again, and the teens dropped to the ground. An invisible pressure began to push down on them, and they found themselves unable to rise, their bodies feeling like they literally weighed a ton.

"What is this?" Takuya gasped. "Make it stop!"

Tactimon laughed. "Don't worry, it'll be over soon; once you're flattened into pancakes. Increase the gravity."

The pressure increased, as did the pain as the teens' organs threatened to collapse. Gritting his teeth, Tai struggled to move his hand enough to activate his Digivice. He wouldn't have been able to get to it at all had it not been in his hand. "Execute! Spirit Evolution… WarGreymon!"

With his superior strength, WarGreymon burst from the gravity field and threw a Terra Force at the unique Digimon. GrandGeneramon easily knocked the attack away, but it served its purpose, and the gravity field disappeared. The remaining teens wasted no time in Spirit Evolving as well, and soon there were five more Mega level Digimon standing outside Cherubimon's castle.

"Interesting," said Tactimon. "So the rumors were true. No matter, your story ends here. GrandGeneramon, go have fun."

The unique Digimon grunted and stalked towards the teens. They assumed fighting stances as the monstrosity came at them. "Stand tough, you guys," Tai told them. "This is going to be a tough one."

"Lets just make quick work of this," said Imperialdramon. "Mega Crusher!"

The ball of dark matter flew towards GrandGeneramon. He caught it, the attack nearly pushing him back inside before he managed to gain control and send it up and away. "Tiger Typhoon!"

The tiger mouth opened and unleashed a spray of water. Despite his size, Imperialdramon was knocked off his feet by the water pressure, and he slammed against the stonewall, his head hitting against it hard enough to send a crack up to the top. "Ah…" he grumbled. "I didn't know… water could hurt… so much…" A moment later, an avalanche of rocks fell on him from up above as the stonewall crumbled.

"Nightmare Leeches!" GrandGeneramon cried. Appearing all around him were flying creatures surrounded by a purple aura. They flew towards the DigiDestined, their fang-filled suckers spreading open. The DigiDestined took to the air as the leeches came at them, but they simply followed after them, splitting into different groups.

"Get away from me!" Aldamon shouted at the creatures. "Atomic Inferno!"

He began blasting the leeches coming at him out of the sky. GrandGeneramon turned to him and fired his Sun Ball Blast, firing a solar orb from the sphere on his back. Aldamon countered with his Solar Wind Destroyer, but his attack was easily overpowered, and a fiery explosion erupted towards him.

WarGreymon was currently out-flying the leeches. As he passed by over GrandGeneramon, the unique Digimon fired his Snipe Headshot. A deadly arrow flew dangerously close as it passed by WarGreymon's head. And he stopped on reflex. The leeches immediately latched onto him, and he felt his energy being sucked out of him. He made a move to remove them, but GrandGeneramon's cloth-like arm shot out and coiled around him, the hand wrapping around his throat. The unique Digimon slammed him to the ground as the leeches continued to drain him.

Seraphimon and Ophanimon were swirling around together overhead, avoiding the leech swarm. When they saw WarGreymon's predicament, they exchanged a look and nodded at each other. Ophanimon whirled around and unleashed her Air Sefirot. The leeches were blown back, but didn't seem bothered by the wind, as it was air from the Tree of Life, and they began sucking it down greedily.

"Hallowed Knuckle!" Seraphimon cried, firing a ball of light from his fist that obliterated the leeches.

Ophanimon took aim with her javelin and fired her Eden's Needle. Needles of light rained across the arm coiled around WarGreymon, and the dragon Digimon felt his bonds loosen.

"Great Tornado!" he cried, unwinding from GrandGeneramon's arms. He stopped spinning and threw a Terra Force at the unique Digimon. Ophanimon followed up with her Sefirot Crystal, and Seraphimon with his Strike of the Seven Stars. The attacks hit one after the other, and GrandGeneramon roared.

"Lets do something about that," said Tactimon, grabbing the gun on his back. "Primary Tactic!"

He fired at Seraphimon. The angel Digimon was unaware of the attack coming from behind, and it exploded against him, causing him to fall from the sky. WarGreymon turned to the samurai Digimon, his eyes burning furiously. "Cheap shot."

"Strategic shot," Tactimon argued back.

"WarGreymon, heads up!" Ophanimon shouted as two giant axes had materialized in GrandGeneramon's hands, and he flung them at the two Digimon in the air with a cry of "Twin Broadsword Boomerang!"

Ophanimon attempted to counter with her Unicorn Shield, but the power behind the axe was too strong and it knocked her back. WarGreymon managed to avoid the one thrown at him thanks to his sister's warning and used his Ultra Tornado. GrandGeneramon simply used his Tiger Typhoon, spraying up the length of the tornado until he hit WarGreymon, sending him flying into the distance.

Most of the leeches had gone after Gallantmon since he had elected not to flee from them. Instead he had held out his shield and wrapped his cape around himself protectively. The leeches had latched onto his cape and shield and begun sucking, but were unable to drain anything from the knight Digimon.

"This doesn't look good," he commented as he looked through the small opening he had left in his cape to see out of. Grasping the material, he tore it off his back and tossed it out in front of him as he took aim with his shield. "Shield of the Just!"

The leeches on his shield were completely obliterated, as were the ones wrapped on his cape as ot fell in the path of his attack. The beam of energy slammed into GrandGeneramon's side, pushing him against the stonewall.

Charging forward, Gallantmon stabbed with his lance. GrandGeneramon turned to him as he approached and used his Dragon's Fire Blade. A sword of fire fueled by his anger appeared in his hand, and he used it to block the knight Digimon's lance. Ophanimon flew over to assist him, but GrandGeneramon held out two of his other hands, and his axes returned to them. Bringing one up, he blocked as she stabbed forward with her javelin.

Bringing down his other axe, it collided with Ophanimon's shield. He brought it down a second time, but it was caught by Seraphimon's Excalibur. A bazaar duel broke out between GrandGeneramon and the two angel and knight Digimon, weapons clanging together as they battled.

Aldamon cried out as the leeches continued sucking his energy, having fallen upon him after he had been caught up in the explosion from his and GrandGeneramon's attacks. With them sucking his power, he couldn't summon forth any strength to attack, and had resorted to ripping them off his body one by one.

"Hold up, buddy," Imperialdramon mumbled as he pushed away the rocks surrounding him; fortunately, it seemed that none of the leeches had targeted him since he had been down. "Why do I keep getting buried like this?"

He stumbled forward, feeling dazed, his vision blurry. It didn't take him long to realize he had a pretty serious concussion. How did water have that much pressure, even as an attack?

Blinking to focus his vision, he turned to Aldamon. Using as little power as possible, he unleashed his Eternal Zeal. The maelstrom of fire flowed over the fire wizard Digimon, incinerating the leeches on and around him. Aldamon hissed at the flames, but being mostly fireproof allowed him to escape too much damage.

"Sorry about that," Imperialdramon told him. "My options were rather limited. Sometimes being so big can be a burden."

The fire wizard Digimon sat up. "Trust me, I preferred your fire to the alternative." He looked at the duel taking place between GrandGeneramon and his friends. They seemed to be holding their own for the most part, but the unique Digimon was easily taking on all three of them at once, and he still had free hands. "Lets give our friends a hand."

Off to the side, Tactimon held out his sword. "Not so fast, boys. Tectonic Tremor!"

Keeping his sword sheathed, he stabbed the ground twice. Ripples of energy flowed from his sword and across the ground, drawing the other two's attention. The ground began moving, and dirt and rock began rising up. It came together and took form, and suddenly 100 skeletons brandishing shields, swords, spears, and other weapons now stood between Aldamon, Imperialdramon, and their friends.

Tactimon pointed his sword at the two Digimon. "Go, my undead warriors. Attack!"

Snarling battle cries escaped the skeleton army, and they charged forward, moving surprisingly fast for skeletons. Imperialdramon growled as they came at them. "How can he manifest human skeletons? Whatever, light 'em up. Eternal Zeal!"

"Atomic Inferno!"

The fiery vortex flowed over the approaching skeletons as Aldamon's fireballs struck them individually. Surprisingly, aside from those that were knocked off their feet, the skeletons kept coming, and even those that had been knocked over immediately got up and resumed their attack.

"What?" Aldamon cried, and took to the air before they could fall upon him. To his surprise, several flaming skeletons leapt up at him, jumping impossibly high, and latched onto his legs and tail.

"Shining Blade!" Imperialdramon cried, taking out the front row of skeletons. The next row immediately jumped up onto him and began stabbing with their weapons. More and more jumped onto the dragon Digimon as he tried to shake them off, to no avail. Several skeletons threw their spears with ropes on the ends over him, holding him down Gulliver's Travels style.

"Someone get these things off me!" he raged as he scratched at the skeletons crawling over him, only to have more take their place. He attempted to fly, but the ropes held him down as the skeletons yanked down on them.

"Hold on, Imperialdramon," said Aldamon as he kicked the skeleton warriors off. He watched as one of them fell to the ground, its bones scattering. Then they came back together and reconnected.

Tactimon chucked. "I'm afraid they won't go down so easily. My warriors are golems, so they're not really alive."

Aldamon glared at the reformed skeleton. "Well then, in that case." He dropped down, smashing his fist over the skeleton's head. The skull exploded to pieces, and the body crumbled into dust. "That works."

The samurai Digimon clapped his hands. "Congratulations, only 99 more to go."

Ignoring him, Aldamon turned back to Imperialdramon, who was shaking himself like a wet dog, pulling against the ropes. "Then I'll start with these. Atomic Inferno!"

The fireballs flew through the air, striking the skeletons crawling over Imperialdramon. Several other skeletons came up behind him and fell upon him. Aldamon ceased firing as he began fighting off the skeletons, finding several dozen surrounding him. He began striking them down, trying to damage them as much as possible so they couldn't pull themselves back together again. That's when an arrow from GrandGeneramon's Snipe Headshot struck him from behind. He cried out as the arrow buried into his back, and a wave of skeletons dog-piled on top of him.

"What'd I miss here?" came a voice from up above. WarGreymon had rejoined the battle, having been carried an impossible distance from GrandGeneramon's attack. He looked from Aldamon and Imperialdramon fighting an army of skeletons that wouldn't stay down to Gallantmon, Seraphimon, and Ophanimon battling with GrandGeneramon. With a growl, he flew into the crowd of skeletons and began cutting them down with his claws.

Imperialdramon continued to pull at the robes, surprised at how strong they were. They finally snapped, and he rose into the air, shaking off the remaining skeletons. The ones on the ground threw spears and fired arrows, but the dragon Digimon was too high up. "You guys got this?" he asked his friends.

Ignoring the pain in his back, Aldamon ripped out the arrow and called up to him. "We're fine. Help the others."

"With pleasure."

He flew towards GrandGeneramon. The unique Digimon merely glanced at him before returning his attention to the three he was currently fighting. "Nightmare Leeches!"

More of the vicious flying energy suckers appeared, the entire swarm flying towards Imperialdramon. "Not these guys again. Positron Laser!"

Showing more tact, most of the leeches avoided the attack. Imperialdramon swiped at them with his Shining Blade, but rather than getting knocked away, they latched onto his arm and began sucking.

"Octogravity!" GrandGeneramon cried, firing a beam at the dragon Digimon. It hit, and the gravity became several times greater. Imperialdramon dropped to the ground, unable to move. The leeches, even though they too were affected by the gravity increase, just kept on sucking, and even several skeletons began making their way towards him.

"Enough of this," WarGreymon growled. "Ultra Tornado!"

The skeletons were sucked into the flaming tornado. They spun around in the fiery blaze before getting tossed several hundred yards in different directions. Tactimon merely cocked his head to the side at this. "We can't have that now. Nothingness Tachi Six-Realm Samsara!"

He swiped his sword through the air six times, and a massive vortex appeared. The flames of WarGreymon's tornado were drawn into the vortex, along with a few skeletons. WarGreymon dropped to the ground, burying his claws into the rock to anchor himself in place. He didn't know what would happen if he was drawn into the vortex, and he didn't want to find out.

Aldamon smashed the last skeleton on the ground and turned to Tactimon. "Solar Wind Destroyer!"

The giant fireball came at him, and the samurai Digimon brandished his sword. "Ultimate Tactic!" His sword glowed with power and cut through Aldamon's attack, despite still being sheathed. With a sneer, he stabbed his sword into the ground three times. "Third Tachi Revision: Earth-Hammering Tower!"

Aldamon braced himself, but didn't expect the ground to explode beneath him, and he was sent flying as a result. With a chuckle, Tactimon turned his attention to WarGreymon, stabbing the ground with his sword once more. "Earth Shaker!"

The ground cracked apart as an earthquake began. The ground split and crumbled beneath WarGreymon, and he found himself drawn towards the samurai Digimon's vortex once more. Imperialdramon saw this, still pinned down by the intense gravity field as the leeches continued to zap his strength and the skeletons stabbed and beat him. All the same, he was not completely helpless, and he took aim with his cannon. "Mega Crusher!"

The blast of dark matter flew at Tactimon. He seemed to sense it coming and turned towards the attack too little too late. The blast sent him flying backwards, and he crashed into the castle. His vortex disappeared moments before WarGreymon would have been pulled into it, and the dragon Digimon pulled up. "Terra Force!"

He threw the giant ball of energy into the spot where Tactimon had crashed, then quickly flew over to Imperialdramon. "I'll take care of these parasites. Grey Fire!"

He tossed fireballs, blowing apart the leeches and skeletons. Unfortunately, Imperialdramon was still pinned down by the gravity field, unable to even rise. He motioned to their friends. "Don't worry about me. Go help the others. See if you can get GrandGeneramon in range of my cannon, and I'll blast him."

WarGreymon growled in frustration, but knew there was nothing he could do for his friend. "Hang in there, pal, we'll deal with this quickly." He turned to the fire wizard Digimon. "Aldamon, you ok?"

Grumbling, the fire wizard Digimon shook his head. "I'm great. Lets go."

The two flew towards GrandGeneramon. The unique Digimon saw them coming and fired his Octogravity. They dodged the beam and kept coming as Seraphimon fired his Strike of the Seven Stars against him. "Pay attention."

With five Digimon to contend with, GrandGeneramon found himself unknowingly herded in Imperialdramon's line of fire. The dragon Digimon took aim and launched his Mega Crusher, wary of his friends.

"Castle Keep!"

An entire mountain burst up from the ground, separating GrandGeneramon from Imperialdramon's attack. The Mega Crusher struck the mountain, blowing it apart, but sparing the unique Digimon.

Tactimon stepped out of the blast area of WarGreymon's attack. He stabbed his sword into the ground again, repeating his attack, and another mountain rose out of the ground, this one directly beneath Imperialdramon. The dragon Digimon cried out as the rising mountain drove into his underbelly while the gravity field flattened him against the peak. The pointed tip shattered from the pressure, and Imperialdramon went skidding down the mountain until he reached the bottom, the gravity field following him.

"Earth Hammer!" Tactimon cried, stabbing the ground three times, and the ground beneath Imperialdramon collapsed, burying him in rock as the gravity continued to press down on him.

"Buried again? Really?"

Tactimon turned back to the battle. "Now then. Enlightenment Tachi Five-Sided Fortification!"

He slashed the air with his sword five times, sending out a powerful shockwave. It hit three of the DigiDestined from behind, enabling GrandGeneramon to unleash his Sun Ball Blast on them.

Aldamon and WarGreymon had been separated from Tactimon's attack, having been on the other side of GrandGeneramon. Aldamon turned furiously to the samurai Digimon. GrandGeneramon was undoubtedly the real threat, but Tactimon was a bigger problem, preventing them from teaming up. "This guy."

"Aldamon, look out!" WarGreymon shouted.

The warning came too late, and the Tiger Typhoon GrandGeneramon had unleashed slammed against the fire wizard Digimon, flattening him against the stonewall. At the very least, it provided WarGreymon with the opportunity to throw a Terra Force at the unique Digimon's backside.

GrandGeneramon roared furiously, the flaming sword he held growing in size and power as his rage fueled it. He turned to WarGreymon and swung an axe. WarGreymon caught it between the claw-blade of his gauntlet. The other axe came down, and he caught this one as well. That's when GrandGeneramon raised his fiery sword.

"Oh, come on," WarGreymon muttered, his arms busy holding back the axes. The sword came down, and the dragon Digimon shut his eyes. Gallantmon came to his rescue, appearing in front of him and holding up his shield, and GrandGeneramon's blade clanged against it.

"Shield of the Just!" the knight Digimon cried, and a beam of energy sent GrandGeneramon skidding back. Seraphimon and Ophanimon rose up behind him, firing their Hallowed Knuckleand Eden's Javelin.

"No so fast," said Tactimon, ready to stab his sword into the ground.

"Solar Wind Destroyer!"

The fireball slammed against him, and Tactimon turned to see Aldamon flying towards him. The fire wizard Digimon threw a punch, and Tactimon leapt out of the way. "So, you wanna dance? Fine, lets dance. Primary Tactic!"

He fired his gun, but Aldamon took to the air. Tactimon watched him rise before stabbing his sword into the ground, and a mountain emerged beneath him, raising him up higher than the fire wizard Digimon. Jumping off, he brought his sword down, striking with his Penetrating Blast. Aldamon caught the sword and both Digimon crashed to the ground.

Tactimon was above Aldamon, pressing downward with his sword. Aldamon kept a grip on the sword, glad it was steal sheathed. Using his tail, he coiled it around Tactimon's mid-section, pulling him off enough to kick him away.

Stumbling back, Tactimon almost fell into the collapsed ground behind him. He managed to prevent himself from falling in and prepared to go on the attack again. Suddenly, rising from the crater as much as the gravity would allow, Imperialdramon chomped down on his the samurai Digimon's leg. Tactimon hissed and stabbed the ground three times, causing an explosion beneath the dragon Digimon with his Third Tachi Revision: Earth-Hammering Tower. Imperialdramon released him, just in time for Aldamon to drive his fist into the samurai Digimon's jaw, sending him flying backwards.

Doing a flip in the air, Tactimon came down for a landing as Aldamon fired his Atomic Inferno. Tactimon swiped at the air five times, unleashing his Enlightenment Tachi Five-Sided Fortification. The shockwave soared at Aldamon, knocking away his fireballs, and sending the fire wizard Digimon crashing into the stonewall.

"I'll end you myself," Tactimon declared, and charged at the dazed Aldamon.

The fire wizard Digimon glanced at him, his eyes blazing. Behind the charging samurai Digimon, Cherubimon's castle stood. Only Tactimon and GrandGeneramon stood in their way. Their goal was right there. They couldn't possibly have come all this way just to trip at the finish line. It just couldn't be. They had to push onwards; they just had to.

"I've had enough!" he declared. "We finally got here, we're not going down now! Not after everything! I won't let it!" He kicked off the wall, flying towards the samurai Digimon. "Brace yourself, Tactimon, because I'm coming at you with everything I've got!"

"Is that supposed to scare me? I'll cut you down like the vermin you are."

Shutting his eyes, Aldamon reached deep inside himself and summoned up all his strength as he sped forward. "Whatever power I have left, whatever reserves are within me, I need it now." His eyes snapped open. "Right now! Aldamon Digivolve to… AncientGreymon!"

The light vanished, and a much larger Digimon came speeding towards Tactimon. Resembling a more ferocious and beastly version of BurningGreymon, the new dragon Digimon roared at his opponent. Tactimon, however, was not to be deterred as he fearlessly charged forward. "So you Digivolved. In that case, I guess I'll just have to-"

AncientGreymon lashed out as they met, his claw burying in Tactimon's gut, breaking through his armor and taking him off his feet. He was slammed against the wall of the castle, but AncientGreymon gave him no time to react. "Omega Corona!"

Inhaling deeply, he unleashed a fiery explosion from his body that flowed over Tactimon, completely incinerating the area. The samurai Digimon cried out and dissolved into data, his sword flying through the air and landing on the ground.

AncientGreymon lowered his claw. He immediately shifted his attention to Imperialdramon and flew over to the crumbling ground. "Need a hand?"

Imperialdramon looked up at him. He didn't recognize the dragon Digimon, but he looked very similar to someone else. Close enough to be part of their Digivolution line. "Wait, Takuya?"

"In the flesh."

"Wait, you… Digivolved? Again?"

AncientGreymon reached down. "So it seems."

"But you were already a Mega."

"Shoutmon said there were Megas who could Digivolve to even stronger Megas. Guess I was one of them."

"Dude, that's awesome." He reached for AncientGreymon's claw. "Think I'll be able to too?"

"Hopefully we'll be able to go home after this and won't ever need to find out. Now, lets get you out of this gravity field."

"Just be careful, you don't want to get caught in it too."

"No worries. Now come on, give it everything you've got."

He pulled with all his might as Imperialdramon used all his strength to force himself up and out. Slowly, he was able to escape from the gravity field, and it was literally an enormous weight off his shoulders.

"Thanks for that," he grunted, rubbing his head. "I think the gravity made my concussion worse."

"You have a concussion?" AncientGreymon asked in concern. Even for powerful beings like them, such an injury was serious. He turned his attention to the battle with GrandGeneramon. "Well, that's nothing Seraphimon or Ophanimon can't heal. Lets take care of GrandGeneramon, and then they can take care of that."

At the moment, GrandGeneramon's cloth-like arm was coiled around Seraphimon's leg, swinging him around. The arm holding his flaming sword was clashing with Ophanimon's javelin while his axes repeatedly came down on Gallantmon and WarGreymon, who batted them away. Imperialdramon sped over to them and used his Shining Blade, his claw striking GrandGeneramon's side, sending him crashing into the stonewall.

No longer being swung around, Seraphimon used his Excalibur to sever the cloth-arm around his leg. GrandGeneramon roared and began to get up. AncientGreymon used his Omega Burst, launching an explosive fireball. It blew up in GrandGeneramon's bottom face, raising a large cloud of smoke.

The others, save Imperialdramon, all stared at AncientGreymon. "Hold on a second," said WarGreymon. "Is that you, Takuya?"

"It's AncientGreymon now, but we can go over the details later."

"Heads up, you guys," Seraphimon warned as he spotted movement in the smoke. "I think he's coming back."

He was right, only instead of charging out of the smoke, GrandGeneramon came leaping through the air. He landed on Imperialdramon, his tiger jaws biting into his neck. The dragon Digimon roared and began thrashing around violently, the movement not doing his concussion any favors.

Ophanimon flew over and began shooting her Eden's Needle at the unique Digimon. Refusing to let go, he fired his Sun Ball Blast at her. She blocked with her Unicorn Shield, but was still knocked back by the force of the attack.

"Gram Strike!" Gallantmon cried, driving his electrified lance into GrandGeneramon's tiger jaws. He shifted his lance, attempting to pry his mouth open, but the unique Digimon held tight. He brought down his axe, and Gallantmon blocked with his shield. "Shield Attack!"

At such close range, the burst of holy energy tore GrandGeneramon from Imperialdramon's neck and sent him flying. Seraphimon soared over and delivered a Heaven's Kick, knocking him back to the ground right in Imperialdramon's path. The dragon Digimon's eyes lit up at the sight. "Oh, I'm gonna enjoy this. Mega Fire!"

The beam hit its target, pushing GrandGeneramon back. The unique Digimon roared and unleashed his Tiger Typhoon. It began pushing against Imperialdramon's beam, slowly pushing the attack back. WarGreymon flew in with his Great Tornado, but GrandGeneramon blocked with his axe.

Leaping in the air, he flew out of the path of the beam and landed behind WarGreymon. He fired his Sun Ball Blast, and not even the dragon Digimon's Brave Shield was able to protect him.

"Hallowed Ascension!" Seraphimon cried, calling lightning down from the sky. GrandGeneramon howled and fired his Nightmare Leeches. Seraphimon began striking them down with his Hallowed Knuckle, and GrandGeneramon fired his Sniper Headshot, the arrow striking the angel Digimon's shoulder, and the leeches fell upon him. Ophanimon came to his rescue, shooting the parasites of with her Eden's Needle.

GrandGeneramon charged forward, heading for AncientGreymon. The dragon Digimon fired his Omega Burst, but GrandGeneramon leapt over it. Flying through the air, he used his Twin Broadsword Boomerang, tossing axes at the dragon Digimon. AncientGreymon used his Omega Corona, the fiery blast blowing back the axes. Gallantmon then slammed into the unique Digimon's side with his Saber Shot, and GrandGeneramon crashed to the ground.

AncientGreymon breathed deeply, inhaling the spirits of the land. "Gaia Tornado!" A tornado of pure energy shot out if his mouth. GrandGeneramon countered with his Tiger Typhoon, the two attacks meeting in a stalemate. WarGreymon used the opportunity to throw a Terra Force. Still spraying water from his tiger mouth, GrandGeneramon fired his Sun Ball Blast, the two attacks meeting and exploding.

"Eden's Javelin!" Ophanimon cried, firing a beam from her weapon. The beam blasted against GrandGeneramon's side, and he roared. His severed cloth-arm suddenly grew back and reached out, wrapping around both Ophanimon's javelin and her arms. It pulled her to him, slamming her on the ground by his side. He raised his fire sword to strike her, and Seraphimon rushed to her defense, blocking with his Excalibur.

"Eternal Zeal!" Imperialdramon cried. Standing beside AncientGreymon, he breathed his tornado of fire. It combined with AncientGreymon's Gaia Tornado, and pushed back GrandGeneramon's stream of water until they hit the unique Digimon, sending him crashing into Cherubimon's castle.

"I'll end this now," WarGreymon declared. "Aerial Dramon Killer!"

He flew towards the fallen GrandGeneramon, but the unique Digimon suddenly pointed at him with his cloth-hand. "Octogravity!"

The next thing WarGreymon knew, he was flying straight for the ground rather than straight for GrandGeneramon. Once he hit, he found himself unable to rise as the gravity pressed down on him.

"Man," Imperialdramon muttered, "this guy just won't stay down."

"Well, he's made of seven Mega Digimon," Ophanimon reminded him.

"I got that, but there's got to be some way to take him out."

"The sword!" The cry came from Shoutmon as he poked his head out from his hiding place. "Tactimon's sword!"

The DigiDestined looked to where he was pointing. Tactimon's sword lay on the ground, having remained behind after the samurai Digimon was destroyed rather than breaking down into data with him.

"The Sword of Storms," AncientGreymon recalled. "Strong enough to destroy a star. That'll get the job done."

"But will any of us be able to use it?" Gallantmon asked, recalling what his Digivice had said about the sword's tremendous power. "It said that not just anyone can wield it."

Seraphimon glanced at him. "If anyone can do it, I'm sure a Royal Knight like you can."

Gallantmon stared at the sword, then looked back at GrandGeneramon as he stalked towards the fallen WarGreymon. He looked back at the sword. "Alright, I'll give it a shot."

"We'll keep him busy," Ophanimon told him, and she and the others rushed forward to engage GrandGeneramon.

Gallantmon hurried over to the sword. Taking aim, he stabbed at the chains that kept the sword in its sheath. Shifting his lance-arm into a regular arm, he stood above it for a few moments, bracing himself. Taking a deep breath, he picked it up, and was immediately overwhelmed by the sword's might. With power so great that simply drawing it marked the collapse of a star, Gallantmon wondered how anyone could wield this mighty weapon for long.

"Hang in there," he told himself. "You can do it."

He turned back to the battle and charged at GrandGeneramon as the unique Digimon proceeded to keep the others at bay, WarGreymon still lying pinned to the ground by the increased gravity.

"Stand clear!" he shouted, unsheathing the sword. A blast of power so great he almost passed out surged through him. He stumbled forward as he saw stars, but used the new power flowing through him to raise the sword over his head, the effort taking all his strength. The others pulled back, and GrandGeneramon turned to him. He fired his Tiger Typhoon, and Gallantmon leapt over it towards the unique Digimon. "Take this!"

He stabbed forward, burying the Sword of Storms into GrandGeneramon's chest. The unique Digimon howled and began thrashing about violently. Holding up his shield, Gallantmon sent him flying backwards with his Shield of the Just.

The intense gravity vanished, and WarGreymon suddenly found himself able to move once again and quickly took to the air. "Everyone, hit him now. Terra Force!"

"Mega Crusher!"

"Omega Burst!"

"Strike of the Seven Stars!"

"Sefirot Crustal!"

All five attacks came at him, and GrandGeneramon roared one last time before bursting into data. Not even the Sword of Storms withstood the power of the attacks and dissolved with him. The DigiDestined remained where they were, watching as GrandGeneramon's data floated through the air.

"Finally," Imperialdramon grumbled. "Nice call with the sword, Shoutmon." He glanced over his shoulder. "Uh, Shoutmon?"

"Mine!" the little dragon Digimon cried, making a run for the data. "Almost there, almost there, almost there. Come on… Yes!" He reached for the data, but it disappeared at the last second. Shoutmon fell forward, skidding his face on the ground. When he stopped sliding, he looked up to where the data had been with tears in his eyes. "No…"

AncientGreymon cut his eyes at him. "Glad to see you're so concerned about us."

Shoutmon glanced at him. "I am concerned. Or I was. GrandGeneramon's gone now, and so is his data. Oh, but what a waste. Seven Megas worth of data gone. I was right there too, but I missed it. Oh, and congrats on Digivolving."

"I appreciate that the compliment," the larger dragon Digimon muttered sarcastically.

"I'd appreciate some healing," Imperialdramon grumbled, rubbing his head. "I'm already seeing double."

"Oh, right, I forgot." AncientGreymon turned to the two angel Digimon. "He's got a pretty bad concussion. Think you can take care of that."

A grin spread across Imperialdramon's face and he closed his eyes as he imagined Ophanimon nursing him back to health. Well, not nursing him, but using her healing power on him. 'Ah, the touch of an angel.'

"Perfect Revival!"

The voice did not belong to the sweet angel tone of Ophanimon, but the deep majestic voice of her male counterpart. The pain in his head receded, and Imperialdramon opened his eyes to see Seraphimon floating beside him. "There, that ought to do it."

"Thanks a lot," the dragon Digimon grumbled, sarcasm dripping from his voice.

Ophanimon chuckled, but then her smile vanished and she looked at Shoutmon. "What was all this about? Why were we attacked? Are you sure this is Cherubimon's castle?"

"Of course I'm sure," the dragon Digimon snapped. He pointed up to the aurora borealis. "There's not that many places that have that floating over it."

WarGreymon motioned to the destruction. "Then what was all this? This isn't exactly the kind of greeting you would give an old friend."

Shoutmon's face fell, and he looked at the castle worriedly. "I honestly have no idea. I don't have a clue what's going on. The Control Spires, Tactimon, and GrandGeneramon. Something doesn't add up, and I don't like it."

Gallantmon looked up at the castle as well. "What if someone took it over? This might not even be Cherubimon's castle anymore." He looked at the others. "So what do we do now?"

Imperialdramon gave him a look of disbelief. "What are you talking about? Lets go in. We came all this way to get some answers, now lets get some answers."

The guy really had no tact, but they knew that. All the same, he was right. They'd travelled for months, been through hell, fought monsters beyond their wildest dreams. Now the only thing standing in their way was their own uncertainty.

WarGreymon took a deep breath. "We came here for a reason, lets do it. For better or worse, we need answers, so lets get them." He glanced at his friends. "Maintain your Digimon forms. We don't want any more surprises. Now come on, we've got a meeting with Cherubimon to keep."

He turned his back on them and headed inside. Imperialdramon followed him in a moment later. Seraphimon and Ophanimon exchanged a look before they went in as well. Gallantmon took a deep breath before he too headed inside. AncientGreymon headed in shortly after, leaving Shoutmon outside, staring at the castle.

"He better have some good news," the dragon Digimon muttered and then hurried after his friends. The doors slammed shut behind them.

 

Notes:

(A/N: Ha! Bet you didn't expect to see AncientGreymon, did you? His Digivolution felt a little anticlimactic too, the same with Tactimon's defeat. I guess I was trying to balance it out with shock value. But that was quite a battle. But was it their last? Is this truly their final destination, or is there more trouble to come. Stay tuned to find out.)

AncientGreymon's Attacks:

Omega Burst – Launches explosive fireballs.

Omega Corona – Inhales the "earth's breath" to cause a super-cataclysmic explosion with itself that has a blast radius range of several kilometers.

Gaia Tornado – Gathers the spirit of the land and creates a tornado of the planet's atmospheric energies to swallow up the opponent and blow them away.

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Tactimon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/GrandGeneramon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/AncientGreymon

Chapter 84: Not the Expected Welcome

Notes:

(A/N: *Sigh* It looks like my streak of lengthy chapters is over and we're back to standard length. For now anyway. But lets just get straight to it. You've all been waiting for this for the past eighty something chapters. Maybe our heroes will finally get the long awaited answers they seek.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 84: Not the Expected Welcome

The inside of the castle was very large. It wasn't so much an interior as it was a massive support system for the castle itself with floors open to freely fly up and down rather than taking the stairs. It was, by all accounts, nothing like one would expect from a castle.

"Geez, look at this place," said Gallantmon. "Are they remodeling?"

Shoutmon shook his head. "Nah, it always looks like this."

AncientGreymon looked around. "I've got to admit, this isn't exactly what I would have expected. Can they even call this a castle?"

"Oh, picky, picky, picky."

They continued through the castle. Shoutmon seemed to know where they were going, but there was no sign of Cherubimon, or anyone else for that matter. WarGreymon found that to be rather odd. He began to get an uneasy feeling the further in they ventured. "This doesn't feel right."

"Maybe we should have rung the doorbell," Imperialdramon suggested. "Did anybody see one?

Beneath his helmet, Seraphimon cut his eyes at him. "I think all the noise we were making outside was more than sufficient to announce our presence."

"Well, just in case it didn't. HELLOOOOOOOO!"

The dragon Digimon's cry echoed through the entire castle. It seemed to do the trick though as several glowing pale gold creatures came flying down. Shoutmon's face lit up at the sight of them. "Ah, here comes the welcoming committee."

The creatures flew by, making high-pitched cooing sounds. They flew around the DigiDestined before taking off, disappearing into the castle. Ophanimon stared after them. "What Digimon were they? They're so cute."

For some reason, Shoutmon wasn't smiling anymore. On the contrary, he looked rather concerned. "They weren't Digimon. They were DigiGnomes."

Seraphimon gave him a curious look. "DigiGnomes?"

The dragon Digimon nodded. "Digimon make up a vast majority of the inhabitants of the Digital World, but there are other Digital life forms. DigiGnomes are one of them. We also have DigiElves too."

WarGreymon had noted the worried look on Shoutmon's face. "They're not dangerous, are they?"

The dragon Digimon snorted. "Hardly. They're, perhaps, the most harmless and peaceful creatures in the entire Digital World."

"Then why do you look so worried?"

He looked in the direction the DigiGnomes had flown off in. "It's just what they said."

Imperialdramon gave him a confused look. "They actually said something? Sounded like a bunch of squeaks to me. What'd they say?"

"'Run away. Hurry, run away'."

Gallantmon sweat-dropped. "Yeah, that definitely doesn't sound good. There's something going on here that we don't know about."

AncientGreymon sighed. "Well, we're never going to find out what it is just standing around here. We better keep going."

They all reluctantly agreed and continued on their way. Occasionally, they would see a few more DigiGnomes flying around, but there was no sign of Cherubimon or any other Digimon for that matter.

As they made their way through the castle, they began to notice a steady rise in temperature, and it only continued to get hotter the more they pressed on. Upon turning a corner they eventually saw why.

"Whoa," Imperialdramon muttered, "now that's a fireplace."

What the dragon Digimon had called a 'fireplace' was a massive wall of flames that stretched from the floor to the ceiling. It was easily over a thousand feet tall and a thousand feet wide, the towering inferno raging violently.

"That's not a fireplace, you idiot," Shoutmon remarked. "It's a the sacred Wall of Fire. An ancient evil is trapped behind it, and there it must remain. Cherubimon serves as a type of guard to make sure it never gets out, although I don't think it's necessary; nothing can get past those flames."

Out of the corner of her eye, Ophanimon noticed something. "Then what's that?"

They looked to where she pointed. A tall pedestal stood in the middle of the room. At the top of it was a massive ball of data, the largest they had ever seen, that seemed to be made entirely out of Fractal Code. And more data seemed to be flowing into it from up above. Yet at the same time, data particles were slowly flowing out of it, going straight into the Wall of Fire.

"Geez, look at that thing," said WarGreymon, staring at the ball of data. "It's bigger than my Terra Force."

"But the data is flowing into the firewall," Seraphimon observed. "Why would it be sending data into the firewall?"

"It's not," Shoutmon growled. "It's sending it to what's behind it. For all the good it'll do. Less than one percent will actually make it through. The rest will burn up. What a waste." He stared at the ball of data and shook his head. "I don't like this. If I didn't know any better, I'd say-"

A roar suddenly echoed through the castle, drawing the teen's attention. They looked up to where the roar came from, and saw something dropping down towards them. They scattered, and the creature landed with a heavy thud that shook the castle. It emitted another roar, waving its large, bulky arms around.

"Who's this now?" Gallantmon demanded.

Shoutmon inhaled deeply, his face a mask of horror. "It can't be… Cherubimon!"

The teens did a double take, staring at the Digimon in disbelief. This was Cherubimon? This was the wise and kind Celestial Angel they had come all this way to find? He didn't look kind or angelic in the least. Resembling a monstrous dark purple rabbit with a dark green stomach and a jester's neck ruffle, he looked more demonic than anything, and he didn't seem very willing to help them.

"Not quite," said Shoutmon. "That's Cherubimon alright, but this is his corrupt evil form. This is Kerpymon. How'd he end up like this?"

Cherubimon, or Kerpymon as Shoutmon had called him, raised his hand, and a bolt of red lightning appeared in it. "Dark Spear!"

He threw the bolt of lightning like a spear at Shoutmon. WarGreymon dove for him and snatched the dragon Digimon out of the way. "I don't think he's interested in talking."

Kerpymon roared and flew at WarGreymon. He created another Dark Spear and began swiping at him with it. WarGreymon dodged and batted away the spear with his claws while keeping a hold of Shoutmon until Imperialdramon slammed into the fallen angel Digimon, knocking him away. "He doesn't seem very happy to see you."

Kerpymon was on his feet a moment later, growling at the DigiDestined. Seraphimon approached, pointing at him in warning. "If you are the Cherubimon of this castle, then why are you attacking us? Isn't Shoutmon your friend?"

The fallen angel Digimon's yellow eyes narrowed. "Dark Spear!"

"Strike of the Seven Stars!"

The attacks met and exploded. Kerpymon immediately came charging through the smoke, his big hands reaching out and grabbing the angel Digimon. He slammed him to the ground, tearing the floor apart in the process, and raised another Dark Spear.

"Sefirot Crystal!" Ophanimon cried, her attack knocking Kerpymon off him, and she moved to help her fellow angel Digimon. "You ok?"

"I'm fine," Seraphimon replied, not taking his eyes off their attacker, "but I think we need to reconsider the reason for our visit here. This guy is seriously trying to kill us."

"Thousand Spears!" Kerpymon cried, swiping at the air. A line of energy appeared horizontally in front of him, and a barrage of his Dark Spears came shooting out. Ophanimon moved in front of Seraphimon and used her Unicorn Shield. The spears of lightning began either bouncing off her shield or simply blasting against it. Ophaimon held strong, but the look on her face was clear that it was taking a toll on her.

"Shield of the Just!" Gallantmon cried, firing a beam from his shield. It interrupted Kerpymon's attack and slammed him against the wall, but it only seemed to anger him more than anything. "Enough of this. We're not going to get any answers from him. Lets take this guy out."

"No!" Shoutmon cried. "You can't! He's my friend! There must be an explanation for this!"

"Shoutmon," said AncientGreymon, "he's trying to kill us."

Kerpymon raised his hands to the sky. "Terminal Judgment!"

Dark clouds appeared overhead, covering the entire ceiling. Thunder rumbled as bolts of lightning began raining down. The DigiDestined flew and danced out of the bolts' path, but even then some of them still took on damage, especially the larger ones.

"I'm starting to see why being bigger isn't necessarily better," Imperialdramon muttered, having been struck the most.

"Dark Spear!" Kerpymon cried, throwing his electric spear at the dragon Digimon.

WarGreymon canceled out the attack with his Grey Fire. "I'm sorry, Shoutmon, but he's giving us no choice." He set down the dragon Digimon. "Go find a place to take cover. We'll deal with this."

He flew off, leaving a forlorn looking Shoutmon behind. "But…"

The group gathered in front of Kerpymon. The fallen angel Digimon snarled at them, looking more than ready to kill them all. Staring at the one they had spent all this time trying to get to, the DigiDestined felt their hopes of getting home come crashing down.

"So much for getting our answers," Imperialdramon growled. "I can't believe we came all this way for nothing."

"We'll worry about that when the danger has passed," WarGreymon told him. "For now, lets just worry about the problem at hand."

Ophanimon glanced at Shoutmon, then back at Kerpymon. "Do we really have to destroy him? I don't know what it is that caused him to go bad, but I'd hate to have to kill Shoutmon's friend. Maybe we can just subdue him somehow."

Her brother sighed. "I suppose it's worth a try. Do you think you can purify him?"

Ophanimon stared at the fallen angel Digimon. "It's difficult to say. I sense that his heart is still pure, but there's a darkness surrounding it."

"Lightning Blast!" Kerpymon cried, and a massive spear of lightning, one even larger than him, appeared above him. He motioned towards the group, and the spear flew at the DigiDestined.

"Terra Force!" WarGreymon cried, throwing a ball of energy. It collided with the giant spear of lightning, the two attacks coming to a standstill, but then the spear began pushing the ball of energy back.

"Omega Burst!" AncientGreymon cried, spitting out a fireball. His attack caused the other two to explode. "Screw it, lets give it a shot. We can always take him down if it doesn't work."

"Terminal Judgment!"

Lightning rained down on them. Seraphimon countered with his Hallowed Ascension, calling down his own lightning to stop Kerpymon's. "Right, lets get him. Justice Genome!" His body flashed as he increased the power of his Light attacks. "Holy Light!"

Kerpymon hissed and recoiled from the light. AncientGreymon flew towards him, his arms stretched out to grab him. Kerpymon leapt towards him, leap-frogging over the dragon Digimon's head. Then whirled around to throw a Dark Spear at him. WarGreymon came up behind him, wrapping his arms around him from behind. Gallantmon came at him from the front, but was hit with a burst of energy from Kerpymon's mouth as he used his Cherubi Mouth.

Flying backwards, he crushed WarGreymon between his body and the wall. The dragon Digimon released him, and Kerpymon spun around. Raising his hand, he used his Cherubi Finger, putting all his strength onto his two fingers as he flicked WarGreymon's forehead, the power behind the simple motion causing the wall behind him to explode from the shockwave.

Ophanimon grabbed onto Kerpymon's back, pulling the length of her javelin against his throat. The fallen angel Digimon reacted very violently and began thrashing about. Ophanimon held on, feeling very much like she was at a rodeo as Kerpymon tried to throw her off. "I can't purify him like this!"

One of her hands lost its grip on her javelin, and Kerpymon was able to throw her off. He grabbed her, and his giant fist collided with her mid-section before he tossed her away. "Thousand Spears!"

The spears of lightning went flying towards her. Gallantmon flew in their path, using his shield to block them. Suddenly, Imperialdramon dropped down from up above, bringing Kerpymon to the ground and pinning him there. "I got him, quick!"

Kerpymon raised his hand. "Terminal Judgment!"

Lightning rained down, and Imperialdramon cried out as it danced across his back. Kerpymon burst up from under him and spun around, driving his fist into the side of the dragon Digimon's head.

"Ultra Tornado!" WarGreymon cried, spinning around, and his flaming vortex appeared.

Kerpymon turned to him, his face twisting into a wicked sneer. "Cherubi Press!" He held out his hand, and a black sphere appeared in it. WarGreymon suddenly found himself sucked out of his tornado and pulled towards the fallen angel Digimon. Seraphimon, Ophanimon, and Gallantmon were drawn towards the black sphere as well, as if it were a miniature black hole sucking them in.

Releasing the black sphere, Kerpymon moved away from it as the four Digimon collided together. He used his Thousand Spears, and the spray of lightning spears bombarded the group. That's when AncientGreymon came speeding towards him, slamming into the fallen angel Digimon and pinning him to the wall.

With a roar, Kerpymon used his Terminal Judgment, but Imperialdramon had recovered from the punch enough to fire his Mega Crusher up at the lightning, protecting AncientGreymon from the attack. Kerpymon snarled and began bringing his giant fists down on AncientGreymon.

"Anyone want to help me here?" the dragon Digimon demanded.

WarGreymon and Seraphimon came to his aid. They each seized an arm, pinning it to the wall, yet the fallen angel Digimon continued to struggle. "Ophanimon, do it now!" the former cried.

Kerpymon fired his Cherubi Mouth at her as she approached, but she countered with her Eden's Javelin, the two beams erupting upon contact. Rushing forward, she hovered in front of the fallen angel Digimon, placing her hands on either side of his head. "Be calm, Kerpymon. No, Cherubimon. It will be alright."

Her rainbow aura flared up and flowed over the two of them. Kerpymon froze, a look of shock on his face as the aura danced around him. Something seemed to be happening as his skin changed from dark purple to light pink, his features from demonic to angelic, and back again. Suddenly, Kerpymon began wailing, the shifting of his body settling on his evil form once more. Black sparks flew across his body and over Ophanimon, causing her to cry out as she was thrown back.

Kerpymon snarled and slammed his hands back, knocking WarGreymon and Seraphimon against the wall, and pulled his arms free. "Dark Spear!"

He drove the lightning spear into AncientGreymon's back. The dragon Digimon roared, and Kerpymon flew out from between him and the wall. Imperialdramon flew after him, swiping with his Shining Blade. Kerpymon caught his claw and spun him around, throwing him into AncientGreymon. Immediately, he flew towards Gallantmon, balling his fists and bringing them down. Gallantmon held up his shield, and Kerpymon's fists slammed against it, sending out a powerful shockwave from the impact, and the knight Digimon went crashing to the ground.

"Damn it," WarGreymon swore. "So much for that." He looked at his sister. "You ok, Ophanimon?"

She nodded. "I can't purify him. He's out of control."

"Then we have no choice. Take him out. Terra Force!"

The ball of energy flew at Kerpymon. He reached out and caught it with both hands. He struggled with it, but was smiling, then forced the attack away. The DigiDestined dodged as the attack flew past them, then got into formation and flew at Kerpymon. AncientGreymon fired his Omega Burst, but the fallen angel Digimon knocked the fireballs away and threw a Lightning Blast. Gallantmon and Ophanimon moved in front of the group and blocked with their shields. Seraphimon jumped up, leaping off their shoulders, and launched a Strike of the Seven Stars. At the same time, Gallantmon and Ophanimon flew to the left and right, revealing WarGreymon behind them as he sped towards Kerpymon with his Great Tornado.

Kerpymon summersaulted backwards, avoiding Seraphimon's attack, then reached out and grabbed WarGreymon, his powerful grip stopping the dragon Digimon's spinning. Ophanimon and Gallantmon sped towards him, stabbing with their lance and javelin. Kerpymon danced out of the way and threw WarGreymon to the ground as if he had just scored a touchdown.

"Terminal Judgment!" he cried, and lightning rained down on Gallantmon and Ophanimon. Imperialdramon fired his Positron Laser, and Kerpymon took to the air, only to have Seraphimon lash out at him with his Excalibur. He produced his a Dark Spear and used it to clash with Seraphimon's blade before blasting him away with his Cherubi Mouth.

AncientGreymon unleashed his Gaia Tornado, and Kerpymon turned to him. He threw the Dark Spear he held, and it flew down the length of the vortex before blasting the dragon Digimon in the face. "Dashing Cherubi Finger!"

He sped towards AncientGreymon, but the dragon Digimon shook off the remnants of the attack and unleashed his Omega Corona. The fiery explosion met with Kerpymon, pushing him back, and the moment the flames died down, Imperialdramon flew between Kerpymon and AncientGreymon, firing his Mega Crusher.

Kerpymon hit the ground with a mighty crash. He rose to his feet, roaring, and WarGreymon sped towards him, slashing with his War Driver. Kerpymon sidestepped him, and WarGreymon whizzed by. Stabbing his claws into the ground, he spun around and used his Dragon Killer, sending a fiery shockwave at Kerpymon.

The fallen angel Digimon held up his arms to defend himself, yet the attack still pushed him across the floor. He barely lowered his arms before Seraphimon sent lightning raining down on him, knocking him to the ground. Gallantmon followed up with his Shield of the Just, the burst of energy knocking Kerpymon onto his side and pushing him into the wall. Ophanimon, Imperialdramon, and AncientGreymon then ended it with their Sefirot CrystalMega Crusher, and Omega Burst. Kerpymon didn't even have time to react before the attacks hit him in a powerful blast of holy energy, dark matter, and fire.

As they waited for the dust to settle, the DigiDestined regrouped, staring into the cloud of smoke expectantly. "Tell me something," said Imperialdramon. "Why do we always wait around like this to see if they survived? They always do."

He proved to be right as Kerpymon rose up from the cloud of smoke. "Destrooooooy!"

His cry echoed throughout the entire castle. Aside from the names of his attacks, it was the first word he had spoken, and it was not encouraging. A Dark Spear appeared in both hands, and he pounced at the DigiDestined. They leapt out of the way, and Kerpymon spun around, throwing his two spears. Ophanimon used her Air Sefirot, the heavy wind catching the two spears and directing them back at Kerpymon. The first one struck his chest, the other his shoulder, causing him to stumble and turn. WarGreymon flew at him with his Dramon Tackle, slamming into his back. Kerpymon fell forward and WarGreymon began gathering energy for his Terra Force when he suddenly saw something that caused him to freeze.

The energy he had gathered died out as he stared at Kerpymon. "I don't believe it. Guys, are you seeing what I'm seeing?"

They were, and there was no mistaking it. There, hidden beneath Kerpymon's neck ruffles, a familiar black disc was lodged into the back of his neck.

"You're kidding me!" AncientGreymon exclaimed. "Is that a black gear?"

Kerpymon rose to his feet and turned around, firing a blast of energy from his mouth. The DigiDestined scattered, but were now staring at the fallen angel Digimon with new eyes.

"I thought we destroyed all those things," said Imperialdramon. "Yeah, Devimon summoned them all to him and absorbed them in order to grow really big."

"Apparently, he left this one behind," said Seraphimon. "And I can see why. He wouldn't want to give up control of a Digimon as powerful as this."

"Guess I know why I couldn't purify him," Ophanimon noted.

"Right, this changes things," WarGreymon told them. "Everyone, get that gear!"

Gallantmon glanced at Shoutmon. "Good news, Shoutmon, looks like Cherubimon can be saved after all."

The dragon Digimon smiled, tears of relief and gratitude in his eyes. "I knew Cherubimon could never go bad."

Kerpymon snarled and called down his lightning. AncientGreymon rose above his friends and used his Omega Corona to shield them from the attack. WarGreymon gave him an appreciative look. "Thanks for that. Now lets save Cherubimon and get our answers."

The group flew towards Kerpymon, who rushed forward to meet them. From his hiding spot, Shoutmon cheered for them to save his friend. From another hiding place, someone else watched the battle take place with a wicked gleam in their eye.

 

Notes:

(A/N: Surprised? I hope so. Bet you never expected the black gears to make a return. This was actually hinted back WAY during the Devimon Arc. If you remember, at the end of Chapter 15, when Devimon was contemplating about the DigiDestined coming for him, it was stated that he had two aces up his sleeve. One was when he used the black gears to become giant, the second was never mentioned. Well, this was it, he had control of Cherubimon the whole time. Or Kerpymon as I call him. I always refer to the evil Cherubimon as his alternate name of Kerpymon to differentiate between the good and bad one. It sounds a lot better and less confusing than Cherubimon Good and Cherubimon Evil. Lets hope our heroes can save him. Maybe then they'll finally get their answers. But who is that watching the battle, and just what are they planning? Stay tuned for answers.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/DigiGnomes

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Kerpymon_(Evil)

Chapter 85: Fights, Camera, Action

Notes:

(A/N: Ah, spring break. I love spring break. I went on a cruise. Jealous? You should be. But I did get a bad sunburn, so it had it's drawbacks too. Shame it had to end. And speaking of endings, is this the end of our heroes' journey, or simply the end of them? Guess you'll have to read to find out.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 85: Fights, Camera, Action

The battle with Kerpymon proved to be quite problematic. The black gear was in a very difficult place to get to, and Kerpymon was not simply going to hold still and let them get to it. Coupled with the fact that he was very powerful, and the DigiDestined were holding back so they wouldn't hurt him too much, and the battle was very difficult indeed.

"Terminal Judgment!" Kerpymon cried, bringing down the lightning. Imperialdramon and AncientGreymon used their Eternal Zeal and Gaia Tornado to counter the attack as their friends flew ahead of them. Seraphimon reached the fallen angel Digimon first and used his Heaven's Kick. Kerpymon blocked and blasted him back with his Cherubi Mouth moments before WarGreymon collided into his stomach with his Dramon Tackle. Kerpymon raised his fist to hit him, but it came down on Gallantmon's shield as the knight Digimon moved to defend him.

Ophanimon began firing her Eden's Needle to distract him as WarGreymon circled around and made an attempt to get the black gear. Kerpymon moved away, and WarGreymon missed as the fallen angel Digimon raced towards Imperialdramon, plowing through Ophanimon in the process. The dragon Digimon fired his Mega Fire, keeping his attack light. Kerpymon countered with his Lightning Blast, not holding anything back, and his attack easily cut through Imperialdramon's.

AncientGreymon slammed into his fellow dragon Digimon, knocking him out of the way, but was hit by the attack himself. Imperialdramon called his friend's name and looked back at Kerpymon, only to receive a powerful flick to the forehead from the fallen angel Digimon's Dashing Cherubi Finger, his head snapping to the side. Kerpymon's large hand grabbed his head and brought him down, slamming him face-first into the ground.

"Hallowed Knuckle!" Seraphimon cried, attacking from behind, the ball of light he fired heading for the black gear. Alas, Kerpymon's neck ruffle got in the way, shielding the black gear. Kerpymon turned to him, holding out his hand and using his Cherubi Press, and Seraphimon was pulled towards the fallen angel Digimon.

"Eden's Javelin!" Ophanimon cried, firing a beam from her javelin. It struck Kerpymon in the chest and he dropped the sucking black sphere and took to the air. AncientGreymon fired his Omega Burst after him, but Kerpymon avoided the explosive fireballs.

The DigiDestined chased after him, using small-scale attacks as they took shots at the black gear. Kerpymon either dodged or swatted them away before finally turning around to unleash his Thousand Spears. The DigiDestined recoiled from the spears of lightning, Gallantmon holding up his shield to defend himself. Looking up, he fired his Lightning Joust, and pieces of the ceiling fell down onto Kerpymon. "Get him while he's down!"

Kerpymon began to emerge from the pile of rubble, and WarGreymon came at him with his Dramon Cutter, aiming for the black gear. Kerpymon's hand suddenly shot out of the ruble and grabbed his arm, causing the dragon Digimon to sweat-drop. "Uh oh."

Kerpymon's giant fist slammed into WarGreymon's gut. He then charged towards the DigiDestined, swinging the dragon Digimon around like a weapon. Gallantmon winced for his friend as WarGreymon was slammed against his shield. Lunging forward, he jabbed with his lance, missing the black gear, and Kerpymon blasted him with his Cherubi Mouth.

"Let go of my brother!" Ophanimon demanded, grabbing the fallen angel Digimon's ears. Kerpymon grabbed her as well and tossed her away, but acquiesced with her request by throwing WarGreymon after her, and the two crashed together.

Seraphimon came at Kerpymon from behind, swiping at the black gear with his Excalibur. Kerpymon caught sight of him out of the corner of his eye and avoided the energy blade. He fired his Cherubi Mouth at him, but Seraphimon cut through the attack with his sword. "Strike of the Seven Stars!"

The seven energy balls blasted Kerpymon backwards. He hit the wall, but was smiling. Raising his arms, he used his Terminal Judgment, and lightning rained down on Seraphimon. Chuckling, Kerpymon kicked off the wall and threw a Lightning Blast at the already electrified angel Digimon, and he fell from the sky.

Imperialdramon flew over to AncientGreymon. "I've got an idea. It may hurt him, but we'll get the black gear."

AncientGreymon sighed. "It may be our best option right now. What's the plan?"

"Hit him hard with a powerful attack he can't escape from. He'll get caught up in the blast, and so will the gear."

AncientGreymon looked on as WarGreymon, Gallantmon, and Ophanimon flew at Kerpymon, only to be bombarded by his Thousand Spears. He didn't like this plan, but they were running out of options. "Fine, lets do it."

As his fellow dragon Digimon raced over to the other side of Kerpymon, AncientGreymon fired his Omega Burst. Taking aim, Imperialdramon fired his Mega Crusher, and the balls of fire and antimatter came at Kerpymon from below. He dodged them, but they collided together, resulting in a powerful blast that completely consumed the fallen angel Digimon.

"Great shot," Imperialdramon commented. "That black gear is history."

The smoke cleared, and Kerpymon was still floating in the air, his hands over the back of his neck. AncientGreymon gasped in disbelief. "He shielded it!?"

"Lightning Blast!"

A giant spear of lightning struck AncientGreymon, and another hit Imperialdramon. Shoutmon winced for them as the two dragon Digimon went down, and Ophanimon went to engage the fallen angel Digimon in battle. "Come on, guys. You can do it."

At that moment, eight DigiGnomes flew over and began talking all at once in their strange language as they circled around him. Shoutmon glared at them, shooing the glowing creatures away. "Get out of here. This is too dangerous for you." They continued to squeak at him. "What do you want? Hmm? Who's watching? What? Where?"

He looked up, catching sight of the silhouette of someone in the shadows on the floor above him. Shoutmon's eyes narrowed as he tried to make out who it was. "Hey you, what are you doing?"

Immediately, the person vanished. Shoutmon growled and jumped up onto one of the DigiGnomes to leap up to the next floor, glad that there weren't really any ceilings or floors separating them. He caught sight of the person darting behind a corner, and took off after them. "Hey, stop!"

He turned the corner and looked around, but had lost sight of whoever it was that had been spying on the battle. Another growl escaped him and he began carefully looking around. "Where are you?"

"Killing Shutter!"

Shoutmon whirled around as a storm of energy bullets rained down at him. He danced out of the way as the attack peppered the ground, and threw a Fiery Fastball at the source. The Digimon in question dropped down from their hiding place, but immediately took off. Shoutmon gave chase, once again demanding that they stop.

"Spy Focus!" the Digimon cried. All of a sudden, a row of cameras on tripods appeared in front of Shoutmon. They began flashing brightly, and Shoutmon cried out, covering his eyes as he was blinded. The sound of the cameras going off kept coming, the intense light even penetrating his closed eyes, even with his hands covering them.

"Killing Shutter!" The energy bullets rained against Shoutmon, and he went down. Gritting his teeth against the attack, he produced his mic and unleashed his Bellow Blaster, blindly firing his attack at the line of cameras, and the sound of them flashing stopped.

Cracking open his eyes, he was greeted with spots and blurry vision as his eyes attempted to focus. The energy bullets kept coming, and he threw another Fiery Fastball at the blurry image of his attacker, who fled once again.

His vision returning to normal, Shoutmon gave chase once again. They got too close to the battle with Kerpymon, and a stray attack caused part of the upper floor to collapse, the debris falling down and piling in the unknown Digimon's path. They jumped up, hopping over the rubble, and Shoutmon chucked his mic at them. It was a direct hit, and the Digimon came tumbling down the pile of debris.

"Got you," said Shoutmon, blinking rapidly to clear the last bit of blurriness from his vision. Snatching up his mic, he pointed it at the Digimon. "Now, start talking. Who are you, and what's going on with Cherubimon?"

The Digimon stood up and dusted off. Turning around, they revealed themselves to Shoutmon, their single red eye glinting with malice. "I am Cameramon, and I am here to make sure Kerpymon does his job."

Shoutmon glared at him. "And what job is that? Does this have anything to do with the data that's being fed into the Wall of Fire?"

"It's of no concern of yours. Soon you and your friends will be annihilated. Killing Shutter!"

He raised his hand, his fingers a series of camera lens, and began firing energy bullets from them. Shoutmon leapt over the attack towards him and drove his fist into the camera Digimon's jaw. Cameramon stumbled back, and then leapt up as the dragon Digimon charged at him, materializing a camera as he did so, which promptly flashed in Shoutmon's face. He hissed, rubbing his eyes furiously, and swung blindly with his mic, knocking over the camera.

Cameramon's arm wrapped around Shoutmon's neck from behind, his other hand that fired his Killing Shutter pressing against Shoutmon's back threateningly. "Surrender."

Shoutmon lifted his mic to his mouth. "Never!" His voice was amplified so greatly that Cameramon winced, his grip unintentionally loosening. Grabbing the arm around his neck, Shoutmon threw him over his head, then fired a Fiery Fastball again.

Cameramon turned his crash-landing into a roll and jumped up, avoiding the attack. Shoutmon jumped up higher, his mic raised to strike, but Cameramon used his Spy Focus, and several cameras, facing upward, appeared on the ground and began flashing.

Shoutmon swore as he was blinded once again, and brought down his mic. Cameramon held up his arm, blocking the attack before firing his Killing Shutter into the dragon Digimon's stomach. This all happened before the two of them came down from their jump, and Cameramon landed on his feet while Shoutmon landed on his side, clutching his stomach.

Leaving the dragon Digimon where he was, Cameramon ran over to the side to look down to where Kerpymon was currently firing his Thousand Spears into Imperialdramon's side while the dragon Digimon shielded his friends with his body. Ophanimon rose up from behind him and used her Air Sefirot, the powerful gust blowing the fallen angel Digimon and his spears of lightning back. Gallantmon flew out from behind the dragon Digimon as well and fired his Saber Shot, the attack causing the fallen angel Digimon to crash into the wall.

"Kerpymon, hurry up already!" Cameramon shouted down to him.

"Fiery Fastball!"

Cameramon whirled around and used his Killing Shutter. The stream of energy bullets bombarded against the flaming music note, bringing it to a stop and then pushing it back towards Shoutmon. The dragon Digimon rolled to the side to avoid it and repeated his attack.

Jumping over the fireball, Cameramon charged at his opponent, dodging several more fireballs in the process. He started firing his Killing Shutter as he ran, and Shoutmon started twirling his mic to deflect the energy bullets as the gap between them closed.

"Spy Focus!" Cameramon cried, and a camera appeared on either side of Shoutmon and began going off. The dragon Digimon shut his eyes as soon as they appeared, but the light still penetrated his eyelids. A moment later, Cameramon plowed into him from behind, tackling him to the ground. He pressed his lens hand into his backside and fired several times, earning cries of pain from the dragon Digimon.

"This pointless resistance is at an end," Cameramon told him. Standing up, he grabbed Shoutmon's scarf and began dragging him to the side. "Don't think I don't know who you are, or what you're hoping to achieve. It won't work; you'll never win. You should have just turned back when you saw the Control Spires."

The dragon Digimon groaned as he was dragged along. "You can't… let him out… You know what will happen…"

"Yes," the camera Digimon agreed, "and that's precisely why we're doing it. The next time you hatch from your egg, the darkness will have conquered the light." He reached the edge and came to a stop. "I think you're punishment for your defiance is to be killed by your old friend."

He swung Shoutmon out over the edge, hanging onto the dragon Digimon's scarf, letting him dangle, and waved to the fallen angel Digimon. "Hey, Kerpymon, kill this guy."

Kerpymon turned to them, and was immediately grabbed from behind by Seraphimon, holding him back. Shoutmon came out of his daze and kicked off the wall behind him, all but doing a backflip as he hung from the edge. He grabbed Cameramon, and the camera Digimon lost his balance, the two of them falling over the side.

Kerpymon continued to struggle against Seraphimon's hold, and managed to throw him off. He turned back to Shoutmon and fired his Cherubi Mouth. The dragon Digimon continued to exchange blows with Cameramon as they fell. He saw the blast of energy coming and kicked the camera Digimon away. Kerpymon's attack hit him from behind and cried out as he was instantly obliterated. Shoutmon was partially caught up in the blast as well and hit the wall, sliding the rest of the way down to the ground.

"Shoutmon!" WarGreymon cried. With a growl, he looked back at Kerpymon. "We have to stop this before someone gets killed."

"Someone just did," Imperialdramon pointed out. "Who was that anyway?"

"Don't worry about it now," AncientGreymon told him. "Just focus on the black gear. Omega Burst!"

Kerpymon countered with his Lightning Blast, then dodged as Seraphimon swiped at him with his Excalibur, bringing his elbow down on the angel Digimon. WarGreymon came at him with his Great Tornado, but Kerpymon caught him and threw him away. Firing a Cherubi Mouth after him.

Ophanimon flew over and blocked the attack with her Unicorn Shield, then charged forward with her javelin outward. Kerpymon grabbed the end before it stabbed him, then took hold of her. Imperialdramon fired his Positron Laser at him from behind, but Kerpymon whirled around and threw the angel Digimon into the attack.

"Dark Spear!" Kerpymon cried, and flew towards Shoutmon. He raised the spear of lightning, and Gallantmon moved to defend his friend. The Dark Spear came down against his shield, protecting both him and Shoutmon. He immediately fired his Shield of the Just, sending Kerpymon into the air.

"Ultra Tornado!" WarGreymon cried, spinning around. The fallen angel Digimon turned to the tornado and used his Terminal Judgment. Lightning came down, causing WarGreymon's attack to disperse, but leaving the dragon Digimon unharmed.

AncientGreymon plowed into Kerpymon from and used his Omega Corona. The fiery blast consumed Kerpymon, but it seemed AncientGreymon had held back too much, as the black gear had remained intact.

Grabbing the dragon Digimon, Kerpymon raised his other hand, creating a Lightning Blast. He prepared to bring it down on AncientGreymon when Imperialdramon suddenly slammed into him from behind. Seraphimon immediately seized his one arm as Ophanimon grabbed the other. Pinned by the two dragon Digimon, and with his arms restrained by the two angel Digimon, he began rapidly firing his Cherubi Mouth in different directions.

"I got him!" Gallantmon cried, grabbing the fallen angel Digimon in a headlock. The five of them struggled to keep him restrained as Kerpymon thrashed about. "WarGreymon, get the gear!"

"Terminal Judgment!"

Lightning began raining down all around them. WarGreymon got to his feet and looked up to find lightning dancing around Kerpymon and his friends. He would never be able to get through that. "Damn, I can't get close."

"I can." WarGreymon turned around to find Shoutmon limping over to him. "I'm small enough to get through those bolts. Toss me up there, and I'll get that gear."

"Shoutmon," the larger dragon Digimon muttered. "Are you sure? You could be killed. If one of those bolts hits you…"

"Damn it, WarGreymon, I'm not going to lose any more of my friends. Now throw me up there. It's time I made a real contribution to the team."

WarGreymon was hesitant, and looked back up at his friends. "Hurry up," Imperialdramon shouted. "We can't hold him much longer!"

With a frustrated groan, WarGreymon picked up the smaller dragon Digimon. "I hope you know what you're doing."

He threw Shoutmon like a football, and he sped through the air. "Yeah, so do I!"

He raced up towards the others, screaming as a bolt of lightning almost hit him, and collided with Kerpymon's shoulder. Grabbing the fallen angel Digimon's neck ruffle, he swung around, catching sight of the black gear. "Give me back my friend! Fiery Fastball!"

His attack hit the gear, and it dislodged itself from Kerpymon's back, breaking down into data. The fallen angel Digimon wailed loudly, and the DigiDestined backed off, Shoutmon jumping down onto Imperialdramon's head. Kerpymon's large hands grabbed his head as he continued to shout, a blinding gold light emitting from his body. "Kerpymon Slide Evolution… Cherubimon!"

The transformation was complete, and Cherubimon lowered his arms. They hung at his sides like angel wings as the Digimon the teens had been trying so hard to get to returned. No longer demonic, Cherubimon had turned light pink with a white belly. His torn up ears now resembled wings and had golden rings around them. His facial features, no longer vicious, were kind and almost cuddly, a peaceful serene look on his face.

Down below the DigiDestined came together as they stared at the third of the three Digimon that held the title of Celestial Angel. Now this was more along the lines of what they were expecting. True, he wasn't as grand or angelic as Seraphimon or Ophanimon, but there was a definite amount of divinity to him.

"So that's Cherubimon," Gallantmon awed.

"Yup, that's him," Shoutmon confirmed with a smile. He hopped off Imperialdramon's head and waved up at the angel Digimon. "Hey, Cherubimon!"

The angel Digimon's eyes opened, no longer yellow and menacing, but black pools of kindness that looked down at the dragon Digimon. "Shoutmon…" he said, his voice no longer a loud grumble, but deep and majestic. He floated down to them and, to the DigiDestined's shock, bowed to the dragon Digimon. "Shoutmon, my old friend. It has been too long."

Shoutmon smirked. "Yeah, that wasn't exactly the welcome I was expecting. Glad we could get you back to normal."

"I owe you and your friends a great deal of gratitude, my king. Even after being dethroned, you still do all you can to help the Digital World."

AncientGreymon did a double-take. "Whoa, whoa, wait a minute. King?" he looked at Shoutmon in disbelief. "You mean you are really the Digimon King? You weren't making that up?"

The dragon Digimon gave them a surprised look. "Wait, you thought I was lying about that? You didn't believe me, all this time?"

"Dude," said Imperialdramon, "we thought you were just saying that since we didn't know anything about this world."

"Seriously? You actually believed I would keep a joke going for that long."

"Or that you were just that full of yourself," WarGreymon admitted.

Cherubimon chuckled. "There is no falsehood here. Shoutmon is indeed the true King of the Digital World, granted his position by none other than the Digimon God himself."

The DigiDestined stared at their friend, not sure what to say. "Well…" Gallantmon muttered, "this is… awkward…"

Shoutmon sighed. "Never mind. Nothing's changed. I'm still who I was a minute ago." He looked back at Cherubimon. "But it seems like a lot of other things have changed. Just what is going on here? What was Cameramon trying to accomplish?"

"Who's Cameramon?" Imperialdramon whispered.

Cherubimon's eyes narrowed in thought. "Cameramon…" He gasped. "That's right!"

He suddenly flew through the castle. Surprised, the DigiDestined exchanged a look before following after him. They ended up in front of the Wall of Fire again, with Cherubimon facing the large pedestal with the massive ball of energy at the top.

"Lightning Spear!" the angel Digimon cried, throwing a pure version of his Dark Spear at the pedestal. It toppled over, and the ball of data fell over and rolled over to the DigiDestined, no longer sending data through the Wall of Fire.

Cherubimon sighed in relief. "Thank the Sovereigns enough data didn't get through." He looked back at the others. "Cameramon had me gathering data for months to send to that beast."

"You mean this?" AncientGreymon asked, reaching for the ball of data.

"Don't touch that!" both Shoutmon and Cherubimon exclaimed.

Too late, AncientGreymon's claw fell upon it, and there was a blinding flash of light. AncientGreymon inhaled deeply as a massive amount of energy flowed over and through him. It was almost too much to bear, and he opened his mouth and unleashed a massive stream of fire that tore through several layers of the castle. And when it finally stopped, he fell forward and remained motionless.

The others gathered around, screaming his name. A groan escaped the dragon Digimon, and he opened his eyes. "Geez, talk about a rush."

Shoutmon and Cherubimon sighed in relief, and the smaller of the two began yelling. "You idiot! You should know better than to try and take so much data!"

Cherubimon was relatively more calm. "That data pack contained the data and Fractal Code of hundreds, if not thousands, of Digimon. That much energy all at once could have caused you to lose control."

"I could see that happening," AncientGreymon replied wearily. "It sure was a lot."

Picking up a rock, Shoutmon threw it at him. "And I could have used it, you selfish jerk!"

"Sorry, I didn't know," the larger dragon Digimon replied, and changed back to Takuya. "How about a warning next time?"

One by one, they each resumed their human forms. Cherubimon looked at each of them with interest, a look of understanding appearing on his face. "Humans. Humans in the Digital World." He closed his eyes. "I see. So it's finally happened. The plan has finally begun." He opened his eyes again. "No, not begun, but come to fruition."

Kari stepped forward. "Um, excuse me, Mr. Cherubimon, but do you understand all this? Do you know why we're here, and what's going on?"

Davis was a little less subtle, stepping forward and pointing at the angel Digimon, almost accusingly. "Yeah, we came a very long way because Shoutmon here said you could give us answers. So start talking!"

Tai grabbed his look-alike's shirt and pulled him back. "That's enough, Davis." He looked back at the angel Digimon. "Can you help us, sir? Do you know what this is all about?"

Cherubimon stared at them for several long moments before sighing. "I do. And yes, I will answer all your questions to the best of my knowledge. You humans are indeed here for a purpose, one that could save the Digital World, or bring it to ruin."

"Oooook," Takato muttered, "that's not very reassuring."

"So what is this purpose?" TK asked.

Cherubimon sighed again. "It is a long story that requires an equally long explanation. All the same, I shall tell you what I know."

The teens leaned in closer, finally ready and able to get some answers to the questions that have been plaguing them since their journey began. And maybe, hopefully, find a way to get back home.

Notes:

(A/N: I feel it's almost cruel to end it there, but, I'm gonna. Not to worry though, all the answers you've been waiting for will be given next time. Well, not all the answers, but most of them. I'm talking Shoutmon's origins, why our heroes are in the Digital World, how they can become Digimon, and more. You definitely don't want to miss the next chapter, so look forward to it.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Cameramon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Cherubimon_(Good)

Chapter 86: A Digital History Lesson

Notes:

(A/N: Finally, at long last, we're about to get the answers we've been seeking. Are you ready for them? You've certainly earned them if you've stuck around this long. So, here we go!)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 86: A Digital History Lesson

 

"Tell me, children," said Cherubimon, "have you heard of the Three Catastrophes?"

The teens were surprised by the question, not having expected the angel Digimon to ask such a thing. They exchanged looks before Tai finally answered. "A little bit. Shoutmon glossed over them. We know the D-Reaper was the first one, and that he was sealed away by Jesmon in the deepest reaches of Digimon Hell so it could never escape, and so you celebrate Jesmas in memory of his sacrifice and victory." He shrugged. "That's it. We don't really know about the other two."

"Hmm," the angel Digimon contemplated. "To understand how things got to be how they are now, you must be aware of certain things. What you know of the First Catastrophe is true. The D-Reaper did cause a great deal of turmoil throughout the Digital World. It targeted the strongest and most evolved of us, preventing the Digimon race from reaching its potential. And so life went for trillions of years."

"Until Jesmon," Shoutmon added.

Cherubimon nodded. "Indeed, until Jesmon. But despite the horror, chaos, and destruction the D-Reaper caused, it did serve a purpose, keeping Digimon from evolving beyond their intended boundaries. That is, until the D-Reaper evolved itself, then ridding ourselves of it became necessary. But once it was out of the way, there was nothing to stop us Digimon from reaching our potential."

He looked up, lost in memory. "Back then, there were no evil Digimon. Not really. Digimon still fought and absorbed each other's data, but it was always about survival, and fear of the chaos. The D-Reaper was an enemy to all. But without it, life now had new meaning. And for several hundreds of billions of years, life prospered in the Digital World, much the way it does now, only without the struggle against the chaos."

Takuya whistled. "These are a lot of years. Even our world hasn't been around that long."

Cherubimon looked at him. "The Digital World has been around long before your world. It's only recently that you humans have learned to use the smallest portion of the Digital World with your technology."

Shoutmon crossed his arms. "It's just a shame those good times couldn't last. Eventually, evil finally manifested in the form of the Second Catastrophe."

"Which was…?" Takato asked hesitantly.

"A Digimon," Cherubimon told them. "The worst one to ever exist in history. Up until then at least. Still one of the worst today." His beady black eyes narrowed in disgust. "This Digimon was known as Quartzmon. An incredibly powerful Digimon with a wide-range of abilities and a never-ending hunger for more data. He was, many say, the first true evil Digimon."

Out of curiosity, Davis looked up the Digimon on his Digivice. "Quartzmon, a Mega level Digimon that continuously absorbs data to amplify his power. He has a greed for all the data of the entire world." He made a face. "What a pig. He seeks to swallow and absorb all data by producing Gyupula particles from his fusion reactor body to create the DigiQuartz."

"I only understood about half of that," said Takuya, looking completely lost. "What is the DigiQuartz?"

Shoutmon sighed impatiently. "The DigiQuartz was Quartzmon's primary method of absorbing data without having to fight and destroy other Digimon. It's essentially an unstable mirror world of the Digital World he created, like the other side of a coin."

"Quartzmon also had the power to take on the form of other Digimon," Cherubimon explained. "He would do this in order to lure other Digimon into the DigiQuartz, which he would then break down into data and absorb."

"The coward," Shoutmon growled. "And any Digimon strong enough to resist, he would just create minions to fight and either kill them or weaken them enough to be absorbed. This way he never had to get his hands dirty."

Davis looked thoughtful. "That's actually a rather strategic plan." At the looks the others gave him, he waved his arms. "What? I didn't say it was good. It's like those cheaters you play in those one-man shooter games on multiplayer mode that get a hold of the best weapon and then just stand guard over the ammo so no one else can get it."

Cherubimon stared at him uncomprehendingly, then glanced at Shoutmon. The dragon Digimon just waved it off. "Don't worry about it. Trust me, you're never going to understand."

Still looking bewildered, the angel Digimon continued. "Eventually, the rest of the Digital World realized what he was doing and began avoiding him, but by then Quartzmon had become strong enough to be able to spread the DigiQuartz across the entire Digital World. It was a process that took nearly 3,000 years, but he managed to accomplish it. The DigiQuartz was harmless really unless Quartzmon was present, so no one bothered to do anything about it. If we knew what he had planned, ever Digimon in the Digital World would have rose up to stop the spread of the DigiQuartz, and he never would have been able to fill the Digital World with it."

"I'm not sure I want to know what he was planning," Takuya muttered.

Shoutmon snorted. "He intended to absorb the entire Digital World and everyone in it into the DigiQuartz, and then consume it in order to Digivolve into a single almighty and all-powerful Digimon called Gaiamon. And I'm not talking about the Appmon version of Gaiamon, but a new Digimon that is only pure theory since it had never come to be."

"Gaiamon," TK repeated. "I can't even imagine how powerful a Digimon like that would be."

"It's incomprehensible," Cherubimon agreed.

"But he failed, right?" Kari asked. "He had to have, or else…"

"Or else the Digital World would not be here now, and we would all be trapped within him." The angel Digimon nodded. "Yes, he failed, thanks to a group of seven Digimon who rose up to oppose him. I think you will recognize their names." He looked at each of them in turn. "Those Digimon were WarGreymon, Imperialdramon, Gallantmon, Aldamon, Ophanimon, and Seraphimon."

Stunned looks of silence passed over the teens' faces. They looked at each other, not quite sure what to say. It couldn't be a coincidence that the six of them were able to become the same Digimon that had fought against Quartzmon.

Slowly, Takuya raised his hand. "Um, I'm AncientGreymon now."

"Yes," Cherubimon replied. "It seems you've gone beyond the power of what the original Guardian was."

"Wait!" TK said suddenly. "You said seven Digimon opposed Quartzmon, but there's only six of us. Who was the seventh?"

Cherubimon nodded. "Yes, the seventh Digimon. Another powerful Digimon known as Alphamon."

"Alphamon," Tai said thoughtfully. He looked at Shoutmon. "Did you know of him?"

The dragon Digimon nodded, and held out a DigiCard. "This contains the DDNA of Dorumon. It seems that the call for aid to the human world was sent out to several human children, yet only the six of you answered." He put away the DigiCard. "Such a shame, our journey would have been a whole lot easier with all seven of the Guardians."

"But I'm confused," said Takuya. "How does all this connect?"

"Patience, young one," Cherubimon told him. "There is still much to tell. Now, these seven Digimon fought against Quartzmon. It was a long and terrible battle that lasted ten years-"

"What, ten years!?" Davis exclaimed.

"You mean several battles happening over the years, right?" Takato asked.

Cherubimon shook his head. "No, I mean for ten years straight. It was one long continuous battle with no breaks on either side. Quartzmon gained his sustenance from the data he consumed while the seven took individual resting and eating periods before rushing into battle again."

TK felt as if his mind had been blown. He couldn't even begin to imagine what it would be like to be stuck in a battle for so long. "That's just… I mean… For ten years… Just… Wow…"

"It was indeed a battle that will never be forgotten, but after ten years, Quartzmon was finally defeated. And so the Second Catastrophe came to an end."

"And good riddance," Shoutmon snarled. "It's thanks to him that evil was introduced to the Digital World."

The angel Digimon gave his friends a look of remorse. "Come now, Shoutmon. You are smarter than that. You should know that evil would have manifested eventually. It was inevitable. Quartzmon was merely the first." He looked back at the teens. "Fortunately, the seven Digimon that defeated Quartzmon vowed that they would never allow evil to reign. Over time, they became known as the Guardians of the Digital World, fighting the forces of darkness wherever they appeared. And so, evil was kept at bay for hundreds of million of years.

"During this time, the Digimon God set order in the Digital World. He chose the Digimon Sovereigns to be the highest order. They carried out his will and watched over the Digital World, maintaining the peace and keeping the balance. And he chose a king to rule over the Digital World and its residents." He motioned to the dragon Digimon. "That was our little friend here, Shoutmon."

The teens looked at him, and the dragon Digimon crossed his arms, looking entirely too smug. "And you guys didn't believe me. You even saw the images of me and the Sovereigns at the church."

"Sorry," said Tai, "it's just hard to believe that the guy we've been traveling with was handpicked by the Digimon God to be the king of the entire Digital World."

"Yeah, what was he thinking?"

"Davis!" the others shouted.

"What?"

Shoutmon sighed. "It's fine. Anyone would wonder with the way I am now. Don't worry, you'll hear why eventually." He motioned towards Cherubimon. "Proceed."

"The angel Digimon nodded. "Thanks to the Guardians, the balance between good and evil was maintained. But then, 10,000 years ago, something happened that began a chain reaction that began to tip the scales in favor of the darkness."

Takato raised his hand. "Let me guess. The Third Catastrophe."

"The Third Catastrophe," Cherubimon confirmed. "More terrible and more destructive than the previous two put together. A relentless force of destruction brought forth by a perfect combination so precise that the very thought of it was never imagined. It was a Digimon more terrible and more powerful than anything we could have possibly imagined. That Digimon was known as ZeedMillenniummon."

TK's eyebrows rose. "Yeah, the name alone sounds pretty powerful."

Takato's eyes were as wide as saucers as he read the Digimon in question's profile on his Digivice. "Oh, you have no idea. ZeedMillenniummon, a Mega level evil god Digimon with nearly immeasurable and unlimited power whose strength greatly surpasses even Digimon at the Ultra level. He has the power to freely move through time and space, and in known as the King of Evil who seeks to destroy all eras and all worlds. When he first came to be, its believed that the Digimon God himself, or some other powerful being cast a spell on him that bound him in chains of DigiCode that became a part of his very being and code in order to suppress his unstable destructive power, and if he's ever freed from them, he will reign unfathomable destruction on the Digital World."

Davis grabbed Takato's hand so he could look at the description. "You're kidding. One guy has that much power?"

"I was there." All attention shifted to Shoutmon. The dragon Digimon was hugging himself, shivering fearfully. "I saw him come into being. It was him, he was the one I ran away from, the one who killed Gumdramon while I fled."

Like Takato, Davis' eyes continued to grow wider and wider as he read more of ZeedMillenniummon's profile. "And no wonder you ran. Shoutmon, dude, you have nothing to be ashamed of. This guy's power and abilities are ridiculous. He can create dimensional pockets, trap opponents in them, and then destroy the dimension at will. Resurrect other Digimon, regenerate, turn others to stone, controlling time and gravity, absorb attacks, is immune to physical attacks and is pretty much immortal on the outside, move through time and space freely to travel to other universes and dimension. His mind is another dimension itself, whatever that means, and his existence alone warps space-time. He even initially split the entire Digital World in two at one point, and destroyed the Digimon God's other avatar, ENIAC."

Takato once again took over. "He even has power over creation, and can create fake Digimon called VR Digimon that are stronger than the originals, or simply clone Digimon, create timelines and other universes, or destroy them at will, and can even become omnipotent. And this is all with those chains of DigiCode you mentioned. Without them, he can pretty much destroy the entire multiverse just by existing. That might even include the human world too." He looked at Shoutmon. "Shoutmon, you were right to run. Fighting this guy is literally suicide."

"Gumdramon fought him," said Shoutmon, not even looking at them. "He was brave. I was a coward."

Takato sweat-dropped. "Um, Shoutmon, bravery has a limit before it's considered stupidity. I'm pretty sure Gumdramon crossed that line."

The dragon Digimon shook his head. "We both knew we were dead the moment he appeared. Even a fragment of Homeostasis predicted his coming. And then he did. We knew we wouldn't survive, but Gumdramon chose to face his death, while I fled from mine."

"But you survived," Kari pointed out. "You survived the encounter."

"Yes," Shoutmon breathed regretfully, "but only because the Guardians appeared moments before he could kill me."

The teens shared looks with each other. They were all thinking the same thing; how could the Guardians possibly be a match for someone like ZeedMillenniummon? Excluding Alphamon, they knew the Guardians' limitations better than anyone, and there was no way they would have been able to defeat a being that powerful.

Cherubimon seemed to know what they were thinking. "The Guardians knew they would not be ale to destroy ZeedMillenniummon on the outside, so they attacked him on the inside. The details of the battle remain unknown, but they were somehow able to destroy him." He closed his eyes. "At the cost of their own lives."

Kari gasped. "They died?"

Shoutmon lowered his head. "Yes, all seven of them, but they were able to destroy ZeedMillenniummon in the process. They died to save the entire Digital World, and put an end to the Third Catastrophe."

Davis' shoulder sank. "Man, that sucks. But, hey, it's not all bad, right? Digimon never really die. Their information just gets reconfigured, and they're reborn."

Cherubimon sighed. "This is where the story gets complicated. Yes, the Guardians would have been reborn, but this was a dark time for the Digital World, and not just because of ZeedMillenniummon. Evil was running rampant, and without the Guardians to fight the darkness, the Sovereigns feared the balance would turn in favor of the forces of evil."

"Well, why didn't they do anything?" Tai demanded. "I mean, these guys were hand picked by the Digimon God. Shouldn't they have stepped in?"

"The Sovereigns have their own duties," Shoutmon told them. "The war with the darkness is never-ending. Evil Digimon came and went regularly. The Sovereigns can't be distracted by their duties all the time to combat them. That's why they relied on the Guardians to fight evil. They very rarely ever stepped in themselves."

"The Guardians were the greatest enemies of the darkness," Cherubimon continued. "They had kept the balance ever since Quartzmon. They fought the evil Digimon that appeared, and stopped them from ever rising to power again if they refused to give up their evil once they were reborn. And while it's true that the Guardians would indeed be reborn as well, it would take centuries for them to reach the Mega level once again, even longer. And that's hoping they didn't die again during that time. But the forces of darkness would not wait for them to reach their potential. If anything, they would attempt to prevent them from reaching their Mega forms by continuously destroying them once they got too strong."

"That… actually makes sense," Takato relented.

Cherubimon nodded. "The Sovereigns feared that the forces of evil would become too powerful during the time it took for the Guardians to return to their former glory. That is why they came up with a plan, an experiment to return the Guardians to power quickly. That is where you humans come in."

TK nodded. "I think I see where this is going."

"You children are not the first humans to come to the Digital World. Nearly 12,000 years ago, two other humans came to this world."

Davis snapped his fingers. "Yeah, I remember that being mentioned before."

The others shushed him, and Cherubimon continued. "One of those humans grew very close to a Digimon they met. Somehow, this Digimon was able to gain strength from them, allowing him to Digivolve very quickly. These Digivolutions did not last long, and were only available as long as he remained with his human companion so he could feed off their energy. Still, remembering this gave the Sovereigns an idea, and so they tried an experiment to restore the Guardians. Rather than having them start over as eggs, the Sovereigns created seven DigiCards and downloaded the Guardians' data into them."

"And those cards were then entrusted to me," said Shoutmon. "And I carried them around for 10,000 years." He looked at the teens. "Until I met you."

Takuya took out his Digivice and looked at it. "So, wait, you're saying that the Guardians are actually inside our Digivices."

Cherubimon nodded. "They sleep within them, growing stronger, and granting you their power in exchange."

"Then I guess the Sovereigns' plan worked," said Tai. "But, geez, 10,000 years. Wouldn't it have just been better to let them start over as eggs? They probably would have reached their Mega forms a lot faster."

"The plan had gone wrong," Cherubimon admitted regretfully. "The Sovereigns had meant to bring humans here right away, but it didn't work out the way they hoped. It's lucky you were able to come here at all."

"Lucky, nothing," Takato grumbled irritably. "That 'help us save the Digital World' message was incredibly vague. We thought we were downloading a game on our phones or something." He looked at his Digivice. "So why are they still inside? If the Guardians are back to their Mega forms, shouldn't they wake up and come out?"

"They sleep still because you are still using their power. When you no longer need them, they will emerge as strong as ever. Stronger than before since you humans have amplified their strength." He motioned towards Takuya. "Especially you, child. You not only brought your Guardian back to the Mega level, but have managed to Digivolve him once again to an even stronger Mega form."

An embarrassed flush filled Takuya's face. "Um, yeah, I guess so."

Tai cleared his throat. "This has all been very informative, but I think it's time to get the answer to the actual question we came all this way to ask." He gave the angel Digimon a serious look. "Can you send us home?"

The others all stared, looking at Cherubimon expectantly, hopefully, pleadingly. The angel Digimon stared back, looking into their desperate faces. Finally, he closed his eyes, and a regretful sigh escaped her. "I am sorry, children. I wish I could help you, but I'm afraid I do not have the power to return you to your world."

There was no reaction, not at first. All their hopes had been pinned on this one moment, and now that they were here, they had their answer. It took several long seconds for Cherubimon's words to register, along with the crushing meaning they held. All their hopes came crashing down as they realized that after all this time, they were right back to square one.

"No…" Tai whispered, feeling as if he had failed everyone. "It can't be…"

Cherubimon's eyes opened. "But… I know who does."

The crushing news was immediately gone as the teens' hopes came soaring back up to the surface. "Who!?" TK cried. "Who does!?"

"The ones who brought you here. The Digimon Sovereigns."

Davis grabbed at the air. "Awesome! So all we have to do is go see the Digimon Sovereigns. Where are they?"

For the first time since they met, Cherubimon looked nervous, rubbing the back of his head uneasily. "That would be a bit of a problem. I'm afraid no one can see the Digimon Sovereigns right now."

Tai's fists clenched as he felt all the frustration from this entire journey threaten to come spilling out. "Can't see them? I don't think so. There's no way I'm accepting that. They brought us here, put us through hell and back to revive their precious Guardians, there's no way they're just going to ignore us now."

Shoutmon elbowed his knee. He actually looked angry with the boy. "You watch your mouth! I won't let anyone disrespect the Sovereigns. And they are not ignoring you. It's literally impossible to see them right now."

"Why?" Kari asked, a sliver of desperation entering her voice. "Where are they?"

Cherubimon sighed. "I'm afraid that requires another history lesson, so I would ask you to be patient as I tell it to you."

Tai took a deep breath. "Sure, why not. We've already come this far,"

The angel Digimon nodded. "I appreciate it. Now, listen well. Though the Three Great Catastrophes are considered the most devastating moments in history, there have been other horrible events that have occurred over time. One of the worst was the war between the human and beast type Digimon."

"I'm guessing this was a different war than the one between the Kogamon and Ninjamon," said TK.

"Far worse," Cherubimon confirmed. "It lasted centuries, taking place between the Second and Third Catastrophes. Human type Digimon were weaker than beast types, but were far smarter, while beast types were stronger but relied mostly on instinct rather than intelligence. The two species killed each other mercilessly for countless years. Anyone who befriended someone on the other side was considered a traitor and exiled. Not even the Guardians were able to stop the war, and even faced their own ridicule for being on a team with mixed types."

Shoutmon hung his head. "I remember that war. It was horrible. Towards the beginning, even I fought in it for several decades until I finally had enough and realized just how stupid I was being. Human type, beast type, I didn't care anymore, and I realized that it didn't matter. Each side had their strengths and weaknesses. Neither one was superior to the other. I just wanted the war to end."

"How did it end?" Takato asked curiously. "Prejudices like that don't just suddenly stop without something to end them."

What seemed to be a hint of anger flashed across Cherubimon's face, but it disappeared quickly. "You are correct. When the war had reached its most chaotic point, a lone angel Digimon appeared and called a halt to the fighting. He and he alone brought an end to the great war, and ushered in a time of order and harmony. That Digimon was known as Lucemon."

Takato's eyes were wide. "Wow, a single Digimon managed to bring an end to a centuries long war. That's amazing This Lucemon must have been a really great person."

A wicked growl escaped Shoutmon. "Do not, do not praise that monster. Despite his past good deeds, the sins Lucemon later committed far outranked them."

Cherubimon sighed. "I'm afraid he's right, children. For many years, Lucemon ruled over the Digital World, but his power corrupted him. He feared losing his power and became increasingly paranoid, thinking that everyone was out to get him. His power and fear of losing it eventually drove him mad, and he plunged the entire Digital World into an age of darkness."

"Absolute power corrupts absolutely," said Tai. "I guess that's true even in the Digital World."

Kari hung her head. "How sad."

"In his own way, Lucemon felt that his rule was still for the best of the Digital World," Cherubimon continued. "He felt that the only way to achieve ever-lasting peace was to completely destroy the entire Digital World and recreate everything in his image with all life being completely subservient to him, and to eliminate anyone who dared to defy him."

"What a creep," Takuya grumbled. "It sounds like he didn't want anyone to think for themselve. I can't imagine that went over well."

"Heck, no!" Shoutmon snapped. "There was a rebellion. Many Digimon rose up against him, including the Guardians." He nodded at Cherubimon. "That's actually how the two of us met. Both of us were part of the rebellion."

"It was not an easy victory," the angel Digimon told them. "Lucemon was a Digimon far stronger than what was the norm. He was only a Rookie, but he possessed power and intelligence that surpassed even those at the Ultimate level. He even destroyed several Mega level Digimon."

Davis held up his hand. "Hold up. Hold up. A Rookie was that strong? How?"

"He was just one of those rare unique Digimon I mentioned," Shoutmon replied. He looked at the teens. "If you want an idea of his power, at the Rookie level, he was stronger than Seraphimon, Ophanimon, and Cherubimon here put together."

"That's insane!"

"That's just how it was," said Cherubimon. "Fortunately, we were able to overthrow him. After the battle, Lucemon fled, and a new order was established. This is when the Digimon God gave the Sovereigns their titles and named Shoutmon the Digimon King. And for many years, things were good in the Digital World, with the occasional incident the Guardians had to take care of."

Takato felt he knew where this was going. "And then the Third Catastrophe happened, right?"

Cherubimon shook his head. "I'm afraid not. Millions of years after his defeat, Lucemon returned, stronger than ever, having Digivolved to the Ultimate level. With him, he brought six other Digimon, whose wickedness and cruelty knew no bounds. Together, they became known as the Seven Great Demon Lords."

"That's an appealing title," TK muttered sarcastically.

"I mentioned them before," said Shoutmon. "Back when we were riding on Trailmon. They're the seven that nearly destroyed the entire Digital World. They're the ones who overthrew me, and have been the cause of all things evil in the Digital World."

Kari hugged herself, resisting the urge to shiver. "They sound horrible."

"The Demon Lords were the most evil and powerful Digimon the Digital World had ever seen, with the exception of Quartzmon and ZeedMillenniummon of course," Cherubimon told them. "The Guardians were their greatest opposition, even though the power of the Demon Lords was far greater. It was because of them that the Sovereigns came up with their plan to resurrect the Guardians after they died in the battle with ZeedMillenniummon."

Tai sighed. "If the Demon Lords are as bad as you say, I can see why the Sovereigns were desperate enough to try and resurrect the Guardians through unconventional means."

Cherubimon closed his eyes in regret. "Alas, something happened that the Sovereigns did not foresee. Before they could summon humans to the Digital World, the Demon Lords channeled their power together and sealed them away. For 10,000 years, the Sovereigns have been trapped in a pocket dimension, unable to perform their duties. And with the Guardians asleep inside their DigiCards, and Shoutmon on the run, the Demon Lords' influence spread across the entire Digital World, taking over and corrupting all in their path."

Shoutmon was nodding along with what the angel Digimon was saying. "And then, one day, I heard a voice that told me to go to File Island. I think it was one of the Sovereigns, so I listened to it. That's when I met you guys. It seems, from where the Sovereigns are imprisoned, they somehow finally managed to bring you here."

"And you have done a superb job of restoring the Guardians," Cherubimon replied gratefully. "Unfortunately, even though the Guardians have been brought back to their former glory, the Sovereigns are still sealed away, and are unable to send you home. I am sorry."

The teens remained silent. They exchanged looks, seemingly having an unspoken conversation. Then they looked to Tai. The oldest boy glanced at each of them in turn before sighing heavily. "I guess we have no choice. We'll just have to free the Sovereigns."

Both Shoutmon and Cherubimon gave them stunned looks. They glanced at each other before turning back to the teens, the former speaking. "It seems you do not understand. There is no way for you to free the Sovereigns."

"Yeah," Shoutmon agreed. "The Demon Lords' power keeps them sealed away. The only way to free them is to destroy the Demon Lords."

Tai nodded. "I figured as much. So that's just what we'll do. We'll defeat the Demon Lords." 

Notes:

(A/N: And there we go, the answers you've been seeking. How and why the teens were brought to the Digital World, and what they must do to get home? Did everyone understand everything? I'll do a quick breakdown after the Author's Note. We also learned the rest of Shoutmon's backstory. If you hadn't figured it out from the hints I've dropped throughout the story, yes, it was ZeedMillenniummon who Shoutmon fled from, abandoning Gumdramon. Seriously though, can you blame him? And so came a series of events that led to our heroes ending up where they are. Now they know that the Sovereigns are the ones that can send them home, and they need to defeat the Demon Lords in order to free them from their prison. Talk about an impossible challenge. That will be the final leg of their journey. We've had several different arcs throughout this story so far. You can either look at the upcoming one as one long arc, or seven short arcs. That is, if our heroes can even manage to handle a single Demon Lord. If you don't know who they are, you'll get more info next chapter.)

{The Digital World came to be. For trillions of years, the D-Reaper (the First Catastrophe) prevented Digimon from evolving past their boundaries until it too evolved and began destroying everything. Jesmon sacrificed himself in order to trap the D-Reaper.

Hundreds of billions of years later, Quartzmon (the Second Catastrophe) appeared. After 3,000 years, he filled the Digital World with the DigiQuartz and attempted to absorb it to be come Gaiamon. The Guardians rose up and defeat Quartzmon.

War breaks out between the human and beast type Digimon. Shoutmon and Cherubimon become friends during the their time in the war.

Lucemon rises up and puts a stop to the war. He then becomes the new ruler of the Digital World.

Lucemon eventually goes mad and becomes a tyrant. He's overthrown by the Guardians and flees.

The Digimon God establishes order. He chooses the Digimon Sovereigns to protect the balance and chooses Shoutmon to be the Digimon King. The Guardians continue to fight against the darkness to prevent evil from taking over.

Lucemon returns with the other six Demon Lords and kills Shoutmon. The war between the Demon Lords and the Guardians begins.

12,000 years ago, two humans arrive in the Digital World. Shoutmon and Gumdramon have since become friends after hatching together.

10,000 years ago, ZeedMillenniummon (the Third Catastrophe) appears. Shoutmon flees from him, abandoning Gumdramon. The Guardians sacrifice themselves to destroy ZeedMillenniummon.

With the Demon Lords at large, the Sovereigns try to quickly resurrect the Guardians, entrusting their DigiCards to Shoutmon. The Demon Lords seal away the Sovereigns before they can bring humans to the Digital World to revive the Guardians.

Present time. The Sovereigns somehow manage summon the teens to the Digital World, and communicate with Shoutmon to meet them. Shoutmon gives them the DigiCards, allowing them to become the Guardians.}

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Alphamon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Dorumon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Quartzmon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Gaiamon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Gaiamon_(Appmon)

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/ZeedMillenniummon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Lucemon

Chapter 87: The Fourth Catastrophe

Notes:

(A/N: Last time, we learned the answers to the questions that have been plaguing us this whole time, including what our heroes have to do in order to get home. Things are going to change from here on out. But first our heroes need to learn a little more about what's waiting for them if they want any hope of defeating the Demon Lords, but before then, as the chapter title indicates, they're going to have another problem to deal with. Also, I've begun a "Moana" story if anyone is interested in that. I'll begin posting it next Wednesday along with these updates.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 87: The Fourth Catastrophe

The silence that followed was soon met with laughter as Shoutmon began cackling madly. It was not a humorous laugh, but one someone would emit in a situation of pure absurdity.

Tai didn't seem very appreciative of it as he flashed the dragon Digimon a glare. "What's so funny about that?"

Shoutmon slowly got his laughter under control. "What's so funny is that you're out of your tiny little human mind. The Demon Lords cannot be defeated. They're too powerful. You'll just get yourself killed."

Cherubimon nodded. "I'm afraid he's right, my friends. The power of the Demon Lords transcends time and space. And that is just them at their initial Digivolution. They've been absorbing data and getting stronger for hundreds of millions of years. Their power is insurmountable."

Davis placed his hands on his hips. " I have no idea what insurmountable means, but we've faced plenty of guys a lot stronger than us."

Shoutmon shook his head. "No, you don't understand. The guys we've faced so far are nothing, and I mean nothing compared to the Demon Lords. In fact, they've all been agents of them."

Kari gave him a curious look. "Agents?"

"That's right. All of them. Devimon, Dragomon, Myotismon, Argomon, ShadowSeraphimon, they all work for the Demon Lords to an extent."

"Shoutmon, stop," Takuya demanded. "We get that the Demon Lords are bad news, but nothing you say is going to change our minds."

The dragon Digimon grabbed his head and gave a frustrated cry. "You humans are so damn stubborn it's infuriating! Don't you realize that I'm trying to save your lives? Why are you so insistent on doing this?"

"Because we don't have any other choice," TK told him. "If we want to get back to our world, we need to free the Sovereigns, and the only way to do that is to defeat the Demon Lords. Besides, that will bring peace to the Digital World as well."

"It will do more than that," Cherubimon replied. "It will permanently tip the balance in favor if the light. The Demon Lords came into power as the Digital World evolved over time, and have been the driving force of all the evil in it ever since. If they're destroyed, and the Guardians return, then the war with the darkness will change from fighting evil to simply preventing it from rising again. This could usher in an eternity of peace."

"See!" Davis exclaimed. "This is a good thing. Why would you try and convince us otherwise?"

"Because it can't be done," Shoutmon insisted. "The power of the Demon Lords has no bounds. They've been in power so long that everyone has accepted that they always will be. The thought of them being gone has never been seen as plausible."

Davis grinned. "Well, we humans always hold onto the hope for a better tomorrow."

Tai crossed his arms, looking thoughtful. "What worries me the most is how long this could take. We've already been away from home for 10 months. How long will it take before we take down all seven Demon Lords?"

Cherubimon raised an eyebrow. "You mean you do not know?" At their confused looks, he elaborated. "Time moves differently in the Digital World than it does in the human world. A full day in the Digital World is equal to only one minute in your world."

The teens stared, not quite comprehending what the angel Digimon was telling them. The silence was finally broken by Tai as he expressed his disbelief. "Wait, are you serious?"

Cherubimon nodded. "Of course. I would not lie about such things."

TK immediately began doing the math in his head. "So, wait, if one minute in the Real World is equal to one day here, and we've been in the Digital World for 10 months, then we've only been away from home for about… uh… only five hours!"

Kari dropped to her knees. "Thank God. I was so worried about what our parents would be thinking."

"Speak for yourself," Takuya grumbled, looking sour. "I still ended up missing my date with Zoe. I'm going to have to make this up to her big time."

"At least she doesn't think you're dead. We can come up with some excuse to tell our families when we get back. Oh, man, this is such a relief."

Tai reached out and lifted Shoutmon off the ground by his scarf. "Why didn't you ever tell us about the time difference? It would have saved us a whole lot of worrying!"

The dragon Digimon began swinging his arms and kicking his legs. "I didn't know! I swear! I'm just as surprised as you are! Now put me down!"

Kari took a lock of her hair. "I guess it makes sense. If you think about it, our hair hasn't grown at all in all this time, nor have we gotten any older. We must still age in accordance to the time in the Real World."

"But this is great!" Takato exclaimed. "Even if it takes an entire year to beat the Demon Lords, it will only be about… six hours in the Real World."

"Guys!" Shoutmon said loudly. "I love the determination, but you really aren't comprehending what you want to do."

Tai sighed. "No, we probably don't, but it doesn't matter. This is something we have to do." He looked up at Cherubimon. "Tell us about these Demon Lords."

A look of resignation appeared on the angel Digimon's face, but also a hint of admiration. "Yes, the seven Demon Lords. Laylamon, the Demon Lord of Lust, known as the Goddess of Darkness. Once an Ophanimon before she fell from grace, she is a wicked temptress that seduces and manipulates others. All those that succumb to her temptations are invariably granted death.

"Beelzemon, the Demon Lord of Gluttony, known as the Duelist of Finality. He stands at the peak of the dark army, of Nightmare Soldiers. He enjoys conflict and breaking his opponents to the point that once he is finished with them, they might as well not even exist anymore. Anyone who dares to challenge him is considered a complete fool and not even worthy of his time.

"Leviamon, the Demon Lord of Envy, known as the Abyss of Despair. Once the guardian of the Net Ocean, he now rules it with an iron fist. He builds the foundation of wickedness in the Digital World and is now called the Devil Beast due to the terror of the exceedingly mighty power he possesses. His jaws are capable of consuming the entire Digital World, and it's said that his limits on power are nonexistent.

"Belphemon, the Demon Lord of Sloth, known as the Roar of Awakening. He's the most violent and destructive of all the Demon Lords. He's the literal incarnation of rage, and anything that enters his field of vision becomes a target for destruction. His roar alone will instantly destroy any Digimon at the Ultimate level and below, and not even Mega level Digimon can escape unharmed.

"Barbamon, the Demon Lord of Greed, known as the Schemer of Gold. His greed for treasure knows no bounds, and he will literally resort to any means to obtain what he desires. He's the most cunning of all the Demon Lords, and can control any fallen angel and demon Digimon."

"Remember Ghoulmon Black?" Shoutmon interrupted. "Barbamon is capable of easily controlling him. In fact, Barbamon was the Digimon that took over Yggdrasil."

Cherubimon nodded in confirmation and continued. "Then there's Daemon, the Demon Lord of Wrath, known as the Hellfire of Chaos. Originally a Seraphimon before falling from grace, he now leads many demon and fallen angel Digimon. He rebels against all things good, and has vowed to conquer the entire Digital World, and destroy all the goodness within it.

"Lastly we have Lucemon, the Demon Lord of Pride, known as the Paradise of Loss. He's the leader, founder, and strongest member of the Demon Lords, possessing power of the divine and the diabolic. He's only at the Ultimate level, but his power exceeds that of Megas, and even rivals that of Yggdrasil. Together, he and the other Demon Lords are the driving force of all things evil in the Digital World."

Takato whistled. "Wow, they do sound really bad. And I'm assuming that they're all Megas."

"Aside from Lucemon, yes, but he will still be the most difficult to beat."

"Good to know."

TK taped his chin as he thought about the Demon Lord's names and titles. "Wait, there's something about these Demon Lords that seems familiar. They sound like the seven princes of Hell. Lucemon would be Lucifer. Barbamon, Barbatos. Leviamon, Leviathan. Laylamon, Lilith. Beelzemon, Beelzebub. Belphemon, Belphegor. Daemon, Satan."

Cherubimon looked impressed. "Very perceptive of you, young one. Many Digimon are, in fact, based on some aspect of the human world. The two worlds go hand in hand and share a history in many things. You will find that quite a few events are similar and parallel each other, one world mirroring the other in various ways. Both the human world and the Digital World are inexplicably linked."

"This is all very interesting," Shoutmon grumbled, "but it's not going to help us." He looked at the teens. "This was not the reason the Sovereigns brought you here, I can tell you that for sure. They never intended for you to face the Demon Lords. You'll be lucky to beat the Chaos Generals."

Kari glanced at him. "The Chaos Generals? Who are they?"

"The Demon Lords' most loyal servants. They're Digimon that hold the title of 'Chaos' in their name. Each Demon Lord has a Chaos General that serves them. In fact, you already met two of them. ChaosGrimmon served Laylamon, and ChaosPiedmon served Barbamon."

"Great!" Davis said eagerly. "That's two Chaos Generals down already."

"AHH!" the dragon Digimon wailed, grabbing his head. "You humans are going to get me killed again!"

Cherubimon looked down at him. "I'm afraid I agree with the humans. The balance of the Digital World has been in disarray for far too long. It must be restored. Perhaps these brave children can do what the Guardians could not. At the very least, they may be able to stop the Demon Lord's reach from spreading any further than it already has." He looked back at the Wall of Fire. "When I think of how they nearly got me to free the evil beyond those flames, I shudder to think of what will become of our world."

Kari took a step closer to the flames. "What is beyond them?"

"An evil Digimon with incredibly destructive power whose very presence warps time and space around him. He was sealed behind the Wall of Fire long ago so his evil power would not harm the Digital World. I volunteered to guard his prison after Lucemon's initial defeat. To think that I almost let him out." He thumped his hand to his chest and began speaking very loudly, as if he were talking to the one behind the Wall of Fire. "But I hereby swear that I will never allow this evil to be unleashed up the Digital World. Not ever!"

As if in answer, a monstrous wail came from beyond the Wall of Fire. It sounded almost like a cry of despair, and rage, as if the owner of the voice were both deeply saddened and gravely angered. It was not a sound the teens found appealing.

A suspicious look crossed Cherubimon's face, and he cautiously approached the flames. He stared hard into the Wall of Fire, as if he were trying to see beyond it. Suddenly, his eyes widened, and he flew away from the flames. "Flee!"

Something enormous burst through the Wall of Fire. The teens ducked for cover as the large object flew over them. It went tumbling through the castle, crashing through walls, and bursting outside.

"No…" Cherubimon whispered fearfully, and rushed outside. The teens climbed to their feet and hurried after him. Upon exiting the castle, they found Cherubimon outside, staring up at the giant object that had come bursting through the flames.

Up in the sky was a polyhedron that appeared to be a colossal sized puzzle box of some kind. It floated in the air, surrounded by a wicked aura of dark colors that stretched out from its body for several hundred meters. The air itself seemed to tremble where the aura ended, as if matter itself wasn't sure how to affect it.

"At long last," the object declared, speaking in a deep echoing voice that almost made it sound as if it were speaking from underwater, "I am free."

Cherubimon stared at the object with a mixture of fear and loathing. "It can't be. I have failed."

Takuya gave him a confused look. "But how? We stopped that ball of data."

Shoutmon quickly joined them. "He must have absorbed enough to survive going through the firewall."

"It was a gamble," the Digimon growled down at them. "I would not remain trapped behind that cursed wall a moment longer. I would rather risk getting through with the amount of data I had absorbed than to stay within that prison. It seems my gamble paid off. I, Apocalymon, am free at last!"

"Apocalymon?" Davis repeated. He pointed up at the nightmare Digimon. "That things is really a Digimon? It looks more like a giant blue Rubix cube."

"Then bare witness to my true form, and my true power. Apocalymon Mode Change to…"

The puzzle box began to open, for lack of a better word. Golden pillars extended outward, jettisoning from the base until it resembled a giant gold naval mine. At the end of the pillars, lethal looking metal claws flowed outward on tendrils that resembled strands of DNA. At the very top of the base, only a fraction of the size in comparison to the rest of the object, a small humanoid figure appeared, attached to the base by the waist. "Apocalymon Creepy Mode!"

The others glared at Davis, as if he were the reason why that they now faced this much more threatening form. "What? It's not my fault."

"No," Apocalymon agreed. "It is the fault of the Sovereigns, who sealed me behind the firewall, trying to get rid of me like some piece of garbage that can be discarded. As if I don't have the right to live with the rest of the world."

"Don't act all innocent!" Shoutmon snapped. "You may be a tragic villain, but you're a villain nevertheless. You and your destructive ways, it's in your very nature."

The teens were good and lost. It seemed that both Shoutmon and Cherubimon knew who this Digimon was, but they were completely in the dark. "Um, guys," Takato muttered, "mind filling us in."

"With pleasure," Apocalymon grumbled. He leaned in. "I am Apocalymon, a Digimon born from the data of all the Digimon lost throughout the evolution of the Digital World. I am considered the rejected trash of all those too weak to get by." He pointed at Shoutmon and Cherubimon. "And because life itself rejected me, Digimon like them think I don't have the right to live with the rest of the world, or that I should even exist at all."

Kari gasped, her heart going out to him. "You poor thing." She looked at Shoutmon in disbelief. "Shoutmon, that's not true, is it?"

The dragon Digimon scoffed, his gaze steely. "Oh, it's true alright, as far as he's concerned. It sounds all so very tragic from his point of view." He glared at Apocalymon. "What he didn't tell you is that his goal is to plunge the entire Digital World into chaos and destroy absolutely everything. He comes from the jealousy, hatred, and negative thoughts produced by the Digimon who died throughout evolution. He may claim to be a victim who was greatly wronged, but at his core, he's motivated by jealousy and despair. He rejoices at the suffering of others and wants to rule over the Digital World, to twist it into a world to fit him in order to justify the darkness that composes him."

"Simply having him here is a threat to the Digital World," said Cherubimon. "His very presence generates chaos in space-time itself, completely distorting the fabric of the Digital World. That's why he was sealed behind the Wall of Fire, so he wouldn't be able to spread his evil throughout the Digital World."

Whatever sympathy the teens had felt for the nightmare Digimon was quickly fading. "Yeah, it certainly sounds a lot different when you hear the whole story," Tai growled.

"You think it is fair that you and everyone else gets to live free and happy in the Digital World while I'm sealed away in a world of darkness, forced to watch events unfold from the cold loneliness?" Apocalymon demanded, his face twisting into a mask of fury. Squeezing his eyes shut, he hugged himself tightly, his claws digging deeply into his arms, spilling green blood, yet he seemed oblivious to the mutilation he was causing to his own flesh. "You think it's right that I'm forced to be trapped in an empty world of blackness while others get to rejoice in the light as I suffer? I will not have it! I won't stand by and let others be happy while I am required to be miserable!"

"So he intends to force the rest of the Digital World to suffer with him," Shoutmon snarled. "That's his true nature, to cause misery to others. It's a classic case of if I can't have it, then nobody can."

Kari raised her hand. "Um, excuse me, Mr. Apocalymon, sir, you're a Mega, right? So why don't you just DeDigivolve to a lower level? This way you won't have any negative effects on the Digital World and can live with everyone else."

Apocalymon's eyes snapped open. "What!?" he demanded, looking gravely insulted. "You think I should have to suppress and hide who and what I really am? I am not allowed to reach my potential while everyone else can reach theirs?" His pupils shrank to specks and his snarl seemed too big for his face. "Never! If this world will not accept me, then I will shape it into one that will. If I am to suffer in darkness and misery, then everyone else should as well!" He began cackling madly, then seemed to catch himself. "Wait, why am I laughing? I'm supposed to be depressed!"

Shoutmon glanced at Kari. "Don't bother trying to reason with him. He's a sadistic and tormented soul fueled by jealousy and hate."

His commentary was not needed. It was very apparent that Apocalymon was completely insane, and the mad grin he gave them only helped to confirm it. "I can't help what I am. You would condemn me for my own existence."

"No," Cherubimon told him, "not for your existence, for your actions. You may be a victim of circumstances, but everyone reaches a point where they become responsible for their own actions. And you have long since ceased to care about the sufferings yours cause. You're a monster; you know you are, and yet you gladly embrace it."

"What I am," Apocalymon bellowed, "is the ultimate evil, complete with hot and cold water." A wicked chuckle escaped him. "The Demon Lords said that they would free me in exchange for my loyalty, and so they have; they managed to provide me with enough data to make my escape. Now begins a new age of darkness unlike the world has ever seen." He grinned sadistically. "Perhaps they will call me the Fourth Great Catastrophe."

"As if we would let that happen! Execute! Spirit Evolution… WarGreymon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Imperialdramon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Gallantmon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… AncientGreymon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Seraphimon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Ophanimon!"

Apocalymon sneered at them. "So you wish to fight me?" Madness blazed in his eyes. "You're just like all the others!"

Shoutmon moved behind his friends. "We can't let him join forces with the Demon Lords. They'll be unstoppable."

"We understand," said Gallantmon. "We'll stop him."

Cherubimon stepped forward. "I shall help you. I will not fail in my duty."

An insane grinned spread across Apocalymon's face, his eyes dancing wildly. "COME ON!"

"Oh, we're coming," said Imperialdramon. "But don't get the wrong idea. We feel bad for you, but we can't let you fill this world with darkness."

"We're fighting you, not because we think you don't belong," WarGreymon added, "but because of your intentions. We just can't let you do it. Terra Force!"

He threw the ball of energy. Apocalymon just grinned as one of his claws shot out and caught the attack. He crushed it in his grip like it was nothing, chuckling at the surprised reactions of the DigiDestined. "Did you really think such a puny attack like that was enough to withstand my hatred? Here's a little something for you to hate. Crimson Lightning!"

To the DigiDestined's shock, one of Apocalymon's claws transformed into a black shape that looked very much like the upper body of Myotismon. It then lashed out with the vampire Digimon's attack, a stream of electrified blood flying from his hand. It was much more powerful than Myotismon's attack as it knocked all seven Megas off their feet.

Ophanimon coughed, her hand going to her stomach where she had been struck. "That attack… that was Myotismon's attack."

"Yes," Cherubimon grumbled, sitting up. "Apocalymon can copy the attack of certain Digimon whose data is written in his code."

"I'm not exactly sure what that means," said Imperialdramon, rubbing his forehead where he was hit, "but it doesn't sound good."

Gallantmon stood up. "Forget this, let's just charge him."

The DigiDestined took to the air, but Cherubimon stayed behind, reaching out to them. "Wait, that won't work!"

They either didn't hear him, or they ignored him. Apocalymon just sneered as they came at him. "Tentacle Attack!"

He began spinning around like a top, his tentacles slicing through the air. Being the largest, Imperialdramon was struck in the head, the blow nearly breaking his neck. AncientGreymon was hit next, one of the claws hitting his side. The others, being smaller, got closer, but not by much, and nowhere near close enough before they too were smacked to the ground.

Cherubimon winced as they hit the ground. "Apocalymon's tentacles are very dangerous. They can even drain one's strength."

Seraphimon sat up. "Thanks for the warning. Lets try attacking from a distance. Strike of the Seven Stars!"

The seven energy balls flew at Apocalymon. They didn't get close before Apocalymon's spinning knocked them away as well.

"Maybe a more continuous attack," Imperialdramon suggested. "Positron Laser!"

He fired a beam of energy. It seemed to do the trick, as it couldn't be knocked away, and it struck Apocalymon. He stopped spinning and snarled at the DigiDestined. "You think you can hurt me!?"

"Well, we're going to try," said AncientGreymon. "Get him, guys."

"I'll cover you," said Cherubimon, raising his hands. "Storm of Judgment!"

An attack similar to Kerpymon's Terminal Judgment caused lightning to rain down. Apocalymon growled as it danced across him, and raised his claws to shield the humanoid portion of his body from the attack. "Virus Grenades!"

From every opening of his body, a stream of explosives came flying out. WarGreymon maneuvered around the grenades, but the other two dragon Digimon's sizes once again worked against them as the explosives rained down upon them. The other three followed WarGreymon's example. Gallantmon used his shield to protect himself, firing his Shield of the Just at the nightmare Digimon.

One of Apocalymon's claws lowered, the end shaping itself into what looked like a mechanical dragon's head. "River of Power!"

A blue beam of energy fired from the dragon's nose. It collided with Gallantmon's attack, pushing his beam back, and blasting into the knight Digimon.

"Death Claw!" Apocalymon cried. The dragon-head shifted back into a claw and shot towards Cherubimon. The angel Digimon took to the air, avoiding the attack, and lightning stopped raining down.

"Hallowed Knuckle!"

"Eden's Javelin!"

The attacks blasted against Apocalymon's giant body, but seemed to do no damage. The nightmare Digimon chuckled and raised a tentacle. The claw at the end shifted into a mechanical dinosaur with two giant cannons on its back. The cannons fired, shooting massive beams of energy at the angel Digimon. Ophanimon attempted to defend with her Unicorn Shield, but the attack blasted right through it.

Seraphimon used his Excalibur, cutting through the beam. He fired a Strike of the Seven Stars at the dinosaur, and it shifted back into a claw and launched at him. Seraphimon swung his blade, but wasn't fast enough as the claw grabbed him and began draining his power.

"Lightning Spear!" Cherubimon cried, throwing a spear of lighting at the claw that held the angel Digimon, and Seraphimon was released. Apocalymon growled and was about to attack when he felt WarGreymon slam into him with his Great Tornado.

A chuckle escaped the nightmare Digimon as WarGreymon attempted to drill through him, to no avail. Raising a claw, he brought it down on the dragon Digimon, knocking him to the ground.

"Omega Burst!" AncientGreymon cried from up above, breathing explosive fireballs down at the nightmare Digimon. They exploded against his upper surface, and Apocalymon's humanoid portion recoiled from the blasts. He was about to retaliate when he felt himself yanked down. Imperialdramon had grabbed onto the spike on his bottom and was pulling him down.

"Gaia Tornado!" AncientGreymon cried, emitting a vortex that flowed over Apocalymon's humanoid core body. The nightmare Digimon snarled and lashed out with his claws, half rising up to seize AncientGreymon, the rest grabbing Imperialdramon. He pushed the latter to the ground, crushing WarGreymon beneath him, then threw AncientGreymon down on top of the pile.

"Seraphimon, Ophanimon, to me!" Cherubimon cried.

The other two angel Digimon flew over on either side of Cherubimon. Seraphimon had an idea of what Cherubimon had in mind. "The three Celestial Angels, huh? Alright, lets do it. Strike of the Seven Stars!"

"Sefirot Crystals!"

"Lightning Spear!"

The three attacks came as one, slamming into Apocalymon's large body, resulting in a powerful blast of holy energy that knocked the nightmare Digimon back. It was the most damage they had managed to deliver to him yet, and Apocalymon was not happy about it. He lashed out with his tentacles, the claws grabbing the three angel Digimon.

"It's time for you to understand just how helpless you are in my presence. Reverse Digivolve!"

The three angel Digimon cried out as they began glowing. Seraphimon and Ophanimon lost their hold on their Digimon forms and involuntarily reverted back to TK and Kari. Apocalymon laughed and let them go, and all three of his captives fell from the sky.

"Hang on, guys I'm coming!" Gallantmon cried, flying over to catch them.

"Not so fast!" Apocalymon snarled. One of his claws opened, and dozens of arms that looked like they belonged to Devimon came stretching out, reaching for the knight Digimon. AncientGreymon flew up and slammed into Apocalymon, causing him to miss Gallantmon, allowing the knight Digimon to catch their friends. Apocalymon turned his attention to the dragon Digimon and knocked him away with his Tentacle Attack.

Gallantmon came in for a landing and set his friends down beside Shoutmon. "Everyone ok?"

"I think so?" TK replied. "Kari?"

"I'm fine. Cherubimon?"

But the angel Digimon was gone. In his place was a small brown and pink rabbit Digimon with three horns. "This isn't good. He DeDigivolved me to Lopmon. I'm stuck at the Rookie level now." He looked up at the two teens remorsefully. "I'm sorry, but until I can replenish my energy, I won't be able to Digivolve."

"Well, that's not good," Shoutmon grumbled. "We were already at a disadvantage, and now we've lost Cherubimon's power."

Kari looked at her Digivice. "What about us? Can we still Spirit Evolve?"

TK examined his as well. "Our Digivices still have power. Lets try. Execute! Spirit Evolution… Seraphimon!"

Kari beamed. "Alright, they still work! Execute! Spirit Evolution… Ophanimon! Now, where were we?"

"About here," said Gallantmon, raising his lance. "Saber Shot!"

He fired a ball of lightning. It hit Apocalymon from below, drawing his attention from the three dragon Digimon he was fighting. His eyes widened when he saw the two angel Digimon. "You again? But how? You couldn't possibly have replenished your energy enough to Digivolve, not without having someone give it to you."

A fireball hit his back, and several more rained down around his core body as WarGreymon flew overhead, using his Grey Fire. "You underestimated us humans. We're a lot stronger than you know."

Fury twisted Apocalymon's features. "In that case, I'll just take you all out at once!"

His aura flowed outward, consuming the entire castle and much of the land around it. Lopmon gasped as the aura flowed over him and the DigiDestined. "GET OUT OF HIS AURA!"

"Darkness Zone!"

A sensation unlike anything they had ever felt overcame them. It was somewhat painful, yet numbing at the same time, almost like when one's foot fell asleep, only all over the place. With it came a feeling of disassembling, as if their very beings were coming apart. And then, to their horror, their bodies began to dissolve in a similar manner to when a Digimon died.

"What is this!?" Gallantmon exclaimed. "What's happening!?"

"Oh no!" Shoutmon cried, as the same thing began happening to him at a much faster rate. "We're-"

And then he was gone, his body completely dissolving into a sand-like substance and disappearing.

"Tai, what do we do?" Ophanimon cried fearfully! "TK, help!"

"I don't know!" Seraphimon shouted. "I can't stop it!"

"Hang on everyone!" WarGreymon cried. "We'll figure out something!"

Apocalymon laughed maniacally. "Fools, there's nothing you can do! Now, disappear!"

And they did. One by one, the DigiDestined broke down and dissolved, fading away to nothing.

 

Notes:

(A/N: Wow, what a chapter. Our heroes learned more about the Demon Lords, and then had the misfortune of facing Apocalymon. At least they're no longer so pressed for time now that they no about the time difference. Not that it seems to matter anymore now that they've all disappeared. What will become of our heroes now? Stay tuned to find out.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Laylamon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Beelzemon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Leviamon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Belphemon_Rage_Mode

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Barbamon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Daemon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Lucemon_Chaos_Mode

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Apocalymon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Apokarimon_(Creepy_Mode)

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Lopmon

Chapter 88: Return of the King

Notes:

(A/N: Alright then! After a cliffhanger ending, we're picking up right where the battle left off. I tell you, when initially writing this chapter, the pace felt good, but upon reading it afterwards, it fells kind of, well, rushed. Be that as it may, I couldn't really come up with anything different. The chapter is already longer than usual, and I felt trying to squeeze in any more would be over doing it. Perhaps the surprise inside will get rid of any drawbacks.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 88: Return of the King

 

This was… new. WarGreymon didn't know how to describe it. It was like he was here, but he wasn't. He was fully aware of everything around him as if he could use all his sense, but he couldn't actually see or hear or anything. There was really no way to explain it.

"Hello?" he called out somehow without using a voice. "Is anyone there?"

He didn't know why he bothered asking. He knew his friends were there, no different than if he were using his eyes to look at them, even though he no longer had eyes. And he could see them, even though they no longer had bodies to be seen with either. The entire situation was completely baffling.

"We're here," Seraphimon somehow replied without a voice, and without having heard WarGreymon call out. "But where is here?"

"The same place we were a moment ago, I think," AncientGreymon replied. "But we're here in a… different way. Like we're everywhere ad nowhere."

"We've been disassembled," said Shoutmon. "We're nothing more than information. Our bodies have been deleted and reduced entirely into data particles."

"What does that mean?" Gallantmon asked. "Are we…? Did we actually…?"

"No, we're still alive," Shoutmon replied, knowing what he was trying to say. "For now…"

"So what now?" Ophanimon asked. "How do we get back?"

There was a regretful sigh from the dragon Digimon. "We can't get back. We've been deleted. We're nothing more than ones and zeroes lost in the flow of data of the Digital World. Soon we'll perish completely."

WarGreymon felt a rush of panic for himself and his friends. "But then what will happen to us? You Digimon will be reborn, but what about us?"

Shoutmon sighed again. "I guess whatever happens to you humans when you die in your world."

"Nooooo!" Imperialdramon howled. "I can't die! I'm too young to die! There are still so many video games I haven't played yet!"

"Imperialdramon, shut up!" AncientGreymon snapped impatiently. "I refuse to go out like this, just quietly dying in the darkness. There has to be some way."

"I think I might have a solution," Lopmon replied. "But I will need your help."

WarGreymon clung to any form of hope for survival. "What? What do you need?"

"Ok, listen closely. We Lopmon have a unique power within us; we have the power of life. If you share your strength with me, I might be able to restore and reassemble our data."

If the others had faces, they would have exchanged uncertain looks. All the same, they had nothing left to lose. Who knew how much time they had left otherwise?

"Alright, lets give it a shot," said Seraphimon.

They had no bodies, so they could not join hands. Instead, they focused on bringing their consciousnesses as close to each other as possible and focusing all their energy on Lopmon's, sending him their power.

"Are you sure this will work?" Imperialdramon asked.

"Just be quiet and focus," Shoutmon snapped. "This is our only chance."

They waited in darkness, still unable to see. But amongst the darkness, small light particles began to shine. The light particles flowed from seven different sources, flowing into one spot. The light particles formed into the silhouette of Lopmon and began shining brighter and brighter until they blazed brighter than the sun. Then the light burst forth, engulfing the darkness.

The gleeful grin on Apocalymon's face faded away as light emitted from seemingly nowhere. He held up his hands, shielding his eyes from the light. "What's happening now? Why is it so bright?"

"Hey, Apocalymon, you miss us?"

The nightmare Digimon lowered his hands, and stared in disbelief at the DigiDestined. "No, it can't be. You should have been reduced to nothing."

"Oh, we were," said WarGreymon, "it wasn't fun. But now we're back, and you're going down."

Anger twisted Apocalymon's face, but his snarl soon shifted into a grin. "Very well, if you want to have a violent end rather than a peaceful one, I can certainly help you with that."

"We're not falling here, Apocalymon," Seraphimon replied. "We can't. We have too much to lose."

"Well, I have nothing to lose, and everything to gain. So lets just see who fate favors. Virus Grenades!"

"Eternal Zeal!" Imperialdramon cried, breathing a fiery tornado at any grenades that came at them, causing them to explode. "Get Shoutmon and Lopmon to safety, then we'll take this guy."

"On it," Seraphimon replied, flying the two down to the ground.

"Take me?" Apocalymon asked mockingly. "After doing such a poor job so far? You must be delusional."

"No," said WarGreymon, "just determined. Terra Force!"

"Mega Crusher!"

"Lightning Joust!"

"Omega Burst!"

"Shining Laser!"

Apocalymon sneered. "Death Claw!"

His claws flew outward, forming a wall that blocked the various attacks. The DigiDestined scattered as the claws flew at them, and began launching attacks at the nightmare Digimon. Apocalymon began spinning around with his Tentacle Attack, knocking away any attacks and keeping the DigiDestined at bay.

Seraphimon landed on the ground, setting down the two Rookies. "Don't worry, we'll make sure we win."

Lopmon stopped him before he could fly off. "Listen, when Apocalymon is in his Creepy Mode, he's at his strongest, but he's also at his most vulnerable. Focus your attacks on his core body. It's not his entire being, but it's still important. That's your best chance to beat him."

Seraphimon looked up at the nightmare Digimon. Apocalymon's core body was tiny compared to the rest of him, just a zit on the massive form of his entire body. "It'll be hard to attack it, but I'll tell the others."

He flew up into the sky, leaving the two Rookies behind. After a few seconds, Lopmon glared at Shoutmon. "You should be up there helping them."

The dragon Digimon gave him a look of disbelief. "What are you talking about? How am I supposed to fight that thing? He's a Mega, and an incredibly powerful one at that. I'm a Rookie. What can I do?"

Lopmon just growled and looked up at the battle again. Apocalymon was still spinning, but now he had unleashed his Virus Grenade, shooting explosives in all directions. It put the DigiDestined entirely on the defense until Seraphimon rejoined them and used his Hallowed Ascension, calling down bolts of lightning that rained across Apocalymon, striking his core body.

"Guys, listen up," he called. "Lopmon said that we have to attack his core body."

"What's a core body?" Imperialdramon asked. He stared at the small humanoid upper body that was attached to the massive form by the waist. "You mean that tiny human-like portion of him?"

"Yes."

"Why didn't he say so sooner?" AncientGreymon growled. "Omega Burst!"

He launched a fireball, but it was easily caught by a claw. Gallantmon fired his Shield of the Just, but another claw flew at him, pushing through the beam and crashing into him. Imperialdramon tried with his Positron Laser, only to have the same thing happen. He stopped the claw with his Shining Blade, but it suddenly morphed into the dragon-head and blasted him with River of Power.

"You seek to attack my core body," Apocalymon declared furiously, "but it's not going to work."

"Spread out," WarGreymon ordered. "Surround him while I distract him. Ultra Tornado!"

He began spinning around, manifesting a fiery tornado. Apocalymon was too big to be affected by it, but the smaller tornados that flew out of it still crashed into him. "Your puny tornadoes can't hurt me. Crimson Lightning!"

His claw shifted into the shadowy image of Myotismon, and lashed out with an electrified stream of blood. It whipped through the top of the tornado, going down the length, and striking WarGreymon.

Seraphimon, Ophanimon, and AncientGreymon got on different sides of Apocalymon and fired their strongest attacks at his core body. The nightmare Digimon's claws came up, blocking them before he unleashed his Virus Grenades. Ophanimon used her Unicorn Shield to defend while Seraphimon fired his Strike of the Seven Stars to travel down the line of grenades, and AncientGreymon used his Omega Corona to unleash an explosion of fire to protect himself. Apocalymon lashed out with his Crimson Lightning again, swinging it around and striking all three of them.

Laughing, Apocalymon raised his tentacles, the claws at each end transforming into something different, allowing him to unleash several different copied attacks that he fired upon the DigiDestined.

Down on the ground, Lopmon turned back to Shoutmon. "This can't go on. You have to help them."

Shoutmon growled at him. "I can't fight him. I'll get killed in a second. Why don't you fight him?"

Lopmon's eyes narrowed, and one of his hand-shaped ears lifted up, made a fist, and punched the dragon Digimon square in the face. Shoutmon went down, rubbing his jaw, and gave the rabbit Digimon a bewildered look. "What's wrong with you?"

"What's wrong with me? What's wrong with you? You're the Digimon King, hand-picked by the Digimon God to rule the Digital World. Your friends are risking their lives fighting that monster for your world, yet you won't even raise a finger to help."

Shoutmon jumped to his feet. "I can't help. I want to, but I'm not strong enough. I'll just get in the way. They'll end up worrying about me and trying to protect me instead of fighting him and worrying about their own hides. I'll just hinder them if I try and help."

"Not if you Digivolve."

The dragon Digimon gave a bark of laughter. "What do you think I've been trying to do for all these years? You know my Digivolution requires a lot of data. I've been at it ever since I was first killed, but I've kept dying before I got enough. I'm not strong enough yet."

"Have you tried?" Lopmon asked. Shoutmon's mouth closed, and he didn't respond. "I'm asking you, have you tried?"

Shoutmon's fists clenched, and he looked away. "What's the point? I don't have enough data yet."

"I'll take that as a no." He looked up at the battle, where Apocalymon had seized AncientGreymon's tail and was swinging him at the others. He turned back to Shoutmon. "How long have you been gathering data for? It must have at least been since ZeedMillenniummon appeared. That's when you got the Guardian's DigiCards, right? You couldn't have died since then, otherwise you would have lost the DigiCards. That's 10,000 years, Shoutmon. For 10,000 years you've been gathering data. You're telling me that you still don't have enough yet to Digivolve? You're telling me that you haven't even tried?"

Shoutmon looked away. "It's not enough. I need more."

"Of course," Lopmon mocked, "because as long as you don't have enough, you don't need to try. And if you never try, you'll never Digivolve." His eyes narrowed. "And if you never Digivolve, you'll never be beaten at your best again, right?"

For a few moments, Shoutmon was silent, then he turned back to the rabbit Digimon furiously. "You don't know what it's like. You've never died before. Being forcibly DeDigivolved like this is the closet you've ever come to it. Dying, it's horrible. It'll scar you forever, and you'll never truly get over it."

Lopmon sighed. "I get it, Shoutmon. I may never have died, but I can understand how you feel. The Digimon God chose you to be the King of the Digital World. You held one of the highest positions of authority, surpassed only by the Sovereigns and the Digimon God himself. You must have thought that you were invincible, that your peaceful rule would go on forever. But then you died for the first time. You not only had to start over from scratch, but you lost everything. Your position, your title, your power, your authority, everything. And because you fell, the Demon Lords were able to take over. That must have been very traumatizing for you. You failed before, and you're afraid of failing again."

His ears reached out, clamping Shoutmon's shoulders. "But you can't be afraid forever. Don't think of trying as an opportunity to fail, but as an opportunity to succeed. To regain everything you've lost, to fix what the Demon Lords messed up. The Digimon God chose you for a reason. You can do it, Shoutmon. I have faith in you."

Shoutmon's eyes were shining as he stared at the rabbit Digimon. "You really believe in me."

Lopmon smirked. "You know I do, old friend. You're still the Digimon King. It's time to act like it."

A single tear escaped Shoutmon's eye. He wiped it away and grinned. "You're right. No more running away. It's time to reclaim my title." He removed Lopmon's ears from his shoulders and rushed towards the battle. "Thanks, Lopmon."

The rabbit Digimon smiled, but then hen suddenly sweat-dropped. "I hope he actually does have enough data."

Shoutmon charged forward. Apocalymon was swinging his tentacles around wildly, preventing the DigiDestined from getting close. His eyes narrowed and a determine look crossed his face as he hurried onward to help his friends.

"I'm tired of being weak. I'm tired of being cowardly. I won't ever run away again. From now on, I'll face whatever challenges come my way. Look out, world, the Digimon King is back. Shoutmon Digivolve to… OmniShoutmon!"

All attention shifted to the bright light. Out of it flew a humanoid dragon Digimon clad completely in gold armor. He lacked wings, yet he flew up into the sky all the same, joining the DigiDestined in the air. "Hey, guys. Mind if I get in on this?"

AncientGreymon turned to him in bewilderment. "Who are you?"

"It's me, Shoutmon. I've Digivolved to OmniShoutmon. At the Mega level, I use my passion to unleash an onslaught of powerful attacks to decimate my enemies."

Imperialdramon beamed. "Awesome, now we have another Mega to… Wait, you Digivolved from Shoutmon? Shouldn't you just be a Champion?"

"Ordinarily, yes, but I'm one of those rare and unique Digimon. I lack a Champion and Ultimate form, instead Digivolving from Rookie straight to Mega. This is why it tales me so long to Digivolve, and why I specialize in DigiFusion. But at long last, I have finally unlocked my Mega form once again."

Ophanimon smiled. "Well, congratulations, OmniShoutmon."

"Thank you, Ophanimon. Now, lets defeat this monster."

Apocalymon chuckled evilly. "You think you can beat me now? You couldn't beat me when Cherubimon was fighting with you, and he was stronger than you, OmniShoutmon." Madness twisted his features once again. "I'll annihilate you all!"

He sent a Death Claw flying at them. OmniShoutmon moved in front of his friends, pounding his fists together. "Just try it, you planetoid freak. Victorize Banking!"

The V shape crest on his head glowed red, shining brighter than the sun. A V-shaped bolt fired at the claw, blasting it off course. Apocalymon roared and lashed out with several of his claws. The others attacked as well, using various attacks to knock the claws away before they could strike.

"Kill you all," Apocalymon seethed psychotically. "Kill you all. I'll kill you all! Virus Grenades!"

"Heavy Metal Vulcan!" OmniShoutmon cried, unleashing a barrage of flaming bolts from the opening on his chest, forming a wall that the grenades blasted against, blocking Apocalymon's attack. As the smoke obscured their vision, one of the nightmare Digimon's claws came flying through it towards OmniShoutmon. Imperialdramon flew in front of him and fired his Positron Laser. Apocalymon's claw pushed through the beam and clamped onto the dragon Digimon's head, pulling him forward and tossing him aside.

"Justice Genome!" Seraphimon cried, glowing brightly as the power of his Light attacks increased. "Hallowed Ascension!"

Lightning rained down from the sky. Apocalymon's claw rose up to block it, and Ophanimon took aim with her javelin. "Eden's Needle!"

Apocalymon grunted as needles of light struck him. One of his claws shifted into the dinosaur Digimon with twin cannons and fired his Giga Cannon at her. AncientGreymon moved in front of the attack and countered with his Gaia Tornado. Ophanimon used her Air Sefirot, the air from the tree of life greatly amplifying the attack, and they canceled out the blasts from the twin cannons.

"Gram Strike!" Gallantmon cried, coming down from up above.

Apocalymon looked up and saw the knight Digimon flying down towards him through the opening he had left when he used one of his claws to attack. His arms shot out, grabbing the lance before the blow was landed, and he slammed Gallantmon down onto his body. The knight Digimon immediately jumped to his feet and used his Gram Slash, cutting Apocalymon across the chest with his lance.

"Twin Fireball Strike!" OmniShoutmon cried, throwing a fireball from each hand. The first one hit Apocalymon's head, the second struck his side. Then WarGreymon came flying towards him with his Great Tornado.

"Get away from me!" Apocaymon bellowed, and unleashed his Tentacle Attack. WarGreymon was knocked away, and Gallantmon went flying as the nightmare Digimon spun around. When he finally stopped, he was grasping his head, his eyes rolling around madly. "Die! Die! Die! All of you just die!"

Imperialdramon growled as he flew back over to the others. "This attack the core body strategy isn't working. We should just hit him wherever we can with whatever we have. We'll wear him down eventually."

"He'll destroy us before then," OmniShoutmon told him.

"We should give it a try anyway," said WarGreymon. "Spread out and hit him with everything you've got."

They split up, flying around Apocalymon, attacking whenever they could. Apocalymon attempted to ward them off with his tentacles, but they stayed out of range and dodged when they got too close. Unfortunately, their attacks did little against Apocalymon's giant body, seemingly only making the nightmare Digimon angrier.

"You can't beat me! I'm too powerful! Virus Grenades!"

OmniShoutmon humphed. "These again? Check this. Doom Drillpress!" His feet morphed into blades, and he began spinning around, kicking out at the grenades. "Ha! Can't hurt me with those." One of Apocalymon's claws suddenly shot out and grabbed him. "This, however, could be a problem."

Apocalymon sneered red. "This may not be as affective on your friends, but it will still work on you. Reverse Digivolve!"

"Excalibur!"

Seraphimon's blade cut through the tentacle, and the claw holding OmniShoutmon burst into data before he could have his Digivolution reversed. Apocalymon bellowed with rage and sent four more claws flying at the angel Digimon. Imperialdramon flew in front of him protectively and breathed his Eternal Zeal. The fiery vortex did nothing to stop the claws, and they clamped down on his shoulders and arms. Lifting him up, Apocalymon brought him down on Seraphimon, slamming them to the ground.

Ophanimon and Gallantmon fired beams from their Shining Laser and Shield of the Just, but Apocalymon ignored them as two more of his claws dueled with WarGreymon. AncientGreymon flew around, firing his Omega Burst all over the nightmare Digimon while OmniShoutmon did the same with his Hard Rock Spirit, shooting explosive fire blasts from his hands.

One of Apocalymon's tentacles shifted into the dragon-head and fired his River of Power at AncientGreymon. The dragon Digimon used his Omega Corona, but Apocalymon's beam pushed straight through the blast and forced AncientGreymon out of the center of the explosion. He redirected the beam towards OmniShoutmon, then at Gallantmon and Ophanimon. All three fell to the ground close to Imperialdramon, and AncientGreymon dropped down a few moments later.

"Everyone!" Lopmon shouted, running to them. "Hang on, guys. I've called for help. Backup should be here soon."

"If we last that long," Imperialdramon grumbled as he got up, revealing Seraphimon underneath him. "Sorry about that."

"No problem," Seraphimon groaned. "I can't believe how strong this guy is."

"I told you," Lopmon insisted. "You need to attack his core body."

"We can't get to his core body," WarGreymon growled. "It's too well protected."

AncientGreymon struggled to stand up. "I think I have a way to get you close. Follow me at a distance, and prepare to hit him with your strongest attacks."

"What are you mumbling about?" Apocalymon demanded. He suddenly dropped from the sky, nearly falling on top of them. The DigiDestined took to the air, OmniShoutmon snatching up Lopmon and carrying him to safety. He set him down and joined his friends in the air as Apocalymon rose into the sky once more. "Ok, we'll go with your plan. What is it?"

"Move in after I attack," AncientGreymon replied. "Here I go."

He flew straight at Apocalymon, heading for his core body. The nightmare Digimon sneered and sent out a Death Claw. AncientGreymon avoided it and began firing his Omega Burst at Apocalymon's core body. Several more claws shot out, coming at AncientGreymon from different directions, and he was finally sandwiched between two of them a few dozen meters from Apocalymon's core body.

The nightmare Digimon chuckled. "Whatever you're planning, it won't work."

AncientGreymon grinned. "Actually, it's working just fine. Omega Corona!"

A massive fiery blast, much larger than he would normally allow to be used was unleashed. The blast flew outward, and Apocalymon cried out as it covered his core body and a good portion of his lower body. "You little wretch!" When the flames died down, he found Gallantmon almost directly in front of him. "What!?"

"Shield of the Just!"

The beam struck Apocalymon's core body at close range, sending him flopping back so hard he hit his lower body before straightening up again. "You'll pay for that!"

"Terra Force!"

WarGreymon's attack hit him from behind, and this time Apocalymon fell forward. He did not rise this time, but when the smoke cleared, he saw Imperialdramon a short distance from him, his cannon aimed right at him. "Mega Crusher!"

Apocalymon's eyes widened as the ball of antimatter came at him. The resulting blast caused him to loosen his hold, and AncientGreymon pulled free. "Omega Blast!"

Apocalymon looked up as the explosive fireball came at him. "You-"

Whatever he had been about to say was cut off as the fireball struck and erupted. Apocalymon snarled as he rose higher from the smoke. "I'll kill you all!"

"Strike of the Seven Stars!"

"Sefirot Crystals!"

The attacks came from the front and back, Seraphimon and Ophanimon on either side of him. Apocalymon looked from one attack to the other, his face twisting into a mask of madness. The attacks came together, with Apocalymon in the middle, taking both at once. Consumed in a blast of holy energy, he roared his fury to the sky. "DAMN YOU!"

OmniShoutmon was suddenly in front of him, his body surrounded by a blazing aura as he summoned up the power of the Omega inForce within his body. "Omni Core Fusion!"

The aura rose up, taking a humanoid form. It dove at Apocalymon, flowing over his core body, and erupting into a furious blaze of energy. The nightmare Digimon howled as he was consumed by the blast, his cry echoing all around.

The tentacles coming from Apocalymon's body slowly drooped and began hanging downward limply. The DigiDestined put some distance between themselves and the nightmare Digimon as the smoke around his core body began to clear. The small humanoid portion of Apocalymon was heavily damaged, and he was hugging himself, moaning in a way that almost sounded as if he were crying.

"Damn you…" he whispered. "Damn you all…"

Despite knowing the danger he presented, Ophanimon cautiously approached. "Please, stop this. Just surrender. We feel bad for everything you've gone through, but hurting others and making them suffer along with you isn't the answer. Please, just stop."

"Stop?" Apocalymon repeated, now sounding offended. "Never. I'll never stop. I refuse to let this world of light shine brightly while I suffer in darkness."

He began to lower into his body. His claws were pulled back in as well, and the pillars sticking out of his body began too retract inside as he closed up into the blue form they had first seen him in.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Gallantmon demanded, getting a very bad feeling.

Apocalymon chuckled. "I will not back down, not even if I die. But if I am to fall here, then I'll take all of you and this entire dimension down with me!"

"What!?"

"No!"

"You can't!"

"Don't do it!"

The nightmare Digimon laughed. "Yes, feel my despair. Say goodbye to this world of light that you have come to know and love. Now we can all start over in the reboot. Total Annihilation!"

"Aww, hell!" WarGreymon growled as Apocalymon began to glow. "Grab Lopmon, and lets get out of here!"

"There's no use outrunning it," said OmniShoutmon. "This attack is a universal destroyer. No one will survive it."

"We're not just going to stand around and die!" AncientGreymon shouted. "Now lets go!"

Apocalymon's deranged laughter echoed all around as the DigiDestined flew down, Ophanimon scooping up Lopmon. They all turned as a deafening boom too loud for their ears to register signaled the eruption of Apocalymon's attack as he self-destruct. The explosion flew outward, seemingly in slow motion, but rapidly gaining speed as it completely obliterated Cherubimon's castle.

"No!" the rabbit Digimon cried, and jumped out of Ophanimon's arms and towards the blast.

"Lopmon!" the angel Digimon shouted.

Much to the shock of the DigiDestined, the moment the rabbit Digimon made contact with the explosion, the blast came to a stop. Lopmon floated in the air, his face twisted with a mixture of pain and concentration.

"Lopmon, what are you doing!?" OmniShoutmon cried. "Get out of there!"

The rabbit Digimon didn't listen, but he did slowly turn around to face them. "I… have to… do this… This attack will… destroy the entire… Digital World…"

"But what can you do?" AncientGreymon asked.

Lopmon managed to flash him a smile. "I'm no… ordinary Lopmon… That's why… I was chosen… for my position… I have… an anomaly… in my data…" Light suddenly consumed him. The pink markings on his body vanished, and he became pure white, his eyes changing from brown to blue. "I am… the white Lopmon… and I possess… a mysterious power…"

OmniShoutmon's eyes were wide. "I didn't know you were an anomaly."

A light chuckle escaped the rabbit Digimon. "No one was… supposed to know… But I must now… use my power to… stop this attack…" He smiled sadly. "I'm sorry to say that… I will not survive… but at least… I can save you…"

"No!" OmniShoutmon cried. "Lopmon, you can't!"

"It's ok… We'll see each other… again…" He chuckled. "Guess I'll know… what it's like… to die now too… Goodbye, my friends… Good luck…"

He burst into data, leaving a glowing sphere of light behind. Particles of light began flowing out of it, spreading out along the surface of the explosion. It circled all around, covering the entire blast, and the explosion slowly faded away and disappeared. There was no sign of Apocalymon. The battle was over.

Notes:

(A/N: And that brings this chapter to a close. A lot certainly happened. Apocalymon was destroyed, Lopmon revealed he was the legendary white Lopmon before sacrificing himself, and lets not forget the big one, Shoutmon Digivolved! That's right, OmiShoutmon will now be fighting in future battles. And they're going to need all the help they can get to fight the Demon Lords. And so, here ends the Cherubimon arc. It was a short one, or a long one if you want to look at the entire story so far as a single arc. Now begins the Demon Lords arc, which, as I said, you can look at as either one really long arc, or seven shorter arcs. I wonder who they will face first. One thing is for sure, it's going to be one intense battle. Things are really going to get serious from here on out, so stay tuned for the next chapter.)

OmniShoutmon's attacks:

Flame Cannon – Unleashes a stream of flaming bolts from his chest.

Victorize Banking – Fires a flaming V-shaped bolt from the crest on his forehead that's brighter than the sun.

Twin Fireball Strike – Throws fireballs fueled by his courage and passion.

Doom Drillpress – Changes his feet into blades and spins around to cut up his opponents.

Omni Core Fusion – Channels the power of the Omega inForce in his body to produce an aura in the shape of Omnimon, then shooting it at his opponents.

Heavy Metal Vulcan – Fires a hail of flaming bolts from his chest to create an impenetrable wall.

Hard Rock Spirit – Shoots blasts of fire from his hands.

Omni Torpedo – Surrounds himself with the aura of his Omni Core Fusion, then tackles an opponent.

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/OmniShoutmon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Lopmon#(White)

Chapter 89: Fall of the Heroes

Notes:

(A/N: We left off at... kind of a cliffhanger last time. Can you call that a cliffhanger? We left off at Lopmon seemingly sacrificing himself to stop Apocalymon's universal destroying attack. And now we're going to see what happens after that. I really hope you're ready, because this is when the super important parts of the story start with the main villains arc. Lets get to it!)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 89: Fall of the Heroes

OmniShoutmon shouted his sorrow and slammed his fists on the ground, cracking the hard rock. "Lopmon!" He howled his pain to the sky, pounding the ground with his fist, forming a larger and larger crater. "Why!? Lopmon!"

The DigiDestined stood a short distance away, watching their friend as he drowned in his agony. The loss of Lopmon hurt them all, but they hadn't known him the way OmniShoutmon did. Having to watch him die right in front of him, having to watch him sacrifice himself like that, it was almost too hard to bear.

They let the dragon Digimon cry for a few minutes before Seraphimon slowly approached. "OmniShoutmon." No answer. "OmniShoutmon." He reached out, placing a hand on the dragon Digimon's shoulder. "I'm so sorry."

OmniShoutmon sniffed a few times. "You're sorry? No, you have nothing to be sorry for. This is my fault. I'm the Digimon King. Anything that happens is my responsibility. That's what it means to be king."

"OmniShoutmon…"

"Don't touch me!" He slapped Seraphimon's hand away. Getting to his feet, he rubbed his eyes furiously. "I'm fine. Everything is fine. Losing Lopmon is… regrettable, but at least we don't have top worry about Apocalymon joining the Demon Lords. That would have been disastrous."

He turned to the others. "You're going after them. I know there's no stopping you. And I'm going with you. I finally have the power to do something, and I'm going to do it." He thumped his chest. "I hereby swear, I will do whatever it takes to help you defeat the Demon Lords and get you home."

"OmniShoutmon…" WarGreymon whispered. There was a sudden change in his attitude, and he suddenly looked more determine. "That's right. We can do it. We'll defeat the Demon Lords, free the Sovereigns, and restore order to the Digital World, then we'll be able to go back home. Everyone with me?"

The others cheered. "Those Demon Lords won't even know what hit them," Imperialdramon declared. "We'll teach them not to mess with us. So," he looked back at OmniShoutmon, "where are they?"

OmniShoutmon looked out into the distance. "They're here, on this layer, the top one. They each have a castle across the sea. Except for Leviamon, whose is in the sea."

"Perhaps we should go after Leviamon first," Seraphimon suggested. "Then we can just head to the continent the other Demon Lords are on."

"Then we'll need transport," Ophanimon replied.

Gallantmon groaned. "Uch, great, more sea travel. Lets not use a raft this time."

"So what do you suggest we do?" AncientGreymon asked. "Fly across? Will our power even last that long?"

Imperialdramon sighed. "Too bad we don't have Whamon."

"We could take a Trailmon," OmniShoutmon suggested. "Their tracks go out across the ocean."

Gallantmon looked uneasy. "I don't know if I want to get on another Trailmon after what happened last time."

"You mean getting caught up in that data stream? That was just a fluke. Trailmon travel is pretty much as safe as it gets."

WarGreymon glanced at the others. "We'll put it to a vote. All those in favor of taking a Trailmon?"

"I!" everyone except Gallantmon cried. The knight Digimon looked at each of them before sighing and raising his hand as well.

"That settles it," WarGreymon replied. "OmniShoutmon, where's the nearest Trailmon station?"

The dragon Digimon looked around. He thought about it for a moment before pointing. "I'm pretty sure it's that way."

In the distance where OmniShoutmon was pointing, a tear suddenly appeared in the air, ripping the sky open. OmniShoutmon blinked in surprise and looked at his friends. "Um, I didn't do that."

"What is it?" Ophanimon asked.

OmniShoutmon turned back to the hole. "It looks like a dimensional rip. Very few Digimon have the power to freely move through layers like that."

He flew over to the rip. The others followed, coming to a stop beneath the rip. The hole seemed to be a distortion in space and time, leading into a tunnel of flowing data that somehow floated in the air.

Something began to emerge from the rip. A Digimon of some kind. It wasn't alone either. Two, three, four Digimon exited the hole, and it closed up behind them, as if it had never been there at all.

The first Digimon was brown and blue with long tentacle-like arms with large claws at the ends, and a face that resembled a witch doctor's mask. The second was a robotic skeleton of some sort with a large deadly sickle for its right hand. The third was a deadly looking knight with a giant axe on its back and a double-ended lance. The fourth was the most intimidating, resembling a demonic warrior with his lower body fused to an undead horse. Not one of them looked friendly.

"Where is he?" the first Digimon demanded, looking around. "This is where he should be. Are we sure he's been freed?"

"There is no mistaking Apocalymon's presence," the demon warrior replied. "He was here."

"Perhaps these interlopers could tell us," said the knight Digimon, looking at the DigiDestined. He pointed his lance at them. "Tell us what has become of Apocalymon, and perhaps we'll let you live."

AncientGreymon glared at them. "Talk about rude. OmniShoutmon, who are these guys?"

The dragon Digimon growled. "Bad news. That one is Diaboromon, a Digimon that originated from a virus that mutated a Digi-Egg. Remember Infermon? This guy's the Digivolution."

"Great," Imperialdramon muttered. "The Mega of that spider thing. He's got a pretty cool name though."

OmniShoutmon ignored the comment and pointed to the robotic skeleton. "That one is Reapermon. He was originally born from the data of the most wanted criminals. That one is AxeKnightmon. He's only an Ultimate, but his strength is that of a Mega. There are few who can face him and live. He's also the one who must have opened the rift with his Multi-Dimensional Axe. The last one is Zanbamon. He's a demon Digimon and a master warrior who could rival Tactimon with his ability to lead an army. They're all Megas except for AxeKnightmon."

"Could they be the backup that Lopmon mentioned?" Imperialdramon asked hopefully.

OmniShoutmon glanced at him. "Did you not here me when I said that they were bad news?"

Zanbamon growled impatiently. "So many words, yet none of them answer our question. Where is Apocalymon?"

"He's gone," AncientGreymon told him. "We destroyed him."

Gallantmon wobbled his head. "Technically, he blew himself up, but yeah, we were the ones who drove him to do it."

AxeKnightmon lowered his lance. "Apocalymon destroyed? What nonsense do you speak? You couldn't possibly have defeated him."

Reapermon studied the DigiDestined closely. "Or perhaps they did. Just look at them, look at who they are. One is a level higher than when they were last seen, but the group is the same."

Zanbamon's eyes narrowed, but as he stared at them, his eyes widened in surprise. "The Guardians! Can it be? Have they really returned?"

"Impossible," Diaboromon growled. "The Guardians haven't been seen in 10,000 years, not even their eggs have been seen."

Seraphimon pointed at him "Your eyes see the truth. We have indeed returned, and Apocalymon has fallen before us. I suggest you consider your next move very carefully."

It was a bluff, the others knew it. They were too low on energy from battle after battle. First with Tactimon and GrandGeneramon, then with Kerpymon, and just recently with Apocalymon. Even though they outnumbered their foes, it was unlikely that they would be able to stand up to all four of them while they were at full strength.

A low growl escaped Reapermon. "This is not good. The masters wanted Apocalymon. If he's been destroyed, they will be furious."

"Yes," AxeKnightmon agreed, "but perhaps if we kill these fools who dare to defy the Demon Lords, they will be more forgiving of us for not arriving in time to stop his destruction."

"Really?" AncientGreymon asked, following Seraphimon's bluff. "You really want to challenge us when we managed to defeat Apocalymon? Doesn't sound very smart."

The knight Digimon's eyes narrowed. "Do not insult our intelligence. After fighting Apocalymon, you can't possibly have the strength to keep fighting."

Imperialdramon sweat-dropped. "He's got a point."

"Davis!"

"Enough of this!" Reapermon snarled. "Diaboromon, AxeKnightmon, go report this to the masters. Zanbamon and I will deal with them."

"As you wish," AxeKnightmon replied. Another rip in the sky appeared behind him. "We will leave you to it."

He stepped through the portal. Diaboromon began to head through as well, but paused and glanced back at the DigiDestined, emitting a low growl before stepping through as well, the portal disappearing behind him.

Reapermon turned back to the DigiDestined. "Now then, who wants to die first?"

Seraphimon stepped forward. "Don't do this. We have no quarrel with you."

"Don't bother," OmniShoutmon told him. "They're agents of the Demon Lords. We'll never convince them to stand down."

"Enough talk," Zanbamon growled. "Time to die. Mystic Flame!"

He swiped his sword through the air, sending out a shockwave. The DigiDestined took to the air as the attack hit the ground, leaving a crater behind. Gallantmon stared down at the groove in the rock with wide eyes before glancing up at their opponents. "I don't know how much longer I can last. I used up nearly all of my energy against Apocalymon."

"Same here," said Ophanimon, "but we have to keep going. Sefirot Crystal!"

The two Digimon avoided the attack, Reapermon flying through the air while Zanbamon seemed to run on it. The former flew at Ophanimon and swung his sickle. WarGreymon was suddenly there, blocking the attack with his gauntlet. Reapermon just chuckled and began spinning around, unleashing his Burning Cyclone. A fiery tornado manifested around him, pulling in both the dragon and angel Digimon.

"Hold on, guys!" Seraphimon called, flying towards them.

Zanbamon galloped into his path and swiped with his Focal Blade. "Worry about yourself."

Seraphimon looked down in disbelief. There was a large gash in his armor from Zanbamon's attack, his sword had cut right through it. The demon Digimon took advantage of his surprise by turning around and kicking out with both legs, knocking the angel Digimon away.

Gallantmon and OmniShoutmon flew at Zanbamon. The knight Digimon stabbed forward with his Gallant Charge while OmniShoutmon kicked out with his Doom Drillpress. Zanbamon blocked the attacks with his two swords as his horse lunged forward and chomped down on OmniShoutmon's leg.

Gallantmon moved back and held up his shield. "Shield of the-"

"Focal Blade!"

Zanbamon's sword came down, slicing through the shield. Gallantmon's eyes widened in shock as Zanbamon's horse slammed OmniShoutmon into him. With his friends out of the way, AncientGreymon unleashed his Omega Burst, shooting exploding fireballs at the demon Digimon. Zanbamon took off as the fireballs flew towards him, staying one step ahead of the attack.

Imperialdramon had gone after Reapermon. He swiped at the center of the fiery tornado with his Shining Blade. Reapermon was knocked out of the flaming vortex and the fire tornado dissipated. WarGreymon and Ophanimn floated in the air, badly burned, their bodies smoking.

Imperialdramon growled at the sight of them and turned towards the cyborg Digimon who had harmed them. Reapermon fired his chain, latching onto Imperialdramon, and reeled himself in, swinging his sickle. Imperialdramon's claw came up, blocking the attack, and opened his mouth to unleash his Eternal Zeal.

Reapermon got a taste of his own medicine as a fiery tornado flew from the dragon Digimon's mouth and flowed over him, knocking him back. Wincing against his burns, WarGreymon raised his hands over his head and threw a Terra Force. Reapermon attempted to counter with his Burning Cyclone, the two attacks resulting in an explosion the cyborg Digimon was caught up in.

WarGreymon groaned as he began to descend from the sky. "That's all my remaining energy. Sorry, guys, but I'm done."

He reverted back to his human form and began falling. Seraphimon flew over and caught him, holding him carefully in his hand. "You alright?"

A pained groan escaped him. "I've been better." He cracked an eye open and gasped. "Seraphimon, behind you!"

His warning came too late as Zanbamon plowed into him from behind. Seraphimon cried out as the demon Digimon's sword buried into his back. He dropped Tai, and the boy went speeding to the ground.

"Tai! TK!" Ophanimon shouted, reaching out to them.

She caught movement out of the corner of her eye and held up her javelin just in time to block Reapermon's sickle. "He's no longer your concern."

Ophanimon's strength was fading, and Reapermon began pushing her back. Imperialdramon came to her rescue, slashing at Reapermon from behind with his Shining Blade, knocking him away. He followed up with his Mega Fire, blasting him farther back.

Tai was still falling. He didn't think any of his friends would make it to him in time, but at the last moment, OmniShoutmon caught him, skidding across the ground at the close save.

Gallantmon landed beside them a moment later. "Nice catch. You ok, Tai?"

Sitting up in OmniShoutmon's arms, Tai looked at the sky. "I'm fine. What about Seraphimon?"

The angel Digimon in question was quite literally hanging on Zanbamon's sword, the blade protruding from his upper right shoulder. The demon Digimon chuckled as he raised his other sword. "This will end it."

"Get off him!" AncientGreymon shouted, flying towards him from behind.

He shouldn't have spoken, for it alerted Zanbamon, and he turned and used his Mystic Force on him instead. The shockwave knocked the dragon Digimon away from him, but it seemed he let his guard down. Despite his injuries, Seraphimon whirled around, Zanbamon's sword still buried in his body, and grabbed the demon Digimon.

"I've got him!" he shouted to the others. "Attack now!"

"You little punk!" Zanbamon snarled, and began struggling to break his grip.

"Hurry!" the angel Digimon cried. "I can't hold him for long!"

Leaving Tai on the ground, OmniShoutmon and Gallantmon joined them in the air as Imperialdramon and Ophanimon flew over. "But what about you?" Ophanimon asked worriedly.

"I'll be fine. Just catch me when I fall. Quickly, before Reapermon comes back."

"He's right," OmniShoutmon told them. "Just watch where you aim. Victorize Banking!"

"Positron Laser!"

"Lightning Joust!"

"Eden's Javelin!"

Zanbamon struggled until the end, but Seraphimon kept a firm grip on him. The attacks hit their mark, but there was no way for Seraphimon to escape the blast. A few seconds after impact, TK fell from the cloud of smoke, but Zanbamon was nowhere to be found.

This time it was Gallantmon who did the catching, snatching TK out of the air halfway to the ground. The blonde boy gave him an appreciative smile as his hand clutched the phantom pain from where he had been stabbed as Seraphimon. "Thanks for that."

"You're crazy, you know that," the knight Digimon replied.

A cry from up above from Ophanimon drew their attention. Reapermon had returned, and he'd slashed at her from behind, his sickle slicing through her armor. She returned to human form, and Gallantmon found himself making a grab for her as well.

"You've destroyed Zanbamon," the cyborg Digimon snarled. "You'll pay for that."

AncientGreymon had rejoined them, and the three dragon Digimon circled around him, as did Gallantmon once he deposited TK and Kari on the ground. "No, you will pay for hurting my friends," OmniShoutmon told him.

Reapermon just humphed. "We'll see about that. Burning Cyclone!"

He began spinning in a flaming tornado. The others struggled to resist being drawn in, but their strength was fading fast. There had been too much fighting, too much damage. They couldn't last much longer.

AncientGreymon stopped resisting and rushed forward, flying straight through the fiery tornado. He came out the other side with Reapermon in his arms.

"You flew through my attack!?" the cyborg Digimon exclaimed in surprise.

"AncientGreymon!" Gallantmon called.

He glanced back at his friends. "Stay back. I'll handle things from here."

He flew straight up, taking Reapermon with him. Imperialdramon made to follow him, but OmniShoutmon stopped him. "No, wait. I think, I know what he's going to do."

Reapermon continued to try to break out of the much larger Digimon's grasp as they flew up higher and higher. The others soon disappeared from sight as even the ground became too far away to make out anything.

Growling in frustration, Reapermon glanced over his shoulder. "Just what are you up to?"

AncientGreymon ignored the question as he asked one of his own. "You Digimon are always trying to get stronger, but do you know the problem with having so much power is? It's having to shoulder the responsibility. You always have to be so very careful. Especially when you have very destructive attacks like I do."

"What are you babbling on about?" Reapermon snarled, slowly beginning to wriggle free. "Why should it matter what destruction you cause?"

AncientGreymon's eyes narrowed as he flew higher still. "An evil freak like you wouldn't understand. But someone like me, who actually cares, I always have to be careful, only using so much power, always being in complete control of my attacks. One attack in particular."

Reapermon pulled his arm free and swung his sickle at AncientGreymon. But the dragon Digimon simply chomped down on the blade. "Does this little speech of yours have a point?"

"Just look around you, Reapermon," AncientGreymon told him, keeping his teeth clamped down tightly on the sickle. "I don't need to worry about destroying anything or hurting anyone. We're far away from everyone and everything. There's nothing here. Nothing but you and me."

It suddenly seemed to click in Reapermon's mind at what he was getting at. "Bone Duster!"

"Omega Corona!"

A fiery explosion erupted from AncientGreymon's body. It spread across the sky, setting it ablaze. Down below, the DigiDestined looked on as the blast completely filled the sky like a deadly cloud. Even from as far away as they were, they could feel the heat's intensity as the flames came a little too close for comfort.

"What's happening?" Gallantmon exclaimed. "AncientGreymon!"

"He's fine," OmniShoutmon told them. "He just used the full extent of his Omega Corona attack."

"What are you talking about?" Imperialdramon demanded as he stared at the flaming sky. "We've seen his Omega Corona before. It was nothing like this."

"That's because he's been holding back every time he's used it. The attack's full power has a blast radius that expands for miles."

Gallantmon coughed. "Did you say miles?"

"Yes, miles. Just watch."

They waited as the flames died down. Eventually, AncientGreymon flew back down to them. He appeared to be unharmed, and there was no sign of the cyborg Digimon he had flown away with. OmniShoutmon flew over to him while Imperialdramon and Gallantmon simply stared.

"You ok?" OmniShoutmon asked.

AncientGreymon nodded. "I'm fine. We don't need to worry about Reapermon anymore. He's toast."

"Dude!" Imperialdramon cried. "You've had that much power all along? Why haven't you ever used it before?"

The others stared at him. Sighing, Gallantmon flew over and placed a hand on him. "Imperialdramon, did you see how big that blast was?"

"Yeah, it was awesome!"

"Yes, yes, it was? But you see, AncientGreymon has always been fighting with us all this time. Now, imagine what would happen if he used that attack at full power when we were fighting right there next to him."

Imperialdramon thought about it. It looked like hard work, but slowly his eyes widened in realization. "Oooh… I see. Right, good call holding back until now."

OmniShoutmon sighed. "Come on, lets check on the others."

They flew down to Tai, TK, and Kari. The teens ran over to them, wincing as the pain from their injuries as Digimon stayed with them. "You guys did great," Tai told them. "Sorry we weren't of more help."

"What are you talking about?" OmniShoutmon asked. "This was a team effort, just like always."

Imperialdramon smirked. "They just caught us while we were worn out. Had we been at full power, we would have wiped the floor with those losers."

He suddenly lunged forward, falling onto his face, nearly crushing the teens in the process. TK got to his feet and helped Kari up, giving the dragon Digimon an angry look. "What was that for?"

"It wasn't me," Imperialdramon growled, getting back up. "Something hit me from behind."

They looked up and saw another Digimon, one of Reapermon and Zanbamon's companions. OmniShoutmon growled up at him. "Diaboromon."

The bug Digimon snickered. "Good thing I decided to come back. If you really are as strong as you claim at full power, I'd best destroy you now while you're still weak."

Imperialdramon growled again as he turned to him. "Eat this. Mega Fire!"

The beam flew at Diaboromon. He did nothing to avoid it, and the attack blasted him to pieces. Gallantmon blinked at the unexpected win. "That was… incredibly easy."

"Not as easy as you think," came Diaboromon's voice from behind them. The DigiDestined turned to find not one, but three Diaboromon floating in the air. "I was right not to trust Reapermon and Zanbamon with defeating you. They're failures."

Gallantmon seemed to have trouble finding his voice. "How did…? Why are there…? Why is…?"

"We may be in trouble," said OmniShoutmon. "Flame Cannon!" He fired upon the three Diaboromon, and just like the previous one, the three of them easily blew apart as well. Diaboromon's laughter immediately drew their attention, and they turned again, this time finding twelve of them. OmniShoutmon growled. "Yes, we're in trouble."

"What is going on here?" Gallantmon exclaimed. "Lightning Joust!"

He fired lightning from his lance, destroying one Diaboromon after the other. This was simply met with more laughter as a dark cloud suddenly began moving towards the group.

Tai's eyes were shining with fear. "What… is… that…?"

OmniShoutmon gulped. "We are in serious trouble here."

It wasn't a cloud, it was a swarm, an entire army of Diaboromon flying towards them. There was easily over a million of them, and they were making their way over to the DigiDestined.

"OmniShoutmon," said Kari, "what's going on?"

A shadow fell over them as the swarm flew overhead. OmniShoutmon moved over the humans protectively as he looked up at them. "Diaboromon has the ability to make copies of himself. The copies are very fragile and can be easily destroyed with a single attack, but they're all equally as powerful."

Gallantmon gave him an incredulous look. "You mean we have to destroy them all?"

"Or find the original. That'll make all the fakes disappear."

Imperialdramon snorted. "Good luck with that. Do you see how many there are?" He glanced at AncientGreymon. "Thick you can hit them all at once with a full powered Omega Corona?"

AncientGreymon shook his head. "Not without roasting you guys too."

"Web Wrecker!" tens of thousands of voices cried at once.

It was like a meteor shower coming down at them as countless energy blasts flew at the group. The Digimon threw themselves over the humans, shielding them with their bodies. The countless attacks bombarded down on them, ripping agonized cries from them with each hit. A massive cloud of smoke rose up from all the explosions, and the Diaboromon finally let up.

It seemed to take forever, but eventually the smoke cleared. The only Digimon left standing was OmniShoutmon; the teens had all been reduced to their human forms. Up above, the laughter of the Diaboromon echoed across the sky like thunder.

On the ground, Davis struggled to raise his head. He didn't think it was possible, but it looked as if they were beaten. "No… it can't… end like this…"

Tai got to his feet again, stumbling. "It's not over. There has to be something we can do. Anything."

TK looked to OmniShoutmon, then at his Digivice. "Hey, OmniShoutmon, could you give us some energy to recharge our Digivices? Even if it's just one of us?"

The dragon Digimon groaned as he attempted to sit up. "Sorry, pal, but I've got nothing left to give."

"No way," Takato muttered. "You mean this is it? There's really nothing we can do?"

The Diaboromon laughed some more. "Foolish humans. You challenged the Demon Lords. Your defeat was inevitable. Now you shall die for your sins."

Takuya scoffed at the bug Digimon's choice of words. "Anyone find it ironic that the Demon Lords have an issue with sinning?"

"We can't die here," Tai insisted. "We've come so far, been through so much."

More laughter came from the Diaboromon. "You think you have been through a lot? Your miserable humans lives are but a blink of the eye compared to the Demon Lords' reign. You're nothing, you've always been nothing, and now, you'll die as nothing."

OmniShoutmon somehow managed to get to his feet, but immediately fell to his knees again. "I… I can't do it." He gave the teens a sorrowful look. "I'm sorry, guys. I swore to get you home, but it looks like I won't be able to keep my promise."

"OmniShoutmon…" TK whispered. He placed a hand on his shoulder. "I refuse to give up. It's not over, not as long as we're still alive." He looked up at the Diaboromon. "But if this really is the end, then I'm happy to be here with you." He looked at the others. "All of you."

Kari reached out and took his hand. "So am I."

Tai walked over, placing a hand on their shoulders. "Me too."

"And me," Takato and Takuya said together.

Davis groaned, still on the ground. "I'd join you if I could, but my legs aren't working right now."

Up in the sky, Diaboromon seemed to have grown impatient. "Enough of this sentimental nonsense. Prepare to die in three, two, one."

There was a blast, but it did not come from the Diaboromon, rather, from behind them. A notable hole appeared in the wall of bug Digimon, and they began scattering around like ants. Another blast came, destroying more, and this time something came bursting through the swarm. The teens thought it was a red and gold fighter jet at first, but as it flew down towards them, they saw that it was a creature that looked like a cross between an eagle and a dragon.

"Forgive me," the creature told them. "I came as soon as I could."

"Grani!" OmniShoutmon exclaimed.

"What's a Grani?" Davis asked.

"He's a Digital life form similar to a Digimon," OmniShoutmon told him. "And he's as strong as a Mega."

Several DigiGnomes suddenly flew over, circling around Grani, and he glanced at them. "The DigiGnomes came to get me when Apocalymon escaped. I'm sorry it took me so long to get here."

Tai's eyes widened. "That's right! Lopmon said he sent for backup."

"Never mind being late," said Takuya. "You got here just in time."

Angry snarls came from the Diaboromon. "You will pay for your defiance! Web Wrecker!"

Grani turned as several beams came at them. "Yuggoth Blaster!"

A tri-bolo blast of energy flew from his mouth. It tore through the Diaboromon's attacks, destroying a handful more of them.

"Nice one," Takato commented. "Are you going to help us fight them?"

Grani turned back to them. "No time. We can't risk your safety. You hold the power of the Guardians. You're our only hope. We must flee. Quickly, get on my back."

The teens wasted no time and quickly climbed onboard. OmniShoutmon got on as well, but it left the others with little room.

"Maybe you should DeDigivolve," Kari suggested.

The dragon Digimon groaned. "And I was just returned to my former glory too." He sighed and began glowing, shrinking down as he became Shoutmon once again. "Ok, lets go."

"What of Lopmon?" Grani asked.

Shoutmon's fists clenched. "He's gone. Should be sitting as an egg in Primary Village by now."

Grani closed his eyes, but said nothing more on the subject. "Everybody hold on."

He rose into the air and took off, speeding towards the Diaboromon, the DigiGnomes following close behind. Several of the bug Digimon fired beams at them, but Grani maneuvered around them as he approached the wall of bug Digimon. "Dragon Driver!"

He plowed straight through the Diaboromon, destroying four or five more of them in the process. The rest of the swarm turned and began flying after them.

"Um, they're coming after us," said Davis.

"Don't worry," Grani replied. "I'm faster. We'll lose them."

The Diaboromon began launching more Web Wrecker attacks as they flew along, and Grani began swerving and spinning through the air to avoid them.

"And now they're shooting at us," Takato unnecessarily reported.

"Just hang on," said Grani. "I'll keep you safe."

The ground vanished beneath them as they flew out over the ocean. The Diaboromon were still following, but the distance between them and the DigiDestined was growing. If they could continue to avoid the attacks, they would eventually fall out of range.

"Where are you taking us?" Kari asked.

"To an ally who has agreed to help you fight the Demon Lords," Grani replied. "We're heading to the rendezvous point."

Behind them, one of the Diaboromon's arms stretched out and grabbed Grani. It reeled itself in and towered over the teens. Several other Diaboromon grabbed onto it, the growing number pulling Grani back, slowing him down.

"Fiery Fastball!" Shoutmon cried, throwing a fiery music note into the Diaboromon's face. It must have been another copy, as its head immediately blew apart, and its body burst into data. The Diaboromon that had been holding onto it went tumbling back into the crowd, and Grani sped away from them.

"We're gaining distance," Takuya told their transporter. "Can you go any faster? We've got to get out of range of their attacks."

Grani was fully aware of that as the beams flew past him. He continued to swerve around the attacks, but one finally struck him, and he went spinning out of control. The teens went flying from his back and splashed into the ocean. Grani righted himself and flew above them protectively as the Diaboromon surrounded them.

"Yuggoth Blaster!" he cried, firing into the swarm of Diaboromon. "Yuggoth Blaster! Yuggoth Blaster!"

He made dents in the swarm, but there were still countless left, and they began firing down at them. Grani defended them, but was pinned down by the barrage of attacks, the DigiGnomes flying about wildly.

"Grani!" Tai shouted to him as he and the others attempted to remain afloat as explosions went off around them.

Looking from the teens to the Diaboromon, he fired his Yuggoth Blaster into the water, the blast all but creating a tsunami. The teens and Shoutmon were caught up in the wave and washed out to sea, far away from Grani and the swarm of Diaboromon.

 

Notes:

(A/N: Wooooo, intense. A battle, a chase scene, and a cliffhanger. Barely out of the woods and the teens are already on the Demon Lords' radar. If this is any indication of how things are going to go from now on, then they're going to be in real trouble. In fact, they already are. Once again, they're stranded in the ocean. Will they receive another miraculous rescue, or will they have to save themselves this time. Only time will tell.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Reapermon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Diaboromon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/AxeKnightmon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Zanbamon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Grani

Chapter 90: A Pirate's Life For Me

Notes:

(A/N: I'm getting very busy with work and will be for a while. Don't worry though, I'll still be working on this story, only now I will always be updating every other week, even if there is a battle going on. Sorry, but I need the extra time. This story will go through to it's conclusion though, I promise.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 90: A Pirate's Life For Me

The last time Tai had nearly drowned, he woke up on the back of Whamon. This time, he hadn't expected to wake up at all, not alive anyway. However, wake up he did, and he was still alive.

This time, to his surprise, he found himself on a ship. And a pirate's ship from the look of it. All around, Digimon ran about, managing the ship. At first he thought he was dreaming, but a sharp pinch to his cheek quickly dismissed this thought.

"Where am I?" he wondered out loud.

"You are here."

Jumping, Tai looked up to see a green monkey with a giant slingshot strapped to its back standing on the railing. It was a Digimon, he realized that much, but different from the others on the ship, and he had never seen it before. "Where is here?"

"Here is here," the monkey Digimon replied unhelpfully.

Tai resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Where are my friends?"

"Here."

Tai almost thought that the Digimon was either an idiot or being deliberately unhelpful, but then he spotted his friends splayed out on the deck. They were all out cold, except for Shoutmon, who was missing.

"Wait, where's Shoutmon?" he demanded.

The monkey Digimon jumped down beside him. "With the captain. They're talking." He stared at Tai for a few moments before holding out his hand. "I am Monmon."

The hand was right in Tai's face, and he hesitantly shook it. "Um, hello. I'm Tai. Did you save us?"

Monmon blinked. "Save? No. The DigiGnomes brought you to us. They want us to give you a ride." He looked up at the sky. "They flew away."

So it was the DigiGnomes that had saved them. He couldn't remember what had happened. After Grani had caused that giant wave that washed them away from the Diaboromon, he had lost consciousness. He hoped Grani was ok.

Feeling uncomfortable under Monmon's staring gaze, he motioned to his friends. "I'm just going to, uh, wake them up."

One by one, he roused the others. It seemed what had happened to him had happened to them as well since they all seemed equally as confused as to where they were and how they got there.

"Are we dead?" Davis asked. "Is this like in those Pirates of the Caribbean movies where the Flying Dutchman ferries the souls of those that died at sea to the other side?"

The others gave him dumbfounded looks. TK shook his head. "Considering this ship is run by Digimon, I think it's safe to say we're still alive."

"And still in the Digital World," Takato pointed out. He looked at the other Digimon hard at work and took out his Digivice; it was recharged. "Hookmon, a Champion level Digimon. With a large hook for his right hand and a musket for his left, he can prove to be a tough opponent in battle."

Kari looked at the hard at work Digimon. "So this is a pirate ship. I hope they're friendly."

An obnoxious pirate-y laughter came from one of the Hookmon as it walked by. "Aye, the captain be friendly enough, lest yeh cross him. Yeh best keep that in mind, little humans."

The teens stared after him, feeling slightly uneasy. "Cool, thanks," Takato muttered. He looked at the others. "So, what now?"

Monmon hopped onto Kari's shoulder. "Now that you are awake, I am to take you to the captain." He jumped back down. "Come, follow."

He motioned for them to follow him, and headed for the captain's cabin. The teens looked to Tai for direction. He shrugged before making to follow the monkey Digimon.

Davis stopped him. "Hold it, are we just going to trust him? He could be leading us into a trap." He lowered his voice. "Hasn't anyone realized he looks just like a small, green version of Makuramon. You guys remember him, right? This guy could be part of his Digivolution line."

There was the clearing of a throat, and Davis turned to find Monmon standing on the railing behind him. Davis yelped and jumped back, wondering how he had got there. The monkey Digimon simply cocked his head to the side. "That's speciest. Appearances, and even names, don't always connect Digimon. I have no connection to the Makuramon line. Also, if I had wanted to do anything bad to you, I could have done it while you were all asleep. Now come." He began walking along the railing, but paused and looked back at them. "And just for the record, just because you met one bad Makuramon doesn't mean the next one you meet will be bad. That'd be like saying all humans are bad because I met one bad one."

His words seemed to have the desired affect, at the very least guilt-tripping the teens into following. The Hookmon paid little to no attention to them as they went about their duties. It seemed, however, that with the exception of Monmon, the entire crew consisted of Hookmon. It made the teens wonder who the captain was.

They came to the captain's cabin, and Monmon knocked on the door. "Captain? Captain! It's Monmon. The humans are awake."

"It be abou' time, argh," came a heavily accented pirate voice. "Show 'em in."

Monmon opened the door, and motioned for the teens to enter. They did so, cautiously, and found themselves in the captain's quarters. It was a very cliché room, filled with pirate knick-knacks. A large desk stood in the middle of the room, and behind it sat a very pirate looking Digimon. He was the most human looking of all the Digimon they had seen yet, and could even pass for one in the Real World.

Beside him stood a large green parrot Digimon, who looked rather tough for a bird. The irony was not lost to the teens that the captain had a bird sidekick. An armchair rested in front of the desk opposite of the captain, and Shoutmon stuck his head out from behind it to give the teens a welcoming nod. "Yo."

"Shoutmon," said Takuya in relief, "glad you're ok."

The dragon Digimon shrugged. "I'm doing as well as I can be." He motioned to the captain. "I've just been talking things over with our host here."

The captain stood up. "Greetings to yeh. I be CaptainHookmon, and this be me first mate, Parrotmon. Welcome o-board me ship, the Jolly Rodger."

"Um, you mean the Jolly Roger, right?" Takato asked.

The captain shook his head. "Nay, I mean the Jolly Rodger, with a D. Yeh best not be insultin' me ship."

Kari shook her head. "Oh, no Mr. CaptainHookmon. We would never disrespect you or your ship like that. It's just that your ship sounds similar to the name of a fictional ship we know back in the Real World."

A dark look crossed the pirate Digimon's face. "Argh, the thievin' bilge-rats; copyin' me ship's name! I'll have ter look into that later." He nodded to Monmon. "That'll be all, cabin boy. Return to yer duties."

Monmon saluted. "Yes, sir. I mean, aye, aye, captain."

He ducked out of the room and closed the door. CaptainHookmon stood up and began walking over to the teens. "Now, let me get a good look at yeh." He eyed them up and down. "So yeh be the humans who gained the power of the Guardians, eh? Argh."

Feeling rather intimidated, Takato swallowed and nodded. "Y-Yes, sir. Are you the ally Grani spoke of?"

The captain raised an eyebrow. "Ally? I know not of what yeh speak of. Yeh were brought to me ship by a group of DigiGnomes. They requested we fish yeh out and tend to yeh. They said yer friend Shoutmon here would negotiate with us for our services."

Davis couldn't take it anymore, and he gave his friends a baffled look. "Guys, does no one find it strange that we are talking to CaptainHookmon of the Jolly Rodger? Does this not sound a little familiar to a certain Disney movie?"

Tai just shrugged. "It's not that weird. Besides, we heard about him from Petermon, remember? Are you the CaptainHookmon who's rivals with him?"

A dark look crossed the captain's face. "Argh, that sniveling coward has been a thorn in me side fer as long as I can remember. Any friend of him is no friend of mine, nor are they welcome on me ship."

He was glaring at the teens now, and TK quickly decided to clear the water. "Don't worry, we didn't exactly get along with him. He turned half of us into kids, and tried to prevent us from leaving his floating island, so we had to fight our way out."

The dark look faded from CaptainHookmon's face, and he gave them a smile. "So yeh had a scuffle with the brat, did yeh? Aye, that Petermon' be nothin' but trouble. I'd have taken him out by now had it bot been fer that accursed white Whamon destroying me first ship. Once I take me revenge upon that beast, I'll settle the score with Petermon."

Back behind the desk, Parrotmon cleared his throat. "Captain, I believe we were in the middle of negotiations."

CaptainHookmon turned back to him. "Aye, that we were." He walked back over to his desk and sat down. "So, yeh require a vessel fer transportation. We be willin' to oblige, but we require payment. Yer destination be one of many dangers. Takin' on the Demon Lords, argh, it be a fool's errand. I'll be expectin' good compensation fer me troubles. We pirates be darin', but not foolish. I'm not about ter sail me ship and me crew to certain death fer nothin'."

The teens had to admit that CaptainHookmon had a fair point. Still, they didn't have anything of value to give, and it didn't seem like the pirate Digimon would be willing to give them passage out of the goodness of his heart.

Takato reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet that had somehow survived their journey thus far. He took out a few bills and handed them put to the captain. "Will this cover it?"

CaptainHookmon raised an eyebrow and snatched the cash out of his hand, looking at it curiously. "What be this paper?"

Takato gulped. "Money, sir, from the Real World."

The captain frowned and waved the money in his face. "This be worthless here." He shoved it in his pocket all the same. "If yeh want our help, yer gonna have to do better than that."

TK scratched the back of his head in thought and glanced at Shoutmon. "So you have anymore of that Digimon money? Bites?"

"Bits," the dragon Digimon corrected. "And I tried that already. It wasn't enough."

Tai sighed. "Then how about you just drop us off at the nearest land."

CaptainHookmon leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers together. "Yeh see, the problem with that be that the Demon Lords be after yeh by now after what yeh did. Simply havin' yeh here be endangerin' me crew."

Davis threw his arms in the air. "Then lets just leave. Our Digivices are recharged. We'll just Spirit Evolve and fly to land."

Tai looked at him. "And do you know where we're going? It's all ocean out there. We have no idea which way to go. And do you really want to the risk of running out of power over the open ocean, or having an enemy waiting for us if we do make it to land, but we're almost out of power? These are the Demon Lords we're talking about. We can't take any chances."

"Aye," CaptainHookmon agreed. "The Demon Lords are not to be taken lightly. They're very powerful and very dangerous, which be why we require substantial payment fer assistin' yeh. I still be waitin' fer a reasonable offer."

The teens were silent. They literally had nothing, nothing they could offer that the captain would accept. The only thing of value they possessed were their Digivices, and they couldn't give those up. It didn't look like they would be getting any assistance here.

Kari stepped forward, deciding to try a different tactic. "Excuse me, Captain CaptainHookmon, sir."

The captain raised an eyebrow at being addressed thusly. "Just CaptainHookmon be fine, missy."

"Um, ok then. So, you said that you're aware that we have the power of the Guardians, right? And you do know that we're looking for the Demon Lords so we can defeat them, don't you?"

CaptainHookmon nodded. "Aye, your friend here," he motioned to Shoutmon, "explained everything to me."

"Well, correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't Leviamon, being the ruler of the sea and all, make things difficult for you?"

The captain raised an eyebrow curiously, looking at her with renewed interest. "Aye, he does. We all be at his mercy. There be no freedom fer anyone at sea, whether they be swimmin' in it, or sailin' on it."

Kari seemed to be choosing her words carefully. "Well, what if we could change that? I know that no one is willing to challenge the Demon Lords, but we are. And if we defeat him, that would restore your freedom. Don't you pirates value your freedom more than anything? Isn't that worth the price of our passage? Our services could be our payment. We'll defeat Leviamon for you."

CaptainHookmon stared at her. He exchanged a look with Parrotmon, who looked equally as impressed. They seemed to be having a silent conversation before the captain turned back to her. "Yeh have a real talent fer bargainin', missy. It not be too often that someone impresses me. Aye, freedom from Leviamon's rule and the threat he presents be more than worth the risks of sailin' through his waters a thousand times over."

He leaned forward. "However, despite yer willingness to fight him, the odds be not in yer favor, even with the power of the guardians. If we be willin' to sail yeh there, the protection of me ship and me crew need be yer top priority. Can yeh promise me that?"

Kari looked back at the others. They either nodded or gave her a thumbs-up. She turned back to the pirate Digimon and gave him a smile. "You've got a deal."

CaptainHookmon slapped a hand down on his desk. "Splendid. However, if yeh are goin' to sail o'board me ship, yeh are goin' to work. Everyone on me ship does their part, and that includes yeh as well."

Davis placed his hands on his hips. "You got it, captain. It's a pirate's life for me. What do we need to do? Swab the deck? Raise the anchor? Main the sails? Can I be the guy that sits in the crow's nest and shouts 'land ho' and 'there she blows' and stuff?"

The captain looked amused. "Yeh may think it be all fun and games, but it be hard work. Yeh will learn that soon enough." He glanced at the parrot Digimon. "Parrotmon, put our friends to work."

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

"Fifteen men on a dead man's chest!" Takato sang cheerfully as he ran the mop across the deck of the ship. "Yo, ho, ho, and a bottle of rum!"

A smirk grazed TK's face. "He seems to be enjoying himself."

Takato wiped the sweat from his forehead. "I'm no stranger to hard work. I usually helped my parents out in the bakery, and I often mopped the floor."

"Well, I think it's good to understand the value of hard work." He looked to the other side of the ship. "Right, Davis?"

Collapsed on his back, breathing heavily, Davis appeared utterly exhausted, a bucket of soapy water and a scrub brush lying next to him. Walking past him with a coil of rope in her arms, Kari chuckled down at him. "Come on, master soccer player, I know you got more in you than this."

A groan escaped him. "This is ridiculous. Soccer practices were never this tough. I've never been more exhausted in my life."

He made the mistake of saying this with his eyes closed. Therefore, he didn't see Parrotmon approach, pick up the bucket of soapy water, and pour its contents over his head. Davis sat up, gargling and spitting out the soapy water. "Hey, what was that for?"

"There is no time for lazy landlubbers on this ship," Parrotmon told him. "You may have thought that a pirate's life was all fun and adventure, but there is much work to be done, and many hardships to face. If you want to remain on this ship, you will work. If not, you will swim." He dropped the empty bucket into his lap. "So what's it to be?"

He didn't wait for an answer as he made his way over to a group of Hookmon who were not working fast enough for his liking, and he quickly reprimanded them. Davis glared after him as he got to his feet, wet and soapy. "What's with pirates and having parrots anyway?"

"It's so the captain can give an order to the parrot to repeat as it flies across the ship," Tai replied, coming up beside them. "This way he doesn't need to leave his post and run all over the ship to give orders to men."

"Really?" Takato asked curiously. "I always just thought they were valuable animals they sold."

A scoff came from up above as Monmon dropped down onto the deck. "You landlubbers know nothing about pirates."

Tai shrugged. "Well, we're learning. Right, Davis?"

Grumbling, his look alike walked away to go clean himself up. Tai just smiled after him, shaking his head, and Monmon hopped up onto his shoulder. "Are you really going to challenge Leviamon?"

Tai sighed. "We kind of have to. If we don't, we'll never get home, and the Digital World will never be free."

"Hmm," the monkey Digimon muttered. "You are aware of how dangerous it is, right? Leviamon will kill you without hesitation."

Tai nodded. "Yes, we know. But we don't have a choice. We've got friends and family waiting for us. And we can't just leave the Sovereigns sealed away either."

Monmon cocked his head to the side. "I guess. But these are dangerous waters we're heading into. And it won't just be Leviamon you'll have to face. You'll also have to defeat his Chaos General."

Tai distinctively remembered Cherubimon mentioning something about each of the Demon Lords having a Chaos General. "Well, we already beat two of them. ChaosPiedmon and ChaosGrimmonExoGrimmon actually." He glanced at Monmon. "So who's Leviamon's general?"

He felt the monkey Digimon shiver. "A real nasty guy called ChaosMetalSeadramon. Not nice, not nice."

"ChaosMetalSeadramon," he repeated. "What about the others?"

"Don't remember," Monmon replied, jumping onto the railing. "I haven't been on land in years. We only ever return to land to restock our supplies. Other than that, we're always at sea."

Tai frowned. "Not sure I could tolerate that."

Monmon shrugged. "To each their own. You'll have to bear it for about a week, considering the weather remains in our favor. We should reach Leviamon's castle by then. After that, you're on your own. Leviamon would wipe us out in an instant."

Tai nodded in understanding. "That was the deal. And we said we'd keep you guys safe, and that's what we'll do."

Hopping up onto the mast, Monmon began climbing up its length. "Well, good luck to you. But it's not just Leviamon and ChaosMetalSeadramon you need to worry about. You'll also have to deal with him."

Tai's head snapped in his direction. "Who's 'him'?" But Monmon was already out of hearing range. Tai sighed. "I really hate the pronoun game."

 

Notes:

(A/N: And we've set sail. Since our heroes would be facing Leviamon, they would have had to have gone out to sea again eventually. And they also learned the identity of Leviamon's Chaos General. But who is this 'him' person that Monmon mentioned? The pronoun game really does suck. Guess you'll have to stick around to find out.)

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New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Monmon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Hookmon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/CaptainHookmon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Parrotmon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/ChaosMetalSeadramon

Chapter 91: Chaos of the Sea

Notes:

(A/N: Well, I finally finished the last episode of Digimon Tri. It was… I don't want to say disappointing, but it kind of was due to the dissatisfying ending. Oh, it was good, don't get me wrong, but they left SO many unanswered questions and so many things unfinished. Yes, the problem with the virus was fixed, but the ones behind it and the ones driving everything that was going wrong throughout the series are still at large, and planning to do even worse. Seriously, how could the just end it like that? It's a major slap in the face. Is there going to be another Season? If not, then that's just wrong. As for me, I won't leave my fans hanging, so here's the next installment.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 91: Chaos of the Sea

"Argh, me maties! Tis be a fine day fer sailin'! Just behold that horizon! Lets set o' course fer the open sea!"

The teens sweat-dropped as they watched Davis put on a very stereotypical performance as a pirate. A week at sea, and his attitude had taken a complete left turn as he tried to be "one with the crew".

"He's lost it," said Tai. "He's finally completely snapped."

"I think the heat's just gone to his head," Takuya replied.

"The heat," Takuya agreed, "being overworked, getting very little sleep, being stuck on ship for a week, not to mention his all over sunburn. It's no wonder he's gone a little loony."

Davis turned to them, a bandana covering his head and a patch over his eye. Wielding a wooden sword, he marched over to them. "Avast! Be yeh questionin' me loyalty as a man o' the sea? I done proven meself many times over this past fortnight."

"A fortnight is two weeks, Davis," Tai told him.

"Argh, time mean nothin' to a pirate. He rises with the dawn and sleeps when the work be done before startin' anew on the morrow. It be the only time a man at sea need worry about."

TK's eye twitched in irritation at Davis' performance, and he wasn't the only one. "No one is questioning your loyalty, but could you please stop with the cliché pirate act. At the very least drop the accent. It sounds very forced."

Davis waved his wooden sword in the air. "I'll not be goin' back! I'll be the greatest pirate who ever lived! Even greater than Jack Sparrow!"

Takato raised an eyebrow. "Um, you do know that Jack Sparrow isn't real, right?"

Davis' head turned to him, and he lowered his sword. "What do you mean?" he asked, dropping his accent.

"He's made up. He's just a character in a movie."

Davis blinked. "No, he's not. I mean, I know the others, like Blackbeard, are made up, but Jack Sparrow was based on a real pirate."

TK shook his head. "No, he wasn't."

"Actually," said Kari, "Blackbeard was the one based off a real pirate."

Davis' shoulders visibly sank, and he reached up to remove his eye-patch and bandana. "Well, that sucks…"

Sighing, Tai walked over to him and put an arm around his shoulder. "I think you've been working too hard. Go rest up; you've been out in the sun for too long." He sniffed and made a face. "And wash up too, you definitely smell like a pirate."

Davis seemed to be staring off into space. "Right. Sorry. I guess I got a little carried away."

"Well, there's something to be said for enthusiasm," Takato called after him.

"Shake it off, man," Takuya added. "Being a sailor isn't for everyone."

Kari looked up at the crow's nest. "How do you think Shoutmon is doing? He's been up there a really long time."

The others looked up at the crow's nest as well. "Well," said TK, "we haven't heard anything from him. That could be either a good thing or bad thing. No news is good news and all that."

Takuya leaned back against the railing. "You know, we've been out at sea for a week now. Monmon said that's how long it should take. We should be there soon. Hey, Monmon!"

"Yes."

The monkey Digimon dropped down from the netting, hanging upside-down by his tail. Takuya jumped away at his sudden appearance, startled. "Geez! Don't do that."

"Sorry." He dropped down onto the deck. "What'cha need?"

"We were just wondering how much further it is," said Kari.

"Oh. Well, good timing. We should be there about now."

The teens blinked and looked around. There was nothing but ocean all around without a trace of land in sight. Takato gave him a confused look. "But there's nothing here."

Monmon snorted. "Well of course not. Where do you think the castle of the ruler of the sea would be located?"

Takuya raised an eyebrow. "How do you even know this is the right place?"

"We know," a passing by Hookmon replied. "By the position of the stars at night, and the speed the ship has been sailing, we know. And 'cause of that. Just take a look."

It took a moment for this to set in, but their eyes were soon drawn to the side of the ship. As one, they rushed over to the railing and looked down into the water. There, poking out of the surface, was the top of a tower. It must have stretched down a very long way.

"You mean he's down there?" Takuya exclaimed. "How are we supposed to fight him underwater?"

Parrotmon came marching over to them. "That's for you to figure out. You made the deal with the captain."

"Don't worry," Monmon told them. "He'll come up."

At that moment, the doors to the captain's cabin burst open, and CaptainHookmon marched out. He surveyed the crew with a big grin on his face. "Ahoy, gents. We have arrived at our destination. And now the time has come for our guests to fulfill their side of the bargain." He glanced at the DigiDestined, then up at the crow's nest. He nodded to it. "Go fetch yer friend."

"I'm on it," said TK, and he began climbing the rope netting to the crow's nest. When he reached the top, he found Shoutmon lying in the basket with his eyes closed and his feet in the air as he quietly sang to himself.

"Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me. We pillage, we plunder, we rifle, and loot. Drink up me hearties, yo ho. We kidnap and ravage, and don't give a hoot. Drink up me hearties, yo ho. Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me."

A chuckle escaped TK. "It looks like pirate fever is spreading."

Shoutmon's eyes opened. "Hey, what's up?"

"Shouldn't you be keeping lookout?"

The dragon Digimon held out his arms. "For what? We haven't seen anything but ocean for the past seven days. Besides, no one but us would be crazy enough to sail into Leviamon's territory anyway."

"Well, according to CaptainHookmon, we're here."

Shoutmon sat up. "We're here?" he repeated, and then got to his feet so fast he fell over. "What's the situation?"

TK shrugged. "Nothing yet. Everyone's all ready on deck, except for Davis, who went to take a nap."

"Well, go wake him up. It'll take all of us to face Leviamon. And even then, we're probably screwed."

That wasn't very encouraging, but TK knew that the battle could not be avoided. So he and Shoutmon reluctantly headed down to join the others.

Davis was up and about once more, though he didn't seem happy about it. "I'd just gotten to sleep too," he grumbled.

"Duty calls, Captain Davis," Tai told him.

The minutes ticked by as they waited, yet no one came to the surface, not to greet them or to attack them. The teens found this to be strange. After all the stories they had heard about the Demon Lords, it didn't seem like one would tolerate them entering their domain.

"Maybe he's not in," Takato suggested.

"That would mean ChaosMetalSeadramon is in charge," Shoutmon told him. "Maybe we should do something to force him to meet us."

"Aye, that we should," CaptainHookmon agreed. He walked over to the side of the ship. "Rage Giga Anchor!"

Producing an anchor, he tossed it over the side. Then he moved back to stand by his crew. Several seconds of silence ticked by as they waited for something to happen. The tension could be cut with a knife.

The water suddenly exploded as an enormous serpentine creature emerged. It looked like a giant mechanical sea dragon, and it did not look friendly.

"That's Leviamon?" Davis cried, staring at the giant creature.

"No, that's ChaosMetalSeadramon," Shoutmon replied.

The machine Digimon roared loudly and looked down at them. "Who dares to trespass in the realm of the Demon Lord of Envy?"

Trying to appear braver than he felt, Takato stepped forward. "T-That would be us. We've come to face Leviamon."

ChaosMetalSeadramon looked down at him. He stared at the teens for a few moments before erupting into a fit of laughter. "You've got to be kidding me. You're the humans that have been interfering with the masters' plans? ChaosPiedmon and ChaosGrimmon deserved to die if they were defeated by the likes of you."

Davis cleared his throat. "It was ExoGrimmon, thank you very much. We deserve the proper credit." He glared up at ChaosMetalSeadramon. "We've beaten everyone we've come across."

ChaosMetalSeadramon still looked amused. "Maybe on land, but this is the sea. This is our domain. You'll find we have home-field advantage."

"Ha! That won't help you. Or did you not hear about how we defeated Dragomon as well."

A chuckle escaped the machine Digimon. "Ah, yes, I forgot about that weakling. Don't hold it against me if I'm not that impressed by your claim though."

"Leg Revolver!" CaptainHookmon cried, lifting his leg-gun and firing.

ChaosMetalSeadramon winced slightly as the attack hit him between the eyes. "You've got a lot of nerve."

"Fire all!" CaptainHookmon ordered.

The Hookmon raised their cannons and cried out, "Captain Cannon!"

Numerous cannonballs flew through the air and bombarded against ChaosMetalSeadramon. The machine Digimon merely raised an eyebrow at this, seemingly completely unaffected. "You've got to be kidding me."

"Kid about this," Parrotmon called as he flew by. "Mjolnir Thunder!"

He fired a blast of electricity from his feather antenna. It struck ChaosMetalSeadramon in the face, but only seemed to succeed in briefly obscuring his vision with a cloud of smoke. His gaze shifted to the parrot Digimon, and he growled.

Parrotmon turned to the teens, looking annoyed. "Anytime you're ready."

"Right!" Tai cried, whipping out his Digivice. "Execute! Spirit Evolution… WarGreymon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Imperialdramon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Gallantmon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… AncientGreymon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Ophanimon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Seraphimon!"

"Shoutmon Digivolve to… OmniShoutmon!"

ChaosMetalSeadramon looked at the DigiDestined with renewed interest. "Well now, this is more like it."

"Light him up," Imperialdramon declared. "Mega Crusher!"

He fired a ball of dark matter. ChaosMetalSeadramon dove under, and Imperialdramon's attack tore across the water's surface before exploding harmlessly in the distance. The DigiDestined hovered in the air above the water, making sure to keep some distance between them and the ship so it wouldn't be caught in the crossfire of the upcoming battle.

"Be on your guard, guys," WarGreymon told them. "Make sure to keep him away from the ship."

"Not too much distance though," Gallantmon told him. "If one of us loses our hold on our Digimon forms, we don't want too much water between us and the ship."

"Then we'll just make sure that doesn't happen," AncientGreymon replied. "It's just one guy, we can take him."

"But don't forget," said OmniShoutmon, "he's a Chaos General, and he's got the water for an advantage. Keep your eyes open, he could strike at any moment."

As if to emphasis his point, the water exploded, and ChaosMetalSeadramon burst up from beneath him, champing down on OmniShoutmon's lower body before he could fly away. "See, this is exactly what I meant."

"Shining Laser!" Ophanimon cried, firing a beam of light from her hands. It struck ChaosMetalSeadramon in the back of the head, and he turned to her, still holding OmniShoutmon in his jaws.

"Ultimate Stream!" he countered, firing a beam from his nose that doubled as a cannon. Ophanimon defended with her Unicorn Shield, but the beam still pushed her back.

Gallantmon and Seraphimon fired their Saber Shot and Hallowed Knuckle. They struck the machine Digimon in the side of the head, and his grip on OmniShoutmon loosened enough for him to use his Doom Drillpress, allowing him to drive his bladed feet into the roof of ChaosMetalSeadramon's mouth.

The machine Digimon's mouth opened and OmniShoutmon flew free. "Victorize Banking!"

The attack knocked ChaosMetalSeadramon over, and he used the opportunity to dive underwater again. The DigiDestined flew around, trying to locate him under the water's surface, but saw nothing, not even a silhouette.

"This is so annoying," AncientGreymon growled. "How can we fight this guy when we can't even find him?"

"Like this," said Imperialdramon. "Mega Crusher!"

He fired his attack into the water, hoping he would get lucky. The explosion created a giant wave that flowed outward towards the ship, briefly submerging it. Fortunately, it stayed afloat, but it very nearly capsized.

"Careful!" Ophanimon called to him.

"Right, bad idea," the dragon Digimon admitted.

The water had barely calmed down before what seemed to be a giant stinger flew out of the water. The DigiDestined scattered as it whizzed past them, and another one immediately shot out of the water towards them again.

"Careful," OmniShoutmon warned them. "That's ChaosMetalSeadramon's Deadly Sting attack. Its poison causes paralysis and death."

Another stinger shot out of the water towards Gallantmon, and he knocked it away with his lance. "Thanks for the warning. Is he firing blindly, or can he see us?"

Another stinger flew out of the water towards WarGreymon, and he sliced it apart with his claws. "I'm thinking he can see us."

"Then lets even the odds," said Imperialdramon. He dove underwater, blinking to see through the bubbles. He was able to make out ChaosMetalSeadramon through the endless blue and fired his Positron Laser.

ChaosMetalSeadramon roared as the attack hit and turned to Imperialdramon. Moving very fast for his large size, he sped towards the dragon Digimon and coiled around him. Imperialdramon cried out as the machine Digimon squeezed him like a python would its prey, the breath he was holding forced out of him by ChaosMetalSeadramon's tight grip.

"It was foolish of you to come down here," he taunted. "I'll take you down first."

Up above, the DigiDestined were unable to see what was taking place, but the numerous bubbles rising to the surface indicated a struggle, and where the two combatants were.

"Ophanimon, give me a hand," said AncientGreymon.

The two unleashed their Gaia Tornado and Eden's Air upon the bubbling surface, the two tornados combining to form one powerful vortex. It sucked up the water around the area, revealing the two struggling Digimon, the heavy winds keeping them trapped.

WarGreymon went on the attack with his Aerial Dramon Killer, striking ChaosMetalSeadramon. The attack seemed to cause sever damage to the machine Digimon, and his coils loosened enough for Imperialdramon to use his Shining Blade, slashing at ChaosMetalSeadramon and pulling free.

"Hallowed Ascension!" Seraphimon cried, calling down lightning. Bolts rained down from the sky, dancing across ChaosMetalSeadramon's body. He cried out furiously and unleashed his Ultimate Stream, the attack tearing through the tornado around him, disrupting the air current and causing the tornado to disperse. ChaosMetalSeadramon was freed from his confinement and disappeared beneath the water's surface again.

"So, how we doing?" Gallantmon asked. "It's kind of hard to tell."

"Honestly, it could be better," WarGreymon admitted. "Fighting this guy while he can keep disappearing underwater is proving to be really problematic."

"It will be best to end this battle fast," said OmniShoutmon. He looked at WarGreymon. "You're our best bet for that."

WarGreymon gave him a curious look. "Me? How?"

A frustrated groan escaped OmniShoutmon. "Have you forgotten that you're a dramon destroyer? You could take out a Digimon much stronger than you as long as it has the word 'dramon' in their name, just like you did with GigaBreakdramon."

WarGreymon glanced at his gauntlets and the deadly claws protruding form them; he had forgotten. "Right then, I'll make sure to put them to good use."

From out of the water, ChaosMetalSeadramon's Ultimate Stream shot out. The DigiDestined flew about as the beam followed them, switching targets every so often. It came a little too close to AncientGreymon for comfort. "Better hurry it up with that. If he gets one of us in the water, we're done for."

"I'll put a stop to this," Gallantmon declared, flying towards the beam. "Shield of the Just!"

His own beam flew from his shield, colliding with ChaosMetalSeadramon's. The two beams pushed against each other in a stalemate before ChaosMetalSeadramon burst up from underwater, still firing his beam, and grabbed Gallantmon in his jaws before diving under again.

AncientGreymon swore. "Did he not hear me?" he growled before flying forward and chomping down on ChaosMetalSeadramon's tail just before it vanished beneath the water's surface.

Gallantmon was in ChaosMetalSeadramon's jaws, getting dragged down deeper. He realized the machine Digimon was planning on bringing him down to the ocean floor, and there was nothing he could do about it. That is, until the descent stopped as AncientGreymon yanked on ChaosMetalSeadramon's tail.

The machine Digimon struggled to get free, and ended up nearly pulling AncientGreymon into the water as well. Seraphimon moved in to help him, also taking hold of ChaosMetalSeadramon's tail, and the two pulled him right out of the water, lifting him into the sky. ChaosMetalSeadramon wriggled like a worm on a hook, but kept his jaws tightly clenched down on Gallantmon as he began firing his Ultimate Beam in all different directions.

"Hold up, pal, we got this," said OmniShoutmon. "Omni Core Fusion!"

"Sefirot Crystal!" Ophanimon added.

The two attacks exploded against ChaosMetalSeadramon's head and neck. Snarling, he released Gallantmon and curled his body upward like a snake to snap at AncientGreymon. Startled, AncientGreymon released him as ChaosMetalSeadramon captured Seraphimon in his jaws as he dropped back into the water. He reemerged and whipped his head, tossing Seraphimon through the air, and he went skidding across the surface of the water like a skipping rock before vanishing beneath the waves.

"Terra Force!" WarGreymon cried, throwing a giant ball of energy at him, but ChaosMetalSeadramon dove underwater once again, avoiding the attack.

"Your claws!" OmniShoutmon called to his fellow dragon Digimon. "Use your claws!"

ChaosMetalSeadramon surfaced again. "You think I'll let you insects defeat me. I'm a Chaos General."

"That means nothing to us," Imperialdramon replied. "And you won't be the first one we've beaten. Eternal Zeal!"

His flaming vortex flew from his mouth and flowed over ChaosMetalSeadramon, swirling around him. The machine Digimon snarled and turned away, his gaze landing on the pirate ship in the distance.

Submerging to escape the flames, he resurfaced again as he headed for the ship. "I'll show you what happens to those who challenge the Demon Lords."

Ophanimon gasped as she realized where he was heading. "He's after the others! Stop him!"

They took off after him, but with his head start, it didn't look like they would catch him in time.

"ChaosMetalSeadramon, stop!" AncientGreymon called. "We're the ones you're fighting!"

"All those that oppose the Demon Lords shall suffer," ChaosMetalSeadramon replied as he sped through the water. "Even their comrades. Ultimate Stream!"

The beam flew from his cannon-nose towards the ship. The crew ducked for cover, even though they knew it was useless. That's when something burst up from underwater in front of the shop, right into the attack's path.

"Strike of the Seven Stars!" Seraphimon cried, firing his attack at ChaosMetalSeadramon's. It struck the beam, and the seven energy balls tore their way through until they exploded against the machine Digimon, knocking him back.

"Get him, now!" OmniShoutmon cried.

Shaking his head, ChaosMetalSeadramon turned to the approaching group. "Get this! Ultimate Stream!"

"Great Tornado!" WarGreymon countered. Spinning like a drill, he met the attack head on, drilling though the beam. He entered the cannon on ChaosMetalSeadramon's nose and kept going, tearing through the length of his body and bursting out of his tail. "Dramon Cutter!"

He slashed his claws through the air wildly, slicing through ChaosMetalSeadramon's body like butter. The machine Digimon seemed flabbergasted, as if he didn't register what had happened in the past few seconds.

"Wait…" he muttered in apparent shock.

But gravity did not wait, and pieces of his body began falling off, followed shortly by him quite literally falling apart, having been completely diced to cubes. Various bursts of data were seen as the pieces of ChaosMetalSeadramon's body broke down. Leviamon's Chaos General had fallen. What more, the ship had been saved, and the DigiDestined still had plenty of fight left in them. They hovered over the ship as the last remnants of ChaosMetalSeadramon's body dissolved into data, which OmniShoutmon greedily absorbed.

"Was that it?" Imperialdramon asked. "That wasn't so bad."

Gallantmon gave him a bewildered look. "Did we even fight the same battle?"

The dragon Digimon shook his head. "No, I mean for a Chaos General that wasn't so bad. Sure, the water proved to be an issue, but ChaosPiedmon and ExoGrimmon were tougher."

"Well, we are stronger now," Ophanimon pointed out.

"We got lucky," said OmniShoutmon. "WarGreymon's ability gave us the advantage we needed to win, but we can't take these battles lightly."

"Oh, come on," said AncientGreymon. "We just defeated a Chaos General. I think we deserve some bragging rights."

WarGreymon flew back over to them. "Lets go check on the others. That was a little too close for comfort."

They turned back to the ship, flying over to rejoin Seraphimon. "Everything ok?" Ophanimon asked.

Seraphimon waved to them. "We're all good."

Monmon leapt off the mast and onto the angel Digimon's shoulder. "Better than good, we're great."

"Aye," said CaptainHookmon, walking over to the side of the ship. "Yeh humans have done well with keepin' yer word. I did not expect yeh to defeat ChaosMetalSeadramon so easily."

Imperialdramon gave OmniShoutmon a smug look, but the Digimon King just looked away. He didn't let this get him down though as he grinned at the pirate crew. "We told you we got this. One Chaos General down, one Demon Lord to go, and the seas will be free for you once again."

A faraway look appeared in CaptainHookmon's one visible eye. "Freedom. It has been so long, I have nearly forgotten what it's like."

OmniShoutmon's head snapped back towards them. "Do not forget who the true enemy is. ChaosMetalSeadramon is small game compared to Leviamon."

The hope in CaptainHookmon's eyes died out. "Aye, yeh be right. Until Leviamon be defeated, there be no cause for celebration."

Flying down, Parrotmon landed beside CaptainHookmon. "I'm afraid we have another problem, captain. ChaosMetalSeadramon isn't the only one we need to go through."

The pirate Digimon glanced at him. "What do yeh mean?

In response, the parrot Digimon pointed out into the water. The DigiDestined turned around to find another Digimon rising out of the water, and they did not look friendly. Worried mutters escaped the Hookmon, and even CaptainHookmon took a step backwards. "Oh, hell."

Notes:

(A/N: Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the water, something comes out. Could this be the pronounced 'him' that was mentioned last chapter? And just who is it? Any guesses? Leviamon, maybe? Someone else. Stay tuned.)

Chapter 92: The Demon of the Deep

Notes:

(A/N: We last left off with someone appearing to challenge or heroes. To make things clear, yes, it is the mysterious 'him' that was mentioned before. Lets see who it is. Oh, but if you think this first bit is intense, just wait until you see what's coming later in the chapter.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 92: The Demon of the Deep

Monmon yelped and leapt off Seraphimon's shoulder, hiding behind CaptainHookmon. "It's Neptunemon."

The name was suitable. The Digimon in question did indeed bear a resemblance to various depictions to the god of the sea. Everything about him screamed power and authority as he rose from the sea on a geyser of water.

"Who's this guy now?" Imperialdramon asked.

A growl escaped CaptainHookmon. "He was once the former guardian and ruler of the Net Ocean before Leviamon rose to power. Now he's nothing more than the Demon Lord's lackey."

Whether Neptunemon turned his attention to CaptainHookmon for this remark, or if he was planning to address him all along, the god Digimon's eyes narrowed at him. "CaptainHookmon, you have not only entered Lord Leviamon's domain without permission, but you have attacked and killed ChaosMetalSeadramon. You do realize the consequences of your actions, do you not? Your life, and the lives of your friends, are now forfeit."

CaptainHookmon scoffed at this. "They were forfeit the moment we sailed into you calm to be are his waters. But you know what the problem with making death the penalty for even the slightest offense against the Demon Lords is? Some of us will no longer care about defying them. If I'd receive the same sentence for attacking Leviamon as I would for simply spitting in his waters, I might as well go all out. And just for the record, these guys were the ones who destroyed ChaosMetalSeadramon."

Imperialdramon cut his eyes at the pirate Digimon. "Way to sell us out there."

"You're still guilty by association," Neptunemon remarked, ignoring he dragon Digimon. "You'll share the punishment."

AncientGreymon turned to him. "Hey, pal, you better be able to back up that threat. We did just defeat a Chaos General you know."

OmniShoutmon floated over to him and tapped him on the shoulder. "Um, before you go bragging about that to him, you should know that Neptunemon is stronger than ChaosMetalSeadramon."

Gallantmon's shoulders sank. "Seriously? Why can't we ever catch a break?"

"It's fine," said WarGreymon. "We still have to face Leviamon, and he's stronger. So if we can't beat this guy, then we wouldn't have been able to defeat Leviamon anyway. So lets just consider this to be practice for the real thing."

Neptunemon's eyes narrowed. "You think it will be that easy? I am not the only one you need to defeat."

He held out his arms, and as if they had been summoned, numerous other heads surfaced all around. It wasn't long before several hundred Digimon surrounded the DigiDestined and the ship.

"Great," Seraphimon grumbled. "Who are these guys now?"

"Neptunemon's subjects," OmniShoutmon replied. "Mermaimon, Ultimate level, and Depthmon and Dolphmon, Champion level."

"Argh," CaptainHookmon growled, looking down at the ocean dwellers, "all once friends and allies of ours, 'til they joined Leviamon."

"You know why," Neptunemon told him. "Forgive me, old friend, but Lord Leviamon's orders are absolute. His word is the law, and must be obeyed."

CaptainHookmon slammed his fist down on the railing. "Then it be a good thing pirates live outside the law. We may never have defied Leviamon before, but we never served him either. Now the time has come to take that tyrant down. And not even the friendship we once shared will stand in our way."

Neotunemon's eyes narrowed. "Then you have sealed your fate." He held out his hand. "Attack!"

The Dolphmon rose up out of the water and used their Bon Voyage attack, kicking up giant waves of water with their tails. The Depthmon swam up the walls of the water, leaping up and soaring high into the air, their arms stretched out above them.

"Bubble Bomb!" they cried, and bubble-like bombs appeared above them, which they threw at the DigiDestined. The bombs grew in size as they soared through the air before exploding against their targets.

"Hey, cut it out," Imperialdramon snarled as the bombs rained down on them.

The Mermaimon went on the attack as well, swimming up the walls of water the Dolphmon had created, using their Northern Cross Bomber throwing their anchors at the ship. The Digimon onboard ducked for cover as the anchors crashed onto the deck and the side of the ship.

"These are coordinated attack patterns," Seraphimon noted as bombs continued to explode against him.

"They be making holes in me ship!" CaptainHookmon raged. "Men, at the ready! Fire all!"

Despite the anchors being thrown at them, the Hookmon rushed over to the sides of the ship and fired their Captain Cannon and Liquid Bullet attacks. Even Mommon whipped out his slingshot and used his Banana Slip, firing a banana peel at their attackers.

The ocean dwelling Digimon ceased their attacks, and the walls of water collapsed. They regrouped, surrounding the ship, the Depthmon moving in close, and the Dolphmon formed a circle around the vessel.

"Pulse Blast!" the latter cried, poking their heads out of the water and unleashing their attacks. Soundwaves emitted from their mouths, the combined attacks flowing over the ship. The Digimon onboard recoiled from the soundwaves, cringing at the high-pitched sound.

The Depthmon went after the ship, grabbing on wherever they could, and began dragging it down. The ship began to sink as the aquatic beast Digimon slowly pulled it under.

"Hey, stop that!" Gallantmon shouted at them.

"Anchor Blitz!" the Mermaimon cried. As one, they recalled their anchors and swiped them through the air, sending out blades of energy at the DigiDestined. Being Megas to the Mermaimon's Ultimates, the attacks weren't so much damaging as they were distracting.

The ship was pulled down deeper, and water began pouring through the holes that had been made in it, aiding in the ship's sinking. An irritated growl escaped Parrotmon, and he stretched out his wings. "Enough of this."

He took to the air, flying straight up, and began building up speed. When he was high enough, he doubled back, flying straight down, going faster and faster, easily breaking the sound barrier. "Sonic Destroyer!"

He came to a sudden stop above the ship, sending out a powerful sonic boom. The force of it knocked the crew to the ground, and even did damage to the ship, but it also knocked all the Depthmon off of it, and cancelled out the Dolphmon's Pulse Blast attacks, and even caused the Mermaimon to cease theirs.

"Mjollnir Lightning!" Parrotmon cried, firing a blast of electricity from his feather antenna into the water. The electricity travelled across the water's surface, and all the Digimon in the water cried out as they were electrocuted.

Only Neptunemon seemed unfazed by the electric attack, and raised his hand towards Parrotmon. "Gate of Atlantic!"

A massive pillar of water flew towards the parrot Digimon. Parrotmon's eyes widened as he was knocked out of the sky and into the water. He was immediately surrounded by Mermaimon, Depthmon, and Dolphmon. They grabbed hold of him, preventing him from flying away, and attempted to drag him under.

"Mon overboard!" Monmon cried. "Captain, Parrotmon is in trouble!"

CaptainHookmon marched over and lifted his gun leg, placing it on the railing. "Leg Revolver!"

He fired several shots with precise aim, hitting those that were holding Parrotmon, enabling the parrot Digimon to escape. Then he shifted his aim towards Neptunemon and fired.

The god Digimon's hand shot out, snatching the bullet out of the air. He crushed it into dust in his hand, his eyes narrowing at the captain. "I'll end this myself. Wave of Depth!"

He raised his arms, and an entire tsunami rose up from the ocean and sped towards the ship. CaptainHookmon snarled as he lowered his leg and grabbed hold of the ship's railing, bracing himself.

Ophanimon moved into the tsunami's path and used her Unicorn Shield. The tsunami slammed into it, the water shooting out around her, creating a hole in the massive wave that the ship passed through.

"Enough of this!" she shouted. "I can't believe you would attack each other like this!"

"Yeah," Imperialdramon agreed. "Based on your conversation, you guys were once friends." Not wanting to harm CaptainHookmon's former friend had been the only thing preventing them from joining in the battle. "How could you turn on each other like this? And for Leviamon of all people."

"Not for Leviamon," said Neptunemon, "because of Leviamon. There is no defying him, not if you want to survive."

"We've managed to just fine," AncientGreymon told him.

"Until now," the god Digimon replied. "But your luck has run out. But do not fear, I will give you a more merciful death than Lord Leviamon would. Vortex Penetrate!"

He threw his fancy spear. Gallantmon moved in front of AncientGreymon and held up his shield. The spear bounced off it, but rather than falling into the water, it sprang to life, and began flying through the air as if it had a mind of its own. It flew towards the ship, flying all about, tearing through the sails and woodwork. A few Hookmon were unfortunate enough to find themselves in the spear's path and burst into data.

"Does this remind anyone of Guardians of the Galaxy?" Gallantmon asked, trying not to think of the deaths of the Hookmon he had just witnessed.

"Cut it out!" WarGreymon shouted, and threw a Grey Fire at the god Digimon.

Neptunemon smacked away the fireball and glanced at the dragon Digimon. "I'm not actually doing anything."

"Don't bother with him," said OmniShoutmon. "His spear is called King's Bite, and it's completely sentient and capable of acting on its own."

"In that case," said Ophanimon, flying towards the spear, and King's Bite turned its attention to her. It was awkward battling with a living spear, but she thrust and parried with her javelin.

Neptunemon sent a Gate of Atlantis in her direction, but Imperialdramon flew in its path. He managed to successfully shield her with his body, but the water pressure still hurt and managed to push him back.

The other DigiDestined launched a series of attacks at Neptunemon, but they were countered by attacks from the god Digimon's servants, the colliding attacks resulting in an explosion.

"Wave of Depth!" Neptunemon cried, sending a tsunami at the DigiDestined. AncientGreymon was able to burst through the giant wave with his Omega Corona, but the others were washed away by the force of the wave, leaving only him, Imperialdramon, and Ophanimon behind, the angel Digimon still engaging with King's Bite.

"Eternal Zeal!" Imperialdramon cried, breathing out a fiery tornado.

Neptunemon countered with his Gate of Atlantis, pushing back Imperialdramon's attack. AncientGreymon added his Gaia Tornado, and the two dragon Digimon managed to hold back the god Digimon's attack.

Neptunemon motioned towards King's Bite, and the spear abandoned its battle with Ophanimon. In a blur of movement, the spear sped over and struck first Imperialdramon, then AncientGreymon before returning to Neptunemon's hands.

Placing two of his fingers to his lips, Neptunemon whistled. All his servants regrouped around the god Digimon and all together they fired a series of attacks at the two dragon Digimon. Both were still dazed from King's Bite's surprise attack, and Ophanimon was too far away to help them.

"Shield of the Just!"

"Terra Force!"

"Flame Cannon!"

The three attacks collided with Neptunemon and his minions', saving the two dragon Digimon. Neptunemon turned to them with a raised eyebrow. "You got back faster than I expected."

WarGreymon glared at him. "Hoping to finish off our friends while we were being washed away?"

"It would have sped things up a bit." His eyes studied the three of them. "Where's your angel friend?"

"Strike of the Seven Stars!"

The attack hit Neptunemon from behind, knocking him off his geyser of water and into the ocean. Seraphimon flew over to rejoin his friends. "I doubled back while they provided the distraction."

Neptunemon resurfaced, a scowl on his face as he looked up at the DigiDestined. "You fools have no idea what you're getting yourselves into."

Imperialdramon sneered at him. "Right back at you, pal."

The god Digimon continued to glare at them as a rather concerned looking Mermaimon swam up to him and whispered in his ear. The color visibly drained from his face, and he motioned to his minions. They all submerged as he glanced once more at the DigiDestined. "He comes."

Then he too disappeared beneath the waves, leaving only the DigiDestined and the ship. Everything was calm and still, the water barely rippling. The sudden quietness after the immediate stop of the battle was rather unnerving.

"Ok…" Gallantmon muttered. "What just happened? Did we win?"

A short distance away, the water began to bubble and steam. It began small at first, but the area began to expand at an alarming rate.

"Hey, what's that?" Imperialdramon asked, noticing the expanding boiling area of water.

This time it was OmniShoutmon who went pale. "By the Sovereigns… It's Leviamon!"

The water exploded, and a massively large red figure came bursting up from the depths of the ocean. The water rippled violently as the giant Digimon fully emerged, floating in the air above the boiling water.

"Holy hell!" AncientGreymon exclaimed. "That thing is huge!"

"OmniShoutmon…" Gallantmon began, "what is that?"

Trembling all over, OmniShoutmon was unable to keep the fear out of his voice. "The Digimon who holds the title of the Devil Beast and the Abyss of Despair. The Demon Lord of Envy, Leviamon!"

It was easy to see why the monstrosity before them was so greatly feared. Though he didn't look overly evil like Devimon or VenomMyotismon, everything about him screamed raw power. He resembled a giant red prehistoric crocodile with some fish-like features and two tails. His jaws were so large they were nearly the length of his entire body and seemed capable of crushing anything.

Imperialdramon swallowed as he tried to find his voice. "H-He's not so scary. I'm sure we can… we can take him."

A multicolored cloud of smoke escaped Leviamon's nostrils as he exhaled. His small yellow surveyed the scene before him, landing on each of the DigiDestined, and then turned to the pirate ship. A low growl escaped him as he opened his mouth.

OmniShoutmon gasped as he realized what was coming. "Leviamon, don't!"

"Shell Shock!" the Demon Lord thundered.

A mighty beam erupted from his mouth. It sped through the air sending up walls of water as it traveled above the ocean's surface, the pirate's ship its target.

It happened so fast, there was no time to do anything to stop it. The ship completely vanished as the beam plowed through it and kept going. The entire Jolly Rodger, along with its whole crew, disappeared completely in a burst of data.

The DigiDestined remained frozen, too shocked to do anything. Their friends were gone. Everyone they had spent the last week with, CaptainHookmon, Parrotmon, Monmon, and the entire Hookmon crew, had been completely obliterated before their very eyes. Leviamon had wiped them all out in an instant, without even so much as batting an eye.

"I…" Ophanimon muttered, "I don't believe it… He just… he killed them… He killed them all… like they were nothing…"

Fury suddenly broke WarGreymon out of his stupor, and he turned to Leviamon. "You bastard!"

He flew at the Demon Lord. Leviamon barely glanced at him, the only indication that he even saw the dragon Digimon at all being his eyes shifting. As WarGreymon moved to slash him, one of Leviamon's tails shot out and struck him, knocking WarGreymon into the water.

"Monster!" Imperialdramon bellowed, and fired his Mega Crusher at him.

This seemed to cause some damage, as Leviamon reacted very violently. He lunged forward, his mouth opening a good 180 degrees. "Biting Crush!"

Imperialdramon had speed on his side, but Leviamon's jaws were so big that not even he could react in time to escape them. The Demon Lord's mouth snapped shut, sending out a massive shockwave, and Imperialdramon was crushed between them. The dragon Digimon would have cried out, but no sound escaped under the pressure of Leviamon's bite. The giant fangs buried deeply into his back and underbelly, crushing organs and bone.

Imperialdramon vanished in a flash of light as he reverted back to human form. But Davis was nowhere to be seen. It took the DigiDestined a moment to realize that he was in Leviamon's mouth!

"Let him go!" Seraphimon shouted. He flew at Leviamon, punching his exposed teeth while unleashing his Hallowed Knuckle. The Demon Lord turned to him and breathed a cloud of heated air over the angel Digimon. The scorching hot air burned straight through Seraphimon's armor, and a swipe of Leviamon's claw knocked him into the ocean.

Leviamon uncaringly spat out Davis into the water. The others had no idea if he was alive or not, but they didn't have time to check as Leviamon turned to them. "Thunder Breath!"

His giant mouth opened again, only this time a massive cloud of fire flowed outward. AncientGreymon flew forward and unleashed his Omega Corona, expanding the fiery explosion until the blast was large enough to act as a shield for Leviamon's attack. The stream of fire collided with the explosion. It was enough to shield his friends, but not enough to protect AncientGreymon, as enough of Leviamon's attack forced its way through to knock him back.

Ophanimon and Gallantmon dodged as their friend whizzed past them, but OmniShoutmon was rooted to the spot, having not moved once since Leviamon had appeared. The Demon Lord's attention shifted to him, and the edges of his massive jaws shifted into a grin.

"OmniShoutmon, get out of there!" Ophanimon shouted to him.

"Tail Strike!" Leviamon cried. He did a flip in the air, bringing both his tails down. OmniShoutmon still seemed paralyzed with fear, unable to move. One of Leviamon's tails struck him, and OmniShoutmon shot like a bullet into the sea.

"This is bad," said Gallantmon. "He's picking us apart one by one. And with a single attack too."

Beneath them, WarGreymon burst up from underwater. He was holding Davis in his arms, who was looking a little waterlogged. "We're still alive. That's all that matters."

Ophanimon looked at Davis worriedly. "Is he alright?"

"For now, but he's in bad shape. Whatever Leviamon did really affected him."

"What about the others? Did you see them?"

A frustrated groan escaped the dragon Digimon. "I saw OmniShoutmon disappear into the abyss. I didn't see anyone else down there."

Leviamon roared, the sound echoing through the sky like a massive explosion. "You will pay for opposing the Demon Lords! Duo-Tail Strike!"

He began spinning around. His tails lashed out and seemed to grow in length, whipping the wind and the waves into a frenzy. Giant pillars of water shot up as his tails passed over the surface, making the ocean even more wild and out of control.

The speed of his attack was astounding for one so big that none of the DigiDestined had time to dodge. WarGreymon turned his back to protect Davis while using his Brave Shield. Gallantmon held up his own shield to protect himself while Ophanimon attempted to block with her Unicorn Shield.

It was all in vain. The power behind the Demon Lord's attack broke through any defense they had, carrying them along until Leviamon finally stopped spinning and snapped his tails together, crushing the DigiDestined between them before slamming them down into the ocean.

Floating over the surface, Leviamon's eyes scanned the area, looking for any sign of the DigiDestined. His giant jaws shifted into a smile as a sinister chuckle escaped him. "Come now, I know you're not done yet. Come up here so I can kill you."

He waited a few more seconds, and Seraphimon finally surfaced. He was joined shortly after by AncientGreymon. Another wicked chuckle escaped the Demon Lord at the sight of them, and he stared at the two Digimon hungrily. "There you are."

"This guy… he's a monster," AncientGreymon commented.

"Nothing we haven't dealt with before," Seraphimon stated, though he was very much aware of the difference in power between Leviamon and their past opponents. He looked around. "What happened to the others?"

Leviamon snickered. "What's your pirate friends' saying? Ah, yes, ten fathoms deep on the road to Hell. I believe they're about there."

Fury flashed in AncientGreymon's eyes. "Bastard! Omega Burst!"

"Hallowed Ascension!"

Lightning rained down on Leviamon as fireballs exploded against him. A snarl twisted his features as he was bombarded with attacks, but his snarl soon shifted into an amused grin as he tolerated the assault.

"Breath!" he cried, unleashing a powerful gust of wind from his nostrils. It swirled around him, creating a massive whirlpool that doubled as a tornado, a waterspout connecting the two. The swirling vortexes stretched for miles, both into the sky and into the water. Seraphimon and AncientGreymon were pulled into the tornado, and soon ended up in the whirlpool.

They weren't the only ones. Amongst the swirling water, they saw their friends, and even several of Neptunemon's subordinates that hadn't put enough distance between themselves and the battle, were caught up in the whirlpool as well. There was no escaping the powerful current. The sound of the swirling water and Leviamon's laughter echoed all around them.

 

Notes:

(A/N: Talk about a catastrophe. Our heroes just got their first taste of what they're up against. Leviamon took them out like they were nothing. What more, he completely vaporized the entire pirate crew. I hope none of you were too fond of them. How are our heroes going to defeat this powerhouse? And then there's still Neptunemon to contend with. Things are not looking up for them, but that's to be expected when you challenge a Demon Lord. Stay tuned to see where things go from here.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Leviamon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Neptunemon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Mermaimon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Depthmon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Dolphmon

Chapter 93: Old and New Friends

Notes:

(A/N: I know this is late. I got caught up in a lot of things yesterday and didn't have tie to put the finishing touches on things, but here we go. Last chapter ended with a major cliffhanger where we got a glimpse of what a Demon Lord is capable of. Our heroes lost their new friends, and completely got their butts kicked. That's got to be discouraging. Lets see how they're coping. If they survived, that is. Ah, who am I kidding? You know they're alive... For now. Bwa, ha, ha, ha.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 93: Old and New Friends

"Smiling Face! Poo!"

A pleasant sensation flowed over OmniShoutmon, slowly bringing him out of unconsciousness. He hurt all over, but at the same time felt his energy being replenished. But he was still tired, and wanted to sleep longer.

"Smiling Face! Poo!"

What felt like bubbles popped against OmniShoutmon, and waves of relief flowed over him, rejuvenating him. He cracked his eyes open, and found an adorable pink Digimon floating above him. The Digimon beam happily, lifting a flipper in greeting. "Hi!"

Feeling somewhat bewildered, OmniShoutmon raised an eyebrow. "Um, hi…"

The pixie Digimon giggled and moved along. OmniShoutmon saw his friends, all in human form, lying unconscious on the ground. This seemed to be becoming a trend for whenever they lost, but at least they weren't dead.

Their newfound friend floated over to Takato and repeated his Smiling Face, blowing sparkling, heart-shaped, blue bubbles over the boy. They popped into glittering sparkles over him, and Takato stirred as the little Digimon revived him.

OmniShoutmon groaned. He wondered how they had gotten here. The last thing he remembered was the battle with Leviamon. Had the whirlpool the Demon Lord had created somehow washed them miles across open water and onto dry land, or had their little caretaker saved them? He suspected the latter.

Still, thinking back to the battle, he felt a wave of shame wash over him. He couldn't believe he had frozen like that when Leviamon had appeared. He had been utterly useless back there. Not that they'd had much of a chance to begin with. But still, at least his friends had actually thrown a punch.

In his defense, he knew that it was mostly due to ignorance on the humans' part versus his experience. They had heard stories of the Demon Lords, but to live under their reign like he had, there was a significant difference. They would never understand what it was like to live under their tyranny and experience the horrors those monsters unleashed. He was glad for that, but it did prevent them from ever fully grasping the magnitude of the situation.

"Next time," he promised himself out loud. "Next time."

He waited for the pixie Digimon to finish reviving his friends. One by one, they woke to the healing power of his Smiling Face.

"I feel terrible," Tai grumbled. He looked around, confused as to how they had gotten on land. "What happened?

OmniShoutmon suddenly felt irritated. "What do you think happened, you idiot?" He DeDigivolved to Shoutmon. "Leviamon totally kicked our butts. We're lucky to be alive." He rubbed the back of his head. "Well, you are, I'm lucky not to be an egg right now."

"I save!" the pixie Digimon declared happily as he finished reviving TK.

Takato's eyebrows rose. "Um, you saved us? How'd you pull that off? Uh, not that we're not grateful."

Kari checked her Digivice. "MarineAngemon, Mega level. He usually hates fighting and will use his Kahuna Waves attack to make his opponents lose their fighting spirit. His Smiling Face allows him to heal others."

"It also beats the heck out of Aspirin," Takato muttered. "Wait, did you say he's a Mega?"

MarineAngemon, who was in the process of healing Davis, stopped to wave. "Yeah!"

Takuya scoffed. "Come on, there's no way he can be a Mega. He's only, like, six inches tall. He's gotta be a Rookie. A Champion at most."

Shoutmon snorted. "You humans still let appearances affect your judgment. MarineAngemon is most definitely a Mega. Lots of power in a small package."

"I very strong," the pixie Digimon replied before turning back to Davis. "Smiling Face! Poo! Poo!"

Several more bubbles popped against Davis, but he still didn't wake up. MarineAngemon frowned in concern as his power seemed to have no affect. "He much hurt. Big owie."

Shoutmon got up and walked over. "It's no wonder. He got the full force of Leviamon's jaws. It's said that Leviamon could crush the world itself in them. His Imperialdramon form may have taken the attack, but it doesn't surprise me that damage that extensive somewhat carried over to his human form. Heck, to be honest, it's a miracle he's still alive."

"He'll be ok, won't he?" Tai asked worriedly.

Shoutmon sighed. "He will be, thanks to MarineAngemon. Otherwise I'd have said no."

MarineAngemon blew a few more bubbles against Davis, and he finally began to stir. "I help big. Heal good, yes."

A few more healing bubbles, and Davis woke up. Unpleasantly so. He broke out in a coughing fit, clutching his stomach and curling into a fetal position. "It hurts…" he managed to get out. "It hurts so much."

"Uh oh," said MarineAngemon, moving in closer. "Smiling Face! Poo! Poo! Poo!"

He blew several bubbles over Davis' torso, and the boy slowly began to relax as the pain subsided. His breathing became less labored, and the tension left his body as he went limp.

"Better, yes?" MarineAngemon asked.

Groaning, Davis struggled to sit up. "Yeah, much. Still really hurts though." He looked up at the pixie Digimon. "Um, who are you?"

"Me friend. Hi. Save you, yes." He looked at the others. "You guys big silly. Fight big bad. Very silly. Big ouch."

Takuya stared, uncomprehendingly. "Did any of you guys follow that?"

Tai sighed, placing his face in his hands. "He said that we were foolish to face Leviamon. And he's right. What were we thinking? We can't defeat a monster like that." He looked at the dragon Digimon. "You were right, Shoutmon. There's no beating the Demon Lords."

Takato stood up. "Now hold on a minute. Are you saying we should just give up?"

Tai glared at him. "I'm saying we need to be more realistic. You were in that battle too. You saw how he picked us apart. Just look at Davis. Look at what bad shape he's in. He almost died. Heck, we all did. If it hadn't been for MarineAngemon, we would be dead right now."

"Dying no fun," MarineAngemon commented. "No fun."

TK turned to him. "Speaking of which, thanks for saving us. We owe you."

"You friend of friend," the pixie Digimon replied. "Friend of friend is friend. Meet friend. Come."

He started flying off. His strange speech pattern left the teens at a loss at what he had said, but MarineAngemon turned back and waved them over. "Come. See friend. Friend give ride. You on friend. See again."

Takato sweat-dropped. "Are you guys understanding any of this?"

Kari hesitated. "I think he wants us to follow him to meet his friend."

"Cool," said Davis. "Always nice to make a new friend." He attempted to get up, but was struck by more pain. "Guys, could I get some help?"

TK and Takuya acted as support for him as they followed MarineAngemon. It wasn't long before they came to the edge of a cliff, leading out to the ocean. It soon became apparent that they were on an island. Strangely, the island seemed to be moving, and at a fast pace too.

"Where are we?" Tai asked.

"On friend," MarineAngemon replied. "Ocean Love! Poo!"

He blew another heart-shaped bubble. This one grew to a large size and floated over to the DigiDestined, sucking them in. The bubble lifted them up and drifted over to MarineAngemon. Beaming, he flew out over the ocean, and the bubble containing the teens floated after him. Takato glanced nervously behind him as they were carried off. "Hey, you're not going to carry us across the ocean like this, are you?"

MarineAngemon giggled. "You big silly." He held out his flippers towards the island. "See friend."

Tai looked around, seeing only the island. "I don't see anyone. What friend?"

"That would be me."

The island began to rise. To the teens' utter amazement, they saw that the island was not necessarily an island, but the back of a giant Digimon. Flippers lifted out of the water, and a tail rose up and splashed back down. It was as if the island itself was the head and back of a giant whale.

"Whoa, check it out!" Takuya exclaimed. "The island is alive!"

"I am no island. Have I really changed that much since you last saw me?"

"Changed that much?" TK repeated. He took out his Digivice and got a reading on the giant Digimon. "KingWhamon, Ultimate level, special attack Jet Arrow." His head snapped back up. "Wait a second… Whamon?"

A chuckle escaped the whale Digimon. "Not anymore. I've Digivolved since then."

"Whamon!" Kari cried happily. "It's so good to see you again! I mean, KingWhamon."

"It's good to see you again too, my friends. Seems you've gotten yourselves in some more trouble."

"And you're saving our necks again," said Tai. "That's twice now you've saved us from the sea."

"Actually," the whale Digimon admitted, "it was my little friend here, MarineAngemon, who found you and brought you to me. We've been looking for you for a week now. I was so worried when you didn't show up at the randevu point."

Takato was confused. "What do you mean?" His eyes widened. "Wait, were you the ally Grani was talking about? The one he was taking us to meet before Diaboromon shot us down?"

KingWhamon nodded. "Indeed I am. After I Digivolved, I decided to take a more active role in the war with the Demon Lords. When I heard you required assistance, I volunteered to assist you. Unfortunately, Grani reported that he lost you after you were attacked by the Diaboromon."

Kari clapped her hands. "Does that mean Grani survived?"

"It was close, but yes, he was able to escape."

TK sighed in relief. "That's good to know. We didn't know what happened to him after he helped us escape."

"After we got shot down by Diaboromon and his copies," Shoutmon told the whale Digimon, "we were picked up by a crew of Hookmon."

"Ah, yes, I know of the ship you speak," KingWhamon replied. "They have made quite a reputation for themselves. Tell me, what became of them?"

Tai's shoulders sank. "They were killed… by Leviamon. We couldn't protect them."

KingWhamon didn't respond to this, but MarineAngemon's wings and antenna drooped. "He big bad. Very big bad."

"Yes, he is," KingWhamon agreed sadly. "You must not blame yourselves, my friends. Leviamon is a monster. All the Demon Lords are. They're pure evil, and will kill simply for the sake of killing."

"We were foolish," Tai growled. "We thought we could just stroll in there and win like always. We completely underestimated him. We never stood a chance."

TK turned to him. "I don't believe that. True, he totally defeated us, but we were already battle wary from fighting ChaosMetalSeadramon and Neptunemon. Then we got reckless because of what Leviamon did to our friends."

KingWhamon froze. "Excuse me, children, but did I hear you correctly? You faced both ChaosMetalSeadramon and Neptunemon."

Takuya turned back to him and nodded. "Yeah. We managed to destroy ChaosMetalSeadramon, but Neptunemon is still out there."

"But this is excellent news!" the whale Digimon exclaimed. "The loss of his Chaos General is a serious blow to Leviamon's forces."

Tai crossed his arms. "Yeah, maybe, but it doesn't affect Leviamon himself, and it's him we really need to defeat."

"We did manage to hurt him though," TK pointed out. "That shows that we at least have a chance. I say we try again, going in at full power, and the right state of mind." His eyes narrowed. "But we can't just go charging into battle and hope to win if we try hard enough like we have before. We've got to plan and come up with a strategy. It's the only way we'll be able to defeat him."

Shoutmon nodded in agreement. "Long range attacks." Everyone turned to him. "The best method to defeating him is to attack from a distance. Physically, Leviamon is the strongest of all Digimon, so fighting him head on in hand-to-hand combat is completely out of the question. So our best bet is to attack from a distance, a far distance so he can't catch us in his jaws. Above all, we need to avoid those choppers of his; they're his most destructive features."

"Don't I know it," Davis grumbled, his hand going to his abdomen. "I'm still in pain."

Takuya dropped his fist into his palm. "Ok, we've got a plan. I say we put it into action once we're fully recovered."

Takato raised his hand. "Um, I think we're forgetting something. We've still got to deal with Neptunemon and his army. We'll have to take him down in order to get to Leviamon."

MarineAngemon raised his flipper, mimicking Takato. "He no problem. Be friend. Help and help. You save, make friend. Help fight big bad."

The teens stared, once again not having a clue as to what the pixie Digimon had said. Davis looked to Shoutmon hopefully. "Translation?"

The dragon Digimon shrugged. "I couldn't follow that."

"He's trying to say that Neptunemon is not necessarily your enemy," KingWhamon replied. "He, more than anyone, has a reason to hate Leviamon."

TK gave him a questioning look. "Then why does he serve him? He even attacked CaptainHookmon and his crew, and they said that they were once friends."

KingWhamon sighed sadly. "Yes, unfortunately Neptunemon has done many horrible things in Leviamon's name. Not because he wants to, but because he's being forced to."

This immediately caught Tai's interest, and he was suddenly seeing the god Digimon in a new light. "What do you mean?"

"Neptunemon was once a wise, just, and benevolent ruler of the ocean. When Leviamon rose to power, Neptunemon and his forces opposed him with everything they had. The war lasted for years, but eventually, Leviamon defeated them. However, Leviamon saw Neptunemon's power and authority as an opportunity. Rather than killing him, he decided to use him. And so he took Neptunemon's mate as a hostage, and has been using her to force Neptunemon to obey him."

Kari's hand went to her mouth as she gasped in horror. "That's terrible!"

"Indeed. Neptunemon loves and treasures his mate more than anything, and will do anything for her. Even if that means obeying his most hated enemy in order to keep her safe. But if you can rescue her, Neptunemon and his forces will once again rebel against Leviamon."

"Well, that's good to know," said Tai. "We could use all the help we can get for this fight."

Davis crossed his arms. "But Neptunemon's mate must have been in Leviamon's custody for quite a while. You'd think Neptunemon would have tried to save her."

"He fears what Leviamon would do to her if he tries," KingWhamon replied. "He won't risk her safely for anything. However, if you volunteer to save her…"

Tai nodded. "Got it. That's what we'll do. We'll make a deal with Neptunemon to save his wife, er, mate, in exchange for his help."

A chuckle escaped KingWhamon. "You won't even need to go that far. Once his mate is safe, I'm certain that he will ask you for help in taking down Leviamon."

"Even better," TK replied. "We'll have to find a way to get in contact with Neptunemon without Leviamon finding out."

MarineAngemon flapped his flippers. "I help. Talk to friend, yes. Tell friend save mate. Fight."

Takuya nodded. "Ok, I think I followed that. MarineAngemon will offer Neptunemon a parley. We'll then volunteer to rescue his mate if he'll help us fight Leviamon."

Takato beamed. "Alright, we have a battle plan, and we've got potential allies. The tides are turning in our favor."

"The odds are still against us though," Shoutmon pointed out.

"Doesn't matter," said Tai. "Every little bit."

KingWhamon splashed his tail. "And you shall have my assistance in battle as well."

"And me," MarineAngemon chirped.

"No!" Kari exclaimed. "No one else is going to die because of us. This is our fight."

KingWhamon looked at her. "No, child, this is our fight. Ours more than yours. We've been fighting the Demon Lords for thousands of years, long before you ever came to this world. You merely joined the battle."

"But…" Kari began, but found herself unable to come up with a good argument.

TK came up behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "I know. I know losing CaptainHookmon and the others was hard, but we don't have the right to prevent them from fighting if they want to."

Kari turned around and buried her face in his chest. "I just don't want to lose anymore friends."

He rubbed her back soothingly. "I know, Kari, I know."

Davis gave them a jealous look, and nudged them softly as he gave an arrogant smile. "Hey, no worries. We'll just have to fight harder to make sure no one else dies. Except for Leviamon of course. Ouch." He clutched his stomach. "Hey, MarineAngemon, could I get some more healing."

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

It was three days later that they put their plan into action. Once they deemed themselves fully recovered from their battle with Leviamon, particularly Davis thanks to a lot of healing from MarineAngemon, they entered the waters where Neptunemon was known to dwell. It was here that the pixie Digimon disappeared beneath the surface to offer the terms for their partnership while the teens stayed aboard KingWhamon.

"You know, this really takes me back," said Takato. "Remember fighting Dragomon and his flunkies?"

Takuya shivered. "Don't remind me. That guy was nasty. Makes sense though since he was working for Leviamon."

Davis patted the ground beneath their feet. "You were our ride back then too, big guy."

A chuckle escaped the whale Digimon. "Back then we were merely trying to reclaim the territory Dragomon stole. Who would have thought that one day I would be fighting along side you to free the entire Net Ocean?"

A smile grazed Kari's lips. "Funny how things work out. I never would have expected to end up in another world fighting for its freedom."

"I don't think a fortuneteller could have seen this coming," said Tai. "Wish we had one to tell us whether Neptunemon would agree to our plan or not."

"He will," TK replied reassuringly. "A person will do anything to keep the one they love safe. That's why Neptunemon's obeying Leviamon in the first place."

That was, in fact, exactly what Tai was worried about. They were having this meeting in their human forms to show how serious they were. If Neptunemon decided he would rather not risk his mate's safety, he might kill them all right then and there before they even got the chance to Spirit Evolve. All they could do was wait and hope that the promise of having his mate in his arms again would be worth the risk to the god Digimon.

Amongst them, Shoutmon glanced at Davis worriedly. "Hey, you sure you're ok?"

Grinning broadly, the boy thumped his chest a few times. "Yup, I'm in top shape. After three days of MarineAngemon's healing touch, I'm all good to go."

The dragon Digimon nodded. "Alright, if you're sure. Just remember to avoid Leviamon's jaws when we see him again."

Kari looked into the water. "Right now, I'm just hoping Neptunemon will agree to the deal."

Takato raised an eyebrow. "Why wouldn't he? We're offering to save his mate."

Tai sighed. "Look at it like someone having their loved one being held for ransom. They'd rather just pay the kidnapper the ransom fee rather than sending in the feds to rescue them and risk their loved one's safety."

Takato shifted uneasily. "Well, if you put it that way…"

The water began bubbling, signaling that something was about to surface. Takuya was instantly on edge. "Looks like we're about to find out."

A geyser erupted, and Neptunemon emerged from the sea. MarineAngemon flew up beside him, smiling his standard smile, though that didn't necessarily mean Neptunemon had agreed to the deal.

With a flick of his tail, Neptunemon leapt off the geyser and landed on KingWhamon in front of the teens. He stood tall and powerful over them, making them feel rather intimidated, and they had to resist the urge to Spirit Evolve.

"Your friend here said you wished to speak to me," the god Digimon declared. "He said you wanted to make a deal. Speak."

No one seemed capable of speech. Though Neptunemon wasn't attacking them, he emitted a powerful aura that seemed to leave the teens paralyzed in his presence. They knew that if their negotiations failed, he would likely try to kill them. And if he did attack them, they didn't know if they would be able to take him down now that they knew the reason for his actions.

TK gulped and took a step forward. "We… We know why you're doing this. We know about your mate."

Neptunemon crossed his arms, looking unimpressed. "What of it?"

Kari was the next to find her nerve. "It must be hard having Leviamon hanging her over your head to force you to do bad things."

"I repeat," Neptunemon snapped impatiently. "What of it?"

Tai took a deep breath. "We know that you can't rescue her, because Leviamon, or whoever is guarding her, will kill her if you try. I think we can help each other."

"They save, you help," MarineAngemon added.

"Right," Shoutmon agreed. "Bottom line, if you agree to help fight Leviamon, we'll save your mate. Deal?"

The god Digimon studied them, apparently deep in thought. The teens decided that that was a good thing; it meant he was at least considering their proposal.

Neptunemon's face suddenly grew hard as he leaned in towards them. "What makes you think you can save her? You could not even defeat me."

The teens considered this. "Yes, well," Takato began, "we had just gotten done fighting ChaosMetalSeadramon. And we were making leeway with you."

"Plus, we were at a disadvantage," Davis added. "We were trying to keep our friends safe, and you guys could go underwater."

The god Digimon's eyes narrowed. "My mate's prison is thousands of leagues under the sea. Just how exactly are you planning to get to her? And as for keeping your friends safe, you certainly weren't successful there."

"No thanks to you!" Takuya snapped. "Weren't CaptainHookmon and his crew your friends? How could you turn on them like that?"

With a snarl, Neptunemon pointed King's Bite at him threateningly. "Because I have something precious to protect. Something I would do anything for. Which brings me back to my question. What makes you think you can keep her safe, and how are you even planning on getting to her?"

The teens looked at each other, seemingly having a silent conversation. Finally, Tai answered. "It's unlikely that Leviamon will have her killed since he would lose his hold over you. So as long as it's not you or your men going to her rescue, I doubt he'll do anything to her. But if he tries, we'll protect her with our lives." He hesitated. "But as for getting there… we haven't exactly figured that out yet. We can't exactly fight at the bottom of the ocean."

"I help!" MarineAngemon exclaimed. "Ocean Love! Poo!"

He blew a bubble. It floated over to Tai and slid over his head. The boy blinked, and reached up to poke the bubble. It didn't pop; it was more of a barrier than a bubble. TK observed this with interest. "Will we be able to breathe underwater with these?"

"Breathe," the pixie Digimon confirmed. "Short time."

Tai beamed. "Awesome. Now we can fight underwater."

Shoutmon cleared his throat. "I think you're forgetting something. Those bubbles may act as barriers, but if an attack is strong enough to break through them, they'll pop. Do you really want to risk being stuck miles underwater if that happens?"

Neptunemon was silent, but he seemed very interested in their answer. TK realized the importance of their answer, as it would show Neptunemon just how determine they were to save his mate. "It's a risk we'll just have to take."

MarineAngemon flapped his flippers. "I go with. Pop, make new one."

Takato stared. "I didn't follow that."

It was KingWhamon who answered, speaking for the first time since Neptunemon had arrived. "He is saying he will go with you to create new bubbles in case the ones he gives you pop."

Tai smirked. "Great. That'd be a huge help." He looked back at Neptunemon and held out his hand. "Well, do we have a deal?"

The god Digimon stared at his hand for a moment before reaching out to shake it. "We have a deal. Save my mate, and I shall help you take down Leviamon." He gave Tai a hard look. "You are aware I cannot assist you in the rescue mission. In fact, I must deny any knowledge of it. If Leviamon detects even a hint of rebellion on my part, my mate will suffer."

Tai nodded. "We understand."

Davis tapped down on KingWhamon with his foot and pointed into the distance. "Ok, big guy, lets go. We've got a damsel in distress to rescue."

The whale Digimon hesitated. "Um… I don't know where she is."

Davis' pointing finger drooped, and the smile slipped from his face. He looked at the others, but they all seemed taken aback.

"I… guess we didn't think this through," Takato muttered.

A chuckle was heard. Surprisingly, it came from Neptunemon. "I believe I can help you this much. I may never have rebelled against Leviamon out of fear for my mate's safety, but I did not completely stand by and do nothing. I found out where Leviamon is keeping her long ago, just in case the opportunity ever presented itself where I was certain I could get her out safely."

Davis grinned. "And we're that opportunity?"

The god Digimon considered them for a few moments before shrugging. "You'll do."

 

Notes:

(Oh my, this is a twist on our story. Neptunemon wasn't really bad after all, but is being forced to obey Leviamon. Kind of makes you take a second look at those that served villains in the past; they may not have done so willingly either. But it looks like he's gone from an enemy to a potential ally; if they can save his mate, that is. And look at this, it's the return of Whamon. Or should I saw KingWhamon. Did you think he'd make a second appearance? Turns out he was the ally Lopmon had instructed Grani to take our heroes to a few chapters ago. Who'd have guessed? Where will things go from here? Will our heroes be able to save Neptunemon's mate. Find out next time.)

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New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/MarineAngemon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Whamon#KingWhamon

Chapter 94: Deep Sea Rescue

Notes:

(A/N: I've been waiting to get to this chapter for a while. It was a lot of fun to write, and pretty epic. At least it was in my mind when I first thought of it. Does it transfer as well to paper? I hope so, but you be the judge of that.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 94: Deep Sea Rescue

"I still don't get how you can follow directions in the ocean," Takato commented. He held out his arms, motioning to the water surrounding them. "It's all endless blue."

A chuckle escaped KingWhamon. "It's because you're not of the sea. You would understand if you were."

Tai looked over the edge. "You're sure this is the place?"

"It is according to Neptunemon's directions," the whale Digimon replied.

"Place here," MarineAngemon confirmed. "Deep down."

Looking into the seemingly bottomless water, a thought suddenly occurred to Takuya. "Wait a minute, guys. What if this is a trap? Neptunemon could have sent us into an ambush."

Tai considered this, then shook his head. "I doubt it. He could have killed us when we met before. Why send us all the way out here?"

Takuya shrugged. "Maybe he didn't think he could beat us on his own. Or maybe he made a deal with Leviamon to deliver us to him in exchange for his mate."

Shoutmon snorted. "The Demon Lords don't make deals. They make demands. You either obey, or suffer the consequences."

"It's no deception," KingWhamon replied. "Neptunemon is honest and just. Even while under Leviamon's rule, he has done his best to remain honorable. I trust him."

TK nodded. "That's good enough for me."

"Me too," Kari agreed.

Takato raised his hand. "Question. Should we Spirit Evolve now, or later?"

It was a good question, and they looked to Tai for an answer. He crossed his arms and thought about it. "I think we should try to be as inconspicuous as possible, and some of our Digimon forms are pretty big, so we should stay human for now. That way we won't risk alerting the guards to our presence. But just to be safe, I think just one of us should Spirit Evolve. That way if we do have to fight, that person can hold the enemy off while the others Spirit Evolve."

"Great," said Davis. "I'll do it. I want to deliver some payback."

TK placed a hand on his shoulder. "If we're going for stealth, I think it should be someone smaller, so they're less noticeable. I'll do it."

Davis groaned irritably, but agreed. "I guess you're right."

"Be careful, my friends," said KingWhamon. "And good luck to you."

"Thanks, KingWhamon," said Tai. He turned to TK. "Alright, do it."

TK nodded. "Execute! Spirit Evolution… Seraphimon!"

MarineAngemon floated over. "My turn! Ocean Love! Poo!"

He blew several bubbles. They expanded in size and attached themselves to the teens' heads. Shoutmon and Seraphimon received ones too, making the seven of them fit for underwater travel.

"This feels kind of weird," Takato muttered, "and it tickles around the neck."

"Deal with it," Shoutmon told him. "Things are about to get much more unpleasant. Cannonball!"

He jumped off KingWhamon and into the water. Davis smirked and leapt off after him with a cry of "Belly-flop!" The others chose to simply jump off normally with MarineAngemon flying after them; it was decided that KingWhamon would remain near the surface. The bubbles did their job, preventing the teens from drowning. It was awkward to say the least, but it got the job done.

"Hey, this is cool," said Takuya. "I wonder if this is what deep sea scuba diving is like."

"Couldn't say," Tai replied, "but we've got more important things to worry about. Lets get going."

MarineAngemon swam by, just as agile in the water as he was in the air. "Follow me." He dove downward, swimming much faster than the teens, disappearing into the darkness below. He came back up a short while later, looking confused. "What wrong?"

"We can't swim that fast," Kari told him.

"Here," said Seraphimon, gathering them up in his arms. "This'll be faster. Lead the way, MarineAngemon."

The pixie Digimon beamed, and led them down into the darkness. It got harder and harder to see the further down they went, until it became entirely pitch black. They couldn't even tell if they were still following their guide or not.

"MarineAngemon, you still there?" Tai asked.

"Here!" came the pixie Digimon's reply a short distance ahead.

An annoyed growl escaped Davis. "This is ridiculous. We can't see an inch in front of our faces. Can we get a little light?"

Though the others couldn't see it, Shoutmon shook his head. "Bad idea. We'd be all but announcing our presence."

"But we can't see anything! How are we supposed to stage a rescue like this?"

MarineAngemon's voice was suddenly right in front of them, indicating that he had swam back up to them. "I see fine."

"Well, yeah, you're Water type Digimon, of course you can see at the bottom of the ocean, but we're in the dark. No pun intended."

Tai sighed. "We should have considered this. It's too dark for us to see, but we can't use any light, or else we'll give ourselves away."

"How about this," Kari suggested, "lets wait until we get to the bottom. That way we can create a small light while hiding behind the rocks and stuff."

Seraphimon nodded. "A good plan. I can provide the light once we get down there." He hesitated. "Um, MarineAngemon, could you help me out a bit."

"Coming," the pixie Digimon replied, pushing against Seraphimon's back in the direction he was telling them to go.

They descended further into the abyss. Strangely, the coldness and water pressure didn't seem to bother them, apparently due to MarineAngemon's magic bubbles. Eventually though, they reached the bottom as Seraphimon felt his feet touch down on something hard that sounded like metal.

"We here," MarineAngemon told them.

Tai smiled. "Awesome. Can you bring us somewhere that we can hide?"

"Hiding here."

They took that to mean that they were already in a suitable hiding place, and Seraphimon began to emit a golden light from his body. It provided the teens with some much-needed illumination as the ocean floor was lit up. They were indeed hidden behind what seemed to be a long strip of metal protruding from the ocean floor.

MarineAngemon pointed into the distance. "There."

They were able to make out what seemed to be a large rock formation with a large cave. Hundreds of Divermon swam about, undoubtedly guards to Neptunemon's mate locked away in the cave.

"That must be it," said Takuya. "She's got to be in there."

Davis nodded in agreement. "Shouldn't be so tough; they're just a bunch of Divermon."

Shoutmon glared at him. "Don't be stupid. There's bound to be plenty of baddies down there a lot worse than Divermon."

"No way we're getting in there undetected," Seraphimon noted. "We're going to have to fight our way through."

Tai reluctantly agreed. "Well, at least we got this far without any trouble. You guys ready for a fight."

A smirk grazed Davis' face. "No problem. I'm ready to kick some Demon Lord minions' butts. Hiya!"

To emphasize his point, he kicked outward, hitting the giant metal spike. The ground suddenly shifted beneath their feet, and Shoutmon thought Davis had disrupted something that had been balancing on its side. But the movement was too great, and the ground kept moving.

Something impossibly large rose up and looked down at them. To Shoutmon's horror, he realized that they hadn't been standing on the ocean floor, but on someone who was on the ocean floor.

The water turned warm around him as he recognized the impossibly large creature. "G-G-GigaSeadramon!"

The similar name was not lost to the teens. Indeed, the mechanical serpent most definitely resembled ChaosMetalSeadramon, only much more heavily armored, and much larger. It was even bigger than Leviamon, lengthwise anyway, and more ferocious looking than his Chaos General. A monstrous roar erupted from the android Digimon's mouth that shook the entire ocean floor.

Fortunately, the teens' Digivices worked perfectly well underwater as Takuya got a reading on the giant beast. "GigaSeadramon, Mega level, special attack Giga Sea Destroyer. Originally a MetalSeadramon, he was reconstructed by the Crack Team into a gigantic assault landing ship with the fastest speed of movement and strongest ability for interception underwater."

"That sounds pretty bad," said Seraphimon. "Strike of the Seven Stars!"

The attack struck GigaSeadramon, knocking him back. He thrashed about violently, stirring up a cloud of sand.

"Now's our chance, guys," said Tai. "Execute! Spirit Evolution… WarGreymon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Imperialdramon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Gallantmon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… AncientGreymon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Ophanimon!"

"Shoutmon Digivolve to… OmniShoutmon!"

It was safe to say that their presence was now known by all the guards. And if it wasn't, GigaSeadramon made certain it was by roaring a second time. From in and around the cave, several dozen Divermon swam towards the DigiDestined. Swimming out of the cave, however, were two other Digimon, the first resembling a puffer fish with large muscular arms, and second a large dinosaur-like creature.

"Those guys are new," Gallantmon commented. "OmniShoutmon, who are they?"

"Pukumon," the dragon Digimon, "a nasty little bugger with a poisonous punch, and Plesiomon X, a natural sea predator capable of creating earthquakes. Both are Megas."

"Of course they are," AncientGreymon grumbled. "And you said that one's Plesiomon X? That means it's a stronger version of a regular Plesiomon, right?"

"So you remember that, huh? Yes, he is. But it's GigaSeadramon here we need to really worry about. That guy is massively strong."

"He looks it," said Ophanimon. "So who's stronger, GigaSeadramon or ChaosMetalSeadramon?"

OmniShoutmon cut his eyes at her. "Do you really need to ask?"

"Figures," muttered WarGreymon. He ran the blades on his gauntlets together. "Well, he's still a Dramon species, so I guess I know who I'm fighting. You guys head into the cave."

"You're going to need help," said Imperialdramon. His gaze shifted to Plesiomon X. "I got the X mon."

"And I'll take Pukumon," Ophanimon replied. "The rest of you get a move on."

Gallantmon glanced at all the aquatic beast Digimon. "What about all these Divermon? They may just be Ultimates, but that many can still be a problem."

"Me!" MarineAngemon exclaimed, and swam forward towards an approaching Divermon. "Pretty Heart! Poo!"

The aquatic beast Digimon looked startled, as if it had been surprised by MarineAngemon's cuteness. The small heart-shaped blue bubble popped against the Divermon's chest, and it cried out before bursting into data. Still smiling, MarineAngemon repeated the process with another Divermon.

"Ok, everyone knows what they're doing," said Seraphimon. "Lets move out."

WarGreymon shot through past GigaSeadramon's face. "This way, big guy."

The android Digimon growled and fire his Giga Sea Destroyer, launching a torpedo from his cannon-mouth. WarGreymon maneuvered around it, and GigaSeadramon snarled as he gave chase.

Imperialdramon sped forward, and he and Plesiomon X bucked heads. "You'll die for trespassing here," the latter told him.

Imperialdramon blinked, caught off guard by his opponent's voice "Oh, you're a girl? Well, don't think I'll go easy on you."

"Funny," Plesiomon X replied, "I was about to say the same thing to you."

Ophanimon and Pukumon came at each other. The mutant Digimon used his Globefish Poison, throwing a punch. Ophanimon blocked with her shield, taking note of the poison seeping out of the spikes on his knuckles. "It was foolish of you to come here. Down here, you're out of your element, while we're surrounded by ours."

Ophanimon glared at him. "Good thing we're adaptable," she replied before pushing forward and whacking him with her shield.

As the battle broke out amongst the six, the rest of the DigiDestined were met by a wall of Divermon pointing their harpoons at them. Gallantmon had to admit, they had a lot of guts to stand up to Megas like them, or maybe they were more afraid of what Leviamon would do to them if they failed. Either way, he wouldn't let them stand in the way of their mission.

"Out of the way. Spiral Saver!" He launched forward with a spiraling thrust, bursting through the wall of Divermon. A handful were destroyed while the rest were sent flying from the force of the attack. "Lets go, guys."

The four of them sped through the water, avoiding flying harpoons and knocking away any Divermon that attempted to stop them as they headed for the cave. GigaSeadramon looked away from WarGreymon and turned to them. "Giga Sea Destroyer!"

He spat out a torpedo, but WarGreymon flew towards him and struck him in the head before the torpedo left his mouth, and the attack went off course, allowing the others to make it into the cave.

It was a long straight descent going down diagonally. More Divermon were coming out, but the DigiDestined didn't let them stand in their way as they descended into the cave. They flew through the water the same way they flew through the air. It was much easier and faster than actually swimming, but the Divermon still had the speed advantage, being naturally adapted to move around underwater.

"Be on guard, you guys," said OmniShoutmon. "We're bound to find more opposition than these guys."

Seraphimon nodded forward. "Like them?"

Deeper into the cave, they saw six new Digimon. Their top halves were humanoid, but their much larger lower bodies were the upside-down bodies of squid, looking as if their human upper halves were protruding from the squids' mouths.

"Calmaramon," OmniShoutmon stated. "They're Ultimates, but be careful, they've got this really nasty drilling attack."

"I'll take them," said AncientGreymon, jetting forward.

The six squid Digimon held out their arms. "Titanic Tempest!"

They began spinning around, becoming gray blurs. Shooting forward, they buried into AncientGreymon, drilling into his body like spinning tops. AncientGreymon had to admit, even with them as Ultimates and he at the Mega level, a twice Digivolved Mega in fact, their attacks were not pleasant.

"Guess this is the drill attack he was talking about," the dragon Digimon grumbled. "Omega Corona!"

Being underwater, there was naturally no fire in the attack, at least none that lasted for more than a few moments, but the power of the blast was still there, and it obliterated all six Calmaramon. OmniShoutmon lamented not being able to absorb the data they left behind, but there wasn't time. They needed to get in and get out as quickly as possible before Leviamon caught word of their attack and came, not to mention they only had a limited supply of air.

"Three more, dead ahead," Seraphimon reported.

Coming up from the cave were three more Digimon. These they recognized as MarineDevimon from their little tournament with Jokermon. These, however, wasted no time in attacking as they used their Darkness Water, spitting mouthfuls of poisonous ink.

Gallantmon wrapped his cape around himself and moved into the attacks' path. The ink splattered against his cape, leaving the knight Digimon unharmed. He unwrapped the cape from around himself and looked down at the aquatic beast Digimon. "By rights, Ophanimon should get to fight these guys, but I guess I'll fill in for her."

"Dark Deluge!" the three MarineDevimon cried, opening their mouths, this time to launch mouthfuls of electricity that somehow traveled through the water. Gallantmon held up his shield, not to defend this time, but to attack.

"Shield of the Just!" he cried, unleashing a mighty beam from his shield. It pushed through the three attacks and struck the MarineDevimon on the far right, who instantly burst into data. Gallantmon shifted his shield to the left, destroying the second and third MarineDevimon as well.

"Nice job," said Seraphimon. "Lets keep going. I don't want to leave the others alone any longer than we have to."

They continued further into the cave. The Divermon seemed to have decided to keep their distance now, and settled for simply throwing harpoons at them. The DigiDestined simply swatted the weapons aside and paid the Divermon no mind. They had more important things to worry about.

"Two more, incoming," said AncientGreymon.

The others could see that for themselves as two large serpentine creatures now blocked their way. OmniShoutmon's eyes narrowed at them. "WaruSeadramon and MegaSeadramon, both Ultimates."

"What's with all these Seadramon guys we're running into lately," Gallantmon exclaimed. "And they're just rendered different colors from each other; it's hardly noticeable too."

"Maelstorm!" WaruSeadramon cried, creating an electrified tornado that flowed towards the DigiDestined. MegaSeasdramon followed up with his Thunder Javelin, firing a bolt of lightning from the blade on his calvaria through the emitter of WaruSeadramon's electric tornado.

"Omni Core Fusion!" OmniShoutmon countered, his aura taking a humanoid shape. The two electric attacks collided with it, but this accomplished nothing as the humanoid aura flew towards WaruSeadramon and tackled her. She cried out and burst into data as OmniShoutmon charged at MegaSeadramon. "Doom Drillpress!"

His feet became blades, and he did a move one might see a professional ice skater perform. His bladed foot cut straight through MegaSeadramon, severing his head from his body.

Since he was right there, OmniShoutmon took the time to absorb the data from the two fallen Digimon as he turned back to his friends. "Come on, I think we're almost at the bottom."

Indeed they were, but just before the tunnel gave entrance to a cavern, they found their way blocked by none other than a Dragomon. The appearance of a Digimon that was the same species as one of their biggest enemies gave the DigiDestined pause.

"Well, this brings back memories," said Gallantmon, "most of them bad."

"I'll take care of this," Seraphimon declared. "Strike of the Seven Stars!"

He fired his attack into the giant Digimon's chest. Dragomon roared and began to break down into data. It was almost laughable how a Digimon that had given them so much trouble before could now be defeated so easily.

As Dragomon's body disappeared, the DigiDestined saw what they were looking for, or, rather, who they were looking for. Hanging in the middle of the cavern was none other than Neptunemon's mate. She was a mermaid Digimon, held in place by her bounds. Metal cuffs with chains attached to them were latched onto her wrists, keeping her arms stretched out to the left and right, and another cuff was on her tail, the chain attached to the cavern floor. A fourth cuff was around her neck, and a larger one was around her waist, the cruel bindings keeping her suspended in the air, unable to move.

Her back was to them, so they swam around to her front. "Are you AncientMermaidmon?" Gallantmon asked. "Neptunemon's mate?"

Behind the mask that kept the upper part of her face hidden, the mermaid Digimon raised an eyebrow. "And you are…?"

"Here to rescue you," Seraphimon replied. He looked at the chains, and a wave of sympathy washed over him. "My gosh, have you been chained up like this all this time?"

AncientMermaidmon tugged on the chains, but they refused to budge. "They kept me restrained due to my power. These chains drain my strength, and any damage I manage to do to them is repaired at the end of each day."

"And yet you stubbornly refuse to give up," came a new voice.

The others turned to find a new Digimon. It was almost identical in appearance to the Divermon, only its skin had a purple hue to it, its flipper was on the other foot, and it wore a crown on its head. A much larger rocket replaced the torpedo on its back, and it held a golden scepter rather than a harpoon.

Behind her mask, AncientMermaidmon's eyes narrowed. "KingDivermon."

The aquatic beast Digimon chuckled. "Honestly, you've been no end of trouble. You should have given up centuries ago."

AncientMermaidmon made to move towards him, but was held back by her chains. "You're a traitor, and you will pay for you crimes."

"Calm down, your majesty," KingDivermon replied. "I told you before that it's nothing personal. There's simply no disobeying Lord Leviamon. Your imprisonment is a result of your defiance. It's obey or pay the price."

Gallantmon pointed his lance at him. "We have a different philosophy. Now I suggest that you and your Divermon buddies stand down."

"Not so fast," said KingDivermon. He held up a ring of keys. "I'm the one with the keys to her bonds. Those chains are made of Chrome Digizoid, the hardest metal in the Digital World. It's nearly impossible to destroy, and even powerful Megas liken you will have quite a bit of trouble breaking through it."

A growl escaped OmniShoutmon. "He's right."

"Of course I'm right. However," he grasped the keys in his palm, "these keys are made of plan old metal. And if you don't leave now, I'll squash them so they're so misshapen that they won't even be able to open the locks. Then good luck in getting her out of her before Lord Leviamon arrives and kills you all. Of course you could always try blasting around where the chains are connected to the cave, but you'll more than likely cause the whole thing to collapse on top of us."

OmniShoutmon's fists clenched. KingDivermon had them, and he knew it. As things stood, they'd never be able to defeat Leviamon right now. Did this mean that the whole rescue operation had been for nothing? They wouldn't get another chance like this once the Demon Lord discovered what they had tried to do, but it looked like KingDivermon was about to ruin any chance they had to get AncientMermaidmon out of here.

"So, what's it going to be?" the aquatic beast Digimon asked. "You should be grateful that I'm willing to let you swim out of here rather than surrender. Though that could be an option too if you're not willing to compromise."

The DigiDestined didn't reply as they weighed their options. KingDivermon chuckled as he held the keys in his grasp, ready to squash them into a misshapen piece of metal. That's when he was surprised by something small and pink appearing right in front of him. "What the…?"

"Kahuna Waves! Poo!"

MarineAngemon blew a bubble, and it popped against KingDivermon's face. He blinked a few times, seemingly confused, and MarineAngemon repeated his attack several more times, blowing more and more blue heart-shaped bubbles at the aquatic beast Digimon.

The tension left KingDivermon's body, and his stance relaxed. An uncaring expression appeared on his face as he let the keys slip through his fingers. "Actually, I don't feel like doing this anymore. You can have the keys. "I'll just tell Lord Leviamon that I fell asleep on the job, or something."

MarineAngemon beamed as KingDivermon turned and began nonchalantly swimming away. Suddenly, quite unexpectedly, the pixie Digimon used his Smile Attack, tackling KingDivermon, sending him crashing into the wall, where he left a nice indentation.

MarineAngemon then swam down and retrieved the discarded keys, and handed them over to Seraphimon. The angel Digimon gave his friends a questioning look, but they seemed just as lost as him.

"Ooook," Gallantmon muttered, "What was that about?"

"It's MarineAngemon's Kahuna Waves attack," OmniShoutmon explained. "They cause an opponent to lose their fighting spirit, Thanks, little guy."

MarineAngemon giggled and rubbed his head bashfully.

"But wait," AncientGreymon cried. "Where are the others?"

MarineAngemon looked confused, but pointed back the way he had come. "They fight."

"They're still fighting? But I thought you were helping them ward off the Divermon."

The pixie Digimon cocked his head to the side. "Divermon go bye-bye. Help you now."

Seraphimon was busy fumbling with the keys to free AncientMermaidmon. "Forget it. Lets just get out of here so we can help them."

He unlocked the last of AncientMermaidmon's cuffs, and she sank to the ocean floor, finally free for the first time in who knew how long. Seraphimon moved to help her, but she held up a hand to stop him.

After a few deep breaths, she picked herself up. She cracked her neck side to side, and rotated her arms a few times before twisting her hips here and there, and flicking her tail. "I am well. Thank you for your assistance."

Gallantmon was surprised she could move at all after having been held in place for however long she had been imprisoned. Despite having been a prisoner, she was certainly no damsel in distress. "Um, no problem."

Beaming, MarineAngemon swam over to her. "Smiling Face! Poo!"

He blew several bubbles against the mermaid Digimon, and AncientMermaidmon smiled as she felt her body heal and strength return. "That is much better."

A groan came from the other side of the cavern as KingDivermon finally dropped from the indentation in the wall he had been stuck in, drawing the others' attention. AncientMermaidmon scowled at him as he shook his head, seemingly coming back to his senses.

"What happened?" he grumbled. He looked up and gave a yelp of fright as he saw the mermaid Digimon floating over him. "A-A-AncientMermaidmon! I mean, hi. Um, no hard feelings?"

AncientMermaidmon crossed her arms, her expression unchanging, and KingDivermon knew he was in serious trouble. He looked desperately to the other Divermon in the cavern, but they quickly turned tail and swam away.

Realizing he was on his own, he threw himself on the cavern floor. "Please forgive me! It was wrong of me to side with Leviamon, but I was afraid for my safety. We all were. You can understand that, right?"

It was hard to tell with her mask on, but AncientMermaidmon appeared to be unmoved by his pleading. "I consider myself a fair and just ruler. Therefore, I shall give you what you gave these brave souls that came to my rescue; a chance to swim out of her before I change my mind."

KingDivermon gulped. "Y-Yes, ma'am. I'm going, right now."

He began swimming away in the opposite direction of the exit, deeper into the cave and away from the DigiDestined. AncientMermaidmon let him go as she slowly raised her index finger until it was pointed right at him. "I've changed my mind. Great Maelstrom!"

From the tip of her finger, a massive whirlpool flowed outward, rapidly growing and expanding in size as it flew towards KingDivermon. The aquatic beast Digimon glanced over his shoulder as the growing whirlpool came at him, and he was swallowed up by it. It slammed into the cave wall, smashing KingDivermon into it as well as the water all around was whipped into a frenzy, and the entire cave began to shake.

Gallantmon winced. "Well, can't say he didn't deserve it, but man, she's got quite a temper."

"Oh, you have no idea," said OmniShoutmon. "It's said that whole islands would get swallowed up by the sea when AncientMermaidmon got angry."

The mermaid Digimon turned to them, and OmniShoutmon slapped a hand over his mouth, afraid he had offended her. But AncientMermaidmon paid him no mind as she headed for the exit. "Come, let us leave this place. It will collapse soon, and you will not want to be inside when it does."

They could see that much for themselves. AncientMermaidmon's whirlpool was still spinning around violently, causing the cave to crack apart. Quickly, they made their way out of the cave, glad that AncientMermaidmon was on their side.

 

Notes:

(A/N: Wow, Neptunemon's mate is a badass. I really couldn't choose anyone more suitable for him that AncientMermaidmon. You know, it's a shame we didn't get to see all the Legendary Warriors' Mega forms during Frontier, but I was satisfied with what we got. But I'm getting off topic. Did you see how easily our heroes defeated the Dragomon they ran into? The last one they faced nearly killed them, but this one they defeated like he was nothing. It just shows how strong they've become. And speaking of strength, they've still got the likes of GigaSeadramon, Pukumon, and Plesiomon X to deal with. After that, they've got Leviamon. Will Neptunemon keep his promise to help them fight once he and AncientMermaidmon are reunited? And if he does, will it be enough to defeat the Demon Lord? You'll have to stick around to find out.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/GigaSeadramon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Pukumon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Plesiomon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Plesiomon_X

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Calmaramon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/WaruSeadramon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/MegaSeadramon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/AncientMermaidmon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/KingDivermon

Chapter 95: Battle In The Abyss

Notes:

(A/N: So they're doing a sequel to Digimon Tri. That's good, I guess, as we were left us with a lot of unanswered questions. But it looks like it's going to be a while before that it comes out. So now we play the waiting game. But until then, you can entertain yourself with this new chapter .)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 95: Battle In The Abyss

While the bubbles over their heads did indeed allow the DigiDestined to breathe underwater, they did nothing to help them in other areas. Fighting underwater was very difficult. Their movements were slow and sluggish, the water causing drag, and even affecting their attacks; some of them even being rendered useless by the water.

Their opponents, on the other hand, did not only not have to deal with these handicaps, but had an even greater advantage, as they were naturally adapted to live underwater.

Ophanimon was facing such a problem. While flying through the water was easy enough, minus the drag, her other movements were slowed, and Pukumon was taking advantage of this as he pummeled her with his Globefish Poison, his fists moving in a blur of movements against her shield while shooting poison out of the spikes on his knuckles with each punch.

"What's wrong?" he mocked. "Has the great angel fallen?"

Ophanimon scowled, not appreciating the joke. "I'm just waiting for a good opening."

She stabbed forward with her javelin. Pukumon swerved to the side, dodging the weapon. His much smaller size made him even harder to hit, but he still had a great deal of strength, and he showed it by grabbing her javelin and swinging her around. Ophanimon refused to let go until she was slammed into the ground, and Pukumon tossed the weapon aside. Sneering, he flexed his muscles, and punched down at her with his Globefish Poison.

"Unicorn Shield!" Ophanimon cried, blocking the blow.

Pukumon recoiled at the backlash, and Ophanimon took advantage of the moment, holding out her hand. "Shining Laser!"

The mutant Digimon cried out as the laser blasted him back. Ophanimon used the opportunity to get back up and hold her hand out to her javelin, and it flew into her grasp. She pointed it at Pukumon and used Eden's Needle. The needles of light flew from the tip in rapid succession, but Pukumon lowered his head, and they bounced harmlessly off his armored headgear.

A chuckle escaped Pukumon as he looked at the surprised angel Digimon. "My armor is made out of Chrome Digizoid. Can you say the same about yours? Gobefish Poison!"

His fist buried into her exposed belly. Through the pain, Ophanimon felt his poison inject into her and begin to flow through her body. The force of the blow sent her flying backwards, but she was able to halt her momentum.

A sly sneer appeared on Pukumon's face as he snickered at the angel Digimon. "Now, let me show you a real needle attack. Needle Squall!"

From all over his body, his needles launched in all different directions. Ophanimon gasped as she realized that if one of those struck her air bubble, it would most likely pop, and she would be stranded at the bottom of the ocean, unable to breathe.

"Holy Light!" she cried, and the light she was already emitting from her body so she and her friends could see grew in intensity in the form of an attack. Pukumon's needles disintegrated as they made contact with the light, and an irritated look crossed the mutant Digimon's face.

"No matter," he replied as his needles grew back. "My poison will be taking a toll on you soon."

"Don't be so sure," she told him. "Holy Ring!"

A ring of light appeared around her, healing her injuries and purging her body of the poison. A growl escaped Pukumon, but Ophanimon didn't give him any time to sulk as she pointed her javelin at him and used her Eden's Javelin attack.

Using his speed, Pukumon swam through the water, avoiding the beam. Ophanimon tried to aim the beam at him, but this was where Pukumon's advantage fell into play, as she couldn't move her arm fast enough due to the water's drag. Pukumon swam right up to her and threw a punch. She blocked with her shield, and the shockwave from the impact shook the sea floor.

WarGreymon was having his own trouble with shockwaves, these coming from the exploding torpedoes GigaSeadramon proceeded to fire at him. Despite his being a Dramon destroyer, he was having a lot of trouble with his opponent. GigaSeadramon was very fast for being so big, and incredibly powerful.

The water wasn't helping, putting the dragon Digimon at a further disadvantage. He wished he could fight this battle on land, or even in the air, but had to make do with what he had.

"Terra Force!" he cried, throwing a giant ball of energy. GigaSeadramon countered with his Giga Sea Destroyer, firing a torpedo at WarGreymon's attack. It resulted in a massive explosion, and WarGreymon had to use his Brave Shield to guard against it.

From out of the cloud of bubbles and stirred up sand, GigaSeadramon's tail came swinging down, striking WarGreymon and breaking through his barrier. WarGreymon shot to the ocean floor, but was able to maneuver himself so he could kick off it and launch himself at the android Digimon.

"Sky Wave!" GigaSeadramon cried. From all over his body, energy shells were fired off. WarGreymon flew about as the energy shells exploded around him. GigaSeadramon fired a Giga Sea Destroyer, but instead of avoiding it, WarGreymon used his claws to cut straight through, causing the two halved to float apart and explode a few seconds later.

"Great Tornado!" he cried, and began spinning around. He plowed into GigaSeadramon's serpentine body, pushing the android Digimon back until he slammed him into the rock formation containing the cave his friends had gone into.

GigaSeadramon's tail came up again, knocking WarGreymon away. He fired a torpedo after him, which found its mark once the dragon Digimon stopped spinning. Fortunately, it didn't explode right away, but instead carried him off. WarGreymon managed to leap off the end before it went off.

"That was close," he muttered.

But it seemed he spoke too soon as GigaSeadramon sped towards him and wrapped his large body around him. WarGreymon groaned, feeling like a small mouse trapped in the coils of a giant boa constrictor as he was squeezed.

"Ultra Tornado!" he cried, managing to spin around in GigaSeadramon's coils. A large tornado expanded from where WarGreymon was trapped, and with a snarl, GigaSeadramon released him and put some distance between himself and the tornado.

"Sky Wave!" he cried, firing off his energy shells. They blasted all over the place, including in and around the tornado, and WarGreymon went spinning out of the vortex.

Before he could recover, GigaSeadramon came at him again, opening his mouth. WarGreymon just managed to react in time before the android Digimon chomped down. But now he suddenly found himself trapped in GigaSeadramon's mouth, attempting to hold it open while the android Digimon tried to bite down. He nervously glanced at the cannon in the back of GigaSeadramon's throat. He figured that he was probably safe from the android Digimon launching any torpedoes at him, not unless GigaSeadramon wanted to blow his own head apart. Now he just had to figure out a way to get out of here before his arms or legs gave out.

Imperialdramon was struggling with his own opponent as well. Despite being twice the size of Plesiomon X, he found himself more on the defense as his opponent used the advantage being underwater gave her.

"Really missing being in the air right now," he commented.

"Shut up and fight," Plesiomon X snapped. "Sorrow Blue!"

With a loud screech, she let out a powerful soundwave attack. Imperialdramon grunted as he was knocked back, and Plesiomon X plowed into him. He swiped at her with his Splendor Blade, and opened his mouth to use his Eternal Zeal.

"Oops." He quickly closed his mouth before unleashing his attack as he remembered the bubble over his head. "That could have been bad."

Unfortunately, his pause gave Plesiomon X the opportunity to plow into him. He growled and swiped at the dragon Digimon, but she was too fast and sped off. Doubling back, she slammed into him again. Another swipe, another miss on Imperialdramon's part, and Plesiomon X slapped him with her fin as she shot above him.

"Sorrow Blue!" she cried, sending a shockwave down at him. The attack knocked Imperialdramon to the ground. She sent several more shockwaves down at him before changing it up. "Shaking Pulse!"

The ground cracked apart beneath Imperialdramon as she caused an earthquake. He struggled to stay up as the ground split apart around him, but Plesiomon X had resumed firing shockwave after shockwave down at him. His hind legs slipped off the side, and he scrambled to grab hold of the ledge.

"That's it," he growled in annoyance. "Mega Crusher!"

He fired a ball of dark matter. It collided with Plesiomon X's attack, the shockwave causing it to explode. Plesiomon X recoiled from the blast, allowing Imperialdramon to fly out of the fracturing trench.

"Splendor Blade!" he cried, swiping at her, and Plesiomon X screeched as he slashed her with his claws. "Now it's my turn to attack. Positron Laser!"

"Sorrow Blue!"

The attacks met and exploded against each other. Plesiomon X shot forward and plowed into Imperialdramon with such force that she all but caused him to flip over. She doubled back to come at him again in a repeat of what she did before.

"Not this time," he snarled. "Mega Crusher!"

He fired his cannon. This time Plesiomon X's speed worked against her as she couldn't stop her momentum in time, and she swam at full speed directly into the attack.

When the blast died down, Imperialdramon saw Plesiomon X's data floating around. There was something else too, a blue sphere with a glowing red X inside it. The small sphere sank down, dropping into the trench that had formed from Plesiomon X's earthquake, disappearing into the darkness below.

Imperialdramon didn't know what the object had been, and at the moment, he didn't care. He turned to his friends to see who needed his help. Ophanimon was holding her own against Pukumon, but WarGreymon was in trouble, stuck in GigaSeadramon's jaws.

"Hang on, buddy," he called out. "I'm coming. Mega Crusher!"

He fired his cannon, making sure to aim away from WarGreymon. The attack hit in the middle of GigaSeadramon's body, knocking him to the sea floor. However, he kept his jaws clenched tightly over WarGreymon, keeping him trapped.

"Time to dismantle this monstrosity," Imperialdramon declared, speeding forward.

Quick as lightning, GigaSeadramon's tail shot out, wrapping around Imperialdramon. The dragon Digimon suddenly found himself being squeezed tightly in GigaSeadramon's coils. "This isn't what I was planning."

"Ophanimon, we need some help!" WarGreymon called, feeling as if his body was going to snap in half.

Ophanimon was in the process of batting away Pukumon's flying fists with her shield and javelin as she glanced at the two dragon Digimon. "I'll be right there!"

Pukumon snickered. "That's what you think."

He threw a punch. Ophanimon knocked it away with her shield and stabbed forward with her javelin. Pukumon caught the end of it and sneered at her. She had actually been hoping for that. "Eden's Javelin!"

A beam burst from her javelin, pushing the mutant Digimon back, back, and away. Turning to her brother and Imperialdramon, she sped to their rescue.

Spotting her out of his peripheral vision, GigaSeadramon's eyes shifted to her. "Sky Wave!"

Energy shells shot out of the different openings in his body. Ophanimon raised her shield to defend herself, but was still blasted back. And that's when it happened; the bubble around her head popped. Water splashed against her face as her air supply vanished, as did the other protective qualities the magic bubble provided. The water pressure and coldness affected her, but most alarming of all was the fact that she couldn't breathe.

Ophanimon knew she was fast, but she knew she wouldn't be able to make it to the surface in time. She also wasn't sure if her Digimon body could get the bends, air bubbles in the blood due to the sudden change in pressure. And she couldn't abandon her friends.

"Air Sefirot!" she gargled, unleashing air from the tree of life. She followed up with her Eden's Air creating an air pocket vortex, and she moved forward to take a breath.

"Not so fast."

A muscular arm wrapped around Ophanimon's neck, pulling her into a headlock. She was pulled away from the air pocket, and it dissolved into a series of bubbles.

"This is where you die," Pukumon hissed in her ear. "And your friends won't survive much longer either. Soon Imperialdramon's body will be crushed, and WarGreymon will snap in half. Then we'll deal with the rest of your group. This rescue mission of yours never stood a-"

A loud noise cut him off and drew his attention, and he turned to the crumbling rock formation containing the cave. Ophanimon's eyes widened in horror as she watched the entire structure implode.

Pukumon chuckled. "I guess our work was done for us."

But before the rock formation completely collapsed in on itself, the others came bursting through, out into the open ocean. AncientMermaidmon was in the lead, and she quickly surveyed the situation in front of her. An angry scowl crossed her face as she raised her hand towards GigaSeadramon.

"Crystal Billow!" she cried, and began firing shards of water frozen into supersolids. They flew as if from a machine gun, peppering across GigaSeadramon's body, penetrating his armor. The android Digimon roared as the ice shards showered over his body, and he began thrashing about violently.

WarGreymon felt the pressure of GigaSeadramon's jaws decrease. He shifted positions, driving one of his claws into the roof of GigaSeadramon's mouth. "Ultra Tornado!"

Using his claws, he spun himself into a tornado, drilling his way through GigaSeadramon's upper jaw. The android Digimon bellowed as an entire tornado burst through the top of his head growing larger and larger. It didn't last long though as WarGreymon emerged, raising his claw. "Dramon Cutter!"

He cut downward, slicing right through GigaSeadramon's head. The android Digimon remained frozen for several seconds before his head split in half, followed by his body dissolved into data.

AncientMermaidmon turned her angry gaze towards Pukumon. The mutant Digimon's hold in Ophanimon slackened as he stared in horror at the mermaid Digimon. "M-Milady." He saw her grip on her spear visibly tightened, and Pukumon gave a gasp of fear and took off. "Forgive me!"

But AncientMermaidmon did not forgive him, and she sped after the mutant Digimon, catching up in no time. She thrust forward with her spear, stabbing into him from behind. The spear stabbed into his back and burst out his mouth, affectively turning the mutant Digimon into shish kabob, and he burst into data a moment later.

The DigiDestined had gathered around Ophanimon, who seemed to have lost consciousness. "MarineAngemon, hurry!" WarGreymon called. "Ophanimon needs air!"

"Right," the pixie Digimon replied, swimming over. "Ocean Love! Poo!"

He breathed a bubble. It grew as it floated along and settled over Ophanimon's head. Despite her new air supply, the angel Digimon remained unconscious, not breathing. Seraphimon moved forward and held his hand over her. "Perfect Revival!"

His healing light shined over her. A few seconds later, she began coughing up water. And when her coughing finally died down, she began breathing heavily.

"Kari," WarGreymon sighed in relief, hugging her. "Thank goodness. When your air bubble popped, I nearly had a heart attack."

Ophanimon's breathing slowly returned to normal. "It was a close call." She looked at her friends who had gone into the cave. "Did you do it?"

A chuckle escaped OmniShoutmon. "It seemed that with you humans, anything is possible."

He moved to the side, allowing AncientMermaidmon to swim up. She looked at the three DigiDestined she had not met with a stoic expression. "These are your companions?" When she received nods of confirmation, her stoic look shifted into a smile, and she lowered her head in thanks. "I am eternally grateful to you. If it were not for you, I would still be a prisoner."

Imperialdramon grinned. "Think nothing of it. We couldn't possibly forsake a damsel in distress."

OmniShoutmon snorted. "Trust me, she's no damsel in distress. She's the co-ruler of the Net Ocean."

AncientMermaidmon turned to him, studying the dragon Digimon curiously. Suddenly, she gasped. "It is you! I hadn't realized it down in the cave, but you're no ordinary OmniShoutmon. You're the Digimon King." She bowed to him. "It is an honor to see you again, your highness."

It was very strange for the DigiDestined to see a Digimon as powerful as AncientMermaidmon bowing to their friend. Even OmniShoutmon seemed uncomfortable. "Please, rise. I am not worthy of that title right now, but I plan to reclaim it from the Demon Lords. Leviamon is the first one on our list. I would ask for your help in this."

The mermaid Digimon instantly rose. "It will be an honor and a privilege to fight by your side, my king. It is high time for Leviamon to fall."

"Awesome!" Imperialdramon exclaimed. "Now we've got an even better chance of winning."

OmniShoutmon turned to him. "Which reminds me. You defeated Plesiomon X, right? Where's the X-Antibody?"

The two dragon Digimon stared at each other, one with an expectant look on his face, the other with a look of confusion. "Uh, X-Antibody?" Imperialdramon asked, cocking his head to the side.

OmniShoutmon nodded. "She was a Plesionmon X, so she must have had an X-Antibody. When an X Digimon is destroyed, they X-Antibody gets left behind. So where is it?"

Imperialdramon still didn't seem to understand what OmniShoutmon was talking about, but then he remembered the blue sphere with the red X inside it. "Oh, that blue and red thing." He nodded over to the trench it had fallen into. "Yeah, it fell down that crack somewhere."

"What!?" OmniShoutmon bellowed, his head snapping in the direction of the trench. He swam over to it, looking down into the darkness. The trench went down for what looked like miles, and seemed to stretch just as long horizontally as well. "No! You idiot! How could you let a power source like that slip through your fingers? Not all Digimon have an X form, but simply having an X-Antibody will at least double a Digimon's power! And you lost it?"

Imperialdramon sweat-dropped. "Um, sorry."

"Sorry? Sorry!? Do you know how useful that would have been in the fight against the Demon Lords!?"

Gallantmon looked down into the trench. "Yeah, we're never going to find that thing down there."

"It's fine," said WarGreymon. "We can defeat the Demon Lords without it."

AncientMermaidmon frowned. "You're really going for it then? Defeating Leviamon will be a feat unto itself, but you're actually going to challenge all seven Demon Lords. That's a very bold move. Are you certain you wish to do this?"

Sighing, OmniShoutmon turned away from the trench. "Apparently, I'm not the only one you failed to recognize. I think you should take a closer look at my friends. They're no ordinary WarGreymon, Imperialdramon, Gallantmon, AncientGreymon, Seraphimon, and Ophanimon."

Confused, AncientMermaidmon turned back to them. She studied them closely, and a look of realization flashed across her face, her hand covering her mouth to stifle a gasp. "But you are… you six are… Could it be? You're the Guardians."

Gallantmon shrugged. "Yeah, so we've been told."

"But the Guardians haven't been seen in over 10,000 years, not since the defeat of ZeedMillenniummon. No one knew what happened to them; they were never reborn for some reason. How are they here now? And Aldamon has Digivolved to AncientGreymon as well? Is this really possible?"

Seraphimon rubbed the back of his head, not sure where to begin. "Yeah, well, a lot of things happened."

MarineAngemon swam over. "Go now. Tell on way."

OmniShoutmon was able to catch that. "Yes, he's right. We should leave. We'll explain everything on the way, but we have to go before Leviamon comes. He's not going to be happy that he lost his hold on Neptunemon."

The god Digimon's name immediately drew AncientMermaidmon's attention. "You speak of my mate. Tell me, where is my beloved. I have so longed for him all these years. Being away from him has been the hardest part of my imprisonment."

"Yeah…" Gallantmon muttered uncomfortably, "you're not going to like hearing this…"

Worry crossed the mermaid Digimon's face. "What has happened to him? Is he well?" In an instant, her fear shifted to fury, and her hand shot out, grabbing Gallantmon around the neck. "If Leviamon has harmed him in any way, I shall tear every scale from his body and slit him open so everyone can see him for the gutless leech he is!"

Gallantmon's eyes were practically bugging out as she strangled him. "N-No… he's… f-f-fine…"

AncientMermaidmon released him. "Forgive me, I am very protective of my mate."

The knight Digimon rubbed his neck. "Yeah, no kidding."

Notes:

(A/N: Wow, AncientMermaidmon is savage in battle. She may be a good guy, but she does have a harsh nature. With her on their side, once they join forces with Neptunemon and his men, maybe they'll stand a chance against Leviamon. Or maybe they'll at least last longer in battle this time. The rematch with the Demon Lord is coming up, so look forward to it.)

Chapter 96: The Power of Envy

Notes:

(A/N: So, I had a job transfer. It's not bad, but it may interfere with my writing a bit. Hopefully not, or at least not too much of one, but I guess we'll have to wait and see. For now, enjoy the big rematch you've been waiting for.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 96: The Power of Envy

Pacing was slightly different underwater. With no walls to obstruct him, Neptunemon simply swam in one direction until his impatience caused him to swim the other way, and back again. Low growls kept escaping him as he thought of all the things that could go wrong with the rescue operation. If he was suspected of involvement in even the least…

"Master, please calm yourself," a Mermaimon told him. "All will be well."

Neptunemon resisted the urge to snap at her. "What if they fail and Leviamon somehow finds out I made a deal with them. He will punish my mate to punish me."

Thoughts of the Demon Lord torturing his beloved flashed through his mind. He wanted to claw his head open to rip out the images. Had he been right to make a deal with the humans? He would do anything to get his mate back, but he couldn't bare it if any harm came to her.

"Maybe this was a mistake," he wondered out loud.

While he despised Leviamon with every ounce of his being, defying him wasn't worth putting his mate in danger or making her suffer. He hated obeying the Demon Lord, but at least in doing so, AncientMermaidmon would be safe, albeit a prisoner. He knew that if he disobeyed Leviamon, the Demon Lord would make her suffer, and that was something he couldn't bear.

Worst-case scenario, Leviamon would kill her. And while that would indeed free her from the Demon Lord's grasp and once again allow him to oppose Leviamon, dying was a horrible and unpleasant experience. Often, it was gravely traumatizing, especially the first time. He didn't want his mate, who was one of the rare few who never experienced dearth, to have to go through that horrific experience. Nor did he want her to lose everything she had gained in her lifetime and have to start over from scratch.

But still, opportunity had presented itself, and he had to take it. For too long had his mate been locked away from him. For too long had he been forced to obey Leviamon, hoping one day a solution to their dilemma would come. And now that it had, he hoped he had made the right choice in putting his faith in the humans.

"Lord Neptunemon, Lord Neptunemon," a Dolphmon cried, "look, look, look."

Pushing such negative thoughts away, he turned in the direction the Dolphmon had indicated, and saw the unmistakable sight of a KingWhamon's underbelly. It was too far away to tell if it was the same one that was friends with the humans, but it got his hopes up. If the mission had failed, then surely no one would have been spared. So if it was the same KingWhamon, then that meant…

A smaller figure swam alongside the whale Digimon. When they saw him, a cry echoed through the water. The small figure suddenly jetted through the water towards him like a speeding bullet. It was her, AncientMermaidmon. Not just any AncientMermaidmon, but his AncientMermaidmon. Even after all these years, he recognized her.

His movements were slow, almost uncertain, as if he couldn't believe this moment were real, but he slowly managed to raise his arms. AncientMermaidmon plowed into him so hard he was knocked back several meters.

The mermaid Digimon held him tightly, burying her face in his chest. "My darling, I have missed you so much!"

Neptunemon's stupor finally seemed to break, and he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. "Is it truly you, beloved?"

"Yes, my love. I am here. I have returned to you."

His hold on her tightened, almost painfully so, but she didn't seem to mind. "I have dreamed of this for so long."

She looked up at him and smiled. "As have I, my love."

Neptunemon's hand came up to cup her cheek. She leaned into his touch, her eyes shining with love behind her mask. Neptunemon couldn't stand it anymore, and he leaned down to kiss her. They didn't know how long they remained locked together, nor did they care. All that mattered was that they were together again.

"We have been apart for too long," AncientMermaidmon breathed when the kiss finally ended.

Neptunemon nodded in agreement. "1,121 years, 7 months-"

"2 weeks and 3 days," she finished for him. "I counted every day."

"As did I, dearest heart. I may never let you go again."

She smiled. "I would have no complaints. And even if you did, I may never let you go again."

They kissed again for several long moments, once more getting lost in each other. It wasn't until KingWhamon, having swum up to them while they were distracted, cleared his throat that they finally broke apart.

AncientMermaidmon smiled at her mate. "I met your friends. An interesting bunch."

Neptunemon closed his eyes in dismay. "Then you know what I have done?"

Still smiling, she reached up and rubbed his cheeks. "Beloved, you need not worry. I knew Leviamon was forcing you to obey him. I also know you were only doing it for me. But, dearest, you should not have given in. I would rather have died than have you commit such atrocities."

His own hand came up to grasp hers. "I would do anything for you, my love."

She chuckled. "I guess we are the same in that sense." She looked up towards the surface. "Come now, we must thank our friends."

Together, they motioned upwards, and rose from the water on a geyser until they were level with the teens.

"About time," Davis grumbled as the two Megas emerged from the ocean.

Tai rolled his eyes. "Just ignore him. I'm glad to see your reunion had gone well."

Neptunemon thumped his chest. "You have brought joy to my heart once more. You have my gratitude, and my eternal loyalty."

"And mine as well," AncientMermaidmon added.

Takato beamed. "Then we can count on you to help us defeat Leviamon?"

"I gave you my word," Neptunemon replied. "Though now that my mate has returned to me, I would have fought him even if you hadn't asked."

"That fiend must be stopped," AncientMermaidmon agreed. "He will pay for his crimes."

Takuya punched the air. "Alright! Our chances are improving. That Demon Lord better look out."

Shoutmon nudged his leg with his elbow. "Lets not get ahead of ourselves. Even with Neptunemon, AncientMermaidmon, and their forces, the odds are still greatly in Leviamon's favor."

"Every little bit helps," TK pointed out. "And this time when we fight Leviamon, we'll be better prepared."

"Indeed," Neptunemon agreed. "However, I would like to request that you would grant my mate and I a few days alone before we head off to battle."

"Yes," said AncientMermaidmon. "We have been apart for so long, we want some time to… catch up on things."

Tai took note of the two Digimon's body language and the way they held each other, and tried to resist the blush he felt heat his cheeks. "Oh, um, sure, no problem…"

Davis raised an eyebrow. "Can't you just catch up after we beat Leviamon? You'll have all the time in the world to talk afterwards."

Tai closed his eyes, wishing Davis would just stop talking, or at least wasn't so dense. "Davis, some things just can't wait."

The other teens seemed to understand the situation, and looked away uncomfortably, some of them blushing as well. Davis, however, as naïve as ever, still didn't understand the implications. "What things?"

Groaning in frustration, Tai wrapped an arm around Davis' neck and pulled him in close. "I'll explain it to you later, just please stop talking."

Having no such reserves, MarineAngemon floated over and whispered in Davis' ear. "They want sexy time."

Now that Davis understood, and his own cheeks heated. "Oooh." He glanced at the mated pair, his eyes drifting down to their lower bodies. Lowering his voice, he asked, "But how would they… you know? Their lower bodies are fish. Don't fish just skip that part and lay eggs?"

Tai didn't know if he was more frustrated or embarrassed. "I don't know. The same way as dolphins and whales do, I guess."

"You mean dolphins and whales don't lay eggs?"

Kari popped up beside them. "Hey, what are you guys whispering about?"

Tai stood up straight. "Nothing!" he said a little too loudly. There was no way he was having that conversation with his little sister. "Just talking about how Davis is failing his marine biology class."

"Yeah, just talking about how I'm… Hey!"

"Anyway," said Tai, eager to get the conversation back on track, "we're fine with waiting a few days. You'll probably need some time to round up your troops anyway. This is going to be war after all."

MarineAngemon landed on top of his head. "I help."

"I shall offer my assistance as well," KingWhamon added.

Takato frowned slightly. "Are you sure, KingWhamon? This is Leviamon we're talking about."

The whale Digimon slapped his tail in the water. "I am through living in fear. From now on, I will fight for what I believe in. Even if it means my death."

Upon saying this, a loud crash was heard in the far distance. The teens looked back the way they had come, and they saw a horrible storm brewing. It was miles away, but they could see that it was bad. The sky was dark over the area, with thunder and lightning flashing across the sky. The water churned violently, giant waves rising up and crashing down.

"What is that?" Takato asked.

"It's Leviamon," AncientMermaidmon replied. "He must have learned of my escape."

"And he now knows he's lost his hold over me," Neptunemon added. "This could prove to be advantageous for us."

Takuya failed to see how having Leviamon so pissed off at them could be a good thing. "How so?"

"No help," MarineAngemon replied. "Others go far away. Run from bad."

Takato sweat-dropped. "I didn't understand any of that."

"He's saying that Leviamon's own forces will flee from his wrath," KingWhamon replied. "He'll be alone when we fight him."

"He'd likely have faced us alone anyway," Neptunemon stated. "The Demon Lords are very arrogant. Unfortunately, they have a right to be since they're so powerful. That's why they generally don't have any guards protecting them, because they don't need any."

"That's a comforting thought," TK mumbled.

Tai shook his head. "Lets not worry about that now." He looked at Neptunemon and AncientMermaidmon. "Is 3 days long enough for you guys to… um, get ready for battle?"

The god Digimon nodded. "We will be ready by then. You humans stay with KingWhamon. We'll come and find you. And then we'll defeat Leviamon once and for all."

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

The teens were nervous. Possibly more nervous than ever before. They were about to face Leviamon for the second time, and after having gotten a taste of Demon Lord's power once already, it was safe to say that a few of them felt sick to their stomach.

Tai was one of them. He couldn't help but revisit the battle in his mind and see how Leviamon tore them apart. That battle had been close, too close. True, they had almost died before, but they had never been up against something so powerful.

He took a deep breath, letting it out. He reminded himself that this time would be different. This time they had a better idea of what they were up against. This time they had KingWhamon, MarineAngemon, AncientMermaidmon, and Neptunemon on their side, along with their fighting forces. Even several Divermon had chosen to take a stand and joined their army. No, things would not be like last time.

"Are we sure we're ready?" Takato asked. "Maybe we should prepare a bit more."

A sigh escaped KingWhamon. "I'm afraid there's no amount of preparation that will make this battle any easier."

Tai placed a hand on Takato's shoulder. "We've done all the preparing we can do. It's now or never."

A feeling of nausea overcame Takato, even as he looked at their 'army'. Would this really be enough to defeat Leviamon? It seemed hard to believe that a single Digimon could be so powerful, but they had seen the Demon Lord's strength first hand. Leviamon's power was immense. Takato fully believed Shoutmon when he had said that the odds were still in the Demon Lord's favor. Many of them would die this day, if not all of them.

"Lets just get this over with," Shoutmon growled. He looked up at the sky. "It's a good day to die."

Neptunemon glanced at AncientMermaidmon. "Shall we, my dear?"

She smirked. "Lets do it, my love."

They joined hands, and held their other ones out over the water. A powerful underwater current formed, going deep into the ocean to alert Leviamon to their presence. They knew the Demon Lord would answer their challenge; he would have to in order to save face, especially after losing both AncientMermaidmon as his prisoner and Neptunemon as his servant.

It was the same as before, the bubbling heated water signifying the Demon Lord's coming. The ocean exploded, and the giant form of Leviamon emerged. He was just as terrifying as last time, perhaps even more so now, as there was an air of anger around him. His yellow gaze fell upon those that dared to challenge him, settling on the two who had called him.

"You," he snarled.

Despite being confronted by the Demon Lord of Envy, Neptunemon held his ground. "I told you, did I not? On the day I began to serve you, I told you that one day I would take you down."

A growl escaped the Demon Lord. "Bold words from one who bent over backwards the moment I captured his mate." His gaze shifted to the teens, his eyes narrowing. "Humans, so that is what you really look like. This time I will make certain you perish." He roared to the entire army that had come to fight him. "You will all die!"

"This guy has a big mouth," said Davis. "Both figuratively and literally, and I'm looking forward to seeing him put his foot in it."

"Well said," Tai agreed. "Time for some payback. Execute! Spirit Evolution… WarGreymon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Imperialdramon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Gallantmon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… AncientGreymon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Seraphimon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Ophanimon!"

"Shoutmon Digivolve to… OmniShoutmon!"

A low growl escaped the Demon Lord. "Do you really want to do this a second time? You should just make it easier on yourselves and take your own lives. I'm sure I would enjoy that."

"I think our chances have improved," AncientGreymon replied. "So, yes, we're willing to give it another shot."

Leviamon's gaze shifted to their companions. "Because of them? They won't be able to help you. They are but specks of dust in my path, soon to be blown away."

Neptunemon's forces shifted uneasily, but the god Digimon himself refused to let his forces be deterred. "Do not falter! Now is the time to fight for your freedom. No matter what happens, keep attacking. Do not let up until the enemy is defeated." He pointed his spear at the Demon Lord. "Attack now! Vortex Penetrate!"

He threw King's Bite. The sentient spear flew towards Leviamon, followed by hundreds of attacks by Neptunemon's army. They rained against the Demon Lord in various blasts. Leviamon just growled at the continuous onslaught of attacks, seemingly unfazed, even by King's Bite.

"This was your hope for freedom? At least do something I can feel. Tail Strike!"

His two tails rose up and came down to strike the army of attackers. Imperialdramon flew forward, crashing into the two tails, knocking them away. "Don't worry about the small game. We're the ones you need to deal with."

Leviamon turned to him. "You are small game as well. Thunder Breath!"

He opened his mouth, and a stream of fire flew out. Imperialdramon took off, avoiding the trail of fire. It was not easy with the size, speed, and range of the attack, and he felt his tail and hind legs getting singed.

"Terra Force!"

"Strike of the Seven Stars!"

The two attacks hit Leviamon in the side of the head. He turned to his attackers, only to be hit right between the eyes by Ophanimon's Sefirot Crystal.

"Our turn," said Gallantmon as he and OmniShoutmon flew in. "Flying Spiral Saber!"

"Doom Drillpress!" OmniShoutmon cried as he and Gallantmon cut across the length of Leviamon's long snout, meeting in the middle.

AncientGreymon attacked next, landing on top of Leviamon's head and unleashing his Omega Corona, using more power than he usually dared. Leviamon roared in frustration and began thrashing about violently, knocking the dragon Digimon off his head. His jaw opened for his Biting Crush, attempting to chomp down on AncientGreymon, but the dragon Digimon was able to get out of range in time.

"Remember," said WarGreymon, "try not to get too close, at least not for too long."

Leviamon turned to him. "That won't keep you safe. Curse Breath!"

He breathed out deeply through his nostrils. Before the others, a tornado of darkness manifested, sucking in everything around it. The Mega Digimon and KingWhamon struggled to withstand the suction, but several of Neptunemon's forces were pulled in and instantly destroyed.

"Disperse it," WarGreymon shouted. "Use whatever wind or vortex attacks you've got. Ultra Tornado!"

"Eternal Zeal!"

"Spiral Saber!"

"Gaia Tornado!"

"Eden's Air!"

"Great Maelstrom!"

All those with suitable attacks used them against Leviamon's dark tornado in the opposite direction it was spinning in. The various types of tornadoes and AncientMermaidmon's whirlpool were enough to counter Leviamon's attack, and his dark tornado faded away.

The Demon Lord roared with fury. "None of you are a match for my power! Biting Crush!"

He lunged forward, his giant jaws opening over 180 degrees to chomp down on all those in front of him that had countered his Cursed Breath attack. KingWhamon swam forward at top speed, plowing into the Demon Lord's side. It was enough for his jaws to miss snapping shut on the others. Leviamon snarled and turned to him, only to be met with a wall of fire as OmniShoutmon used his Heavy Metal Vulcan to fire a barrage of bolts from his chest, creating an impenetrable wall between the Demon Lord and whale Digimon.

"Hallowed Ascension!" Seraphimon cried, causing lightning to rain down on Leviamon's back. As if it were a fun game, MarineAngemon flew up the length of the Demon Lord's body, maneuvering around Seraphimon's lightning as he repeatedly used his Kahuna Waves over every inch of Leviamon's body, trying to make him lose his fighting spirit, though it seemed to be having no affect.

Leviamon roared and unleashed his Duo-Tail Strike, lashing out with his tails. Water pillars rose up over the water's surface his tails passed over, sending Neptunemon's forces flying all over the place. AncientGreymon was unfortunate enough to be struck by one of Leviamon's tails, and went spinning into the distance.

"AncientGreymon!" Ophanimon shouted, turning to him.

Leviamon lunged at her while she was distracted. Seraphimon flew over, tackling her out of the way before the Demon Lord's Biting Crush closed down on her, the shockwave of his jaws coming together sending the two angel Digimon flying.

"Mega Crusher!" Imperialdramon cried, flying up Leviamon's back as he fired upon him. "Mega Crusher! Mega Crusher!"

Leviamon turned towards him. "Water Breath!"

This time, a massive stream of water flew out of the Demon Lord's mouth at Imperialdramon. Neptunemon quickly came to the dragon Digimon's aid by using his Wave of Depth, the tsunami slamming into Leviamon's side, sending his attack off course. The tail end of Leviamon's attack still grazed Imperialdramon, the water pressure sending him spinning out of control.

WarGreymon flew over as Imperialdramon righted himself. "You ok?"

A growl of frustration escaped his fellow dragon Digimon. "Fire, water, evil tornadoes, energy beams. What else can this guy cough up?"

WarGreymon resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Just stay on your guard. Great Tornado!"

Spinning, he flew down towards Leviamon, drilling into the top of his head. The Demon Lord's claw came up to swipe at him, knocking the dragon Digimon away. Gallantmon followed up with his Gallant Charge stabbing Leviamon in the side of his head with his electrified lance, then pressing his shield against his scaly head and using his Shield of the Just. Leviamon snarled and snapped at him. Gallantmon managed to avoid the giant jaws, but his cape snagged onto one of Leviamon's fangs and was torn from his body.

Inspiration struck Imperialdramon, and he hoped it would help them in the fight. "I've got an idea."

"Great, I'm all ears," AncientGreymon replied, flying over.

Imperialdramon glanced at him. "Oh, you're back. Perfect timing. Ok, look. Leviamon is basically a giant crocodile-thing, right?"

AncientGreymon supposed he could agree with that. "More or less."

"Well, I remember hearing that nothing can hold a croc's mouth open if it tries to close it, but it's very easy to hold it shut. I think we might be able to apply that here. It seems that half his attacks, at least his most dangerous ones, require the use of his mouth."

AncientGreymon saw where he was going with this, but was skeptical. "Are you sure that will work? Appearances aside, he's not actually a crocodile. Do you really think we can hold his mouth shut? Physically, he is the strongest of all Digimon."

"Well, you and I are pretty up there in physical strength too. I say we give it a shot."

While the two dragon Digimon strategized, Ophanimon and AncientMermaidmon were working together by firing their Eden's Needle and Crystal Billow attacks at the Demon Lord. Leviamon turned to them and opened his mouth, the sparks in the back of his throat indicating that he was about to unleash his Thunder Breath attack.

"Now!" Imperialdramon shouted.

Both he and AncientGreymon flew full speed towards Leviamon. They slammed into the top of his snout, forcibly closing his mouth just as the Demon Lord unleashed his attack. Flames shot out of his nostrils rather than his mouth, and Leviamon snarled in discomfort.

Latching onto his giant mouth, Imperialdramon and AncientGreymon wrapped themselves around the length of Leviamon's jaws in a bear hug, squeezing it shut. The Demon Lord's eyes widened in surprise, and he attempted to open his mouth. The two dragon Digimon squeezed with all their might, and, surprisingly, were able to prevent the giant set of jaws from opening.

Leviamon was not happy about this, and he began thrashing around violently. Imperialdramon and AncientGreymon hung on as tightly as they could, feeling as if their limbs were going to be torn out of their sockets.

Their allies launched a full-scale assault on the Demon Lord now that his main method of attack was disabled, and Leviamon struggled all the more.

"I don't think I can hold on any longer," AncientGreymon grunted.

"Just hang on as long as you can," Imperialdramon replied. "We can do it."

It suddenly became all the more difficult as Leviamon used his Breath attack, breathing out his nose to stir the water up around him into a powerful whirlpool. AncientMermaidmon attempted to counter it with her Great Maelstrom, but her own power was no match for the Demon Lord's, and all those in the water were pulled in and tossed away by the current.

AncientGreymon and Imperialdramon were losing their grips on Leviamon's jaws. Not fast enough for the Demon Lord's liking though. His tails rose up, stretching over his own body, and came down towards them as he used his Tail Strike attack.

WarGreymon, Gallantmon, and Ophanimon came to their aid. WarGreymon used his Brave Shield to defend while Ophanimon used her Unicorn Shield. Gallantmon attempted to counter the blow with his Shield Attack, unleashing a burst of holy energy from his shield.

Though they managed to protect their friends, the damage was great. WarGreymon's shield became covered with cracks while the unicorn head on Ophanimon's shield completely shattered to pieces, and Gallantmon's shield was left with a large dent. Still, it allowed Imperialdramon and AncientGreymon to hold Leviamon's mouth shut for a little bit longer, but just barely.

OmniShoutmon and Seraphimon flew towards Leviamon from opposite sides, the latter firing balls of light with his Hallowed Knuckle while OmniShoutmon launched fireballs with his Twin Fireball Strike. Leviamon reacted very violently and unleashed his Duo-Tail Strike, spinning around while lashing out with his tails. Both Digimon were struck and sent flying as pillars of water rose up all around them.

Imperialdramon was no longer able to hold on and lost his grip. Without the support of his fellow dragon Digimon, AncientGreymon wasn't able to hold Leviamon's mouth closed on his own, and the giant set of jaws snapped open.

With his mouth no longer being held shut, Leviamon shook his head, sending Imperialdramon and AncientGreymon flying. The latter hit one of the pillars of water and was sent straight up while Imperialdramon went spinning through the air.

Leviamon turned to him and opened his mouth, revealing a gathering of energy in the back of his throat. "Shell Shock!"

Imperialdramon knew what was coming, the same attack that had wiped out CaptainHookmon and his crew. But he had yet to regain control of his momentum in order to avoid the attack. He very much doubted that he would survive it.

The water exploded, and the giant form of KingWhamon leapt out of the ocean like a dolphin performing a trick. He came down directly on Leviamon's back, and the two splashed into the water just as the beam erupted from the Demon Lord's mouth. It flew through the air, missing its target, and lit up the entire sky.

The water erupted once more as Leviamon resurfaced, throwing KingWhamon off his back. The whale Digimon made a mighty splash as the Demon Lord turned to him, his eyes burning. "I'll kill you for this! Biting Crush!"

He lunged forward, his jaws opening wide. KingWhamon was far too big and too slow to avoid the attack, and Leviamon's powerful jaws closed down on his torso with a sickening crunch.

Notes:

(A/N: Oh no, KingWhamon! Remember what happened to Imperialdramon when Leviamon chomped down on him, and KingWhamon is getting a much large bite. While the battle is a little more evened out, it doesn't look like our heroes are gaining much ground. Was it a mistake to challenge Leviamon again so soon? Well, there's no turning back now. Stay tuned to see how things turn out.)

Chapter 97: The First Miracle

Notes:

(A/N: News for the next update. The next update is going to be an extra week away since I'm working on a short Princess Mononoke story. So if you're a fan of the movie, that's good news for you. But because of that, this story's next chapter will come out in 3 weeks instead of 2, just this one time. For now, it's time for a rematch with Leviamon. This time our heroes are a little more prepared, but will it be enough to defeat a Demon Lord? Lets hope so.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 97: The First Miracle

"KingWhamon!" the others shouted as they watched Leviamon's jaws clamp shut over their friend.

It was a horrific sight. The middle of KingWhamon's torso was completely crushed between the Demon Lord's upper and lower jaws, his long sharp teeth burying deeply into the whale Digimon's stomach and back.

Imperialdramon was especially devastated, having felt the crushing power of those jaws himself, almost having died from the attack had it not been for MarineAngemon's constant healing. But more than that, Leviamon had only turned his attack on the whale Digimon because KingWhamon had saved him.

Demonstrating his title of being the physically strongest Digimon, Leviamon lifted his head, lifting KingWhamon's entire giant body out of the water with seemingly no effort. He shook his head side to side rapidly, making sure to make it as painful as possible for the whale Digimon trapped in his jaws. KingWhamon was helpless to do anything, even cry out, as all the air had been squeezed from his body.

"King's Bite, to me!" Neptunemon commanded, holding out his hand, and his sentient spear, which had been flying around Leviamon, striking the Demon Lord wherever it could, flew into the god Digimon's hand. "Vortex Penetrate!"

While Leviamon was busy with KingWhamon, he used the opportunity to chose a specific target. His aim was true, and his spear buried itself into the Demon Lord's left eye. Leviamon roared, his jaws opening, and KingWhamon went flying. He splashed back into the water, but soon floated to the surface on his side like a dead goldfish. His torso was completely crushed, bones and organs alike, and the water began turning red from his wound.

"KingWhamon!" Ophanimon cried, and began flying towards him.

"Wait!" OmniShoutmon called to her. "We can't worry about our wounded right now. We have to stop Leviamon, or we're all going to end up like him, or worse."

Ophanimon felt torn. She understood what OmniShoutmon was saying, yet she wanted nothing more than to go to the whale Digimon's side. And from the looks of her friends, they felt the same as her.

A pained groan escaped KingWhamon as he looked at the DigiDestined, but he managed to emit an agonized plea. "Fight…"

With great difficulty, the others returned their attention to Leviamon. The Demon Lord was clawing at his eye, finally managing to rip the spear out. Blinded in one eye, he turned back to the others, his fury evident. "You will suffer for this!"

"No, it's you who will suffer for what you did to our friend!" Gallantmon declared.

He flew forward, thrusting out his dented shield. One of Leviamon's tails shot out, smacking him away, and a series of explosions from AncientGreymon's Omega Burst attack drew his attention. The attack came from the side of his bad eye, and Leviamon had to shift his entire body in order to see his target before unleashing his Thunder Breath attack. AncientGreymon countered with his Omega Corona to defend himself, but Leviamon's attack still forced its way through the blast and knocked the dragon Digimon from the sky.

"Neptunemon took out one of his eyes," OmniShoutmon noted, pointing out the obvious. "It'll take a good amount of data for him to heal that. In the meantime, it leaves him with a blind spot, and that gives us an advantage."

"Then lets take it," Seraphimon declared. "Justice Genome!" The power of his Light attacks increased. "If it didn't waste energy, I would have powered up sooner. Oh well. Strike of the Seven Stars!"

"Victorize Banking!"

Leviamon snarled as the attacks hit him from his blind spot. He turned towards his attackers and inhaled deeply. "Thunder Br-"

"Eden's Javelin!" Ophanimon cried, firing a beam from her javelin. It went up Leviamon's nose as he inhaled, interrupting his attack, and he began coughing.

WarGreymon used the opportunity to fly in for a closer attack, despite knowing the danger. "It's too bad this guy's not a Dramon; that'd make this so much more affective. Dramon Cutter!"

Sticking to Leviamon's blind side, he slashed all over with his claws. It didn't seem to do much damage, but it certainly frustrated the Demon Lord. "Tail Strike!"

"No you don't!" shouted Imperialdramon. He flew towards Leviamon from behind and chomped down on one of his tails, the one that would have struck WarGreymon, and yanked back on it. It was enough to disrupt Leviamon's aim, sparing WarGreymon, and he quickly got out of there as Leviamon waved his tails around wildly, trying to dislodge Imperialdramon.

"Crystal Billow!" AncientMermaidmon cried, firing countless particles of ice.

Frustrated, Leviamon turned to her and used his Water Breath attack, firing a massive stream of water. Neptunemon emerged beside her and used his Wave of Depth, summoning forth a tsunami to meet Leviamon's attack. The stream of water hit the giant wave, tearing straight through it, and the two Digimon dove under. The attack passed above them with such force that the disturbed water tossed them all about.

When the water settled, they returned to each other's sides and surfaced. Leviamon's attention had already shifted back to the DigiDestined as they used his blind side to their advantage.

"This may very well be our last stand against this beast," Neptunemon told his mate. "Everything has led to this. If we fall here, the resistance will be crushed."

"I am willing to fight to the end," AncientMermaidmon replied. "Even if I have to return and fight in my Baby form." She turned to her mate and held up her spear. "For now, at the very least, I will have my revenge for my imprisonment and time away from you. Give me a boost, my love?"

Neptunemon grinned, knowing exactly what she meant. "My pleasure, dearest. Gate of Atlantis!"

He held out his hand and fired a massive stream of water at the Demon Lord. AncientMermaidmon leapt up and swam into the stream of water, speeding towards Leviamon. The stream struck him in the side of his head on his blind side, but this was not AncientMermaidmon's goal. Leaping out of the water, she soared through the air, passing over Leviamon's head as gravity began to pull her back down. Leviamon's remaining eye shifted to look at her as she dropped by the right side of his head. Good, she wanted him to see her.

"This is for him prisoning me!" she shouted.

Stabbing forward, she stuck her spear into his remaining eye. Leviamon roared, rearing up and slashing at the air with his claws. The DigiDestined immediately unleashed a series of attacks on his underbelly, but this did no more damage than attacking him anywhere else.

Coming back down, Leviamon opened his mouth and fired his Shell Shock attack. The massive beam tore across the ocean's surface, but hit no one despite its massive size.

"He's blinded," said WarGreymon. "That'll make things much easier for us."

Leviamon's thrashing around slowly stopped. Low growls emitted from his mouth as he stopped moving. His giant nostrils began contracting as he breathed deeply, and the DigiDestined thought he was going to use one of his breathing attacks. Instead, his nostrils continued to contract, and his head slowly shifted in their direction, and his growls grew louder.

"Wait a minute," said AncientGreymon. "Is he smelling where we are?"

"With a nose that big, it wouldn't surprise me," Ophanimon replied. "Move!"

Leviamon used his Shell Shock, and the DigiDestined scattered as the beam shot through the air. Leviamon snapped at them with his Biting Crush as they flew by, but caught no one. With a roar, he flew after them, snarling and snapping. He was incredibly fast for one so large, but his blindness prevented him from accurately targeting them as he nipped at their heels, each chomp coming far too close for comfort.

"Anyone ever watch Ushio and Tora?" Gallantmon asked. "This is beginning to remind of the final battle with Hakumen no Mono, and not in a good way."

"I'm assuming that's a human thing," OmniShoutmon grumbled, just narrowly avoiding having his feet bitten off by Leviamon's snapping jaws.

"Split up!" Seraphimon called, and he, Ophanimon, and Gallantmon flew to the left while WarGreymon, OmniShoutmon, and AncientGreymon went to the right. Leviamon paused for a moment, sniffing at the air again before flying to the right after the three dragon Digimon.

The others stopped their retreat and instead flew after Leviamon, firing at his backside. They were careful to avoid Imperialdramon, who was still clinging to one of the Demon Lord's tail, trying to pull him back. It was, in all actuality, thanks to him that Leviamon hadn't already caught the others. The Demon Lord's tail that Imperialdramon was pulling on hadn't once stopped whipping around, trying to fling the dragon Digimon off. Imperialdramon kept his teeth tightly clenched on Leviamon's tail, and his claws buried deep in his flesh, yet he was beginning to get incredibly airsick, and was beginning to develop whiplash.

MarineAngemon, who had continuously been using his Kahuna Waves on the Demon Lord throughout the course of the battle, now flew over to Imperialdramon as he was twirled all around. "You dizzy?"

Imperialdramon grumbled as he bit down harder on Leviamon's tail, trying to keep down the contents of his stomach. "Don' 'alk to 'e, I'm al'edy 'osing my 'old."

Talking had been a mistake. Despite his mouth not moving much whenever he spoke, there was still movement. And in answering MarineAngemon, Imperialdramon's jaw had loosened just enough for him to get flung through the air. He hit the water, skipping along the surface like a stone before crashing into something large.

With Imperialdramon no longer holding Leviamon back, the Demon Lord's speed increased. He closed the distance between himself and the DigiDestined he was chasing, opening his mouth to bring his Biting Crush down on them.

AncientGreymon realized he and his friends were about to be crushed. Rather than fleeing, he flew directly into the Demon Lord's mouth and used his Omega Corona. Leviamon recoiled from the blast in surprise and ceased his pursuit. The others stopped fleeing and once again turned their attacks on him, earning a roar of rage from the Demon Lord.

Imperialdramon shook his head as he surfaced, wondering what he had crashed into. He looked, and was surprised to see that it had been KingWhamon. The whale Digimon was in bad shape, and it seemed to take everything he had just to take his next breath.

"KingWhamon," he whispered. "Hang in there, buddy. We'll fix you up. I'll get Seraphimon and Ophanimon. They can heal you. So can MarineAngemon."

KingWhamon coughed. "I appreciate the concern, but you must not worry over me. Defeating Leviamon will take everything you have to defeat. You can't waste your power healing me."

"But KingWha-"

"I know what I'm talking about. I've lived under Leviamon's rule for so long. He must be stopped. This is your only chance."

"But-"

"If you really wish to help me, then help me see my dream of freeing the seas from Leviamon's rule. Please, I beg you, stop Leviamon. For me."

The desperation in the whale Digimon's voice was heartbreaking. None of it was for him, but for his hope to free the ocean from Leviamon's tyranny. Imperialdramon felt a tear escape his eye as he forced himself to turn away. "We'll do it, KingWhamon. I promise, we'll defeat Leviamon. For you, for everyone."

When KingWhamon spoke next, his voice was full of complete trust. "I know you will. Thank you."

"Breath!" Leviamon cried, creating a massive whirlpool.

The others retreated from the heavy winds and rapid current as Leviamon's attack raged. Gallantmon looked on in frustration as the Demon Lord, despite being blind, was still coming on just as strong as ever. "This is ridiculous. We took out both eyes, and have been attacking him nonstop, but it's like he's completely unfazed."

Seraphimon glanced at him. "Completely unfazed?" He shook his head and turned back to the Demon Lord. "You're wrong. Take another look. It's not just his eyes that are damaged. He's trying to hide it, but the battle is beginning to take a toll on him." He glanced at Neptunemon's forces, who had not once let up on their attacks since the battle had commenced. "Even Neptunemon's men are having an impact. Usually, Leviamon would be able to take them out in an instant, but he's been focusing on us the whole time. However, all those minor attacks, they're adding up and beginning to have an affect. I can see it, Leviamon is weakening."

Imperialdramon flew up behind them. "Then lets end this now before our own power fails. I'm taking him on head on."

Gallantmon gave him a look of disbelief. "Are you crazy? You're going to get yourself killed."

Tears were in Imperialdramon's eyes as he glared at the Demon Lord. "Playing it safe is only going to get us so far. We've got to start taking greater risks if we really want to win this. And that's what I'm going to do."

He shot forward, ignoring his friends as they called his name, flying straight for the Demon Lord. "Leviamon!"

The Demon Lord turned to the sound of his voice and growled. Imperialdramon was not deterred as he continued towards Leviamon. The Demon Lord roared and flew forward to meet him, using his giant nose for guidance.

"This is for KingWhamon!" the dragon Digimon shouted. "I'm not afraid of you anymore. I feel like I can do anything, even defeat you." Light enveloped him as the distance between him and the Demon Lord closed. "Imperialdramon Mode Change to… Imperialdramon Fighter Mode!"

The figure that emerged from the light was still Imperialdramon, yet at the same time, it wasn't. He looked less beastly and more humanoid, like an anthropomorphic version of himself, going from a quadruped to bipedal. Leviamon seemed unaware of the change as his mouth opened to chomp down on the dragon Digimon.

Imperialdramon's speed had increased greatly, and he shifted his body to deliver a blow to the Demon Lord. "Dragon Kick!"

His foot hit Leviamon's nose, knocking his head to the side, and a pained grunt of surprise escaped the Demon Lord. Imperialdramon didn't stop there as he followed up with his Majestic Strike, dropping down from the sky and colliding with the top of Leviamon's head, knocking him face first into the water.

"Whoa!" cried AncientGreymon. "Did he just Digivolve?"

"Not quite," OmniShoutmon replied. "He changed to his Fighter Mode. I told you about Mode Changing, remember? He's now three times stronger in this form, faster too. He's also gained some new attacks, and is far more mobile and capable of hand-to-hand combat."

Imperialdramon seemed just as surprised at his upgrade as the others. He examined his hands, clenching them into fists and wiggling his fingers. He felt along his torso and stretched his legs, liking the mobility. He had to admit, as powerful as he had felt in his Dragon Mode, it was nice to have his full body's mobility back. He felt stronger too, stronger than ever. Nothing could stop him now.

With a roar, Leviamon raised his head, mouth opening to chomp down on the dragon Digimon while he was preoccupied with examining his new form. Seraphimon flew in, delivering a Heaven's Kick to Leviamon's upper jaw, closing his mouth, and Imperialdramon bounced off the Demon Lord's snout rather than get crushed by his jaws.

"You done checking yourself out yet?" Seraphimon asked irritably. "Your new form is cool, but we've got more important things to worry about."

Imperialdramon looked bashful as he returned his attention back to the battle. "Right, sorry. Just getting a feel for the new me."

Leviamon sniffed the air and emitted another growl. "One of you just Digivolved, didn't you? You're just becoming even bigger nuisances. Duo-Tail Strike!"

He lashed out with his tails. Seraphimon flew up and out of the way, but Imperialdramon flew towards the Demon Lord, maneuvering around the swinging tails and the rising pillars of water. "Yeah! I'm loving this speed! Splendor Blade!"

He created a sword of light and stabbed it into Leviamon's side. Holding out his other hand, his claws became electrified as he buried them into the Demon Lord next to his sword with his Imperial Crusher.

Snarling, Leviamon lashed out with his own claws, knocking Imperialdramon away. He fired his Shell Shock after him, which, despite being blind, was on target. WarGreymon and Ophanimon flew into the attack's path and retaliated with their Terra Force and Sefirot Crystal. The attacks collided with the beam Leviamon fired and erupted in a massive blast.

The attacks from Neptunemon's forces continued to fire, and Leviamon seemed to have finally gotten fed up with them. He turned in the direction of the attacks and unleashed his Curse Breath. Neptunemon's forces dove under as the two wind currents that emitted from Leviamon's nostrils swirled together to form a dark tornado. Despite diving, several dozen of Neptunemon's forces were pulled from the depths and were lost in the vortex.

"Lightning Joust!"

"Hard Rock Spirit!"

The lightning from Gallantmon's lance and the fire blasts from OmniShoutmon's hands swirled together. Neptunemon threw his Gate of Atlantis into the mix, and the three attacks struck the same focal point on the Demon Lord. Leviamon roared with frustration and unleashed his Thunder Breath, filling the sky with fire as he shook his head back and forth.

AncientMermaidmon dove deep, coming up beneath Leviamon. She used her Great Maelstrom, forming a massive whirlpool beneath him. The water level rose around the Demon Lord, drawing him into the vortex, and Leviamon ceased breathing fire as he was drawn in.

"Lets keep him down there," said Imperialdramon. "Light Barrier!"

He fired a beam from the cannon on his arm. Rather than blasting the Demon Lord, it encased him in an energy barrier, holding him down.

"That won't be enough," WarGreymon noted. "Ultra Tornado!"

"Shield of the Just!"

"Gaia Tornado!"

"Shining Laser!"

"Hallowed Ascension!"

"Flame Cannon!"

The various attacks bombarded against Leviamon, keeping the Demon Lord trapped in the whirlpool. Neptunemon, AncientMermaidmon, and their forces surrounded the whirlpool underwater and began firing their attacks into it. Even MarineAngemon ceased using his Kahuna Waves and instead used his Extra Smile, firing rainbow light down at the Demon Lord.

Leviamon bellowed his rage and unleashed his Breath. It not only cancelled out AncientMermaidmon's whirlpool, but completely replaced it, pulling all those in the water into its current. He didn't stop there as he followed up with his Duo-Tail Strike, his tails shooting out of the whirlpool surrounding him to whip through the water. The movement, coupled with his whirlpool, washed Neptunemon, AncientMermaidmon, and their forces far out of the vicinity, if not flat out destroyed them.

"We're not losing anymore friends," Imperialdramon declared. His chest opened, and an emitter emerged from his body, "Ionic Blaster!"

An energy bolt fired from the emitter down at Leviamon, resulting in a massive explosion. The Demon Lord roared and burst up from the water, swinging his tails around violently. OmniShoutmon, Seraphimon, and Ophanimon attacked with their Victorize Banking, Hallowed Knuckle, and Holy Light, but this only seemed to draw Leviamon's attention to their location.

"Tail Strike!" he cried, sweeping his tails out. They struck the three Digimon, knocking them away. He sniffed the air, picking up the other's location, and turned in their direction, opening his mouth as energy began to gather in the back of his throat.

WarGreymon, AncientGreymon, and Gallantmon scattered, but Imperialdramon used his new speed to fly down towards the Demon Lord. WarGreymon halted his retreat as he looked back at his fellow dragon Digimon. "Imperialdramon, what are you doing?"

"Exactly what I said," Imperialdramon replied, flying straight into Leviamon's open mouth. "I'm not playing it safe anymore." A cannon manifested in his hands, and he took aim. "Giga Crusher!"

"Shell Shock!"

A beam fired from Imperialdramon's cannon as Leviamon launched his attack. The two attacks met before Leviamon's beam even cleared his throat, resulting in a massive internal explosion. The Demon Lord's body visibly expanded as the blast made its way both out his mouth and down his throat, blowing him up from the insides. Imperialdramon flew back as the explosion came up towards him as, for the first time, Leviamon let out a truly pained cry.

"Whoa!" Gallantmon exclaimed. "Nice shot."

"I don't know if that was brave or crazy," OmniShoutmon stated. "Probably both."

Leviamon seemed completely disorientated as if he couldn't comprehend what had happened. Then he threw his head back and bellowed loudly as a cloud of smoke escaped his mouth, as if he were burning from the inside. He sank into the whirlpool, and the swirling vortex slowly settled, leaving only a bubbling surface that emitted a cloud of steam. Eventually though, even the boiling water settled, the bubbles ceasing and the rising steam fading out.

The DigiDestined stared, uncertain. Not because they doubted what they saw, but because it seemed almost impossible that a powerhouse like Leviamon could have truly been stopped. It seemed so unbelievable, but for all intents and purposes, the battle did indeed seem to have reached its conclusion.

"Is it…" Ophanimon began, "is it over? Did we do it?"

"Yes," WarGreymon replied. "Yes, I think so. We beat him. We actually managed to defeat Leviamon."

Seraphimon looked to OmniShoutmon for confirmation. If anyone would know for sure, it would be him. "OmniShoutmon?"

To their utter astonishment, the dragon Digimon had tears running down his cheeks. "It's really over. I honestly didn't think it was possible." He wiped his eyes. "I mean, I had hope, but I didn't actually believe we would be able to pull it off. This truly is a miracle."

"I check!" MarineAngemon declared, and splashed down into the water.

A chuckle crossed with a sob escaped OmniShoutmon at the pixie Digimon's antics. "Can this really be? It seems too good to be true. I didn't think a Demon Lord could be defeated."

Imperialdramon floated back over to them. "Believe it, bud. I told you we had this in the bag. You know what, I'll bet that one of the reasons no one has ever beaten a Demon Lord is because everyone has been too afraid to fight them. And those that managed to work up the courage were still too frightened to go all out because they expected to die."

WarGreymon considered this. "That could be part of it. Going in with an already defeated attitude is destined to end in failure."

The sound of crashing waves drew their attention, and they turned to find a tsunami heading for them. Neptunemon, AncientMermaidmon, and the remainder of their forces were riding on top of the wave, coming to rejoin the battle.

"Here comes the cavalry," said Gallantmon.

"After the battle is over," AncientGreymon joked. "Typical."

"Hey, now," said Seraphimon, "they helped us out a lot. We'd probably be dead by now if it wasn't for them."

The dragon Digimon rolled his eyes. "Geez, I was kidding. Take a joke already."

The wave came to a stop in front of the DigiDestined, and Neptunemon looked around. "What's going on? Where's Leviamon?"

Imperialdramon snickered. "He's fish food, thanks to yours truly."

"Oh, brother," the others groaned.

The god Digimon's eyes widened. "What? Truly? Leviamon has been vanquished?"

AncientMermaidmon grabbed his arm, as if she was so shocked by this news that she needed support. "My love?"

Neptunemon nodded in agreement, but did not take his eyes from the DigiDestined. "You are certain of this? Leviamon is really… he's really…?"

"Well," Imperialdramon chuckled, "MarineAngemon went to check. Probably hogging Leviamon's data to himself. You know what, I'll bet that was his plan all along. The little guy's actually an evil mastermind."

This earned a laugh from the others; the thought of the ditzy pixie Digimon secretly planning to take all of Leviamon's data for himself was utterly ridiculous. And, truth be told, despite the power boost Leviamon's data would give them, none of the Digimon present found the thought of absorbing any part of the Demon Lord to be appealing.

A small splash came from down below as MarineAngemon surfaced. The others looked down as he came to rejoin them in the air.

"Ah, here's the data glutton now," Imperialdramon teased.

MarineAngemon shot past them. The movement was so fast that they almost missed it, but his face was an unmistakable mask of fear. "Fly away!"

The water exploded as Leviamon burst up from underwater like an alligator leaping out of the water to snatch its prey, his jaws open wide in a full 180 degrees in preparation to use his Biting Crush. The DigiDestined were all grouped together, all within range of falling prey to the Demon Lord's attack as his jaws began to come together.

"Jet Arrow!"

A jet of water flew from KingWhamon, striking the Demon Lord. A cry came from Leviamon, causing him to flinch in surprise. The DigiDestined used the moment to take off, and Leviamon's jaws closed over air.

"Attack! Attack!" WarGreymon shouted. "Hit him with everything you've got! Terra Force!"

"Giga Crusher!"

"Shield of the Just!"

"Omega Burst!"

"Strike of the Seven Stars!"

"Sefirot Crystal!"

"Omni Core Fusion!"

"Gate of Atlantis!"

"Crystal Billow!"

The attacks hammered all over Leviamon again and again. Neptunemon's forces launched their strongest attacks as well, and even MarineAngemon turned back and began firing his Pretty Heart attack.

Leviamon roared as the attacks kept coming. But in the midst of the carnage, his roar of fury shifted to a howl of pain. Slowly, he toppled over with a mighty splash. The attacks slowly came to a stop as the Demon Lord stopped moving, floating on his side on the water's surface.

The others stared, cautious of celebrating too soon once again; nothing short of his body dissolving into data would be accepted this time. OmniShoutmon was especially wary as he studied the Demon Lord, yet even his guard lowered slightly as he realized that Leviamon seemed to be having trouble breathing. Carefully, he floated a little closer, ready to take off at a moment's notice. Even so, the Demon Lord didn't seem to be in any condition to try anything further.

"It's over, Leviamon," he told the Demon Lord. "Your rule over the Net Ocean is at an end." His eyes narrowed. "And not soon enough it was."

A low growl escaped the Leviamon, and his mouth opened slightly as if to attack, but instead, only a cloud of smoke escaped him, and he continued floating on his side. "You pitiful, insignificant fools. You've won nothing. My brethren shall avenge me. All you have done is guaranteed yourselves a slow and painful death. You were already targeted for your defiance, but now you've invited the full wrath of the Demon Lords down upon you."

The air escaped him with his final threat, and his body began to break down into data. The sheer amount filled the sky as the Demon Lord of Envy completely disappeared. The others stared at the floating data, no one moving to claim it. Leviamon's threat hung in the air like a curtain of fear; one they knew was not a bluff.

WarGreymon glanced at OmniShoutmon. "You better absorb his data before the Digital World sucks it up."

OmniShoutmon hesitated, thinking about who it belonged to. "I'm not sure I want it."

"You'll need it," Neptunemon told him. If you're going to fight the other Demon Lords, you'll need all the power and help you can get."

"It'd be a waste not to absorb it anyway," AncientMermaidmon added. "Leviamon was almost entirely pure evil. So even if the Digital World does suck it up, most of it will be deleted to the Dark Area. You should use that power instead of just letting it go to waste. Use the Demon Lords' own power against them."

A resigned sigh escaped OmniShoutmon, and he moved forward and absorbed the data. It was the biggest power boost he had ever gotten, and it felt no different from any other data he'd absorbed, but still, it made him feel dirty. At least it was better than absorbing Leviamon's Fractal Code; the thought of literally having a portion of Leviamon becoming a part of him was utterly revolting, though he briefly wondered how powerful he could become if that somehow did happen. Still, it felt morally wrong, and OmniShoutmon felt the sudden need to bathe thoroughly.

"Hold up a second," he said, and splashed down into the water. He stayed under for a few seconds before coming back off. "Well, at least I feel a little less dirty now."

"My friends…"

All attention shifted to KingWhamon and the critical condition he was in. They couldn't believe that they had actually forgotten about him, twice! He had even managed to save their lives with his last attack, but they had once again gotten distracted by the heat of battle, and then by the actual demise of the Demon Lord.

"KingWhamon!" WarGreymon exclaimed as he and the others hurried over to him. "It's ok, we're here. Tell us how to help you."

A pained groan escaped the whale Digimon; it was taking everything he had just to stay alive. "Leviamon…?"

"It's ok," AncientGreymon told him. "He's gone. We beat him, for real this time."

KingWhamon visible relaxed. "Thank the Sovereigns."

Seraphimon flew over the whale Digimon's wound, flinching at the gruesome sight of his crushed torso. "Just hold on. Ophanimon and I will heal you."

"And me!" MarineAngemon exclaimed.

A chuckle that became a cough escaped the whale Digimon. "Do not waste your power on me. You know as well as I do that I cannot be saved. No amount of healing can fix an injury like this."

"But, KingWhamon-"

"I knew going in that I probably wouldn't survive, but I had faith in you. In all of you. And you didn't let me down."

"Please, KingWhamon," Ophanimon begged, sounding close to tears, "You have to at least let us try."

KingWhamon managed to smile. "You have been such good friends. I'm glad to have known you. But you can't do anything for me now. At least I got to see the fall of Leviamon before I died."

"Leviamon!" OmniShoutmon exclaimed. "I haven't fully assimilated his data yet. Here, you can have it. Maybe that coupled with some healing will-"

"Only delay the inevitable. I appreciate your desire to help, but really, I am ok with it. And when I'm reborn, I will be able to return to an ocean free of Leviamon's rule. Or maybe I'll opt for a life on land this time around. A different Digivolution route might be a nice change of pace. Whatever happens, I know that the Digital World will be a better place without the Demon Lords. I know you'll free us from their tyranny."

"KingWhamon…" Gallantmon lamented.

"I'll see you later, my friends. And if I see Leviamon in his Baby form, I'll give him a good kick in the rear for you."

He went still, his breath leaving him in a rush. And then, just like Leviamon, he too dissolved into data and was gone.

 

Notes:

(A/N: They did it! They finally beat Leviamon. One Demon Lord down, and it only cost KingWhamon and a few hundred of Neptunemon and AncientMermaidmon's warriors. This may be horrible to say, but that's a major victory. If I haven't made that clear, they're lucky they survived at all. And would you look at that, Imperialdramon Mode Changed to Imperialdramon Fighter Mode. This is going to change things in their favor even more. Or is it? Don't forget, there are six more Demon Lords out there, some far more powerful than Leviamon. And now they're really going to be gunning for our heroes. This may have been a victory, but it might also mean their doom. Stay tuned to see what happens next. Remember, the next update will take an extra week.)

Imperialdramon Fighter Mode's attacks:

Giga Crusher – Materializes a giant cannon that fires a destructive energy wave 10 times more powerful than his Mega Crusher.

Splendor Blade – Manifests a sword of light from the gauntlet on his arm and slashes his opponent.

Ionic Blaster – Produces and emitter from his chest to fire an explosive ball of black energy.

Dragon Kick – Does a flip in the air and brings his heel down on his opponent.

Majestic Strike – Drops from the sky to slam into his opponent.

Positron Laser – Fires a beam of positronic energy from the cannon on his arm.

Imperial Crusher – Stabs with his electrified claws.

Dragon Knee – Flies forward and slams his knee into his opponent.

Imperial Claw – Slashes with his claws.

Light Barrier – Creates a shield of energy from the cannon on his arm to protect himself or to encase his opponents.

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Imperialdramon_Fighter_Mode

Chapter 98: Sleeping Sloth

Notes:

(A/N: Ok, you're here. Cool. I hoped my week's delay in updating didn't throw off too many people. I guess not if you're here. So, last chapter, our heroes finally managed to defeat Leviamon. Now lets see the aftermath that has followed.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 98: Sleeping Sloth

It should have been a cause for celebration. One of the most evil and powerful Digimon had finally been defeated. Only six of the seven Demon Lords remained, and the Net Ocean was free from thousands of years of oppression. Yet no one felt like celebrating.

The loss of KingWhamon weighed heavily on the hearts of everyone, even Neptunemon and AncientMermaidmon, despite the fact that they weren't as close to him as the teens were. KingWhamon had been one of their oldest friends in the Digital World. They had been through so much together, and then his life had been snuffed out by Leviamon like it was nothing. The fact that he would be reborn was little compensation.

Too much. There had been too much life lost in the fight with Leviamon. CaptainHookmon, his entire crew, KingWhamon, and over half of Neptunemon's forces had been killed since they had decided to go after the Demon Lord. And the worst part was that Leviamon wasn't even the strongest of the seven. Physically the strongest, yes, but when it came to actual power, where a Digimon's true strength dwelled, there were those who were stronger. And other members of the Demon Lords were among them.

Yet the teens knew they had no choice. Not just because they wanted to return to their world, and not just because they wanted to free the Digital World, but because they no longer had a choice. It was just as Leviamon had said; they had already been targets, but now that they had destroyed one of their own, there would be no escaping remaining six Demon Lords' wrath.

Neptunemon and AncientMermaidmon were a great help. With their power over the ocean, they were able to bring the teens to dry land. From what they were told that this region was ruled by Belphemon, the Demon Lord of Sloth. But as eager as the teens were to rid the Digital World of evil and get back to their own world, none of them were looking forward to facing another Demon Lord any time soon, not even with Imperialdramon's new Fighter Mode.

Still, they tried not to dwell on the negative and only focus on the good; it was the only way not to give in to grief.

"We are sorry we cannot accompany you on your journey," Neptunemon told them. "Butt we must strike while the iron's hot."

"Indeed," AncientMermaidmon agreed. "We'll take care of those still loyal to Leviamon, and work on reestablishing peace in the Net Ocean. Fortunately, most were only loyal to Leviamon out of fear and will welcome a time of peace."

"That's good to know," Kari replied. "I like to think that most people are good at heart, human and Digimon alike."

"In the meantime," Tai added, "we'll work on getting rid of the rest of the Demon Lords."

Neptunemon closed his eyes. "To imagine such a peaceful time seems like a fantasy, but I have come to believe that such a dream can be achieved. You humans have returned my mate to me, and ridded us of Leviamon. If anyone can defeat the Demon Lords, it's you."

Takato gave him a nervous smile. "Well, we'll certainly try to meet your expectations."

"We have faith in you," AncientMermaidmon told them. "And we hope to see you again."

Floating beside her, MarineAngemon waved happily. "Bye-bye, friends."

The teens waved their goodbyes, and Neptunemon, AncientMermaidmon, and MarineAngemon disappeared beneath the waves. The Dolphmon, Mermaimon, Depthmon, and Divermon that had accompanied them waved their goodbyes as well before they too vanished beneath the surface.

The teens' waving slowly ceased as their comrades departed. True Neptunemon may have started out as a foe, but he, AncientMermaidmon, and MarineAngemon had turned out to be good friends.

"Well," said Tai, "a lot of unexpected stuff happened."

"I'll say," Takuya agreed. "Never would have thought we'd be making friends out of our enemies."

Davis shook his head. "Ah, Neptunemon was never really our enemy. He was a victim and a prisoner just as much as AncientMermaidmon was."

Kari smiled. "I'm glad we were able to reunite those two. It was really nice to see two people so in love. They remind me of Beastmon and Karatenmon. I hope I'll find a love like that someday."

TK glanced at her. "I'm sure you will. You of all people are easy to love. I know you'll find someone one day."

A blush stained both their cheeks as they looked at one another, but the moment was interrupted by Davis as he popped up between the two of them. "Yup, and he's standing right here," he said with a big grin on his face. "We should just go ahead and make it official."

Still smiling, Kari held up her arms in an X formation and said as pleasantly as ever, "I'll pass."

This earned chuckled from everyone else and a dejected look from Davis. But then Tai decided that the time for fooling around was over, and they needed to get serious again. "Ok, so we've got one Demon Lord down, and six more to go. Whose the next closest one again?"

Shoutmon sighed. "Belphemon, the Demon Lord of Sloth, aka the Roar of Awakening. He's in charge of this region. Fortunately, he should be the easiest to defeat."

Takato raised an eyebrow. "Why? Is he the weakest?"

The dragon Digimon shook his head. "No, he's around the middle, about as strong as Leviamon. But there are certain circumstances surrounding him that will give us a big advantage."

"What does that mean?" TK asked. "And how strong is each Demon Lord in comparison?"

Shoutmon began counting them off. "Well, Laylamon and Beelzemon are the weakest. Actually, I should say the least strongest; there's nothing weak about any of the Demon Lords, they're just at the bottom of the seven. Then would be Leviamon and Belphemon, who are, like I said, around the middle. Barbamon and Daemon are at the top of the totem, they're real bad news."

Kari couldn't help but notice that he had left one out. "And Lucemon? Where's he rank?"

Another sigh escaped Shoutmon. "Above the others. He's in a league all of his own. There's even talk that he's stronger than the Digimon God."

Tai's eyebrows shot up. "Stronger than the Digimon God? Is that even possible?"

Shoutmon shrugged. "It could just be a rumor, or a comparison to one of the Digimon God's avatars. Digimon's strength does get exaggerated, especially if they have a reputation. And a reputation doesn't get much bigger than that of a Demon Lord. Still, Lucemon's power is definitely up there, like way, way up there."

Tai sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Ok, so we've got quite a hurdle to jump. Lets not worry about Lucemon right now, or anyone other than Belphemon. If we think of the Demon Lords as a whole, we'll never defeat them. Our only chance is to pick them off one by one. For now, we'll focus on Belphemon, then we'll work on the next one."

"Yeah," Davis exclaimed, punching the sky. "And lets not forget that I've got my new Fighter Mode."

"That does help," Shoutmon agreed, "but it's nothing in the long run. If you fought one-on-one with a Demon Lord, and they got serious, you'd probably last, oh, about five seconds. Maybe 10 if you're lucky. And no, that's not an exaggeration."

The color drained from Davis' face. "Really? But in the battle with Leviamon-"

"Oh, you mean the one where we were all fighting in together, along with several hundred others, where we still almost died, but got lucky because you were fortunate enough to deal a lot of damage to Leviamon by turning his own attack against him when you blew him up from the inside. Is that the battle you're talking about?"

"Ok, ok, I get it," Davis grumbled. He crossed his arms and turned away. "Sheesh, you're always raining on our parade."

Shoutmon shook his head. "No, I'm trying to keep you grounded to reality, because this is reality. And if you don't start living in it, pretty soon you will be dying in it."

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AxeKnightmon prided himself on many things. His courage was one of them. Still, having to deliver bad news to a Demon Lord, especially bad news of this caliber, was enough to set even the bravest of warriors on edge.

He still couldn't believe it, didn't think it had been possible, but it was true. Leviamon, the Demon Lord of Envy, had been destroyed. News of his death had spread like wildfire throughout the Digital World. This was, perhaps, the biggest bit of news since… well, since the news of humans appearing in the Digital World. Bigger.

There were those that wouldn't believe it, those that refused to believe it, but it would become apparent soon enough. There would be no hiding the destruction of a Demon Lord. The truth would eventually get around one way or another, despite the denial.

Unfortunately for AxeKnightmon, he had the unpleasant task of having to bring this news to Belphemon. But due to certain… circumstances, the Demon Lord of Sloth tended to be 'out of touch' with various things going on in the Digital World. This was why he, with his Dimensional Axe's ability to cut through layers of the Digital World, essentially giving him the power to teleport almost anywhere, was tasked with the job of delivering the news of Leviamon's death to Belphemon.

Upon entering the Demon Lord's castle, he was taken to Belphemon's chambers. It was here that the Demon Lord slept, and AxeKnightmon thanked the Digimon God for that. Had Belphemon been awake, AxeKnightmon had no doubt that the Demon Lord would destroy him in a fit of rage the moment he delivered the news.

Getting as close as he dared, AxeKnightmon bowed before the Demon Lord. Before him sat a giant goat-like creature clutching a large alarm clock. The creature's eyes were closed in slumber, and a content smile was on its face. It was, quite frankly, rather cuddly and adorable in appearance. Had they not known better, no one would have possibly guessed that this cute giant was the Demon Lord of Sloth.

"My lord," AxeKnightmon said loudly, announcing his presence. He saw the Demon Lord's mouth twitch, but nothing more. "My lord."

He spoke louder this time, earning a slightly more alert response from the Demon Lord. "Hmm?"

"Lord Belphemon, I am sorry to disturb you, but I have come with most troubling news."

There was no reaction at first, as if Belphemon had gone back to sleep, but then came a slightly less audible, "Mmm."

AxeKnightmon took that as his cue to go on. "As I'm sure you're aware, even in your current state, there is a group of humans causing trouble in the Digital World. And they have the nerve to challenge the might of the Demon Lords."

There was a soft snore from Belphemon, signaling that he had fallen into a deeper sleep. AxeKnightmon knew this meant nothing, as Belphemon was able to think and act in his sleep just as well as anyone could awake, albeit to a lesser degree. It was this and this alone that would spare him from what he had to say next. "I'm sorry to tell you, my lord, that they have become quite a problem. Not too long ago, we received word that Lord Leviamon has fallen to them in battle."

There was no reaction from Belphemon. It was as if he hadn't heard him, but AxeKnightmon knew better. The Demon Lord was merely processing this, his sleeping body being unable to convey what he truly thought and felt.

"Lie…" Belphemon finally murmured.

AxeKnightmon felt a feeling of unease run through him. "I'm… I'm afraid it's true, my lord. I don't know how they did it, but the humans somehow managed to destroy a Demon Lord."

"Impossible…"

Belphemon was still talking in his sleep, but AxeKnightmon could detect the unrestrained fury in his voice, kept in check by his slumber. "I would have thought so too, my lord, but it has been confirmed. And now they are on their way here to destroy you as well, my lord."

For the first time, Belphemon's eyes cracked open the slightest bit. It would have been completely unnoticeable had the Demon Lord's eyes not glowed with an angry red light that had become slightly visible beneath his eyelids.

It was the most Belphemon would be able to 'wake up' in his hibernation state, but it was enough to send a chill down AxeKnightmon's spin. "Y-Yes, they are coming. They are still several weeks away by an estimate, but they are indeed coming for you. The other Demon Lords have decided to let you deal with them as you see fit." He bowed lower. "What are your orders, my lord?"

A low growl escaped Belphemon. On reflex, AxeKnightmon's gaze shifted to the clock the Demon Lord clutched. He knew there was still a lot of time before that clock started ringing, but still, he felt the need to check, just to reassure himself.

Belphemon's eyes slowly drifted closed again. "Send… the Mercenaries…"

AxeKnightmon's head snapped up. "The Machine Mercenaries?"

Everyone knew of the Machine Mercenaries. They were a group of powerful Digimon that never failed at a job. Whether it be guarding someone, warriors for higher, collecting a bounty, or assassinating someone, or even transporting a package, they always succeeded. Their reputation truly preceded them.

That wasn't the issue though. The problem was how the Digimon population would react to setting them loose. They hadn't been sent out on a mission for over a 1,000 years, having been assigned to act as Belphemon's guards; an unnecessary job. AxeKnightmon knew that Belphemon was sending them to attack the humans out of anger. It was in retaliation for destroying Leviamon. But he wasn't thinking about how this would make him and the other Demon Lords look.

With the death of Leviamon, sending such a powerful team to kill the humans might seem like a sign of weakness, that Belphemon was acknowledging them as a threat. Of course, AxeKnightmon knew this was not the case, but other Digimon might view it as such. Especially with the fall of Leviamon. They will have hope that if one is defeated, then more might be as well. And if they think that even the Demon Lords see the humans as a danger to their rule, then it could cause further rebellion.

"My lord, is that really necessary?" he asked. "To send the Mercenaries…"

Belphemon's eyes cracked open again, the smallest bit more than before. A greenish aura appeared around him, and the room shook slightly as the Demon Lord's power began to seep out.

AxeKnightmon bowed his head once more. "Forgive me, my lord. It is not my place to question your decision. I will inform them at once."

The room stopped shaking as Belphemon's aura died down, and his eyes drifted shut once more. He seemed to have settled into a deeper sleep once again. That was fine, AxeKnightmon had had his say. Now he had to give the Mercenaries their orders.

He turned over Belphemon's decision in his head some more. He understood the Demon Lord's anger, and why he wanted to get rid of the humans, but he didn't think this was the right way. Hope could be a dangerous thing in the hands of the enemy. There would be fools and idealists that would claim that the Demon Lords were getting nervous or desperate to be rid of the humans by sending such a powerful task force to finish them off, even if that wasn't the case. That could become problematic, as it could lead to rebellion.

Leviamon's defeat was a fluke; it had to be. And it wasn't like the humans defeated him on their own. According to the reports, they'd had a lot of help in defeating the Demon Lord of Envy, and even then they had been lucky. AxeKnightmon was certain that their Mercenaries would be more than a match for them. They would just have to deal with any rebellions that sprang up from any hope the other Digimon had later.

Making his way to the base of the tower, AxeKnightmon entered the Mercenaries' chambers. When not out on missions, they stayed within the castle, acting as guards to Belphemon. Not that the Demon Lord actually needed guards, despite being in his more vulnerable sleeping state; it was more of standing on ceremony.

Coming to a stop in the middle of the room, AxeKnightmon was greeted by three Digimon. Despite their reputation of striking down their targets without mercy, AxeKnightmon had no fear of them. But he knew that if a hit were ever placed on his head, these three would kill him without a second thought.

"Lord Belphemon has a job for you," he told them. "The humans are becoming a real problem. They've defeated several of the masters' servants, and have just recently managed to destroy Lord Leviamon. Your mission is to hunt them down and eliminate them," as and after thought, he added, "and that includes Shoutmon."

One of the Mercenaries, the green one, stepped forward. Though never officially stated to be so, many considered this one to be the leader of the group. "And how are we to do it? Quick, or slow?"

AxeKnightmon hesitated. Belphemon had not specified the circumstances of their deaths. Did he want to get rid of the humans right away, or make them suffer first? He could always go back and ask, but he was in no hurry to be in the presence of the Demon Lord again.

"You decide," he told them. "So long as they're dealt with before they become an even bigger problem."

The three Digimon bowed their heads. "As you wish," they chorused.

Without another word, they marched past AxeKnightmon. The knight Digimon watched them go impassively. If it were in his nature, he would feel bad for the humans. The poor fools probably thought that after defeating Leviamon that they stood a chance at defeating the rest of the Demon Lords. They truly had no idea how lucky they had been to defeat Leviamon.

The sad truth was, they were merely pawns in a game played by the Demon Lords and the Sovereigns. And, unfortunately, they were on the losing side. There were still six Demon Lords to contend with, but as long as there was even one, the humans were destined for failure.

Again, if it were in his nature, he would feel sorry for them, but he was a stone cold warrior, and they were the enemy.

"You should congratulate yourselves, humans," he thought out loud. "Despite your immanent demise, you've accomplished something never done before; you've defeated a Demon Lord. Unfortunately, in doing so, you've signed your own death warrants."

Using his Dimensional Axe, he sliced a rip in the dimensional borders and stepped through it to report to the other Demon Lords that their little human infestation problem would soon be taken care of. Besides, he had more work to do. A few of the Demon Lords had their own plans underway, and one was about to be set in motion very soon.

 

Notes:

(A/N: Ok, yikes. We got to see another Demon Lord. Not the most active one, but he was still enough to put AxeKnightmon on edge. And who are these Machine Mercenaries Belphemon has sent to kill our heroes? AxeKnightmin seems to think this is overkill. I guess we'll have to wait and see.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Belphemon_Sleep_Mode

Chapter 99: The Machine Mercenaries

Notes:

(A/N: This chapter… came as a bit of a surprise to me. Meaning I'm not really sure where the idea came from. But I liked the way it turned out. Don't want to spoil it, so just read on and maybe you'll see what I mean.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 99: The Machine Mercenaries

The teens all agreed that Shoutmon needed to work on his motivational speaking. They understood that he was trying to keep them from becoming too confident, but his doom and gloom attitude was really getting to them.

Defeating Leviamon had indeed risen their hopes and spirits, despite the losses they suffered, but now they were beginning to wonder if they truly could pull this off. Shoutmon wanted to keep them grounded though, and kept reminded them that they had gotten lucky. They could at least admit without their friends' help that they would not have been able to defeat Leviamon, but they still defeated him.

At the very least, based on what they now knew of where the Demon Lords stood in terms of power, they hoped they would be able to defeat Laylamon, Beelzemon, and Belphemon, but they weren't sure they would if they would be able to take down Barbamon and Daemon, let alone Lucemon. It was still hard to believe that these Demon Lords were as powerful as they were, but they had seen what one was capable of first hand. Could they really hope to overcome such powerful beings on their own?

Tai, being the unofficial leader of the group, seemed to be the most worried. He seemed to feel that the entire group's safety was his responsibility. Kari was worried about him. She could see how much he was stressing out. She sometimes heard him during the night talking to himself, trying to come up with a battle plan for when they ran into the next Demon Lord.

"Why don't you give it a rest for a while, Tai?" she suggested. "You're just going to worry yourself to death."

He sighed, looking weary. "I know. I know. I guess… I guess I just want to have something planned for when we reach Belphemon's castle. Some strategy in place that we an use against him."

Shoutmon snorted. "Trust me, pal, there's no amount of planning or strategizing we can do that will help us fight a Demon Lord. Even our long-range attack strategy we tried against Leviamon went out the window. We can plan and strategize all we want, but once we get there, all hell if going to break loose."

Tai winced as he thought about how close they had come to dying when they fought Leviamon, especially at the end there. That was exactly why he wanted to have a more solid plan in place, so they wouldn't have to leave their lives up to chance and hope they got another lucky break.

"It'd still be good to have some kind of plan in place."

The dragon Digimon shrugged. "Suit yourself. I'm just saying, don't strain your brain trying to come up with a strategy that will most likely fall apart the moment the battle begins."

A frustrated growl escaped Tai. This was exactly the type of negative talk that was dampening his spirits. He knew that Shoutmon was just being realistic, but it was coming across more like cynicism, and it was affecting the group. Perhaps Shoutmon was right, having had far more experience in dealing with the Demon Lords than them, but still, they didn't need such negativity. It was almost as if defeating Leviamon had terrified him, and he expected the other six Demon Lords to drop in on them at any moment.

TK placed a hand on Tai's shoulder and have him a smile. "Hey, it'll be fine. Whatever happens, we'll stick together and look out for each other. Plan or nor plan, win or lose, at least we'll all be together. And if it comes to it, at least we'll go out fighting."

Tai smiled in appreciation. If Shoutmon was being the voice of negative realism, TK was definitely the voice of positive reinforcement. Tai was grateful for that. He wasn't one to just give up, but at the very least, TK's encouragement was able to keep the hope alive that they still had a chance.

"Yeah, we can do it!" Davis shouted suddenly, punching the air.

Tai looked at him with hooded eyes. While TK's words of wisdom were a confidence booster, Davis' were more of arrogance. It was all well and good that he thought they could do this, but it was usually the reason why Shoutmon constantly reminded them of how out of their league they were. After all, even Julius Caesar had ordered one of his advisor to whisper in his ear "You're only a man" whenever he was praised in order to avoid letting his power and arrogance go to his head.

It was happening right now. Shoutmon turned his attention to the overconfident boy and shook his finger. "Need I remind you that you have yet to see what the Demon Lords are truly capable of? Leviamon was playing with us throughout most of the battle."

Davis just waved this off. "Yeah, yeah, they're all powerful, the ultimate evil, blah, blah, blah, and all that nonsense. You've told us several times. But we're still going to beat them. Come on, guys."

He ran to the side. For the past few hours, they had been walking along the edge of a canyon, hoping they wouldn't run into many enemies by taking this route. Davis now ran right up to the edge of the ravine, took a deep breath, and shouted at the top of his lungs into the canyon.

"What are you doing?" Shoutmon demanded. He grabbed Davis' arm and attempted to pull him back. "Do you want to alert everyone of our presence?"

Davis just grinned at him. "Ah, come on. We haven't seen anybody all day. I think we need to let loose for a bit. Just try it; it'll do wonders for you." He turned back into the canyon. "THE DEMON LORDS ARE GOING DOWN!"

Shoutmon pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. The others exchanged looks with each other before Takato smiled and hurried forward to stand beside Davis and shouted. "MOM, DAD, JERI, I'LL SEE YOU SOON!"

Davis beamed. "See, now that's what I'm taking about!" He looked back at the others. "Come on, it'll be good for the team's morality."

Takuya sweat-dropped. "I don't think morality is the right word."

Davis rolled his eyes. "Oh, you know what I mean. Come on, give it a go."

The others continued to stare in bewilderment. TK and Kari looked at each other before smiling and joining hands. They ran forward, stopping when they reached the ledge, and screamed into the canyon as loud as they could.

"WE'RE GOING TO SAVE THE DIGITAL WORLD!" TK shouted.

"WE'LL SET THE SOVEREIGNS FREE!" Kari yelled.

They had to admit, it did feel good, and they looked at each other once more and chuckled gleefully.

A resigned sigh escaped Takuya as a smile crept up his face. "Sure, why not." He too stepped forward and cupped his hands around his mouth. "WE'LL BE HOME SOON!"

The others clapped at his claim and turned to the remaining two members of their group. Davis motioned his look-alike over. "Come on, Tai. You know you want to."

Tai looked at Shoutmon. The dragon Digimon stared back, looking completely bewildered, as if he couldn't understand what the point of this was. Tai just shrugged and walked over to the others, took a deep breath, and shouted. "NOTHING CAN STOP US NOW!"

There were cheers from the others, and then they turned to their Digimon friend. "Come on, Shoutmon, you're up," Kari told him.

The dragon Digimon looked annoyed. "This is so stupid."

"Come on, Shoutmon," Davis egged. "Let it all out."

They began chanting his name, and Shoutmon finally relented. Sighing, he went to join them by the edge of the ravine, looking down into the canyon. He gave the teens a blank look. "Now what?

"Just say something," TK told him.

"I don't know what to say."

"Then just shout," Takato replied. "You should be good at that considering it's your namesake."

The dragon Digimon rolled his eyes, but did as they said, crying out into the canyon. It was a half-hearted attempt where he was obviously just humoring them.

"Do it louder," Takuya told him. "Come on, really let it out."

Sighing in aggravation, Shoutmon took a deep breath and shouted at the top of his lungs into the canyon. Beaming, Davis slapped him on the back. "There ya go. Now try shouting something."

"I don't see the point of this,' he grumbled, but at their expectant looks, he gave in. "I'M GOING TO RECLAIM MY TITLE AS THE DIGIMON KING!"

He panted heavily as his voice echoed through the canyon, and Shoutmon was surprised by how it made him feel.

TK smiled. "See, it feels good, doesn't it?"

A small smile grazed Shoutmon's face. "Yeah, I guess it does." He took a deep breath and shouted once again. "I'M GOING TO OVERTHROW THE DEMON LORDS!"

"Now we're talking," said Davis. "Keep going."

"I'M GOING TO USHER IN A TIME OF PEACE! I'M GOING TO MAKE THE DIGIMON GOD PROUD! I'M GOING TO GET MY FRIENDS HOME SAFELY! I'M GOING TO RESURRECT THE GUARDIANS! I'M GOING TO MAKE UP WITH GUMDRAMON! I'M GOING TO MAKE RENAMON MY MATE! I'M GOING TO…"

He suddenly realized the last thing he said and clamped his hands over his mouth. The teens stared at him in surprise before amused smiles crept up their faces.

"So, he finally admits it," Tai teased. "Kind of nice to get it off your chest, huh?"

Blushing madly, Shoutmon turned away. "I don't know what you're talking about. I just got caught up in the moment and said something I didn't mean."

TK chuckled. "Still, it felt good, didn't it?"

"The screaming thing? Yeah, I guess it was kind of invigorating, if juvenile."

"Wow, look at you trying to sound all mature and responsible," Davis joked. "I'm sure Renamon will be impressed."

Turning a darker shade of red, Shoutmon charged at him. "I'll show you mature!" he shouted in embarrassment.

Davis took off, laughing as the dragon Digimon chased him. The others half-heartedly ran after them, wary of the ledge. "Hey, guys, be careful running!" Tai called after them.

The two ignored him as they ran along, a little too close to the side for the others' comfort. It turned out, however, that it wasn't being too close to the ledge that they had to worry about, but of the ground collapsing, and not by natural means.

The ball of electricity had exploded on the ground in front of Davis and Shoutmon. The area they were at crumbled and fell off the ledge. The others weren't spared either as the ground cracked apart, large chunks of the ledge breaking off and falling into the ravine.

"Shoutmon Digivolve to… OmniShoutmon!"

The dragon Digimon moved quickly, catching each of the teens before they hit the ground. He set them down safely, away from the rocks that continued to fall from the crumbling ledge. "You guys ok."

Takato looked rather shaken up, but nodded. "I think so."

"We told you to be careful," Takuya scolded Davis.

TK shook his head. "This wasn't because of that. Someone attacked us. But who?"

"That would be us," a voice from above answered.

Flying down into the canyon were three machine Digimon. Each was a different color of yellow, red, and green. A single glance was enough to tell the teens that these Digimon were not only Megas, but powerful ones at that.

"Who are these guys?" Takuya wondered out loud.

TK checked his Digivice. "The green one is Fujinmon, Mega level, special attack Malt Cyclone. He's specialized in close combat and uses his Critical Arms to cut his opponents to pieces. The red one is Suijinmon, Mega level, special attack Infinity Cannon. He's got a well-earned reputation as the ultimate waterfall commander. The yellow one is Raijinmon, Mega level, special attack Electro Ball. He's got extensive knowledge and skills in various martial arts."

The red one, Suijinmon, pointed at TK. "You're well informed, human. Although the trio known as the Machine Mercenaries has gained quite the reputation."

"Machine Mercenaries," Takato repeated. "Then does that mean that someone hired you to attack us?"

"In a manner of speaking," Raijinmon replied.

"Lord Belphemon has ordered you dead," Fujinmon told them. "And we're here to see that the job gets done."

OmniShoutmon stepped forward. "This doesn't make any sense. The Machine Mercenaries always fought on the side of good. They may demand payment for their services, but they always fought against the darkness. Why are you on the Demon Lords' side?"

None of the machine Digimon seemed bothered by this. "Times have changed," Suijinmon replied. "In case you haven't noticed, this is the age of the Demon Lords. The Sovereigns' reign has been over for a very long time, despite what any rebels might think. This is the age of darkness, and fools like you, who are living in the past, are causing problems."

Takuya glared at him. "It's you who's living in the past. The age of the Demon Lords is coming to an end. One of them has already fallen. Soon, the Sovereigns will be freed, and the light will triumph over the darkness."

"He's right," Kari agreed. "Night may seem to last forever, but the sun will always rise to chase away the darkness. And now the sun is rising."

"Sentimental nonsense that means nothing to us," said Fujinmon. "We have our orders, and we intend to carry them out."

"Then lets see you try. Execute! Spirit Evolution… WarGreymon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Imperialdramon Fighter Mode!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Gallantmon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… AncientGreymon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Seraphimon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Ophanimon!"

"Still feeling so confident?" Imperialdramon asked. "We're the Guardians, baby."

If he thought this would intimidate the machine Digimon, he was sorely mistaken. The three of them simply stared the DigiDestined down until Fujinmon finally cocked his head to the sky. "Are you? Are you really? We've been wondering about that."

"Indeed," Raijinmon agreed. "We always gather information on our targets before striking."

"And after gathering everything we could get," Suijinmon picked up, "we've come to a conclusion." He pointed at them. "You are not the Guardians."

His claim was met with silence. The DigiDestined simply stared, wondering what to make of this. Denial was the first thing. Surely these Machine Mercenaries were mistaken. That or they were simply lying.

Be that as it may, a small bit of doubt suddenly seemed to creep up in the back of their minds. They knew nothing about the Digital World other than what they had been told. Perhaps it had been Cherubimon who had mistaken, or told them something that wasn't true.

OmniShoutmon, however, immediately stepped forward to contradict this claim. "You're wrong. They are the Guardians. I gave them the DigiCards that contained the Guardians' DigiCores myself. Other Digimon have even recognized them as the Guardians. You're not fooling anyone with your lies."

Raijinmon chuckled and crossed his arms. "It is you who is lying, to yourselves. You humans are merely wearing the Guardians' bodies like costumes."

"You may be able to use the Guardians' powers and abilities," Suijinmon continued, "but you don't know how to truly use them to their fullest extent. You don't have the skills, the experience, the knowledge, or the capabilities. You're using powers that aren't your own with bodies that are not yours."

Fujinmon picked up from there. "You just attack all willy-nilly, using whatever attack suits your fancy. You use the limited knowledge and experience you have and think you can actually do as well as the Guardians or use their true power. But while the Guardians have indeed made granted you power, the cold hard truth is that you could never match the real Guardians or use their power to the fullest."

More silence, but there was something different in it this time. While the first time the DigiDestined had simply had a small flicker of doubt, the Machine Mercenaries' words just now had struck a chord. And they realized in that moment that it was true. It was something they had never thought about, but it was true.

They weren't the Guardians. Not the legendary heroes who had saved the Digital World from the darkness time and again. They were merely children from another world playing pretend. On paper, they may be just as capable as the actual Guardians, but really, and they had known this deep down all along, in reality, they were nowhere near the real thing. They were just kids playing superhero in a world beyond their understanding.

OmniShoutmon looked from one to the other, seeing that the Machine Mercenaries' words were getting to them. His hands clenched in frustration. No, he couldn't let that happen. They had come too far, accomplished too much. He wouldn't let their spirits be crushed here.

Looking back at the Machine Mercenaries, he gave them a furious glare. "Shut up! You don't know what you're talking about! Those are just statistics. They don't apply to my friends. They're more than capable."

"But they're right, OmniShoutmon," Gallantmon whispered. "We really are just a bunch of kids playing make believe. Look at us." He held up his lance and shield. "This isn't us, not the real us. When we attack, are we even unleashing half the power of the real Guardians? We could never match the real thing."

OmniShoutmon turned to them. He could see the growing despair on their faces and in their body language. That was not acceptable. They had helped him get over himself, now he would do the same for them.

"And what of it?" he demanded. "So what if this isn't the real you. So what if you're using powers that aren't your own. You still made it here." He held out his arms. "Just look at all that you've accomplished. You've survived countless battles, battles where the odds were greatly staked against you by Digimon far more powerful than you. You may be using the Guardians' power, and while it's true that you could never fight to the fullest the way the actual Guardians would be able to, you use what you have, and it's brought you here."

He pointed at them. "Just look at yourselves. Look at your stages. You've reached levels that should have taken thousands and thousands of years to achieve. It did take the actual Guardians thousands and thousands years, yet you reached them in just one. Some of you have even unlocked stages that the real Guardians never achieved. Imperialdramon, your predecessor never unlocked Fighter Mode. And AncientGreymon, yours never got past Aldamon. That was all because of you, the power you humans possess.

"You won't ever be as strong as real Digimon, no, but you have your own strength, and that strength has allowed you to do something all of the Guardians put together could only hope to achieve. You defeated Leviamon. Remember that? You defeated a Demon Lord using the so-called limited amount of power you got from the Guardians." He turned back to the Machine Mercenaries. "And if you can defeat a Demon Lord, then these three should be a walk in the park."

The DigiDestined exchanged looks, turning this over in their heads. Seraphimon was the first to act, puffing out his chest and stepping forward to stand beside OmniShoutmon. "He's right. We're here now because we've done what we could with what we've got."

WarGreymon came up to them as well. "Agreed. It doesn't matter if we can't tap into the Guardians' full power, we have everything we need."

The others stepped forward to stand by their friends, all signs of uncertainty gone. This didn't seem to bother the Machine Mercenaries though as they continued to watch the DigiDestined with unreadable expressions.

Fujinmon, who seemed to be the leader of the group, sighed. "Very well. I suppose we'll have to do this the hard way."

With that, he raised his bladed arms and charged forward.

Notes:

(A/N: I was always a big fan of these three and couldn't wait to get to them. Their introduction is going to lead to many things, so look forward to it. This next arc is going to get pretty complex, but I won't be saying anything more than that. Stay tuned for the next update.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Fujinmon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Suijinmon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Raijinmon

Chapter 100: Androids, and Cyborgs, and Machines, Oh My!

Notes:

(A/N: Th 100th chapter is here, baby! I knew from the beginning that this story would break 100. Not sure how many chapters there actually will be, but it'll be interesting to see the final outcome. Last chapter we met the Machine Mercenaries, and based on Shoutmon's reaction, they're going to prove to be quite a problem. How big of a problem remains to be seen... in this chapter.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 100: Androids, and Cyborgs, and Machines, Oh My!

Gallantmon barely had time to raise his shield before Fujinmon's blade collided against it. The others looked on in surprise, caught off guard by the suddenness of the attack.

WarGreymon recovered from his surprise first. He swiped at Fujinmon from behind, but the machine Digimon seemed to detect the movement and jumped straight up, avoiding the attack. He came down on the dragon Digimon's back and then kicked out, his foot colliding with Gallantmon's head.

"Splendor Blade!" Imperialdramon cried, creating a sword of light. He brought it down on Fujinmon, but the machine Digimon didn't so much as give him a glance. Instead, Suijinmon raced over, catching the blade. He then fired his Infinity Cannon, blasting the dragon Digimon back.

AncientGreymon came to his aid, unleashing a Gaia Tornado. The machine Digimon didn't hesitate and instead went spinning perfectly through the center of the vortex and delivered a solid punch to the dragon Digimon.

While the others were caught off guard by the sudden outbreak of fighting, Raijinmon charged forward. He grabbed Ophanimon by the back of the head while she was facing away from him, and raced over to Seraphimon. As the angel Digimon turned to him, Raijinmon's other hand wrapped around his face. He smashed the two angel Digimon's heads together, then slammed them head down into the dirt before jumping up and firing his Electro Ball down at them.

OmniShoutmon flew at Raijinmon with his Doom Drillpress, but Fujinmon intercepted him, catching the dragon Digimon's bladed feet with his own energy blade. WarGreymon came at him then with his War Driver, but Fujinmon caught this attack with his other blade.

"Gram Strike!" Gallantmon cried, flying at him. It was an easy target, the machine Digimon being wide open as he held off the two dragon Digimon's attacks. But to his surprise, Fujinmon's legs shot up and wrapped around his lance.

"I told you," said the machine Digimon. "You'll never be able to use the Guardians' power to the fullest. The real Gallantmon would have landed that blow. Critical Arms!"

He pulled back, and swiped at Gallantmon, and then OmniShoutmon, knocking them both away. Then his blades extended and he began spinning around as he unleashed his Malt Cyclone. WarGreymon backed away as Fujinmon approached him as a tornado of deadly energy blades. He defended with his Brave Shield, but it soon became apparent that he wouldn't be able to hold the machine Digimon off for long as Fujinmon came at him again and again.

"Saber Shot!" Gallantmon cried, launching a ball of lightning from his lance.

Fujinmon stopped spinning and knocked the attack away with his energy blade. He then flew at Gallantmon and swiped at him wildly. The knight Digimon blocked with his shield and parried with his lance, but was unable to even attempt to land a blow. Even when WarGreymon flew over and started exchanging blows with the machine Digimon as well, they weren't making any progress. Fujinmon's profile was right, he was very good at close combat.

OmniShoutmon grunted in pain. He had been cut pretty deeply, Fujinmon's energy blade slicing straight through his armor. He didn't let this stop him though as he turned back to the battle. He waited for an opening, and then fired his Victorize Banking.

The brightness of the V-shaped bolt alerted WarGreymon and Gallantmon of their friend's attack as it shined more intensely than the sun. At the same time, they pulled away from the machine Digimon, both badly cut up from the blows Fujinmon had landed on them.

The machine Digimon didn't shy away from the attack, but instead met it head on, crossing his blades in front of him to defend against it. He held the bolt back before sending it up and away, no worse for wear.

"Terra Force!" WarGreymon cried, throwing a massive ball of energy.

Fujinmon turned to the attack and began spinning around. "Silph Storm!"

A powerful gust of wind erupted from his body. WarGreymon's attack actually came to a stop in the air as the wind blew against him, and began making its way back to the dragon Digimon.

"It can't be!" WarGreymon cried before he was blown away by his own attack.

"WarGreymon!" Gallantmon shouted. He turned back to Fujinmon. Furiously, he raised his shield. "Shield of the Just!"

The beam tore through the air towards Fujinmon. The machine Digimon glanced in its direction, then rushed towards it. Using his energy blade, he cut through the beam until he reached the knight Digimon. "Malt Cyclone!"

Gallantmon cried out as Fujinmon's blades danced across the surface of his body. OmniShoutmon swore as he watched his friend being cut up, and he fired his Hard Rock Spirit.

Once again, as if sensing the attack coming, Fujinmon kicked Gallantmon away and flew towards OmniShoutmon all over his body, keeping his stabs shallow so as not to kill him. And when the dragon Digimon fell to his knees, Fujinmon unleashed his Silph Storm, blowing OmniShoutmon into the canyon wall.

Raijinmon was engaged in combat as well with the two angel Digimon. Like Fujinmon, his combat skills were top-notch, and he easily dodged and batted away Ophanimon's thrusts with her javelin and Seraphimon's swipes with his Excalibur. He seemed to be enjoying himself more than anything while the two angel Digimon were struggling to land a blow.

"This guy's tough," said Seraphimon. "Wish I had martial arts skills like him."

"We can sign up when we get back home," Ophanimon replied. "For now, this will have to do. Eden's Javelin!"

She fired a beam from her javelin. Raijinmon countered with his Electro Ball, his attack forcing its way through the beam and striking the angel Digimon.

"Hallowed Ascension!" Seraphimon cried, calling lightning down from the sky.

Raijinmon swerved around, dodging the lightning as he chuckled in amusement. "I can do that too, only better. Back Storm!"

In just a few short seconds, clouds filled the silky, and a heavy downpour started. More lightning rained down, amplified and spread out by the rain, and collided with the lightning from Seraphimon's attack, cancelling out the bolts.

Raijinmon chuckled. "I love electricity. It can be used to rejuvenate life, or destroy it. Electro Ball!"

Seraphimon swung his sword. Both it and the ball of electricity burst into energy upon contact. Seraphimon was then immediately hit by more lightning as Raijinmon repeated his Back Storm attack. The machine Digimon then flew over to him and balled his fists together, bringing them down on the angel Digimon, where they exploded into bursts of electricity against his back.

"Sefirot Crystal!" Ophanimon cried, attacking while Raijinmon's back was turned.

The machine Digimon grunted in pain as the attack hit him from behind, then slowly turned in her direction. He didn't have a mouth, as far as Ophanimon could see, but she had a feeling he was smiling. "You're attacks aren't even as strong as the real Guardians."

He flew towards her, delivering a punch to her midsection. As she doubled over, his hand wrapped around her throat, cutting off her air supply. Ophanimon grasped his hand, but he had an iron grip on her, and refused to let go as he slowly held her up over his head. "Back Storm!"

Down came the lightning, dancing across Ophanimon's back. Seraphimon had gotten to his feet at this point and was now flying up to her. Raijinmon ceased his attack and threw Ophanimon down at him. He half caught, half crashed into her as Raijinmon dropped down from the sky, slamming both feet into them, and they went crashing to the ground. He followed up with his Elekugel, firing streams of electricity from his four shoulder canons, and the two angel Digimon were once again electrified.

Suijinmon wasn't so much fighting as he was running. Or flying really, and Imperialdramon and AncientGreymon were right behind him. Despite this, he was apparently greatly enjoying himself as he maneuvered through the air, avoiding the attacks they threw at him.

"Positron Laser!" Imperialdramon cried, firing a beam.

AncientGreymon followed up with his Omega Burst, launching explosive fireballs. Suijinmon flew along the length of Imperialdramon's beam as he dodged the fireballs around him. "This is excellent. I haven't had a good fight in years. It's very refreshing."

"How's this for refreshing?" AncientGreymon growled. "Gaia Tornado!"

Suijinmon may have been able to avoid the other attacks, but he couldn't escape the tornado that flowed over him. Imperialdramon decided to try to end this quickly and produced his cannon. "Giga Crusher!"

Suijinmon whirled around. "Infinity Cannon!"

The cannons on the machine Digimon's shoulders fired blasts of energy. His attack was faster than Imperialdramon's, and when the two attacks collided, the dragon Digimon was caught in the blast and blown away.

AncientGreymon flew through the cloud of smoke and opened his mouth to chomp down on the machine Digimon. Suijinmon grabbed his upper and lower jaws. Keeping them open while holding the dragon Digimon at bay. Sparks began to gather in AncientGreymon's mouth as he prepared to attack at point blank range. "Omega Bur-"

"Accel Arm!" Suijinmon cried, releasing the dragon Digimon's lower jaw and driving his fist into his face. AncientGreymon's head snapped to the side, a fireball escaping his mouth. Suijinmon repeated his attack with his other hand, then the other, knocking the dragon Digimon's head back and forth.

"Omega Corona!" AncientGreymon cried, a fiery explosion erupting from his body. Suijinmon went flying backwards, and as he went spinning through the air, he saw Imperialdramon coming for him.

Using his momentum to his advantage, he kicked off the canyon wall and launched himself at Imperialdramon. "Accel Arm!"

"Dragon Knee!"

Suijinmon's fist met Imperialdramon's knee. The dragon Digimon recoiled, clutching his kneecap as he grunted in pain. Suijinmon followed up with another Accel Arm to Imperialdramon's chin, then blasted him back with his Infinity Cannon.

An explosive fireball hit Suijinmon from behind, and he turned to AncientGreymon. He flew back toward the dragon Digimon, firing his canons at the fireballs AncientGreymon shot at him. He delivered an Accel Arm square in the dragon Digimon's face, sending him flying backwards. But he wasn't done yet, and grabbed AncientGreymon's tail.

Spinning him around, he threw the dragon Digimon into the canyon wall. Then, as if he had anticipated it all along, he flew back to Imperialdramon just as the dragon Digimon's chest opened. Suijinmon ended up right in front of Imperialdramon just as his emitter protruded from the opening.

"Ionic Blaster!" Imperialdramon cried, and the end of his emitter glowed with power.

Suijinmon's hand shot out, grabbing the rod of the emitter. Rotating his body, he moved out at the attack's path while twisting Imperialdramon around so he was facing AncientGreymon.

Imperialdramon's eyes widened, but it was too late to stop his attack, and his emitter fired a bolt of energy at his friend. AncientGreymon hadn't even fully gotten to his feet before Imperialdramon's attack exploded into his side. He cried out as rocks began raining down around him as the canyon wall crumbled.

"AncientGreymon!" Imperialdramon cried. "I'm sorry!"

But Suijinmon didn't give him time for a proper apology. Grasping the emitter, he snapped it off Imperialdramon's body, earning a grunt of pain from the dragon Digimon. He flew up higher, swinging the emitter, and striking Imperialdramon in the head with it. He did it again and again, and Imperialdramon stumbled back with each blow. And when he finally went down, Suijinmon blasted him with his Infinity Cannon, sending him skidding cross the ground.

Fujinmon flew over to rejoin Suijinmon, as did Raijinmon. They looked at the wounded Digimon with expressionless faces, as if the beatings they had just delivered were nothing more than chores that needed to be done.

"Well," said Fujinmon. "I suppose they were a decent challenge."

"Agreed," said Suijinmon. He crushed Imperialdramon's emitter into data and absorbed it. "I was hoping for a little more from the so-called Guardians."

"They are just pretenders," Raijinmon reminded them. "The real ones would have done much better."

WarGreymon stumbled over to them; getting hit by his own attack like that had really taken a lot out of them. "We're not done yet."

"Yeah," Gallantmon agreed, coming up beside him. "Though we may be in a bit of trouble."

Seraphimon and Ophanimon flew over to join them. "We can't let them split us up like that. We're strongest together."

"As long as we're not attacking each other," AncientGreymon growled, throwing Imperialdramon an irritated look as he and OmniShoutmon limped over.

Imperialdramon had a hand to his chest, feeling as if one of his ribs had been ripped out. "I said I was sorry."

Fujinmon ran his blades together. "We were still expecting more. You may not be the Guardians, but you do possess a good portion of their power, and you took part in the fall of Leviamon. That must account for something."

Raijinmon cracked his knuckles. "So don't disappoint us."

But while his comrades were preoccupied with the DigiDestined, Suijinmon became aware of something. He whirled around and fired his Infinity Cannon and shot down a missile that had been heading their way. Fujinmon and Raijinmon turned around as well, surprised by the sudden explosion.

"What the…?" Fujinmon snarled.

"Magna Missiles!"

This time a series of smaller missiles flew at the Machine Mercenaries. Raijinmon called down lightning to stop them, resulting in a cloud of smoke. A moment later, what seemed to be a giant sword tore through the cloud. Fujinmon jumped up and deflected the sword with his energy blade, glaring at the floating weapon.

"Who are you to intercept our mission?" he demanded.

The smoke began to clear, and two new Digimon appeared. "That would be us! MetalGarurumon!"

What seemed to be a large mechanical wolf approached on all fours. Standing beside it on two legs was another cybernetic wolf wielding a giant gun. "MagnaGarurumon!"

The sword that Fujinmon had deflected floated over to them and transformed into yet another humanoid wolf-like Digimon. "CresGarurumon! We're known as the Garuru Trio!"

Fujinmon glared at them. "Never heard of you."

"Nor have I," Suijinmon growled. "Sounds like a couple of Digimon trying to make themselves out to be important."

CresGarurumon grinned. "You may not have heard of us, but we're pretty well known in our home."

A heavy thump shook the ground and echoed through the canyon. A few seconds later, it was followed by another, and then another. The DigiDestined looked around in confusion, wondering, along with who these new Digimon were, what the heavy thumping was. Did they just start now, or had they been going on the whole time and they just hadn't realized it during the heat of battle?

As another thump, louder and closer now than ever, shook the ground, MagnaGarurumon looked over his shoulder. "Ah, here it comes now."

"What does?" Suijinmon growled.

MagnaGarurumon turned back to them. "Our home."

From around the corner of the canyon, an enormous hulking figure emerged. The DigiDestined stared in utter disbelief at what they saw. The source of the loud thumps and shaking ground were the footsteps of a Digimon, the biggest they had ever seen. Larger than Leviamon, larger even than KingWhamon, who, for all intents and purposes, was a living island.

This Digimon resembled a giant tortoise. And on the back of its shell was what seemed to be an ancient castle, so large it seemed to contain an entire civilization. It seemed more than capable of containing a population, and MagnaGarurumon's claim that it was their home seemed very believable.

"ElDradimon…" OmniShoutmon whispered.

"You mean that giant turtle thing coming our way?" Imperialdramon asked.

OmniShoutmon glared at him. "That's no turtle. It's ElDradimon. He's a Digimon that first came to be when he unified with the data of the ancient ruins he was exploring."

Fujinmon pointed his blade at the Garuru Trio. "Back off. We have no quarrel with you. These humans are our targets."

Something from the castle on ElDradimon's back took flight. It flew through the air and landed in front of the Garuru Trio. It looked like Digitamamon, only with angel wings and a halo over its head. "Be gone. We have business with these humans."

"HolyDigitamamon," Raijinmon growled. "Are you challenging the Machine Mercenaries?"

"Darn right," HolyDigitamamon snapped. "The humans are now under our protection, and we're prepared to protect them. Your reputation proceeds you, Machine Mercenaries, but do you really think you can defeat them, me, the Garuru Trio, ElDradimon, and everyone else on his back? Because that's exactly what this is going to come to if you choose to keep fighting."

CresGarurumon twirled his sword around. "So what's it going to be?"

Fujinmon continued to point his blade at them, staring the four down. Finally, though, he lowered his blade. "We know when we are outmatched. Therefore, we shall retreat for now." He looked back at the DigiDestined. "However, do not think this is over. The Machine Mercenaries have never failed a mission before, and we don't intend to now. We will be back, and next time, we will destroy you."

The three machine Digimon took flight and disappeared over the canyon walls. And just like that, the threat was gone. It seemed that the DigiDestined had caught a lucky break.

Or had they? Turning their attention to the newcomers, they eyed them suspiciously. HolyDigitamamon had said that they were under his protection, but what did that mean? What went along with protection? Something was telling them that he would want something in return.

The egg Digimon turned his attention to them. His face, if he actually had one, was hidden within his eggshell, but they got the impression that he was smiling at them. "It's ok you're safe now. We're here to help you."

"Ok… cool…" said WarGreymon hesitantly. "Um, so you know who we are?"

"Of course we know who you are," MetalGarurumon replied. "The whole Digital World knows by now."

"News of what you've done spread throughout the ocean," CresGarurumon explained. "From there, it spread to the land outlining the seas, and then to the inlands."

"By now, everyone has heard of the humans with the power of the Guardians who defeated the Demon Lord Leviamon," MagnaGarurumon concluded.

WarGreymon raised an eyebrow. "So this is your way of saying thanks?"

HolyDigitamamon closed his eyes. "Well, not the only reason. There's someone who wants to speak with you."

Ophanimon glanced at the giant waking castle. "You mean on ElDradimon?"

HolyDigitamamon nodded. "I have orders to take you to the king and queen."

Surprise crossed Gallantmon's face, and he glanced at OmniShoutmon. "I thought you were the Digimon King."

"I am," the dragon Digimon replied, "but there are others that rule different areas. I, however, outrank all of them and rule the entire Digital World. I'm the high king, if you will. The only ones who outrank me are the Sovereigns, and above them the Digimon God himself."

HolyDigitamamon seemed to ignore this. "The king and queen offer you sanctuary, and the wise-man wishes to see you."

Imperialdramon looked interested. "A wise-man, huh? You mean like tarot cards and palm reading?"

"All will be revealed in time. Please, come aboard ElDradimon. I promise he will not hurt you. You will be safe."

AncientGreymon glanced at the others. "What do you think?"

Imperialdramon changed back to his human form. "Getting to ride on a moving castle? Count me in. Besides, my feet are killing me. I've got blisters on top of my blisters."

WarGreymon was a little more hesitant. With the Demon Lords after them, he thought it better to err on the side of caution. But then again, they were saved by them. "OmniShoutmon?"

The dragon Digimon DeDigivolved. "It should be ok. There's no danger here. Besides, ElDradimon is literally a moving fortress, and practically impenetrable. We'll be safe there."

That was good enough for the others, and one by one, they returned to their human forms. "Count us in," said Tai. "We could use a break."

 

Notes:

(A/N: Well, this is an interesting turn of events. It looks like our heroes are getting a reprieve. But who are this king and queen of ElDradimon? And who is this wise-man that wants to speak to them? And what of the Machine Mercenaries? We haven't seen the last of them. But after getting their butts kicked, will our heroes be able to stand up to them. And then there's still Belphemon to worry about. I've got a lot coming up, so look forward to it.)

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New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/MetalGarurumon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/MagnaGarurumon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/CresGarurumon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/ElDradimon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/HolyDigitamamon

Chapter 101: ElDradimon's Moving Castle

Notes:

(A/N: Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. Well, not yet, but tomorrow. Managed to get this out despite getting ready for everything. I'm on a roll with chapters that are movie references. Last chapter was "The Wizard of Oz", this one is "Howl's Moving Castle". Well, ok, so maybe two isn't a roll, but whatever. Our heroes are about to meet the king and queen of ElDradimon's city, or whatever he carries on his back. Things are going to get interesting.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 101: ElDradimon's Moving Castle

 

It was still hard to believe that they were on the back of a Digimon. True, they had spent several days on KingWhamon, but it was nothing like this.

There were Digimon actually living here. They had homes, a whole functioning society. It was strange to think that all this was on ElDradimon's back. And the mutant Digimon didn't seem to mind at all, or even notice for that matter.

After the teens had boarded, ElDradimon had resumed his trek to… wherever he was going; perhaps he didn't even have a set destination in mind. His movements were slow, but he was so large that he covered a lot of ground very quickly. The teens couldn't really feel his movements, but they were aware of the loud thumps of his footsteps. The other residents, however, didn't even seem to notice.

"You get used to it," HolyDigitamamon told them. "Eventually, it will fade into the background, and you won't even notice it."

ElDradimon's foot made another loud thump, like thunder during a storm, and Takato sweat-dropped. "Somehow I doubt that."

Kari looked around, wondering where the Garuru Trio had disappeared to after having dropped them off. "Hey, what happened to the others?"

"They are patrolling the area," HolyDigitamamon replied, knowing who she was referring to. "With you here, they're being extra careful. You are being targeted by the Demon Lords. Not even ElDradimon's defense can protect us from one of them."

Takuya felt a shiver go down his spine, but tried not to show it. After their battle with the Machine Mercenaries, he didn't think they'd be up to a battle with a Demon Lord. "Do you think one will show up?"

HolyDigitamamon shook his head, which, in his case, was his whole body. "Not in person. The Demon Lords consider most obstacles to be beneath them, so they'll send their servants instead. We may run into a few of them."

TK thought back to how their attackers had backed out of the fight. "Then why did the Machine Mercenaries withdraw?"

"Because they don't serve the Demon Lords. Not really. Your assassination is a job to them, nothing more. I have no doubt that they'll try to kill you again, but they'll do it on their own terms, not the Demon Lords'."

Takato looked confused by this. "But I thought the Demon Lords demanded absolute obedience. Wouldn't they just destroy the Machine Mercenaries for disobeying them?"

"They make a special exception for them since they're valuable allies and can be bought to follow their orders. Now come, the king and queen are waiting."

He led them into the castle. The inside definitely seemed fit for royalty; mostly in ways palaces were portrayed in movies that took place during ancient times. It was a nice blend of ancient Egypt, Rome, and Greece at their finest. Several Digimon scrambled about, but many stopped to stare and began whispering at the teens' presence. They caught words like "humans" and "Demon Lord" and "Guardians" amongst the gossiping Digimon.

HolyDigitamamon led them through a grand hall, which at the end had an enormous pair of double doors. Sitting before it was a tiger Digimon with eagle-like wings. Next to it was another Digimon that looked like some sort of dog. They seemed to be guarding the doors.

"These are the humans that defeated the Demon Lords?" the tiger Digimon asked.

HolyDigitamamon bowed his head slightly. "Indeed they are." He looked at the teens. "This is Mihiramon and Caturamon. They're the head of security here."

Takato examined his Digivice. "It says here Mihiramon's an Ultimate level Digimon who's a member of the 12 Devas. He's a brilliant tactician who specializes in reading the terrain. He circles his prey like a shark before moving faster than sound and attacking with his Tiger Wing Blades and Samurai Tiger Tail. Caturamon's an Ultimate level too, and also a member of the Devas. He has an incredibly strong sense of justice, even though he tends to see things in black and white. His Howl of the Heavens attack is capable of shattering barriers, and he can generate massive earthquakes by striking his tail against the ground."

A smirk grazed the tiger Digimon's face. "You flatter us, we but do our duty to serve the king and queen."

"My lord and lady are expecting you," said Caturamon. "We shall grant you admission."

He pushed against the double doors with his head, and they creaked open, revealing the throne room beyond it. It was a spectacular room full of wonder, fit for royalty. And inside, seated on the two thrones next to each other, were, presumably, the king and queen of ElDradimon's castle.

HolyDigitamamon, Mihiramon, and Caturamon approached the thrones, and the egg Digimon bowed to them. "My king and queen, I have brought the humans, as requested."

The king shifted forward to get a better look at them. "Then the wise-man was correct. He almost always is. Approach."

The teens did so, hesitantly. The king and queen certainly gave off an air of royal authority. That and they already looked powerful, definitely Megas as far as they could tell. Being in their presence was certainly intimidating.

"Presenting their majesties Pharaohmon and QueenChessmon," Caturamon declared proudly.

The queen smirked at the teens. "So these are the humans. What interesting creatures they are."

Tai suddenly realized that they should, perhaps, be bowing to them. Wasn't that what one did before royalty? He quickly got down on one knee, lowering his head to them, and the others followed suit. The only one who didn't bow was Shoutmon, who simply crossed his arms, seemingly seeing himself as a higher ranked royalty.

Pharaohmon quickly stood up from his throne and approached them. "My friends, please, rise." Still looking hesitant, the teens did so, and Pharaohmon smiled at them. "It is us who should be bowing to you."

Then, much to the teens' surprise, he got down on one knee, lowering his head. QueenChessmon got up and went to stand before her mate before bowing as well. Mihiramon and Caturamon also lowered their heads, and a few seconds later, HolyDigitamamon seemed to realize that since his king and queen were bowing that, perhaps, he should be too, and he all but did a face-plant as he completely dropped to the ground in as low of a bow as possible.

The teens were shocked by this as they slowly got to their feet. Takato stared at them with wide eyes as he asked, "Why are you bowing to us?"

Shoutmon smirked, rubbing his finger beneath his nose arrogantly. "Well, I am here."

Pharaohmon looked up at them. "You have done us a great service. You have destroyed one of the Demon Lords. That is a debt the Digital World can never repay."

TK sweat-dropped. "It was nothing, really. This isn't necessary."

Davis wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "Yeah, we beat that overgrown salamander like he was nothing."

Shoutmon cut his eyes at him. "You almost got bitten in half."

Grinning broadly, Davis said through clenched teeth, "I had a little slip up; lets not dwell on it."

QueenChessmon stood up. "Despite the circumstances, you have still done us all a great service. Thus, you shall always be welcomed here should you ever need sanctuary."

"Wow, thanks," Kari replied. "It'd be nice to know there's a place we'd be safe."

"As safe as one can get with the Demon Lords after us, that is," Shoutmon corrected. "That being said, your majesties, if your offer includes it, we are trying to get to Belphemon's castle. Would you be willing to provide us with transportation?"

Pharaohmon stood up as well. "We would be glad to. But I'm afraid we cannot take you the whole way. As much as we are willing to help, we must consider our people's safety. However, we will bring you as close as we dare to get."

"That's more than enough," Tai replied. "It'd be nice not to have to walk for awhile."

"Or sleep out in the wilderness," Takuya added. "We haven't slept in real beds since being on CaptainHookmon's ships."

"If you can call ripped up hammocks beds," Shoutmon mumbled.

"We would be happy to help in any way we can," Pharaohmon replied as he and QueenChessmon returned to their thrones. "If it is acceptable to you, HolyDigitamamon shall attend to your needs while you are here."

"It will be an honor," the egg Digimon replied.

Davis patted his stomach. "Great, then how about some food; I'm starving."

Mihiramon glanced at the king and queen. "Your majesties, let us not forget our true purpose for bringing them here."

QueenChessmon nodded. "But of course." She looked back at the teens. "As grateful as we are to you for having defeated Leviamon, I'm afraid that is not why we sought you out."

TK frowned. "Why? Is something wrong?"

Pharaohmon sighed. "That remains to be seen. A few weeks ago, we were informed by the wise-man that he needed to see you."

"He said it was of the utmost urgency that he speak with you," QueenChessmon added. "He said it was for your sake, as well as for the sake of the Digital World." She motioned to them. "If you are ready, he will see you now."

Davis stared. "As in right now? Can't I get a snack and a nap in first?"

"Davis," Kari scolded. "ElDradimon just walked here carrying an entire city on his back so we could meet this wise-man. I think a nap can wait."

Her brother's look-alike sighed. "Fine, but lets make this first fast. I've got a date with a hot meal and a soft mattress."

Unfortunately for Davis, it took longer than he hoped, as HolyDigitamamon had to lead them to the base of the castle while Pharaohmon and QueenChessmon had resided at the very top. This meant a long trek back down the castle before they reached their destination.

This part of the castle was much gloomier, and seemed more suited to be a dungeon. Shoutmon seemed to trust HolyDigitamamon, and so the teens continued to follow him, despite their unease. But upon coming to a large set of doors, they were greeted by a large Digimon accompanied by what appeared to be several living tombstones.

"Halt, who goes there?" the large Digimon demanded.

HolyDigitamamon turned to the teens. "This is FusedAncientVolcanomon. She guards the wise-man's quarters."

"FusedAncientVolcanomon," Takato repeated. "That's quite a name." He glanced at the tombstone Digimon; they reminded him of Diglett. "And who are these guys?"

"Oh, those are Ohakadamon. There are a few different variations of them, but they're relatively harmless."

"They act as my eyes and ears around the castle so I know of any potential threat," FusedAncientVolcanomon told them. "Now, how about telling me why you are here."

HolyDigitamamon rolled his eyes. "Must you be so uptight all the time? These are the humans who defeated Leviamon. You know the wise-man is expecting them; he said as much. Stop being so serious and let them in."

A growl escaped the mineral Digimon, but she knocked on the door all the same. A few moments later, a tall robotic opened the door. "Yes?"

TK raised a hand in greeting. "Um, hi. I guess we have an appointment. Are you the wise-man?"

The Digimon opened the door further. "I am HiAndromon, I am the wise-man's assistant. You are the humans, I presume. Please, come in."

He moved to grant them entrance. HolyDigitamamon left the teens' side and went to stand against the wall. "I'll wait here. I hope you get some good news."

Tai looked at the open door. "Yeah, I hope so too."

They made their way inside, and immediately noticed a difference. The room was full of jewels and mirrors decorating the interior. Some rested on the walls, and others hung from the ceiling, and yet others simply floated around in the air. And they weren't the only things floating around. Small Digimon flew around performing various tasks.

"Do not mind them," HiAndromon told the teens. "They're just Mirrormon. They're the wise-man's assistants."

Takato looked at one of the Mirrormon as it floated by carrying, ironically, a mirror. "They kind of look like Mercurymon. Are they a pre-Digivolved form of him?"

Shoutmon shook his head. "No, these guys are Appmon Digimon, like Gatchmon and Navimon. Appmon are a different species of Digimon than the standard Digimon race like Mercurymon, so they can't Digivolve into him."

Kari smiled. "They're kind of cute," she said, reaching for one.

"Appearances can be deceiving," a powerful voice full of wisdom spoke out. "A harmless face could hide a dangerous foe."

Another Digimon floated over. He too resembled the Mirrormon, only far more elaborate and more powerful in appearance.

HiAndromon motioned towards the Digimon. "This is the wise-man, AncientWisemon. And just for the record, he is a Digivolved form of Mercurymon, his Mega form in fact."

Takuya cut his eyes at the mutant Digimon. "AncientWisemon the wise-man. That figures."

Tai opted to get some more information and checked his Digivice. "He's right. AncientWisemon is the Digivolution of Mercurymon's Ultimate form, Sakkakumon. It's said he's a powerful sage whose mirror body connects to the spirit world. He's considered the wisest of all Digimon, and it's said that there isn't anything he doesn't know. He possesses all the knowledge of the past, and is even able to predict the future."

Davis glanced at Shoutmon. "Did you know about this guy?"

Shoutmon blinked. "Of course. I am the Digimon King."

"Then why did you bring us to Cherubimon instead him? Wouldn't this guy have been more helpful?"

The dragon Digimon pointed. "Because the guy lives in a castle that's constantly on the move to destinations unknown. How was I supposed to know where to find him?"

"It is for the best that you went there anyway," AncientWisemon told them. "Had Apocalymon sided with the Demon Lords, it would have been great trouble. Cherubimon also needed your aid to be freed from the black gear that controlled him."

Kari looked impressed. "Wow, you really are well-informed."

"Of course," the mutant Digimon replied. "I am a living form of the Akashic Records, and thus posses all the knowledge of the events, thoughts, words, emotions, and intents ever to have occurred in the past, present, or future. Knowledge can be a powerful weapon. It provides much insight on the past, and can help us to predict the future."

Tai felt hope swell within him. "Then you know the future?"

"I do, or as much as one can know about it, for the future is always changing and in motion."

"Then tell us! Will we be able to defeat the Demon Lords? Will we free the Sovereigns? Will we be able to return to our world?"

AncientWisemon held up what served as a hand to silence him. "I'm afraid I am unable to tell you. While I do know the future, I know of all possible futures, every outcome that may or may not occur. I know of futures where you defeat the Demon Lords. I know of futures where the Demon Lords defeat you. I know of futures where you return home, and of futures where you do not. The future is always in changing, as the preset affects the outcome. I know of all these outcomes, but I do not know which outcome may come to pass. I can only calculate and determine which future may most likely occur based on the events currently taking place at the present."

Davis felt as if his brain had just been fried, and he looked at his friends for help. "Did any of you guys make sense of any of that?"

TK ignored him as he asked, "Then can you tell us the most likely outcome?"

A sigh escaped AncientWisemon. "The biggest problem with too much knowledge is knowing what to do with it. Knowledge is power, and a great weapon, but it also acts as a double-edge sword. Should I tell you that the Demon Lords will most likely succeed, your spirits may dampen, thus leading to your downfall. Should I tell you that you will succeed, you may become overconfident, which could instead result in your failure. This is why the future must not be known by the general public. Knowledge of a dark future could lead to you attempting to avoid it, which may in fact bring it about in the first place. Knowledge of a good future may result in the event not coming to pass. Even if I did tell you, what I say may simply be the future as I know it at the time, and it may change later. Therefore, I shall not reveal what I know. But what I can do is give you just enough information to help guide you down the path that will lead to the best possible scenario for all."

This was not what Tai wanted to hear, yet he understood what AncientWisemon was saying, and he reluctantly agreed that it would be best not to know. He did hold out hope for some other information though. "What about the Real World? Can you tell us what's happening there?"

"Yeah," said Takuya quickly. "Is Zoe pissed that I missed our date. She can have quite a temper." At the looks the others gave him, he shrugged. "What? I just want to know how much groveling I'll have to do to make up for it."

AncientWisemon raised an eyebrow. "You humans are peculiar creatures, even to a being as wise as myself."

Davis leaned in towards Shoutmon. "Geez, modest much?"

"In any case," AncientWisemon continued, "it is not wise to worry about what you cannot change. Work on the here and now, and focus on what you can change with the knowledge you have, and the knowledge I shall give you. That is why I have asked you to come."

TK sighed. "So you're not going to tell us the future-"

"The future as things stand," AncientWisemon corrected.

"Right, that. So you're not going to tell us what will happen, but you said that you know all possible futures. What is the likelihood that we can reach a future where we defeat the Demon Lords? Can you tell us that much?"

The mutant Digimon closed his eyes, as if contemplating what he should or should not say. Finally, he opened his eyes. "To be perfectly honest, it is not good. Most scenarios will end in your fall at the hands of the Demon Lords. There are some where you are victorious, but they are few and far between. But you already knew this."

It wasn't good news, but he was right, it wasn't anything they didn't already know. Still, it wasn't fun to hear.

"Well, you're right," said Tai, "we knew our chances were slim."

"Slimmer than you think," Shoutmon muttered under his breath.

"It is not impossible though," AncientWisemon reassured them. "There is a small chance for success, and I am going to do what I can to make sure that happens."

Kari clapped her hands together. "Then you're going to come with us?"

"That'll be really helpful," said Tai.

The mutant Digimon reluctantly shook his head. "I cannot. My presence would be a great danger to you."

"How come?" Takato asked.

A look of regret appeared in AncientWisemon eyes, but it vanished quickly. "Because I am the third piece of the puzzle."

Davis blinked. "What puzzle? I'm not good at puzzles."

AncientWisemon sighed. "I'm sure you recall your adventures dealing with certain keycards and the Ninjamon and Kogamon scrolls."

Tai's face darkened. "Don't tell me you're involved with them."

A groan escaped Takuya. "I thought we were done with those things."

To their dismay, AncientWisemon shook his head. "Volcanusmon was a friend of mine. We took steps in sealing away the great power. The scrolls he gave to the Kogamon and Ninjamon clans explain how to use the keycards. The keycards unlock the seal on the great power." He placed a hand over his heart. "And I am the one who knows where the great power is sealed away."

The teens didn't respond to this silence. Truth be told, they had never actually considered where the so-called great power was. They had only been concerned with preventing the evil Digimon with the means of obtaining it.

"But I thought ShadowSeraphimon wanted the great power," said Takuya.

AncientWisemon nodded. "Yes, but he too is an agent of the Demon Lords. They are the driving force behind all the things evil in the Digital World. ShadowSeraphimon did indeed want the great power, but he wanted it for his masters. He was under orders to obtain the great power for the Demon Lords, or one of them anyway. And they will come for me to find it."

Tai crossed his arms in thought. "I guess it would make sense that the Digimon who knows everything in the Digital World would know the location of the great power. But if you know everything, couldn't they have just skipped the scrolls and found out how to use the keycards from you?"

A light chuckle escaped AncientWisemon. "That is one bit of knowledge I willingly do not posses. As I said before, too much knowledge can be bad. It would not do to have all the knowledge of the great power in one location where it can be easily obtained."

TK shrugged. "Makes sense. But I think you'll be safe. I'm pretty sure those scrolls are lost for good in the ruins of ShadowSeraphimon's castle. They were likely even destroyed when it collapsed."

AncientWisemon sighed. "I'm afraid you're wrong. In all actuality, ShadowSeraphimon had sent the scrolls off to his master before you even arrived at the castle. The Demon Lords have had that piece of the puzzle all this time, and they will come for the rest."

Shoutmon stepped forward. "But you know what the great power is. Tell us. Maybe it can help defeat the Demon Lords."

AncientWisemon shook his head. "I do know what lies beyond the seal, but no, I will not tell you. That power can only be used to destroy, and will only serve to lead you to your own destruction."

"But maybe-"

"I will not help you with this. That is final. Someday, perhaps, I will tell you, but not now. Hopefully never." He brought his hands together. "What I will tell you is knowledge that will help you in times to come."

TK raised an eyebrow. "I thought you weren't going to tell us our futures."

"No, I am not. As I said, I will give you advice to help you for when you will need it. However, it will be up to you to recognize these situations, to remember my advice, and to heed it if you so choose to. In the end, free will always determines which of the countless number of futures will come to pass."

He turned away, and began heading to a pair of curtains hanging on the wall. Opening them, he glanced back at the teens. "I will speak to each of you privately. Whether you wish to share what I tell you with each other is up to you. Enter whenever you are ready."

With that, he disappeared behind the curtains. The teens remained where they were, bewildered by this turn of events. This was not how they thought their meeting with the wise-man was going to go.

"So," said HiAndromon, who had remained silent throughout AncientWisemon's entire conversation with the teens, "who wants to go first?"

Notes:

(A/N: Well, this is an interesting turn of events our heroes are going to get advice for their futures that will possibly help them defeat the Demon Lords. And what's this? The return of the Ninjamon and Kogamon scrolls that lead to the great power? I told you that that would come back at some point… Or did I? I don't remember. But yes, we're not done with that yet. I'm really looking forward to the next chapter. Things are going to get very interesting, so stay tuned for it.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Mihiramon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Caturamon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Pharaohmon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/QueenChessmon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/FusedAncientVolcanomon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Ohakadamon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/HiAndromon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Mirrormon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/AncientWisemon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Sakkakumon

Chapter 102: The Wisest Advice

Notes:

(A/N: Well, this chapter certainly took a long time to write. We're about to get a glimpse into what the future holds for our heroes. I suppose you can look at it as a preview of what's to come throughout the story. Not too much, just a sneak peek. Hope it gets you hyped up for future chapters. Oh, and speaking of getting hyped up, I also posted a new "Highschool of the DEAD" story today too. Take a look at it if you're interested. But for now, enjoy the next installment.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 102: The Wisest Advice

 

Tai sighed. "Well, we're not going to get anywhere just standing here. I'll go first."

Kari reached out and grabbed the back of his shirt. "Are you sure, Tai? We don't know what he's going to tell us. It could be really bad."

Tai was perfectly aware of that. He was indeed afraid that AncientWisemon would give him some horrible news. He might even tell him that there would come a time where he might have to choose between one of his friends, or something worse. There had already been several tragic deaths since this so-called adventure began, and he wasn't foolish enough to think that there wouldn't be more.

"I know that, Kari," he replied, "but we need all the help we can get. We need his advice, no matter what it is."

TK stepped forward and placed a hand on Kari's shoulder. "It'll be ok. AncientWisemon said he's going to give us advice to help us for when we need it. We should look at this as a good thing."

Kari hesitated, but then released her brother's shirt. Tai gave TK a grateful smile. Not just for comforting his sister, but also because his words had helped to reassure him as well. For all he knew, AncientWisemon was going to give him advice on how to take down one of the Demon Lords. He should look at this as a good thing.

Taking a deep breath, he stepped through the curtains. He wasn't the least bit surprised when he saw that the room had a very cliché fortuneteller design to it. AncientWisemon sat at the table in the middle of the room with incense and candles burning on either side of him.

"I knew you would be the first to enter Taichi Kamiya," the mutant Digimon stated. "You possess the most courage out of all you friends. Courage is your strongest trait." He motioned to the seat across from him. "Please, sit, and we shall begin."

Tai did so, sitting across from the mutant Digimon. "So, what's this advice you have for me?"

AncientWisemon leaned forward "For you to remember what I have just told you. There are many trials ahead of you, young human, many of which will require the type of courage you posses, but there is one trial where you will play a significant role. When all hope seems lost, you will feel despair threatening to consume you. You must not let it. Remember your courage, and your desire to protect those you care about. You must hold onto this passion, and harness it as a source of power. It will awaken something great in you that may help you save your friends."

Tai waited for him to say more, but it seemed that AncientWisemon was finished. He blinked at this, almost feeling cheated. "Wait, that's it? You're basically telling me not to give up no matter how hopeless things seem?"

"I am telling you that there is a power deep inside you that not even you know about. And that power will awaken another power, one that is essentially in stopping an evil power that wishes to destroy you and your friends."

"But that doesn't really tell me anything!" Tai cried in outrage. "I thought you were going to give me something useful, not just a few words of encouragement."

AncientWisemon didn't seem bothered by Tai's anger in the least; in fact, he seemed to have expected it. "In the darkest of times, words of encouragement could be the one thing you have left to hold onto. They can pull you out of the darkness, if you remember them."

Sighing, Tai pinched the bridge of his nose. "Can you at least tell me when this will happen? Which battle? Who will we be fighting? A Demon Lord? One if their lackeys?"

AncientWisemon closed his eyes. "That I cannot tell you. To do so could alter the course of events I am hoping to set in motion."

"Ah!" Tai threw his hands in the air in frustration. "Why are predictions and prophecies always so vague."

"For the very reason I just explained," AncientWisemon calmly explained. "Too much knowledge could cause such events to not occur in an attempt to make such events come to pass, or it could bring them about in an attempt to avoid. This is why such predictions only give just enough information to let you know that they are there, but not what they are. I am sure you have heard of the phrase 'self-fulfilling prophecy'. It is just one of the many examples s to why only the bare minimum of knowledge is ever revealed in when making the future known."

Tai stood up, doing nothing to hide his irritation. He thought he would be getting information on how to defeat the Demon Lords or something, but instead he got some useless advice he always practiced anyway. "We'll, thanks for your help," he muttered sarcastically. "I'll send in the next one."

AncientWisemon did not try to stop him, so he assumed he was indeed finished with his so-called reading, or whatever that nonsense had been. He marched out of the room and back over to his friends, who looked at him questioningly.

"That was fast?" Takato noted. "So, how was it?"

The older boy made a face. "Pointless really. He made a big show of being wise and mighty and able to predict the future and give valuable advice, but he didn't tell me anything I didn't already know. Basically, he just told me to believe in and have faith in myself." He sighed. "I hope he gives you guys better advice than I got."

Takuya stepped forward. "Well, I'll let you know, I'm going next."

Hoping for better results than what Tai had received, he entered AncientWisemon's room. The mutant Digimon nodded to him in greeting and motioned for him to sit.

"Greetings to you, Takuya Kanbara. Please have a seat, and we shall begin."

Takuya did so, eyeing AncientWisemon suspiciously. "You're not just going to tell me to believe in myself, are you?"

The mutant Digimon chuckled. "The advice I gave to Taichi was meant especially for him for during a specific time. It is meant to help him, but it will be up to him to remember it and put it into affect. The advice I give you will be to help you for when you need it."

Takuya crossed his arms. "Ok, what have you got for me?"

AncientWisemon leaned back and placed his hands together. "It was asked earlier why your friend Shoutmon brought you to Cherubimon rather than to me. And while it is true that you would have had a difficult time finding ElDradimon, it would have been much easier for me to find you."

Takuya raised an eyebrow at this. "So why didn't you?"

"I said before that it was necessary for you to go to Cherubimon's castle, but not simply for the reasons you would think. Something else happened while you were there, something important. There will come a time, a time when a darkness from the past will come back to haunt you, that you and your friends will find yourselves in trouble. When this time comes, you must remember what happened back at Cherubimon's castle, and use that to defeat your enemy. It will be up to you, Takuya. Only you can do this."

Nothing more was said, and Takuya stared blankly. That had been… incredibly vague. He could now see why Tai had been frustrated with his advice. "Can't you tell me anymore than that? I mean, a lot happened at Cherubimon's castle. I Digivolved to AncientGreymon. We saved Cherubimon from the black gear. We learned about the Sovereigns, the Demon Lords, and the Guardians. Apocalymon got free. We defeated him. Shoutmon Digivolved. Lopmon sacrificed himself. We got our butts kicked by Diaboromon. A whole lot of things happened. What exactly should I be remembering?"

AncientWisemon shook his head. "I cannot tell you. It is something you will have to discover on your own, otherwise you will try and force it, and you will fail."

Takuya resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Right, I'll keep that in mind."

Feeling very dissatisfied, he rejoined his friends. Tai looked at him as he came through the curtains, not expecting much. "So, what'd he tell you? Anything useful?"

Takuya shrugged. "Not Really. It was incredibly vague. I mean, geez, the fortuneteller I saw with Zoe on one of our dates was more helpful. She just told us that we were destined to be together forever, and Zoe walked out of there pretty happy. This though, I don't know what to do with this."

"Well, maybe you'll know when the time comes," Shoutmon replied as he began making his way to the curtains. "I'll let you know if I learn anything better."

He entered the room to find AncientWisemon waiting for him. The mutant Digimon said nothing as he entered, and Shoutmon began to wonder if AncientWisemon only had advice for his friends. "Um, did you want to see me too?"

The mutant Digimon nodded. "I did. You are important in the war with the Demon Lords as well. Have a seat."

Shoutmon hopped up onto the chair. "Is this actually going to be useful information, because Tai and Takuya were not impressed with their advice?"

This didn't seem to bother AncientWisemon. "I have told your friends what they need to know. What they do with that advice is up to them."

"Right," Shoutmon muttered. "Well, just so you know, I'm not a big fan of destiny. I determine my own future, not Fate."

AncientWisetmon nodded in agreement. "We all determine our own future, and the decisions we make and the actions we take shape our futures. I am merely here to help you reach the future you strive for."

He leaned back in his seat. "However, it is not just our present that shapes the future, but our pasts as well. Our pasts help make us who we are, and by reflecting on our pasts, we can change for the better, and work for a brighter future."

Shoutmon raised an eyebrow. "I'm not sure I follow."

"You've had a tough past, Shoutmon, particularly ever since you were dethroned. And you have made many mistakes, many of which you regret and still plague you today."

"Don't remind me," the dragon Digimon grumbled, once again thinking about how he had abandoned Gumdramon to ZeedMillenniummon.

"I must remind you," AncientWisemon chided. "If we don't learn from our past mistakes, we will make them again in the future. Sometimes history will repeat itself. When it does, I don't want you to repeat your mistakes."

Shoutmon's eyes narrowed, not liking what the mutant Digimon was implying. "What are you talking about? I've changed a lot from who I was back then. I'm not the same Digimon anymore."

Surprisingly, AncientWisemon reacted aggressively, slamming his fists down on the table. "Your past still haunts you, Shoutmon! Even now, thousands of years later, you still wonder 'what if'. It is a question that haunts us all, but you especially, as you wonder what would have happened if you didn't run away that day."

Shoutmon was silent, no longer looking so high and mighty, but far more humble at the mutant Digimon's words. AncientWisemon took note of this and leaned back in his seat, his hands settling on his lap. "What if I told you that history will repeat itself, that you will face another hopeless challenge that is impossible to overcome, and you will have the opportunity to either abandon your friends and survive, or to stand by their side and face certain death."

A chill ran up Shoutmon's spine as he thought back to when he fled before ZeedMillenniummon. "You're saying that I'm going to have to face a monster like that again?"

"I am asking that if the situation should arise, will you make the same mistake again, or will you stay and fight with your friends to the very end? You can either flee alone, or stand by their side. Flee, and there will be a chance that you may survive. However, if you stay, you will almost certainly die, but you will also find that there are those that will be willing to fight for you as long as you are willing to fight for them. And there are, actually, far more than you think."

Shoutmon scrunched up his face. "I'm not sure I understand."

"Being the king of anything is a big responsibility. It means putting your people first, even before yourself, no matter what. It also means fighting to keep them safe, even against certain death. And being the Digimon King means that all the Digimon in the Digital World are your people, and you must be willing to die to keep them safe."

He leaned forward. "However, it also means that if you are willing to fight for your people, they will be willing to fight for you as well. Remember this, Shoutmon. Remember it always, but especially in the times to come."

Shoutmon had goose bumps. AncientWisemon's words were sound and filled with wisdom. He swallowed the lump in his throat and slowly walked out of the room. The others looked up as he came out of the curtains, wondering if he had been given useless advice as well.

"So?" asked Tai. "He tell you anything helpful, or just spout more philosophical nonsense?"

Shoutmon didn't answer right away, but when he did, he kept his eyes diverted from them. "He gave me… a lot to think about."

With that, he went to take a seat, still seemingly deep in thought. The teens stared at him, not quite sure what to make of this. Clearly, Shoutmon's advice had been very different from Tai and Takuya's.

Davis clapped his hands together. "I guess I'm up. I'll see you guys in a bit."

Puffing out his chest, he exaggeratingly marched past the curtains, went right up to AncientWisemon, and plopped himself in the chair. "Alright, wise guy, lay it on me."

AncientWisemon raised an eyebrow at him. "I must say, Davis Motomiya, you are the most interesting of all your friends."

Grinning broadly, Davis flexed his muscles. "Because I'm so awesome?"

"Because you are so strange."

Davis fell over anime style. He hopped back up a moment later and rounded on the mutant Digimon. "Hey, what's that supposed to mean!?"

As calmly as ever, AncientWisemon replied, "It is not a bad thing, it makes you unique."

Davis grinned again. "Oh, cool. Guess that's why everyone loves me."

"The very subject I wish to speak to you about," AncientWisemon told him. "You care a lot about your friends, don't you?"

Bewildered, Davis nodded. "Of course I do."

"One more so than the others, am I right? You care for them in a different way."

Smirking, Davis didn't even bother to deny it. "You mean Kari? Yeah, she's my girl."

The mutant Digimon seemed to be choosing his words carefully. "Love can be a great and wonderful thing that can lead to the ultimate happiness. However, it can also cause the greatest of despair, and that can be used as a tool for the darkness."

Now Davis was genuinely confused. "What do you mean? How can it be used by the darkness? Doesn't love conquer all? Isn't it the ultimate enemy of evil?"

AncientWisemon nodded. "Indeed, but it depends on the circumstances. For example, didn't Neptunemon do horrible things to keep the one he loved safe? And that is only one example. Sometimes when one loses the one they love, in their pain and despair, they will lash out at the world, and come to hate it for taking their loved one away, becoming a bitter and cold-hearted person."

He spoke very seriously now. "Or if the love they have is not returned by the object of their affections, a person may grow jealous and hateful, especially if the one they care for holds affection for another."

Davis wasn't sure what the mutant Digimon was getting at. "What's that have to do with anything?"

AncientWisemon sighed. "Anger, jealousy, hate, these feelings are tools of the darkness. And if the Demon Lords pick up on them, they will pounce on these negative emotions, and use them to bend the person to their will, making them into something they're not. They'll tempt you with promises of what you want, and feed your jealousy until you are full of hate. They'll twist you towards their will and make you do horrible things, even turn you against those you care about."

Now Davis was beginning to get annoyed. "Look, you're talking in circles. Just tell me what you want to say."

Another sigh escaped the mutant Digimon, and a sorrowful look appeared on his face. "I would usually never discourage love, even when I know that love will never be, because it is a learning experience, and a part of life, something that will shape us for the future. Sometimes the pain of heartbreak will even help you in the long run, helping you grow into a better person." He looked towards the curtain. "I can tell when a love is meant to be," he looked back at Davis sadly, "and when it is not."

"I still don't see what you're getting at."

AncientWisemon began drumming his fingers on the table in mild impatience. "I am trying to tell you that you strive for an impossible goal. If you continue down this path, it will only lead to pain. The Demon Lords will pick up on this and use it against you. Unless you let go of this hopeless cause, they will turn you against your friends, and you will become an instrument of darkness. Even should you conquer this darkness and return to the light, your love will still never come to be, which is why I advice you to let it go before the Demon Lords have the chance to use it against you, otherwise you will become a puppet of evil."

Davis stood up, outraged. "You're crazy! I would never turn against my friends."

"Not intentionally," AncientWisemon agreed. "However, the Demon Lords are crafty, and will bend you to their will without you even realizing what they, or you, are doing. And when that happens, there will be a day when you will suddenly realize that you have sided with the very evil you have been trying to fight. I encourage you to not give them this chance, to give up an impossible goal before the Demon Lords have the opportunity to use it against you. Your chances of defeating them will drop drastically if they do."

"I'm not going to betray my friends. You must have made a mistake."

A sigh escaped the mutant Digimon. "Back when the Demon Lords were first beginning to rise to power, there was a Digimon that once lived in this city who began to take an interest in them. They saw what the Demon Lords were doing as a useful way to obtain power. I warned them that if they continued to support the Demon Lords and deal with the darkness that they would succumb to it and be just another servant to the darkness. They did not heed my warning, and in the end, they became just another one of the Demon Lords' subjects. Do not take my warning lightly like they did, or else you could end up like them, whether intentional or not."

Davis snorted. "Right, I'll take that under advisement."

He angrily left the room, feeling insulted that AncientWisemon would even suggest that he could become a servant of the darkness. It was utterly outrageous. Clearly, AncientWisemon wasn't so wise, at least not when it came to him.

"How'd it go?" Takato asked when Davis rejoined them.

He blinked, coming out of his thoughts, and forced a grin on his face. "Awesome! Apparently, Kari and I are destined to be together."

Kari rolled her eyes. "Oh, brother."

"What'd he really tell you?" Shoutmon asked in a bored tone.

Davis just waved it off. "Just some stupid nonsense about something that could never happen. The guy's delusional, he doesn't know what he's talking about."

"Watch your tongue!" It was HiAndromon. He had remained silent during Tai and Takuya's disappointment, but now he and several of the Mirrormon were glaring at the teens furiously. "AncientWisemon is wise and powerful. If he gives you advice, you had best heed it."

Davis stubbornly crossed his arms. "Well, this time he's wrong. What he said can't possibly happen."

HiAndromon continued to glare at him. "AncientWisemon never tells one's future, but if he knows of a horrible event to come, and he tries to warn you in the hopes that heeding his advice will prevent such an outcome, then you had best listen to him."

"Trust me," said Davis, "it won't ever happen."

Looking remarkably dissatisfied, HiAndromon stormed off, and the Mirrormon went about their duties. A feeling of awkward discomfort settled over the teens as they all but felt the other Digimon's hostility for the disrespect they seemed to have shown AncientWisemon.

Kari cleared her throat. "I guess I'll go next. And I'll try to fix all this."

She uneasily entered the next room. She didn't know what type of conversation had taken place between Davis and AncientWisemon, but she hoped he hadn't upset the mutant Digimon too much.

It seemed she need not worry, as AncientWisemon seemed perfectly content as he waited for her. She sat down across from him and gave the mutant Digimon an apologetic look. "I'm sorry about them. Davis can sometimes say things without thinking, and Tai and Takuya can be pretty stubborn sometimes. I think they were hoping for more than they got."

AncientWisemon waved a hand, dismissing her apology. "There is nothing for you to apologize for. We are all responsible for our own actions. I gave your brother and friends advice to help them, but it is up to them whether they use it or not."

Kari nodded. "Well, I'll certainly take what you say to heart."

If AncientWisemon had had a mouth, he would have smiled. "You are such a pure soul, Hikari Kamiya. You're greatest quality is that of light itself. Of all qualities, hope and light are the strongest and greatest enemies of the darkness. You will be very important in the upcoming battle against evil."

He placed his hands together. "With that being said, I must warn you of an upcoming battle. The Demon Lords have many that serve them, but not all are doing so willingly. Some are being controlled by the darkness, and are unable to escape on their own. As such, they are unwilling slaves, and are acting outside of their own will, their true selves sealed away inside themselves."

Kari blinked. "You mean like the Digimon that Devimon was controlling with his black gears?"

"That is precisely what I mean. But there are other methods in which evil can enslave someone. Some are simply their own worst enemies, enslaved by their own nature. In the coming battle, you will face such an individual. This enemy possesses immense power, their sole purpose being to destroy. However, inside they hold a pure heart beneath their destructive nature. Your every instinct will tell you to destroy this enemy, but you must not. To do so would be a great loss to those that fight for the light."

Kari cocked her head to the side. "Ok. So who is it?"

AncientWisemon shook his head. "I cannot tell you. If you know who they are in advance, you will try to save them too soon, and it will result in your demise. When the time comes, you must recognize it and see through the darkness that consumes them and bring them into the light. Do this, and the side of light will not only gain a valuable ally, but you will be greatly rewarded, and will receive a power that will be needed in the war with the Demon Lords."

Kari felt as if a heavy weight had been placed on her shoulders. "But how am I supposed to recognize who this enemy is? What if I mistake them for someone who is genuinely evil and they end up winning because I held back? Or what if I think that they're genuinely evil and end up killing them?"

AncientWisemon sighed. "I'm afraid that will be up to you to realize on your own. I cannot tell you anymore than this."

Worry gripped Kari, but she knew she would get nothing more out of the mutant Digimon. Taking a deep breath, she stood up and offered him a small bow in gratitude. "Thank you for your advice. I will try hard to remember it and take it to heart."

She left the room, rejoining her friends with a forlorn look on her face. TK frowned upon seeing her expression. "You ok, Kari?"

She looked up at him and offered a small smile. "Yeah, just a little worried. He said that I would meet an enemy who's not really an enemy, and that I must save them from themselves because they'll end up being a valuable ally in the fight against the Demon Lords."

Tai raised an eyebrow. "Didn't we kind of do that already with Cherubimon?"

Kari shook her head. "It's someone else. Someone AncientWisemon said had a destructive nature, but a pure heart underneath."

TK smiled. "But that's a good thing. An ally that powerful would be a great help."

"If I recognize and am able to save them," Kari pointed out. "What if I don't recognize them?"

TK clamped her shoulders. "I have faith in you. You always see the good in others. If anyone can recognize when someone is an enemy or not, it's you."

She gave him a grateful smile, her eyes shining affectionately. Davis took note of how the two of them were looking at each other and growled irritably. AncientWisemon's warning echoed through his head, but he pushed the memory away, refusing to think that the Demon Lords could use his feelings to turn him evil; it was impossible.

Takato shifted uncomfortably. "Ooook… I guess I'll go next."

He left his friends and went in for his own reading, or whatever this was supposed to be. AncientWisemon was patiently waiting for him. Takato suddenly felt uneasy as he slipped into the chair. "So… how's this work? Do we join hands, or something?"

A chuckle escaped AncientWisemon. "You are an amusing one, Takato Matsuki. You seem so uncertain, but you always act when you need to. You care for others, and always do what you can to help." His face darkened. "However, that can be a bad thing as well."

Takato cocked his head to the side. "How so?"

"There is such a thing as caring too much and trying too hard. I'm afraid I must teach you a hard life lesson." He gave Takato a hard look. "I'm sure you've heard this scenario before. Two siblings are arguing which one of them is the favorite. They ask their parent that if one of them were drowning, which one of them would they choose to save? The parent's answer is always the same, that they would most likely drown trying to save them both."

Takato wobbled his head back and forth. "Well, yeah. I mean, who could choose between two people they care about like that? They probably would drown trying to save them both."

The mutant Digimon gave him a very serious look. "That is all very touching, and even truthful, but there is something that you must consider. If you drown trying to save both parties, then who will save them once you're dead?"

Takato stared, surprised by this revelation. He had indeed heard this question before, usually on comedy shows, and, as AncientWisemon stated, the parent would always claim that they would probably drown trying to save them both. But the mutant Digimon's question brought on a scenario he had never thought about before. Who would save the two drowning siblings if the parent died trying to save them both?

"Why are you asking me this?" he asked uneasily.

AncientWisemon sighed, looking solemn. "Sometimes life is hard, and you will have to make difficult decisions, some of which require a sacrifice. This war with the Demon Lords is exactly that, a war. And in a war, there will always be casualties, no matter what you do."

Takato nodded. "I know, but what does that have to do with me?"

AncientWisemon leaned back. "You are a very caring person, Takato Matsuki. You don't want to see anyone get hurt. However, and this is a harsh truth, but it is one you must face, you can't always save everyone. Sometimes, no matter how strong you are, no matter how determine you are, no matter how hard you try, you just can't save everyone. And to try will result in not only your death, but in the deaths of everyone you are trying to save, and then no one will survive. Sometimes, you will have to make a choice, a choice between who will live and who will die. And sometimes, you will even have to make a decision, a decision of whether to sacrifice a few to save many."

A feeling of dread coiled in Takato's gut, and he placed his hands over his ears and shook his head. "I don't want to hear this!"

Reaching over, AncientWisemon pulled the boy's hands away from his ears. "But you must! The survival of you and your friends depends on you remembering my words. There will come a time when someone will volunteer to sacrifice their life for you and your friends, and you must let them."

Takato shook his head. "No, I can't do that."

"If you don't, then you all will die. You can't save everyone, Takato Matsuki. Save who you can, or lose all. This is a harsh life lesson, but one you must remember, for you will find yourself in such a situation before this war is over."

Takato got up so fast he knocked over the chair. "I can't. I can't make that decision. I just can't."

He ran out of the room, his hands once again over his ears, trying to block out the horrible truth. His friends looked up in surprise as he rushed out of the room and curled up into a ball in the corner.

The teens exchanged worried looks and went over to him. Tai began to reach out to him, but thought better of it. "Takato? Are you ok?"

The younger boy just shook his head and said nothing, keeping his hands clamped over his ears. The teens looked at each other in concern, wondering what AncientWisemon could have told him to upset him so much.

"Well," said Takuya, "you know we're here if you want to talk about it."

They received no reply; he didn't even look at them. They realized that he wasn't willing to say anything right now, but they would be ready to listen when he was.

"I guess… I'm last…" said TK.

He hesitantly made his way towards the curtain, but then Takato's voice called out to him. "Be careful. You may not like what you hear."

TK was very aware of that, more so now than ever. Taking a deep breath, he entered AncientWisemon's room. The mutant Digimon had already picked up the tipped over chair, and was now waiting for TK to come. "We shall begin when you are ready."

The blonde boy nodded. He took another deep breath and sat down. He hoped that whatever AncientWisemon told him would be good news, or at least better than whatever he had told Takato.

"What you said to Takato really upset him," he told the mutant Digimon.

AncientWisemon closed his eyes. "Sadly, not all news is good news. But there is a difference between bad news and worse news. Unfortunately, the advice I gave your friends would require him to make a choice between the two."

TK gave him a serious look. "Do you have bad news for me?"

The mutant Digimon stared at him before choosing to ignore the question. "You and your friends have been through much. The bond you share runs deep. Friendships like the ones you share are the kind that last an eternity."

TK felt a smile creep up his face. "Yeah, they're great friends. I'd do anything for them."

AncientWisemon nodded. "That became apparent to all when you went to attack Devimon before you even achieved your Digimon form. But let me ask you something, would you be willing to die for them?"

TK's smile shifted to a look of confusion. "If you know what happened with Devimon, then doesn't that already answer your question?"

AncientWisemon leaned in closer. "I did not ask if you would risk your life for them, I asked if you would die for them. And I need you to answer truthfully, not simply tell me what you think you should say. Your own honest words must be spoken by your lips and heard by your own ears. It is essentially that you realize without doubt what you would do should the situation call for it. So tell me, Takeru Takaishi, would you be willing to die for them?"

The seriousness of the question rang in the air, and TK could tell that AncientWisemon was being deadly serious. The mutant Digimon was not simply asking for the sake of asking; this was a legitimate question that demanded absolute honesty.

A gut-wrenching feeling gripped TK. He knew that AncientWisemon would not ask him this for no reason. TK had known that death was a possibility during this crazy adventure, but having AncientWisemon ask him this question made it sound like his death was inevitable.

"I need to hear your honest answer," AncientWisemon repeated. "If it came to making a choice between your life and the lives of your friends, even one of them, which would you choose? And again, I'm not asking if you would risk your life. I'm asking that if death was for certain, would you give up your life to save your friends?"

TK's thoughts suddenly flashed to the Real World. To his parents, his brother, his other family members, his other friends. The thought of leaving them all behind, of never again seeing his world, let alone his home, it not only seemed like a possibility, but like something that would happen no matter what he did. It was terrifying, depressing, it made him regret stepping into this room.

But if he didn't, then his friends would die in his place? That's what AncientWisemon was implying. And now he was asking TK to choose between his life and theirs, and to give an honest answer.

The feeling of wetness on his cheeks suddenly became noticeable to TK, and he realized just how serious he was taking this question. That was what AncientWisemon wanted, and so, wiping his eyes, he gave the mutant Digimon his honest answer. "Yes, I would die for them."

AncientWisemon stared at him for a long while, as if trying to determine how truthful the boy was being. TK locked his gave with the mutant Digimon, refusing to look away. If AncientWisemon knew anything, then he should have already known this all along. It was in that moment that the boy realized that his answer hadn't been for AncientWisemon, but for TK himself.

"Remember your words, Takeru Takaishi," the mutant Digimon told him. "Remember how you feel in this moment, and how you feel about your friends, and what you said you would be willing to do for them. You will need to before this war is over. I think you know what I mean."

There was nothing more to be said, TK realized. Wiping his eyes once more, he stood up, his insides feeling numb. He made to exit the room, but paused before going through the curtains, and looked back at the mutant Digimon. "I'm going to die, aren't I? I'm never going to make it back to the Real World, am I?"

Once again, AncientWisemon chose his words carefully. "No one can escape death. Not even Digimon. But for you humans, it is an absolute, inescapable certainty, and a permanent one at that. While Digimon have the privilege of being reborn, you humans do not. There is no coming back from where you go when you humans die. The chance to grow up, to achieve your dreams, to have a career, to start a family, to obtain the things you strive for, it will all be lost to you forever. It is truly a terrifying prospect, and one that I, as a Digimon, even in my infinite wisdom, will never be able to understand. This is why your life is so precious. Treasure every moment, take nothing for granted, and live without regrets, for you never know when your life will come to an end."

He looked up at the ceiling with a faraway look in his eyes. "I possess vast knowledge, so vast you can't even comprehend it. Enough to be able to determine all possible scenarios of all possible futures. Do I know of scenarios where you will make through this war alive? Yes. Do I know of scenarios where you will ever make it back to the Real World? Yes. But do I know what will happen for certain." He closed his eyes in regret. "I'm afraid that that is one thing that I do not know." 

Notes:

(A/N: Ooh, things got pretty intense. It seemed AncientWisemon's readings were just vague forms of advise, but they got more serious with each of the teens. In case you didn't follow it or got confused, Tai's advise was to remember his courage and determination during a dark period where all seems lost. Takuya's advise, to remember something essential that happened back at Cherubimon's castle during a crucial time. Shoutmon's advise, to get another chance to choose between standing by his friends to face certain death, or to flee and survive. Davis' advise, to give up on his feelings of love before the Demon Lords can use them against him. Kari's advise, to recognize an enemy who is an unwilling servant of the Demon Lords and save them from the darkness. Takato's advise, to acknowledge that not everyone can be saved, and accept a sacrifice. TK's advise, to understand that he would give his life for his friends in order to save them. Pretty intense stuff, huh? These events will be popping up throughout the rest of the story, so keep an eye out for them.)

Chapter 103: Anniversary

Notes:

(A/N: IMPORTANT! I hope everyone enjoyed my "preview" of what's to come for this story. I fully intend on finishing it, but have run into a little snag, I guess you can say. For those of you that don't know, I'm in the process of publishing my own original novel. I'm now entering the final stages of this process. As exciting as this is, it's going to be taking up some more of my time, so updates for this story will probably take a little longer. I promise not to make you wait too long though. Just wanted to let you know for when chapters come out later than usual. For now, enjoy the next installment.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 103: Anniversary

 

After their sessions with AncientWisemon, the teens had been invited to stay for as long as they wanted, or at least until they were within a certain distance of Belphemon's castle.

"I'm sorry, but we will not permit ElDradimon to go within a certain distance of the castle," Pharaohmon had told them. "We must think of our people's safety. I do hope you understand."

Tai had nodded in acceptance. "Yes, we understand completely, and we thank you for your help. It'll be nice to not have to worry about the Demon Lords trying to kill us all the time."

And so the weeks had rolled by as ElDradimon made his slow trek towards Belphemon's castle. Though he was so large that he covered a great distance with each step, his slow and steady pace almost seemed to cancel this out. Even so, it was a faster pace than the teens would have gone on foot.

HolyDigitamamon stayed with them just as Pharaohmon and QueenChessmon had ordered, and he seemed more than happy to show them around the city. The teens got a good taste of the way the Digimon lived here. It was a simply yet fulfilling lifestyle, and it did wonders at providing them with a distraction from the things AncientWisemon had told them.

They hadn't seen the mutant Digimon since their first day, but Tai, Davis, and Takuya seemed to have disregarded what he had told them. The others had dwelled on it for several days, especially Takato and TK. They had tried to get them to talk about it, but they had chosen to remain silent, Takato refusing to accept what AncientWisemon had told him, and TK choosing not to worry his friends.

"The guy was a complete wacko," Tai had grumbled. "He was talking vaguely about a scenario that might happen out of countless possible futures that might occur from what he was able to conclude from what he knows. His advice doesn't seem all that reliable to me."

"Yeah," Davis had agreed, "and I can already tell you that he was completely wrong about me. I mean, seriously, do I really seem like the type of person who would betray you guys and turn to the darkness, for any reason?"

They had laughed things off after this, even TK, though it seemed he still held onto what AncientWisemon had said in the back of his mind.

And so the days passed. The Garuru Trio continued to patrol around ElDradimon. They ran into a few of Belphemon's forces, but none that were able to stand up to the trio, and they were dealt with quickly. At the end of each day, they reported to the king and queen, who, as the teens quickly learned, took a very active role in the community.

It was one morning at breakfast when Takato finally brought something to his friends' attention, something he had carefully considered whether he should tell them or not as the day approached. In the end, he decided that they had the right to know. "Hey, guys, guess what?"

Davis grinned. "You've finally acknowledged how awesome I am? About time."

Tai rolled his eyes at his look-alike. "What's up?"

Takato shifted nervously. "Well, ever since we first came to the Digital World, I've been keeping track of the days, and it will have been exactly one year ago today that we came here."

He couldn't bring himself to look at them as he said it. He was afraid he would get their hopes up or depress them. He certainly found it depressing. He wanted to go home. He missed his parents, he missed his girlfriend, he missed his friends, he missed just hanging out around the playground in their secret spot playing video games and having card battles, he missed working in the bakery, he even missed all the homework his teacher, Miss Asaji, would assign everyday.

No one said anything for a long time after Takato had told them this. When he finally glanced at them, he saw that they had looks on their faces that clearly said that they weren't sure how to feel.

"Wow," Tai finally said. "It's really been an entire year. It's really weird."

TK nodded in agreement. "I know what you mean. It feels like it was just yesterday that we came here, yet it also feels like it's been an entire lifetime."

Kari looked up at the ceiling, lost in thought. "I wonder what our parents must think."

Takuya crossed his arms. "Well, if it's been a whole year here, that means it's been… uh… about six hours back home. So it should be around 9:00 in the Real World." He sweat-dropped. "Yeah, I definitely missed my date. Zoe's going to kill me."

Takato sighed. "And I was supposed to help out my parents with the bakery today. I'm going to be grounded for a week for skipping out since they're never going to believe what really happened."

Davis clapped him on the back. "Hey, no prob. We'll just say we made some new friends and spent the day bonding at my house. We lost track of time, so I invited you all to sleep over my house, and you forgot to call."

The simply stared at him with dumbfounded looks on their faces, each of them impressed by the simple yet geniuses of his plan. Tai crossed his arms as he considered it. "That… could actually work. At the very least it'll get us in less trouble."

Takuya snorted. "Maybe with my parents, but you don't know my girlfriend. Like I said, she's going to kill me."

This earned some snickers from the others, but it didn't last long as the reality of the situation hung over them. When their journey had first started, they had hoped to get home quickly; a few weeks, maybe a month tops. But now, here they were, a whole year later, almost no better off than how they were before. True, they now knew what they had to do, or they assumed they did, but their goal still seemed so far out of reach. It had taken several weeks to find and defeat Leviamon, and they had nearly died in the attempt. And there were still six more Demon Lords to go, some even stronger than Leviamon.

"So…" Davis began, "since today is kind of our anniversary, shouldn't we celebrate, or something?"

Tai raised an eyebrow. "Celebrate what? The day we got transported to a strange world and had to start fighting for our lives?"

TK sweat-dropped. "So morbid. How about the day some of us met and became friends. I'd seen Takato and Takuya in passing before at school, but I didn't actually know them. And now we're all really good friends."

"And not just them," Kari added. "Shoutmon too. That's one good thing about coming here, we got to become friends with him."

The dragon Digimon blushed in embarrassment. "I guess that does mark this day as a momentous occasion. You guys are the best friends a Digimon could have."

Davis wrapped an arm around him, pulling him into a one-armed hug. "Aw, we love you too, pal. Flaws and all."

Smirking, Tai cut his eyes at Davis. "As if you're one to talk about flaws."

This earned a big laugh from the others and an annoyed grunt from Davis. It was at this time that HolyDigitamamon came walking up to them. "Did someone tell a joke? Tell me, I want to laugh too."

TK smiled at him. "No joke. Today's just the anniversary of the day we came to the Digital World."

Within his shell, the egg Digimon smiled. "Oh, well, congratulations. I know you kids want to get home, but we are certainly happy you came to our world."

Davis smiled hopefully. "Since it's our anniversary, if it's not too much trouble, do you think we could have a little party to celebrate?"

A voice boomed behind them. "I think it's a wonderful idea."

The teens turned to find the king and queen coming up behind them, the latter having spoken. She looked to her mate, giving him a smile. "Do you not think so, my love?"

Pharaohmon nodded in agreement. "I do. We can celebrate the fall of Leviamon as well. It will be just the thing to raise everyone's hopes for the upcoming battle with Belphemon." He looked to the tiger and dog Digimon beside him. "Mihiramon, Caturamon, have the preparations made."

The former's eye twitched in irritation. "With all due respect, your majesty, we are the head of security, not the head of party planners."

"Aw, lighten up, Puss in Boots," Davis told him, reaching out to pet the tiger Digimon. "Learn to have a little fun. Don't you know that all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy?"

A growl escaped Mihiramon, and the boy pulled his hand back quickly. Kari chuckled at this. "It looks like they take their jobs very seriously."

"Indeed," Caturamon agreed. "Should a threat present itself, we need to be prepared, not partying."

QueenChessmon smiled. "He is right, dear. We'll see to the preparations personally. I'm sure the citizens will be happy to help out as well."

"Sweet!" Davis exclaimed, punching the air. "Party time!"

"We should invite the Garuru Trio as well," HolyDigitamamon suggested.

"Ha!" Mihiramon laughed. "As if they would come. They are just as adamant about their duties as we are."

"Be that as it may," said Pharaohmon, "we shall invite them all the same. I will send Shakkoumon to invite them. Perhaps she can convince them to come to the party for a little while, or at least have them take turns attending."

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

Shakkoumon was not able to convince the Garuru Trio to come to the party. As far as they were concerned, their duty came before anything else, and their duty was to defend ElDradimon from any enemies. Shakkkoumon, however, was not one to give up so easily, and was quite persistent in trying to get them to come.

"It is important to relax and have fun every so often," she reasoned. "That way you're fresh and ready for when a battle does arise."

MetalGarurumon snorted. "We rest when we sleep, and we relax when the danger has past."

Shakkoumon held out her arms. "But there is no danger right now. And if any does arise, ElDradimon is far from helpless. Isn't that right ElDradimon?"

The giant mutant Digimon merely cocked his head to the side in response. This did little to convince the Garuru Trio to put their duties on hold. "We are in a Demon Lord's territory," CresGarurumon growled. "There is always danger here. Have your party if you must, but leave is to our duty."

"But the invitation is from the king and queen themselves."

"Our duty is still more important."

Shakkoumon rolled her eyes. "Sheesh, talk about guard dogs. How about this, just one of you comes while the other two stay here. Then after about an hour, that one comes back, and one of the other two goes, and you go on swapping out like that. Sound good?"

"Absolutely not," MagnaGarurumon replied. "Not while there is a potential threat, or the risk of one."

Shakkoumon pouted. "Please. The humans would want you there; you did save them from the Machine Mercenaries."

"We were not alone in aiding them," CresGarurumon pointed out. "It was us, ElDradimon, along with everyone else in the city, as well as the humans in their Digimon forms that caused the Machine Mercenaries to retreat."

Shakkoumon pouted again. "You guys take things too seriously. Learn to have a little fun."

"It is our job to take things seriously," MetalGarurumon stated. His nose twitched, and he looked towards the forest. "And with good reason. Metal Wolf Snout!"

Four beams of energy flew from his nose, tearing through the trees. From out of them, a large gray insect Digimon came flying. It flew towards the group, its body language fill of hostility. MetalGarurumon repeated his attack, and the insect Digimon was instantly destroyed.

CresGarurumon gave Shakkoumon a pointed look. "Do you see what mean? Enemies could be lurking around every corner, ready to attack at a moment's notice."

The mutant Digimon just shrugged it off. "It was only a single Okuwamon. We don't even know if it was working for the Demon Lords or not. It could have just been acting on its own; hunting perhaps."

"Okuwamon is an Ultimate," MagnaGarurumon told her. "It wouldn't attack another Ultimate plus three Megas, four if you count ElDradimon, without cause."

Shakkoumon shrugged again. "Okuwamon run more on instinct than intelligence and logic. It was probably only after me. You guys are paranoid."

But the Garuru Trio were no longer listening, not to Shakkoumon anyway. The mutant Digimon frowned in confusion, but then she heard it too. A buzzing sound was beginning to rise in the air. From out of the forest, a dozen more Okuwamon emerged. These were followed by several dozen more, then a hundred more, followed by several hundred more.

MetalGarurumon glanced at Shakkoumon. "Still think we're paranoid?"

"Sometimes paranoia is the appropriate state of mind," CresGarurumon growled. "We wouldn't feel such an emotion if it were not necessary at times."

Now Shakkoumon was looking nervous. "It… It could just be the swarm reacting to the loss of one of their own."

MetalGarurumon shook his head. "No, this is a coordinated attack." His eyes narrowed. "Look there."

Mixed in amongst the swarm of Okuwamon were a few other Digimon. CresGarurumon's eyes narrowed at the largest of them. "Bacchusmon. And he's in his Deisui Mode. What is he doing here? And who is that on his head?"

"Looks like MagnaKidmon," MagnaGarurumon snarled. "And more are coming."

"We can't stop them all," MetalGarurumon growled. He looked back at Shakkoumon. "Go tell the king and queen that we're under attack."

The mutant Digimon was waving her arms around in a panic. "Yes, yes, right away!"

As Shakkoumon flew back to the city, ElDradimon came to a stop. Letting out a loud roar, he laid down and pulled his head and legs into his shell, relying on the others and his powerful defenses to keep him safe.

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A chuckle escaped MagnaKidmon as he approached ElDradimon while riding on Bacchusmon's head. "It looks like they're sending out the welcome party. This should be fun." His gaze shifted to an Okuwamon flying beside him, and he grinned. "We're all set to go boss."

A sinister smile crept up the Digimon in question's face. "Perfect. Don't forget the plan. We're here for one thing and one thing only. Failure is not an option. It wouldn't do to have the Demon Lords angry with us." He tiled his head left and right, cracking his neck. "It would interrupt my fun."

MagnaKidmon scoffed. "Come now, boss. When have I ever failed a job?"

"Just do your part, and I'll do mine. Keep the Garuru Trio busy, and make sure ElDradimon stays in his shell. I'll lead the attack on the city while our friend goes for what we came for."

A chuckle escaped the dragon Digimon. "Not a problem. After all, we have someone who was once a resident on our side. Not to mention our special friend in case things goes south."

"There's no reason it should even come to that. Fail, and I'll kill you myself."

MagnaKidmon punched into his open palm. "Yeah, yeah, I know the importance of this mission. Of course," he snickered, "that doesn't mean we can't have a little fun in the process."

The Digimon he referred to as "boss" didn't respond, and simply leapt off the Okuwamon he was riding, opting to fly on his own. MagnaKidmon smiled as he watched him go, then turned his attention to the Garuru Trio. "Come, Bacchusmon, lets go say hello to the welcome party."

A deranged grin spread across the god Digimon's face, and he sped forward to meet them. The Garuru Trio were striking down the Okuwamon that came near, but there were so many that they couldn't get them all. And when Bacchusmon came up to them, they ceased their attacking and turned their attention to him.

On top of his head, MagnaKidmon tipped his hat to them. "Top of the morning to you, gentlemen. I see you are being very good guard dogs."

"Hold you're tongue, Demon Lord slave scum," CresGarurumon snapped. "You are not welcome here."

Still grinning, MagnaKidmon put his hat back on. "That is so rude. And after the master sent all these Digimon here to meet you."

"Leave while you can," MetalGarurumon growled. "Or we will destroy you."

MagnaKidmon shivered with false fear. "Ooh, scary. But you see, my friend here," he tapped his foot on Bacchusmon's head, "has worked up quite an appetite."

Drool poured from the god Digimon's mouth. "Hungry."

MagnaGarurumon found it hard to look at him. "What have you done to him? Bacchusmon is a fun-loving, caring, and cheerful Digimon. He would never side with the Demon Lords."

Chuckling, MagnaKidmon shook his finger at the cyborg Digimon. "You underestimate what the Demon Lords are capable of; my master in particular. He can turn even the lovable Bacchusmon here into a rabid servant of darkness."

MetalGarurumon growled impatiently. "Enough of this nonsense. While we're wasting time talking, ElDradimon and the city are under attack. Whatever madness Bacchusmon is suffering from will be cured when he's reborn. Ice Wolf Claw!"

Several missiles flew out of numerous openings on his body. They flew at MagnaKidmon, and the dragon Digimon began dancing around as the exploding missiles left frozen pillars of ice across Bacchusmon's head, though the god Digimon seemed oblivious to them.

"Not bad," MagnaKidmon commented. "I can do something similar. Chaos Triangular!"

A shower of bullets and plasma shot flew out of his legs and fingers. CresGarurumon flew forward, swinging his sword rapidly, deflecting the bullets. Using his Wolf Rotation, he began spinning around, and suddenly transformed into a sword. He flew towards MagnaKidmon, and the dragon Digimon took to the air with CresGarurumon in sword form following.

MagnaGarurumon raised his giant gun and took aim at MagnaKidmon. "Magna Missiles!"

Several missiles shot out of his gun, but Bacchusmon's giant hand came up and blocked the missiles. His other hand came up and brushed the ice from his head, and he grinned, poison gases and venomous drool pouring from his mouth.

"Darn you," the cyborg Digimon snarled. He glanced at MetalGarurumon. "Any chance we can snap him out of his madness?"

MetalGarurumon stared at Bacchusmon closely, reading his expression and body language, and taking note of the look in his eyes. "I don't think so. It'll be better to just put him down rather than let him suffer."

A growl escaped MagnaGarurumon. "I was afraid of that. Fine then Magna Rockets!"

He fired a blast from his gun. Bacchusmon stumbled back, seemingly bewildered, and MagnaGarurumon followed up with his Starburst Hunter, surrounding himself in an aura of light and slamming into the god Digimon, pushing him back further.

MetalGarurumon's eyes began glowing red as he took aim and prepared to fire his Giga Missile, but a cry of "Beetle Horn Attack" drew his attention, and he dodged as an Okuwamon flew at him. Several other Okuwamon began attacking him wildly, and he growled impatiently, switching his attack.

"Burst Wolf Claw!" he cried, firing missiles from his back. A group of Okuwamon that had been attacking him from behind burst into data as the missiles found their targets. He followed up with his Metal Howling, releasing an ear-splitting howl that drove the Okuwamon into a frenzy.

It affected Bacchusmon too, who emitted a pained cry and ceased trying to catch MagnaGarurumon as he covered his own ears. MagnaGarurumon raised his gun and unleashed his Feral Fire, shooting a rain of bullets from his left arm gun, Strike Phantom, while simultaneously firing a beam from his chest. The barrage bombarded against the back of Bacchusmon's head, knocking him to the ground, but he seemed more concerned about the howling noise, which, even to MagnaGarurumon, was akin to having drills bury in his ears.

With venomous drool pouring from his mouth, Bacchusmon lashed out at MetalGarurumon. The android Digimon's back was turned, and he seemed oblivious to the god Digimon's reaching hand. Before it closed around him, however, MagnaGarurumon rammed into MetalGarurumon, knocking him away, but now he found himself caught in Bacchusmon's grip. The god Digimon brought MagnaGarurumon up to his face, seemingly unable to distinguish between his intended target and the cyborg Digimon he now held.

"Too loud!" Bacchusmon thundered, breathing a cloud of poison gas into MagnaGarurumon's face in the process.

"Metal Fang!" MetalGarurumon cried, flying forward and biting the hand that held MagnaGarurumon. His freezing fangs caused instant frostbite on the god Digimon's arm, but Bacchusmon didn't seem too bothered by it.

"Too cold!" he roared, driving his fist into the ground, bringing the still biting MetalGarurumon down with it. He left both Digimon in a newly created ditch, and then began pounding his fists down on top of them. "Bacchusmon wants to eat and have fun!"

He finally let up, and both MagnaGarurumon and MetalGarurumon crawled out of the now much bigger ditch. "He's completely mad," the former stated, breathing heavily. "He can't tell the difference between hurting someone and playing with them."

"And he doesn't seem to register pain," MetalGarurumon noted. "The Demon Lords really did a number on him. Damn them for corrupting such an innocent this way."

MagnaGarurumon nodded in agreement. "You were right, we've got to put him down, for his own sake."

They flew up into the sky. Bacchusmon seemed to have already forgotten about them as he began making his way towards ElDradimon.

"Magna Cannon!"

"Metal Blaster!"

A series of cannon balls and a freezing missile flew into Bacchusmon's back. The god Digimon turned back to them, looking confused.

"Come on, big guy," said MagnaGarurumon. He quickly shot down an Okuwamon that had gotten too close, not taking his eyes off the real enemy. "We'll play with you. And we've got lots of snacks too."

A gleeful grin filled with madness spread across Bacchusmon's face. He began crawling towards the two of them so fast his tail-like lower half flew out behind him without even touching the ground.

MagnaGarurumon and MetalGarurumon flew forward to meet the god Digimon as, higher up, CresGarurumon, still in his sword form, clashed with MagnaKidmon. The dragon Digimon seemed to be having the time of his life as he deflected the giant sword with his gun legs and shot his finger guns at his opponent.

"Are you just going to stay in that form all day?" he asked with a smirk. "It must be hard for you; guns tend to be superior to swords after all."

In response, CresGarurumon stabbed forward. MagnaKidmon lifted his lower body enough for the sword to pass by beneath him, then kicked down, slamming his feet into the blade, and the two hit the ground.

Leaping back into the air, MagnaKidmon unleashed a rain of bullets from his Chaos Triangular attack. CresGarurumon rose into the air as the bullets ricocheted off him, stabbing straight up. MagnaKidmon dodged, and CresGarurumon shot past him, but now above his opponent, he changed back into his original form and dropped down towards MagnaKidmon. "Yellow Beast Crescent Blade!"

MagnaKidmon grinned as the knight Digimon dropped down towards him, swinging his sword. His hands came together, catching the blade, stopping CresGarurumon from cutting him in half. He was unable to keep him at bay though, and was forced down. They smashed to the ground, cracking it beneath MagnaKidmon, but the dragon Digimon was still smiling.

"That's it, big guy," he mocked. "Show me what you've got. I'll do the same. Bind Red Trigger!"

The magazine strips on his hips sprang to life. Tiny machine guns were on the ends, and they stabbed forward into the knight Digimon. CresGarurumon grunted as the ends pierced his body. His grunt of pain turned into an agonized howl as the guns began firing into his body.

Pulling back, he jumped away from MagnaKidmon. Breathing heavily, he held up his sword towards the dragon Digimon as MagnaKidmon got to his feet, still grinning. "I thought I had you there. Hope the damage wasn't too extensive; I want to have some more fun."

"You're despicable. I swear on my honor that I will defeat you."

MagnaKidmon laughed. "For whatever that's worth. But let me let you in on a little secret. We fully intend to get what we came for. But just in case we need it," he glanced back towards the forest, "we've got a trump card standing by."

CresGarurumon knew it wasn't wise to take his eyes off his opponent, but he couldn't resist glancing at the trees to see who was lurking there. Smirking, MagnaKidmon immediately flew towards him, firing his Chaos Triangular. "Made you look!"

Despite MagnaKidmon's deception, something was in fact waiting in the forest, overlooking the battle, and ready to step in if need be.

"Better make it fast," they said. "We must not keep the master waiting." 

Notes:

(A/N: It's an all out war. And when I say all out war, I mean all out war. This is going to be action unlike I've ever written so far. So far we've got MagnaKidmon, and Bacchusmon Deisui Mode, along with an army of Okuwamon. But that's just the tip of the iceberg. There's still a bunch of unidentified individuals. Who was the "boss" MagnaKidmon was talking to before he took off? Who is this trump card waiting in the forest? Who is this former resident of ElDradimon involved with them? What is it they came for, and who is going after it? Which Demon Lord do these guys work for? And, most importantly, will our heroes be able to hold them off. I hope you're thirsty for some action, because there's going to be a lot of it.)

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New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Okuwamon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Bacchusmon_(Deisui_Mode)

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/MagnaKidmon

Chapter 104: The ElDradi War

Notes:

(A/N: Happy New Year, everyone. I'm a day late with this, but I've been buy with the holiday season. But it's ready now. The title does not exaggerate. This is going to be an all out war. My past battles are going to pale compared to everything that's going to go on with this one. Hope you're ready, because we're getting into it now.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 104: The ElDradi War

 

The party had just begun, but not the kind the teens had in mind. As the Demon Lords' forces closed in on the outside, all those in the castle remained oblivious to the danger as Pharaohmon and QueenChessmon oversaw the party preparations.

"Put those decorations over there," the queen ordered a group of Digimon. "And move those over there."

"No, no," said Pharaohmon as another group of Digimon loaded a table with food. "Do not bring out the main course yet. Just start with the appetizers. If you bring all the food out at once, we'll run out of room on the tables."

The teens sweat-dropped as the preparations became all the more elaborate. When they had said that they wanted to celebrate, they hadn't expected all this. They only wanted a small party to mark the occasion, but this was turning into an all out festival.

"Anyone else feel that this is going a little overboard?" Tai asked.

"Uh huh," the others nodded.

"What are you talking about?" Davis exclaimed. "This is awesome! These guys really know how to party it up."

Kari sighed. "Well, you certainly don't hold back."

"Shouldn't someone say something?" Takato asked. "I'm starting to feel like we're taking advantage of their hospitality."

TK rubbed the back of his head uncomfortably. "Yeah, I guess I'll go talk to them, see if we can tone things down a bit."

He uneasily approached the king and queen, wondering how he should say this without coming across as ungrateful. "Um, excuse me, your majesties."

Pharaohmon and QueenChesssmon turned to him. The former simply smiled proudly. "So, what do you think? Is this not a extravagant party?"

TK sweat-dropped. "Yes, it certainly is. But don't you think it's a bit much? When we said we wanted to celebrate, we didn't mean all this, just something small amongst the seven of us."

"Nonsense," QueenChessmon replied. "You deserve the very best after what you've done. Defeating Leviamon is no small matter. A party like this is the least we can do."

Now TK was feeling even more uncomfortable. "Well, it's really great, but we don't want to inconvenience you, or-"

"This is not an inconvenience," Pharaohmon insisted. "This is us showing you our gratitude. We could never repay you for destroying Leviamon. A celebration like this is the least we can do. Please, let us show our thanks."

TK gave up after that. "Well, if you insist." He went back to his friends and gave an uncomfortable chuckle. "Looks like the party is on after all."

"Sweet!" Davis cried. "I'm gonna party it up!"

Shoutmon sighed, but then he looked at all the Digimon working hard to set up everything. They all looked overjoyed, despite rushing around to get things ready. A smile grazed his face as he related to them. His friends would never understand what they had done for the Digital World. To them, Leviamon had been just another obstacle they had needed to overcome in order to get home, and if they could help others in the process, then all the better. But they hadn't lived under the tyrannical rule of the Demon Lords, and thus had no way of knowing what it meant to be free of even one of them.

"Let them do as they wish," he told the teens. "This isn't just a party to celebrate your anniversary of coming to the Digital World. To them, this is a thank you party where they're showing you their gratitude. Let them give their thanks".

Sighing, TK nodded. "Yeah, that's what Pharaohmon and QueenChessmon said."

Takato crossed his arms. "Yeah, I've been wondering something about QueenChessmon. I was checking my Digimon Analyzer and found out that there's a KingChessmon as well. Shouldn't he be QueenChessmon's mate?"

Shoutmon let out a frustrated snort. "That is a horrible stereotype. Shame on you."

Takato suddenly realized that he had said something offensive without meaning to. "Um… I'm sorry…"

Tai chuckled. "He didn't mean anything by it, Shoutmon. Even after all this time, we're still learning."

The dragon Digimon sighed. "I know, I'm sorry. But you've got to be careful about what you say; you don't want to accidentally offend anyone. Especially royalty."

"What are you talking about?" Pharaohmon asked as he and QueenChessmon walked over.

"Nothing!" the teens and Shoutmon exclaimed immediately.

Pharaohmon raised an eyebrow. "If you say so. I believe we are almost ready to begin the celebration."

At that moment, a loud roar echoed throughout the city, drawing the attention of everyone both inside and outside the castle. All movement stopped as human and Digimon alike turned their attention to the source.

"Was that… ElDradimon?" Takuya asked.

Pharaohmon nodded. "It was. But that means…"

The doors suddenly burst open, and Mihiramon and Caturamon, accompanied by Shakkoumon rushed in. "Your majesties," the tiger Digimon shouted, "we are under attack!"

Every head in the room turned towards the three of them. Both Pharaohmon and QueenChessmon looked shocked by this. No one had ever dared to attack ElDradimon before. He was far too big, and had too great of a defense; it would be far too much of a hassle, and that wasn't even counting the Garuru Trio guarding him, or anyone else in the city that might get involved in the fight to defend their home.

After a moment, QueenChessmon regained her composure. "Who is attacking us?"

"Is it the Machine Mercenaries?" Takato asked.

"Not them," said Caturamon. "This is a full scale attack. Several of the Demon Lords' agents are here with an army of Okuwamon. The Garuru Trio is fighting them off, but there are too many. They'll be upon us any moment."

"It's bad!" Shakkoumon cried, waving her arms around. "It's really bad!"

Pharaohmon growled. "Sound the alarms. I want all Champion Digimon and up ready to fight. Any Rookie Digimon that wish to fight will be helpful as well." He turned to the teens. "I am sorry, but it seems your party will have to wait."

"Forget the party," said Tai. "We've got to get out there."

"Your help will be most appreciated," said QueenChessmon. "It will be an honor to fight by your side."

Pharaohmon nodded. "Come, my queen. Lets make haste."

Rather than taking the door, both the king and queen leapt out the window. Mihiramon, Caturamon, and Shakkoumon followed after them, as did the teens, though they stopped at the window before jumping out.

They surveyed the outside. They sky was full of giant lethal looking insect Digimon approaching the city. It didn't take much for them to realize that these were the Okuwamon. And in the distance, they could see the Garuru Trio fighting two different Digimon that Shoutmon quickly identified as Bacchusmon and MagnaKidmon.

"Where'd all these guys come from all of a sudden?" Takato wondered out loud.

"Must have been an ambush," said Takuya. "And I thought the Demon Lords wouldn't try and get us here."

TK pulled out his Digivice. "Come on, we've got to help."

One by one, they jumped out the window, transforming as they dropped to the ground.

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… WarGreymon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Imperialdramon Fighter Mode!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Gallantmon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… AncientGreymon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Seraphimon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Ophanimon!"

"Shoutmon Digivolve to… OmniShoutmon!"

They landed on the streets. Lower level Digimon were running about, fleeing from the Okuwamon while the more powerful Digimon rushed into battle. Pharaohmon and QueenChessmon were fighting together on the DigiDestined's right, striking down any Okuwamon in close proximity while Mihiramon, Caturamon, and Shakkoumon fought on their left.

"These guys are everywhere," Ophanimon stated. "We could really use a can of Raid."

"Trust me, little human, a few bugs are the very least of your worries."

A new Digimon appeared, and it was most definitely not a Digimon. Whatever it was, it did not look friendly. It almost looking like a cross between a demonic jester and a pirate, with a cape that shifted into bat wings, and two arms growing out of his back, twice the length of his front arms. A rapier hung from each hip, and two guns were in their holsters at his sides. Behind him, a tail that looked like an extension of his spine contained an axe blade at the end.

As the Digimon floated above the DigiDestined, OmniShoutmon felt his insides go numb as fear gripped him. He knew exactly who this was, along with the stories that went along with his reputation. Next to having a Demon Lord appear, this was the absolute last thing they needed.

"Boltboutamon," QueenChessmon hissed at the newcomer. "What are you doing here?"

A wicked grin crept up the demon Digimon's face. "Is it not obvious, your majesty? I'm leading this little attack on your fair city. And it looks like I even found the humans that have been giving the Demon Lords so much trouble." He dragged his tongue over his lips. "I think I'll kill them."

Gallantmon took a threatening step forward. "You and what army?" He paused and glanced at the swarm of Okuwamon. "Um, you know what I mean."

OmniShoutmon placed a hand on his shoulder. "Wait. Be very careful. This guy is seriously bad news, probably more so than even I realize."

"Meaning what?"

The dragon Digimon tried to find the best way to explain who they were dealing with without having his friends run for the hills. "Remember Myotismon?"

"Yeah."

"Remember Piedmon?"

"Yeah."

"This guy is the DNA Digivolution of them both."

"Oh, great," Imperialdramon muttered. "Two of our biggest enemies in one. This isn't exactly how I wanted to spend our anniversary."

Boltboutamon sneered, his smile mocking and full of wicked intent. "If you're having an anniversary party, then you could use a few more guests."

He held out his hand towards them, and seven Okuwamon flew in to attack. The DigiDestined prepared to attack, but were suddenly cut off by their hosts. Caturamon leapt at one of them and used his Śwabhojana attack. He transformed into a giant hammer and struck one of the insect Digimon over the head, knocking it to the ground. Shakkoumon followed up with her Justice Beam, firing a laser of over 180,000 degrees from her eyes that destroyed the insect Digimon.

"Double Scissor Claw!" another cried as it flew towards Shakkoumon.

Mihiramon countered with his Samurai Tiger Tail, his tail transforming into a chain link of nunchakus that struck the Okuwamon in the head, completely flipping the giant insect Digimon over. Caturamon then changed back to normal and unleashed his Howl of the Heavens, releasing a supersonic howl capable of shattering barriers.

"Tiger Wing Blade!" Mihiramon cried, striking the ground with his tail and sending out another shockwave, the two attacks destroying the Okuwamon.

"Heart Breaker!" QueenChessmon cried, stabbing an Okuwamon in the face with her sword, destroying it instantly, before turning to another one, swinging her staff. "Grand Cricket!"

This Okuwamon was destroyed as well, and the last three swarmed in on Pharaohmon, but the ghost Digimon didn't look intimidated in the least as he took a deep breath. "Mummy Mayhem!"

He breathed a cloud of gas at them. It flowed over the Okuwamon, and they immediately recoiled. Terror was written all over their faces as their bodies began to dissolve. Pharaohmon glared at them without mercy as his fear-gas robbed them of their will. "Leave."

Still decaying, the three Okuwamon fled from the battle. The DigiDestined looked on in surprise at the ease in which they had defeated the Okuwamon.

"Wow," said AncientGreymon, "they're good."

Seraphimon eyed the countless insect Digimon that were still flying around. "Yeah, but there's still a lot to go."

BoltBoutamon sneered. "Well, it looks like our battle will have to wait since you seem to have your hands full here. No matter, I have a job to do anyway. I do hope you'll survive; I'd like the pleasure of killing you myself. Ta-ta."

He leapt away as several dozen more Okuwamon flew in while others spread out amongst the city. Mihiramon, Caturamon, and Shakkoumon went after the largest group, heading off to a different part of the city while Pharaohmon and QueenChessmon charged forward to attack the ones that were currently coming at them. This time, the DigiDestined were not going to just stand around and watch.

"Great Tornado!" WarGreymon cried, and began spinning around as he flew through the air, drilling through any Okuwamon in his path, sending data scattering.

"I got this," said Gallantmon as a group of Okuwamon flew towards him. "Flying Spiral Saber!"

He cut across the sky with his lance, destroying five Okuwamon at once. Some of the group broke off and went after Imperialdramon, the one in the lead opening its pincers. "Double Scissor Claw!"

Imperialdramon raised his cannon, and the attacking insect Digimon's pincers closed over his arm. "Big mistake. Positron Laser!"

He blasted apart the Okuwamon who had been foolish enough to bit down on his cannon. The beam flew through the air, and he began dragging it along, destroying more and more of the insect Digimon.

AncientGreymon was using his Omega Burst, launching fireballs at the Okuwamon, destroying each one with a single attack. Then several attacked all at once, dog-piling on top of him. He struggled for a moment before unleashing his Omega Corona, the blast disintegrating all his attackers at once.

Seraphimon had his own swarm of Okuwamon attacking him. He was slashing away at them with his Excalibur, but when over a dozen came at him at once, he used his Hallowed Ascension, calling down lightning that destroyed them one after another.

"Eden's Javelin!" Ophanimon cried, destroying the Okuwamon that had been coming at him from behind.

Seraphimon turned around in surprise and saw the lingering data of the Okuwamon that had been coming at him from behind. Underneath his helmet, he gave Ophanimon an appreciative smile. "Thanks for that. Hallowed Knuckle!"

A ball of light shot out of his fist and destroyed the Okuwamon that had been coming up behind her. She flashed her fellow angel Digimon an amused smile. "I guess that makes us even."

Turning to some more Okuwamon, she unleashed her Eden's Air. The holy tornado sucked up the insect Digimon and slammed them into the castle wall. She followed up with her Holy Light attack, destroying them instantly.

The last group was coming at OmniShoutmon, and he cracked his knuckles in preparation. "My turn. Heavy Metal Vulcan!"

Flaming bolts flew from his chest, forming a flaming wall. The first few Okuwamon flew into it and burst into data while the rest flew up to pass over it. OmniShoutmon beat them to the top and fired his Omni Core Fusion down at them, destroying the rest.

But that was only the beginning. The sky was still full of Okuwamn attacking the city, and several more flew down to attack. The DigiDestined regrouped as the insect Digimon came swarming in.

"We'll have to split up," said WarGreymon. "Imperialdramon, AncientGreymon, you go help the Garuru Trio and prevent any more of these Okuwamon from getting near the city. Gallantmon, OmniShoutmon, you head to the west side and take care of the ones there."

"Mihiramon, Caturamon, and Shakkoumon went that way," Pharaohmon told him as he struck down another Okuwamon with his Fist of the Nile. "QueenChessmon and I will take care of the north side."

As the king and queen moved through the swarm of Okuwamon, WarGreymon nodded and changed his orders. "Right, ok then, you two take the south side instead. Seraphimon, Ophanimon, you guys stay here and protect the east side."

"What about you?" asked Gallantmon him.

The dragon Digimon's gaze fixed in on Boltboutamon. "Something tells me I'm going to have my hands full."

OmniShoutmon's eyes shifted to where WarGreymon was looking. A feeling of great unease for his friend came over him at the thought of the dragon Digimon facing such a creature. "I don't know about this, WarGreymon. Boltboutamon is unbelievably powerful, stronger than any of the Chaos Generals even, and just as evil as the Demon Lords. Some even say he's the source of all evil. I don't think you should face him alone."

Just looking at the demon Digimon, WarGreymon felt as if that were indeed possible. "No choice. This is the best strategy. I'll just have to be extra careful."

Trusting that the others would follow his directions, he flew towards Boltboutamon as the demon Digimon danced across rooftops, launching attacks at any Digimon he came across, killing several. WarGreymon knew he had to stop this, and came at him from behind, not caring that it was a cheap shot, and used his War Driver. His claws glowed with power, and he swiped at Boltboutamon.

To his surprise, the demon Digimon bent over at the last moment, as if he had sensed WarGreymon coming, and his attack missed. Boltboutamon whirled around and kicked outward, his foot striking the dragon Digimon and sending him crashing into a wall.

"Did you think that you could just sneak up on me?" the demon Digimon asked in amusement. "I don't know what weaklings you've faced in the past, but I am not one of them."

WarGreymon got up and took another look at his opponent. He could tell that Boltboutamon has more than just a creepy face. Already vicious in appearance, there was something far more sinister about him than meets the eye. Pure evil and unrestrained hatred poured off him in buckets, despite his calm demeanor. His wicked aura matched, if not surpassed, even that of Leviamon if WarGreymon was not mistaking, and the level of hate he sensed oozing off Boltboutamon was greater than anything he had ever felt. He recalled OmniShoutmon's warning, and suddenly felt that facing the demon Digimon alone hadn't been such a good idea.

Flying upward, WarGreymon ran his claws against each other, creating sparks, trying to intimidate his opponent. "If you're working for the Demon Lords, I suggest you get a new profession. We're the Guardians, and we're taking them out."

Boltboutamon cocked his head to the side. "Is that a fact? I'd certainly like to see that. But this isn't so much as work as it is a hobby. There's nothing I enjoy more than killing every living thing I come across, and you've interrupted my fun."

WarGreymon felt disgusted by this. "You're sick."

"Sick am I?" Boltboutamon asked nonchalantly. "No, not sick, I simply despise absolutely everything. You truly can't understand the depths of my hatred for all things. And that includes you."

"You don't even know me."

"I don't need to know you to despise you. And you've just given me another reason to utterly loathe you."

"And what's that?"

A menacing grin spread across Boltboutamon's face, but there was no humor or joy in it. "You've interrupted my killing spree."

With a raging bellow, he charged forward and slashed at WarGreymon. The dragon Digimon held up his arms to block, and was astounded by the amount of power the demon Digimon displayed as his swipe knocked his arms away, creating gashes in his armor. He followed up with a knee to the dragon Digimon's midsection, then head-butted him before ending it with a kick.

WarGreymon stumbled back, and Boltboutamon came at him again. Using his Grey Fire, he began throwing fireballs at the demon Digimon, but Boltboutamon whipped out his two rapiers and effortlessly slashed the fireballs apart. His much larger arms growing out of his back stretched out towards the dragon Digimon, and WarGreymon held up his arms to block. Instead of scratching or punching him however, Boltboutamon grasped WarGreymon's wrists and spun around, throwing the dragon Digimon behind him.

Using the momentum to his advantage, WarGreymon used his Great Tornado, and U-turned back towards Boltboutamon. The demon Digimon didn't hesitate as his face twisted into a demented grin and he leapt towards the living drill that WarGreymon had become. His tail lashed outward, the blade at the end striking WarGreymon's miniature tornado, disrupting the attack.

WarGreymon grunted against the pain as he stopped spinning and instead used his Dramon Cutter, regretting that Boltboutamon wasn't a Dramon type. Boltboutamon blocked with his swords and flipped backwards, striking WarGreymon up the middle with his axe-like bladed tail, slicing through his armor.

"Pernicious Waltz!" he cried, raising his hand to the sky. All around him, numerous blades appeared in the air. Boltboutamon motioned towards WarGreymon, and the blades flew at him from every direction.

WarGreymon dodged and deflected, but there were far too many, and they began stabbing into him one after another. His armor-clad body helped protect him, but he still received damage. It seemed, however, that Boltboutamon was deliberately avoiding his vital areas, as if he were toying with him.

"Come on," the demon Digimon taunted as WarGreymon put some distance between them to take a moment to recover. "Fight back. Fight for my amusement. I want to slice you up sobadly."

This Digimon was sadistic WarGreymon realized, but what could he expected from a monster born from the fusion of Piedmon and Myotismon. "You want it? Fine then. Terra Force!"

He threw a massive ball of energy. Boltboutamon watched it come impassively at first, but then a sadistic grin crossed his face and he rushed forward to meet it. His longer arms reached out to catch it as he spread his wings to help keep his balance. With his front arms, he stabbed into the ball of energy with his rapiers from below, and rolled the attack over him.

To WarGreymon's utter horror, Boltboutamon had deliberately tossed the attack away from him, in the direction of a group of the city's residents. The attack erupted, and the Digimon were destroyed by the blast.

A sinister smirk spread across Boltboutamon's face as he stared at the lingering data, his eyes shining with pleasure. "Beautiful. It truly is a glorious sight to see you personally kill the very people you're trying to protect. So tell, me, how does it feel to slaughter the innocent? How does it feel to know that the ones who were depending on you were struck down by your own attack? I so want to know. Tell me!"

WarGreymon still couldn't believe his eyes. "How could you? They didn't want any part of this!"

Boltboutamon ran his tongue over his fangs in delight, his eyes wide and blazing. "You think that this is bad? This is nothing compared to what I'm going to do. I'm going to kill every last Baby, In-Training, Rookie, Champion, Ultimate, and Mega in this city. Not one will be spared. Not one. And when they cry out for mercy, I'll just make their suffering that much worse."

He pointed his sword at the dragon Digimon, his eyes shining with malicious intent as he practically salivated, trembling with excitement. "But not you or your friends. Since you've interrupted my fun, I've got something special planned for you. I will see to it that your friends die slow, horrible, agonizing deaths. I'm going to make you watch as I cut them apart, piece by piece, screaming in agony. Especially the pretty little girl. I'm going to violate her in ways you can't possibly imagine, in ways that are beyond unnatural, and will redefine the meaning of the word sadistic."

A wicked chuckle escaped him as his speech became more deranged until he was practically ranting. "And once your friends are begging for death, I'll force them to watch as I do the same to you. I'll draw your suffering out for days, switching back and forth between torturing you and torturing them. Only when I've grown tired of your screams and you've become too incoherent from the never-ending cycle of pain that you've become numb to it and all but driven to madness will I finally put you out of your misery."

He licked the end of his rapier, as if savoring the idea of their upcoming torment. "But I won't do it myself. Oh no. I'll take control of you, and have you slaughter them yourself. You'll witness their deaths through your own eyes as your own hands butcher them in the most violent and grotesque ways possible. And once they've breathed their last agonized breath, I'll put an end to you myself, and the last thing you'll see will be my face sneering down at you. That's what I'm going to do to you and your friends, you human scum. That's what I'm going to do! So tell me, do you regret interrupting my fun? Do you? DO YOU!?"

He finished ranting and burst into the raving laughter of a lunatic, the deranged look on his face telling the dragon Digimon that he was completely serious with his threat. WarGreymon was utterly shocked and sickened by the demon Digimon's promise. The amount of evil this Digimon exhibited was incredibly unsettling. He could definitely see why Boltboutamon was considered to be the source if all evil. "You're a monster."

Boltboutamon raised a claw to his own face, dragging it down his cheek, nearly drawing blood, as if he wanted nothing more than to feel his claws cutting through flesh and had to settle for his own. "You want to see a monster? I'll show you a monster, and you will know what fear is. That will be your first lesson in suffering." His unsettling grin grew wider. "And I will be your instructor."

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OmniShoutmon and Gallantmon were clearing up the south side of Okuwamon. The insect Digimon were strong, but they fell easily enough to their superior Mega level power. It was the sheer number of them that was the problem. There were hundreds of them flying around ElDradimon, not to mention Bacchusmon and MagnaKidmon.

And then there was Boltboutamon. That's who OmniShoutmon was really worried about. He'd warned WarGreymon, but he had a feeling that the dragon Digimon truly didn't understand just how evil and powerful Boltboutamon truly was. Truth be told, not even he knew how strong the demon Digimon actually was. There were few Digimon that OmniShoutmon feared as much as the Demon Lords, but Boltboutamon was one of them.

Gallantmon stabbed an Okuwamon with his lance, then whirled around and slammed his shield into another one. He unleashed his Shield Attack, firing a burst of holy energy that destroyed it and the one behind it.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw OmniShoutmon staring off into the distance. The dragon Digimon seemed completely oblivious to the battle, even as four Okuwamon came flying at him at once. "Shield of the Just!"

The beam tore through the first Okuwamon, destroying it, followed by the one behind it, and the one behind that, and the one behind that. He flew over to OmniShoutmon, giving his friend a concerned look. "Hey, you ok?"

The dragon Digimon glanced at him. "I'm worried about WarGreymon. Boltboutamon is not someone to be taken lightly."

Still giving OmniShoutmon his attention, Gallantmon whacked an Okuwamon that had lunged at him. "Why? Just how strong is he?"

OmniShoutmon shook his head. "Honestly, I really don't know. Based on the stories I've heard, whenever he's been in battle, he's always been able to show a display of power greater than what was formerly believed to be his limit."

The two jumped away as an Okuwamon attempted to tackle them. OmniShoutmon destroyed it with his Twin Fireball Strike as Gallantmon used his Saber Shot against those that tried to attack them in the air.

"So you're saying he's always held back his true power in battle, so no one really knows how strong he is."

OmniShoutmon was silent for a moment. "I don't think WarGreymon can win."

More Okuwamon came in to attack, and Gallantmon used his Spiral Saver attack, spinning around to create a tornado of fire to keep them at bay. "Then lets take care of these guys fast so we can help him out."

OmniShoutmon reluctantly agreed, though he wished that someone stronger had gone to face Boltboutamon instead. But he couldn't worry about that right now; he needed to take care of all these Okuwamon. There was no time to worry about what Boltboutamon might be capable of; he had to get his head in the game.

As they set about clearing the area of the insect Digimon, something else came crashing through the city, making its way over to the two of them. Their attention was drawn to the source as what appeared to be a hideous excuse of a teddy bear wearing a red cape, a cook's apron, and was wielding a giant cookie cutter. It was crashing through the city, kicking and punching through homes and swiping his cookie cutter through the air.

"Yikes," said Gallantmon. "He looks like one of the animatrons from Five Nights At Freddy's."

OmniShoutmon gave him a bewildered look. "What? That's GigaWaruMonzaemon." He looked back at the puppet Digimon. "Where did he come from?"

"The Okuwamon must have carried him here to cause havoc. Come on, let's take care of this guy before he destroys the city."

They flew towards the puppet Digimon. GigaWaruMonzaemon's glowing green eyes settled on them, and he held up his cookie cutter threateningly. "Oh, good, a few assistants to help me in the kitchen. Lets cut to it."

He swung his cookie cutter at them, and Gallantmon and OmniShoutmon split up. OmniShoutmon fired his Hard Rock Spirit, but GigaWaruMonzaemon cut through the flames with his cookie cutter.

"Gallant Charge!" Gallantmon cried, flying forward and stabbing his electrified lance into GigaWaruMonzaemon's side. The puppet Digimon cried out and swung his cookie cutter at him, but Gallantmon blacked with his shield.

"Doom Drillpress!" OmniShoutmon cried, slicing through the length of the cookie cutter, and the two pieces dropped to the ground.

"Hey, that's mine," GigaWaruMonzaemon snapped.

"Lightning Joust!" Gallantmon cried, shooting a ball of lightning from his lance. It exploded in the puppet Digimon's face, and GigaWaruMonzaemon toppled over onto some houses. Gallantmon winced at his blunder, hoping no one was inside. "Oops, sorry about that."

"Oh, you're going to be sorry," GigaWaruMonzaemon growled as he got to his feet. "You like playing with electricity? Well, here you go, Mega Heartburn!"

He threw a wad of electricity in the shape of a heart. Gallantmon blocked with his shield as OmniShoutmon flew forward with his Doom Drillpress. GigaWaruMonzaemon held up his arm to defend himself, and OmniShoutmon's bladed foot cut a gash across it. The puppet Digimon growled and threw a punch, knocking OmniShoutmon away, then drew the outline of a heart in the air. "Heartburn Blast!"

He fired the outline at OmniShoutmon. The dragon Digimon did a flip in the air, cutting through the attack, then he and Gallantmon flew forward. OmniShoutmon threw a punch the same time Gallantmon slammed his shield into GigaWaruMonzaemon's face. The puppet Digimon stumbled back, but they gave him no time to recover as they fired their Omni Core Fusion and Shield of the Just, knocking GigaWaruMonzaemon off his feet.

"Lets end this," said Gallantmon.

"Lets," OmniShoutmon agreed. "Victorize Banking!"

"Lightning Joust!"

GigaWaruMonzaemon had started to get up when the attacks came at him. They struck simultaneously, and he was knocked back down again. This time, he did not get up, and his body started to break down into data.

"Alright, we did it!" Gallantmon cheered.

OmniShoutmon nodded. "No problem here."

But GigaWaruMonzaemon wasn't about to let them get the last laugh. Attempting to hold himself together as long as possible, he sneered at the dragon and knight Digimon. "Fools. It doesn't matter if I fall here. Destroying the city was just a distraction. The real plan is already underway. Soon we'll get what we came for. And when we do, the masters will know everything they want to know."

He completely disintegrated after that. The Okuwamon in the area seemed to have decided to call it quits upon seeing this, leaving only OmniShoutmon and Gallantmon behind.

The latter glanced at OmniShoutmon. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing," the dragon Digimon said dismissively as he absorbed GigaWaruMonzaemon's data. "He was just trying to get to us."

Gallantmon glanced back at the spot the puppet Digimon had been. "I don't know. It seemed more like he was taunting us, like he had already won and was rubbing it in our faces." He thought about GigaWaruMonzaemon's choice of words, and suddenly gasped. "Wait, he said that soon the Demon Lords would know everything they want to know."

OmniShoutmon glanced at him, now looking a little uncertain. "You don't think…"

"AncientWisemon!"

 

Notes:

(A/N: I'm, going to say this now, OmniShoutmon is right to be worried about Boltboutamon. That dude is bad news, like the new big baddie of the Digimon franchise, perhaps thee biggest based on his profile description. You'll see what I mean in chapters to come. But there's other things to worry about too. Is Gallantmon's guess right? Are the Demon Lords after AncientWisemon? Having his knowledge at their disposal would be very dangerous. Hopefully our heroes will be able to save him. Stay tuned for more.)

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New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Boltboutamon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/GigaWaruMonzaemon

Chapter 105: Abduction Attempt

Notes:

(A/N: Geez, this weather is driving me crazy. It's in the low teens one day and then the high forties the next. My body can't keep up. Hopefully our heroes are doing better than I am. Lets take a look.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 105: Abduction Attempt

 

Within the base of the castle, a lone Digimon strolled down the path that led to where AncientWisemon dwelled. Similarly to Digitamamon and HolyDigitamamon, its body consisted of being an egg, only further 'hatched' than the other two.

Long demon-like arms hung from a dark gray eggshell body as it stomped along on crouched legs. Batwings and a tail poked out of the back, and from the front, the muzzle of what looked like a dinosaur poked out, numerous yellow eyes peppering the upper jaw.

These eyes scanned the dungeon-like room as the mutant Digimon made its way towards its destination. This job was far too easy. For a so-called impenetrable city, getting inside hadn't been so tough.

The Ohakadamon were popping up all around, but the intruder paid them no mind; they were weak and useless, good only for destroying and absorbing their data. There was much bigger game to hunt down, not to mention other obstacles in the way.

"Halt!"

Ah, there was one of those obstacles now. And a rather powerful one at that. FusedAncientVolcanomon was standing in their path, looking as intimidating as ever. "So good to see you again. I see you haven't changed a bit."

A growl escaped FusedAncientVolcanomon. "I see you have. It's no surprise that you Digivolved into Devitamamon. AncientWisemon warned you of the dark path you were heading down. Looks like you've embraced your darkness completely."

The eyes on Devitamamon's muzzle narrowed. "And who's fault do you think that is? Maybe if AncientWisemon decided to help me rather than suggest to the king and queen that I should be thrown out of the city, then things would be different now."

FusedAncientVolcanomon breathed a cloud of smoke. "You know very well that AncientWisemon has always allowed others to make their own decisions. He gives advice in the hopes that you will make the right choice, but in the end, he leaves the decision up to you. He warned you many times of where you were heading, but you chose to ignore him until it got to the point where you were banished."

"Well, that is neither here nor there. Now I've come back to inform AncientWisemon of his own fate. You can either stand aside, or die."

The mineral Digimon snorted. "There's no need for you to tell him of his fate; he already knows everything. Besides," she flexed her muscles, "do you really think you can get past me?"

Devitamamon chuckled. "I think you're going to have your hands full. I brought a friend who would like to meet you. Oh, Metamormon!"

From around the corner, from where Devitamamon had come, a large insect-looking Digimon came floating over to them. Seemingly obese with very large hands, it casually hovered through the air, causing the Ohakadamon to bury into the ground in terror.

FusedAncientVolcanomon's eyes narrowed. "You brought such a monster with you?"

A snicker escaped Devitamamon. "When hunting big game, it's wise to bring big guns. And Metamormon is very good at what she does. No one who fights her ever forgets it."

The mineral Digimon cracked her knuckles. "We shall see. Maximum Big Bang!"

A stream of lava flew from her chest. Metamormon held out her hand and used her Trancey Rave, firing blasts from her palm. The attacks met and exploded, filling the room with smoke. FusedAncientVolcanomon bellowed and charged forward through the smoke, throwing a punch at the mutant Digimon. Metamormon caught the fiery fist, despite the flames, and threw her own punch.

FusedAncientVolcanomon went flying backwards and hit the wall. Metamormon flew forward, slamming into the mineral Digimon, and began pummeling her with her fists. FusedAncientVolcanomon held up her arms to defend herself, but the blows kept coming, preventing her from fighting back.

Devitamamon snickered and turned to the doors that led to AncientWisemon's room. "Keep the lava rock busy. I've got a long overdue meeting with the local wise-man."

Amongst the flurry of Metamormon's flying fists, FusedAncientVolcanomon glanced at Devitamamon. "No! Maximum Big Bang!"

Lowering her arms to take the blows, she managed to unleash her attack. Metamormon was pushed back by the stream of lava, but was nowhere near as damaged as she should have been. FusedAncientVolcanomon didn't bother to follow up with another attack however, as she lunged at Devitamamon. Metamormon moved quickly though, grabbing FusedAncientVolcanomon from behind and tossing the mineral Digimon against the wall, and planted herself between her and Devitamamon.

FusedAncientVolcanomon got up and growled at the mutant Digimon. "Get out of my way."

Metamormon did not get out if the way though. Instead, she used her Laser Translation, scanning her opponent. A moment later, she transformed, becoming a copy of FusedAncientVolcanomon. "It looks like you're in your own way."

Another growl escaped the real FusedAncientVolcanomon. She knew that this was Metamormon's special ability, the power to become an enhanced copy of whomever it was she was fighting. She knew this spelled trouble. She was confident in her power, but now she was facing a stronger version of herself; that could be very problematic. But still, she was the real thing; she knew how her body and attacks worked best. It was the one advantage she had over her stronger copy. Experience could trump superior power.

With a battle cry, she charged forward. Metamormon did the same, and they met in the middle of the room. They locked palms, attempting to push the other back. Metamormon's enhanced strength showed itself, and FusedAncientVolcanomon began to lose ground. Several hundred Ohakadamon popped up behind her and began pushing back, the additional support giving FusedAncientVolcanomon the extra boost she needed to match Metamormon's strength.

Devitamamon wished he could have watched the battle play out, but he had a job to do. Pushing the double doors open, he was greeted by HiAndromon and several dozen Mirrormon, the former standing before him with his arms crossed.

"Do you have an appointment with the wise-man?" the cyborg Digimon asked mockingly.

Devitamamon had anticipated this. "Not quite. It's the wise-man who has an appointment with my master. I have come to fetch him."

Dropping all pretenses, HiAndromon uncrossed his arms and held up his fists in a fighting stance. "I won't let you pass."

The mutant Digimon laughed. "As if you could stop me. Laser Eyes!"

Beams flew from his numerous eyes and struck HiAndromon before he could dodge. A blank look appeared on his face as Devitamamon devoured the cyborg Digimon's mind through the lasers connecting them. He dropped to the ground, his eyes staring up at the ceiling, unseeing. The Mirrormon let out frightened cries and fled as Devitamamon moved to stand over HiAndromon. "Now you really are just a mindless fool. All your power is pointless if you can't use it. But don't worry, I'll put it to better use. Black Death Cloud!"

He breathed a deadly gas over HiAndromon. One of the Mirrormon flew forward and protectively covered him with its much smaller body, and the gas dissolved it, leaving only its data behind. The gas then began to settle over HiAndromon, but was suddenly drawn away from him before any damage was delivered.

AncientWisemon had appeared from his room, and was now drawing the gas into his mirror, sending it to the spirit world where it could do no harm to anyone or anything there. Devitamamon turned his attention from HiAndromon to his true purpose for coming here. "So nice of you to join us, AncientWisemon. It's certainly been a while. How are you?"

AncientWisemon simply stared at him sadly. "Far better off than you, I'm afraid."

Devitamamon reacted very aggressively to this. "Don't you try your future predicting tricks on me! I will not fall for any plays you try."

"I have only ever spoken the truth. Did I not warn you, countless times, of the dark path you were heading down? Did I not warn you of how your lust for power and faith you had in the Demon Lords would turn you into a monster and make you betray those you cared for? But you did not listen. And now you are involved in an attack that is putting those very people in jeopardy, even your once best friend."

Devitamamon laughed. "And how is my old pal? Still sticking to the king and queen's side? Had he joined me, he could have had great power."

AncientWisemon gave him a hard look. "He has, and he has done so without giving himself over to the darkness. Quite the opposite of you in fact. Perhaps you've seen him flying around the city. He's become a HolyDigitamamon."

The mutant Digimon's tongue snaked out of his mouth and ran over his jaw in thought. "How very poetic. Two Digitamamon, once best friends, having taken two very different Digivolution routes, and are now on two very different sides. Too bad, it didn't have to be this way. My old friend could have joined me and known the greatness of the darkness."

AncientWisemon pointed at him. "It was your own life choices that led to this. I had hoped to save you from the darkness, but when you reached the point where I knew that there was no longer any chance of helping you, I advised the king and queen to exile you before you could corrupt your friend and drag him down the same dark path with you. He would have tried to save you from yourself out of loyalty, but ended up becoming corrupt as well, even though it was not what he wanted. I could not save you, but I still hoped to save your friend from such an evil fate. Fortunately, he was able to see the monster you were becoming and turned away from you and your dark promises."

"You turned him against me."

"I did no such thing, I spoke only the truth. He did not want to see it, but in the end, he confessed that deep down he knew there was no helping you, and he was lying to himself in thinking you could be saved. Like with you, I gave him the facts, and he heeded my advice. It was his choice to make, just as the one you made was yours. I always want the best for everyone, even if they do not want it for themselves."

A snort of laughter escaped Devitamamon. "Of course you would say something like that. AncientWisemon, all seeing and all knowing, always trying to control the future."

AncientWisemon shook his head. "No one can control the future, not even those with the knowledge of it. We can only hope for the best possible outcome, and help guide others towards it."

"If you say so, wise-man. But enlighten me. If you know all possible futures, then you must know why I am here, and what will happen next. So tell me," he cocked his head to the side, "why are you still here?"

AncientWisemon placed his hands together in acceptance. "Because I know what would have happened if I was not."

"How noble."

"And," AncientWisemon added, raising his voice, "I know that my being here also opens the door for the scenario I hope to achieve. There is no future will I will not be caught eventually, but by choosing the time and place of my capture, I can set into motion the events that will lead to the future I hope for. One that may see a permanent end to the Demon Lords' reign of terror once and for all."

Devitamamon stared at him, suddenly feeling uncertain. Did AncientWisemon speak the truth? In being here, was he indeed setting up a scenario where the Demon Lords could possibly fall?

He mentally shook his head. No, that was not possible. There was no way the Demon Lords could ever fall. This had to be some kind of trick. AncientWisemon was using the fact that he knew everything to his advantage to try and manipulate the situation by implying that by going along with his master's intentions would lead to the Demon Lords' fall. Well, Devitamamon was not going to fall for it.

"You can keep your mind tricks to yourself; I'm not interested. The Demon Lords will completely conquer this world, and I will be rewarded for my services."

AncientWisemon sighed. "I know of the future you hope for, but I have hope for a better one. And, unlike you, I know of what must happen to make that future come to pass."

"But you still don't know which one will happen, do you? You only know of all possible futures, and which one will most likely occur, but as you told me, we make our own future. Any one of them could come to pass, and I intend to make sure it's one where I get everything. Laser Eyes!"

He fired several beams from his eyes. AncientWisemon moved quickly, dodging the rays. Devitamamon turned to him and fired again. AncientWisemon flew about the room, avoiding the attacks as Devitamamon continued trying to strike him down.

"Why are you running?" the mutant Digimon mocked. "I thought you had accepted the fact that you wouldn't be able to escape the Demon Lords."

"That does not mean I need to make it easy for you. Elder Sign!"

The mirror on his chest flashed brightly, and something large and dark emerged from it. Completely black and seemingly made of shadows, it was a demonic humanoid figure that seemed to be made entirely of shadows. Glowing red eyes stared down at Devitamamon, and a low growl escaped the creature.

"Behold the ultimate evil god," AncientWisemon told the mutant Digimon. "A force of darkness, much like your beloved Demon Lords. This one, however, seeks only to destroy, and it has its sights set on you."

The god snarled and lashed out at Devitamamon. The mutant Digimon hopped away, but the god followed after him. He breathed his Black Death Cloud at the god, but aside from some irritation, the gas was completely ineffective.

"Did you think the master did not prepare for this?" Devitamamon asked as he dodged the god's swiping claw. "Your connection to the spirit world is well-known, as is your ability to bring and send others to and from it. That's why my master sent someone that you can't affect."

He placed his clawed fingers into his jaws and somehow managed to whistle. It was the signal to let his secret weapon know where to go. The air began to distort, and a creature emerged from the distortion. Large claws drummed against each other as its single large eye looked around the room.

"Say hello to my friend Parallelmon," said Devitamamon as he ducked to avoid another swipe from the evil god. "He has the ability to move freely between dimensions, including the spirit world. So go ahead and try to send him there; he'll just come right back." He chuckled. "Of course, you already knew that."

The evil god paid no mind to the newcomer as it finally landed a blow on Devitamamon. The mutant Digimon was knocked against the wall, and a pained groan escaped him. As the god came at him again, he glanced at his fellow mutant Digimon. "Hey, Parallelmon, send this thing back where it came from."

Parallelmon's eye shifted from AncientWisemon to the god. The area distorted around him, and he vanished into the distortion, reappearing wrapped around the god. The dark deity bellowed and began struggling, but another distortion appeared, and both it and Parallelmon disappeared into it. A few seconds later, only Parallelmon reappeared.

Devitamamon snickered. "Did you see this coming? You must have since you know everything. I guess you knew it was a possible outcome, but hoped it wouldn't happen."

AncientWisemon just stared at the mutant Digimon sadly. "For one with so many eyes, you are so very blind."

Anger flashed across Devitamamon's face. "And for one with so much wisdom, you are an utter fool. Parallelmon, take this vermin and bring him to the master."

Parallelmon stepped forward. "Absorbent Bang!"

A tendril of energy with a claw-shaped end flew from his eye. AncientWisemon dodged, and the tendril swerved after him. It became a game of chase as the mutant Digimon flew about with the tendril of energy following. One of the Mirrormon flew in its path, and the claw grabbed it. The mirror Digimon was immediately absorbed into the warped space of Parallelmon's body.

"Stay back," AncientWisemon ordered the others. "I'm the one they came for."

Devitamamon laughed. "Why did you not save your little friend there? Did you not see that coming? I suppose it must be hard to knowing everything. That's a lot of information to remember and process all at once. Do you even have enough time to calculate everything that is happening around you in order to remember which event in the countless possible futures is about to take place?"

AncientWisemon glared at him. "I don't always need to. Your body language and emotional state is enough to tell me what you're about to do, and when. For example, as soon as I'm finished speaking, you're going to use your Laser Eyes against me."

Devitamamon was outraged, especially since that had been exactly what he was going to do. Now, however, he was reconsidering using it, just to prove the mutant Digimon wrong; AncientWisemon would know it would be coming anyway. Perhaps he should use a different attack, or maybe not attack at all.

But then Devitamamon had become too frustrated to care if AncientWisemon was right, and so he used his Laser Eyes anyway as Parallelmon fired another beam. AncientWisemon avoided both, and maneuvered around the attacks as he made his way towards them. "Laplace no Ma!"

The mirror on his chest glowed brightly, and Parallelmon was sucked in and banished to the spirit world. Devitamamon just grinned at the futility of the attack. "That won't work, remember? He'll be back any moment."

AncientWisemon suddenly appeared behind him. "It's called buying time. Elder Sign!"

His mirror lit up again, and the evil god reemerged; this time though, only up to its arm, just enough to deliver a punch to Devitamamon, knocking him over. The area then distorted as Parallelmon reappeared, and AncientWisemon turned to him as the evil god's arm was drawn back into his mirror.

Devitamamon got to his feet and snarled at AncientWisemon. "You're really beginning to annoy me. You did that back when I lived in this wretched city too."

The double doors suddenly opened, and FusedAncientVolcanomon stepped inside. There was no sign of her opponent anywhere.

Without even turning to her, AncientWisemon asked, "FusedAncientVolcanomon?"

A moment later, the mineral Digimon turned back into Metamormon. "Dead."

AncientWisemon closed his eyes in regret. He had known of the countless futures in which Metamormon had emerged victorious, but he also knew of the ones where FusedAncientVolcanomon had won instead. He would have known the moment he had set eyes on the fake that it would be Metamormon, which was why he had not looked and simply asked instead, clinging for just a second longer onto the hope that FusedAncientVolcanomon had survived.

He had known the chances of her survival would be low. That was one of the curses of infinite wisdom; nothing was ever a surprise to him. He could only hope for the best, and it was always devastating when that hope was crushed, because he had known what the alternative could have been.

Devitamamon snickered. "It looks like it's all over for you."

AncientWisemon looked at him. "You would think so, but I know otherwise."

Devitamamon's eyes flashed, furious that the mutant Digimon would not accept defeat. "Enough of this nonsense! Parallelmon, take him!"

The mutant Digimon obeyed, firing a beam. AncientWisemon did nothing to defend against it as the clawed end reached for him.

"Doom Drillpress!"

The cry came from OmniShoutmon as he and Gallantmon burst into the room. The dragon Digimon's bladed foot cut through Parallelmon's attack before it reached AncientWisemon, and the beam dispersed.

"What the!?" Devitamamon exclaimed.

Gallantmon and OmniShoutmon planted themselves in front of AncientWisemon. "Looks like we made it just in time," said the former.

"Almost in time," AncientWisemon lamented as he thought of the fallen FusedAncientVolcanomon.

Devitamamon seethed as he stared at the two newcomers. "What are they doing here? They should fighting the others on the surface."

"GigaWaruMonzaemon has a big mouth," OmniShoutmon replied. "Both figuratively and literally."

The mutant Digimon growled and turned his attention to AncientWisemon. "You knew they were coming, didn't you?"

AncientWisemon closed his eyes. "I knew it was a possibility."

An annoyed hiss escaped Devitamamon. "I've had enough of this. Parallelmon, you know what to do. Metamormon and I will take care of these nuisances."

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

The Garuru Trio were grateful for the help when Imperialdramon and AncientGreymon came to fight. CresGarurumon was holding his own against MagnaKidmon, but MetalGaurumon and MagnaGarurumon were struggling against Bacchusmon. The god Digimon seemed to be deranged to the point of being a child throwing a tantrum, but he was very powerful, and the cyborg and android Digimon were taking heavy damage.

When the two dragon Digimon had shown up, the tides had begun to turn. Imperialdramon had wanted to help CresGarurumon fight MagnaKidmon, but the knight Digimon had insisted that he help fight Bacchusmon instead.

"He's a god Digimon," CresGarurumon had told him, "and one of the Olympos Twelve at that. It's going to take a lot to bring him down."

And he was right. Bacchusmon was a powerhouse, and completely mad it seemed; a result, MagnaGarurumon had told them, of being subjugated to the Demon Lords' torture. Though the god Digimon would occasionally use his Cook of Hell and Party of Heaven attacks, he mostly lashed out with his fists; likely because he couldn't think coherently.

"Is this guy ever going to go down?" AncientGreymon asked in frustration, having just used his Gaia Tornado on the god Digimon. "It seems we're not getting anywhere."

"Well," said Imperialdramon, "wackos are often portrayed as being a lot stronger than the norm in movies."

"Burst Wolf Claw!" MetalGarurumon cried, firing missiles at Bacchusmon. "Don't be fooled. We're making progress; it's just hard to tell because of the state he's in, but he is weakening."

Bacchusmon reached for him, and MagnaGarurumon flew forward and used his Magna Blade, swiping at the god Digimon's hand with the sword of light hidden in his arm. Bacchusmon pulled his hand back as Imperialdramon flew in and used his Majestic Strike, dropping down onto Bacchusmon's head and knocking the much larger Digimon to the ground.

"You're mean!" the god Digimon wailed as he started to get up. "I just want to play with you."

"Play with this," Imperialdramon snapped. "Dragon Knee!"

He drove his knee forward, intending to deliver the blow to Bacchusmon's face, but the god Digimon's hand shot out and grabbed him. His giant mouth broke out into a grin as he opened it to take a bite out of Imperialdramon.

MetalGarurumon and MagnaGarurumon slammed into Bacchusmon's face with their Blizzard Bash and Starburst Hunter. Bacchusmon wailed as he was knocked back, and Imperialdramon used the opportunity to open his chest and fire his Ionic Blaster into the god Digimon's face.

Bacchusmon's grip on Imperialdramon loosened, and the god Digimon burst free. Using his Splendor Blade, he created a sword of light and flew forward to slash at Bacchusmon. OmniShoutmon and MetalGarurumon then got together and fired their Omega Burst and Ice Wolf Claw, the exploding fireballs and freezing missiles acting as a nasty combination as they blasted against Bacchusmon.

The god Digimon dropped to the ground, burying his face in the dirt, and began to cry. It was the cry of a child when hurt. His four opponents floated above him, feeling a deep sense of pity for the crying Digimon.

"Finish it!" CresGarurumon called to them as he continued to do battle with MagnaKidmon. The two were currently right in front of him, the dragon Digimon repeatedly raising his guns from different parts of his body to fire upon the knight Digimon, and CresGarurumon knocking them away with his sword before he could get a shot off.

AncientGreymon knew they should, but hearing that heart-breaking crying from the god Digimon was breaking his own heart. "Do we really have to? I mean, just listen to him cry like that."

"No choice," said MetalGarurumon regretfully. "The Demon Lords did a real number on him. His mind and sanity are completely broken; Bacchusmon would never side with them otherwise; he's too pure-hearted. I can't imagine the type of torture he must have gone through."

"We can heal his body, but we can't heal his mind," MagnaGarurumon told him. He raised his guns. "Unfortunately, only death can fix that. End his suffering and let him start over. It's sad, but it's for the best. Feral Fire!"

His attack rained against Bacchusmon. For a few seconds, the god Digimon just let the gunfire and energy beam pepper him, then suddenly lunged forward, still crying, his mouth open wide. MagnaGarurumon pulled back, but wasn't fast enough, and Bacchusmon's giant jaws chomped down on him. He continued to cry while shaking his head back and forth like a dog with a chew toy, MagnaGarurumon clenched tightly between his teeth.

"Let him go!" AncientGreymon snapped, and fired his Omega Burst at the god Digimon.

Still crying, Bacchusmon turned to him, keeping his teeth clenched as MagnaGarurumon pounded against them. "I want eat!"

AncientGreymon's eyes narrowed. "Fine then, I've got a special treat for you! Open up, big guy!"

He flew forward. Bacchusmon spat out MagnaGarurumon and opened his mouth towards the dragon Digimon. AncientGreymon did not hesitate as he flew directly into the god Digimon's mouth, and Bacchusmon's jaws snapped shut behind him.

"AncientGreymon!" Imperialdramon shouted.

"Crazy fool," MetalGarurumon muttered.

Bacchusmon turned to them, tears still pouring from his eyes, but no longer looked upset. "Yum," he said, almost questioningly.

Imperialdramon raised his cannon. "Cough him up, now!"

Bacchusmon simply cocked his head to the side. "Hot…"

His body suddenly expanded like a balloon inflating, and a fiery blast erupted from within him, escaping from every opening in his body. Flames consumed his body from the inside out as a result of AncientGreymon's Omega Corona attack, and a moment later, he burst into data.

AncientGreymon was at the center of the blast, looking very uncomfortable. "Never again. I'm never doing that again."

MagnaKidmon blocked CresGarurumon's sword with his gun-leg as he glanced at the others. He took note of the lack of god Digimon and the data floating around, and his eyebrows rose in surprise. "Bacchusmon's been defeated?" His surprise soon shifted to a look of delight. "How perfect."

Abandoning his fight with CresGarurumon, he sped towards AncientGreymon, knocking him away. Holding out his arms, he absorbed Bacchusmon's data, laughing all the while. "Excellent. I could sense that I was close before, and this data has given me just the boost I needed."

AncientGreymon shook his sore head and glared at the dragon Digimon. "A boost for what?"

MagnaKidmon snickered. "A boost for this. MagnaKidmon Digivolve to… AvengeKidmon!"

AncientGreymon swore; he should have seen that one coming. Stealing Bacchusmon's data like that had been a cheap move, and it had enabled MagnaKidmon to Digivolve. And hadn't he already been a Mega? Now he was an even stronger one? That was just great.

Physically, AvengeKidmon hadn't changed; only his color was different. However, there was now a deep darkness about him. Where he had seemed cruel yet playful before, he now seemed to give off an angry vengeful aura that screamed danger. His expression had become darker too, his body language hostile, his eyes cold and steely.

"I think it's time we wrapped this up," AvengeKidmon whispered. "The time for games is over."

CresGarurumon flew over to rejoin them, holding his sword out in front of him. "Don't be a fool. Your power may have increased, but you can't defeat all five of us."

AvengeKidmon raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? Will I even need to put that much of an effort into defeating all of you?"

His gaze shifted to the other two members of the Garuru Trio. MagnaGarurumon was badly damaged, Bacchusmon's fangs having ruptured his armor and leaving deep nasty wounds that left him in a very critical condition. MetalGarurumon had taken his own beaten and now sustained heavy damage as well, though not as bad as the cyborg Digimon.

However, Imperialdramon agreed with CresGarurumon; he was confident that they would be victorious. "You're bluffing. You can't beat all of us, not on your own."

AvengeKidmon cocked his head to the side. "What makes you think I'm alone?"

AncientGreymon glanced at the Okuwamon flying around. Most of them had left them alone when the real fighting had started, choosing instead to attack the city. "You mean your bug friends? They're no real threat to us, and you know it."

AvengeKidmon's eyes narrowed. "I'm not speaking of these vermin. I believe I mentioned earlier that I had a trump card in case it was needed. I think it's time you said hello to him."

He raised his hand in the air and snapped his fingers three times. Moments later, something large and metal came stomping out of the forest. It was a large mechanical dinosaur, or perhaps a dragon, and it did not look friendly. Its entire design seemed to be built as a force of destruction, the two giant cannons on its back looking capable of leveling an entire city.

The machine Digimon stomped over to AvengeKidmon, who landed on the creature's head. "I would like to introduce you to Machinedramon. And he's programmed for just one thing. Destruction."

 

Notes:

(A/N: So, it looks like Imperialdramon and AncientGreymon just traded Baccgusmon for AvengeKidmon and Machinedramon. Ah, but there is more to this newcomer than meets the eye. You'll find out in a future chapter. But what of AncientWisemon's attempted kidnapping. Is there really no way to avoid it? With the loss of FusedAncientVolcanomon and HiAndromon taken out of commission, maybe. The Demon Lords having control over someone that literally knows anything is not a good thing. Not that he would willingly aid them, but we saw what they did to the once innocent and child-like Bacchusmon. Hopefully it won't come to that. The battle is only going to escalate, so stay tuned.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Devitamamon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Metamormon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Parallelmon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/AvengeKidmon

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Machinedramon

Chapter 106: Escalation

Notes:

(A/N: I have to be honest, I was drawing a complete blank on a title for this chapter. I decided to call it what I did because, well, the battle escalates. Yeah, not the best, I know, but it's all I got. Don't worry, the chapter itself is better than the title.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 106:  Escalation

 

AncientWisemon continued to avoid Parallelmon and his attempt to take him away. He knew what was waiting for him if he was captured, and he hoped to avoid it. However, Devitamamon had been right; he may know every possible future, but he did not know which future would come to pass.

That included the immediate future. The present was always in motion, and that affected the future. The slightest shift of even the smallest atom could alter the future AncientWisemon had predicted drastically. As such, even though he could calculate what would happen next, it took an immense amount of deduction and ingenuity to determine how the future would change from what he had formerly predicted. That was something very difficult to do while in the heat of battle, and it took everything he had to avoid Parallelmon's Absorbent Bang, predicting where and how he would strike next.

OmniShoutmon was facing his own difficulty with Devitamamon. The mutant Digimon wasn't that strong compared to him, but he made up for it by being extra vicious and nasty, his savagery matching the dragon Digimon's fighting ability. OmniShoutmon actually found himself on the defense as Devitamamon slashed at him wildly with his claws on both his hands and feet.

"Don't you know who I am?" he demanded of the mutant Digimon. "I'm the Digimon King."

"You say that like it should mean something," Devitamamon replied as he slashed away. "The only true authority of this world is that of the Demon Lords. It has been so for a long time now, and will be so forever more."

He chomped down on OmniShoutmon's leg as the dragon Digimon attempted to use his Doom Drillpress. OmniShoutmon fired his Victorize Banking, and Devitamamon released him as he flew back, avoiding the attack. He fired and Laser Eyes, and OmniShoutmon countered with his Heavy Metal Vulcan.

Devitamamon circled around the wall of flames and took a deep breath. "Black Death Cloud!"

"Omni Core Fusion!"

The humanoid aura shape flew through the gas and blasted against Devitamamon. The mutant Digimon crashed against the wall and then dropped to the ground. He glanced up to see OmniShoutmon flying towards him with his foot outstretched, and he leapt away as the dragon Digimon's kick cracked the ground.

"Twin Fireball Strike!"

Devitamamon knocked the fireballs away and fired his Laser Eyes. OmniShoutmon took to the air again, dodging the lasers. Devitamamon flew towards him, reaching out. His claws grabbed at OmniShoutmon's head, trying to draw it into his jaws. OmniShoutmon reached up, holding the mutant Digimon's mouth open as he tried to bite him.

"Do you even know what you're fighting for?" OmniShoutmon asked.

"It does not matter; I don't need to know. The masters give the orders, and I carry them out. End of story."

"So which one are you serving now? Which Demon Lord is after the great power?"

"I guess you'll find out once they obtain it. Black Death Cloud!"

"Hard Rock Spirit!"

Flames shot out of OmniShoutmon's hands the same time Devitamamon breathed his deadly gas. The dragon Digimon's attack blasted Devitamamon away as OmniShoutmon leapt away from the gas. Devitamamon used his momentum to kick off the wall and launch himself back towards OmniShoutmon, slamming into his stomach. OmniShoutmon doubled over, and Devitamamon spun around, kicking the dragon Digimon in the head and sending him crashing into the wall.

"Is that all, your highness?" the mutant Digimon mocked. "It's no wonder you were dethroned so easily."

With a snarl, OmniShoutmon got to his feet. "Alright, now I'm really pissed off. Twin Fireball Strike!"

He began throwing fireballs. Devitamamon dodged as he flew towards OmniShoutmon. The dragon Digimon continued throwing fireballs as Devitamamon maneuvered around them, closing the distance between the two. "Laser Eyes!"

OmniShoutmon did a backflip, avoiding the lasers. When he looked up, Devitamamon was above him, breathing deeply to unleash his Black Death Cloud. OmniShoutmon's eyes narrowed and he leaned back, kicking outward. "Doom Drillpress!"

Devitamamon's numerous eyes bulged out as OmniShoutmon's bladed foot went into his mouth and burst out of the back of his head. His surprised gaze landed on OmniShoutmon, who was glaring at him furiously. "Who picked the wrong side now?"

Devitamamon tried to raise his claw to strike him, but his strength failed, and his arm went limp and fell to his side. With his mouth full of OmniShoutmon's foot, he found the will to speak around it. "Lon' 'ive… the 'emon Lor's…"

He dissolved into data, but the victory was very dissatisfying for OmniShoutmon. Devitamamon had gone and ticked him off by bringing up what was possibly his most painful and most sensitive point in his history.

But there was no time to worry about that now. Devitamamon may have been in charge of AncientWisemon's attempted abduction, but the danger hadn't passed yet. Gallantmon was still engaged in battle with Metamormon, and AncientWisemon was still avoiding Parallemon's attempt to capture him.

He wasn't sure who to help first, but AncientWisemon took the decision out of his hands. "Help Gallantmon; he will die otherwise."

That was all OmniShoutmon needed to hear. He flew over to the knight and mutant Digimon. Gallantmon had attempted to stab Metamormon with his lance, but Metamormon had grabbed it with his giant hand and slammed him against the wall. She was now slamming her other fist against him. Gallantmon was blocking his shield, but it was obvious that he was losing steam.

"Victorize Banking!" OmniShoutmon cried. His attack hit Metamormon in the back. The mutant Digimon stopped and turned to him, just in time for OmniShoutmon's fist to slam into her face, knocking her away from Gallantmon. "You ok?"

The knight Digimon groaned and rotated his arm. "Got a kink in my shoulder, but I'll be fine."

They turned to Metamormon, who was rising up. The mutant Digimon looked from OmniShoutmon to Gallantmon, then back again. "Laser Translation!"

OmniShoutmon flinched as the laser scanned over his body. Gallantmon gave him a worried look. "He did that to me too."

"She," the dragon Digimon corrected. "This Metamormon is female."

Gallantmon had suspected as much based on the mutant Digimon's voice, but hadn't been sure. He hoped that didn't make him sexist. "They're all the same to me; Demon Lord vermin. Shield of the Just!"

The beam flew at Metamormon. She suddenly transformed into OmniShoutmon and used Heavy Metal Vulcan, the flaming bolts creating a wall that blocked his attack. She then flew at Gallantmon and used Doom Drillpress. Gallantmon blocked with his shield as Metamormon turned to the real OmniShoutmon and used Hard Rock Spirit.

The dragon Digimon dodged the fire blast and repeated his Victorize Banking. Metamormon transformed again, this time into Gallantmon, and held up her shield to block. The attack pushed her away from the real Gallantmon, but the moment it ceased, she unleashed her Shield of the Just. The beam struck OmniShoutmon, driving him back, and he hit the wall hard.

Gallantmon lunged at Metamormon. She turned to face him, and their lances struck against each other, the two exchanging blows, shields and lances colliding. Metamormon suddenly changed into OmniShoutmon and used Doom Drillpress, her bladed foot sending sparks flying as it cut across Gallantmon's torso.

"Trancey Rave!" she cried, firing blasts from her hand, even though she was still transformed. Gallantmon was blasted back, but a series of fireballs from OmniShoutmon's Twin Fireball Strike prevented her from following up with another attack.

She flew from the fireballs as OmniShoutmon pursued, not letting up. Flying over to the wall, she kicked off it and launched herself towards OmniShoutmon. Transforming, she became Gallantmon, using her shield to block the fireballs, and slammed into the dragon Digimon.

"Flying Spiral Saber!" Gallantmon cried, cutting the sky. Metamormon winced as the attack struck across her back. She turned to him, and his cable coiled around her leg, attempting to pull her in. She countered with her Spiral Saver attack, spinning around to form a fiery tornado. Gallantmon tried to keep hold of her, but could not, and her leg was pulled free of his cable.

Not fast enough, it seemed. Metamormon changed back to her true form and reached out, grabbing Gallantmon's cable before it was clear, and yanked him into the tornado. He winced as the flames spun around him, not liking the feel of his own attack. Yet he pressed onward all the same, attacking with his Lightning Joust. Metamormon was blasted from the tornado, and OmniShoutmon was there to meet her, blasting her with his Omni Core Fusion. She crashed into the ground, and both OmniShoutmon and Gallantmon flew down to continue the attack. She stopped this, however, by turning into OmniShoutmon and using Heavy Metal Vulcan to cut them off.

"I don't like fighting myself," OmniShoutmon growled. He glanced at Gallantmon. "Or you."

The flaming wall died down to reveal that Metamormon had turned into Gallantmon again, and she was in the middle of using her Saber Shot, firing a ball of electricity from her lance. The knight and dragon Digimon split up as several glowing spheres were shot at them.

"How can we beat someone who can turn into stronger copies of both of us?" Gallantmon asked.

"Teamwork!" AncientWisemon called as he dodged yet another beam from Parallelmon.

Gallantmon blinked in surprise at the mutant Digimon's words. Hadn't they been using teamwork this whole time? He stared at Metamormon, still mimicking him. His copy was slowly walking towards them, holding her lance up in challenge. That's when Gallantmon got the idea. "Hey, OmniShoutmon, I got this."

The dragon Digimon gave him a bewildered look. "You don't want my help?"

"Just stay behind me. Wait for the right moment. You'll know when."

Or so he said, but sincerely hoped that OmniShoutmon would get his meaning as he made his way towards Metamormon. "Alright, you big phony. You want to copy a knight Digimon? Then lets settle this the way knights would in my world." He pointed his lance at her. "One single charge."

Metamormon seemed to consider this before she held up her lance as well. OmniShoutmon looked uncertain. "You're sure about this?"

"It's an old medieval standoff in the Real World," Gallantmon replied. "We call it the jousting tournament." He glanced at the dragon Digimon. "Guess it's a good thing there's no sun down here. Getting that in your eyes could really throw you off." He looked back at Metamormon. "Lets do this. I'm going to show you that the real thing is always superior, no matter how great the copy is. Gram Strike!"

Metamormon copied him, and the two sped towards each other, lances extended. The distance closed between them, and as it did, Gallantmon really hoped that OmniShoutmon had picked up the hint he had dropped.

"Victorize Banking!" OmniShoutmon cried. The top of his head shined brighter than the sun as he shot at nothing in particular. But the light did its job. Metamormon flinched as she was blinded. A moment later, Gallantmon's lance plowed into her chest, the pointed end breaking through the armor and taking her off her feet.

"Lightning Joust!" Gallantmon cried, shooting lightning from his lance while it was still buried in Metamormon's chest. He continued to push her back until she slammed into the wall, the lance going in deeper. Pulling it free, he jumped back and held up his shield. "Shield of the Just!"

The beam flew from his shield and collided with Metamormon. She was helpless to defend against it, and could only wait until the attack died down. And when it finally did, she collapsed to the ground. She tried to get up, but her strength gave out, and she dropped back down. Her body changed back to its true form, and a moment later, it burst into data.

Gallantmon let out a sigh of relief. "That was close. I wasn't sure you'd get my hint; that your Victorize Banking shines brighter than the sun."

"I almost didn't," OmniShoutmon replied. "But I guess you had to be vague so Metamormon wouldn't know what you were planning. Now come on, we've got one more left."

They turned their attention to Parallelmon. The mutant Digimon was trying to box AncientWisemon into a corner. Fortunately, he had known what his would-be kidnapper had been planning, and so had been able to prevent himself from being cornered so far, but he was still steadily being herded to the spot Parallelmon wanted him to be in. And he couldn't really fight back, his attacks being completely ineffective against the teleporting Parallelmon.

"Shield of the Just!" Gallantmon cried, firing a beam that took Parallelmon off his feet and sent him crashing into the wall.

"Omni Core Fusion!" OmniShoutmon cried, sending his own attack at the mutant Digimon.

When the smoke cleared, Parallelmon was revealed to still be alive, and now found both Gallantmon and OmniShoutmon standing in front of AncientWisemon protectively. The former pointed his lance at the mutant Digimon, the threat clear. "Your friends have been defeated. Unless you want to end up like them, you better teleport out of-"

Parallelmon vanished before he could finish. The knight Digimon blinked in surprise and lowered his lance. "Um, ok, I guess that's that then." He looked back at AncientWisemon. "Everything ok?"

The mutant Digimon nodded. "As well as they can be."

OmniShoutmon looked around. "Where's FusedAncientVolcanomon and HiAndromon? We could have really used their help fighting these guys."

AncientWisemon closed his eyes. "FusedAncientVolcanomon was destroyed by Metamormon, and HiAndromon lay there."

They turned to find the cyborg Digimon still lying where he had fallen from Devitamamon's attack. Gallantmon flew over to him, looking into his blank expressionless face. "What happened to him?"

"He fell victim to Devitamamon's Laser Eyes attack. I'm afraid his mind has been devoured."

"Devoured!?"

AncientWisemon sighed regretfully. "I'm afraid it was the only way to save his life; he would have fallen in battle otherwise, so I let it happen. Bring him to be healed by one of your friends, and his mind will be restored."

The knight Digimon relaxed. "Well, that's a relief."

"Do not celebrate too soon, my friend. Your friends are still in grave danger. One of your biggest enemies is about to show their true face. You must get back up to the surface to help them."

OmniShoutmon gave him a worried look. "What about you?"

AncientWisemon closed his eyes. "Do not worry yourself over me. I am where I need to be."

Gallantmon and OmniShoutmon shared an uncertain look, but then the knight Digimon shrugged. "Well, you're the psychic, or whatever you are. Come on, OmniShoutmon."

The two took off for the exit. AncientWisemon said nothing to them as they left, nor did he open his eyes. He knew what was coming next. It was unavoidable. All events had led to this moment. He was dreading it, but he was also accepting it. However, that didn't mean he wouldn't try, as slim as he knew his chances were.

His eyes snapped open, and he leapt away the moment the distortion began. He wasn't fast enough, and Parallelmon's arms and legs coiled around him. He had known that Parallelmon would come back for him, however, he did not know where he would appear.

There were countless future scenarios where the mutant Digimon would appear in front of him, beside him, behind him, above him, below him, diagonally to him, and everywhere in between, from right next to him to a farther away distance. There was no way to calculate which spot he would appear from until Parallelmon had made his move. And by then it would be too late. Parallelmon truly was the perfect Digimon for this job.

OmniShoutmon skidded to a halt as he heard the struggle and looked back. He saw AncientWisemon wrestling with Parallelmon and gasped. "No!"

He hurried back the way he came, Gallantmon right behind him. They weren't fast enough. The space was already distorting around Parallemon, and he was pulling AncientWisemon into the distortion. But AncientWisemon had known that in every scenario where they had stayed behind, they too would have been pulled into the distortion and killed by the Demon Lords; there was no way around it.

"My friends, we will meet again," he called to them as he was yanked through space and time. "I hope…"

OmniShoutmon reached for the distortion the two had disappeared into, but the ripples faded, and he only ended up grasping at air. Both AncientWisemon and Parallelmon were gone. He had missed his chance, and now the Demon Lords had what they wanted.

With a shout of rage, he slammed his fists on the ground as the Mirrormon cried all around him.

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The sight of Machinedramon had the Garuru Trio noticeably on edge. AvengeKidmon's introduction had not been necessary; they knew exactly what type of Digimon the giant force of destruction before them was.

"This isn't good," CresGarurumon grumbled. "He said he had a trump card, but I didn't think it would be someone like this."

"Aw, he doesn't look too tough," Imperialdramon commented, trying to hide his nervousness. "Scary, yes, big, yes, but I'm sure we can take him."

MagnaGarurumon coughed, keeping pressure on the wound in his gut. "Be on your guard. Machinedramon is very powerful, and very destructive."

MetalGarurumon glanced at him. "You ok? You're not looking so good."

A pained chuckle escaped the cyborg Digimon. "You're looking pretty banged up yourself."

He'd tried to pass it off as a joke, but the truth was that he was really hurting. The damage was worse than it looked. In all honesty, he didn't know how much longer he could fight. And, looking at MetalGarurumon, he could tell that his friend wouldn't be able to last much longer either.

"So, how are we going to do this?" AncientGreymon asked.

CresGarurumon glanced at his fellow Garuru Trio. Despite the brave front they were trying to put up, he could tell that they were almost at their limit from their battle with Bacchusmon. He too had taken some pretty heavy damage from MagnaKidmon's Bind Red Trigger, the attack rupturing his insides.

Looking back at Machinedramon and AvengeKidmon, he determined that they would have the best chance at beating the latter first. The humans could take care of that while the three of them tried to keep Machinedramon distracted long enough for the humans to defeat AvengeKidmon. Then they could all team up against Machinedramon.

But still, holding the title of Dark Master, the machine Digimon was not going to be easy to defeat. And if he was actually who CresGarurumon suspected him to be, then they were in real trouble.

"We'll deal with Machinedramon," he said, referring to himself and his companions. "You two take AvengeKidmon." He then lowered his voice so only they could hear. "Please make it quick. I don't know how long we'll last."

AvengeKidmon had no problem with the lineup. "If the humans wish to die by my hand, I shall gladly oblige. In fact, as my name states, I shall avenge Lord Leviamon."

Steam escaped AncientGreymon's nostrils as he snorted. "I'm so sick of all these Demon Lord lackeys. Omega Burst!"

He spat an explosive fireball. Machinedramon raised his hand, shielding AvengeKidmon from the attack. The dragon Digimon jumped off his head a moment later and sped towards AncientGreymon. He drove his knee into the dragon Digimon's face, then did a flip and unleashed his Destruction Trigger, stomping down on AncientGreymon's head and firing his feet-guns.

As AncientGreymon crashed to the ground, Imperialdramon flew forward and manifested his Splendor Blade. He swiped at AvengeKidmon, but the dragon Digimon was too small and too fast compared to him, and he proceeded to dodge the blade of light. He fired his leg-guns, and Imperialdramon's sword burst into particles of light, but he did not let that stop him as he attacked with his Imperial Claw swiping at his fellow dragon Digimon.

Imperialdramon had the size advantage, but AvengeKidmon used that against him thanks to his speed. He dodged Imperialdramon's swiping claw, and wrapped his arms and legs around the dragon Digimon's wrist. He proceeded to fire his leg-guns while snapping Imperialdramon's wrist back. Imperialdramon grunted in pain and swung his arm, flinging AvengeKidmon off his arm, and grasped his sore wrist. It wasn't broken, but it was definitely sprained, bent too far in the wrong direction.

Gunfire peppered against him, and he turned to AvengeKidmon, raising his cannon and firing his Positron Laser. AvengeKidmon did not try to avoid it. Rather, he raised his leg and took careful aim before firing off a single bullet. The bullet hit the beam dead center, and began tearing through the attack until it reached the dragon Digimon, striking him right between the eyes.

Imperialdramon hovered back, crouched over while grasping his face. AvengeKidmon immediately used his Destruction Trigger, stomping down on Imperialdramon's back, and the two crashed into the ground. The guns in his feet went off, the backlash sending AvengeKidmon back into the air while Imperialdramon got two bullets in his back.

AncientGreymon was up in the air again, right behind AvengeKidmon. As he turned to face him, AncientGreymon used his Gaia Tornado the tornado blowing away AvengeKidmon before he could react. AncientGreymon followed up with his Omega Burst, spitting fireballs at the dragon Digimon.

The first one exploded against AvengeKidmon before he recovered from the wind attack, and the second hit before he recovered from the first. The exploding fireballs continued to blast him back as Imperialdramon got to his feet and manifested another cannon. "I got bigger guns. Giga Crusher!"

AvengeKidmon continued to be knocked back by the explosive fireballs, yet even in the midst of them, he became aware of the incoming blast. There was nothing he could do though, and the attack struck, resulting in a massive blast that filled the sky.

"That one got him," said Imperialdramon. "You think that did it?"

AncientGreymon stared into the cloud of smoke. "I guess we'll see."

They waited. The smoke slowly began to clear, but it was still too thick to see anything. Before it completely cleared, however, AvengeKidmon flew up and out of the cloud. "Misery Bullet Rain!"

Bullets flew from all over AvengeKidmon's body, coming down on the two dragon Digimon like a deadly hail storm. Imperialdramon and AncientGreymon recoiled from the raining bullets, but they were barely able to move due to the heavy spray. AvengeKidmon laughed as he continued firing upon them unmercifully.

"Gotta stop this," AncientGreymon grunted. Gritting his teeth, he flew further into the spray of bullets, making sure to put distance between himself and Imperialdramon. "Omega Corona!"

The explosion erupted from his body. Imperialdramon felt the spray of bullets stop as the blast acted as a shield, disintegrating the bullets as they passed through the blaze. The explosion proceeded to grow, forcing AvengeKidmon to cease firing and fly away from the blast.

As the explosion died down, Imperialdramon flew up to rejoin his fellow dragon Digimon. "Thanks for that. Nice strategy."

"He's tough," said AncientGreymon, "but I think we can take him."

"Then we better speed it up. I think the Garuru Trio are having trouble."

They were trying to hide it, but Imperialdramon was right. Both MagnaGarurumon and MetalGarurumon were heavily damaged and not able to fight to their full capacity. CresGarurumon tried to pick up the slack, but found himself taking damage himself in an attempt to help his comrades. Under different circumstances, he knew that they would be able to take on Machinedramon, but with the damage already done to MagnaGarurumon and MetalGarurumon, the battle was falling in favor of the machine Digimon.

"Catastrophic Day!" Machinedramon cried, launching missiles from all over his body.

MagnaGarurumon and MetalGarurumon flew about, avoiding the missiles while CresGarurumon transformed into a sword and began slicing the missiles in half as he made his way towards Machinedramon.

"Infinity Hand!" the Machinedramon cried, shooting his left hand on a cable. His flying claw struck the sword, and it reverted back to CresGarurumon.

MetalGarurumon flew forward and chomped down on the cable with his Metal Fang attack. Frost traveled up and down the length of the cable, and Machinedramon reeled in his claw, bringing the android Digimon in with it. With his other hand, he unleashed his Dragon Fire, and flames, as if from a flamethrower, flowed over MetalGarurumon.

"Magna Rockets!" MagnaGarurumon cried, firing off a blast at the machine Digimon.

Machinedramon turned to him as the attack struck. The cannons on his back began to glow as he unleashed his Giga Cannon, firing blasts of energy at the cyborg Digimon. MagnaGarurumon used his Starburst Hunter, darting around the attack before plowing into Machinedramon. The machine Digimon grunted before releasing MetalGarurumon and using his Booster Claw, his left hand acting as a claw that he drove into MagnaGarurumon. His right hand pointed at MetalGarurumon and fired a blast of energy from his Infinity Cannon attack.

Still in sword form, CresGarurumon stabbed into Machinedramon's side, the blade piercing his metal body. Machinedramon grunted and ripped the sword from his torso. He stabbed it into the ground and lifted his foot to stomp down on it. CresGarurumon changed back to normal, resulting in him being half buried in the ground as Machinedramon's foot came down on him. He caught the giant metal foot, but Machinedramon's strength and weight slowly pressed down on him, crushing him further into the ground.

"Metal Blaster!" MetalGarurumon cried, firing several freezing missiles from his body. They blasted against Machinedramon, freezing the much larger Digimon in a block of ice. MetalGarurumon used the opportunity to fly to MagnaGarurumon's side, noting how much the cyborg Digimon was struggling. "Hang in there, pal."

MagnaGarurumon was wheezing. "I will. I have to."

Machinedramon broke free from his icy prison and aimed his cannons at the two Digimon in the air. "Giga Cannon!"

He fired. MetalGarurumon and MagnaGarurumon turned to the attack, too late. From down below, CresGarurumon burst up from the ground and flew into the attack's path, and it blasted against his back.

"CresGarurumon!" his comrades exclaimed.

He gave them a pained grin. "Just hold on a little longer." He turned back to Machinedramon, pointing his sword at him. "I know your secret. You're not just any old Machinedramon, are you? I can tell who you really are. You can't hide it from me, even in that form."

A chuckle escaped the machine Digimon. "How amusing, you're playing detective. Well, if you really do know who I am, then try deducing this. What would I hope to gain by attacking ElDradimon's city? Just what is here that the Demon Lords would want?"

A confused look crossed MetalGarurumon's face. "Is it not the humans? Do they not want revenge for the defeat of Leviamon?"

Machinedramon laughed some more. "The humans being here is merely a coincidence. Or perhaps it's Fate at work here. But no, they are not why we are here. There's something else here that the master wants. And I intend to see that he gets it. Giga Cannon!"

The Garuru Trio scattered as Machinedramon fired his cannons. It passed by a little too close to AncientGreymon, whose attention was drawn towards the battle. He noted the weariness of the Garuru Trio, and became worried at how much longer they could last. Like CresGarurumon had suggested, he had hoped that they would be able to defeat AvengeKidmon quickly and then work on Machinedramon together, but this was taking much too long.

"This isn't looking good," he told Imperialdramon. "I think they're in real trouble."

A cruel chuckle escaped AvengeKidmon. "Trouble is an understatement. Just look at those three dogs. I'm surprised they've lasted this long with as damaged as they are. I doubt they'll last much longer."

"Then we really better wrap this up," said Imperialdramon.

"Agreed. I want to kill those dogs myself. Misery Bullet Rain!"

Rather than fleeing from the shower of bullets, AncientGreymon flew towards it. "Even the rain can be affected by the wind. Gaia Tornado!"

He unleashed a tornado. It blew against the bullets, and they flew back towards AvengeKidmon. He held up his arm as they bounced off him, an irritable snarl escaping him.

"Giga Crusher!" Imperialdramon cried, repeating his earlier attack. The blast flew towards AvengeKidmon, and he raised his gun-leg and fired. He cut it too close, and the bullet made contact with Imperialdramon's attack, resulting in a blast that sent AvengeKidmon flying backwards.

He halted his momentum and glared at the two dragon Digimon, growling in frustration. "I'm through playing around. Now you'll learn why I'm truly called AvengeKidmon. Prepare yourself for-"

"Giant Nipper!"

He turned towards ElDradimon. The mutant Digimon's head was shooting out of his shell, his giant mouth open wide. AvengeKidmon realized that he wouldn't be able to avoid the attack, and instead he began firing upon him. This proved to be futile as ElDradimon's jaw chomped down on AvengeKidmon, resulting in a situation very similar to what happened with MagnaGarurumon and Bacchusmon.

"Well, it's about time the big guy decided to help," said Imperialdramon. "Lets end this."

"Allow me. Omega Burst!"

ElDradimon kept AvengeKidmon trapped in his mouth as AncientGreymon's fireballs exploded against him. With no one to come to his aid, the dragon Digimon could only take the attacks until he finally gave out one last cry and burst into data.

ElDradimon didn't seem harmed from AncientGreymon's attacks. He simply absorbed AvengeKidmon's data and pulled his head back into his shell, and that was that.

"Alright, that's one down," said Imperialdramon, hoping there was no one else hiding. "Now lets dismantle the big guy."

He flew towards Machinedramon, who was currently shooting fire from his claw at the Garuru Trio. Using his Dragon Knee, he slammed into the machine Digimon's head. As Machinedramon stumbled back, AncientGreymon flew into his chest and used his Omega Corona, the blast blowing Machinedramon off his feet.

"Don't you worry, never fear, Imperialdramon is now here."

The Garuru Trio floated over to the two dragon Digimon. MagnaGarurumon and MetalGarurumon were not looking good, and CresGarurumon was looking bad from having to pick up the slack of his companions.

"Good to have you," said MetalGarurumon. "We're pretty much running on empty."

"You can thank ElDradimon," said AncientGreymon. "If it wasn't for him, we'd still be fighting AvengeKidmon."

In the distance, Machinedramon was getting to his feet. It was hard to tell since he always seemed hostile, but he looked annoyed. "So, AvengeKidmon has fallen. What a useless weakling. Guess I should stop holding back."

"What does that mean?" CresGarurumon demanded, fearing his suspicions were about to be confirmed.

Machinedramon chuckled. "Your intuitions were correct, CresGarurumon. I was hiding my true identity. Now it's time I revealed it. Machinedramon Digivolve to…Chaosdramon!"

A snarl escaped CresGarurumon as he stared at the new Digimon. Going from gray to red, the enemy now looked far more ferocious, and much better equipped for destruction. "I knew it."

"And you were correct," the machine Digimon replied. "I am Chaosdramon, and I am a Chaos General."

Notes:

(A/N: Some victories and some defeats in this chapter. Our heroes managed to defeat Devitamamon and Metamormon, but were un able to stop AncientWisemon from being kidnapped. They were also able to defeat AvengeKidmon, but now they're dealing with a Chaos General. Things might be even worse now than before. And now the Demon Lords have the all-knowing AncientWisemon in their power. There's no telling how this will affect the war. For now, our heroes have a powerful new enemy they need to face. Stay tuned for more.)

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New Digimon that appear.

https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Chaosdromon

Chapter 107: Rise of the King of Bugs

Notes:

(A/N: This battle is going on a lot longer than I thought it would. I mean, I knew it would be a few chapters, but it didn't seem this long when I played it out in my head. I was kind of going for something like in Dragon Ball Super with the Tournament of Power, just one big massive battle royale with one powerful opponent showing up after the other, but there is a reason for everything that happens. Well, we're getting close to the end now, so enjoy.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 107: Rise of the King of Bugs

 

WarGreymon was seriously regretting challenging Boltboutamon, especially on his own. The demon Digimon was making sport of him. This wasn't even a battle; it was a tormenter toying with their victim. WarGreymon felt very much like a mouse being played with by a cat before it went in for the kill.

Boltboutamon wasn't just strong, he had a very large range of attacks, far more than what WarGreymon had seen any other Digimon display. It just made it that much more difficult to fight since it gave Boltboutamon a lot more attack options.

"You look like you're getting tired," the demon Digimon mocked. His fingers ran over his lips, and his tongue darted out, sliding over his fingers as he seemed to stroke his gums. "I can taste your despair. I want more of it. More of your suffering. More of your misery." His eyes began rolling around wildly. "Give me more of it. Give me more of your pain. Let me hear your screams of agony!"

Pushing aside his disgust, WarGreymon used his Grey Fire, flinging a fireball at the demon Digimon. Boltboutamon smacked the fireball away, but he now looked furious, as if WarGreymon had a lot of nerve to deny him. "I said I wanted your pain, not your flame. You want to see a real fire attack? I'll show it to you. Hellfire Manipulation!"

WarGreymon had to flee as a massive stream of fire came down at him. The stone ground itself went up in flames as if doused in gasoline, and several Digimon quickly moved forward to extinguish them. A nasty grin spread across Boltboutamon's face, and WarGreymon realized what he was about to attack them. "No, don't!"

"Dark Spirit!" the demon Digimon cried, launching a ball of darkness.

WarGreymon flew forward. Using hhis Brave Shield, he deflected the attack into a wall, and flew at Boltboutamon. He lashed out with his War Driver, but Boltboutamon blocked with his rapier. He smirked at the dragon Digimon, and WarGreymon glared at him. "Keep this between us."

Boltboutamon chuckled. "So sorry." He pushed WarGreymon away. "Allow me to deal with that little fire I started. Heavy Rain!"

Up above, clouds appeared over them, and a heavy downpour started. The rain was intense, like a monsoon, so thick it obscured WarGreymon's vision. The flames down below were extinguished, making WarGreymon wonder what the demon Digimon was playing at.

A mischievous smirk was plastered on Boltboutamon's face. "A little rain never hurt anyone, right?" His grin grew dark. "But, sometimes, you can end up with a little thunder and lightning. Electric Cloud!"

WarGreymon realized what Boltboutamon had in mind too late. Lightning came down from the clouds, dancing across the ground, wet from the rain. The water acted as a conductor, and the Digimon that were present were all electrocuted. They were low levels too, Rookies and Champions, and one after another, they burst into data. Boltboutamon didn't even bother to absorb it. WarGreymon realized that the data meant nothing to him, he had killed them for the sheer pleasure of it.

Looking on in horror, WarGreymon's gaze slowly shifted back to Boltboutamon. The demon Digimon was licking his lips as he drummed his fingers together, his eyes shining with pleasure.

"Oh, did I surprise you?" he asked with an air of false innocence. "Judging by your expression, I guess I did. Was it shocking? Was it? Was it!?"

Fury bubbled up inside WarGreymon. "You sick bastard!"

He flew at Boltboutamon, slashing about wildly with his Dramon Cutter. Boltboutamon casually dodged here and there, humming a pleasant tune all the while in mockery. "Why do you seem so angry? Are you upset because you missed out?"

"I told you to leave the others out of this!" WarGreymon thundered as he continued to swipe at the demon Digimon.

A portal suddenly opened up behind Boltboutamon, and he disappeared through it. He reappeared a distance away, giving WarGreymon a cocky look. "If you're so worried about these weaklings, then I'll just get rid of them. Venom Disaster!"

He breathed down upon the houses, and a green fog covered them. At first nothing happened, but as the seconds ticked by, a Digimon came stumbling out, coughing and sputtering. They dropped to their knees and suddenly got sick all over the ground. WarGreymon saw blood in the vomit as the Digimon fell over and began to spasm, foam beginning to seep from its mouth. More coughing and sputtering came from other houses as more Digimon began to get sick. WarGreymon suddenly realized, to his horror, that the fog was poisonous.

"Ultra Tornado!" He began spinning around, creating a fiery tornado. He was very careful not to harm the residential Digimon or their homes as the heavy winds cleared up the poisonous fog.

"Good idea," said Boltboutamon. "Dark Rostrum!"

He fired his gun, and the bullet struck the ground. A magic circle appeared where it struck, and a tornado emerged from it and began doing the very damage WarGreymon had been trying to avoid with his attack.

"Stop it, you maniac!" he shouted at the demon Digimon.

Boltboutamon just chuckled. "Final Act!"

Four portals appeared around him. He stuck a hand through one, and another much bigger portal appeared beside WarGreymon. A giant version of Boltboutamon's hand emerged and made a grab for the dragon Digimon. WarGreymon avoided it, but then another one appeared as Boltboutamon stuck his other hand through another portal, and another giant hand appeared and reached for WarGreymon.

He continued his way towards Boltboutamon as more portals appeared, and more giant hands attempted to grab him. He almost reached Boltboutamon before the demon Digimon stuck two hands through two different portals, and the two giant hands clapped together, with WarGreymon caught between them. Fingers curled around him, and WarGreymon found himself trapped in Boltboutamon's grasp.

"You're just bursting with energy," the demon Digimon stated. "Let me have some."

WarGreymon cried out in pain as he suddenly felt his energy being drained. Boltboutamon casually hovered over to him, his expression completely serious as he stared into the dragon Digimon's eyes. His own eyes were wide with sadistic malice, telling WarGreymon that there was much worse to come.

"Does that hurt?" he asked quietly, his voice devoid of all emotion, just a dark promise. "I assure you, the pain you feel now will be the utmost pleasure compared to what I have planned."

Well, there was no way WarGreymon was going to wait for that. Summoning up his strength, he managed to unleash his Great Tornado, bursting free of Boltboutamon's grasp. The demon Digimon retreated, pulling his arms out of the portals as WarGreymon raised his to the sky. "Terra Force!"

"Root Bind!"

Numerous vines burst up from the ground. They wrapped around WarGreymon's feet and yanked him back. The ball of energy he had been holding fell away. Exploding against the castle wall. WarGreymon struggled as the vines continued to coil around him, binding him so he could no longer move.

"The more you struggle, the tighter they'll get," Boltboutamon told him. He held his rapier up by his face. "And you should hold still for this next part." He ran his tongue from the base of his sword to the pointy tip as all emotion vanished from his face again. "I don't want to miss and stab you somewhere vital. That would end things too quickly."

WarGreymon only fought against the vines all the more as a demented gleeful look slid across Boltboutamon's face. Before he could make a move, however, the space beside him distorted, and Parallelmon's head poked out of it. WarGreymon had no idea who the Digimon was, but it must have been a companion of Boltboutamon's with the way it whispered in his ear.

"It is?" the demon Digimon asked. He looked almost… disappointed. "Yes, I understand."

Parallelmon retracted his head into the distortion as Boltboutamon sheathed his swords. WarGreymon didn't know what this was about, but he didn't like it. Whatever had happened couldn't be good.

"Well," said Boltboutamon regretfully, "it looks like our fun is over for now. We've accomplished our goal, and now I must go. Such a shame, I was having so much fun."

He snapped his fingers, and the vines binding WarGreymon released him. This bewildered the dragon Digimon, but he was grateful for small favors. In any case, he was not about to let the demon Digimon slip away. "You're not going anywhere. Great Tornado!"

He sped towards Boltboutamon, spinning like a drill. The demon Digimon just grinned as WarGreymon approached. "I like the enthusiasm. Curtain Call!"

He snapped his fingers, and a massive shockwave burst forth. It flowed over WarGreymon, and he was knocked back. With a snarl, he used his Grey Fire, but Boltboutamon repeated his attack, and the shockwave knocked the fireball away.

"I could do this all day," Boltboutamon told him, "but, unfortunately, I have work to do. Not to worry though; I'll leave you with this parting gift. A new playmate for you."

He placed his fingers to his lips and whistled. What must have been a hundred Okuwamon suddenly flew over and gathered around Boltboutamon. Grinning, he turned to them and nodded. "You know what to do."

WarGreymon braced himself as he watched as the Okuwamon came together, bunching up. Light engulfed them, and WarGreymon realized what they were going to do. It was like when the Wendigomon had come together to become Mephistomon, the Okuwamon were now Digivolving together.

"Okuwamon Mega Digivolve to…TyrantKabuterimon!"

A growl escaped WarGreymon as he looked at the new Mega level Digimon. It looked like some vicious genie-like insect, but WarGreymon was certain it wasn't going to grant any wishes.

A snicker escaped Boltboutamon. "Well, I'll leave you to it. I do hope you'll manage to survive." His voice dropped, becoming full of malice. "After all, I want to kill you myself."

A portal opened behind him, and Boltboutamon disappeared into it, leaving WarGreymon with the rather nasty-looking insect Digimon. He didn't like the way it was looking at him, and he suddenly felt battle weary, his fight with Boltboutamon having really run him down.

"Well?" he asked the insect Digimon. "I haven't got all day."

TyrantKabuterimon screeched and flew towards him.

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"I'm with you on that wanting a can of Raid," Seraphimon told Ophanimon as he destroyed yet another Okuwamon. "Bugs never bothered me before, but these are getting on my nerves."

Ophanimon agreed whole-heartedly. They had been fighting the Okuwamon for what felt like forever, but they had definitely made progress. The number of the insect Digimon had greatly dropped, and many of the Okuwamon now seemed to be fighting out of a sense of obligation rather than a desire to attack. Ophanimon supposed that they would be severally punished, maybe even killed, by the Demon Lords if they retreated.

She worried about the others though. She knew Imperialdramon and AncientGreymon were fighting with the Garuru Trio, and that WarGreymon was battling Boltboutamon, but she hadn't seen Gallantmon or OmniShoutmon for some time. She'd spotted Pharaohmon and QueenChessmon, along with HolyDigitamamon, Shakkoumon, Mihiramon, and Caturamon, but the knight and dragon Digimon were absent.

Surely they hadn't been defeated by the Okuwamon. There may have been a lot of them, but they were only Ultimates. Her friends couldn't possibly have been defeated by them.

Seraphimon noticed that she seemed to be distracted, and he gave her a worried look. "You ok?"

She struck down another Okuwamon before turning to him. "I'm just worried about Gallantmon and OmniShoutmon, I haven't seen them for awhile."

Seraphimon looked around. Now that she mentioned it, he realized that she was right. They may have started out clearing different areas of the city, but the battle had taken them all across ElDradimon. They had seen several Digimon they knew, but not Gallantmon or OmniShoutmon.

"Lets go look for them," he suggested. "We can clear out the Okuwamon as we go."

And they did just that, flying around the city in search of their friends, destroying any attacking Okuwamon along the way. Yet there was no sign of their friends anywhere. They did eventually come across WarGreymon battling with TyrantKabuterimon, and Seraphimon pointed the two out to Ophanimon. "Looks like your brother's got an even bigger bug problem than we do."

Ophanimon looked as WarGreymon slashed away at the insect Digimon. "I thought he was fighting that Boltboutamon."

"Maybe he won. I don't see him anywhere." He looked at his fellow angel Digimon. "Should we go help him?"

Ophanimon wanted to, but they had their orders, and there were still Okuwamon about destroying the city. Besides, there was still no sign of-

"Wait, look!" Seraphimon exclaimed, pointing to the castle.

She did, and saw Gallantmon and OmniShoutmon exiting the castle. What had they been doing in there? Had the Okuwamon gotten inside and they had to go in after them? And who was Gallantmon carrying?

"It looks like someone's been hurt," she stated. "Is that HiAndromon?"

"We better check it out."

They flew over to heir friends. Gallantmon looked relieved to see them. "Glad you're here. We need your help." He placed the cyborg Digimon on the ground. "You need to heal HiAndromon, quick."

Seraphimon Ophanimon looked down at the cyborg Digimon's unseeing eyes. "What happened to him?" asked the former.

"Long story short," said OmniShoutmon, "some Digimon working for the Demon Lords invaded the castle to abduct AncientWisemon. That was the purpose for this whole attack. And they got away with it too. AncientWisemon was kidnapped, FusedAncientVolcanomon was killed, and HiAndromon had his mind devoured."

The two angel Digimon stared. That was a lot of information to take in. FusedAncientVolcanomon dead and AncientWisemon abducted. And what had happened to HiAndromon?

"His mind was devoured?" Ophanimon repeated. "How? What does that even mean?"

"Doesn't matter. Just heal him."

Seraphimon nodded. "I'll try, but I never brought back someone who's been brain-dead. I hope this works. Perfect Revival!"

Light flowed over HiAndromon. The others looked on to see what would happen. The cyborg Digimon's eye twitched, and he blinked as thought and reason returned. He suddenly bolted upright, and began looking around wildly. "What's going on? Where am I? What happened? Where's AncientWisemon?"

Seraphimon lowered his hand. "Looks like that worked."

HiAndromon turned to them. "What is going on here?"

Gallantmon sighed sadly. "I'm sorry. We failed. AncientWisemon's gone."

HiAndromon dropped to his knees. "No… They got him… How could I have failed in my duty?"

"You weren't exactly in the right state of mind," Gallantmon told him. "Or any mind for that matter."

OmniShoutmon nodded. "This was a very well planned attack." He looked around, and was surprised to see WarGreymon fighting with TyrantKabuterimon. "Wait, what'd we miss?" He looked out past ElDradimon. "And why is there a Chaos General here!?"

Seraphimon blinked. "Chaos General?" He looked to where OmniShoutmon was looking and saw Chaosdramon. "Whoa, where'd he come from? I didn't even notice him."

"Haven't you been paying attention?"

"We've been a little busy with bug patrol!"

OmniShoutmon swore. "Ok, change of plans. Forget the Okuwamon; we've got to take out Chaosdramon. You guys go help the fight. I'll go get WarGreymon; we're going to need him to defeat Chaosdramon."

"Right," Seraphimon remembered, "because he's a Dramon destroyer. You can count on us. We'll keep big, red, and ugly busy until then."

Ophanimon looked around at the remaining Okuwamon. "What about these guys."

"Don't worry about them." Flying over, HolyDigitamamon landed beside them. "We can take things from here. You do what you have to do. I'll give these Okuwamon a taste of my Holy Dream attack."

HiAndromon made a fist. "I'll fight too. I owe it after I failed to protect AncientWisemon."

OmniShoutmon nodded. "Right, lets move out."

He headed off towards WarGreymon and TyrantKabuterimon while the others went to provide some much needed assistance in the battle with Chaosdramon. Flying towards the insect Digimon, he used his Twin Fireball Strike, throwing balls of flame that exploded in TyrantKabuterimon's face.

"OmniShoutmon," WarGreymon acknowledged as he joined his fellow dragon Digimon.

"Looked like you could use some help."

"I'll say. This guy's skin is so hard I can't even scratch it."

OmniShoutmon nodded. "Yeah, unfortunately his shell is composed of high density Chrome Digizoid."

WarGreymon gave him a bewildered look. "What does that mean?"

"It's very, very hard to damage him."

TyrantKabuterimon moved in closer. "Which is not a trait you can brag about. Sting of Bee!"

An explosion erupted from his body, similar to AncientGreymon's Omega Corona. WarGreymon defended with his Brave Shield while OmniShoutmon blocked with his Heavy Metal Vulcan.When the flames died down, WarGreymon attacked with his Aerial Dramon Killer. Sparks flew as his claws struck against the insect Digimon's body, leaving scratch marks, but not doing any real damage.

"Don't rely on physical attacks," OmniShoutmon told him. "His skin is too tough for that. Victorize Banking!"

His V-shaped bolt blasted against TyrantKabuterimon, and this did indeed seem to do more damage as the insect Digimon roared. WarGreymon tried his Dragon Killer, sending a fiery shockwave across TyrantKabuterimon's body, but this seemed to annoy him more than anything.

"Hello!" OmniShoutmon shouted at his fellow dragon Digimon. "Did you not hear me?"

Before he could respond, TyrantKabuterimon's arm shot out, grabbing WarGreymon by the leg and threw him into the castle wall. Ignoring his own advice, OmniShoutmon flew forward and used his Doom Drillpress, kicking the insect Digimon in the gut with his bladed foot, even though he knew it wouldn't do much. TyrantKabuterimon's hand came down on him, knocking the dragon Digimon to the ground. His giant fist came down, and OmniShoutmon leapt away before he was crushed.

"Grey Fire!" WarGreymon cried, throwing fireballs at TyrantKabuterimon. The insect Digimon growled and swiped at the air, but the attack had definitely affected him.

"You were right," he told his fellow dragon Digimon. "Non-physical attacks work best."

OmniShoutmon flew up next to him. "Which reminds me, what happened to Boltboutamon?"

WarGreymon mentally cringed at the thought of the demon Digimon. "He took off. Said he had other work he had to do now that they got what they came for." He nodded towards TyrantKabuterimon. "Then a bunch of Okuwamon Digivolved together into this guy."

OmniShoutmon was both relieved and disappointed by this. Disappointed because he had hoped that WarGreymon had somehow managed to defeat Boltboutamon, but also relieved that the demon Digimon was no longer around. "Alright, well, we won't worry about him now. Lets take this guy out quick so we can help the others defeat Chaosdramon."

"A Dramon species?" He ran his claws against each other. "Nothing I can't handle."

"But can you handle me?" TyrantKabuterimon asked. "Bee Cyclone!"

Several giant bugs of numerous species appeared. They flew at the dragon Digimon and went on the attack. WarGreymon and OmniShoutmon fought back. The bugs went down easily enough, but they still received several bites, stings, and were sprayed by different chemicals.

"Stupid bugs," OmniShoutmon growled. "Flame Cannon!"

He used it as an attack to create a fiery wall that disintegrated several of the bugs. Turning to WarGreymon, he fired his Omni Core Fusion, taking out several of the bugs in the dragon Digimon's path.

"Ultra Tornado!" WarGreymon cried, using the opening OmniShoutmon had given him to his advantage. The swirling vortex came at TyrantKabuterimon, and the insect Digimon found himself surrounded by a swirling blaze.

"Terra Force!" The giant ball of energy flew at TyrantKabuterimon. Resisting the fiery tornado, he caught the Terra Force, but the two attacks working together prevented him from deflecting it.

"Shine of Bee!" The explosion flew outward, knocking away the ball of energy and causing the tornado to dissipate. WarGreymon was blown back and caught by OmniShoutmon while the rest of the bugs were incinerated.

"Careful," OmniShoutmon told him. "That blast can reduce anything to ashes."

Based on the burns he now had, WarGreymon decided to believe him. "I'll take your word for it." He hovered out of OmniShoutmon's hold. "Didn't think a big bug would be so much trouble."

OmniShoutmon shook his head. "Not just any bug. TyrantKabuterimon holds the title as the King of Bugs. He actually doesn't fight that often because he can control other insect Digimon to fight for him."

A chuckle escaped TyrantKabuterimon. "You're right, I can. So why am I fighting you?"

He held out his hand towards a section of the city. A few moments later, a group of different insect Digimon flew over. One or two of them WarGreymon recognized from his time in the city, and it didn't take much for him to realize that TyrantKabuterimon was now controlling them. "Oh, great. Who do we have here?"

"Stingmon," OmniShoutmon answered, motioning to the first, "BeetlemonMetallifeKuwagamonHoneybeemonButterflymonMothmon, and Shadramon. All insect Digimon."

"And all under my control," TyrantKabuterimon told them. "Just some poor, innocent residents of the city. That poses a bit of a problem for you, doesn't it? Are you going to let them attack you, or kill them to save yourselves? Lets just see what kind of people you really are." He pointed at the two dragon Digimon. "Kill them!"

The insect Digimon attacked. The machine gun stinger of Mothmon began firing scales like bullets as Stingmon used his Moon Shooter, firing a giant needle. Holding up an arm to shield his face from the scale-bullets, WarGreymon slashed the needle apart. Honeybeemon chose that moment to fly by, and WarGreymon received a face full of pollen. A feeling of wooziness began to overcome him as MetallifeKuwagamon came at him, a blade of energy emitting from his hand.

OmniShoutmon moved in, using the blade of his leg from his Doom Drillpress to block the energy blade. Stingmon flew forward with his Spiking Strike, attempting to stab him. OmniShoutmon grabbed the spike, and had to immediately dodge as Shadramon used her Flash Buster, shooting a stream of fire from her hands.

Butterflymon used his Honey Wave attack, flapping his wings to unleash a soundwave. Though unpleasant, it actually helped to clear WarGreymon's head, and he knocked Stingmon and MetallifeKuwagamon away from OmniShoutmon. Shadramon turned to him and used her Psychic Wave attack, but WarGreymon defended against the psychic energy wave with his Brave Shield.

"OmniShoutmon, what do we do?" he asked. "We can't fight them without hurting them. Is there any way to free them from TyrantKabuterimon's control?"

"Afraid not," the dragon Digimon replied as Butterflymon tried to kick him with his Sweet Kick attack. "Unless TyrantKabuterimon releases them or we destroy him, they'll remain under his control."

WarGreymon had been afraid of that, but didn't have time to dwell on it as lightning was sent at him by Beetlemon from his Thunder Fist attack. MetallifeKuwagamon came at him again with his Emit Blade, and WarGreymon deflected the energy blade with his claws. Mothmon made it more difficult by unleashing his Gauss Powder, the substance burning as it fell over him.

He used his Great Tornado, blowing the powder off himself, and put distance between himself and the insect Digimon. MetallifeKuwagamon fired his Homing Laser, shooting a ray from his fingers. The laser followed WarGreymon as he spun through the air, grazing against Stingmon when he came at him, just enough to knock the insect Digimon away.

OmniShoutmon continued to dodge Butterflymon's Sweet Kick, which became all the more difficult when Honeybeemon tried to sting him with his Paralyze Sting. Beetlemon fired lightning at him from his horn with his Lightning Blitz attack, striking the dragon Digimon. Mothmon used the opportunity to use his Poison Dust while Shadramon repeated her Flash Buster attack.

With a growl, OmniShoutmon delivered a light punch to Honeybeemon and Butterflymon, barely grazing them. Beetlemon attempted to ram his horn into him with his Proton Slam, but OmniShoutmon grabbed it, and threw him into Shadramon. More gunfire from Mothmon's Multiple Blaster rained against him, and OmniShoutmon used his Heavy Metal Vulcan to block it. Fighting an opponent without trying to hurt them was not easy, especially when you were so much stronger than them.

A chuckle escaped TyrantKabuterimon as he watched WarGreymon and OmniShoutmon try to fight back without harming the insect Digimon they were battling. "Your superior strength is working against you now. No matter how powerful you are, it means nothing when you have to hold back so you won't harm your opponent."

WarGreymon threw TyrantKabuterimon a glare as he stopped spinning and deflected the laser that had been following him with his Brave Shield. "We've got to take out the big bug. It's our only a chance."

OmniShoutmon caught Beetlemon's electrified fist, still receiving a shock. "Well, if you can figure out a way to get these guys out of the way without actually hurting them, I'd like to hear it."

WarGreymon was about to ask for suggestions himself when MetallifeKuwagamon came at him with his Emit Blade. WarGreymon grabbed the insect Digimon's arm, holding back the energy blade protruding from it. He was about to toss MetallifeKuwagamon when he spoke, seemingly with a great effort. "Fight… back…"

The words were barely audible, but WarGreymon was sure he heard them. He could see the pleading in MetallifeKuwagamon's eyes, and understood what he wanted.

Closing his eyes, WarGreymon prepared himself for what he had to do. "I'm sorry."

He kneed the insect Digimon in his gut, not holding back, then brought his fist down on his head as hard as he could, sending MetallifeKuwagamon crashing to the ground.

"Hit them hard!" WarGreymon called to OmniShoutmon. "It's what they want! We need to neutralize them, even if it means hurting them!"

Stingmon came at him with his Spiking Strike. WarGreymon kicked him hard, sending the insect Digimon flying. Then he sped over to Shadramon, flying straight through the flames she shot at him, and slammed into her.

OmniShoutmon winced for the insect Digimon, but he realized that there was no other way, and so he delivered a punch to Beetlemon. He flew after him as the insect Digimon was knocked away and brought his balled fists down on him.

Scale gunfire sprayed against him, and OmniShoutmon flew towards Mothmon and grabbed him by his gun-stinger. Not holding back, he spun the insect Digimon around, and threw him into Honeybeemon. Then he turned and flew towards Butterflymon, delivering a powerful kick to send him flying.

"That takes care of them for now," he said, feeling sorry for having done that. "Lets finish this before they recover and come at us again."

"Right," WarGreymon agreed, and flew towards TyrantKabuterimon. "First lets get through that armor."

"Bee Cyclone!" TyrantKabuterimon cried, forming a wall of insects.

WarGreymon used his Great Tornado, drilling through the insects, with OmniShoutmon close behind him. TyrantKabuterimon swiped at them, but they avoided his giant claw.

"Terra Force!" WarGreymon cried, throwing a giant ball of energy. TyrantKabuterimon caught the attack, but struggled to hold it back, and that's when WarGreymon made his move, flying to the top of the insect Digimon's head. "War Driver!"

Powering up fully, he began slashing away at TyrantKabuterimon's armored skin. Slowly, he made progress, slicing deeper and deeper into the insect Digimon's shell while his fellow dragon Digimon fired his Twin Fireball Strike all over TyrantKabuterimon's body.

The insect Digimon roared and managed to toss the Terra Force away. He ignored OmniShoutmon and swiped at WarGreymon, who flew back to avoid the claw. He went on the attack again with his Great Tornado, drilling into the same spot he had been slashing at before. TyrantKabuterimon swiped at him again, this time knocking him away.

OmniShoutmon flew up to TyrantKabuterimon's head and threw a punch, aiming for the damage WarGreymon had left in the insect Digimon's armor. His fist broke through, burying into TyrantKabuterimon's flesh, and the insect Digimon roared.

"Hard Rock Spirit!" he cried, shooting a blast of fire into TyrantKabuterimon's body. The insect Digimon roared again as fire filled his body, burning him from the inside.

"Terra Force!" WarGreymon cried, throwing another ball of energy. It plowed into TyrantKabuterimon's chest, slamming him into the castle wall and pinning him there.

At this point, the other insect Digimon had recovered and were flying towards the two dragon Digimon again. WarGreymon saw they were coming and shouted a warning to OmniShoutmon.

"They're too late," the dragon Digimon replied. "Omni Core Fusion!"

His aura took shape and flew towards TyrantKabuterimon. It collided with the Terra Force, and the two attacks erupted. TyrantKabuterimon roared and thrashed about, his armored body cracking. His body broke down from there, leaving only his data behind. The insect Digimon that had been on the attack came to a stop as TyrantKabuterimon's power over them ended.

"I've got control again."

"So do I."

"And me."

"That wasn't very fun.

WarGreymon gave them an apologetic look. "Hey, guys, I'm sorry we had to be so rough with you."

MetallifeKuwagamon shook his head. "Don't be. Yu did what we asked. But you can't worry about us right now."

"He's right!" Shadramon cried. "You have to help your friends. Chaosdramon is going to tear them apart."

"We'll get rid of the rest of the Okuwamon," Mothmon added. "It doesn't matter that they're fellow insect Digimon; they attacked our friends and our city, now they're going down. You go do what you need to do."

WarGreymon gave them an appreciative nod. "Thanks, guys. Sorry again for the beating. Come on, OmniShoutmon."

"Right behind you."

They flew from the city to help in the fight with Chaosdramon. It had been a long and tiring battle, but now there was only a single enemy remaining. WarGreymon sincerely hoped their power would last until they could beat him. But even with his ability of being a Dramon destroyer, defeating a Chaos General would not be easy.

 

Notes:

(A/N: Man, Boltboutamon is one nasty piece of work. We'll be seeing more of hm later. I'm really proud of what I did with his character. I went with a cross of Alucard from Hellsing and the Gemini Killer from The Exorcist 3. Turned out pretty well. And what a d*ck move leaving WarGreymon with TyrantKabuterimon like that. Fortunately they were able to defeat him. Now they just have Chaosdramon to deal with. But defeating a Chaos General is no easy feat. Hope they're up to it. Stay tuned for more.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/TyrantKabuterimon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Stingmon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Beetlemon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/MetallifeKuwagamon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Honeybeemon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Butterflymon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Mothmon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Shadramon

Chapter 108: The Cometmon Cometh

Notes:

(A/N: I can't catch a break. I've been so sick lately. First I had bronchitis, then the worst stomach bug of my life, and now I'm getting a cold again. All within the same month. *Sigh* Well, at least it gave me plenty of time to write. So here's the next chapter.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 108: The Cometmon Cometh

Chaosdramon was already a very powerful Digimon, with a series of powerful attacks and a nearly indestructible body made of re-purified Chrome Digizoid that was capable of deflecting attacks. The DigiDestined learned this the hard way when they saw several of their attacks bouncing off his body. The fact that he was also a Chaos General, and thus given special privileges over the years, allowed him to become even more powerful, making him quite the formidable opponent.

But Chaosdramon's power wasn't the only problem the DigiDestined found themselves facing. Along with getting damaged and being battle wary, they were beginning to find it harder and harder to maintain their Digimon forms. They had never fought for this long before, and it seemed that their Digivices, wherever they were stored while in their Digimon forms, were running out of power. There were actually instances where they had to pause to focus all their energy in remaining in their Digimon forms.

The Garuru Trio had reached their limit as well, and the DigiDestined had insisted that they take a rest to recover their strength.

"We can't rest," MetalGarurumon told them. "We have to stop this monster."

"I should have never called him out on being a Chaos General," CresGarurumon growled. "He may not have Digivolved if I hadn't guessed his secret."

"Hey, no sweat," Imperialdramon replied. "We would have had to defeat him sooner or later anyway. You guys just sit tight and leave this to us."

"It is our duty to protect the city," MagnaGarurumon argued back.

"Well, you won't be able to do that if you go and get yourselves killed," Seraphimon pointed out. "Just take some time to recover your strength while we handle this guy. Hallowed Ascension!"

Lightning rained down on the machine Digimon. Chaosdramon roared and charged at the angel Digimon, his footsteps shaking the ground. AncientGreymon fired his Omega Burst at him, but the attacks exploded against him uselessly. Imperialdramon got in his path, but Chaosdramon plowed right through him and continued towards Seraphimon.

"Chaos Crusher!" he cried, lashing out with the claw on his right hand. Seraphimon countered with his Excalibur, but his sword was no match for the machine Digimon's deadly claw, and he was knocked to the ground.

"Eden's Needle!" Ophanimon cried, firing needles of light from her javelin. They bounced harmlessly off Chaosdramon, and the machine Digimon looked back at her. Gallantmon used the opportunity to attack with his Gallant Charge, but his lance didn't even scratch Chaosdramon's body, and he knocked the knight Digimon away.

"Chaos Cannon!" Chaosdramon cried, firing a blast of energy at Ophanimon. She used her Unicorn Shield, deflecting the blast, though the force of it still pushed her back.

"Gaia Tornado!" AncientGreymon cried, unleashing a tornado.

Chaosdramon stumbled as the tornado flowed over him, but he was so large and so heavy that the attack didn't have much affect. He turned to the dragon Digimon and unleashed his Hyper Attack, his cannons unleashing an energy wave straight from the Dark Area. AncientGreymon countered with his Omega Corona, but the result of the two attacks meeting was perhaps just as bad, and AncientGreymon was blown away.

Chaosdramon charged forward, the ground shaking with each step. He pounced on the already down AncientGreymon, and raised his claw to use his Chaos Crusher. A blast from Seraphimon's Strike of the Seven Stars drew his attention, and he turned to have Imperialdramon slam his Dragon Knee into his head. Chaosdramon stumbled back, but seemed more annoyed than anything, while Imperialdramon grasped his knee.

"Geez, I think I just busted my kneecap," he grumbled. "What's this guy made of?"

Chaosdramon knocked him away. "Harder stuff than you."

"How about this. Shield of the Just!"

Gallantmon's attack hit the machine Digimon in the chest, causing him to stumble back. Ophanimon fired her Sefirot Crystal at him from behind, and Seraphimon fired a ball of light into his face with his Hallowed Knuckle. Imperialdramon had recovered at this point and used his Dragon Kick, followed by his Imperial Claw before unleashing a series of physical attacks.

"Nothing's fazing this guy," he grunted with every blow. "His body is so darn hard."

"He's got to have a weak spot," said Ophanimon. "Everyone does. We just have to find it."

Imperialdramon threw another punch, but this time Chaosdramon caught his arm, and drove the dragon Digimon into the ground. "Fools, I'm not planning to give you a chance to find any weak spot I may or may not have."

AncientGreymon forced himself to his feet and launched his Omega Burst. The fireballs exploded against Chaosdramon, knocking him back, and he stumbled away from Imperialdramon. AncientGreymon charged at Chaosdramonm still firing his attack, and slammed into the machine Digimon, forcing him farther away from his friends, and then unleashed his Omega Corona.

Chaosdramon was blown off his feet, and Imperialdramon took aim with his cannon. "Giga Crusher!"

His attack hit before Chaosdramon hit the ground. Imperialdramon breathed heavily, and felt his Digimon form start to slip away. He clung to it, managing to hold on, but it had been close. And based on what he saw of AncientGreymon, he too was struggling to maintain his form.

"Fools," Chaosdramon growled as he emerged from the cloud of smoke. "That was a good try. But you've reached your limit. Hyper Attack!"

The energy wave came at them. Imperialdramon and AncientGreymon were still struggling to hold onto their Digimon forms, unable to even move. Seraphimon and Ophanimon moved into the attack's path, firing their Strike of the Seven Stars and Eden's Javelin. Chaosdramon's Hyper Attack was stronger, and the blast from the colliding attacks exploded in the angel and dragon Digimon's faces, knocking the former two out of the sky.

"Lightning Joust!" Gallantmon cried, shooting lightning from his lance.

Chaosdramon growled as the attack hit him. Turning to Gallantmon, he raised his right hand and used his Destroyed Hook attack, firing an organic missile. Gallantmon raised his shield, intent on withstanding the blast, as his friends were behind him, and he didn't want them to get hit.

MetalGarurumon's eyes widened. "Not that attack!"

He sped forward from the sidelines and slammed into Gallantmon, knocking him out of the way. The missile hit him in the side, resulting in an explosion, though not a very big one.

Gallantmon turned to him. "I appreciate the help, but I could have handled that. You guys need to rest." He received an agonized groan from the android Digimon and became concerned. "Hey, what's wrong?"

Chaosdramon chuckled. "So ignorant. The blast from my Destroyed Hook attack may not be powerful, but that's not its true purpose. The missile injects a virus into the target, causing the victim to melt."

Gallantmon's eyes widened. "Melt!?"

He looked back at MetalGarurumon fearfully. The android Digimon had dropped to the ground and began hyperventilating. He suddenly appeared to be wet, but Gallantmon soon realized that it was not sweat covering his body.

"Seraphimon, Ophanimon!" he called. "One of you needs to come heal him, quick!"

The angel Digimon got to their feet and flew over to them. Chaosdramon sneered as he took aim. "Not so fast. Chaos Cannon!"

"Hallowed Ascension!" Seraphimon cried.

Lightning came down, interrupting Chaosdramon's attack. Gallantmon then flew forward with his Spiral Saber, striking Chaosdramon in the face. He began stabbing and slamming his lance and shield into the machine Digimon's head, making a loud clang sound with each impact.

Ophanimon landed beside MetalGarurumon. She placed her hand on him and gasped, his skin was like the surface of a candle that had begun to liquefy due to its flame. "That monster. Final Aura!"

Her power flowed over the android Digimon, and the liquefaction stopped. MetalGarurumon relaxed, though he still seemed to be in a lot of pain, but it looked as if he would survive.

"Crazy fool," CresGarurumon growled as he and MagnaGarurumon came down beside him. "Sacrificing yourself like that. Just like a true member of the Garuru Trio."

MetalGarurumon managed to grin. "You would have done the same."

"Yes," MagnaGarurumon agreed, "but you had to go and beat us to the punch."

Behind them, Imperialdramon and AncientGreymon had gotten to their feet. "Enough of this," said the latter. "You guys have done more than enough. Now you've got to stop getting involved, or you're going to get yourselves killed."

CresGarurumon opened his mouth to argue, but ended up coughing instead. There was blood in his cough, and he knew they saw it. He knew what the cause was too, a result of MagnaKnightmon rupturing his insides with his Bind Red Trigger attack. "I guess you're right. The Garuru Trio will be sitting the rest of this out. We'll be counting on you."

"Count on it," Imperialdramon replied. He flew forward to where Gallantmon was still attacking Chaosdramon. "Gallantmon, get out of the way! Splendor Blade!"

The knight Digimon retreated as Imperialdramon swung his blade of light. Chaosdramon caught it, but Imperialdramon's chest immediately opened. "Ionic Blaster!"

Chaosdramon was knocked onto his rear end from the attack. He randomly fired his cannon, grazing the dragon Digimon.

Ophanimon got up from MetalGarurumon's side to rejoin the fight, and almost fell over. Seraphimon immediately flew over to support her. "You feeling ok?"

She nodded, though she still looked fatigued. "I almost lost my Digimon form. We've never fought for this long before."

"Yes," Seraphimon agreed. "We need to end this soon, while we still can."

Chaosdramon was getting to his feet. AncientGreymon made it difficult for him with his Gaia Tornado, but the machine Digimon was too strong. He fired his Destroyed Hook, and Seraphimon flew forward and slashed the missile in half with his Excalibur. He continued onward and swiped at Chaosdramon, and the machine Digimon used his claws to combat the angel Digimon's sword. Gallantmon came flying over to join in, and Chaosdramon unleashed his Hyper Attack, blasting back the knight and angel Digimon.

"Shining Laser!"

"Omega Burst!"

The beam from Ophanimon's javelin accomplished by AncientGreymon's explosive fireballs pushed Chaosdramon back. The machine Digimon snarled and leapt impossibly high, practically flying through the air, and came down on AncientGreymon. He turned to Ophanimon, taking aim with his cannon. She just barely managed to use her Unicorn Shield as he fired his Chaos Cannon.

As the angel Digimon went flying back, Chaosdramon looked down at AncientGreymon beneath him. "So we're back to this position again. Lets pick up where we left off last time." He raised his claw. "Brace yourself."

AncientGreymon shut his eyes as Chaosdramon struck. Rather than a sheering stabbing pain, the feel of the machine Digimon's claw dropping onto his face was felt instead. Chaosdramon raised his severed arm, looking at the place his hand had been, and roared.

"Great Tornado!"

WarGreymon doubled back, spinning like a top, and plowed into Chaosdramon. The machine Digimon stumbled back as WarGreymon came at him again and again.

"Looks like we got here just in time," said OmniShoutmon as he hovered over AncientGreymon.

"I'll say. What kept you?"

"We had a bit of a bug problem."

Chaosdramon snarled as he was struck again. The area where his hand had been hurt, but he was more angry than anything. As WarGreymon came at him again, he took aim and fired his Chaos Cannon. WarGreymon's Great Tornado managed to counter a portion of the damage, but he was still knocked back, and ended up bouncing across the ground.

Growling, Chaosdramon looked at his missing hand. Imperialdramon chose that moment to fly over and throw a taunt. "Need a hand there, big guy?"

Chaosdramon looked at them; all six DigiDestined, plus OmniShoutmon, and even the Garuru Trio were on standby. A growl escaped him, but then it became a chuckle. "So, it came to this after all. I suppose it's a good thing the master gave him a secret weapon just in case." He closed his eyes. "I honestly didn't think it would be necessary for me to even get involved, let alone reveal my identity as a Chaos General. And now you're actually forcing me to pull out all the stops. Very well then."

Something materialized in his remaining hand, something small and round. It was a transparent blue sphere with a glowing red X inside it. Imperialdramon recognized it from when he destroyed Plesiomon X, and OmniShoutmon sputtered when he saw it. "An X-Antibody!? You've got an X-Antibody? Where'd you get that?"

"The master gave it to me as a precaution. I wasn't planning on using it, but it seems you've forced my hand." He held up his stump. "Quite literally."

"Don't let him use that!" MagnaGarurumon shouted from the sidelines.

"Too late," Chaosdramon exclaimed.

He crushed the X-Antibody in his hand. It broke into data, and he absorbed it. A wicked laugh escaped him as he began to glow with power, and a new hand manifested where his missing one was.

"Crips, we're in trouble now," OmniShoutmon grumbled.

"Even more so than you think," Chaosdramon told him. "Our mission was a success. Now it's time to reveal our final surprise."

He roared loudly, his cry echoing throughout the landscape. But when his roar died down, nothing happened. The DigiDestined waited, but all was quiet. Despite that, they had a very uneasy feeling that something was coming; something bad.

"Look there!" Seraphimon exclaimed. "Up in the sky!"

They turned towards ElDradimon. Or, more specifically, to the sky above him. It was smoky, a result of the battle that had taken place below. But now the smoke seemed to be clearing on its own, and something massively large, large enough to rival KingWhamon, could be seen way up in the sky. It was somewhat round, and seemed to have a giant stone dragon face. It slowly came down from the sky, moving slowly towards ElDradimon.

"What is that?" Imperialdramon cried. "It's huge!"

"I have no idea," said Gallantmon, "but is anyone else reminded of the angry moon from Majora's Mask?"

"We don't have time for your video game references!" AncientGreymon snapped.

"T-That's Cometmon!" OmniShoutmon exclaimed. "He's a very powerful, very large, Ultimate level Digimon. He's able to defy gravity and creating meteors at will."

"And he's about to flatten your precious city," Chaosdramon told them.

"Not if I have anything to say about it," said Seraphimon, turning to head back to the city. "Besides, it doesn't matter how strong of an Ultimate it is; it's still just an Ultimate."

"Not so fast," Chaosdramon growled as Seraphimon flew towards to ElDradimon. "You're about to witness the power of an X-Antibody. Chaosdramon Digivolve to… Chaosdramon X!"

It was still Chaosdramon, but it was very obviously an upgrade of his previous form. Not quite a Digivolution, but definitely an evolution of some kind. His much larger cannons locked onto Seraphimon, and he fired his Chaos Cannon.

"Seraphimon, look out!" Ophanimon called to him.

Seraphimon had been in the process of unleashing his Hallowed Ascension on Cometmon when Chaosdramon X's attack struck him from behind. He dropped from the sky as Chaosdramon X laughed and turned towards the others. "No one is going near Cometmon as long as I'm standing. So, who's next?"

"I'll show you next," AncientGreymon growled. "Gaia Tornado!"

The tornado flowed out of his mouth and against Chaosdramon X. The machine Digimon didn't even budge. With a chuckle, he began stomping towards the dragon Digimon, struggling only slightly against the wind. OmniShoutmon and Ophanimon fired their Twin Fireball Strike and Shining Laser, but the attacks barely fazed Chaosdramon X as he approached AncientGreymon and delivered a punch that knocked the dragon Digimon off his feet. A well-placed kick followed that sent him flying backwards.

WarGreymon flew in, brandishing his claws. Chaosdramon X's armored body was all but impenetrable, yet WarGreymon's ability of being a Dramon destroyer somehow allowed him to know exactly where and how to attack. He could instinctively tell where the weak spots were in the machine Digimon's armor, and he went after them.

Chaosdramon X lashed out, grasping WarGreymon, and driving him into the ground. "I know what you're trying to do, Dramon destroyer, and it won't work."

"Shield of the Just!" Gallantmon cried, firing a beam. Chaosdramon X growled as it struck him, nearly causing him to topple over, before he fired his Super Genocide Attack at the knight Digimon. The organic missile soared through the air and struck Gallantmon, his shield doing nothing to defend him against such a powerful attack. Chaosdramon X sneered before returning his attention to the dragon Digimon he had pinned down, even as OmniShoutmon and Ophanimon attacked with their Hard Rock Spirit and Eden's Needle.

"Don't worry about me!" WarGreymon called to the others, trying to get up as Chaosdramon X pressed him deeper into the ground. "Stop Cometmon before it's too late."

A distance away, MagnaGarurumon and CresGarurumon were helping MetalGarurumon to get up. "We'll take care of Cometmon," said CresGarurumon. "You finish things here."

Chaosdramon X looked to them. "I don't think so, Hyper Mugen Cannon!"

His cannons unleashed a massive blast of energy, tearing through the gathering of opposition. Those in the sky were blasted out of it while those on the ground were blasted into the air. With as damaged as they were, Seraphimon tried to shield the Garuru Trio from the attack, but mostly succeeded in only taking on extra damage as the trio were still caught up in the blast.

Only WarGreymon was spared from the attack, having been pinned beneath Chaosdramon X at the time. The attack had been devastating, and his friends were hurt badly. And up above, Cometmon was slowly making his descent towards ElDradimon. He judged that there were only a few minutes left before impact.

The pressure on his body increased as Chaosdramon X squeezed him. "What are you staring at?" He lifted the dragon Digimon up. "You think you still stand a chance? You're already beaten. It was inevitable. All those who oppose the Demon Lords shall perish."

He tossed WarGreymon into the air and blasted him with his Chaos Cannon. WarGreymon went flying through the air and bounced across the ground, leaving holes in the rocky surface with each impact.

An explosive fireball hit Chaosdramon X, and he stumbled back. AncientGreymon slammed into him, and Chaosdramon X was pushed back further. He looked down at the dragon Digimon in surprise. "You recovered from my attack a lot faster than I expected. I'm impressed."

"I used my Omega Corona to counter some of it. Kind of like this. Omega Corona!"

He unleashed his attack, but only a wave of heat escaped him as he began to lose hold of his Digimon form. Panicking, he gave up on his attack and focused all his energy into maintaining his Digimon form. As he did so, the words of the Machine Mercenaries came back to him, of how they were not the true Guardians. The real Guardians would be faster, stronger, more powerful. They would be able to fight better and longer, and not need to worry about losing power like this.

A chuckle escaped Chaosdramon X as he seemed to have figured out what had happened. "Oh, too bad. But what more could you expect from a filthy human."

Grasping the dragon Digimon, he lifted him into the air and delivered a kick that sent him flying towards Seraphimon. The angel Digimon had just been getting to his feet when AncientGreymon crashed into him.

Chaosdramon X's snickering was cut off as OmniShoutmon fired his Victorize Banking at him. Chaosdramon X fired his Super Genocide Attack in response, but the dragon Digimon dodged the missile and used his Doom Drillpress. His bladed foot struck Chaosdramon X's hard body, leaving only minor scratches, and annoying the machine Digimon more than anything. It was meant to be a distraction in any case as Imperialdramon and Ophanimon got to their feet while OmniShoutmon kept their opponent busy.

"We've got to stop Cometmon," Imperialdramon gasped. "We're running out of time."

"You go," Ophanimon told him. "I'll cover you."

The dragon Digimon nodded and flew towards ElDradimon. Chaosdramon X saw this out of the corner of his eye and ignored OmniShoutmon's attack. "I don't think so. No one is interfering with Cometmon. Hyper Mugen Canon!"

Ophanimon winced in advance as the attack came her way. "Not this attack again. Unicorn Shield!"

Her shield's power managed to block the initial impact of the attack, but not the explosion that followed, and she was consumed by it. The blast radius expanded, but Imperialdramon put on a burst of speed and managed to fly out of its range.

He looked back at the massive cloud of smoke, hoping the angel Digimon was ok. "Hang in there, Ophanimon. I'll be sure to…" He trailed off as a missile from Chaosdramon X's Destroyed Hook attack came flying towards him from out of the smoke. "When did he fire that!?"

He used his Splendor Blade to destroy the missile, but was surprised as another one immediately came after the first; Chaosdramon X had certainly planned ahead. Imperialdramon's eyes widened as the missile approached, but there was no time to dodge or counter, and the missile hit. The blast wasn't too bad, but he immediately felt the affects of the virus it had contained. An indescribable pain filled him, and he could no longer remain in the air.

He fell from the sky, hitting the ground hard. He barely even registered the pain as an even greater one trumped it as the virus spread. There was an unbearable heat, but something more. Lying on his stomach, unable to move from the pain, he watched as his arm, stretched out before him, began to liquefy. He could actually see the flesh melting off his bones, and then saw the bones themselves begin to become misshapen.

An agonized groan escaped him, and he lost his hold on his Digimon form. But once he became Davis again, the sensation of melting ceased, leaving only a phantom pain behind. It seemed the virus he had been injected with had vanished along with his Digimon form. And when the smoke from Chaosdramon X's previous attack faded, Kari was revealed to have lost her Digimon form as well.

"Nothing can stop the destruction of the city," Chaosdramon X stated.

"We'll stop it!" Gallantmon cried, charging at him. "Gram Strike!"

He literally bounced off Chaosdramon X's hard body. The machine Digimon chuckled at his futile attempt before he stumbled forward from OmniShoutmon blasting him in the back of the head with his Omni Core Fusion. Chaosdramon X returned his attention to the dragon Digimon as Gallantmon got up and joined in on the attack.

Seraphimon grunted as he got to his feet, wobbling. WarGreymon limped over to him, both struggling to maintain their Digimon forms. AncientGreymon lay a short distance away, and they made their way over to him.

"You ok, big guy?" WarGreymon asked.

AncientGreymon grunted in response. "Wait." After a few seconds, he let out the breath he seemed to have been holding. "Sorry, I was struggling to hold on to my Digimon form."

WarGreymon lowered his head. "That happened to me too."

"We've been fighting too long," said Seraphimon. "We're almost out of power." He looked from Chaosdramon X to Cometmon, who was getting close to ElDradimon. "We need to stop Cometmon, but Chaosdramon won't even let us near him. We need help, we're running out of time."

A cough came from behind them, and they looked to find the Garuru Trio coming up to them. "We think we have a solution," said CresGarurumon.

WarGreymon gave them a hopeful look. "Great, we're ready to try anything."

The Garuru Trio exchanged looks before they closed their eyes. Their bodies turned completely black, as if they had become silhouettes. Emerging from each of their bodies was a ring of Fractal Code, rotating around each of them.

AncientGreymon looked on in confusion. "What's this?"

The only chance we have left," said MetalGarurumon. "We're too injured and weak to keep fighting, but we can still help by doing this. We want you to take our Fractal Codes."

Behind his mask, a shocked and bewildered look crossed Seraphimon's face. "You want us to do what? Why? What will that do?"

"You do not know?" MagnaGarurmon asked. "Then listen well, humans. Absorbing another Digimon's Fractal Code is very different from absorbing their data. Absorbing a destroyed Digimon's data allows you to absorb their energy, but to absorb their Fractal Code allows you to gain their full power and add it to your own."

"By taking our Fractal Codes," CresGarurumon continued, "you will gain all our strength and all our power. It will almost be as if the two of us have become one. Not only will you be reenergized, you will have our power and become stronger than ever. It will allow you to take down Chaosdramon."

Their offer surprised the DigiDestined. Though WarGreymon didn't fully understand it, he knew that the Garuru Trio were making a great sacrifice, and he tried to remember what Shoutmon had told them about Fractal Codes.

"But your Fractal Code is what makes up your Digivolutions. If you give it up, won't it be the same as dying?"

MetalGarurumon shook his head. "Only if we give away all of our Fractal Code. We will lose our Digivolutions though, and have to work on unlocking our stronger forms once again."

"But that'll take you thousands of years!" Seraphimon objected. "Maybe longer!"

"It won't matter if Chaosdramon kills us," MagnaGarurumon argued. "If he kills us, then we'll have to completely start over as Digi-Eggs, and it'll take us even longer to get back to where we are now. At least this way we'll maintain some of our power, and we'll be able to stop Chaosdramon."

"It is our honor and duty to protect the city," said CresGarurumon. "And if we need to go back a few steps to do that, then we are fine with it. Believe us, we have no desire to have to go back and achieve our Digivolutions again after having worked so hard to obtain them the first time, but it's our only choice. Now, stop wasting time and take what we offer before it's too late; we're running out of time."

The DigiDestined stared as the Garuru Trio made their demands. They understood what the three of them were giving up. It was a steep price, but Chaosdramon X was proving too much for them to handle, and Cometmon was just a few short minutes away from colliding with ElDradimon.

With great reluctance, WarGreymon held out a hand towards the Garuru Trio. After a moment's hesitation, AncientGreymon did the same, as did Seraphimon a few seconds later. The three different Fractal Codes broke off from rotating around the members of the Garuru Trio, each one heading to one of the DigiDestined. Upon leaving their owner, each member of the Garuru Trio began to shrink and change shape as they reverted to lower levels in their Digivolution line.

The Fractal Codes flowed into the DigiDestined's hands and disappeared into their palms. The reaction was instantaneous. The damage disappeared, healed by the fresh flow of data. Not only that, but their was a drastic increase in power. They could feel it flowing through them, and they felt far stronger than ever before.

"Holy crap!" AncientGreymon exclaimed. "It almost feels like I Digivolved."

"I know," said Seraphimon, looking at his hands. "I feel twice as strong as before."

He looked back at the Garuru Trio and gasped at what he saw. Where the three Powerful Megas had once stood were now three much smaller Digimon. They looked tired and drained, but were still alive, and looking just as determine as ever.

"Hey," the angel Digimon exclaimed, "you're…"

"Gaomon," said the former CresGarurumon.

"Strabimon," the former MagnaGarurumon replied.

"Gabumon," the former MetalGarurumon finished. "We're the Rookie levels of the Garuru Trio."

WarGreymon gave them a worried look. "So you gave up your Champion, Ultimate, and Mega forms?"

"Don't worry about that now," Gaomon growled. "You can give us back our Fractal Codes later. For now, get Chaosdramon."

AncientGreymon's eyes widened. "Wait, we can give them back? Why didn't you say so? And why are we standing around worrying about it? Lets go!"

They flew back towards the battle with Chaosdramon X. The machine Digimon had just knocked OmniShoutmon to the ground, and was about to stomp down on him before Gallantmon rammed into him with his Spiral Saber. The attack succeeded in pushing Chaosdramon X back, but not actually hurting him.

"Heads up, Gallantmon! Terra Force!"

"Strike of the Seven Stars!"

"Omega Burst!"

The first attack hit, then the second, and the third soon after. Gallantmon put some distance between himself and Chaosdramon X before unleashing his Shield of the Just. The machine Digimon snarled at the onslaught of attacks before dropping to his knees.

OmniShoutmon got to his feet and rejoined the others in the air. "That came out of nowhere. What happened?"

"The Garuru Trio gave us their Fractal Code," Seraphimon explained. "Now we're stronger than ever."

OmniShoutmon did a double-take. "They gave you their Fractal Code? Willingly? Talk about noble."

"And annoying," Chaosdramon X growled as he got up. "I'm done with this farce. It's time to end it. Hyper Mugen Cannon!"

His cannons went off, unleashing a massive blast of energy. AncientGreymon flew forward and countered with his Omega Corona. It held back a portion of Chaosdramon X's attack, but when it forced its way through, WarGreymon and OmniShoutmon were able to hold off the rest with their Brave Shield and Heavy Metal Vulcan.

"We've got your number now," AncientGreymon told the machine Digimon.

Chaosdramon X chuckled. "No, I believe I have theirs."

They looked to where he pointed, and saw a missile from his Super Genocide Attack flying towards the Garuru Trio. When had he launched that? And there was no getting to it or them before it would be too late.

The three Rookies knew it as well, but rather than fleeing or cowering in fear, they ran forward, charging towards the missile in an act of defiance. They leapt towards it, Gaomon in the lead, and he threw a punch, striking the nose of the missile. It blew, and all three were consumed by the blast. And when it died down, the only thing that was left was a crater.

Chaosdramon X humphed. "Defiant to the end, those three. Good riddance. That's what they get for opposing a Chaos General."

"You killed them…" AncientGreymon whispered in horror. "They weren't a threat to you anymore. There was no need to kill them."

"They were an eyesore," Chaosdramon X grumbled. "That's more than enough of a reason to kill them."

"You bastard!" Seraphimon shouted. "Justice Genome!" His Light attacks increased in power. "Hallowed Knuckle!"

He began rapidly punching outward, sending out balls of light from his fists with each punch. Chaosdramon X grunted as the attacks peppered over him, causing him to step back.

"OmniShoutmon," WarGreymon seethed quietly, "watch over Kari and Davis. We don't want Chaosdramon doing another sneak attack like that. Great Tornado!"

He went spinning into Chaosdramon X, targeting a weak spot in his armor. Chaosdramon X saw him coming amongst the onslaught of Seraphimon's attacks. He lashed out at the dragon Digimon, knocking him away. Gallantmon came flying in and began repeatedly firing his Lightning Joust.

Chaosdramon X growled and took aim at him, firing his Chaos Cannon. Gallantmon held up his shield to block, but was still blown away. And as he flew through the air, he reverted to his human form, with hundreds of meters of open air beneath him.

AncientGreymon caught him and tossed the boy to OmniShoutmon, who caught him and set him down beside Davis and Kari. AncientGreymon then rammed into Chaosdramon X and unleashed his Omega Corona. The machine Digimon was blasted back, and was immediately consumed by a fiery tornado from WarGreymon's Ultra Tornado. Seraphimon threw his Hallowed Ascension in the mix, and lightning rained down on Chaosdramon X. Seraphimon and AncientGreymon closed in as well, and the machine Digimon glared at them.

"Not so easy when you're the one who's been fighting for awhile, and are suddenly facing an opponent at full power, is it?" AncientGreymon snarled at him.

Chaosdramon X growled, but his scowl soon became a grin, and his growl became a chuckle. "You think you have the advantage now, but you've already lost. You've been so focused on me that you forgot about those you were trying to save. And now your time is up."

WarGreymon wasn't sure what he meant at first, but then he gasped and looked back at ElDradimon. Cometmon was moments away from crashing into the city, and they were too far away to get there in time to do anything to stop it.

 

Notes:

(A/N: Well that's not good. Seems our heroes got so distracted by Chaosdramon X that they forgot about Cometmon. Are they about to have a repeat with what happened with CaptainHookmon and his crew? And with the Garuru Trio destroyed and Imperialdramon and Ophanimon now out of the fight, will they be able to defeat Chaosdramon X, or will they be forced to give up and flee? The big conclusion is coming up, so stay tuned.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Chaosdramon_X

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Cometmon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Gaomon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Strabimon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Gabumon

Chapter 109: Wins and Losses

Notes:

(A/N: As you can probably tell from the chapter title, the end of the battle is at hand. It was my longest one yet, and I had no idea it would drag out this long, but you know how stories write themselves. We last left off on a cliffhanger, so lets see how things turn out.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 109: Wins and Losses

The ground trembled from Cometmon's approach, bringing him mere meters from the top of the castle. The DigiDestined let out cries of horror as Chaosdramon X laughed at the incoming destruction.

"Yes, you've failed, puny humans!" he declared. "Now witness as Cometmon crushes the city and your pathetic friends to dust!"

Cometmon opened his mouth and roared, moments away from colliding with the castle. But as he closed the gap, the castle suddenly shifted, moving out of the way. ElDradimon was coming out of his shell, finally deciding to take some action. Emerging from his protection, he reared up onto his hind legs and met the astrology app Digimon head on. He caught Cometmon with his front legs, the ground shaking and cracking apart beneath him as the astrology app Digimon collided with him. A powerful shockwave flew outward from the collision, and the ground caved in beneath ElDradimon's feet.

"What's this!?" Chaosdramon X exclaimed, his eyes wide with surprise. "That coward is actually taking a stand? He should be hiding in his shell and relying on his defenses to tire out his opponents, not meeting them head on."

But ElDradimon wasn't the only one to take a stand. Numerous residents of the city rose up to meet Cometmon. The DigiDestined saw many of the Digimon they had met in the city launching hundreds of attacks up at the astrology app Digimon as ElDradimon held him at bay.

"No!" Chaosdramon X snarled furiously. "The Okuwamon were supposed to keep them busy while Cometmon destroyed the city."

Seraphimon looked back at him. "And I'm guessing that your friends were supposed to keep the Garuru Trio distracted, and ElDradimon too in case he did decide to fight back."

Chaosdramon X rose to his feet. "This is all because you humans interfered."

"Then allow us to do it further," said WarGreymon. "Terra Force!"

He threw a ball of energy, but Chaosdramon X used his Chaos Cannon to counter it, sending the attack into orbit. AncientGreymon used his Gaia Tornado, but the machine Digimon charged straight through it. AncientGreymon took to the air, and Chaosdramon X jumped up after him. Seraphimon slammed into him, and Chaosdramon X dropped from the sky. WarGreymon came down at him with his Aerial Dramon Killer attack, but Chaosdramon X fired his Super Genocide Attack up at him. WarGreymon blocked with his Brave Shield, but the missile still sent him flying. Seraphimon came down at him with his Excalibur. Chaosdramon X blocked with his claw and forced the angel Digimon back as he rose to his feet.

"My power still outstrips yours, despite the power boost you've gained from those Fractal Codes," he told Seraphimon as he sneakily aligned the angel Digimon with his cannon. "Hyper Mugen-"

AncientGreymon latched onto Chaosdramon X's cannons from up above and attempted to lift the machine Digimon into the air. Chaosdramon X snarled as his feet slowly left the ground, and he began thrashing about wildly. He knocked Seraphimon away, then reached up and slashed at AncientGreymon's feet. The dragon Digimon released him, and he landed with an earth-shattering crash.

Roaring in frustration, Chaosdramon X began firing his canons into the sky. The DigiDestined flew around as blasts of energy went off in the sky around them, preventing them from getting too close.

A roar echoed across the land, drawing all attention back to ElDradimon. Above him, the heavily damaged Cometmon was literally crumbling apart from the onslaught of attacks. With one last bellow, he burst into an explosion of data. ElDradimon dropped down to all fours again as he and the residents absorbed the astrology app Digimon's data.

Chaosdramon X snarled in frustration and doubled his efforts at trying to shoot down the DigiDestined. He turned his back to ElDradimon as he fired up them as they flew about. With his back to the mutant Digimon, he did not see ElDradimon turn to him and use his Meteor Earthquake. The ground cracked apart, the split racing towards Chaosdramon X. The ground broke open at his feet, and Chaosdramon X stepped into it, causing him to drop down to one knee, his other leg stuck in the crevice.

"Take him, now!" Seraphimon shouted, and he and AncientGreymon flew in. Chaosdramon X lashed out at them, but AncientGreymon managed to grab the machine Digimon's arm, yanking it back. Seraphimon grabbed his other arm, pulling it in the other direction.

"My turn now!" WarGreymon cried. "Dramon Cutter!"

"I think not!" Chaosdramon X snarled. With a burst of strength, he slammed Seraphimon and AncientGreymon together, then lifted them into the air and blasted them with his cannons. Pulling his leg out of the crevice, he turned to WarGreymon, lashing out at the dragon Digimon. In a flash of blades and claws, WarGreymon hit the ground. A pained groan escaped him, and he reverted back to his human form.

Chaosdramon X sneered as he looked down at the boy victoriously. "You see. You humans never stood a chance. Now you shall die."

"I don't think so," Tai grumbled. He rolled onto his back and looked up at the machine Digimon. "You missed what I did as WarGreymon. I sliced you like an onion."

Chaosdramon X seemed confused at first, but then he began to realize that something was wrong, very wrong. Lines appeared across his upper body, and pieces of him began sliding off. They vanished in bursts of data, until only his lower body remained, and then that too burst into data.

Tai laid back down, utterly exhausted. The Fractal Code he had absorbed may have replenished and increased his power, but it had done nothing for his drained stamina. And now that he was in human form again, his Digimon strength had vanished, leaving him feeling like a wet noodle.

Seraphimon and AncientGreymon landed beside him, maintaining their Digimon forms in case there were any other threats that might appear. OmniShoutmon joined them a moment later with Davis, Kari, and Takato. He set them down beside Tai and gave them a look of admiration. "You guys were fantastic. After all the fighting we had to do, when Machinedramon revealed himself to be a Chaos General, I thought we were sunk, especially when he became Chaosdramon X.

"Speaking of which," said Takato, "shouldn't you absorb his data?"

"Good call," the dragon Digimon replied, and raised his hand to draw it in.

"Thank goodness for WarGreymon's Dramon destroyer title," said AncientGreymon. "I don't think we would have made it otherwise."

"Not to mention ElDradimon helping out with Cometmon," Davis grumbled irritably. "What took him so long to act anyway?"

"You really can't blame him," OmniShoutmon replied. "It's in his nature to play it safe. He has such a high defense that he instinctively relies on it until his attackers use up all their energy trying to break through it. That's one of the reasons why he had the Garuru Trio to fight for him."

Seraphimon's shoulders sank. "The Garuru Trio… They didn't make it… They gave up everything, even their Fractal Codes, all to defend the city."

OmniShoutmon crossed his arms. "I'm still surprised they gave you their Fractal Codes. Not just because of the sacrifice of what they were making, but because of the risk. Chaosdramon might have taken them, and then we really would have been in trouble."

Kari gave him a curious look. "Can a Fractal Code be taken against a Digimon's will?"

The dragon Digimon nodded. "Most definitely. Once it's presented, anyone can grab it. But unless a Fractal Code is presented, it almost never appears. The only way to knock a Fractal Code out of someone unwillingly is if the Digimon is both on the verge of death and has been so drained of energy that they're also on the verge of DeDigivolving. It's very hard to create such a balance of near-death and DeDigivolution, as one will most likely happened before the other. But when it does happen, the body's instability makes its Fractal Code emerge, in which case, another Digimon can take it from them. But whether the Fractal Code emerges willingly or unwillingly, any Digimon can take it. We're just lucky Chaosdramon didn't notice."

Tai rubbed his head. "I'm too tired to comprehend anything you just said." He dragged his hand across his face, and as he opened his eyes again, his gaze fell on something. "Hey, what's that?"

He pointed, and the others looked. They didn't see it at first, small as it was, but then they spotted it. There, lying on the ground where Chaosdramon X had been, only a little bit bigger than a baseball, was none other than-

"The X-Antibody!" OmniShoutmon exclaimed. "The one Chaosdramon used to Digivolve to Chaosdramon X!"

AncientGreymon's brow furrowed. "I thought that was destroyed along with Chaosdramon."

OmniShoutmon shook his head. "X-Antibodies can't be destroyed. Once a Digimon that has it is gone, the X-Antibody remains behind for the next Digimon who come across it. Dibs!"

Takato cocked his head to the side. "So will you be able to Digivolve to OmniShoutmon X with it?"

A sigh escaped the dragon Digimon. "No, unfortunately my Digivolution line does not contain an X-Evolution. But still, an X-Antibody will make me so strong it'll almost be like I Digivolved."

Seraphimon crossed his arms. "I think it should go to Tai. He was the one who destroyed Chaosdramon."

He's got a point," Davis agreed.

OmniShoutmon looked put out. "Oh, but, that's, it is, I, I… Ah! Alright, fine. I guess you're right. But I get the next one. A Digimon can only possess one X-Antibody at a time, so the next one is mine."

Tai chuckled. "It's fine, OmniShoutmon. You can have it. After all, I won't be able to keep it once we go back to the Real World."

OmniShoutmon gave him a hopeful look. "You sure? I can really have it? You may not be able to take it with you, but the real WarGreymon will be able to use it once he resurrects."

"And I'm sure he'll be happy I let you have it. Really, take it. I'm not too keen on having anything that was once inside a Chaos General inside me anyway."

The dragon Digimon beamed. "You rock, man!"

He ran for the X-Antibody, but before he reached it, there was a flash of light. OmniShoutmon came to a stop as a rip in space and time appeared a short distance in front of him. And from it, a familiar yet unwelcome figure emerged.

"Hello, humans. It's been a while."

"AxeKnightmon!" the others exclaimed.

The knight Digimon chuckled. "I'm pleased you remember me. Though most never do forget me after we've met."

AncientGreymon growled at him. "What are you doing here?"

AxeKnightmon held up a hand. "Calm yourself, human. I'm not here to fight. I'm simply here to pick up something, and then I'll be on my way."

He reached down and picked up the X-Antibody. Davis pointed an accusatory finger at him. "Hey, that belongs to us!"

"On the contrary," AxeKnightmon argued. "It belongs to the masters. It was given to Chaosdramon in case the mission went wrong; as I can see it did. Now I will be taking it back."

OmniShoutmon growled. "Take this instead. Hard Rock Spirit!"

AxeKnightmon sliced through the flames. "You should save your strength, you'll need it for what's to come. The Demon Lords have set their sights on you. Your deaths are inevitable."

"Yeah, we kind of got that impression when the Machine Mercenaries came after us," Davis grumbled. "If the Demon Lords are so great, why don't they come after us themselves? It would save us the trouble of going after them."

AxeKnightmon chuckled. "Because once you're at the top, you don't have to do such menial tasks; you've got servants to do that stuff for you." He closed his eyes. "Still, I'm astounded that you were able to defeat Lord Leviamon. I didn't think it was possible, but I suppose that a once in a life time fluke can happen every now and then."

Tai smirked. "Would you still be able to call it a fluke if it happens six more times?"

The knight Digimon threw his head back and laughed. "If you're implying that you're going to be able to defeat the remaining Demon Lords, then you are truly delusional. Even if you make it to Lord Belphemon's castle, you will never make it out alive. He was so furious when he learned of Lord Leviamon's defeat that his rage flowed out of him, even in his Sleep Mode. But I doubt you'll even make it that far. The Machine Mercenaries may have backed off, but they've never failed a job. And speaking of which, I have my own to do. Multi-Dimensional Axe!"

He swung the giant axe he kept on his back, slicing another rip in the air. OmniShoutmon gasped and lunged after him, but AxeKnightmon had already disappeared in the tear, and it closed behind him.

"Damn it!" OmniShoutmon raged, punching the ground.

"Let it go," said Tai. "Even if he stayed behind, we're too drained to keep fighting."

"But he didn't know that," said OmniShoutmon. "Guess that's why he took the X-Antibody and left; that was his mission after all."

Seraphimon reverted back to TK. "Lets just count our blessings. We managed to save the city, and defeat a Chaos General."

AncientGreymon became Takuya once again. "But we lost the Garuru Trio, not to mention all the others that died in the attack, and we didn't even get the X-Antibody."

"And the Demon Lords now have AncientWisemon," Takato pointed out.

Davis looked at him in surprise. "What? When did that happen?"

Takato sighed. "It's a long story, but he was abducted from the castle. The Demon Lords wanted him for his knowledge. Who knows what they're forcing him to tell them."

"Will he break though?" Tai asked, thinking back to his session with the mutant Digimon. "I mean, AncientWisemon is… AncientWisemon. You know what he's like."

OmniShoutmon stood up. "He'll talk. If the Demon Lords are interrogating him, he'll eventually talk. It's only a matter of time."

The sound of ElDradimon's footsteps drew their attention as the mutant Digimon made his way over to them.

"Then we better hurry," said Tai. "If the Demon Lords get their hands on the great power, there's no telling what will happen."

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

"I see," said Pharaohmon as the DigiDestined finished telling the king and queen everything that had happened during the battle. The ghost Digimon closed his eyes and folded his hands in thought, sighing deeply. "This is indeed grave news. AncientWisemon warned us of what was to come, but we did not expect damage of this magnitude. And now he has been abducted on top of it. Yes, this is truly troubling."

QueenChessmon placed a hand on his shoulder. "Do not fret, dearest. It could have been a lot worse. Our losses are great, but I feel that more has been salvaged."

Pharaohmon sat up straighter. "Yes, we could have lost everything. It is thanks to you humans that we still have a home."

A frustrated groan escaped Tai. "Please, don't thank us. This feels more like a defeat than a victory."

QueenChessmon cocked her head to the side. "From whose point of view? Most of those that led the attack were destroyed, as were most of the Okuwamon army, and even a Chaos General. Furthermore, the city was saved from Cometmon."

"That wasn't us though, your majesty," Takato pointed out. "You guys stopped Cometmon."

"A feat we never would gave accomplished without your help," Pharaohmon replied, "Without you to stop those attacking ElDradimon, he never would have merged from his shell. And without you fighting off the ones who got into the city, we would have been overrun by the Okuwamon. Without you clearing the way for us, we would not have been able to stop Cometmon."

Davis stood up a little straighter and puffed out his chest. "Yeah, we are pretty awesome."

"Our losses are regrettable," the king continued, "but I feel we came out on top in this battle. And we have you to thank for it."

Shoutmon's hands clenched. "Not me. I'm sorry, your majesty, but I feel as if we let you down. Not just because of the ones that died and the damage done to the city, but because the Demon Lords are now one step closer to obtaining the great power. It's going to be hard enough to defeat them as they are. I shudder to think how strong they'll become if they obtain a weapon like that."

Pharaohmon reluctantly agreed. "You are correct. Therefore, we shall get you to Belphemon's castle as quickly as possible. I will pray for your success."

"As will I," QueenChessmon added.

Tai lowered his head. "So do we, your highness. Thank you."

They were dismissed after that, and made their way to their room for some much needed and well-deserved rest. It had been a long and tiring fight, and in the end, their victory had been bittersweet at best. The teens didn't want to admit it, but they agreed with Shoutmon; they felt like they had failed.

"I still think AncientWisemon might keep quiet," Takato told them. "It was almost like he got captured on purpose. Think about it, if he knows everything, why would he let himself be caught? He must have known what was coming and known he would be able to withstand it and maintain his silence."

"Don't be stupid," Shoutmon snapped. "If he did let himself get caught, it's because he knew that there was absolutely no way for him to escape. And if he didn't flee in advance, then it must have been for a darn good reason. But like I told you before, if the Demon Lords interrogate him, he'll talk. Barbamon especially has a particularly nasty attack so painful that it literally drives others mad and turns them into vicious beasts. In fact, I'm willing to bet that that's how they reduce Bacchusmon to the violent state he was in. Under that type of torture, anyone would break, let alone talk."

Kari shuddered at the thought. "Then the Demon Lords will get the great power?"

"Not yet," said TK. "They have the scrolls, and they have AncientWisemon, but they still need to get the location from him, and they still don't have the keycards."

Davis beamed. "Then we still have a chance. We might even get to the great power before them."

Tai glanced at Shoutmon. "Do you know what the great power is? Back there you called it a weapon."

The dragon Digimon shrugged. "It could be anything; I just called it a weapon by default. It could be a weapon, a power source, an imprisoned Digimon, who knows? Whatever it is, I don't like the idea of the Demon Lords getting their hands on it. Any source of power becomes a weapon in their hands."

Kari stopped walking as they passed a window and looked out it. "What are the chances that AncientWisemon is being held at Belphemon's castle?"

The others stopped walking. "Slim to none," Shoutmon replied. "He'll most likely be with one of the higher ups. Lucemon, Daemon, or Barbamon. In any case, they may not try to get an answer out of AncientWisemon on the great power's location until they get the keycards; that way they can use him for other means. They won't be able to do that if they break him trying to find the location of the great power if they don't have the keycards yet; I'm sure there are other things they would want to know in the meantime."

"Then there's still time," said TK. "We can save him, and stop the Demon Lords from getting the great power."

Tai frowned as his thoughts turned to another Digimon, one just as horrible as Leviamon. Takuya noticed the forlorn look on his face and nudged him. "What's up with you?"

Tai shook his head. "Nothing, just thinking."

"About…?" Kari probed.

Her brother sighed. "It's just… the Demon Lords may not be the only ones we have to defeat. I faced off against someone who's probably just as bad as them."

Davis's eyebrows rose. "Ok, you mean that Boatabolt guy?"

"Boltboutamon," Shoutmon corrected.

Tai nodded. "Yeah, him. That guy really worries me. He was strong, really strong. I was fighting with everything I had, and he just toyed with me the whole time like I was nothing. And he was holding back too. I doubt he was even using half his strength."

The hairs in the back of his neck stood on end as he remembered the things the demon Digimon had said to him, not to mention the sadistic promises he had made. "He's seriously messed up too. The things he said, what I felt from him, he might be even more evil than Leviamon."

Shoutmon scoffed. "It doesn't surprise me. Boltboutamon is a unique Digimon with a really twisted origin. Back when the Digital World was first being created, an evil entity emerged from the Dark Area. It was called the Malevolent Fist, and it was a manifestation of the darkness of the Dark Area."

"That sounds pretty bad," Takuya commented.

The dragon Digimon scoffed a second time. "You don't know the half of it. The Malevolent Fist had a variety of powers, including corruption, manipulation, and possession, and it was as strong as a Mega. However, it was still an incorporeal being, and so it decided to create a body for itself. It possessed a Piedmon and a Myotismon, and merged with them. They DNA Digivolved together and, boom, Boltboutamon was born."

Kari felt her stomach flip, and not in a good way. She still remembered the evil of Myotismon, and Piedmon certainly hadn't been an angel. Combining those two with an evil manifestation of the darkness of the Dark Area, the source of all that was evil in the Digital World, was extremely unsettling. "That's a very disturbing origin."

Shoutmon nodded. "And he hates everything. It's said that his hatred is due to Myotismon being forcibly absorbed by Piedmon, and that hatred is now aimed at the world around him. Quite frankly, despite how evil and powerful the Demon Lords are, I can't see Boltboutamon obeying anyone, not even them. So his actions are rather confusing."

Tai frowned, thinking back to what the demon Digimon had told him. "He said something about how he's not doing anything he doesn't want to do. That obeying the Demon Lords coincides with what he wants to do and allows him to have fun. Or something along those lines."

"What does it matter?" Takato asked. "When it comes down to it, he's just another bad guy. So can we please stop talking about this now; that guy's really disturbing me, and I'd rather not think about him. We've got enough to worry about with the Demon Lords."

"Unfortunately," said TK, "chances are that we'll have to face him again." He looked determine. "But next time, we'll face him together. If we can defeat a Demon Lord, we can beat Boltboutamon."

Tai wanted to say that he agreed, but he wasn't sure he could. Catching Shoutmon's eye, he could see that the dragon Digimon felt the same. Boltboutamon may not be a Demon Lord, but he was definitely up there on the evil and powerful scale. At the very least, he was stronger than Chaosdramon X; that he knew for certain. And anyone on the same level as a Chaos General was not someone to be taken lightly.

"Lets just get some sleep," he grumbled, stifling a yawn. "We had a hard day and could all use some shut eye. We'll worry about the rest tomorrow."

There was no argument, and the group headed to their room. One by one, they dropped onto their beds and fell asleep almost instantly.

Notes:

(A/N: It's been a long and tiring battle, but it's finally over. But who's side was really victorious? The Demon Lords lost a Chaos General, along with several soldiers, and failed to destroy ElDradimon and his residents, but they got what they wanted, and that was AncientWisemon, putting them one step closer to getting the great power, and a lot of good Digimon died in the battle too. So, do yo agree with Pharaohmon and QueenChessmon, that the good side had the greater victory, or do you agree with Shoutmon, that the loss was too great. Sadly, there's always losses during war, even when victory is achieved. No one really wins, one side just suffers a greater loss. Wow, listen to me getting all philosophical. Guess that's my cue to peace out. I'll see you next time.)

Chapter 110: Sand Attack

Notes:

(A/N: I couldn't really come up with a better name for this chapter, but it works for what happens in the chapter. You'll see what I mean. Now witness as our heroes make the final leg of their journey towards Belphemon's castle.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 110: Sand Attack

The days that followed consisted of rebuilding and mourning. Despite the resistance the Okuwamon had faced, many residents had perished against them. Knowing that they would be reborn was little consolation as those that survived wept for their friends.

Fortunately, there had been no other attacks after the one that had taken place, but it had given the DigiDestined a better idea about the nature of the Demon Lords. The attack showed what they would be willing to do to get what they wanted, and even after abducting AncientWisemon, the attempt to wipe out the entire city afterwards simply because they could was nothing more than a demonstration of their power and cruelty.

"You haven't seen anything," Shoutmon had told the teens. "They've done so much worse during their reign. Destroying the entire city would have become nothing more than an amusing topic of conversation for them to joke about later."

If anything though, rather than making the teens despair, it only made them more determined than ever to defeat the Demon Lords. They almost become eager for the upcoming fight with Belphemon, despite the disadvantage they knew they would be at when they faced him.

But they were still days away from their destination, and so they did what they could to help rebuild. Fortunately, as parts of the city were actually part of ElDradimon, certain areas regenerated with the more data the mutant Digimon absorbed. Pharaohmon and QueenChessmon oversaw the repairs of the other parts of the cities, even personally lending a hand to help rebuild.

Eventually though, ElDradimon came to a stop, and refused to take a step further. The teens were then brought to the king and queen and informed that this was where they would part.

"ElDradimon will go no further into Belphemon's territory," Pharaohmon told them. "Follow the path from here, and you shall reach Belphemon's palace in a few days."

Shoutmon bowed to them. "We thank you kindly, your majesties. You have been of great help."

QueenChessmon shook her head. "It is us who should be thanking you. Again. If not for you, our city would have been lost. I only wish we could aid you further, but we cannot afford to get any closer."

"Hey, we get it," Tai replied. "You have to think of your people. Don't worry, we can go it alone from here."

Pharaohmon stood up. "But you are not alone." He thumped his chest. "Though we cannot accompany you, know that our thoughts and prayers go with you."

The DigiDestined thanked the king and queen, and shortly after that were led through the city by HolyDigitamamon. The city residents bid them tearful farewells and wished them luck in their journey. Even ElDradimon gave a roar of farewell as they put distance between themselves and the mutant Digimon.

"Well," said HolyDigitamamon, "this is it. It has… it has been an honor serving you."

Davis just waved this off, though he had a particularly arrogant smirk on his face. "Ah, it was nothing. Just doing our duty."

Kari rolled her eyes, then gave HolyDigitamamon a smile. "You've been a great host, HolyDigitamamon. Thanks."

The mutant Digimon blinked tears out of his eyes. "N-Now… now lets not get all emotional. This… This is…" He sniffed. "I mean, maybe we'll see each other some day, and… and…" He sniffed again, and the tears began flowing. "Oh, I can't do this! Goodbye!"

He took off, flying back towards ElDradimon without another word. The teens all sweat-dropped as ElDradimon turned and slowly began heading in the opposite direction. "Ooook…" Takato muttered. "That was an interesting goodbye."

"I don't like goodbyes anyway," said Takuya. He turned around, looking out at the path before them. "So, where do we go from here?"

TK motioned forward. "Well, they said to follow the path. I guess we go this way."

Davis placed a hand to his head, shading his eyes to see in the distance. "How far do we still have to go?"

"Doesn't matter," said Tai. "We've been down this road before. We go until we reach our destination. Ration our supplies, use what we can from the land, and take down anyone that tries to pick a fight."

Shoutmon snapped his fingers. "Which reminds me, lets try and stay out of sight. Fighting a Demon Lord is going to be tough enough; we don't need to worry about any henchmen too."

Takuya's eyes narrowed. "Personally, I wouldn't mind knocking a few heads. I'm still ticked off with what they pulled during that attack."

Kari gave him a look of warning. "We can't let our personal feelings affect us. We have to go about this calmly and rationally. One mistake could mean game over."

"Well, I'm not ready for a game over," said Takato. Reaching up, he placed his goggles over his eyes. "Come on, let's go."

He began marching forward. Davis mimicked him with placing his goggles over his eyes, and a moment later, after shrugging at the others, Takuya did the same.

Tai, TK, Kari, and Shoutmon stared after them before the blonde boy asked, "What was the point of putting on their goggles?"

Tai sighed. "They're getting in the zone. It's just their thing. Just let them have it."

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

By a strange coincidence, the goggles came in handy later, and Tai gave his own to Kari to wear as a sandstorm picked up a few hours into their journey. It was blinding, obscuring their vision so they couldn't see more than a few feet in front of them. Those without goggles held onto those that had them so they wouldn't get lost as they made their way through the storm.

"How is this storm so bad?" Davis cried, getting a mouthful of sand in the process. He spat it out in disgust. "Shouldn't the canyon walls shield us from the wind?"

"It's blowing through the walls," Takato replied, having the hindsight to cover his mouth before speaking. "It's creating a wind tunnel."

They pushed onward, but they were walking blindly. If they somehow ended up getting turned around, they wouldn't even know it. The fact that they were hugging the canyon wall was the only thing preventing that from happening.

TK finally stopped and turned back to Tai. "Tai, I think we should stop. This is getting dangerous."

The older boy reluctantly agreed. "I think you're right. We should seek shelter somewhere."

"Where?" Takuya asked. "I can't see two feet in front of me."

"I know," Tai exclaimed. He patted the canyon wall. "We'll cut out a little opening here. Shoutmon, do you think you can do it?"

"No problem."

Kari sweat-dropped. "I'm not sure that's such a good idea."

"Don't worry, I got this. Fiery Fastball!"

He threw a few exploding fiery music notes against the canyon wall, blowing an opening into it. But as the opening grew bigger, what Kari had been afraid of happened. Cracks ran up the canyon wall, and large rocks came tumbling down towards the group as the wall crumbled.

"Scatter!" Tai shouted, and the teens took off as the rocks rained down. Fortunately, no one had been harmed, but they were now separated in the blinding sandstorm. Tai received a horrible feeling of déjà vu from when they had been separated in another valley and were suddenly being hunted by Fangmon.

Luckily, they were able to find each other again after only a few minutes, each of them having gone back to the pile of rocks that had fallen. No further attempt to burrow into the canyon wall followed, however, the large pile of rocks that had fallen acted as a shelter, shielding the teens from the heavy winds, and they ducked behind them.

"We'll just stay here until the storm dies down."

"I hope it stops soon," Davis grumbled. "This sand really stings."

Kari handed her brother his goggles. "Here, you can have these back now."

He held up his hand and shook his head. "No, you hang onto them until the storm's over, just in case."

There was nothing more to do than wait. The blowing sand made it impossible to sleep, and eating anything was out of the question unless they wanted their meals to have a nice coating of sand. The protection the rocks provided was not ideal, but it was much better than being out in the open.

"I wish we had a tent," said Takato. "Isn't that what travellers do in the desert when they run into sandstorms?"

"We'll just have to make do with what we have," Tai replied. "Just bear with it."

Takuya groaned. "I'm bearing, I'm just not liking."

At least his goggles protected his eyes. Not that he could see that far anyway, even with the shelter the rock pile provided.

But he could see something. There, straight ahead, he could see the silhouette of something in the storm. It emerged slowly from the blinding blanket of sand blowing through the air, but he couldn't make out what it was.

Nudging TK beside him, he nodded forward. "Hey, you see that?"

TK blinked and squinted to see, holding up his hands to shield his eyes from the sand. "I can't make out anything, there's too much sand."

Beside him, Kari made use of Tai's goggles. "I see it. There's another one."

She was right. Takuya could see it now too; a second silhouette had come up beside the first. Davis had spotted them now as well, and waved to them. "Hey, do you guys need help?"

Tai was unable to see through the sand without his giggles. "What is it?"

"There are two figures over there," Takato replied, spotting them now too. "No, wait, there's three, a third one just showed up."

Shoutmon was unable to make out what they were, but he was on his guard. "Careful, don't forget that we're in Belphemon's territory."

"I'm sure it's fine," Davis told him. "Just because this is Belphemon's domain, it doesn't mean that everyone we meet is an enemy. They're probably just looking for shelter too. Hey, you guys, come over here! You can share our rocks!"

The three figures approached, becoming more visible. They were practically standing on top of the teens before they were able to make them out.

"You!" Takato exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

The middle one cocked their head to the side. "Did you think that we had let you go?" Fujinmon asked curiously.

"We've been tracking you ever since our last encounter," Rajinmon told them.

"No one ever escapes the Machine Mercenaries," said Suijinmon.

Tai stood up, moving in front of his friends protectively. "Be reasonable, guys. Lets not do this right now. Not with this storm."

"The weather makes no difference to us," Fujimon commented. "We have a job to do, and we shall do it."

Takuya growled. "Well, this day just went from bad to worse. Execute! Spirit Evolution… AncientGreymon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… WarGreymon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Imperialdramon Fighter Mode!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Gallantmon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Ophanimn!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Seraphimon!"

"Shoutmon Digivolve to… OmniShoutmon!"

At the very least, the blowing sand didn't sting as much as it did in their Digimon forms. It did, however, still observe their vision. Whether that would useful or a hindrance during the upcoming battle was anyone's guess. The Machine Mercenaries didn't seem bothered by it, or maybe they just ignored it.

"This won't be like last time," WarGreymon warned the three.

The machine Digimon didn't seem bothered by this threat. "We know," Fujinmon replied. "This time, there will be no one to save you. Silph Storm!"

He sent out a powerful gust of wind, strong enough to overpower the storm, and the DigiDestined had a blanket of sand blow against them. Raijinmon and Suijinmon moved in at the same time, the former firing orbs of lightning with his Blitz Arm attack while Suijinmon delivered a powerful pinch with his Accel Arm, striking each DigiDestined in turn once Raijinmon's attack hit.

Fujinmon moved in after that, spinning around with his Malt Cyclone, he flew at the DigiDestined, slashing away with his blades. He went after the largest of them first, striking Imperialdramon with a series of swipes.

WarGreymon flew over and slashed at the machine Digimon, but at the last second, Fujinmon blocked his claw with his blade. Seraphimon then lashed out with his Excalibur, but Fujinmon caught this as well. While both his arms were occupied, Imperialdramon recovered and brought his fist down on Fujinmon, but Suijinmon was suddenly there, catching and holding back the dragon Digimon's fist before firing his Infinity Cannon into Imperialdramon, blasting him back.

Ophanimon pointed her javelin at Suijinmon to fire her Eden's Javelin, but was instead blasted by Raijinmon's Electro Ball. She was hit with one after another before Gallantmon rushed in front of her, using his shield to block his attack. AncientGreymon turned to Raijinmon and began firing his Omega Burst.

The machine Digimon began dodging the explosive fireballs before Suijinmon delivered a punch to AncientGreymon with his Accel Arm. OmniShoutmon came forward to meet him, lashing out with his Doom Drillpress, but Suijinmon caught his leg before he could land a blow, and Raijinmon unleashed his Justice Burst attack on him, and OmniShoutmon crashed into the canyon wall and dropped to the ground.

Ophanimon flew out from behind the protection of Gallantmon's shield and fired her Sefirot Crystal. Suijinmon countered with his Infinity Cannon, canceling out her attack, and Raijinmon caused lightning to rain down with his Back Storm attack, striking both Gallantmon and Ophanimon. AncientGreymon came to their aid with his Gaia Tornado, blowing away Raijinmon.

Fujinmon proceeded to hold WarGreymon and Seraphimon back before pulling away from the dragon Digimon and striking the angel Digimon's blade with his Critical Arm, destroying it before unleashing his Malt Cyclone on WarGreymon. The dragon Digimon defended with his Brave Shield as Fujinmon's blades danced across his body until Seraphimon fired his Hallowed Knuckle on the machine Digimon, hitting him in the back. This gave WarGreymon the opportunity to use his Terra Force, the giant ball of energy colliding with Fujinmon and carrying him into the sandstorm.

Imperialdramon finally managed to find his way back to the others through the sandstorm thanks to WarGreymon's attack. As Suijinmon fired his Infinity Cannon upon AncientGreymon, Imperialdramon fired his Ionic Blaster, blasting the machine Digimon away.

OmniShoutmon had managed to find his way back to the others as well thanks to Imperialdramon's attack. "Lets get out of this storm. We need to fight together, and we can't do that if we keep getting lost."

WarGreymon nodded. "Good call. Everybody go up."

They flew straight up, flying through the cloud of sand. Eventually they came to actual clouds, and kept going, finally bursting through them and entering clear skies as the storm raged on down below.

"Ah, no more sand," Gallantmon sighed. "Thank goodness."

"We've got a bigger problem than sand," Ophanimon told him.

And she was right. A few seconds later, the Machine Mercenaries flew up to join them. It was a traditional stand off, both sides staring the other one down.

"There's no escape," Fujinmon told them. "There's nowhere you can go where we won't follow."

"You may find a safe haven for a while," Suijinmon picked up, "but we will always be waiting for you."

A frustrated growl escaped WarGreymon. "Then we'll just have to end things here and now."

"But can you?" Raijinmon asked. "If you're as weak as you were the last time we fought, then this battle is already over."

Seraphimon tried to reason with them. "It doesn't have to be this way. You're mercenaries for hire, right? You don't have any true loyalty to the Demon Lords. Shoutmon even said you once fought for good. Help us defeat the Demon Lords. We could really use your help."

Fujinmon shook his head. "You truly don't understand us. Times have changed. Our loyalty is to the job. We were hired to destroy you, and that is what we shall do. Had you hired us to fight the Demon Lords, then we would have fought with you until the end."

"Fine then," Gallantmon exclaimed. "We'll hire you. Whatever you want, we'll pay it."

"Too late," Raijinmon declared. "We are not turncoats. If we could simply be bought by our targets, no one would ever hire us. There are more important things than money."

Ophanimon tried a different tactic. "But you're working for Belphemon, right? Can't you just look the other way and pretend you couldn't find us? Once we destroy him, you won't have any reason to hunt us anymore."

"Wrong," said Suijinmon. "Even if you destroy our client, even if he changes his mind, we will finish the job. Our reputation demands it. The Machine Mercenaries always finish a job once they get one. This will not end until you've been destroyed, or we are."

Imperialdramon reluctantly had to admire them for that. "Well, they're certainly dedicated."

"They're nuisances," AncientGreymon grumbled. "Lets just end this. Gaia Tornado!"

The Machine Mercenaries dodged the tornado and flew at the DigiDestined. WarGreymon began throwing his Grey Fire, but Suijinmon moved to the front and began punching the fireballs away. Gallantmon launched his Shield of the Just, but Fujinmon switched places with Suijinmon and began spinning around as he used his Malt Cyclone, his blades slicing through the beam at such speeds that Gallantmon's attack didn't even touch him.

The DigiDestined broke apart as the Machine Mercenaries came at them. Ophanimon fired her Shining Laser, but Raijinmon held up his hand, using his Accel Arm to block the attack as he flew towards her. She thrust her javelin out at him, but he knocked it away and delivered a punch. Seraphimon lashed out at him with his Excalibur, but Raijinmon caught the blade and blasted him with his Infinity Cannon. Imperialdramon knocked him away with his Dragon Knee, and a moment later cried out as Fujinmon stabbed him in the back.

OmniShoutmon moved in to attack with his Doom Drillpress while Fujinmon had his blades buried in Imperialdramon's back, but the machine Digimon pulled one free and blocked the attack. Gallantmon came flying in with his Gallant Charge. Fujinmon reacted at the last second, pulling his other blade from Imperialdramon's back and swiping at the knight Digimon. Gallantmon dropped his attack and held up his shield to block.

Imperialdramon whirled around and backhanded Fujinmon. He was immediately blasted by Suijinmon's Infinity Cannon, and was then attacked in turn by AncientGreymon's Omega Burst. The dragon Digimon got off two good shots before Suijinmon began smacking the exploding fireballs away with his Accel Arm. He flew towards AncientGreymon, and the dragon Digimon lunged forward to bite him. Suijinmon grabbed his upper and lower jaws, holding them open and pointed his mouth away so he wouldn't be hit by any fireballs.

"Back Storm!" Raijinmon cried, and lightning came down upon AncientGreymon, allowing Suijinmon to deliver a punch from his Accel Arm.

"Strike of the Seven Stars!" Seraphimon cried, firing upon Raijinmon while he was unleashing his attack.

Suijinmon came to his comrade's defense, firing his Infinity Cannon, cancelling out Seraphimon's attack, then firing again upon the angel Digimon himself. Ophanimon flew in front of him and fired her Sefirot Crystal, the two attacks exploding against each other. Both angel Digimon flew out of the smoke, Ophanimon stabbing forward with her javelin and Seraphimon swinging his Excalibur. Suijinmon caught both weapons, holding them back, and Raijinmon launched his Justice Burst at them.

"Omni Core Fusion!" OmniShoutmon cried, firing his attack at Raijinmon. Fujinmon got into the attack's path and sliced through it. Rajinmon fired his Electro Ball attack from behind his fellow machine Digimon. WarGreymon suddenly appeared, spinning around with his Great Tornado, knocking away the balls of electricity. He flew towards Fujinmon, who raised his blade arms, and the spinning WarGreymon collided with it. Raijinmon prepared to unleash his Back Storm, but Imperialdramon suddenly used his Majestic Strike, knocking him away.

"Infinity Cannon!" Suijinmon cried, firing at Imperialdramon.

"Shield of the Just!" Gallantmon countered, firing a beam at Suijinmon's attack. The two attacks collided and began pushing against each other. Gallantmon began to get overwhelmed as he had his attack pushed back until OmniShoutmon threw his Victorize Banking into the mix, evening things out.

WarGreymon continued to push against Fujinmon's blades, to no avail. He upgraded his attack to his Ultra Tornado. His spinning top body was suddenly surrounded by a fiery tornado that sucked Fujinmon inside. The machine Digimon allowed himself to get pulled down the length of the vortex until he came across WarGreymon in the center of it. Ignoring the fire surrounding him, he lashed out with his Critical Arms.

The tornado dispersed as WarGreymon fell. Fujinmon flew at him, raising his blades. Ophanimon moved in his path and blocked with her Unicorn Shield while Seraphimon caught WarGreymon. "You ok?"

The dragon Digimon resumed flying on his own, placing a hand to the cut across his chest. "I'll be fine."

He looked up as Ophanimon held back Fujinmon and Suijinmon's attack continued to push against Gallantmon and OmniShoutmon's. Raijinmon had recovered and unleashed his Back Storm attack on Imperialdramon, and AncientGreymon was coming up on the machine Digimon from below, firing his Omega Burst. Raijinmon turned to him and fired his Electro Ball, blowing AncientGreymon's fireballs out of the sky. The dragon Digimon retaliated with his Omega Corona, exploding outward. Raijinmon fled from the blast as Suijinmon, Gallantmon, and OmniShoutmon stopped attacking to avoid it as well.

"They're as strong as ever," WarGreymon growled. "We need more power."

"We're maxed out," Seraphimon told him. "All of us are at the Mega level. Unless one of us can Mode Change like Imperialdramon, this is the extent of our power."

"Hey, you two," Ophanimon called down to them as she struggled against Fujinmon, "I could use some help here!"

"Malt Cyclone!" the machine Digimon cried, and began whirling around, swinging his blades. Ophanimon cried out as she was slashed all over.

"Damn you!" WarGreymon and Seraphimon shouted together, and flew at the machine Digimon. WarGreymon got there first and lashed out with his War Driver.

Fujinmon suddenly stopped attacking Ophanimon and turned towards WarGreymon. He knocked his claws out of the way and drove his blade into WarGreymon's gut. The dragon Digimon gasped in surprise, the pain not yet setting in. He looked up at Fujinmon, who stared into his eyes, not an ounce of pity in them. "One down."

He pulled his blade out and met Seraphimon as the angel Digimon lashed out with his Excalibur. WarGreymon dropped from the sky, the scene before him seemingly playing out in slow motion. He saw Fujinmon unleashing his Malt Cyclone on Seraphimon before suddenly blocking Ophanimon as she stabbed him with her javelin. Her eyes landed on WarGreymon and she called out his name, but he heard nothing as he fell further away.

His gaze shifted to the others as Raijinmon unleashed his Elekugel upon AncientGreymon before avoiding Imperialdramon's Imperial Crusher and firing a bolt of electricity at him with his Blitz Arm. OmniShoutmon was throwing fireballs with his Twin Fireball Strike as Suijinmon flew towards him and Gallantmon, smacking the fireballs away. Gallantmon stabbed forward with his Gram Strike as the machine Digimon reached him, but Suijinmon grabbed his lance and blasted him with his Infinity Cannon. He turned to OmniShoutmon next, but WarGreymon didn't see what happened as he fell through the clouds, and his vision of the battle was obscured.

Down, down, down he fell, descending into the sandstorm once again, and then finally hitting the ground. The impact seemed to knock the sense back into him as time resumed its normal speed. WarGreymon coughed as his injuries finally registered, and an agonized groan escaped him. The sand blew against him hard, but he didn't even notice as he forced himself to roll over onto his side.

This was not going well. He could see it now, this was going to play out the same way it did the last time they fought the Machine Mercenaries. They were just too strong, too well coordinated, and were skilled warriors, as opposed to them, who only fought with their attacks and their limited fighting skills, relying mostly on the instinct of their Digimon forms. At this rate, the Machine Mercenaries would cut them down one by one.

"We need more power," WarGreymon grunted, repeating to himself what he had said to Seraphimon. "More power."

"So why don't you use it?"

WarGreymon's eyes snapped open. Despite the heavy winds, he had heard the voice loud and clear. It sounded more like it had been spoken in his head, and it sounded familiar.

Rolling onto his stomach, he lifted his head, and gasped at what he saw. Before him stood MetalGarurumon, as clear as day, the sandstorm doing noting to obscure him.

Well, perhaps not as clear as day. He was transparent, and static-y, almost as if he were a hologram. WarGreymon closed his eyes for a few seconds, then opened them again, but the vision of the android Digimon was still there.

"MetalGarurumon," he mumbled, "what are you doing here? You died. Shouldn't you be in an egg back in Primary Village right now."

"I am not really here," MetalGarurumon replied. "What you see before you is but an echo, a memory, an imprint if you will. Nothing more than the data of the real MetalGarurumon speaking to you."

WarGreymon's eyes narrowed in confusion. "I don't understand."

"You absorbed MetalGarurumon's Fractal Code. A Fractal Code contains a record of everything that makes up a Digimon, including their data, their power, their memories. It is as good as having the real MetalGarurumon with you."

A pained groan escaped WarGreymon as he forced himself to sit up, his body pixelating as he struggled to hold onto his Digimon form. "If you're as good as here, then how about lending us a hand; we could really use some help."

The android Digimon shook his head. "I cannot. I am nothing more than data. But that data is part of you. It is up to you to use it. So far, you only used the energy it provided when you first absorbed MetalGarurumon's Fractal Code to replenish your stamina during the battle with Chaosdramon. To fully utilize the data and make it your own you must assimilate it, make it a part of you. To take one's Fractal Code is to take everything that makes up a Digimon and to become one with it. You've had the extra power you needed all along, now use it."

MetalGarurumon slowly disappeared as his voice faded out. WarGreymon blinked a few times, but the android Digimon was gone. No, he was never there at all. That was MetalGarurumon's data speaking to him from within him, still separated from the data of WarGreymon, but inside him all the same, waiting to be put to proper use.

Grunting, WarGreymon forced himself to his feet. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, searching deep within himself. It wasn't long before he found it, MetalGarurumon's data, mixed in with his own, but still separated, standing out very clearly from WarGreymon's. Now that he searched for it, he realized that it had indeed been there ever since he had absorbed it; he just hadn't realized it until he had started looking for it.

What more, now that he thought about it, he almost felt that when the Garuru Trio had presented them with their Fractal Code, he had more or less singled out MetalGarurumon's Fractal Code, almost as if he had been naturally drawn to it. And now, here he was, ready to put it to proper use, the way it was meant to be used.

"This data is a part of me now," he said to himself quietly. "It and I… are one."

His body suddenly became black as night, reduced to a mere silhouette as his own Fractal Code emerged from his body. MetalGarurumon's Fractal Code emerged with it, the two strands flowing around him like snakes. Then they connected, becoming a single band, and his code was rewritten, becoming more than what it once was.

The Fractal Code was pulled back into his body, and the blackness faded. A bright golden light erupted from his body, and WarGreymon's eyes snapped open as power surged through him. He crouched down, and then launched himself into the air, speeding through the blowing sand and clouds above.

"WarGreymon Digivolve to…"

Up above, the battle raged on. The Machine Mercenaries continued to gain the upper hand on the DigiDestined with their superior skills. But the fight soon came to a sudden stop as the clouds beneath them exploded, and the glowing figure that was once WarGreymon flew into the air.

"Omnimon!"

All eyes fixated on the new Digimon. No longer a dragon, a powerful knight Digimon now hovered in the air. He was white with blue stripes across his torso, and a long white cape with a red inside hung from his shoulders, blowing in the breeze. There was still a trace of WarGreymon in him, as his right hand seemed to be the head of the dragon Digimon. Likewise, his left hand seemed to be the head of MetalGarurumon, the eyes of both heads missing.

The DigiDestined stared in wonder at the new Digimon. They had no clue as to who he was, but they did recognize the fact that his right hand was the head of WarGreymon. Ophanimon stared at it for a moment before looking at the knight Digimon as a whole. "WarGreymon?"

His gaze shifted to her. "I am no longer WarGreymon. Now I am-"

"Omnimon," OmniShoutmon awed. "But how? The only way WarGreymon could have become Omnimon is if he DNA Digivolved with…?" His eyes widened. "MetalGarurumon. It was his Fractal Code that you absorbed, wasn't it? A Fractal Code can be used as a substitute for a Digimon. That's how you became Omnimon, isn't it?"

"Yes," the knight Digimon replied. He flicked his right hand outward, and a grand sword slid down from his WarGreymon-head hand. He repeated the motion with the other one, and the MetalGarurumon mouth of his left hand opened, allowing a large cannon to pop out. "Now, lets take care of things here."

The Machine Mercenaries came together. Fujinmon pointed his blade at Omnimon. "You think that just because you have obtained this form that you can defeat us? I will admit that you have gained quite the power boost. You've gone from the weakest member of your party to being on par with your friend Gallantmon there." He glanced at the other knight Digimon before looking back at Omnimon. "But at the end of the day, you're still a mere human."

Omnimon didn't seem bothered by this claim. "You're right. I am human. But we humans tend to make the most of what we have. Supreme Cannon!"

He raised his MetalGarurumon cannon and fired an explosive ball of ice. Fujinmon slashed at it, and it exploded against his blade. Raijinmon retaliated with his Electro Ball, firing four balls of electricity from his cannons. Omnimon was ready for it, and raised his WarGreymon-head hand. "Transcended Sword!"

He lashed out at the electric balls with all his strength, knocking them back. They slammed into Raijinmon, but Suijinmon knocked away the ones that came at him with his Accel Arms. Omnimon followed up with his Omni Blast, unleashing an explosion of electricity at the machine Digimon. At this point, Fujinmon had recovered and was now flying towards Omnimon, blades ready.

"Sword of Ruin!" the knight Digimon cried, slicing his sword through the air. It resulted in an explosion filling the sky, cutting off Fujinmon, and the machine Digimon pulled back. Omnimon used the opportunity to fly towards his friends as the blazing sky acted as both a barrier and as cover. "Follow me! Stay close!"

The DigiDestined were caught off guard by his sudden command, but quickly followed after the knight Digimon. He flew them into the clouds and sped away. It was hard to see in the cloud covering, but they stayed close enough so they wouldn't lose each other as they put distance between themselves and the Machine Mercenaries.

"Stay in the clouds," Omnimon told them. "Use them as cover."

"Wait," Imperialdramon exclaimed, "we're running away? Why?"

"Davis, just shut up and do as I tell you!"

They flew in silence after that. It was nearly 20 minutes later before Omnimon finally went in for a landing, and they ended up back in the sandstorm. Omnimon walked over to the canyon wall and used his sword to slice into it. After a few minutes, he carved out a small opening, just big enough for them to fit inside in their human forms.

"Get inside," he told them, his tone leaving no room for argument.

One by one, they returned to their human forms and entered the small opening. OmniShoutmon was the last to enter, pulling the carved out entrance into place to hide the opening before DeDigivolving.

Tai examined the small crack that allowed them light and nodded in approval. "We'll stay here until the storm dies down. No way will those guys be able to find us. They have no idea which direction we even went in, and we left no way for them to track us."

Davis stepped forward, outraged. "Why'd you have us retreat? You Digivolving could have given us the advantage we needed to win. We should have taken those guys out."

Tai glared at him. "Don't be stupid, Davis. Even if I did Digivolve, we wouldn't have been able to win. Those guys are too strong and too skilled for us to beat them right now. We had to take the chance to get away while we could."

Davis deflated a bit, but still looked irritated as he turned away. "I still saw we could have taken them."

TK sighed. "Our goal isn't to beat them; it's to defeat the Demon Lords. That's what we need to focus on, not risk our lives beating everyone that tries to pick a fight with us."

"And who knows," Kari added, "maybe they'll stop pursuing us once we beat Belphemon."

Takato thought back to their conversation with the Machine Mercenaries. "They said they wouldn't, even if we beat Belphemon."

"Don't be stupid," Takuya grumbled. "No one's going to do a job they're not going to get paid for. They were just trying to intimidate us by saying how they would never give up to make us feel like we had no escape."

Shoutmon crossed his arms. "I don't know. Money isn't everything. And knowing what I know about those three, it wouldn't surprise me if they did keep up the chase. Heck, with Belphemon gone, their allegiance may simply change to a different Demon Lord."

Tai glanced at the crack of an opening at the entrance to their hiding place. Outside, the sandstorm still raged on. "It doesn't matter right now. Lets focus on what we have to do and worry about the rest when we have to. Once the storm stops, we'll head for Belphemon's castle and hope for the best."

There was nothing else to be said. They were too tired to converse anyway. The battle with the Machine Mercenaries hadn't lasted long, but the three machine Digimon had certainly given them a workout. And they still had a long journey ahead of them; they knew they needed to rest while they could.

As the storm raged on outside, Kari slid closer to her brother so she could whisper to him. "Tai, if we can't even beat the Machine Mercenaries, what chance do we have against Belphemon?"

He said nothing. Mostly because he didn't have an answer. But that in and of itself was answer enough.

Notes:

(A/N: And one of my favorite Digimon has arrived. Come on, everyone loves Omnimon. What, did you think that our heroes were done Digivolving? Oh no, we've still got a ways to go. And they're going to need the extra if they're going to go up against the Demon Lords alone. Speaking of which, the final battle with Belphemon is approaching, so get hyped for that. Lets just hope that our heroes are up to it. They did kind of get their butts kicked by the Machine Mercenaries, who we will also be seeing again, so stay tuned for more.)

Omnimon's attacks:

Supreme Cannon – Shoots explosive balls of absolute-zero energy from his high-caliber Garuru Cannon.

Transcendent Sword – Slashes with his enchanted Grey Sword.

Double Shot – Shoots fire and ice from the WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon heads.

Ultimate Uppercut – Does an uppercut with the sword, then repeatedly shoots with cannon.

Sword of Ruin – Tears the air with sword to produce an explosion.

Dash Grey Sword – Dashes at opponent, then slashes with sword.

Omni Howling – Fires homing ice blasts that unleash powerful soundwaves that can shake the world.

Omni Blast – Unleashes explosive lightning from sword.

Omega Sword – A stronger version of Transcendent Sword.

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New Digimon that appear.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Omnimon

Chapter 111: Sleeper's Rage

Notes:

(A/N: It's here, the moment you've all been waiting for. I'm not going to spoil it, but you'll see what I mean pretty quickly. So read on.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 111: Sleeper's Rage

Belphemon had grown impatient. It had been weeks since he had sent the Machine Mercenaries after the humans, and yet he had heard absolutely nothing. True, he didn't have as good a concept of time in his current form, an ironic twist of fate considering he was always holding an alarm clock, but he was aware that more time had gone by than it should have. It should not have taken the Machine Mercenaries this long to hunt down the humans.

In his impatience, he had summoned AxeKnightmon, and had ordered him to find the Machine Mercenaries and have them report in. That alone took some time, even with AxeKnightmon's ability to travel through dimensions, but since the machine Digimon weren't exactly trying to stay hidden, he had found them after a few hours.

Fujinmon, Raijinmon, and Suijinmon had not given up the hunt, but after the DigiDestined had slipped away from them, they had not been able to pick up their trail, and had been forced to search all of Belphemon's domain, hoping to get lucky and spot their targets.

Instead, they came across AxeKnightmon, who quickly relayed the Demon Lord's orders to them. "The master demands that you give a report on your progress with the humans. This is taking longer than he likes."

There wasn't a word of complaint from the Machine Mercenaries as they simply stepped through the tear in dimensions that AxeKnightmon had created and found themselves before the Demon Lord. Belphemon was snoring lightly as the Machine Mercenaries got down on one knee before him. AxeKnightmon did the same and called out to the sleeping Demon Lord. "My lord, I have brought the Machine Mercenaries, as you've requested."

A sleepy grumble escaped Belphemon as he came out of the deeper layers of sleep. "Report…"

"Sir," Fujinmon replied, "we found the humans, as you ordered. They proved to be no match for us, but they ended up receiving protection from ElDradimon and all those within his city."

"We kept track of them," Suijinmon picked up, "and resumed our mission to destroy them once they no longer had protection. Unfortunately, one of them managed to Digivolve to Omnimon, and we lost them in a sandstorm."

"We now search for them," Raijinmon concluded. "We will not stop until we have found and crushed them. This we swear to you."

AxeKnightmon glanced at Belphemon nervously. He had little hope that the Demon Lord would find this information acceptable, and he was right. Belphemon's lower lip trembled with the suppressed rage he was unable to express in this form.

"Imbeciles!" Belphemon half roared, half yawned. The entire castle shook with his suppressed fury. It seemed to pass quickly, but AxeKnightmon knew better, and he felt a sliver of fear run through him as the Demon Lord rose into the air. "I'll do it."

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There had been some close calls in the days that had followed the battle with the Machine Mercenaries. The teens had spotted the machine Digimon flying about a few times as they searched for them, but they had always managed to stay out of sight.

The sandstorm had stopped a few hours after they had escaped the Machine Mercenaries, and they had resumed their journey towards Belphemon's castle. It seemed that all the land in this area was a series of canyons that almost seemed to act as a maze.

Shoutmon seemed to know where to go though, and eventually they came across Belphemon's castle. They could see it in the distance, an ancient castle with a long tower jutting out of the center of it. Shoutmon eyed it with great distaste. "The Tower of Sloth. That's where Belphemon stays."

Anxiety clawed at the teens' insides. They had known that this moment was coming, but that didn't make it any less nerve-wracking. The battle with Leviamon was still fresh in their minds, only this time they didn't have any allies to help them fight their enemy. Though none of them said it out loud, each of them wondered if they would actually be able to defeat the Demon Lord.

"And you're sure he should be the easiest to defeat?" Takato asked again.

Shoutmon had assured them that despite being somewhere in the middle power-wise amongst the other Demon Lords, Belphemon should be the easiest for them to take down. How that made sense, the teens weren't sure, but they trusted Shoutmon. There were many things about the Digital World that they didn't understand, and at this point, they just learned to roll with things.

"Yes, Takato," the dragon Digimon grumbled. "We stand the best chance of beating Belphemon. Granted, our chances will still be very slim, but if we can't beat him, we won't stand a chance against the others."

Takuya took a deep calming breath. "And we're on our own this time. We had a lot of help against Leviamon, but this time it's just the seven of us."

"Seven of us, seven Demon Lords," said TK. "It almost seems poetic."

"Would have been nice if we'd had help from everyone in ElDradimon's city," Davis commented.

Kari shook her head. "You can't really blame them. They were citizens. Everyone that fought with us against Leviamon was part of Neptunemon's army."

Davis had to admit that she had a point. "Yeah, but don't all Digimon fight?"

"Fighting against regular opponents is very different from fighting a Demon Lord," Shoutmon replied. "It's all out war, a literal one-man army. You can't expect Digimon that are just trying to go about their daily lives to face something like that."

"Which is why it's up to us," Tai replied determinedly. "We'll wait until dark, and then storm the castle. Hopefully the element of surprise will give us an advantage. Maybe we can even get Belphemon while he's asleep."

Shoutmon gave an ironic snort of laughter. "I don't think that will be a problem."

Kari suddenly thought of something. "Wait, what if we run into a Chaos General? We don't want to fight one of them as well as Belphemon."

Shoutmon just waved this off. "Don't worry, I doubt one will be here. Even though each Demon Lord has their own Chaos General, they don't exclusively obey only that Demon Lord, and will carry out the orders of the others. As we saw, ChaosGrimmon served Laylamon, and ChaosPiedmon served Barbamon, but they were both working together to get the Kogamon and Ninjamon scrolls; though for who, I still don't know. And then there's Chaosdramon, who serves Beelzemon, but he was leading the charge against ElDradimon, likely for the same Demon Lord. ChaosMetalSeadramon was likely at the Tower of Envy because Leviamon was away at the time. Since Belphemon is here, his Chaos General is probably out following orders or something."

That was a relief to hear. "But there will still probably be some guards," TK pointed out. "I know you said that the Demon Lords are so strong that they don't need any, but there will probably be at least a few-"

He was cut off as the roof of the Tower of Sloth blew open. Their attention snapped to the tower as a large figure emerged. It was too far away to accurately judge its size, but it was pretty big.

Shoutmon took a startled step back. "Belphemon? He's out? Why'd he come out?"

The teens stared in bewilderment as the Demon Lord floated away from his castle. Belphemon was most definitely not what they had expected. He was more cute than scary, like a chibi-goat stuffed animal clutching an alarm clock. His eyes were closed, or at least they appeared to be, but he seemed to have no trouble seeing where he was going. Overall, he didn't look that threatening.

Takuya gave Shoutmon a look of disbelief. "Wait, you're pulling our legs, right? You're telling us that's Belphemon?"

At the dragon Digimon's nod, Davis scowled at the Demon Lord. "You've got to be kidding me. He looks like a giant pushy. How is that a Demon Lord?"

Shoutmon glared at him. "Don't judge him by his looks. Belphemon is the most destructive of all the Demon Lords. Even when he's asleep, he's aware of what's going on around him and capable of attacking."

Kari blinked. "Wait, so he's actually asleep? Is that why his eyes are closed?"

"So he's like Abra and Snorlax," said Takato. He sweat-dropped at Shoutmon's confused look. "Um, don't mind me, I'm just talking Pokemon again."

"Come on, you guys!" Davis exclaimed enthusiastically. "Beating this guy should be a cinch. He looks more cuddly than dangerous, and he's asleep. No wonder this should be an easy battle."

Shoutmon began waving his arms. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, I never said this would be easy. I said he should be the easiest to defeat. But in all likelihood, we're going to get ourselves killed. And stop thinking he's not tough just because you think he looks cute. Remember MarineAngemon and how strong he was?"

In the distance, Belphemon opened his mouth and let out what sounded like a cross between a yawn and a roar. A powerful sound wave that was almost visible flowed outward, tearing the land apart. Rock was shredded apart as the sound wave rolled over it, reducing the area to a field of rubble.

Takato gulped nervously. "We see what you mean."

"He's called the Roar of Awakening for a reason," the dragon Digimon replied. "And if you think it's bad now, you really don't want to see what his roar is like when he's awake."

"Humans!" Belphemon thundered loudly in a sleepy monotone voice. "Come die!"

Takuya's eyes narrowed. "Cute and cuddle or not, he's still a Demon Lord, and we still need to stop him. So lets go. Execute! Spirit Evolution… AncientGreymon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Omnimon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Imperialdramon Fighter Mode!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Gallantmon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Seraphimon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Ophanimon!"

"Shoutmon Digivolve to… OmniShoutmon!"

"Alright, guys," said Omnimon, "lets do this. And keep in mind that he's a Demon Lord, no matter how much he looks like a stuffed animal."

They flew forward towards what could very well be their deaths. As they approached, they saw that Belphemon was about the size of Imperialdramon, though far less intimidating. All the same, they knew what kind of powerhouse they were dealing with, and even though it was a cheap shot, they unleashed their strongest attacks upon the Demon Lord.

The onslaught of attacks struck Belphemon from behind, the force of them knocking him to the ground. The Demon Lord ended up doing a face-plant in the shattered ground his roar had torn apart; a poetic sense of justice all things considered.

"Hey, you overgrown carnival prize," Imperialdramon called, "you looking for us?"

Belphemon slowly rose up from the ground and turned around to face them. His eyes cracked open slightly before slipping shut again, and a low growl escaped him. "Humans…"

"Yeah, sorry you won't get to see us in our more vulnerable forms," the dragon Digimon taunted. "Can't say the same for you, sleepy head."

"Imperialdramon," Omnimon grumbled, "how about we not mock the super powerful, evil Demon Lord that already wants to kill us."

Another more irritable growl escaped the Demon Lord. "Lampranthus!"

The chains around him were suddenly consumed with green fire, and those flames shot at the DigiDestined. They scattered across the sky, and Belphemon turned and fired more flames at those closest to him.

"Whoa, that was close," Gallantmon breathed as the end of his cape was singed.

"Watch out for those flames," OmniShoutmon told them. "They're evil."

Imperialdramon raised an eyebrow. "How can fire be evil?"

"Just shut up and watch out for them. And especially watch out for his-"

"Eternal Nightmare!" Belphemon cried, letting out a massive yawn that sent out a powerful sound wave.

"Yeah, that. Heavy Metal Vulcan!"

His flaming bolts met Belphemon's attack, but even the fiery barrier was unable to hold back the Demon Lord's sound wave. He fled, but Gallantmon held up his shield and used his Lightning Charge, a sphere of electricity appearing around him. The sound wave hit, dispersing his electric barrier, and Gallantmon went spinning backwards. He regained control of his momentum, and nearly dropped off to sleep. He shook his head, trying to clear it as the overwhelming need to go to sleep hit him. Only his sudden drop from the sky startled him awake.

"W-What happened? I suddenly feel like I haven't slept in a week."

"Whatever you do, don't fall asleep!" OmniShoutmon called to him. "His attack encourages you to fall into an eternal sleep that comes with a never-ending nightmare."

"I've got this guy's never-ending nightmare," Imperialdramon declared, flying straight down to Belphemon from up above. "Majestic Strike!"

He slammed into the top of the Demon Lord's head, knocking him down from the sky. Belphemon stopped his descent before he hit the ground and looked up at the dragon Digimon and snorted loudly. A sound wave flowed out, knocking Imperialdramon away as if he were hit by a physical force.

"Supreme Cannon!" Omnimon cried, firing a blast of explosive ice. It struck Belphemon in the side of the face, and he turned to the knight Digimon, unleashing his Lampranthus. Omnimon took off as a giant stream of green fire flew at him as if from a giant flamethrower. Belphemon shifted, following Omnimon as the knight Digimon fled. Ophanimn got into the attack's path and used her Unicorn Shield, deflecting the flames, but clearly struggling in the process, and she didn't appear to be able to keep it up for much longer.

"Hallowed Ascension!" Seraphimon cried, bringing lightning down on the Demon Lord. Belphemon ceased his attack, but as he turned to the angel Digimon, explosive fireballs from AncientGreymon's Omega Burst blew up in his face.

"Omni Core Fusion!" OmniShoutmon cried, hitting Belphemon with his strongest attack.

Omnimon used this opportunity to rush at the Demon Lord and attempt to slice him with his Transcendent Sword attack, but Belphemon let out another snore, the sound wave knocking Omnimon back.

"Don't try to get close to him," OmniShoutmon warned. "Belphemon's abilities make it almost impossible to get near him."

"Fair enough," said Gallantmon. "We can use long-range attacks. Shield of the Just!"

"Positron Laser!"

"Gaia Tornado!"

"Eden's Javelin!"

"Hallowed Ascension!"

"Victorize Banking!"

A continuous flow of attacks came at Belphemon. The Demon Lord let out a sleepy roar as several streams blasted against him. "Eternal Nightmare!"

His yawn's sound wave rushed outward, forcing the attacks away. OmniShoutmon called out a warning to the others moments before the sound wave hit them, knocking them all back. Gallantmon had been more prepared, having experienced the attack once already.

"Whoa," AncientGreymon grumbled sleepily. "You weren't kidding. I'm suddenly so tired I almost don't care if I die."

"I hear you," Seraphimon agreed, his vision going blurry for a moment. He looked at his hand and made a fist. A moment later, he drove it into his own face, affectively knocking the sleepiness out of him. "But I'm not ready to die yet."

"G-Guys," Imperialdramon muttered. "I think… I think I'm… Oh crap…"

He dropped from the sky, fast asleep. The others called out his name, but he did not wake up, not even when he hit the ground. A light chuckle escaped Belphemon at the loss of one of the DigiDestined's comrades.

"Imperialdramon," Omnimon whispered.

Gallantmon gave OmniShoutmon a worried look. "Does this mean he'll never wake up?"

"Not on his own," the dragon Digimon confirmed. "He needs to die, or get healed."

"We'll take option number two," said Seraphimon, dropping down to Imperialdramon's side. "Perfect Revival!"

His light flowed over the dragon Digimon, and Imperialdramon woke with a startled snort. "GET AWAY FROM ME!"

He lashed out at Seraphimon, but the angel Digimon grabbed his arm. "Hey, hey, it's ok. It's just me."

Imperialdramon blinked several times. He was hyperventilating, but he slowly calmed down. "I just had the worst nightmare ever."

Seraphimon looked back up at the battle. "We've got a real nightmare to deal with here."

Imperialdramon looked up as well, and a snarl escaped him. "Belphemon. Exploiting my one weakness, sleep." A cannon materialized in his hand. "Well, lets see how he likes this. Giga Crusher!"

He fired his strongest attack. The other DigiDestined saw it coming and put some distance between themselves and Belphemon. The attack erupted against him, consuming the Demon Lord, and Imperialdramon punched the air triumphantly. "Yeah! Lets see you come back from that unscathed."

The blast died down, and Belphemon looked down at him, mostly unscathed. His Lampranthus sent a stream of fire downward, and Imperialdramon and Seraphimon took off in different directions. Belphemon directed his attack at the one who had attacked him, and Omnimon used the chance to get in close while he was distracted, stabbing his sword directly into Belphemon's forehead. The Demon Lord let out a snore, and the force of the sound wave was so powerful that it tore Omnimon's blade free and sent him flying.

"This guy snores far too loudly," said Gallantmon. "Lightning Joust!"

"Sefirot Crystal!" Ophanimon chimed in.

"Twin Fireball Strike!" cried OmniShoutmon.

The attacks hit, but only succeeded in gaining the Demon Lord's attention. Belphemon turned to them and fired his Lampranthus. AncientGreymon flew into the attack's path and used his Omega Corona, using the explosion to shield his friends. He greatly underestimated the power of Belphemon's attack as the stream of fire burst through the blast and struck him, knocking him out of his own fiery blast.

"Strike of the Seven Stars!" Seraphimon cried, drawing Belphemon's attention with his attack. As the Demon Lord turned to him, Imperialdramon used the distraction to fire his Ionic Blaster.

The attack hit, but only seemed to serve to aggravate Belphemon further as he unleashed his Eternal Nightmare. The DigiDestined were better prepared this time, but the affects were still powerful.

"I am going to take such a long nap after this battle," Omnimon mumbled.

"Guys," AncientGreymon slurred as he nodded off. "Everything is going dark."

Ophanimon quickly flew over to him and slapped him hard across the face. "Sorry."

He shook his head to clear it. "No, that actually helped." He looked at OmniShoutmon. "This guy isn't proving to be any easier to beat than Leviamon."

"We have to play off his weaknesses," his fellow dragon Digimon replied. "Even though he's self-aware, he's still asleep, so his movements are sluggish, his reflexes and reaction time are slow, and his mobility is limited."

"Then lets take advantage of that," said Seraphimon. "Spread out, surround him, then we'll let him have it."

"I'll provide the distraction," Omnimon stated. "Hey, stuffed animal, over here. Double Shot!"

A stream of fire flew from his WarGreymon-head hand while a stream of ice flew from his MetalGarurumon-head hand. Belphemon growled as the two streams struck him right between the eyes. He let out a snore that blasted Omnimon back, followed by a stream of fire from his Lampranthus. Omnimon had held up his arms to help withstand the sound wave, but now as the flames came at him, he attempted to cut through them with his Dash Grey Sword. His blade did indeed slice a path through the fire, but it left him badly burned, his cape completely incinerated from his back.

The others had successfully surrounded Belphemon during this time, and Imperialdramon aimed the cannon on his arm at him. "Lets limit your mobility further. Light Barrier!"

A barrier of energy surrounded Belphemon, and the Demon Lord grumbled sleepily. The others took this as their queue to attack, and unleashed a series of attacks on the Demon Lord.

"Keep it up," Gallantmon called as he fired a lightning ball from his lance with his Saber Shot. "We'll ware him down eventually."

Belphemon's aggravation was becoming apparent, even in his sleep. Suddenly breaking free of Imperialdramon's Light Barrier, he began rapidly spinning around. He snored loudly in the process, sending out numerous sound waves that knocked the DigiDestined from the sky.

Belphemon stopped spinning and looked down. He fired his Lampranthus upon the first Digimon in his line of vision. Seraphimon jumped up and sped off just before the flames hit him. He flew along the ground, the stream of fire right behind him, getting closer. Just before the flames hit him, Ophanimon tackled him out of the way, and the flames passed by, leaving the ground blackened and burned.

"Thanks for that," Seraphimon told her.

"Don't thank me just yet," she replied, as Belphemon's gaze was still on them.

"Eternal Nigh-"

Imperialdramon suddenly wrapped his arms and legs around the Demon Lord from behind. "I don't think so, you beanie baby reject. Lets cuddle a bit."

He squeezed with all his might as Omnimon, Gallantmon, AncientGreymon, and OmniShoutmon flew forward to attack. Belphemon let out a snore, knocking them away. Then he suddenly dropped from the sky, bringing Imperialdramon with him. They hit the ground, Imperialdramon sandwiched between the Demon Lord and the rocky surface, yet he refused to let go, even as Belphemon dragged them across the ground, scrapping up the dragon Digimon's back.

"Oh yeah, try this," said Imperialdramon as his emitter poked out of his chest and dug into Belphemon's back. "Yeah, you feel that? It doesn't mean I'm happy to see you. More like I'm glad to see you go. Ionic-"

"Lampranthus!"

Belphemon's chains ignited, and he fired his flames backwards, right into Imperialdramon. The dragon Digimon cried out as the flames consumed him, and he released Belphemon, who was launched into the air like a rocket from his own attack.

"Imperialdramon!" Seraphimon and Ophanimon shouted.

They flew over to the dragon Digimon, who was terribly burned and in horrible condition. The two angel Digimon had to work together to revive him, and even then he wasn't completely healed.

"This is the second time we had to revive you," Seraphimon scolded. "We can't keep wasting energy this way. You're being too reckless. Despite his cuteness, don't forget who we're fighting."

Imperialdramon groaned as he got to his feet. "Trust me, I'm fully aware."

They flew up into the sky, rejoining their friends. Belphemon hovered in the air before them, a low growl emitting from his throat.

"Our attacks are barely doing anything," said Gallantmon. "At this rate, we'll be dead before we even make a dent."

"We need to hit him with a really powerful attack," Ophanimon told them. "Something that'll damage even him."

A grin crept up AncientGreymon's face. "I got just the thing. If I can get close enough, I can unleash the full power of my Omega Corona, just like I did with against Reapermon."

"Sounds like a plan," said OmniShoutmon. "That'll hurt even him. But getting close enough will be the hard part."

"Leave that to me," said Omnimon. "I'll provide the cover. Seraphimon, Ophanimon, you provide the distraction. Imperialdramon, restrain him like you did before. Everyone else, try and hold back any attacks he might use."

There was a chorus of agreements. Imperialdramon used his Light Barrier, binding the Demon Lord. Belphemon unleashed his Lampranthus, and Gallantmon and OmniShoutmon countered with their Shield of the Just and Omni Core Fusion. Their attacks met Belphemon's, resulting in an explosion. Seraphimon rained down lightning with his Hallowed Ascension, and Ophanimon blasted her Sefirot Crystal into his face.

"Now!" Omnimon shouted. "Sword of Ruin!"

He slashed his sword through the air, resulting in an explosion that obscured them from Belphemon's view. Six of them immediately took off, flying as fast as they could away from the Demon Lord while AncientGreymon flew forward, flying through the blaze and latching onto Belphemon. "Eat this, you plush toy. Omega Corona!"

He unleashed the full power of his attack, the blast consuming Belphemon and spreading across the land for miles. The other DigiDestined continued to flee as the blast raced to catch up to them. It got a little too close before the radius stopped expanding.

When they realized they were out of danger, they stopped and slowly headed back the way they came as the blast died down. AncientGreymon was hovering in the air, but Belphemon was on the ground. His body was smoking, and he had several scorch marks over him.

"Nice one," said Imperialdramon. "Not even a Demon Lord is walking away from that."

Still smoking, Belphemon rose up into the air. Despite being asleep, he did not look happy.

"Well, technically he's not walking," Gallantmon noted.

Belphemon was growling, and then he was roaring so loudly that the ground began shaking. The DigiDestined covered their ears as the land trembled under the Demon Lord's cry.

"He's pissed," Omnimon stated when the roar ceased. "I guess that's because we hurt him."

"All things considered, I think this battle is going well," said OmniShoutmon. "For a fight against a Demon Lord that is."

Something in the distance caught Gallantmon's gaze, and concern gripped him. "Hold up, guys, it looks like this battle is about to get a lot tougher."

Approaching them was a flock of dragon Digimon. AncientGreymon eyed them with disdain. "Great, who are these guys now?"

"Megadramon and Gigadramon," OmniShoutmon growled. "All Ultimates, but they're not the real problem. Look."

Riding on top of one of the Gigadramon as none other than Boltboutamon. The demon Digimon wore an arrogant smirk as he approached. Omnimon's eyes narrowed in recognition. "Boltboutamon."

The demon Digimon grinned. "Human filth. How wonderful to see you again. And in a Digivolved form too. Splendid." His eyes widened with psychotic, sadistic glee. "That means you'll last even longer before you die."

"What are you doing here?" Seraphimon demanded.

Boltboutamon licked his lips hungrily. "I thought I'd provide my lord Belphemon here with a little assistance, but I can clearly see that I'm not wanted here. Ciao."

He disappeared through one of his portals, leaving behind the swarm of dragon Digimon. Bewildered, the DigiDestined stared at the demon Digimon's sudden departure. "What is up with that guy?" Gallantmon wondered out loud.

"Don't know," said AncientGreymon, "but now we've got all these guys to deal with on top of Belphemon."

They were now staring down what must have been a hundred enemies. The dragon Digimon hovered in front of the Demon Lord, each one looking more lethal than the last, and ready to fight.

"This isn't good," said OmniShoutmon. "They may only be Ultimates, but we can't be worrying about them while we fight Belphemon. Any distractions can prove to be fatal. This fight just became a lot more difficult."

"We can take them," Imperialdramon insisted. "One, or two of us if need be, can deal with them while the rest of us fight Belphemon."

OmniShoutmon glared at him. "What battle have you been fighting? We need each and every one of us in order to win. Our chances of victory were very slim to begin with, we can't afford to lose even one of us."

The Megadramon and Gigadramon continued to fly in front of their master protectively. Belphemon's eyes cracked open a fraction before closing again. "Eternal Nightmare!"

He sent out a sound wave, despite the dragon Digimon in his path. The DigiDestined defended themselves the best they could from the attack, only slightly surprised that Belphemon had attacked through his own men to get to them.

But then something happened that turned their surprise into shock and horror. Belphemon unleashed his Lampranthus. Only he wasn't targeting the DigiDestined, but the Megadramon and Gigadramon in front of him. The dragon Digimon cried out and fled as he turned his attack on them, not letting any escape, and they burst into data as they were incinerated. And when the last of them was destroyed, Belphemon began absorbing their data.

"I don't believe it," Seraphimon whispered in horror, feeling sick at the sight before him. "He destroyed his own men that came to help him, just to get more power from their data."

"This guy is twisted with a capital T," AncientGreymon muttered.

But something different was happening. Belphemon wasn't pulling the data into his body like when a Digimon normally absorbed data. Rather, it was flowing to a single spot, flowing into the alarm clock he was holding. Though the ticking had always been heard, the hands had seemed to be frozen in place. But now they began to move. The seconds hand was rapidly circling around the twelve numbers, as was the minute hand at a slower pace, and the hours hand slower still.

OmniShoutmon's eyes widened in horror. "By the Sovereigns! We've got to stop him! Victorize Banking!"

He fired a V-shaped bolt. Belphemon let out a snore, and the sound wave stopped the attack and knocked OmniShoutmon back.

"Careful," Gallantmon told him. "Don't get reckless."

But the dragon Digimon was clearly panicking. "He won't let us get close! It's over! We're dead! No way are we going to survive what's coming!"

"OmniShoutmon, what's wrong?" Ophanimon asked worriedly.

OmniShoutmon seemed to be trying to take a moment to calm down, but was clearly unable to. "Remember what I said about Belphemon being the easiest of the Demon Lords to defeat? Well that's about to go out the window."

"Why?" Omnimon demanded as the dragon Digimon's own panic began to affect him. "What's going on?"

OmniShoutmon took a deep breath. "Listen up, right now Belphemon is in his Sleep Mode. He spends most of his time in it, slowly building up his power. But once every 1,000 years, he wakes up and assumes his true form and true power. When that happens, he becomes an incarnation of rage, and goes on a destructive rampage, killing and destroying everything he sees until his power runs out. Then he falls asleep again for another 1,000 years to replenish his energy, and the cycle starts all over again."

He pointed at the alarm clock Belphemon was clutching. "He last woke up 784 years ago. We should have centuries before he wakes up again, but he's using the data of those Digimon to speed up the process. He's about to wake up!"

The seconds, minutes, and hours hands all lined up on the twelve at the top, and the clock began ringing. The chains around Belphemon unlocked and began flailing about around him like snakes. Slowly, his eyes cracked open, at first just a bit, then more and more before suddenly snapping completely open. His lips began trembling, baring his fangs, before twisting into a vicious sneer, and a menacing snarl escaped him. Belphemon was slowly becoming less cute and more vicious looking.

Finally, a savage roar escaped the Demon Lord, and the light of Digivolution engulfed him "Belphemon Mode Change to… Belphemon Rage Mode!"

As Belphemon's true form was revealed, the DigiDestined felt fear coil in their guts. There was absolutely nothing cute or cuddly about the Demon Lord now. Looking nothing like a plushy, Belphemon resembled a cross between a demonic goat and a monstrous werewolf. Muscle ripped his body, and he had a pair of lethal looking claws. The chains he was once bound with now hung free, and the flames that had once coated them had gone from green to black.

"Whoa," Imperialdramon exclaimed. "Now that's more along the lines of what I expected a Demon Lord to look like."

"That's his Rage Mode," OmniShoutmon told them. "In this form, he's an unstoppable force of destruction. It's rumored that his strength is so immense that the Digital World's systems originally created his Sleep Mode in order to stop his destructive rampage." His eyes narrowed. "I'll bet this was Boltboutamon's plan all along. He didn't bring those Digimon here to help Belphemon fight us. He brought them here to sacrifice them so Belphemon could wake up."

The Demon Lord's red gaze fixated on the DigiDestined, and his muzzle pulled pack into a vicious snarl, exposing deadly sharp teeth. "Pathetic human filth," he growled in a much deeper and far more menacing voice, "you have challenged the power of the Demon Lord of Sloth. Now that I am awake, as my first act of destruction, I shall put a most unpleasant end to your sad, miserable lives."

Notes:

(A/N: Yeah, OmniShoutmon's not exaggerating, they're in some seriously deep sh*t now that Belphemon's awake. If you saw Digimon Savers then you should have an idea of what they're up against, but even that didn't fully do Belphemon justice. And what exactly is Boltboutamon playing at? You can tell he's up to something, but what? In any case, he just made the battle with Belphemon a lot more difficult, Stay tuned to see how it turns out.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear. Replace the DOT in the link(s) with actual periods.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Belphemon_Sleep_Mode

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Belphemon_Rage_Mode

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Megadramon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Gigadramon

Chapter 112: Burst of Anger

Notes:

(A/N: I had a reader ask if I could provide a power scaling of the DigiDestined. From strongest to weakest, and I use that term loosely, it would go Omnimon, Gallantmon, Seraphimon, Ophanimon, AncientGreymon, OmniShoutmon, Imperialdramon. Hope that puts things into perspective. Last time, we left our heroes pretty much screwed as Belphemon woke up. Time to see just how screwed they are.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 112: Burst of Anger

State of mind was said to make a difference in a fight. Going in with an already defeated attitude was said to lead to certain defeat. Yet it was hard to see any other possible outcome as the DigiDestined stared down Belphemon in all his horrible glory.

"This is all wrong," said OmniShoutmon. "This is completely wrong. This isn't going according to plan at all. We were supposed to fight Belphemon in his Sleep Mode, not at his full power."

"Plans change," Ophanimon told him. "We'll just have to make do with the situation as is."

"We're going to die."

"Like hell we are," Imperialdramon snapped. "I'll cut this guy down myself if I have to. Splendor Blade!"

A blade of light appeared in his hand, and he flew towards the Demon Lord. OmniShoutmon reached out for him, but did not move from his spot. "No, wait!"

Imperialdramon ignored him as he flew towards the Demon Lord. Belphemon watched him come, and his sharp-toothed sneer shifted into a snarl. Breathing deeply, he roared. The air distorted as a transparent mass seemed to fly from the Demon Lord's mouth, and Imperialdramon cried out as he was thrown backwards, his sword bursting into light particles.

AncientGreymon caught him, and Imperialdramon curled up into himself in pain, his eyes wide. "What was that?"

"Idiot!" OmniShoutmon scolded. "I told you he holds the title of Roar of Awakening." He looked back at the Demon Lord. "When he's awake, Belphemon's roar disintegrates everything in its path. Any Ultimate level Digimon and below will instantly and automatically be destroyed by it, and not even a Mega Digimon will walk away unharmed."

Belphemon's gaze fell upon OmniShoutmon. "Well, if it isn't the Digimon King. I didn't realize it was you in my Sleep Mode. You're certainly not a wise ruler if you're foolish enough to challenge me."

OmniShoutmon winced. "It wasn't supposed to be like this."

"Stop it!" Omnimon snapped. "What is wrong with you? You weren't like this when we fought Leviamon."

"Back then we had others willing to fight with us, and I had time to mentally prepare myself for what was to come. I was ready to fight Belphemon Sleep Mode, but not Belphemon Rage Mode."

"Enough of your yammering!" Belphemon snarled. "Just die already. Deadly Roar!"

He fired a green and black beam from his mouth. Gallantmon countered with his Shield of the Just, and the two beams met. Belphemon'a attack slowed down for a fraction of a second before it began pushing Gallantmon's attack back as if it weren't even there.

Grasping Gallantmon's cape, OmniShoutmon pulled him out of the attack's path, the others having already fled. "Stupid, you don't challenge a Demon Lord's attack with your own. You're going to get yourself killed."

"Sorry," the knight Digimon replied. "He's a lot stronger now."

"You have no idea."

"Brace yourselves, human scum," Belphemon snarled. "Your time has come. Lampranthus!"

The black flames flew at them in streams. They didn't need to touch them to know that they were far deadlier than in his Sleep Mode. They swerved around the flames that came much faster and in greater numbers, seemingly making it impossible to even get close to the Demon Lord.

"Supreme Cannon!" Omnimon cried, shooting a blast of explosive ice at the stream of fire coming at him. The attacks exploded upon contact, and Omnimon used the cover to fly towards Belphemon. "Dashing Grey Sword!"

He swiped at the Demon Lord. Belphemon's hand shot out and grasped the blade, stopping his attack. Omnimon had been prepared for this and used his Omni Blast, unleashing an explosion of lightning from his sword. Belphemon snarled and threw the knight Digimon down, and was immediately hit by Seraphimon, Ophanimon, and AncientGreymon's Strike of the Seven Stars, Sefirot Crystal, and Omega Burst. OmniShoutmon came at him with his Doom Drillpress, but Belphemon threw a punch, seemingly unaffected by the series of attacks, knocking him away. His chains suddenly sprang to life and flew at the DigiDestined. Imperialdramon sidestepped the chains that came at him and used his Splendor Blade. He brought it down on the flaming chains, but his sword simply burst into light particles.

"What the?" the dragon Digimon exclaimed, a moment before a chain suddenly slammed into him.

The other chains were going after the other DigiDestined as if they were alive. Ophanimon held up her shield as a chain came at her. It struck hard enough to knock her shield away, and another chain wrapped around her javelin, yanking it out of her hands. She reached for it, but immediately had to pull back to avoid another chain.

Gallantmon was using his own shield to defend himself against two chains that came at him. The first one knocked him to the ground, and this was followed up by both chains repeatedly slamming down on him, the ground caving in beneath him with each blow.

AncientGreymon had the misfortune of being too big to successfully dodge the chains that came at him, and so he had to resort to using his Omega Burst to knock them away. He was struck a few times, emitting pained groans from each impact before one wrapped around his leg and slammed him to the ground.

Omnimon and OmniShoutmon were flying about, dodging the chains. The dragon Digimon tried to create a barrier with his Heavy Metal Vulcan, but the chains went around it, and he was nearly struck, but Omnimon moved in its path and swiped his sword at it. The chain coiled around the blade, and he was yanked away and slammed into a rock wall. OmniShoutmon called out to him before he was struck from behind.

Seraphimon was flying about, using his Hallowed Knuckle to knock away what he couldn't avoid. He realized that they needed a new tactic, or else Belphemon was going to kill them without raising a finger. "Hallowed Ascension!"

Lightning came down, striking both Belphemon and the chains. The Demon Lord snarled, but the attack seemed to stop the chains' movements.

"Good job," Imperialdramon cried. "Now it's my turn. Dragon Kick!"

He flew up to Belphemon and did a kick, bringing his foot down on the Demon Lord's head. Belphemon's head snapped down from the blow, but otherwise, he did not react.

"Ha, how'd you like that?" Imperialdramon asked.

Belphemon's head slowly rose, and he growled at the dragon Digimon. He slowly lifted his arms and flicked his fingers. His claws grew to an enormous size, almost like knives, and they burst into green flames.

"Gift of Darkness!" he cried, and slashed at Imperialdramon. The dragon Digimon cried out as burning gashes appeared across his torso, and he began to fall from the sky. But Belphemon wasn't willing to stop there, and roared down at him, sending him crashing to the ground.

"Shining Laser!" Ophanimon cried, hitting the Demon Lord with a beam of light.

Belphemon turned to her and lashed out with the chain that was still clutching her javelin. She caught it, but had the wind knocked out of her in the process. Belphemon rushed towards her and slashed with his flaming claws. She blocked with her Unicorn Shield, but it was unable to hold back the full extent of his attack, his claws tearing through the metal. He followed up with another roar, blowing her away.

"Foolish girl," he snarled. "My claws are clad in the flames of Hell itself."

A blast of fire and ice from Omnimon's Double Shot hit him from behind, and he turned to find the knight Digimon and Seraphimon flying towards him. He roared in their direction, knocking them back, and then followed up with his Lampranthus. The stream of fire hit both Digimon so hard that they were pushed back and downward until they hit the ground, skidding across it.

"Gaia Tornado!" AncientGreymon cried from beneath the Demon Lord, and a massive tornado surrounded Belphemon.

"Lightning Joust!" cried Gallantmon, shooting lightning from his lance.

Belphemon growled as he turned to the knight Digimon, completely ignoring the tornado around him. "Let me show you a real electric attack. Lightning Horn!"

He flew out of the tornado with ease as electricity began dancing across his horns. Gallantmon raised his shield and used his Lightning Charge to cast a barrier around himself. Belphemon rammed through the barrier as if it weren't even there and his electrified horn collided with Gallantmon's shield. The knight Digimon cried out as electricity flowed over him and he hit the ground. Belphemon came down on top of him, and a pained grunt escaped Gallantmon.

"Your armor is useless," Belphemon growled. He reached out and lifted Gallantmon up by his cable. He swung him around by it, slamming him into the ground repeatedly.

"Doom Drillpress!"

The Demon Lord looked up to see OmniShoutmon about to bring his bladed leg down on him. Belphemon raised an arm as one of his chains coiled around it, and OmniShoutmon's blade clanged against it.

Belphemon lowered his arm and roared at the dragon Digimon. OmniShoutmon went spinning backwards, feeling as if he had been hit by a Trailmon, but managed to stop his momentum. "Omni Core Fusion!"

His aura took shape and flew at the Demon Lord. Belphemon dropped Gallantmon 's antenna and turned towards the aura. "Dark Horn!"

A dark aura of his own rose up and flew forward. It completely consumed OmniShoutmon's attack, causing it to disappear. The evil aura kept coming after that, and OmniShoutmon used his Flame Cannon against it, but Belphemon's attack went straight through it and struck the dragon Digimon.

More explosive fireballs from AncientGreymon's Omega Burst hit Belphemon. The Demon Lord immediately flew towards the dragon Digimon. This was exactly what AncientGreymon wanted as he unleashed his Omega Corona. As the explosion came at him, Belphemon grinned and put on a burst of speed, flying right into the blast. AncientGreymon's eyes widened in shock as Belphemon, laughing all the while, flew through the explosion and right up to him, delivering a punch that nearly dislocated the dragon Digimon's jaw, knocking him to the ground.

The blast died down, and Belphemon laughed as he looked down at AncientGreymon's still form on the ground. "Did you really think a puny little blast like that could stop him?"

A surprised pained groan escaped him as Omnimon flew into him from behind, stabbing his sword into the Demon Lord's back. Gallantmon and Ophanimon followed suit, stabbing their lance and javelin into Belphemon's back beside Omnimon's sword.

An angry snarl escaped Belphemon, and he unleashed his Lampranthus. The flames rushed outward, knocking the three DigiDestined off him, tearing their weapons free. Belphemon turned to them and unleashed his Dark Sigh, firing a beam from his mouth. Gallantmon held up his shield, and the beam struck, pushing him back and downward. The attack drilled through the ground, pushing Gallantmon along with it, crushing him between rock and Belphemon's attack.

"Heaven's Kick!" Seraphimon cried, flying up to Belphemon and delivering a kick to his head. Belphemon's head snapped to the side, and his red gaze shifted to the angel Digimon. He growled, and his hand suddenly shot up and grabbed Seraphimon, holding him close. He roared directly into the angel Digimon's face, causing his helmet to dent.

Imperialdramon came up behind him, pressing the cannon on his arm against Belphemon. "Let him go, or I'll blast you."

Belphemon stopped roaring and glanced over his shoulder, and, quick as lightning, whirled around and swiped with his Gift of Darkness. His flaming claws slashed across Imperialdramon's chest, causing the blast from his Positron Laser to go astray. Belphemon then shoved Seraphimon into Imperialdramon and unleashed his Gift of Darkness again, slashing about rapidly. Imperialdramon and Seraphimon cried out as the Demon Lord's claws shredded across their bodies, leaving nasty gashes across their bodies. Belphemon followed up with his Lampranthus, blasting them both away.

A blast from OmniShoutmon's Omni Core Fusion struck Belphemon from behind, and he turned as the dragon Digimon flew towards him, repeatedly throwing his Twin Fireball Strike. Belphemon lashed out with one of his chains, and it wrapped around OmniShoutmon's neck. The chain yanked him through the air, and he began slamming and dragging him across the ground, eventually smacking him into AncientGreymon.

"Eden's Needle!" Ophanimon cried, firing needles of light from her javelin. Belphemon released OmniShoutmon and turned to her, unleashing his Dark Horn. The aura flew at her, and she countered with her Shining Light. It did nothing to stop Belphemon's attack, and she was blasted out of the sky.

Omnimon used Belphemon's attack to his advantage, flying towards the Demon Lord just beneath his attack, using the length of Belphemon's dark aura to his advantage to get close. By the time the attack died down, he was right in front of the Demon Lord. "Omega Sword!"

His blade glowed with power as he stabbed forward with a more powerful version of his Transcendent Sword. Belphemon held up his arm, and Omnimon's sword stabbed into it, becoming embedded in solid muscle. Belphemon growled at him, and Omnimon realized he was in trouble. But he was not willing to back down, and instead held up his cannon and began repeatedly firing his Supreme Cannon into the Demon Lord's face.

Belphemon's other hand shot out, grabbing Omnimon tightly. The knight Digimon stopped attacking as he was crushed in the Demon Lord's grip. Belphemon's red gaze bore into his as a vicious snarl escaped him. "You miserable wretch. Gift of the Darkness!"

Keeping hold of the knight Digimon, Belphemon stabbed his flaming claws into Omnimon again and again. Agonized grunts escaped the knight Digimon with each jab, yet he was powerless to stop it. The blinding pain was the only thing keeping him from passing out.

"Stop it!" AncientGreymon cried, coming up behind Belphemon and biting into his shoulder. "Let him go!"

Belphemon released Omnimon, letting him fall to the ground, and whirled around to AncientGreymon, tearing free of the dragon Digimon's jaws, and began slashing away. OmniShoutmon flew forward and fired his Hard Rock Spirit directly against his head. Without missing a beat, Belphemon grabbed him, raised his fist, and drove it into the dragon Digimon's gut. OmniShoutmon sputtered from the blow, but Belphemon didn't give him a chance to recover before bringing the dragon Digimon down on his knee, and then blasting him away with a roar.

Turning back to AncientGreymon, he unleashed his Lampranthus, blasting him away, then sped over to Imperialdramon and Seraphimon, who were returning to the battle, and jabbed the dragon Digimon with his Lightning Horn before turning to Seraphimon, stabbing him with his Gift of Darkness, and then unleashing his Dark Sigh upon him, then turning back to Imperialdramon to fire his Lampranthus.

Without missing a beat, Belphemon's chains flew outward. Ophanimon, who had been flying towards him, was suddenly bound, as was Gallantmon, who had finally managed to dig his way out of the ground. The Demon Lord's chains burst into flames as they held the two of them, and Gallantmon and Ophanimon cried out as they were burned.

Omnimon lay on the ground, in too much pain to be coherent. He felt his hold on his Digimon form slipping away, and he let it happen, just to escape the pain. It most likely saved his life, as he didn't think he would have survived his injuries had he remained as Omnimon. Even in human form, the phantom pain was unbearable.

'What do you expect from the flames of Hell stabbing into you?' he couldn't help thinking. "It actually makes me feel sorry for the souls of the damned.'

All around him, the sound of the battle raged on incoherently to him. Things had gone so downhill so fast. They had seemed to be holding their own against Belphemon's Sleep Mode, but the moment he had reverted to his Rage Mode, all that had changed. And when he had gotten serious, he completely tore their group apart. It was no wonder Belphemon was forced to endure his Sleep Mode for 1,000 years at a time if this was what he was like when he was out of it.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he realized how foolish they had been for thinking they could defeat a Demon Lord on their own. OmniShoutmon had been right when he had said that they were dead; there was no defeating Belpehmon while he was like this.

Forcing his eyes open, he looked around. He saw that he wasn't the only one that had reverted back to human form. TK and Davis had as well, and it looked like AncientGreymon was close, his body pixelating. OmniShoutmon was in such bad shape that had he been human too, Tai figured that he would have reverted as well.

He didn't see Ophanimon or Gallantmon anywhere, but as he became more aware of his surroundings, his hearing began to return to normal. That was when he realized that the two in question were screaming, and he looked up to see them in Belphemon's coils, burning, unable to escape. The Demon Lord was deliberately keeping his flames low, drawing out their pain.

Panic set in as Tai realized that if either of them lost hold of their Digimon forms, Belphemon's flames would reduce them to ash in a matter of seconds. He forced aside the pain and tried to stand, but only ended up falling over.

"Help them," he pleaded to AncientGreymon and OmniShoutmon. "Please, help them."

Neither of them heard Tai's pleas, but it seemed that they had figured out the danger their friends were in on their own, and they attempted to get to the angel and knight Digimon. Belphemon didn't give them a chance as he sent his Lampranthus down at them, knocking both AncientGreymon and OmniShoutmon down. Neither of them got up, and AncientGreymon's body began pixelating once more as he nearly lost hold of his Digimon form.

"No…" Tai despaired, and began crawling forward. "It can't… end like this… We've come too far…"

He looked down at his Digivice, but the screen was black, devoid of power. He had a flashback to when he had become BlackWarGreymon, but didn't think he'd be able to summon up that type of transformation again. Nor was he willing to accept that darkness again.

But that experience had taught him something, that even though his Digivice was running on empty, there was still power within himself. Not the blinding hatred that had brought forth BlackWarGreymon, but a deep determination to keep fighting, and, most of all, to save his sister and his friends. If only he had the means to do so.

"Come on," he told his Digivice. "I need some help. You feed off my power, right? Well, take it. Whatever energy I have left, you can have it. Just let me keep fighting. Let me help my friends."

There was no reaction. He didn't know why he expected anything otherwise. Omnimon's consciousness was dormant in his Digivice, using him as a vessel. But without any power, it was just a useless piece of fancy technology.

"Please," he begged, feeling tears creeping up in his eyes. "My sister and friends are going to die if you don't help. We need you, Omnimon, please."

A tear fell, dropping onto the screen. Tai waited, hoping, desperate for any type of reaction. If this were a movie or an anime, this would have been the moment his Digivice activated, likely triggered by his tear. But there was nothing. The screen remained black, the device itself devoid of life and power.

Tai's desperation shifted to anger, and he began pounding his Digivice on the ground repeatedly. "Damn it! Why won't you work? My friends need your help! We're all going to die without you! I've got to save my friends! Even if I don't make it, I've got to at least save them!"

Nothing, there was no reaction. Tai shouted his frustration and threw his useless Digivice before dropping to the ground in despair. He didn't know who he was kidding. It was over, and he knew it. He had nothing left to give. His Digivice was out of power, and Belphemon was more than ready to continue. Even if he could become Omnimon again, he was no match for the Demon Lord.

"Screw it," he growled. "I'll do it myself."

He raised his head, forcing himself to get to his feet. Limping forward, he scooped up his Digivice as he made his way towards Belphemon. It didn't matter that he had no power, he wasn't just going to lay down and let death claim him. If death was certain ether way, then he was going to go down fighting, defiant to the end, unwilling to give up, despite the fact that he had no power.

"Hey, Belphemon!" he shouted.

The Demon Lord looked down at him and sneered. "Well, look at this. The little human is still standing."

Tai pointed at him. "Let my friends go. I'm your opponent."

Belphemon looked surprised, then amused. "What? You dare to challenge me as you are?" He tossed Gallantmon and Ophanimon aside. "You truly are a fool. You only invite death upon yourself."

Tai continued towards him. "I really don't care. I'm not going to just give up and die. I'll fight you with my bare hands if I have to."

Belphemon roared with laughter. "Ordinarily I would be angry with your defiance, but you're so pathetic and weak that I find your foolish determination to be quite amusing."

"Tai… don't…" Ophanimon muttered, trying to get up and failing.

Tai reluctantly ignored her, not taking his eyes off the Demon Lord. "I don't give a damn what you think. I don't even care of I die. I'm not going to give up. So come on, Belphemon. I'm ready for you. Fight me!"

His Digivice chimed to life, but it was different from before. The image of Agumon rather than Omnimon appeared on the screen before it began glowing red. The red light flowed out of his Digivice and traveled up Tai's arm, covering his whole body. Light engulfed him, but it was different from the light of Digivolution. It seemed thicker, more solid, almost as if it were more of a fluid rather than a light, and it erupted outward.

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Agumon Burst Mode!"

The cocoon of light burst open, and the Rookie level Agumon was there. But there was something different about him. He seemed larger, bulkier, more fierce. An angry red aura danced around his body as if he were on fire, the light almost appearing solid.

"Tai…" said TK. "He became Agumon."

OmniShoutmon's eyes were wide as he stared at the reptile Digimon. "Is that… Burst Mode? Can it be?"

Agumon jumped, soaring through the air as if he were flying. He spread his arms, and the aura around them flowed outward. Agumon flapped his arms, and the aura flapped as well, acting as wings, allowing him to fly towards Belphemon.

The Demon Lord snarled furiously at the approaching reptile Digimon, looking insulted. "What? You would dare to challenge me as a Rookie? You impudent fool. Be gone from my sight."

He inhaled deeply and roared. The sound wave hit Agumon. He visibly winced and struggled against it, but then he pushed through and continued towards Belphemon.

The Demon Lord's eyes widened in disbelief. "Impossible! You should be dead! My roar automatically destroys any Digimon beneath the Mega level!"

"Pepper Breath!" Agumon cried, spitting a fireball. The attack was small, but it struck Belphemon's right shoulder and erupted in a powerful blast far greater than it had any right to be. Belpehmon snarled furiously, but immediately took another blast to the face, followed by a third to his left hip, and a fourth to his chest, each attack just as strong as the first.

"I'm taking you down!" Agumon declared, and plowed into Belphemon's torso with so much force that the land shook, and the Demon Lord was taken off his feet.

The DigiDestined bounced as the ground jumped beneath them from the impact. They quickly returned their gazes to the battle, and gasped at what they saw. Agumon was now flying behind Belphemon, having plowed straight through him. The Demon Lord himself was slowly falling backwards, his torso practically nonexistent as a massively large hole replaced his entire midsection.

"Impossible…" Belphemon wheezed. "How could I, the Demon Lord of Sloth, lose to these humans…?"

They were his last words as the hole in his torso grew larger, spreading outward as he dissolved into data. Belphemon was gone, and what seemed to be a snowstorm of data swirled around, left behind from the Demon Lord's destruction.

The DigiDestined stared, still trying to wrap their minds around what had just happened. They had been on the verge of defeat, and, suddenly, out of nowhere, Tai had somehow completely turned the tables. They didn't know how or why, and were still trying to comprehend what their eyes were seeing.

OmniShoutmon struggled to get to his feet and held his hand out. "Is this for real?" The data began flowing into his palm, confirming what his eyes were telling him. "This is actually real. I'm not dreaming."

Beside him, AncientGreymon returned to his human form, looking exhausted. "I can hardly believe it myself." He waved up to the reptile Digimon. "Agumon!"

Flying around in the sky, Agumon flew down to his friends as they gathered together. Gallantmon and Ophanimon resumed human form as well, neither of them bearing any of the burns their Digimon forms had obtained. Agumon landed beside them and became Tai once more. The massive power he had felt a moment ago as Agumon had completely vanished, and his legs collapsed. OmniShoutmon's hand shot out to stop him from falling, and he gently laid the exhausted teen down.

"Tai," Kari exclaimed worriedly. "Are you ok?"

He was breathing heavily, but he managed to give her a tired smile. "I'm good, just wiped."

"No kidding!" Davis cried. "You just took out a Demon Lord. By yourself. A Demon Lord! And as a Rookie too. How'd you do that?"

Tai shook his head. "I have no idea. I just, I refused to give up, even if it meant I was going to die. I'd rather have died on my own two feet fighting rather than cowering on my belly like a worm. Somehow I… I don't know. My Digivice just activated, and I felt stronger than I ever had."

"Burst Mode," said OmniShoutmon. He DeDigivolved back to Shoutmon. "That was Burst Mode. I can't believe you managed to reach that state."

Takato gave him a confused look. "What's Burst Mode?"

Shoutmon crossed his arms. "An incredibly rare and incredibly powerful temporary Mode Change. It comes as a result of a perfect balance of the right emotional state, consisting of determination and righteous fury. Only five Digimon in history have ever managed to achieve Burst Mode." He nodded at Tai. "Six now."

"Wow, only six," TK marveled. "That's pretty amazing."

"But how was he suddenly able to defeat Belphemon?" Takato asked. "How'd he even survive his roar if he was only a Rookie?"

"Levels don't apply when a Digimon is in Burst Mode. It only lasts for a few minutes, but Burst Mode is so strong that its power exceeds even the Mega level."

Davis' eyes widened. "It's stronger than Mega? That's awesome! With that kind of power on our side, the Demon Lord's are toast."

Shoutmon regretfully shook his head. "I'm afraid that's not an option. Unlike other Mode Changes and Digivolutions, Burst Mode isn't a form where once achieved, you can access it at any time. It can only be reached when a Digimon reaches a certain emotional state; the same one Tai was in when he became Agumon Burst Mode. And even then, it's unreliable, only lasting for a few minutes. Again, that's if you manage to access it in the first place."

Tai reluctantly agreed. As powerful and as useful as Burst Mode had been, it wasn't something to rely on. "I don't even know how I did it in the first place. It was more of a feeling than a conscious decision. I doubt I'll be able to replicate that feeling again, not willingly anyway. Now that we know about Burst Mode and how it's obtained, I can't get in the same emotional state if I'm expecting to be saved by it."

Shoutmon nodded. "Hence why so few Digimon have achieved Burst Mode since you can't control your emotional state. It's either something you feel, or you don't."

Davis' shoulders sank. "Aww, bummer, man." He sighed. "Oh well, at least it came in handy this time."

Takuya's eyes narrowed. "This time. That's the problem. Belphemon nearly killed us. We got lucky with Burst Mode, and we had an army against Leviamon. Maybe we'll have a chance against Beelzemon and Laylamon since they're not as powerful as either of them, but if Barbamon, Daemon, and Lucemon are stronger…"

He didn't need to finish; his point was more than obvious. They didn't stand a chance to defeat the remaining Demon Lords. Luck had indeed been on their side the first two times, but their luck would not hold up indefinitely.

"It doesn't matter," said TK, "because we have no choice. Not only because it's our only way to get home, but also because the Demon Lords are after us now. All we can do is keep fighting."

Kari placed a hand over his. "We still have time. A lot can happen between now and our next battle. We may just find something else to give us an advantage."

An exhausted sigh escaped Tai. "I'm too tired to worry about the future right now. I'm just glad that we get a reprieve."

He regretted his words the moment they left his lips. He didn't necessarily believe in jinxing oneself, but that certainly seemed to be what had just happened.

The ground suddenly began shaking as thunder echoed across the sky. The teens looked up as a darkness fell across the sky. Ripples of distortion were appearing in the air as clouds manifested, blocking out the sun, and a loud dinosaur-like roar echoed across the land.

"Great, what how?" Takato cried.

"A new enemy?" Kari asked, praying she was wrong.

Tai forced himself to sit up. "I hope not, 'cause I've got nothing left."

The others checked their Digivices, each of them lamenting when they saw they had no power. Davis bit his lower lip nervously. "I'm empty."

"So am I," said TK.

"Same here," Takuya sighed.

Takato frowned at his Digivice. "I have a little left, but I doubt it will last long."

"I have a little left too," Kari admitted, "but I don't know if it'll even be enough to Spirit Evolve." She looked at their Digimon friend. "Shoutmon?"

He nodded. "I can always Digivolve, but I won't have the energy to fight for very long."

Davis swore as he looked up to the distorting sky. "So what do we do?"

No one said anything. There was nothing they could do. Nothing but sit and wait for whatever was coming to come."

Notes:

(A/N: Talk about a sudden turn of events. If anyone doubts that Burst Mode can take out a Demon Lord under the right circumstances, yes, it most certainly can. In Data Squad, Agumon Burst Mode took out King Drasil/Yggdrasil with a single blow, so, yeah. But as Shoutmon said, it's a very unreliable method to use, despite what Data Squad showed. Fortunately, it was enough to take out Belphemon. But what's this now? Is a new enemy appearing? Our heroes just can't catch a break, can they? There are now only five Demon Lords remaining. Be sure to stay tuned for more.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Agumon_(Burst_Mode)

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Belphemon_Rage_Mode

Chapter 113: Sovereigns and Demons

Notes:

(A/N: Yes! Finally! I've been wanting to get to this chapter for ages. At last we'll get to… Ah, I can't say it without providing spoilers. Talk to you at the end.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 113: Sovereigns and Demons

The distortion continued, resembling a heated road on a hot summer day. But now something was beginning to emerge from the distortion, something large, massively large. The clouds obscured most of it, but as it descended, the teens began to make out its shape. At first they thought it was ElDradimon, but it quickly became apparent that it was not the mutant Digimon they knew.

Shoutmon's mouth dropped open in stunned disbelief, and his eyes practically bugged out of his head. "B-But… th-th-th-that's…"

The giant Digimon finally settled on the ground. It wasn't as big as KingWhamon or ElDradimon, but it was close. The Digimon resembled a giant two-headed tortoise with a massively large tree on its back. Twelve yellowish orbs floated around the giant tree, and its body was surrounded by a bright neon green aura. It didn't look hostile, or even all that powerful if one didn't take its giant size into account, but the teens had learned time and time again not to judge a Digimon based on its appearance, their battle with Belphemon's Sleep Mode being their most recent example.

"Well, would you look at that," said the left head, speaking with a thick accent that sounded like a cross between Scottish or British, "we're finally back."

"It's about time," the right head grumbled. "It was dull as dirt in that little pocket dimension."

Shoutmon suddenly ran forward and dropped down to one knee, lowering his head in a bow. "My lord."

Both heads of the tortoise Digimon looked down at him. "Shoutmon?" the left head asked. "Is that you?"

"It's certainly been a while," said the right head. "How've you been, little friend?"

Takato glanced at the dragon Digimon. "Um, Shoutmon, do you know this guy? Er, these guys?"

Shoutmon threw a glare back at the teens. "Show some respect! You're standing in the presence of a Digimon Sovereign."

The teens' heads snapped back up to the giant glowing Digimon. "A Digimon Sovereign?" they echoed.

"Yes!" Shoutmon snapped impatiently. "This is Ebonwumon, the Black Tortoise of the North."

The right head rolled his eyes. "Oh, please, lets not stand on ceremony. After being sealed away for nearly 10,000 years, the last thing we want to hear is someone kissing up to us. We'd prefer to have a friendly conversation."

The teens stared. The sudden appearance of the Digimon Sovereign was completely unexpected. As was Shoutmon's behavior in his presence. They had never seen the Digimon King behave so humbly before. But they supposed it shouldn't have been surprising. For Shoutmon, this must have been the equivalent to them standing in the presence of the emperor of Japan.

Davis cocked his head to the side. "So you're one of the Digimon Sovereigns?"

"That we are, sonny," said the left head. "We may have been out of the game for a while, but we've always been a Sovereign."

Shoutmon suddenly jumped up, grabbed Davis by his jacket, and yanked him to his knees. "I told you to show respect. Ebonwumon is wise and powerful. His strength is that of a god."

"Oh, please, you're making us blush," the right head replied bashfully.

"And besides," added the left, "we owe you humans a great debt for freeing us from our prison."

"Aye," agreed the right. "I guess the plan to quickly resurrect the Guardians paid off, even if things didn't go exactly the way we hoped."

"Exactly the way we hoped? There was only a 10,000 year delay."

"Well, it was an experiment. There were bound to be some drawbacks."

"I suppose. All that matters is that we're free, and we have these humans to thank for it."

It took a moment for Tai to find his voice. "But how? I thought we had to defeat all the Demon Lords in order to free you."

The two heads looked back at him. "Close, sonny," said the left. "You'll need to defeat all the Demon Lords to free all of us."

"But with each Demon Lord that falls, the seal to our prison weakens further. We tried to get through when Leviamon was defeated, but it wasn't enough."

"Aye, but when Belphemon kicked the bucket, we were able to break through."

"So you're the strongest of the Sovereigns then?" Takato asked. "You must be in order to break free while the others couldn't."

Both of Ebonwumon's heads burst out laughing. Takato suddenly felt fool, as if he didn't understand something that should have been obvious. He glanced at the others questioningly, but they seemed just as lost as him.

"Oh man, we haven't laughed like that in a long time," said the left head.

"Really, boy, you flatter us," said the right head. "Sadly, even though we're the eldest of the Sovereigns, we're also the weakest. The strongest of the Sovereigns actually makes our power look like nothing."

Takuya's eyes narrowed. "That doesn't make sense. How can the weakest of the Sovereigns break through the Demon Lords' seal, but not the strongest?"

The right head rolled his eyes. "It's really not that complicated. It's the way the seal works. Think of it like a cage meant to contain great sources of power. Defeating a Demon Lord removes one of the bars on the cage, allowing those with a smaller power to slip through, but the stronger ones remain trapped."

"Aye, if you want to free the rest of the Sovereigns, you'll have to defeat all the Demon Lords. The more of them you destroy, the more of us you'll free."

TK crossed his arms. "Well, when you put it that way, I guess it makes sense."

Kari raised her hand. "Mister Ebonwumon, I was just wondering, is it true that you and the other Sovereigns will be able to send us home?"

It was a very important question, one they had been dying to get an answer to ever since they spoke to Cherubimon. Now that one of the Sovereigns was standing before them, they could finally have their answer, and they waited with baited breath.

Both heads blinked and exchanged a look with each other before looking back at the teens. "I suppose you would want to know that," said the right head. "But to be perfectly honest, that's just not in our power."

"Our own personal power," the left head specified. "Perhaps one of the more powerful Sovereigns will be able to help you with that, but, sorry, we're just not capable of such a feat."

The teens' shoulders sank. It wasn't an exact answer, but it still gave them hope.

"Well," said Tai, "we were going to defeat the Demon Lords anyway. So nothing's really changed."

"What are you talking about?" Davis exclaimed. "Everything's changed. Now we've got Ebonwumon here to help us fight the Demon Lords. This is the lucky break we needed."

Both of Ebonwumon's heads sweat-dropped, and they looked uncomfortable. "Yeah… about that…" said the left head. "I'm afraid we're not going to be able to help you with that."

"What!?" the teens exclaimed.

"But you're a Digimon Sovereign!" Takato cried. "Shouldn't defeating the Demon Lords be a part of your job description?"

The right head raised an eyebrow. "That's quite the expectations you're putting on us, laddie. We have a lot of responsibilities. Do you honestly think we have time to go hunting down evil Digimon?"

"This is why we relied on the Guardians. We Sovereigns have far too many other duties to be able to go around fighting the bad guys."

The right head looked at the left. "Speaking of which, we've been out of commission for thousand of years. We've got a lot to catch up on."

"Right, we've really fallen behind. We better get to work."

The giant tortoise Digimon started to rise into the air and began flying away. The teens were taken aback by his sudden departure as he somehow flew higher into the sky, without any wings.

"Hey, wait!" Davis called. "Where are you going? You're really just going to leave us?"

"Sorry, sonny," one of the heads called down to them. "A Sovereign's job is never done."

"And we've got a lot of work to make up. Good luck to you, lass and laddies. We'll be rooting for you."

He disappeared into the clouds, and they faded away soon after. The teens were left in the destroyed ruins left behind from the battle, Belphemon's castle falling apart in the distance.

"Wow," said Kari, "so that was a Sovereign. I can see why the Digimon God chose him to be one."

Davis shrugged. "Eh, he wasn't all that impressive to me."

Shoutmon immediately began pummeling him with his fists. "How dare you say that about a Sovereign! I thought you'd be more respectful than that!"

TK smirked. "Speaking of respect, I've never seen you act so polite before, Shoutmon. You must really respect Ebonwumon a lot."

Shoutmon crossed his arms. "I respect the Sovereigns more than you could possibly imagine. And having even one of them back is of great benefit."

Davis pouted. "Still would have been nice if he had helped us fight the other Demon Lords."

"Like he said," Shoutmon replied, "the Sovereigns have a lot of other duties and responsibilities they need to do."

"And that's why they relied on the Guardians to fight the evil Digimon," Takato finished.

Shoutmon nodded. "Right. So it's up to us to defeat the remaining Demon Lords and free the rest of the Sovereigns. Good news is, with the more Demon Lords we beat, the more Sovereigns we'll free."

Kari smiled. "Then there's still hope. Even more hope than we thought. I thought we would have to defeat them all before any of the Sovereigns would get free."

"We just have to keep going," Tai agreed. "We'll go as far as we can, and we'll either come out on top, or we'll do as much good as we can. But no matter what, we'll keep fighting."

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The loud buzz grew in volume as the dirt cloud approached. It wasn't the dirt cloud that was the source of the sound, but what was stirring it up.

Had the teens been present, they would have recognized the unmistakable sound of a motorcycle. Its rider revved the engine, putting on a burst of speed as he approached the castle, a dark and dreary looking structure.

Pulling up to the entrance, the rider came to a stop and hopped off the bike. He marched towards the giant double doors, and a servant Digimon scrambled to open them for him as he approached, tripping over themself as they rushed to get out of his way. The rider paid them no mind. They were so far beneath him that they might as well not have been there at all.

He entered the castle, but rather than taking the stairs, he began jumping along, leaping from floor to floor until he reached his destination. He continued forward before coming to a pair of doors built for a Digimon his size.

There was a Digimon standing in front of the doors, presumably the doorman, and it tensed up upon seeing the rider. "L-L-Lord Beelzemon, sir!"

The Demon Lord's foot shot out, kicking the Digimon away. "Get out of my way, I'm running late."

He pushed the doors open and entered the giant room. Before him was a large table that stretched across the room. There were other larger entrances, meant for much larger Digimon like Leviamon and Belphemon, but neither of them were present.

Four others were sitting at the table, and their gazes shifted to him as he entered. Beelzemon headed over to them uncaringly as the figure at the head of the table gave him a look of disapproval. "You're late."

"Bite me," Beelzemon growled as he took a seat. "You called this meeting so suddenly, you can't expect me to just drop everything and come."

An amused chuckle escaped the only female in the room, and Beelzemon's eyes narrowed at her. She wasn't even sitting in her own seat, but rather on the lap of the head of the table. Draped across him was more like it. "We all managed to make it on time."

Beelzemon's three red eyes glared at her. "No one asked you, Laylamon. You were probably already here riding Lucemon anyway, you whore. All you had to do was get dressed."

Rather than being insulted, Laylamon just smiled as she licked her lips. "You say that like it's a bad thing."

An amused chuckle escaped her seat. "Now, now, Lady Laylamon. We're all friends here. Do try not to antagonize Lord Beelzemon too much."

Her smirk widened. "If you say so, Lord Lucemon."

An irritated growl escaped Beelzemon. He always found Laylamon to be infuriating. "Can we just get this meeting underway? I've got more important things to do than watch Laylamon act like a harlot." He glanced at the other two Demon Lords. "Or are we going to wait for everyone to get here?"

Lucemon leaned back in his seat, and Lyalmon adjusted to sit on him properly. "Unfortunately, it will only be the five of us."

Beelzemon crossed his arms. "Whatever. Lets just get this over with. Hurry up and tell us why we're here."

Lucemon's eyes narrowed slightly. "You know why we are here." He glanced at the other two Demon Lords sitting to his right. "DaemonBarbamon, I'm sure you felt it too."

"Of course," Barbamon agreed. "First Leviamon fell, and just recently Belphemon."

"And in his Rage Mode no less," Daemon added. "And now Ebonwumon has returned."

"It's all those humans' fault," Laylamon complained, her playfulness from earlier melting away to contempt. "They're becoming a problem. It was bad enough when they were taking out our men, but now they're actually defeating us."

Beelzemon smirked. "That's right. You even lost your Chaos General."

Laylamon glared at him. "So did you. As did Leviamon and Barbamon."

"A minor setback," Barbamon replied, "but nothing we cannot handle. We still dominate this world."

"All the same," said Daemon, "these humans are giving others hope. We may still be in control, but our forcing are suffering. Two Demon Lords defeated, four Chaos Generals down, and Ebonwumon free. These humans are causing us unnecessary problems."

"Agreed," Lucemon replied. "We've let these humans run amuck for too long. They must be dealt with, if for no other reason than for their rebelling against us."

Beelzemon scoffed as he leaned back and rested his feet up on the table. "These humans aren't even worth our time. You've heard the reports. It took an army to take down Leviamon, and even then they got extremely lucky. And with Belphemon, one of them achieved Burst Mode. No one could have seen that coming, and the odds of it happening again are astronomical. Even with the Guardians' power, these humans are no match for us."

Lucemon folded his hands together in thought. "Be that as it may, we cannot let this go. Even if they are no real threat to us, we must take action, or else there will be further rebellion. More and more Digimon will begin to think they can defy us without consequences."

Beelzemon shrugged. "So just kill them and get it over with."

Lucemon nodded. "That is an option, but I want to look into this further."

Behind his hood, Daemon raised an eyebrow. "Meaning?"

A chuckle escaped the head Demon Lord. "Come now, you can't tell me you're not curious. Six humans in the Digital World that are able to become Digimon. And not just Digimon, but the Guardians. And they're able to bring them to the highest of levels in no time. Are you not the least but interested in how this is possible?"

Laylamon looked up at him. "Was this not the Sovereigns' original plan before we sealed them away?"

"What does it matter?" Beelzemon growled impatiently. "Who cares if they're humans? Who cares what kind of special power they have? They're defying us. We should just crush them like we do with anyone who resists us."

Lucemon contemplated this for a while before speaking. "I think this case requires us to look into the matter personally. I want to know more about these humans."

Beelzemon groaned. "Oh brother. Didn't you get enough information on them from when Grimmon was spying in them?"

"I want to know more," Lucemon replied. "What these humans are doing goes beyond what we learned from Grimmon. Besides, if the Sovereigns brought these humans, perhaps they could bring others."

An amused chuckle escaped Daemon. "I think you may be overestimating them."

"There is nothing wrong with considering all variables," Barbamon commented. "It was already believed to be impossible for humans to come to the Digital World, but clearly that is not the case."

Lucemon nodded. "I pride myself on being in control of all aspects."

Smirking, Laylamon rested her head back on his shoulder and reached back to stroke his long blonde hair. "Well, you are the Demon Lord of Pride."

A scoff escaped Beelzemon. "Suck up."

"Jealous?"

"Hardly. And could you act like any less of a floozy?"

Laylamon looked amused. "I'm the Demon Lord of Lust for a reason."

Beelzemon snorted. "Trust me, we know. You show it every chance you get." An arrogant grin crept up his face. "Or maybe you're actually worried about these humans. Reports stated that they were heading for your castle next."

Laylamon's smile was still present on her face, but something had changed in her eyes, something sinister and inexplicably evil. "If those humans are foolish enough to challenge me, I'll be more than happy to oblige." A blush stained her cheeks as an excited look of erotic madness appeared on her face. "And after I've crushed them, I'll show them the glorious pleasure of the most vile forms of sadomasochism. They will beg for me to stop, and to continue, at the same time." She was practically salivating at the thought. "Oh, I can hardly wait."

Lucemon's smirk widened as he reached up with a gloved hand and cupped her face. "You're so eager to play. As much as I like that, it will have to wait. These humans could prove to be valuable. Their source of power could even be linked to our secret weapon."

"I still say we should just kill them and be done with it," Beelzemon grumbled.

Daemon chuckled. "Death is far too simple a punishment. I've always said that you can't just kill the opposition. You have to completely crush them, break their spirits so completely that no matter how many times they come back, they will never even consider going against you again."

Lucemon thought about to what he knew about humans. "That may not be necessary. Do not forget that, according to our sources, humans do not come back to life once they die."

Laylamon frowned. "Truly? How odd. And how boring. That means we'll only be able to be able to kill them once. What a shame. How could we possible choose which method to use when there are so many ways to kill someone?"

Barbamon glanced at the Demon Lord beside him. "I agree with Daemon. Even if these humans do not come back once they die, crushing their spirits would be an appropriate punishment for the humans for their defiance."

Lucemon was smiling broadly. "Yes, most appropriate indeed. I don't want them to simply suffer for their foolishness. I want them to know just how hopeless their cause was. I want them to leave this world regretting they ever even considered to oppose us."

Breathing heavily, Laylamon kissed Lucemon's neck. "I love it when you talk like that," she said against his skin.

Reaching up, Lucemon gently pushed her away. "There will be plenty of time for that later, my dear. For now, we must discuss how to handle the situation regarding these humans. I want more information on them."

A loud bang echoed through the room as Beelzemon pounded his fist on the table. "What is the point? We already know everything we need to know. Grimmon's reports stated that even these humans are in the dark about things. There's nothing more to learn from them since not even they know."

Barbamon grinned. "That's not necessarily true. The humans managed to meet Cherubimon since Grimmon gave his report. There's no telling what they learned from him, and from Ebonwumon after having met him. The humans may not be as in the dark about things now as they were before."

Beelzemon rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

Lucemon nodded. "It's decided then. We'll milk these humans for information, then we'll crush them like the insect they are." He closed his eyes in thought. "But how to proceed?"

As if having been waiting for this moment, a portal opened up, and another Digimon appeared. With an arrogant smirk, the newcomer bowed to the Demon Lords. "Masters, if I may have a moment of your time."

Beelzemon's claws dug into the tabletop as he struggled to suppress his outrage. "Boltboutamon, you dare to enter our meeting room?"

"You should be killed," Laylmon snarled, jumping off Lucemon's lap, for once in full agreement with Beelzemon. "In fact, I'll see to it myself. Darkness Love!"

She fired a dark heart. It struck Boltboutamon, and the demon Digimon burst into data. A chuckle was heard as a second Boltboutamon appeared where the first one had been, his head bowed so they could not see the amused smirk on his face. "Forgive me for my intrusion, my lords. I simply wished to speak to you on the matter of the humans."

Lucemon held up his hand to halt the seething Laylamon and Beelzemon. "Hold your fire. It's another one of his duplicates." He looked back at Boltboutamon. "What about the humans? If I'm not mistaken, you were there during the abduction ofAncientWisemon, and the humans' battle with Belphemon."

Boltboutamon lifted his head. "Briefly, my lord. I volunteered my assistance during the invasion of ElDradimon's city, and I provided Lord Belphemon with the means to reach his Rage Mode ahead of schedule. I only regret it was not enough for him to defeat the humans, but none of us could have foreseen one of them achieving Burst Mode."

"Why were you there?" Daemon asked suspiciously. "You were not given any orders to report to Belphemon's castle."

Boltboutamon lowered his head slightly. "No, I was not. But like you, I too have taken an interest in these humans, and so have been observing them from time to time to see what they were capable of. At the time, I took the liberty of offering Lord Belphemon assistance if he was willing to accept it."

"Get to the damn point," Beelzemon growled impatiently. "Why are you interrupting us?"

Boltboutamon seemed to take that as his permission to rise, and he stood up. "These humans are intriguing creatures. As you know from the reports, they have been able to bring their Digimon forms to the Mega level in but a fraction of the time it should taken. But I believe that they could take it even further. Already a few of they have surpassed the levels of the original Guardians."

"And?" Daemon pressed. "What is it you wish to say on the matter?"

Boltboutamon chuckled. "While it's true that these humans have a power that we Digimon lack, they are still in the dark about many things. In fact, it seems that they rely solely on Shoutmon for any and all information about the Digital World. I believe we can use this to our advantage."

Barbamon raised an eyebrow at this. "Really? How so?"

Grinning, Boltboutamon pointed to his eyes. "By using what they see against them. Based on my observations, these humans tend to judge others based on their appearances. They seem to decide whether someone is dangerous or not based on how they look. In fact, it seems they even thought Lord Belphemon would not be that much of a challenge simply because of what he looked like in his Sleep Mode. And, from my understanding, this has not been the first time. There have apparently been many instances where they've misjudged other Digimon simply based on their appearance. Time and time again this has happened, yet they continue to make the same mistake, even when Shoutmon tells them otherwise. Their perception of things is such a weakness that without their little friend there to inform them of the dangers at hand, one could very easily use their mistake in judgment to their advantage."

A smile crept up Lucemon's face as he caught on to Boltboutamon's meaning. "Ah, yes, I see what you're saying. We use their ignorance and impaired judgment against them. A clever ploy. I must commend you, Boltboutamon, this is a fine idea."

Boltboutamon bowed once more. "I'm happy to serve, my lords. And if any of you would care to destroy this duplicate of mine for interrupting you earlier, that would be fine with-"

Beelzemon didn't even wait for him to finish as he whipped out a handgun and shot the demon Digimon right between the eyes from across the room. Boltboutamon's copy exploded into data, a smile still plastered on his face.

"He's becoming a problem as well," Beelzemon grumbled as he holstered his gun. "Something needs to be done."

"It is of no concern right now," Lucemon replied. "As long as he continues to serve, let him do as he pleases; we'll deal with him accordingly when the time comes. For now, lets focus on the humans. I want all of us present when we crush them."

Laylamon finally sat in her own seat beside Beelzemon, opposite of Barbamon and Daemon. "Is that wise? We cannot afford to show any kind of weakness, or else others may begin to take a stand. Would it not give the Digital World the impression that we are worried about the humans if all five of us go to defeat them?"

Lucemon continued to smile. "Not at all, my dear. It's not everyday that humans come to the Digital World, let alone ones that have gotten lucky to defeat a Demon Lord twice. It's only natural that the rulers of this world would take an interest in this phenomenon." He held up his hand, creating a ball of light. "And once we find out all we need to know, we will crush them."

To emphasize his point, he crushed the ball of light in his hand. Daemon folded his own hands as he looked at the Demon Lord of Pride with interest. "I agree with your proposal. How do you suggest we go about it?"

A sadistic grin crept up Barbamon's face. "You could let me have time with them. As you all know, my methods of interrogation can be rather… persuasive."

Lucemon smirked. "As much as I admire your 'methods', I find information offered willingly to be far more accurate and beneficial. Besides, your ways might break them before we find out everything they know. Therefore, I say we go along with Boltboutamon's idea and use their ignorance against them. First we isolate them from Shoutmon, then we earn their trust, and have them spill all their secrets to us. I'll take care of that personally. As you know, I too can be very persuasive."

Beelzemon was drumming his fingers against the table impatiently. "Do I really have to be there for all this? Can't the four of you handle it? Hell, only one of us is necessary."

An amused chuckle escaped Lucemon. "My dear Beelzemon, it's not a matter of what is or isn't necessary. It's a matter of principle. These humans chose to challenge us. They need to understand what that truly means." His eyes hardened as they filled with a thirst for murder. "And that is exactly what they shall receive. Before this is over, these humans will know the full extent of the power of the Demon Lords."

 

Notes:

(A/N: All right, we're really getting into it now. So, far, the Demon Lords have pretty much been background characters up until our heroes met them, but from here on out, they'll be taking a more active role in the story. I can tell you now, things are going to get a lot worse for our heroes, so stay tuned for more.)

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New Digimon that appear. Replace the DOT in the link(s) with actual periods.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Ebonwumon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Beelzemon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Laylamon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Barbamon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Daemon_(Mantled)

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Lucemon_Chaos_Mode

Chapter 114: Let The Angel Guide You

Notes:

(A/N: Alrighty then. We've got two Demon Lords down and one of the Sovereigns has been freed, so the remaining Demon Lords have decided to do something about it. Now the Demon Lord arc is really going to get started. This chapter and the next have been buzzing around in my mind for a while now, so I'm glad to get to them. And while who someone is in this chapter may be very obvious to you, don't forget that our heroes are still very much in the dark about things.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 114: Let The Angel Guide You

It was strange how the defeat of Belphemon had changed things. Or maybe it was the return of Ebonwumon that had been the cause. Or maybe a combination of the two. Whatever the case, it was as if a shadow had been lifted from the land. There was a lightness and an air of peace wherever they went that had not been there before.

There was also no need to fight any Digimon they came across. The residential Digimon seemed to want to celebrate rather than fight. The fall of Belphemon had caused such a drastic change it was hard to believe. No longer was there a reason to fear the Demon Lord's wrath. Digimon could walk around freely without worrying about Belphemon's tyranny.

Even Digimon that had once served the Demon Lord rejoiced at his fall, having been obeying only out of fear. The few Digimon that had truly been loyal to him were no longer in power, and had fled to the other Demon Lords' domains. The teens wondered if that's what had become of the Machine Mercenaries since they had not seen them since their last encounter.

"There will be some unrest for awhile," Shoutmon had told the teens, "but it's a big step towards peace. Those that willingly followed Belphemon will get what's coming to them in due time. Without their big bad master to lord over the land, they'll have to answer for their crimes unless they can get protection from the other Demon Lords."

It was good to know how the simple act of taking out a Demon Lord could have such a positive affect on the world. It only made the teens all the more hopeful that they could bring peace to the Digital World once the remaining Demon Lords were vanquished.

"Do you think the ocean changed this much when Leviamon fell?" Kari asked.

Shoutmon nodded. "I'm sure it did, not that we can go down there to check."

"I'm sure Neptunemon and AncientMermaidmon are on top of things," said TK. He glanced at the dragon Digimon. "You know, once you're reinstated as the Digimon King, you're going to have a lot of cleaning up to do as well."

The dragon Digimon placed his hands on his hips. "I'm well aware of that. And I plan to do a much better job at being king this time around than I was last time. It should be much easier this time too since there won't be any Demon Lords around causing trouble and spreading their evil."

Tai thought back to the trouble they had faced fighting Belphemon. "We'll need a different tactic when fighting the others. We got lucky twice, but we can't rely on luck every time. We might be able to defeat Laylamon and Beelzemon, but we'll need something more for the others."

Davis glanced at Tai with interest. "Are you sure we can't repeat Burst Mode?"

An annoyed sigh escaped the older boy; they had gone through this several times. "For the last time, Davis, it's a combination of state of mind and the right emotions. Those aren't things you can trigger at will. If I could, trust me, I'd do it. We're going to have to rely on the powers that we know."

Davis pouted and looked away. "I'll bet I could do it."

He wasn't the only one who had been thinking about Burst Mode. They had all considered the possibilities, and wondered if they would be able to recreate the circumstances. Despite Shoutmon's claims of how unreliable Burst Mode was, it would still be nice to have it to fall back on should the situation call for it.

It was in this moment, when thinking about the way Tai had said he had felt when he reached Burst Mode that something familiar about the circumstances occurred to TK. "Hey, Tai, I just thought of something. About your Burst Mode."

A groan escaped Tai, and he rolled his eyes. "Not you too. Didn't we just go over this? I don't know how to-"

"No, no, not that," TK interrupted. "It's just… the way you said you were thinking and feeling at the time it happened. Doesn't the situation sound kind of familiar to what you said AncientWisemon told you?"

Tai stopped walking. He hadn't thought about it before, but now that TK had pointed it out, yes, it did sound a lot like the advice the mutant Digimon had given him. He hadn't noticed it at the time, but AncientWisemon's words had proved to be true, the very advice Tai had dismissed coming to pass.

A disbelieving chuckle escaped him at this revelation. "I'll be damned. You're right. But I wasn't even thinking about it at the time. It just happened the way he said it would."

"Maybe that's why AncientWisemon was so vague about it," Takato suggested. "If he told you that you would achieve Burst Mode when fighting Belphemon, then you would have been waiting for and expecting it to happen, and you never would have gotten in the right state of mind in order to achieve it. It's just like he said, knowing too much of the future can actually prevent it from happening. So he only told you what you needed to know at the time."

Davis blew a disbelieving raspberry. "Come on, you can't take that as proof for what he said. So Tai refused to give up even when all evidence pointed to us being done for, and he suddenly achieved Burst Mode because of it. That would have happened whether AncientWisemon told you anything or not."

"He still knew," said Kari. "He knew it would happen. Or it was the future he hoped would happen."

"Bah!" Davis snapped. "I still don't buy it. It would mean that the guy is also right about me betraying you guys. It's not going to happen."

"Maybe that's why he told you," Takato said thoughtfully, "so you will recognize the situation when it comes and make sure it doesn't happen."

"I'm in charge of my own destiny, pal! And I assure you, I'm not going to go bad on you."

"No one thinks you are, Davis," Tai assured him, "but we should still be on the lookout for the other things he told us, just in case."

Davis scowled. "Hmph. Whatever. Lets just get out of here; I'm sick of all this rocky terrain."

Shoutmon sighed. "It's all bare like this from Belphemon constantly destroying everything around here every time he wakes up."

"I don't care why, I just want to get back to some greenery. Or better yet, civilization. Now lets go."

He marched along ahead of the others. They began to follow him, but TK started lagging behind, seemingly deep in thought. Kari glanced back when she noticed that he was no longer with them. "TK, you ok?"

Tai looked back as well. "What's up?"

She shook her head. "I don't know."

She headed over to TK, and Tai called out to the others. "Hey, guys, hold up a second."

He followed his sister over to the blonde boy, who didn't appear to have heard Kari call to him. She reached out and shook his shoulder. "TK, you in there?"

He blinked, coming back to himself. "Huh? Oh, sorry. I was just thinking."

Tai crossed his arms. "What about?"

He hesitated for a moment before shaking his head. "Never mind. It's nothing."

Kari frowned. "It's not nothing. Something's bothering you. What is it?" When she didn't receive an answer, she took a guess. "It's about what AncientWisemon told you, isn't it?"

He looked at her in surprise, though he didn't know why. She always seemed to know what he was thinking. He had yet to tell them what was said between the mutant Digimon and himself. This latest revelation of how accurate AncientWisemon's predictions were did not bring him much comfort, as it made it seem all the more likely that he would not survive the journey.

Kari's frown deepened, and she reached out, cupping his cheeks in her hands. "Hey, you can tell us. You know we're here for you."

Under different circumstances, he may have blushed with the way she was cupping his cheeks, but his thoughts were far too morbid right now. He was tempted to tell her, to ease his worries, but he knew that doing so would only trouble his friends. Whether he survived or not, it would only burden them to know of his possible inevitable death.

Reaching up, he gently removed her hands. "Thank you, but I'm afraid it's not anything you guys can help with. It's something personal that I have to work through myself."

He hadn't let go of her hands, and Kari shifted them in his grip so she could give him a reassuring squeeze. "You don't have to carry your burden on your own. We're always here for you."

Tai nodded. "Yeah, whenever you want to talk, we'll listen."

He gave them an appreciative smile. "Thanks, guys. Really, that means a lot, but it's not something that-"

"Hey," Shoutmon interrupted as he walked over to them. "We're all waiting for you. Can't you be all lovey-dovey later?"

Tai raised an eyebrow. "Who's being lovey-dovey?"

TK and Kari quickly dropped their hands and looked away from each other, blushing. Shoutmon sighed and shook his head before motioning for them to come along. "They'll be time for whatever this is when we set up camp. I'd rather be in a less open area when we stop for the night. Preferably somewhere that's not completely bare so we can start a fire."

"We could just use one of those caves we saw for shelter," TK pointed out. "There were certainly a lot of them."

Shoutmon cut his eyes at him. "And run the risk of coming across the hiding place of one of Belphemon's loyalists? No, thank you. I'd rather be out of his domain entirely."

A short distance away, Takato waved to them. "Hey, what's the hold up?"

"We're coming!" Tai called back. He looked back at his sister and TK. "Shoutmon's right, it's best not to take any chances. Lets just get out of Belphemon's territory before-"

"Cross Strike!"

The attack came out of nowhere. Two bright purple beams flew down from the sky and struck the ground between the two groups. The ground crumbled and gave way, revealing an underground cavern. The teens cried out in surprise as they fell down into darkness, a shower of rocks dropping down with them.

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It was dark, so dark that Davis couldn't see. That's when he realized that his eyes were closed, and he slowly opened them. It didn't help much, as it was still very dark. Only a dim light in the darkness provided just enough illumination to see.

Groaning in pain, he sat up and looked around. A quick glance told him that he was underground. Where, he did not know, and he couldn't see more than a few feet in front of him.

"Hello?" he called into the darkness, his voice echoing off the rock wall.

"Welcome back."

He turned to see Takuya and Takato sitting against the rock wall. Both had their Digivices out and were using them to provide light. Davis took out his as well, increasing the illumination. "What happened?"

"Cave in," Takuya replied. "The ground collapsed beneath us. We're lucky we weren't crushed."

He nodded upward, and Davis looked at the ceiling. It was completely sealed off with rocks.

"Turns out we were walking over a series of tunnels," said Takato. "We dropped right into them when the ground collapsed."

Davis scowled. "Collapsed nothing. Someone shot at us. That's why the ground caved." He looked around. "Where's everyone else?"

Takato sighed sadly. "We got separated when everything came down. They're in another tunnel. We could talk to them through the rocks though."

Davis frowned. "Why didn't you just blast through?"

Takuya gave him an incredulous look. "And risk having the cave completely collapse on top of us? Are you crazy?"

Davis had to admit, now that he thought about it, it had been a stupid question. "Ok, fair point. But what are we going to do?"

Takuya raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? Now that you're up, we're going to find a way out of here. The others already went to find their own way. We're gonna meet up with them once we find out way out; we were just waiting for you to wake up."

Groaning, Davis lifted his sore body off the ground. "Well, I'm up now. When was the last time you spoke to the others?"

"Um…" Takato muttered in thought. "About 40 minutes ago."

Davis' back cracked as he stretched. "Then we better get a move on. I want to find whoever tried to kill us and kick their butts."

Holding up his Digivice for light, Takuya shined it on a tunnel. "Well, we've got two options. We can go forward, or back. I have no idea which way we were going before the cave in, so if we choose wrong, we could end up back-tracking."

Takato frowned. "Lets hope not. We'll end up getting completely separated from the others if we do."

Davis just waved this off. "Don't worry about it. Once we get out, I'll just Spirit Evolve and fly around until we spot them."

Both Takato and Takuya stared at him with hooded eyes. "There are so many things wrong with that idea," the latter muttered.

Takato sighed. "Lets just get out of here first, then figure out what to do."

Davis nodded. "Right. I say we go this way. Follow me."

He began marching down a tunnel, holding his Digivice out in front of him to light his way. Takuya raised an eyebrow at his choice. "Why that way?"

"Because, I have a great sense of direction."

The other two sweat-dropped. "Oh, brother."

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Unlike their friends, the others found they had different tunnels to choose from. They had no idea which way to go, but Shoutmon claimed he had a method. Using his mic, he would send out a sound wave, which, he claimed, would tell him which way they should go to get to the surface by the way it echoed down the different tunnels.

"It's like sonar," he assured them. "Trust me, I know what I'm doing."

The teens were very skeptical about this, but seeing as they had no idea which way to go, one guess was as good as another, so they opted to follow the dragon Digimon's advice. Shoutmon led the way, using his Fiery Fastball to provide them with light as they went down the different tunnels. Kari got the idea to mark their way so they would know if they ended up going in a circle. Which, as it turned out, was exactly what ended up happening.

"I'm telling you," she insisted, "this is where we started."

"That's a lie!" Shoutmon argued back. "I trust my ears. You're just getting impatient because we haven't gotten out yet."

She sighed. "Look." She pointed at the rock wall. "That's the mark I left. This is the room we first fell into."

Tai nodded. "She's right. I recognize it too."

TK shrugged. "Well, we might as well check on the others," he said, and walked over to the wall of fallen rocks that separated them from their friends."

Frowning, Shoutmon looked down at the mic he held. "I don't understand. I was listening for the difference in echoes."

"You're not a bat, Shoutmon," Tai told him. "It was a good strategy, but it didn't work."

TK came back over to them. "No one is answering. I think the others left to find their own way out. Now we've got some catching up to do."

Kari looked at the four different tunnels. "But which way? We could end up going in a circle again, or even head miles in the wrong direction, just to reach a dead end."

TK considered this for moment, then pounded his fist into his palm. "I've got it. I remember seeing something like this in a movie. Hey, Shoutmon, can you create a small flame?"

The dragon Digimon raised an eyebrow. "Sure."

He snapped his fingers, and a tiny flame appeared in his hand. TK nodded in approval. "Ok, now go hold it up to the different tunnels."

Shrugging, Shoutmon did as he was told. He held it up to the first tunnel, and nothing happened. But when he held it up to the second tunnel, the flame swayed slightly.

"That's the way," TK exclaimed. "Air from the outside blows through the tunnels, indicating it leads to the outside."

Kari clapped her hands together. "Oh, yes, I remember that now too! It was in a survival-training course."

Tai smiled. "Good call, TK. Now, lets get out of here. Maybe we'll even run into the others."

"Lets just hope we don't run into whoever attacked us," said TK. "Fighting in here could prove to be difficult."

Shoutmon frowned slightly as he thought about what TK had said. He hadn't seen their attacker, but there had been something familiar about the attack that had caused the cave in. He felt like he had seen it before, but couldn't remember.

"If only I'd been able to make out the attack's name," he muttered to himself.

"Hey, Shoutmon," Tai called from down the tunnel he, TK, and Kari had taken. "You get lost?"

Shoutmon shook his head. "No, I'm coming."

He hurried down the tunnel after them, still trying to remember where he had seen the attack before.

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Davis, Takato, and Takuya stared at the path ahead of them. There were different tunnels they could take, six of them. And any one of them could lead to the outside, or take them deeper into the cave. Which one they should take was anyone's guess.

"So…" Takato muttered, "what now?"

Takuya cut his eyes at Davis. "You and your sense of direction."

Davis just grinned and placed his hands on his hips. "Hey, don't worry. I've got a guaranteed surefire way to figure this out." He cleared his throat. "Eenie, meenie, minie, moe. Catch a tiger by the toe."

"Is he serious?" Takuya grumbled.

Takato sweat-dropped and let out a nervous chuckle. "Well, if one guess is as good as another, then does it really matter how we choose?"

Davis glared at them. "Hey, you're breaking my concentration." He turned back to the tunnels. "Now, where was I? Oh, yeah. My mother told me to pick the very best one, and you are… are, are it." He landed on the fifth tunnel from the right, and turned to give his friends a cocky smile. "And there we go. This one will lead us out."

Takuya crossed his arms. "You just wanted to take that one."

"My sense of direction is absolute."

Frustrated, Takuya got right up in his face. "Your sense of direction is about as bogus as your claim to being out leader."

Davis didn't back down as the two boys locked hands and began attempting to push the other back. "I didn't see you coming up with any ideas."

"That's because your head is so big that you just decide things on your own without consulting anyone."

Takato came over to them, waving his hands. "Hey, hey, now, guys, come on. I know we're all a little stressed, but we can't let that get to us."

Both boys glared at him. "Can it!"

Takato squeaked. "I'm sorry."

They turned back to each other. "I say we take one of the side tunnels. We might even run into the others that way."

"You're just going to get us more lost. I'm telling you, my sense of direction has never let me down."

"Uh, guys," Takato tried.

"And I'm telling you, your sense of direction has gotten us into more trouble than anything."

"Shows what you know. I'm the leader for a reason."

"Guys."

"You're not the leader. Quit deluding yourself. The only thing you lead to is trouble."

"Says the guy who's never taken a stab at the job."

"Guys."

"I'd sure do a better job at it than you. At least I won't constantly lead us into one problem after another."

"No, you'd lead us straight to our doom."

"GUYS!" Takato shouted, finally getting their attention.

"What!?" they snapped.

He pointed. "Look."

They looked down the tunnel he was pointing to. A light was coming from it. Actually, it was more of a dim glow, but it was getting brighter as it approached.

The source of the light turned out to be a Digimon. An angel Digimon from the looks of it. He resembled a human child wearing a toga, with blue tattoos covering the left side of his body. Ten angel wings grew from his body, two from his head, almost making them look like ears.

The newcomer blinked as he stared at the teens, looking surprised. "Oh, hello. I thought I heard something. Your voices echoed all the way down the tunnel."

Takuya and Davis broke apart, looking embarrassed. Takato looked embarrassed for them, and let out a nervous chuckle before raising his hand in greeting. "Um, hi. Sorry about that. We were just having a little dispute of which tunnel we should take."

The angel Digimon smiled and gave a nod of understanding. "These tunnels can be tricky if you don't know where to go." He cocked his head to the side and gave them a curious look. "If you don't mind me asking, what manner of creatures are you? I've never seen anyone like you before."

A tired sigh escaped Davis. "Here we go again. How many times have we explained our origins now?"

The angel Digimon's eyes widened. "Wait, are you the humans everyone has been talking about?"

Takato nodded bashfully. "Yeah, I'm Takato, and this is Davis and Takuya. And you are…?"

An amused chuckle escaped the angel Digimon. "Your rescue party from the looks of it. I'm guessing you fell down here when the ground collapsed."

Takuya crossed his arms. "It didn't just collapse. We were attacked. That's what caused the cave-in."

Understanding flashed across the angel Digimon's face. "Ah, that would explain it. You're not the only one who got caught up in that. The cave-in happened in some other areas too. Me and few other Digimon came looking for anyone that might need help." He motioned for them to follow him. "Come one, I'll show you the way out."

Davis beamed. "Hey, thanks. By the way, we got separated from a few of our friends when the cave-in happened."

The angel Digimon nodded. "Not to worry. I'll go look for them once I get you out of here. Maybe they'll already have found their own way out, or ran into one of my comrades."

"Hopefully," said Takuya. "And thanks for your help. We really appreciate it."

The angel Digimon just waved it off. "Think nothing of it. I'm happy to help." He began leading them through the cave. "So, tell me, how did you humans come to be in the Digital World?"

Davis groaned as they began, yet again, to tell their story.

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Shoutmon crossed his arms as they stood before two different tunnels. "So, which way now, genius?"

The flame trick had worked in choosing which direction to go thus far, but it was now indicating that both tunnels had a breeze. TK looked back and forth between the two tunnels curiously. "Hmm, well, I guess that means both tunnels lead to the surface, so we could take either one."

Kari finished making a scratch on the cave wall. "We can always backtrack if we need to; I've been marking the tunnels we've taken."

Tai shrugged. "Then lets just pick one and take our chances."

Shoutmon grinned suddenly. "I know! I'll use my ears like I did before."

Tai was tempted to point out that the last time they relied on that method, they had ended up going in a circle, but decided to let it go. "Sure, why not."

Smirking, Shoutmon produced his mic and shouted into it down the first tunnel. He paused as he listened to the echo before repeating the process with the other tunnel.

"This way!" he declared happily, and began marching down the left tunnel. The teens shrugged and began following, hoping luck had been on their side in their 50/50 choice.

That hope soon became doubt as, after a few minutes of walking, something began coming from the other direction. No, make that somethings. Two large Digimon that resembled moles with large drills for noses. They looked almost identical, except one had blue fur while the other had purple, and what appeared to be a curly black mustache.

"I think I found the source of the noise," said the blue one. "Looks like we've got trespassers."

"I hate trespassers," the purple one grumbled.

Tai was instantly on his guard. "Oh, great. Who are these guys now?"

"Drimogemon," said Shoutmon, looking at the blue one. His gaze shifted to the purple one. "And NiseDrimogemon."

"Are they friendly?" Kari asked hopefully.

"Not to uninvited guests," NiseDrimogemon snapped. "These are out tunnels. We don't appreciate people entering them without permission."

TK held up his hands. "It was unintentional, I assure you. We fell in when the ground collapsed. We're just trying to find out way out."

Drimogemon glared at him. "Then get out. And be quick about it."

Tai sweat-dropped. "That's easier said than done."

NiseDrimogemon rolled his eyes. "Oh, lets just kill them. That'll get them out."

TK's hand went to his Digivice. "Now hold on a second. We don't want to fight."

Shoutmon held up his hand. "Relax, I got this." He marched over to the two mole Digimon, not looking the least bit intimidated. "You may want to reconsider fighting us. I'm fully capable of Digivolving to Mega. And seeing as you're both Champions, I would advise against challenging me."

Drimogemon raised an eyebrow. "If you're a Mega, then why are you walking around in your Rookie form?"

Shoutmon shrugged. "Travelling convenience."

"He's lying," NiseDrimogemon accused. "He's just trying to make us back down."

"Yeah," Drimogemon growled in agreement. "You have to get up pretty early in the morning to trick us like that. I think we need to teach you a lesson."

The dragon Digimon shrugged. "Suit yourselves. Shoutmon Digivolve to…"

The two mole Digimon stumbled back as Shoutmon began to glow with the light of Digivolution. "Ok, ok, we believe you!" Drimogemon cried.

"Yes, just please don't hurt us!" NiseDrimogemon begged.

Shoutmon stopped Digivolving and gave them a look of disapproval. "You guys are just a couple of bullies and cowards."

The two mole Digimon looked ashamed. "You're right," NiseDrimogemon admitted sadly. "We just act tough."

"But if you lived under Belphemon's rule, you wouldn't be the bravest person around either."

"All we want is to be left alone."

And then, before their very eyes, the two mole Digimon began to cry. It was a rather pathetic sight, and the teens sweat-dropped.

"Will you relax," Tai grumbled. "We're not going to hurt you. And if you'd be so kind as to lead the way, we'll happily get out of your cave."

"Promise?" Drimogemon and NiseDrimogemon asked together.

Tai nodded impatiently. "Yeah, yeah, we promise."

"Also," Kari added, "we have a few friends that are lost in here as well. If you happen to run into them, we'd really appreciate it if you could show them the way out too."

NiseDrimogemon gave her a suspicious look. "They're not going to hurt us, are they?"

"Not as long as you don't go attacking them," TK assured them.

"Deal," the two mole Digimon said together. "Follow us."

They turned and began making their way back the way they came. TK smiled as he glanced at Shoutmon. "I guess you picked the right tunnel after all."

"Lets just get out of here," Tai sighed. "And be ready to fight in case whoever shot at us is waiting outside the cave."

Shoutmon's eyes narrowed in thought at that. "Yeah… just in case."

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The angel Digimon had taken quite an interest in the teens. He was very curious about them, of where they came from, of how they got to the Digital World, and how they managed to survive all this time.

He showed a particular great deal of interest in their Digivices and how they worked, particularly in how they allowed them to become Digimon, and how they could Digivolve so quickly. The teens answered to the best of their abilities, telling him everything they'd learned, but they were still in the dark about many things.

"I guess this explains what happened to the Guardians," the angel Digimon commented. "Everyone always wondered what happened to them after they died fighting ZeedMillenniummon. Most came to believe that after they hatched from their eggs, they went into hiding, too ashamed and afraid to show themselves since the Sovereigns were sealed away and the Demon Lords had completely taken over. Who would have thought that their disappearance would be due to a failed attempt by the Sovereigns to resurrect them."

Takuya nodded. "Ebonwumon didn't seem to know much about it though. Maybe not all the Sovereigns were in on it."

"Guess we'll have to ask the others when we see them," said Davis.

The angel Digimon gave him a curious look. "But didn't you say that the only way to free the Sovereigns is to destroy the Demon Lords?"

Davis puffed out his chest arrogantly. "Hey, don't worry, we've got this. We're getting stronger everyday. By the time we get to the next Demon Lord's castle, we'll be so strong they won't stand a chance."

The angel Digimon frowned worriedly. "That arrogance is going to get you killed. Do you not understand just how strong the Demon Lords are? You must have some idea since you fought two of them."

"Since we defeated two of them," Davis corrected. "If we did it twice, we can do it five more times."

The angel Digimon stared at him with hooded eyes. "Wow, you're really playing the odds, aren't you?"

Takato laughed nervously. "Yeah, we know, but we really have no other choice."

"Still," the angel Digimon crossed his arms in thought, "I find these Digivices of yours to be very interesting. The way they're able to channel your human power to let you not only become Digimon, but to reach their greatest potential, it's really quite amazing." He gave them an inquisitive look. "And you really know nothing about them?"

Takuya shook his head. "No more than what we've told you. Trust us, if we could figure out the way to use these to their fullest potential, we would have used them to our advantage long ago."

"Hmm…" the angel Digimon muttered curiously. "But even if you could, I doubt it'd be enough to defeat the Demon Lords."

"Yeah, that's what everyone keeps telling us," said Takato. "But we still somehow managed to pull it off. Twice."

The angel Digimon nodded in acknowledgment. "That you did. I still don't understand how, but you did. Maybe, just maybe, you can pull this off." He took a look around the cave. "I think we're almost out."

Davis beamed. "Really? Awesome!"

The angel Digimon nodded. "Yes, I'd say we should be out in another 20 minutes. Now, tell me how your friend Tai managed to become Omnimon."

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Shoutmon had been oddly quiet as they walked along. Several times he let out a thoughtful "Hmm," as if he were trying to remember something.

The teens had taken notice, but had left him to his thoughts for the most part, but eventually Tai's curiosity got the better of him. "Something on your mind, Shoutmon?"

The dragon Digimon blinked. "Huh? What?"

"You just seemed lost in thought for a while now. So what's up?"

Shoutmon crossed his arms thoughtfully. "I just can't stop thinking about that attack that caused us to fall down here. It just seemed so familiar. I know I've seen it before, but I just can't put my finger on it. Did any of you happen to hear its name?"

Tai shook his head. "I wasn't expecting it, so I wasn't paying attention."

"I'm pretty sure it was two words," said Kari.

TK nodded. "Yeah, it was two words. And I think the second word started with an S. I'm not sure about the first one though."

A growl escaped Shoutmon, and he began bopping himself on the head. "Ah! This is driving me crazy. There's something so familiar about that attack. And not in a good way."

"Don't worry," Tai told him. "It'll come back to you in the middle of the night. You'll be sleeping, and then, all of a sudden, you'll be like 'that's it'. It happens to me all the time."

An uneasy groan escaped the dragon Digimon. "Something's telling me it will be too late by then. I have a really bad feeling about this."

Drimogemon looked back at them. "If you guys are done blabbing, this here's your way out."

Three more tunnels lay before them. NiseDrimogemon motioned to the middle one. "This tunnel will lead you to the outside. Just keep following it, and you'll see the exit."

TK smiled. "Thanks a lot. You were really a big help. Hopefully our friends will be waiting for us. They did get a head start since we ended up going in a circle. Lets just hope they didn't get lost."

Kari chuckled. "If Davis was leading them, I'm sure they did."

"Oh, great," Drimogemon grumbled. "More intruders." He sighed. "Fine, fine. If we see them, we'll be sure to bring them to you."

"We appreciate it," said Kari as the two mole Digimon headed down a different tunnel. "They weren't too bad. We could have been lost down here for a long time."

"Well, we know the way out now," said Shoutmon. "So lets get out of here, quick."

He hurried down the tunnel, leaving the slightly surprised teens behind. They exchanged a look before going after him.

"Hey, Shoutmon, what's wrong?" Tai called after him.

"That attack," Shoutmon called back. "The answer is on the tip of my tongue, and I have a very bad feeling about it."

"What bad feeling?" Kari asked as they hurried along.

Shoutmon paused and looked back at them. "Don't you find this whole thing to be a little strange? Someone randomly attacks us out of the blue, but doesn't hit us when they easily could have. We all fall into a cave that gets sealed off when the ground collapsed, but none of us are crushed. It all seems too convenient. Almost like it was orchestrated. And that attack. It's so familiar. It's like… like…"

His eyes widened, and they were suddenly filled with fear. "Cross Strike. That's what the attack was called. Cross Strike." His terrified gazed looked up at the teens. "I know where I've seen that attack before."

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"Let there be light," said the angel Digimon as they emerged from the tunnel.

The teens cheered as they saw the exit to the cave some 50 feet ahead of them. Natural sunlight shined inside, and they made a run for it, bursting out of the cave and into the fresh air.

"Ah, thank goodness!" Takuya exclaimed. "I was beginning to get claustrophobic in there."

"So was I," Takato agreed. "Going into a cave willingly and getting trapped in one are two very different things entirely."

Davis was on his knees, kissing the ground. "If I never see another cave again, I can die happy."

Takuya raised an eyebrow. "You do realize that the ground you're kissing is the same ground as inside the cave."

A chuckle escaped the angel Digimon as he walked over to them. "You humans are amusing creatures." He looked around. "I'm afraid I don't see your friends anywhere though."

Takato frowned and looked back at the cave. "They must still be inside. Unless they came out a different exit."

The angel Digimon shook his head. "That's unlikely. If memory serves me right, there are only three exits for this cave, and they're miles apart. If they haven't come out here, then they're either going around in circles, or they're heading for one of the farther away exits."

Takuya scowled. "Oh, great. That's going to make it hard to get back together."

"We could each go to a different exit and wait there," Takato suggested. "If there are only three, one of us will be sure to meet up with them."

The angel Digimon nodded. "And I can go back inside and look for them in the meantime. I've got to look for anyone else that might be lost anyway."

Davis gave him an appreciative smile. "Hey, man, thanks a lot for your help. We'd still be walking around in circles if it wasn't for you."

Takuya cut his eyes at him, smirking. "So you admit that your sense of direction sucks?"

The angel Digimon chuckled. "It's no problem. I'm happy to help. As a matter of fact, I think I can help you out in another area too." His gaze drifted down to the Digivice attached to Davis belt. "I've been thinking about everything you've told me about your Digivices, and I think I might know a way to unlock their full potential."

Davis' eyes widened. "Whoa, really?"

The angel Digimon nodded. "Yes, I think so. Mind if I see it for a minute?"

"Sure thing. Here."

He took his Digivice and held it out. The angel Digimon slowly reached for it, almost as if he were being cautious. He was about to take it when-

"STOP!"

The four of them turned around to find Shoutmon standing at the mouth of the cave. He had his hands on his knees and was breathing heavily, as if he had been sprinting for some time. Behind him, Tai, Kari and TK came hurrying out of the cave as well.

Beaming, Takato waved to them. "Hey, guys, you made it. We were worried we wouldn't be able to meet up."

Tai, Kari, and TK were all breathing heavily as well, having struggled to catch up to Shoutmon. The dragon Digimon was taking deep breaths as he tried to find his voice, his eyes wide and terrified. "Davis, get away from him!"

Davis blinked and glanced at the angel Digimon. "Who? Him?" He gave Shoutmon a reassuring smile. "Hey, it's ok. This guy's our new friend. He helped us get out of the cave."

Shoutmon was incredulous. "Your new frie…" he sputtered, his voice bordering on hysterical. "You idiot! That's Lucemon!"

Notes:

(A/N: Dun, dun, dun. Talk about a twist. Well, ok, to us it was probably obvious from the beginning that the angel Digimon was Lucemon, but like I said, for our heroes, it was quite a shock. What are they going to do now that the leader of the Demon Lords is standing before them? I'm really excited for the next chapter, so stay tuned for it.)

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New Digimon that appear.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Drimogemon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/NiseDrimogemon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Lucemon

Chapter 115: Defeat

Notes:

(A/N: Last chapter ended on a major cliffhanger with our heroes meeting Lucemon himself. Are they ready to face the leader of the Demon Lords? As if they have a choice. Read on top find out what happens.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 115: Defeat

 

A few hours ago, the teens had felt the ground disappear beneath them as they fell into the cave. They were feeling a similar sensation now as they stared at the angel Digimon before them.

Davis slowly backed away, looking at the angel Digimon is disbelief. "It can't be… You can't be Lucemon, can you?"

The angel Digimon's head was bowed slightly, his eyes hidden by his light blonde bangs. Slowly, the frown on his face shifted into a smile, the eerily unsettling smile of an unfeeling sociopath, and a light chuckle escaped him.

"Well," he said in an amused tone, "so much for the sting operation. You humans really do judge others on their appearance too much." He slowly lifted his head. Any and all traces of friendliness had vanished from the angel Digimon's eyes, leaving them completely empty and emotionless. "Yes, it's true. I am Lucemon, leader of the Demon Lords."

Those that had been closer to the angel Digimon backed away until they had regrouped with the others. Shoutmon stood in front of the teens, glaring at Lucemon with the utmost hatred. Takato was struggling to find his voice as he tried to wrap his head around the fact that the innocent looking child-like angel standing in front of them was actually their greatest enemy. "But how? How can he be the leader of the Demon Lords?"

"Trust me," Shoutmon seethed, "that's him. I recognized his attack, having been on the receiving end of it thousands of years ago; it jut took me some time to remember it. He's at the Rookie level right now, but even so, he possesses power and intelligence that surpasses even those at the Ultimate level. He's essentially as strong as Seraphimon, Ophanimon, and Cherubimon combine. No, even stronger. Ten Megas can't stand up to him in this form."

An arrogant snicker escaped the angel Digimon. "You flatter me, Shoutmon. It's been such a long time since we last saw each other, but I'm pleased to see that you've learned some respect."

Shoutmon's face turned a darker shade of red. "I have more respect for my own feces than I do for you!"

To emphasize his point, he spat in Lucemon's direction. The angel Digimon just continued to look amused. "I guess you forgot what happened the last time we met. Guess I'll have to remind you."

"Not while we're standing here!" Tai snapped.

Takuya pointed an accusing finger at him. "You orchestrated this whole thing, didn't you? From trapping us into the cave, to leading us out. Why?"

Lucemon raised an eyebrow. "Why? Is it not obvious? I wanted to personally learn about you humans. And I certainly learned a great deal. You lot are a rather talkative bunch. Perhaps you should be a little more careful of who you spill all your secrets to. Oh well, live and learn." A wicked chuckle escaped him. "Well, not this time."

Davis was furious about the deception, but he forced himself to smile as he decided to look at the silver lining. "Well, we had to defeat him eventually. This will save us a trip to his castle."

"Then allow me to save you a trip to the others as well," Lucemon told them. "Grand Cross!"

He cupped his hands together, and clouds seemed to fill them. These clouds looked very much like the starry sky of night, and they contained the planets of the solar system. Quick as lightning, the planets aligned themselves into the shape of a cross, and flew out of the clouds in Lucemon's hand. They grew at a rapid rate, growing larger and larger as Lucemon launched them into the air before they finally exploded in the sky.

The teens watched the display, then looked back at Lucemon suspiciously. "What was that?" Tai demanded.

Lucemon chuckled. "A signal. I have a few friends I'd like you to meet."

Seconds later, a shadow was cast over them as something flew down from up above. It dropped down beside Lucemon and rose to its full height.

Before the teens stood a stunning young woman oozing with so much sex appeal she could easily be the cover girl of a dirty magazine. She looked as if she were dressed to win a contest for the best vampire costume. Yet despite her overwhelming attraction, there was something very off about her. An invisible aura of pure maliciousness surrounded her. Her slightly demonic features only enhanced the feeling of fear she installed in the teens.

"Laylamon," she purred, "the Demon Lord of Lust."

A hum was heard, growing louder and louder. It was followed by a dirt cloud in the distance that rapidly approached the teens. A biker on a motorcycle sped by, and the rider jumped off and landed beside Laylamon and Lucemon. They were humanoid in appearance, and were dressed very much like the stereotypical punk biker. But they were very clearly not human, with demonic features that not even the mask they wore could hide. Three red eyes filled with murderous intent stared at the teens, and clawed hands with metal gloves clenched and unclenched, as if eager to strangle someone.

"Beelzemon," he said, "the Demon Lord of Gluttony."

Beside the newly arrived Demon Lord, another suddenly appeared out of thin air, as if having teleported to the location. They resembled an old man with a long white beard that nearly touched the ground, and equally long hair that flowed down his back. He wore robes that suggested he was a grand wizard that practiced black magic, and a yellow mask that resembled the bird-like ones doctors wore long ago when treating people suffering from plagues. Clawed hands grasped a staff that looked capable of performing deadly magic.

The newcomer grinned, revealing sharp teeth that looked like they belonged to a great white shark. "Barbamon, the Demon Lord of Greed."

Next to him, a shadow appeared on the ground and began spreading. Something began to emerge from the shadow, rising up from the darkness. What appeared to be a wicked priest or a satanic cult leader now stood beside the others. Demonic bat wings spread out behind him, and lethal looking claws poked out of his sleeves. His face was hidden by a red hood that was similar to those of the Ku Klux Klan, with evil eyes peaking out of a small opening.

"Daemon, the Demon Lord of Wrath."

Lucemon smiled as he stood in the middle of the group. "And me, the leader and founder of the Demon Lords. Lucemon Mode Change to… Lucemon Chaos Mode!"

The light of Digivolution faded, and Lucemon now stood transformed. No longer resembling a kind child-like angel, he now appeared as a young man wearing aristocratic clothes. He still had his wings, but the ones on his left were now black bat wings while the ones on his right side remained the pure white wings of an angel, seemingly leaving Lucemon as the perfect blend of angel and demon.

An arrogant smirk spread across his face as his cold, cruel eyes stared at the teens. "Lucemon," he said, speaking in a harsher and more sinister voice, "the Demon Lord of Pride."

And there they were, the last five members of the Demon Lords, each one more menacing than the last. While they were definitely more human looking than Leviamon and Belphemon, and much smaller, each one ranging about 10 feet in height, they were equally, if not even more intimidating than the two the teens had already faced.

Tai gulped as he struggled to find his voice. "S-So, you're them. The ones causing all this trouble."

Laylamon raised an eyebrow. "Trouble? I believe you have that backwards. You are the ones causing all the trouble in our world."

"It's not your world!" Shoutmon snapped, putting up a brave front, even though his legs were visibly shaking. "You're just a bunch of bullies!"

Lucemon snickered, showing off vampire-like incisors. "I take back what I said about you having learned respect. You're going to need a long hard lesson."

Beelzemon rolled his eyes and raised his gun. "For the love of… lets just kill them already. I've got more important things to do than waste my time toying with a bunch of humans."

"Not so fast," said Barbamon. "Having humans in our world is a rare treat. We should have fun with them while we can."

"They need to learn their place," Daemon agreed. "I want them on their knees licking my feet as they beg for forgiveness."

Takuya glared at them. "Sickos. What is wrong with you all? How can you do such horrible things?"

Lucemon's eyebrows rose. "Why? It's certainly been a long time since anyone has asked us why. These days they just ask us for mercy."

"Something very we're not too fond of giving," Barbamon replied. "But if you really want to know why we're doing this, the answer is actually very simple." His grin widened. "It's because we can."

Lucemon laughed. "Oh, Barbamon, that's such an oversimplified explanation."

"Then what's your reasoning?" TK demanded.

Lucemon nonchalantly combed back his shoulder-length blonde hair. "Because it must be done. You have to understand that every single being in this world is precious to me."

"Bull!" Davis snapped. "That's the biggest lie I ever heard, and trust me, I've heard some pretty big ones."

"But it's true, little human. All I want is to create a utopia for all Digital life. What the beings of this world need is a true leader who will do what's best for them, even against their wishes if need be."

Tai gave him a dirty look. "And I'm guessing that leader is you."

Lucemon looked entirely too smug. "But of course. Unfortunately, these poor souls suffer from a little delusion called free will. Therefore, I must crush them, and their will. If they won't obey, then they will be made to obey, by any means necessary. It's the only way to achieve true peace."

Davis snorted. "Yeah, because everyone will be obeying you absolutely."

"It sounds like you don't want anyone to think for themselves," Kari accused.

Lucemon did not deny it. "We all have to make sacrifices. Eventually, you will come to see how the pros of my ideals outweigh the cons."

TK had no issue showing his disgust. "Even thieves have their reasons, as the saying goes. You can try to sugarcoat and justify what you're doing however you want, but when it comes down to it, you really just want to rule over everything and everyone. Anything you say to claim that it's for the greater good is just an excuse you tell yourself to justify your conscience so you don't feel any guilt. If you even have a conscience."

A sigh escaped Lucemon. "What a simpleminded individual you are. You're just like all the others that refuse to obey us. I suppose we'll just have to show you the error of your ways."

Laylamon's eyes shined with excitement. "Ooh, finally. I have been waiting for this."

Tai held up his Digivice. "Well, keep waiting, 'cause it's not happening. We're not going down here. Execute! Spirit Evolution… Omnimon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Imperialdramon Fighter Mode!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Gallantmon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… AncientGreymon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Seraphimon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Ophanimon!"

"Shoutmon Digivolve to… OmniShoutmon!"

An amused smile crept up Lucemon's face. "Ah, the Guardians. This really takes me back. And three of you are at an even higher level than the originals."

"Nervous?" Omnimon asked.

A chuckle escaped the lead Demon Lord. "Hardly. More like curious as to how you'll fair compared to the originals. I think I'll make the first move. Paradise Lost Punch!"

Quick as lightning, he flew towards the knight Digimon, and began throwing a continuous series of punches. His arm moved so fast that it almost appeared as if he had a dozen of them. The punches raised against Omnimon so fast that his body was a mere blur, vibrating from each impact, the blows happening so fast that he felt as if he were being hit all over his body at the same time.

All at once, the punches stopped, and Lucemon flipped backwards, doing a handstand, and kicking out. His foot slammed into Omnimon, sending him flying into the air. But Lucemon's attack wasn't done yet, and he sped up into the air after the knight Digimon. Catching up, he grabbed Omnimon's legs, hugging them to his body, and placed his feet in the knight Digimon's armpits. They suddenly dropped from the sky, speeding like a bullet to the ground. Omnimon hit head first, creating a large crater and cracking the ground apart. An eruption of dark energy flowed out, tearing the ground apart further.

The other DigiDestined stared, completely flabbergasted. The series of assaults had happened so fast and so unexpectedly that they could barely react. But Lucemon didn't give them a chance. Leaving Omnimon laying in the crater, he turned to the others. "Blistering Orb!"

What appeared to be a basketball sized miniature sun appeared in his hands, and he began throwing them at the DigiDestined. Both Seraphimon and Ophanimon were hit and blown away, but Gallantmon managed to raise his shield in time. It did nothing to help him, as he too was blasted back. OmniShoutmon countered with his Heavy Metal Vulcan, but Lucemon's attack exploded against it, and OmniShoutmon was caught in the blast.

Despite their larger sizes, both Imperialdramon and AncientGreymon managed to avoid the fiery balls thrown at them, the former taking to the air while the latter ducked down. Lucemon went after the dragon Digimon in the sky, and unleashed his Paradise Lost Punch on him. Imperialdramon's entire body vibrated in a blur as the punches rained against him before Lucemon's kick sent him flying even higher in the air. The Demon Lord appeared on top of him, settling on Imperialdramon's chest, and the two dropped from the sky, landing right on top of AncientGreymon with an explosion of dark energy thanks to Lucemon's calculated aim.

Humphing, Lucemon stepped out of the crater with a content smile on his face. "Well, that was anticlimactic. Seeing as you somehow managed to defeat both Leviamon and Belphemon, I expected a little bit more from you."

With great effort, Omnimon had managed to get to his feet. "We're not done yet." He raised his MetalGarurumon-head hand, his cannon at the ready. "Supreme Can-"

A hand seized his wrist and bent his arm back. Omnimon grunted in pain and turned to see Laylamon standing behind him. "Not so fast, big boy. Now it's my turn to play. Razor Nail!"

She slashed at him with her claws, wracking her nails down his back. Omnimon cried out in pain as his cape was shredded to ribbons, and deep gashes appeared on his back. He dropped to the ground as evil energy began causing the area where he had been scratched to corrode.

"Doom Drillpress!" OmniShoutmon cried, kicking his bladed foot at the Demon Lord. Laylamon easily dodged, and OmniShoutmon tried again. She continued to avoid his attack as she hummed happily, turning her dodging into a type of dance as OmniShoutmon proceeded to try and strike her.

Finally, Laylamon had had enough and caught his leg, holding it up in the air as he tried to bring it down on her. She gave him a flirtatious smile that was filled with malicious intent. "Evil Sigh!"

As the attack suggested, she let out a heavy sigh, and a powerful gust of wind escaped her lips. There was something evil in it, and OmniShoutmon cried out as he was blown away.

Ophanimon flew at Laylamon, stabbing forward with her javelin, but Laylamon bowed backwards, avoiding the attack, and Ophanimon's weapon passed right by her. Smirking at the angel Digimon, she used her Darkness Love attack, firing a dark heart at her. It struck Ophanimon from behind, and she hit the ground, skidding across it a great distance.

"You can't beat me, girl," Laylamon told her. "I'm your superior in every way."

"How about me?" Seraphimon exclaimed. "Hallowed Ascension!'

Lightning fell from the sky, targeting Laylamon. Looking amused, she began jumping about here and there, avoiding the lightning strikes. When the last one fell, she suddenly appeared in front of Seraphimon, giving him a coy smile. "Phantom Pain!"

With a flick of her hand, the symbol for death appeared in front of Seraphimon and flowed over him. He cried out as his body started glowing with negative energy, and his body began to rot, his armor rapidly rusting and deteriorating.

"Omega Burst!" AncientGreymon cried, spitting fireballs at her. It exploded against her back, and she turned to him, frowning in disapproval.

"How dare you! I'm a lady. Darkness Love!"

Her dark heart hit him head on. AncientGreymon cried out, and was immediately hit with another, and another, and then finally collapsed. She fired another, and Gallantmon flew into the attack's path to shield him, casting an electric barrier with his Lightning Charge. The dark heart burst straight through his barrier, and Gallantmon went flying, soaring right over AncientGreymon.

"Splendor Blade!" Imperialdramon cried, flying forward and swiping with his sword of light.

Laylamon turned to him and countered with her Razor Nail, bursting apart Imperialdramon's sword. She jumped up and repeated her attack, slashing the dragon Digimon across the face. He howled in pain and grasped his face. Before she even hit the ground, however, Laylamon kicked out, knocking the dragon Digimon away.

She landed gracefully and dusted herself off before adjusting her outfit. "That wretched AncientGreymon got my clothes all dirty. The nerve."

Ophanimon forced herself to get up. She saw that Omnimon, Seraphimon, and Imperialdramon were in bad shape, the dark energy eating away at them. She hurried over to her fellow angel Digimon and used her Final Aura. The rot within Seraphimon ceased, and his injuries healed as his armor repaired. A pained groan escaped him, and he looked up at her. "Thank you."

"No time for thanks," she replied. "Go heal Imperialdramon, quick. I've got Omnimon."

Both went their separate ways and healed their friends, stopping the erosion of their bodies, but still leaving them disorientated.

"This isn't going well," Imperialdramon muttered. "I already feel like I'm going to collapse."

Barbamon cocked his head to the side. "What? You're finished already? But we've only just gotten started."

Gallantmon glared at him. "Well, so are we. Shield of the Just!"

Barbamon chuckled as the beam came at him. He suddenly teleported out of the way and reappeared beside the knight Digimon. Gallantmon turned to him in surprise as Barbamon thrust his staff forward. "Dark Inferno!"

Dark fire flew from his staff, engulfing Gallantmon. The stream of fire pushed him back, slamming him against the rock wall of the cave, and he collapsed with a pained grunt, his armor blacked and burnt, his cape completely incinerated.

Barbamon chuckled, then turned to Seraphimon as the angel Digimon came at him with his Excalibur. Barbamon blocked with his staff, and Seraphimon swiped at him again. Barbamon continued to block and parry with his staff, laughing all the while.

"Your attacks are pathetic," the Demon Lord told him. "It's insulting to think that you managed to even survive an encounter with one of us, let alone managed to destroy two of us. Death Lore!"

His staff flashed brightly, shining an evil light on Seraphimon. The angel Digimon froze, and then began howling in agony. His body began to spaz around uncontrollably as he thrashed about wildly.

"Stop it!" Ophanimon shouted. "What are you doing to him? Eden's Javelin!"

She fired a beam at the Demon Lord. Barbamon ceased his attack on Seraphimon and leapt out of the way. Ophanimon rushed to her fellow angel Digimon's side as Seraphimon trembled on the ground. "What did you do to him?"

Barbamon chuckled. "Nothing much. I simply used my Death Lore attack on him. It traps my opponents in a living hell, eventually driving them into insanity and converting them to wickedness. It makes it very easy for me to control them once they're sufficiently broken. In fact, I believe you saw the results of prolonged exposure to my attack once before. A certain Bacchusmon, if you would recall."

OmniShoutmon's eyes widened. "That was because of you? What am I saying, of course it was you. I should have known. Only a beast like you would do something so horrible to such a pure and innocent soul."

"You're a monster," AncientGreymon snapped furiously.

Barbamon laughed. "A monster? No, I'm not a monster." His grin widened. "I'm a demon. Dark Inferno!"

"Omega Corona!" AncientGreymon countered. He didn't know why he bothered; he knew it would happen before it did. Barbamon's attack forced its way through the fiery blast, and struck AncientGreymon. Not even his resistance to fire was able to help him endure the attack as horrible burns appeared over his body.

His friends used the explosion to their advantage. Omnimon, Imperialdramon, and OmniShoutmon came flying over the blast and were coming down on Barbamon, ready to attack.

A sneer crept up the Demon Lord's face. "Pandemonium Lost!"

An explosion of evil fire straight out of the Dark Area erupted outward, incinerating everything. All three Digimon were blasted, and even the explosion from AncientGreymon's attack dispersed from Barbamon's attack.

Chuckling, Barbamon turned back to Ophanimon. Raising a clawed finger, he began nonchalantly picking at his shark-like teeth. "Well, my dear? Aren't you going to do anything?"

Behind her helmet, Ophanimon glared at the Demon Lord with hate-filled eyes. "You monster…"

"This again?" Her shook a finger at her. "Tut, tut, my dear. I already said I'm not a monster. I can understand the confusion though."

Ophanimon stood up, holding her javelin out. Seraphimon reached out, grasping her leg in warning. "Ophanimon…"

If she even heard him, she ignored him and flew at Barbamon. The Demon Lord just grinned and teleported out of the way as she stabbed forward. He reappeared behind her, but teleported away again when she turned to stab him. This time he reappeared higher up in the sky. Ophanimon fired her Eden's Javelin up at him, only to have him teleport once more.

He reappeared just above her and raised his staff. It began glowing with power as he brought it down on her. "Greedy Wand!"

"Unicorn Shield!" Ophanimon countered, raising her shield.

Barbamon's staff collided against her shield, the impact sending out a powerful shockwave that shook the land. Ophanimon cried out and grasped her arm. She knew right away that it was broken, but didn't have a chance to react before Barbamon spun around and delivered a kick, knocking her away.

Barbamon chuckled at his victory over the DigiDestined. "Well, I'm satisfied. Daemon, would you care to have a go?"

It was impossible to see Daemon's reaction behind his hood. "If there is anything left to enjoy."

AncientGreymon rose up on shaky legs. "I'm not sure how much longer I can go on. These guys are tough."

"Tough?" Gallantmon repeated, using his lance to help hold himself up. "They're so strong it's ridiculous. I don't know how we're going to get through this."

OmniShoutmon limped over. "We're not. There's no defeating them when they fight together like this. We're already dead, we're just still standing."

With pain still radiating through his body, Seraphimon forced himself to stand. "I'm not willing to accept defeat just yet. I've still got some fight in me. Hallowed Ascension!"

Lightning came down. Daemon suddenly flew forward as it struck all around him, heading straight for Seraphimon. "Double Dust!"

His fist glowed with dark magic, and he punched Seraphimon in the chest. His armor cracked as all the wind was knocked out of him, and he went flying backwards.

"Transcendent Sword!" Omnimon cried, appearing above Daemon and swiping at him.

Daemon whirled around and caught the blade with his bare hand. He glanced at his hand curiously, then looked up at the knight Digimon. "How about that, you cut my palm. You even drew some blood." His eyes narrowed. "Allow me to return the favor. Slash Nail!"

He slashed at the sword. Splinters of metal went flying as Omnimon's sword broke. He looked at it in disbelief, but was immediately struck by Daemon's Double Dust attack.

Without missing a beat, Daemon sped over to Gallantmon. The knight Digimon took a startled step back, and used his Lightning Charge, forming a barrier of electricity around himself. Daemon humphed and stabbed forward with his hand. The barrier held, but Daemon's hand slowly began forcing its way through, heedless of the electricity.

"Imperial Crusher!" Imperialdramon cried, slashing at the Demon Lord with his electrified claw.

Without even turning around, Daemon raised his other hand and fired his Evil Inferno attack. A stream of fire flew out of his palm and slammed into the dragon Digimon. Imperialdramon was pushed up and away, carried off by the stream of fire.

Daemon finally broke the rest of the way through Gallantmon's barrier and wrapped his hand around the knight Digimon's neck. Gallantmon gasped as his breathing supply was cut off. His shield and lance shifted into regular hands, and he grabbed at Daemon's hand, but couldn't pull it away.

"Holy Ring!" Ophanimon cried, healing her broken arm, then held her hands up to Daemon. "Shining Laser!"

"Victorize Banking!" cried OmniShoutmon, firing a V-shaped bolt.

The two attacks hit Demon from behind, but he merely grunted. He glanced at them, his eyes narrowing. "I'll deal with you in a minute. But first. Evil Flapping!"

A tornado of dark fire surrounded him. He held onto Gallantmon, who began wailing as the flames flowed over him. AncientGreymon fired his Omega Burst, but the blasts exploded upon making contact with the fiery tornado, never penetrating.

Lucemon smiled in amusement. "Now, Daemon, if you keep that up much longer, you're going to kill him, and Beelzemon hasn't had a chance to have any fun. We must not be greedy."

"Yeah," Barbamon snickered, "that's my job."

Daemon humphed and ceased his attack. "As if we're not holding back enough already." He let Gallantmon drop, then turned his attention to the remaining three. "And now for you. Hammer Knuckle!"

He flew over above AncientGreymon, balled his fists together, and brought them down on the dragon Digimon's head. The blow was so strong that AncientGreymon did a front-flip, ending up on his back. Next he turned to OmniShoutmon. The dragon Digimon fired his Omni Core Fusion, and Daemon countered with his Dark Inferno. The stream of fire struck the humanoid shaped aura, causing it to disperse, and kept going. OmniShoutmon was hit and pushed back until he hit the rock wall, and was left stuck against it, smoking.

"Eden's Javelin!" Ophanimon cried, firing a beam at the Demon Lord. Daemon simply raised a hand and held back the attack. When it stopped, the only damage was his slightly smoking palm.

"Dark Inferno!" Out of the same smoking palm, a stream of fire shot out. Ophanimon used her Unicorn Shield and began deflecting the flames. It became unbearable very quickly, and she was soon unable to hold the fire back and got caught up in the attack.

Daemon lowered his hand. "Pathetic. You humans should have recognized your place." He glanced up. "Looks like your friend is back."

Imperialdramon was falling out of the sky. When the ground got closer, he regained control of his momentum and managed a rough landing, his body badly burned.

Lucemon shrugged. "Well, it looks like this is your last chance. Lets see if you'll at least survive the final wave. Beelzemon, you're up."

The Demon Lord in question just grunted. "Whatever."

Seraphimon was standing on shaking legs, his hand over the crack in his armor. "Ophanimon, we've got to take care of our friends."

His fellow angel Digimon was using her javelin to help get to her feet. "Yes, lets do it fast. Final Aura!"

"Perfect Revival!"

Their healing power allowed their friends to recover from their injuries. Omnimon was grateful, but gave them a worried look, knowing they had just sacrificed their power for them. "Thanks, guys, but what about you?"

"We're taking care of that right now," Seraphimon replied. "Final Heal!"

"Holy Ring!"

Beelzemon humphed, looking bored. "Wasting energy you can't spare to heal yourselves and your friends. A desperate act if I ever saw one." He took out his guns, twirling them around. "We've wasted enough time here. Lets just end this. Double Impact!"

He fired his guns. Bullets tore through the air and flew at the DigiDestined. The first shot hit Ophanimon's left shoulder, and she stumbled back, and the second hit her lower abdomen. Next he fired his Heartbreak Shot at Seraphimon. The bullet locked onto the angel Digimon's heart and flew directly at it. Seraphimon was knocked off his feet. Only his armor prevented it from flying all the way through his body.

"Ionic Blaster!" Imperialdramon cried.

"Double Impact!"

Beelzemon's bullet met Imperialdramon's blast of energy. It tore through the attack and struck the emitter protruding from the dragon Digimon's chest, shattering it. Imperialdramon grasped his chest and dropped to his knees, only to be knocked over by another bullet.

"Dash Grey Sword!" Omnimon cried, charging forward. His sword had been repaired from the healing he had received and swung at the Demon Lord.

Beelzemon sidestepped the attack and lashed out with his Darkness Claw. His claw stabbed into Omnimon's back, penetrating his armor. Omnimon cried out as Beelzemon lifted him off the ground with his hand buried in the knight Digimon's back, and he tossed him back to his friends.

"Omega Burst!"

"Lightning Joust!"

"Hard Rock Spirit!"

Beelzemon glanced at the incoming attacks. With quick footwork, he sped towards them, hopping out of the way before he was hit. OmniShoutmon realized he was coming for him and fired his Flame Cannon. Beelzemon quickly rushed around the wall of fire and began firing his guns rapidly with his Quick Shot attack. An onslaught of bullets hammered against the dragon Digimon, and he dropped to the ground with several cracks in his armored body.

Beelzemon snapped his fingers, and his motorcycle sprang to life and drove over to him without a rider. Beelzemon hopped onto it and revved the engine before speeding towards AncientGreymon. The dragon Digimon unleashed his Gaia Tornado, but Beelzemon just grinned as he drove through the heavy wind. When he reached AncientGreymon, he leapt off his bike, flipping through the air as he soared over the dragon Digimon's head. He fired his Double Impact down at him, and the bullets slammed into AncientGreymon's back and the top of his head, causing him to collapse.

Beelzemon landed and raised his guns to Gallantmon. He began to fire repeatedly with his Quick Shot, firing his handgun as if it were a machinegun. Gallantmon raised his shield, but each impact shook him and pushed him back, each bullet leaving a dent. Beelzemon's gaze shifted lower, and he shot at Gallantmon's exposed legs, hitting the knight Digimon's kneecap. Gallantmon cried out and dropped to his knees, earning him another flare of pain, but it barely registered before he was peppered with more gunfire, and he dropped to the ground.

Beelzemon blew on the smoking end of his guns before twirling them around and sticking them back in their holsters. He casually walked back over to his fellow Demon Lords, looking entirely too bored. "Are we done here, or are we going to waste some more time?"

Lucemon chuckled in amusement. "Yes, I think we're done here."

"Perfect Revival!"

"Final Aura!"

"Final Heal!"

"Holy Ring!"

The DigiDestined rose to their feet, most of their injuries healed. They still felt weak from the battle, and Seraphimon and Ophanimon looked especially winded from the energy they spent healing themselves and their friends.

Laylamon raised an eyebrow. "Maybe we're not done. They're very persistent."

"They're annoying," Beelzemon grumbled. "They should know when to admit defeat."

The DigiDestined regrouped, glaring at the Demon Lords. "We're not giving up," Omnimon told them. "As long as there's breath in our bodies, we'll never give up."

Lucemon closed his eyes smugly. "Is that a fact?" He began walking forward. "I'd chalked you up to being many things; brave, stubborn, ignorant. But now I'm thinking that you're just plain stupid." He stopped walking and opened his eyes. "Even if you refuse to back down, you must admit the futility of your mission. You can never defeat us."

"We will," Imperialdramon insisted. "Everyone said we'd never be able to defeat Leviamon or Belphemon, but we took them both out. And we'll take down the rest of you as well. Even you Lucemon."

A sigh escaped the head Demon Lord, but he still looked amused. "You really don't get it. You could never defeat me. And not just because of my power. I'm also the master of the two greatest extremes in this world. Allow me to demonstrate."

He held out his hands. A dark purple ball of energy appeared in his left hand, and a white ball of energy appeared in his right. OmniShoutmon's eyes widened in horror. "T-That attack…"

"Power of Darkness," said Lucemon, and threw the purple ball of energy. It flew towards the DigiDestined. OmniShoutmon attempted to fly away, but the ball of energy erupted, engulfing all seven of them in a sphere of evil energy. "Power of Light."

He threw the white ball of energy. It met with the purple sphere and erupted as well. The two spheres of energy joined together and transformed into a glowing three-dimensional magic circle of holy and evil energy. Lucemon's smiled widened as he unleashed the power of his attack. "Ultimate Sacrifice!"

The DigiDestined cried out as they were filled with unbearable agony. The magic orb danced around them, leaving them helpless to react as the attack continued seemingly forever.

Finally, the magic orb vanished, and they dropped to the ground. All six DigiDestined immediately reverted to their human forms. And were overcome with the greatest agony they ever felt. OmniShoutmon was lying on the ground next to them, twitching in pain.

Lucemon lifted an eyebrow. "Look at that. It seems the odds were in your favor. My Ultimate Sacrifice attack has a fifty-fifty chance of either completely destroying an opponent, or causing an immense amount of damage. That's why it's also called my 'Dead or Alive' attack. It seems you got lucky." He chuckled. "But even if my opponent is fortunate enough to survive, the attack doesn't usually leave them in any condition to keep fighting."

TK attempted to rise, but his muscles failed him. "I can't… move…"

"I know…" Takuya moaned. "My body won't do what I tell it to…"

Lucemon turned his back to them. "We're finished here. Beelzemon, clean things up."

The Demon Lord in question scowled. "Why me?"

"Because you're complaining got on my nerves."

He took off, disappearing into the sky. Barbamon teleported away as well, and Daemon sank into his own shadow. Laylamon hung back for a few moments to give Beelzemon a smug look. "You should learn to stop complaining all the time. Now be a good cleaning boy and wrap things up here." She glanced at the teens and smirked. "And make it hurt."

She took off as well. Beelzemon glared up after her before humphing. Taking out his gun, he pointed it at the teens. Tai struggled to raise his hand, holding it up to Beelzemon. "W-Wait."

"Shut up," the Demon Lord snapped. "I'm done wasting time with you. Double Impact!"

He fired. The bullet struck the ground right in front of them, blasting it apart, and the teens and OmniShoutmon went flying backwards from the blast, landing in a painful heap inside the cave.

"I hear you humans stay dead when you die," Beelzemon commented. "And so you bury the corpses left behind." He grinned in amusement. "So I decided to give you the same courtesy."

OmniShoutmon slowly managed to sit up. "Beelzemon…"

"Quick Shot!"

Bullets began flying, tearing through and around the mouth of the cave. Rock cracked apart and began crumbling down. The teens could do nothing as countless tons of rubble came crashing down on them.

Notes:

(A/N: And our heroes have sufficiently and completely got their butts kicked. But, hey, what did they expect? They barely survived their two battles against a single Demon Lord, how did they expect to beat the remaining five all at once? They were beaten before the battle even began. By the way, I envision Lucemon's voice changing from how it was in Fusion to how it was in Frontier after his Digivolution; just some extra scene detail. What's going to happen now? Better stay tuned. Next chapter is going to be very… revealing.)

Chapter 116: Origins

Notes:

(A/N: It's finally here. At last we're going to get the answers to the questions surrounding Shoutmon's past. It's been over a hundred chapters in waiting, but now we'll finally find out what happened.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 116: Origins

"OmniShoutmon. OmniShoutmon. Come on, wake up."

"You sure he's not dead, Tai?"

"Of course he's not dead. He would have broken down into data if he died."

"But he hasn't moved for hours."

"Davis, of you're not going to help, then just be quiet."

"Help how? We're all pinned down."

OmniShoutmon groaned as the voices persisted. A pained cough escaped him as he forced himself to open his eyes. "Can't I get a moment's peace?"

"OmniShoutmon!" Tai exclaimed. "Guys, it's ok, he's awake."

"Great," came the muffled voice of Takuya. "Then can he do something, please; it's kind of hard to breathe."

OmniShoutmon blinked the dust out of his eyes. It was almost pitch-black, and he was completely pinned down, held in place by countless rocks and boulders. That's when it came back to him. After Beelzemon had shot up the cave, causing the roof to collapse on them, he'd used the last of his strength to dive on top of his friends to protect them. He'd managed to keep them from being crushed, but now they were buried alive.

He shifted slightly, testing out their rocky prison, and he felt the rocks shift a little. "Ok, guys, I'm going to try and get us out of here. Keep very still."

"Just please hurry," Takato begged. "My legs fell asleep over two hours ago."

"Just don't move. I don't want to kill you by accident. Omni Core Fusion!"

His aura erupted up and outward. Rocks disintegrated and were blasted away. The weight on the group lifted as an opening was cleared, allowing the dragon Digimon to stand up, his muscles screaming in protest.

"Be careful getting out," OmniShoutmon told them. "We don't want to cause another cave in."

Tai sat up, his joints cracking. "If that didn't cause a cave in, I think we'll be ok."

Davis sat up next, massaging his shoulder. "Thank goodness. My arm was pinned in the wrong direction."

"Forget your arm," Takato grumbled. "I haven't been able to feel my legs for hours. Can someone help me up, 'cause I can't stand?"

OmniShoutmon reached down and picked Takato up. The boy's legs hung uselessly beneath him. After a few seconds, he began grinding his teeth together as he was hit by that pins and needles feeling in his legs as they began to wake up.

TK got up after that, followed by Kari, both blushing at the fact that they had been pinned down chest to chest, and they looked anywhere but at each other. Takuya had had the misfortune of being on the very bottom, and his limbs aching horribly after having been trapped in an uncomfortable position for so long.

"That was horrible," he grumbled, rubbing his soar neck.

"Which part?" Davis asked as he rotated his aching arm. "The being trapped in a dog-pile on top of each other, or getting our butts handed to us by the Demon Lords?"

"Neither were fun," Tai mumbled. "One of them was a real eye-opener though."

Takato glanced at him. "For how powerful the Demon Lords are? You're not kidding. That was ridiculous. I can't believe they're so strong. We never stood a chance."

"Not when they fight together," OmniShoutmon confirmed. "Our only chance for even a hope to defeat them would be to fight them one-on-one."

Takuya scowled. "I can't believe Lucemon fooled us like that. We totally bought into his act."

A sigh escaped the dragon Digimon. "Don't feel too bad. Lucemon is very persuasive. Still, I hope you have finally learned your lesson and will stop judging Digimon based on their appearance. I don't know how many times I've had to tell you that."

Davis nodded. "Trust us, we've learned our lesson. I'm not going to let myself be fooled anymore."

"I'm just glad we got through that in one piece."

"They didn't consider us a threat," OmniShoutmon replied. "If they had taken that fight seriously, or worse, worked together, we would be dead. Beelzemon's impatience and carelessness are the only reason we're still alive."

"And luck," said Takato, thinking of Lucemon's Ultimate Sacrifice attack. "If the odds hadn't been in our favor, we would be dead right now."

Knowing what Takato was talking about, Kari gave OmniShoutmon a worried look. "Does Lucemon's attack really have a fifty-fifty chance of automatically killing someone?"

The dragon Digimon DeDigivolved. With a reluctant sigh, he nodded. "Yes, it does. As if he needs an attack like that with as powerful as he is."

TK studied him for a few moments. "This wasn't the first time you've faced him, is it? Lucemon implied as much."

The dragon looked away, but he could still feel the teens' gaze on him. A pained look crossed his face for a few moments before he let out a deep breath and his shoulders sank. "No, it wasn't. I fought him once before, long ago, back when I was still the Digimon King." He turned back to them, a sad look on his face. "Lucemon was the first one to ever kill me."

The teens gasped. Truthfully though, they didn't know why they were so surprised. They all knew that he had died before, and that he opposed the Demon Lords. It almost made sense that Lucemon, the leader of the group, had been the one to kill the former Digimon King during their hostile takeover.

"Wow," said Takato, unable to imagine what it would be like to meet the person who killed you after thousands of years. That must have been… Wow. I'm so sorry."

Shoutmon shrugged. "I knew I'd have to face him again eventually when we decided to try and take down the Demon Lords. Still, today was a rather unpleasant reminder of the day I was dethroned."

Kari knelt down beside him. "Do you want to talk bout it?"

He gave her an appreciative smile. "Thanks, but I don't want to burden you with what happened."

TK took his other side. "It's not a burden. Not if it helps you cope."

Tai sat down in front of him. "Yeah, we're here for you. You can tell us. We'll listen."

The dragon Digimon looked up at them. He could tell by the looks on their faces that they were being sincere. He had never told anyone what had happened that day. Perhaps now was the time.

A sigh escaped him and he sat down. "Alright, if you really want to know. It happened a long time ago when the Demon Lords' takeover was really beginning to get underway…"

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

The sounds of a battle taking place raged on outside. It had been going on for several minutes now, and all of the palace guards had rushed forward to meet the enemy. Most of the servants had fled in fear when the identity of the attacker had been made known, but a few brave souls had opted to stay behind.

In the throne room, the Digimon King sat as he listened to the battle rage on. He wanted to go out there and fight, but he knew he was too important to risk his life in such a reckless way. He had a duty granted to him by the Digimon God, and it was the responsibility of his guards to protect him while he did his job, no matter how much he wanted to fight with them.

Beside him, one of the few palace servants that hadn't fled shook uncontrollably in fear. The king glanced at him before returning his attention to the giant set of doors at the end of the hall. "GoldGuardromon, I know how loyal you are, but you may leave if you wish."

The machine Digimon swallowed and attempted to stop shaking. "N-No, t-t-thank you, s-sir," he replied, his voice trembling from fear. "I sh-shall stand b-by you until t-the e-e-end."

The king closed his eyes. "If that is what you choose. But if the enemy makes their way in here, you are to leave. Do I make myself clear?"

"Y-Yes, my k-k-king."

He went back to watching the door, knowing that the enemy would deliberately come through the front entrance. Well, he would be ready for them. No matter who they were, no matter how powerful, they would fall before him. He had been chosen by the Digimon God. No one aside from the Sovereigns and the Digimon God himself outranked him in authority. If this enemy had the gall to challenge him, then they would suffer the consequences.

The giant double-doors opened, and the enemy showed themself. Lucemon in his Rookie form entered the room as calmly as ever, a cheerful smile on his cherub face. But despite the angel Digimon's friendly demeanor, there was something dark and unsettling in his eyes.

The king's own eyes narrowed at the sight of the intruder. "Lucemon, you have a lot of nerve trespassing in my palace."

Lucemon chuckled. "Forgive me for the disrespect, my king, but you won't be holding that title for much longer. Soon you'll be just plain old OmniShoutmon."

"Silence!" the dragon Digimon snapped, jumping to his feet. "How dare you speak in such a disrespectful manner! I have allowed your rebellious behavior to go on for far too long. The only reason I haven't dealt with you sooner was because of the service you provided to the Digital World. But no more." He glared at the angel Digimon. "I know all about your plan to take over. I know of this group of Demon Lords you have formed. And I'm telling you now, it will be stopped."

Lucemon's smile widened, becoming darker, crueler. "You certainly like to rub your position as the Digimon King in others' faces. Just because the Digimon God chose you to be king, you think you're untouchable. But it's time for you to realize just how insignificant you are. Your time as king is over. Soon even the Sovereigns will fall."

The two stared each other down, OmniShoutmon with a glare, Lucemon with wicked amusement. But the silence between them was soon broken by loud thundering footsteps that shook the entire palace. They were accompanied by a chant of "Dante! Dante! Dante!"

Appearing in the giant doorway was an equally as large Digimon. He was accompanied by several dozen knight Digimon that gathered around the giant Digimon's feet.

"Do not worry!" the giant Digimon declared. "Dantemon and your army of Knightmon are here to defend you!"

Lucemon's smile grew wider, his eyes shining with malicious intent. "Yes, your majesty, you're loyal guards are here to protect you. Isn't that nice. I'm curious to see how good they are at their job."

OmniShoutmon caught on to Lucemon's meaning, and his fists clenched. "Dantemon, there is no need for you to worry about me. Instead, I would like you to lead GoldGuardromon out of here safely."

The open app Digimon blinked. "But, your majesty-"

"That is an order, Dantemon. Do not make me repeat myself. I will deal with Lucemon."

Dantemon's lips thinned in frustration, but he reluctantly obeyed. "As you wish, your majesty. Come, GoldGuardromon. We will see you to safety."

GoldGuardromon glanced at OmniShoutmon, who nodded. He inched against the wall, trying to keep as much distance between himself and Lucemon as possible. Dantemon reached for him, and the machine Digimon climbed into his hand. Lifting him up, he glanced one last time at the Digimon King. "Good luck, your majesty."

He retreated with GoldGuardromon, the army of Knightmon following after him. The doors shut behind him, leaving OmniShoutmon and Lucemon alone in the giant throne room. The angel Digimon chuckled in amusement as he crossed his arms. "You just saved their lives. I wouldn't have hesitated to kill each and every one of them. In fact, I still might. It all depends on whether or not they'll be willing to bow down to the true ruler of this world."

Fury danced in OmniShoutmon's eyes. "That will be your final act of defiance. It's time for you to pay for your crimes."

"Then by all means, make me pay. If you can. Cross Strike!"

Beams of holy energy flew from his eyes. OmniShoutmon leapt up into the air as the attack destroyed his throne, blasting the wall behind it to pieces.

"Damn you!" OmniShoutmon shouted. "Omni Core Fusion!"

The humanoid burst of aura flew towards the angel Digimon. An arranged smirk crept up his face as the attack came at him. "Divine Feat!"

A giant sword of light appeared in his hand, and he leapt up into the air. With a swipe of his sword, he cut through the attack, causing it to disperse.

"What!?" OmniShoutmon exclaimed. Lucemon was still coming for him, and he glared at the angel Digimon. "Doom Drillpress!"

Lucemon swung his sword, and OmniShoutmon kicked out with his bladed legs. Sparks began flying as the two dueled in the air. Lucemon was laughing as they exchanged blows, neither hitting their marks. "Careful you don't slip up. If I kill you too quickly, your friends won't have time to escape before I go after them."

OmniShoutmon fired his Heavy Metal Vulcan to cut off the angel Digimon, but Lucemon raised his sword and brought it down, slicing through the wall of fire and exposing OmniShoutmon.

"Hard Rock Spirit!" the dragon Digimon cried, shooting a blast of fire from his hand. Lucemon was blasted backwards, but he kicked off the wall, flying back towards OmniShoutmon. He began repeatedly firing his Cross Strike, and OmniShoutmon took off, dodging the beams. Large openings appeared in the castle wall as Lucemon's attacks blasted it apart. The senseless destruction only enraged OmniShoutmon further. "You're destroying my castle!"

Lucemon laughed. "I plan to tear down your castle. But right now, it should be the least of your worries. Cross Strike!"

"Victorize Banking!"

The two attacks met, resulting in an explosion. It was followed by OmniShoutmon firing his Omni Core Fusion. Lucemon flew into the air, dodging the attack. OmniShoutmon came flying out of the cloud of smoke and delivered a punch to the angel Digimon. Lucemon delivered a punch of his own, and the two began exchanging blows, resorting to physical attacks. Lucemon continued to smile the entire time.

A well-placed uppercut knocked OmniShoutmon back, and Lucemon delivered a kick that sent him flying into the wall. Cupping his hands together, he launched his Grand Cross. OmniShoutmon countered with his Omni Core Fusion, resulting in a massive blast that shook the entire palace.

The two took a few moments break as a portion of the castle fell down around them. OmniShoutmon was seething, but Lucemon still appeared to be perfectly content. It only made the Digimon King angrier.

Lucemon found his anger to be amusing. "You look frustrated. Is this battle proving to be more difficult than you thought?"

OmniShoutmon's fists clenched. "We can end this right now, Lucemon. You've done such good in the past. You can still make amends for the evil you've done."

Lucemon covered his mouth to stifle his laughter. "You're so narrow-minded. I'm doing what needs to be done. This world needs a true leader. Only I am capable of ruling properly, and I will do whatever is necessary to create my utopia."

"Utopia?" OmniShoutmon spat. "A world where everyone obeys you obsoletely or is killed is no utopia. It's slavery and oppression. And if you were really so damn righteous, you wouldn't take such delight in the suffering and destruction you cause. You enjoy that feeling of power you get from crushing others and ruling over them."

Still looking amused, Lucemon crossed his arms. "And what of you? You think you're so great just because the Digimon God chose you to be the Digimon King. Well, let me tell you something, your majesty, having authority bestowed upon you has no bearings on strength. And I'm going to prove it by killing you."

OmniShoutmon thumped his chest. "The Digimon God chose me because he saw greatness and knew I was the one most fit for the position."

Lucemon shrugged. "I have yet to see anything great about you. You're just a miserable excuse of a king who flaunts his privilege in others' faces while basking in the glory of your position. You've done nothing to show that you're worthy of your title. But if you truly are the greater of us, then please, by all means prove it."

"If that's really what you want. Twin Fireball Strike!"

He began throwing fireballs. Lucemon knocked them out of the way and used his Divine Feat, bringing back his giant sword of light. OmniShoutmon dodged as the angel Digimon swiped at him, but Lucemon followed up with his Cross Strike. The lasers blasted the dragon Digimon in the back, and OmniShoutmon dropped from the sky. He turned it into a rough landing, and looked up to find Lucemon about to bring his sword down on him. He fired his Flame Cannon, destroying the sword, and then fired his Victorize Banking, blasting Lucemon back.

Flying after the angel Digimon, he had to pull back when Lucemon suddenly fired his Grand Cross at him. He countered with his Heavy Metal Vulcan, the resounding blast sending him flying backwards, He did a backflip and dug his nails into the ground, skidding to a stop. Before him, Lucemon emerged from the cloud of smoke. The angel Digimon arrogantly held out a hand and began curling and uncurling his index finger, silently asking for more.

OmniShoutmon's eyes narrowed, and he charged forward. Using his Twin Fireball Strike, he launched balls of fire at the angel Digimon. He didn't aim for Lucemon though, but rather the ground at his feet. The fireballs exploded, surrounding the angel Digimon with a cloud of smoke. OmniShoutmon was suddenly there, and he kicked out with his Doom Drillpress.

Lucemon leaned far back, letting OmniShoutmon's roundhouse kick pass over him. OmniShoutmon completed his turn and thrust his hand at Lucemon, firing his Hard Rock Spirit in the process. Lucemon shot backwards from the blast, and OmniShoutmon responded with his Twin Fireball Strike. Lucemon held up his arms to block, and the fireballs exploded against him. When he lowered his arms, he was met by OmniShoutmon's Victorize Banking, blasting him into the wall.

"Omni Core Fusion!" OmniShoutmon cried, launching his aura at the angel Digimon.

Lucemon was still up against the wall when the attack struck, a direct hit. The smoke quickly began to dissipate, and OmniShoutmon suddenly appeared in front of angel Digimon. His bladed foot was raised, pressed up to Lucemon's neck threateningly, and OmniShoutmon glared down at him. "Give it up. You should know that a Rookie could never defeat a Mega, let alone the Digimon King."

Despite the situation, Lucemon was still smiling. And that smile began to tremble as he struggled to hold back his laughter. "And you should know that I'm no ordinary Rookie. You may feel confident now, but what if I told you that I was holding back the whole time?"

OmniShoutmon resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "I would say it wouldn't surprise me. I know how powerful you are."

"Do you?" Lucemon asked. "Because I don't think you do. I don't think you have even the slightest idea of how strong I really am. Cross Strike!"

OmniShoutmon jumped back, away from the lasers, cursing himself for not finishing the angel Digimon off. He did know that Lucemon was holding back, but he was still confident that he would be victorious. No matter how strong the angel Digimon thought he was, there was no way he could be stronger than the Digimon King.

Lucemon calmly got to his feet and dusted himself off, not looking the least but worried. "It's time you began to understand what you're really up against. Lucemon Mode Change to… Lucemon Chaos Mode!"

OmniShoutmon felt a twinge of fear run through him as Lucemon went from a Rookie to an Ultimate, bypassing the Champion stage he lacked. He had heard rumors that Lucemon had achieved a new Digivolution, but had never seen it himself.

Lucemon smirked at him, looking entirely too smug for OmniShoutmon's liking. "Well, are you impressed?"

OmniShoutmon resumed a fighting stance. "I'll admit that you've peeked my interest, but I'm still the Digimon King here."

"Then I think it's time I dethroned you. Paradise Lost Punch!"

Before OmniShoutmon could react, Lucemon was speeding towards him. Punches rained against him too fast for the dragon Digimon to see, almost too fast for him to feel. By the time the pain from one punch even registered, five more punches had already slammed into him. He couldn't move, he couldn't think, he lost all concept of time as the punches kept coming.

Then they stopped. Pain exploded all over OmniShoutmon at once as the damage settled in. Then he was suddenly being kicked into the air, the scenery of his palace passing by in a blur. He was still disorientated when his momentum suddenly stopped, and he realized that he was upside-down with Lucemon on top of him, hugging his legs to his chest, the Demon Lord's feet in his armpits.

Then they were falling. It was impossible to pull out of the drop, and OmniShoutmon hit the floor of the throne room headfirst. An explosion of dark energy erupted outward as they broke through floor after ceiling after floor before finally reaching ground level. The palace started crumbling down around them as the impact shook the land.

OmniShoutmon was only vaguely aware that Lucemon had gotten off him. His body was in too much pain to register anything else, yet he forced his eyes open and struggled to sit up. "What… was that?"

Lucemon was off to the side, watching him with his arms crossed across his chest. "Oh, I'm sorry, was that too much for the mighty Digimon King? I'll try to hold back some more."

His jibe just ticked off OmniShoutmon all the more. "Victorize Banking!"

He fired a V-shaped bolt, but Lucemon easily slapped it away and began approaching the dragon Digimon. "If you want more, I'd be happy to deliver. You felt the power of my fist, now feel the power of my feet. Terrible Dance!"

Once again moving almost too fast to see, Lucemon began dancing about. His dance included a series of kicks that hammered against OmniShoutmon. There was more of a rhythm than there had been with the punches, but OmniShoutmon was still unable to block the blows.

Lucemon finished his dance, and smirked at the dragon Digimon. He unleashed his Deadly Roll, performing a magic roundhouse kick that sent OmniShoutmon flying. Leaping up into the air, he used his Blistering Orb, throwing miniature suns at OmniShoutmon. The balls of fire exploded around OmniShoutmon as he sped through the air from Lucemon's kick, and he was finally struck by one and crashed to the ground.

A groan escaped the dragon Digimon as he pushed himself up. "This can't be happening," he told himself, breathing heavily. "I'm the Digimon King."

Lucemon's hand grasped the back of his head and lifted him off the ground. "True titles are earned, not bestowed. Those that have power that is simply given to them can easily have it taken away by someone stronger. Spirit Drain!"

To emphasize his point, he began absorbing OmniShoutmon's energy. The dragon Digimon howled as he felt his power being drained, and the feeling of Lucemon squeezing his head wasn't making the sensation any more pleasant.

Using what little strength he had left, he managed to twist around and kick out with his Doom Drillpress. Lucemon released him and did a flip in the air to dodge the attack, and unleashed his Paradise Lost Punch. As the blows rained against OmniShoutmon, it vaguely registered to him that Lucemon was hovering in the air while upside-down as he attacked. This whole battle was nothing but a game to him.

He didn't have time to dwell on it as Lucemon kicked him into the air. Then he was being grabbed and slammed headfirst into the ground again. OmniShoutmon collapsed, unable to move as his palace fell to ruin around him. He tried to sit up, but only managed to lift his head for a few seconds before collapsing once more.

Lucemon was flying in the air above him, looking completely satisfied. "Your reign is over, OmniShoutmon. I hope you enjoyed your time as Digimon King, because it's now at an end." He held up two balls of energy, one of darkness, one of light. "You were lucky enough to be chosen to be king, but lets see if your luck will hold out." He grinned. "Then again, even if luck is in your favor, I doubt you'll have enough strength to survive this either way. Power of Darkness." He threw the purple ball down at OmniShoutmon, and it consumed him. "Power of Light." The ball of white energy came down and mixed with the dark energy. "Ultimate Sacrifice!"

A cry of unbearable agony ripped its way out of OmniShoutmon's mouth. It was excruciating. Ancient symbols floated around him, but he didn't even register them. All he could do was thrash about inside the magic orb. In the background, he was vaguely aware of the sound of Lucemon's laughter mixing with his own screams.

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

"The next thing I knew, I was staring at the inside of my Digi-Egg," Shoutmon finished. A humorless chuckle escaped him. "Guess the odds weren't in my favor."

The teens, having listened quietly to Shoutmon's story, could only stare. The dragon Digimon gave them a small smile and shrugged his shoulders. "The end."

"My God," Tai whispered. "I can't imagine what that must have been like. And that was the first time you died ever?"

Shoutmon nodded. "I've died several times since then, but yes, that time was the first." He looked up at the sky with a far away look in his eyes. "Up until then, I had thought that I was untouchable simply because of my title. Believing I was special because the Digimon God chose me." He scoffed. "I was a fool. Dying that day was a real eye-opener for me. I became a coward after that. Up until I got to know you guys that is."

TK gave him a sympathetic look. "I can't exactly blame you for being afraid. Dying like that, and for the first time, must have been traumatizing."

"Especially if you thought no one could beat you," Kari added. "Everything you had come to believe was pulled out from under you."

"That Lucemon," Takato growled. "I can't believe how horrible he is. He's like an even more evil version of Light Yagami."

"He doesn't know what Death Note is," Takuya grumbled. He looked back at Shoutmon. "So what happened after that?"

Shoutmon shrugged. "Things continued to get worse. Without me to lead, the Digital World fell into a state of disarray. Different allegiances were made, and more and more Digimon began turning to the darkness. The Demon Lords continued to take over. The Sovereigns attempted to keep the balance, and the Guardians fought to keep the forces of darkness at bay. Then ZeedMillenniummon appeared, and the Guardians sacrificed themselves to destroy him.

"That's when the Sovereigns made plans to resurrect them, but they were sealed away before the plan could be completed. And the Digimon God was so saddened and disgusted by what was happening to the Digital World that he separated himself from it, choosing to watch over from another realm rather than be a part of it. We still had Homeostasis and King Drasil, but then King Drasil was taken over and corrupted by one of the Demon Lords and needed to be destroyed, and the Digimon God recalled Homeostasis to his realm while the Demon Lords proceeded to take over."

"Geez," Davis muttered. "Talk about a slippery slope. One little thing goes wrong and everything falls apart."

Shoutmon raised an eyebrow. "Little?" he repeated, wondering if Davis had actually been referring to his death as something little.

"It was a domino affect," said TK. "One bad thing led to another, which led to another, and so on, each event allowing the Demon Lords to get a better foothold in their takeover."

"But there's still a chance!" Kari exclaimed, jumping to her feet. "We can still turn all this around."

Shoutmon nodded. "Yes, there's a chance. Just before the last Sovereign was sealed away, I was entrusted with the Digi-Cards containing each of the Guardians' data. Then, thousands of years later, the Sovereigns somehow managed to bring you here, despite still being sealed away."

Tai nodded in understanding. "So we defeat the Demon Lords, the Sovereigns will be freed, the Guardians will resurrect at full power, and you get reinstated as the Digimon King. The balance will be restored, and we'll get to go home."

Shoutmon nodded. "And we'll make sure evil never rises up like this ever again. We'll be able to permanently keep the darkness at bay and maintain the balance. The darkness only got as strong as it did now because it evolved alongside the light." He looked at his clenched fist. "And this time, I intend to be a much better king. I may have regained my Mega form, but I'm nowhere near as strong as I was back when I was the Digimon King. Still, I feel stronger in other areas. I've grown as a person and become more mature and responsible. This time around, I'm going to prove that I'm worthy of the title the Digimon God bestowed up me."

"Good for you, Shoutmon," said Kari.

Takato nodded. "Yeah, this must be the greatness he saw in you all along, even if it did take some time to come out."

The dragon Digimon tried not to feel insulted by that comment, knowing he hadn't meant to be insulting. "I owe it all to you guys. You helped make me a better person. You're the best friends anyone could ever have." He rubbed at his eyes. "I love you guys."

Davis wrapped an arm around him, holding him close. "Aww, we love you too, pal."

"And you're not the only one who's changed," said Tai. "This journey has had an affect on us too."

TK nodded in agreement. "Yeah, we've changed a lot too. I think we're all better people than we were before. And you helped make that possible."

Davis made a muscle. "Of course, I was already perfect to begin with. I've only improved all the more."

"Oh, brother," the others muttered.

Shoutmon smiled. "You're right. And this isn't over yet. We've still got a job to do. As long as I can still stand and fight, then the light still has a chance."

He stood up, but his legs immediately gave out, and he fell back down. His cheeks turned a darker shade of red in embarrassment as the teens sweat-dropped.

"After a quick rest," he amended. "Once I recover my strength, we'll get back to it."

There were chuckles all around as the teens prepared to settle in for the incoming night. Learning the complete story of Shoutmon's past had helped them to see him in a new light. But it also made them all the more determine to defeat the Demon Lords and restore peace to the Digital World.

Yet despite this, there was still a great deal of unease. Today they had witnessed the power of their enemy, and it had nearly killed them. They may be able to restore peace once they destroyed the Demon Lords, but the opposite also rang true. If the Demon Lords defeated them, all hope would be lost. The darkness would reign supreme, keeping the light in check. And no one and nothing would be able to stop it.

Notes:

(A/N: And there it is, the rest of Shoutmon's past and the Demon Lords' rise to power. I'm not usually fond of doing flashback chapters like this, but felt it was necessary. Where things will go from here, well, you'll have to stay tuned to find out.)

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New Digimon that appear. Replace the DOT in the link(s) with actual periods.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Guardromon_(Gold)

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Dantemon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Knightmon

Chapter 117: Second Chance

Notes:

(A/N: Ok, here we go. The next Demon Lord arc is beginning. These will be shorter than the Leviamon and Belphemon arcs. In fact, you could probably look at this one and the next as a single arc, but I won't give too much away. In the last two arcs, we didn't really see much of the Demon Lords until the very end, but they'll be taking a more active role from here on out, so enjoy.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 117: Second Chance

A sadistic grin spread across Beelzemon's face as he drove his motorcycle through the open plains. Now this is what he lived for. Speeding down the wide-open road, the wind blowing back his hair, his motorcycle kicking up a cloud of dust, and the terrified screams of the fleeing Digimon ringing in his ears as he raced towards them.

It had been the ideal setting. He'd simply been riding along when he suddenly spotted a herd of Unimon lying around. Now he was riding through the herd as they attempted to take to the sky. His trusty gun fired upon them, each bullet so powerful that it even destroyed those in close proximity without even touching them.

A wicked chuckle escaped the Demon Lord as he pulled the data towards him, absorbing it greedily. The Unimon continued to flee, and he continued to fire upon them, even when they were too high in the sky for him to be able to absorb their data. It didn't matter though, the pure ecstasy he felt from simply turning these weaklings into target practice was just as enjoyable, and he pulled over and closed his eyes to savor the feeling.

"You know, if you continue to kill everyone in your domain, you won't have any subjects left."

Beelzemon opened his eyes and scowled as he spotted Laylamon lounging on a nearby rock. He made his disgust at her presence obvious as he holstered his gun. "Who cares? They'll be back eventually."

"Or," she said coyly, "they may just choose to live in a different domain. Maybe mine."

He glared at her. "What do you want, Laylamon? I didn't give you permission to enter my land."

Sitting up, she pouted at him. "Now is that any way to treat a friend?"

He snorted. "We're partners, true, but we're hardly friends."

"Ex-lovers then."

He rolled his eyes. "Go screw a SkullGreymon."

An amused smirk crept up her face. "Been there, done that," she said unashamedly. "It was really no big thrill."

Now he was scowling. "You're sick."

She giggled. "It's in my nature, darling. I am the Demon Lord of Lust after all."

"And I'm the Demon Lord of Gluttony, but you don't see me stuffing my face all the time."

A knowing look appeared in her eye. "Maybe not for food, but you're certainly a glutton for data. Honestly, you kill more than any of us. Excluding when Belphemon is awake of course."

"I can do whatever the hell I want!" Beelzemon snapped. He revved his engine. "And I don't need some whore criticizing me. Now beat it."

He took off without a second glance. It seemed that Laylamon wasn't finished yet as she flew alongside him. "Don't you want to know why I'm here?"

He didn't even look at her. "I don't give a damn."

"Really? And I would have thought you cared about your reputation."

That grudgingly got a reaction out of him. "The hell you talking about?"

She smirked. "You messed up, Beelzemon. You were given a very simply task, but you screwed it up. Such a shame."

He slammed on the breaks, and Laylamon sped past him. He waited for her to come back before fixing her with a glare. "Quit screwing around and just say what you want to say; I'm getting pissed off. What exactly did I screw up, and how?"

An amused sigh escaped the Demon Lord of Lust as she ran a clawed finger over her lips. "Very well. It's the humans. They're still alive."

Beelzemon's eyes widened in surprise, but then he scowled. "Bull."

"Poor Beelzemon. Can't even kill a couple of defenseless humans who were already on the verge of death. It's utterly pathetic."

"I did kill them!" Beelzemon snapped. "I buried them in the cave when I had it collapse on them. They're pancakes."

Laylamon shrugged. "Don't know what to tell you, love, but apparently they survived. There have been several sightings of them in my domain over the past several days."

Beelzemon's fists clenched. If that were true, then he really had been careless. The teens had been so weak and helpless in their human forms that he hadn't given them much thought.

"And what of it?" he asked. "If they're in your domain, then you deal with them." He grinned mockingly. "Unless you're scared. Is that why you came to me, so I could kill them for you?"

She openly laughed at this. Oh, please. If I were actually scared, I would simply whisper a few sweet words to Lord Lucemon and have him take care of them."

Beelzemon snorted. "Yeah, right. You think that just because you screw Lucemon that he'll bend over backwards for you. You should know that he's not one to be manipulated. He's simply taking the goods you offer him. Don't go expecting anything in return. Whatever 'favors' he does for you are because he wants to, or because they work in his benefit."

If he thought this would insult her, he was wrong. "I expect nothing from Lucemon but a good time. I'm fully capable of killing the humans myself. But I thought that you might want to do it. You wouldn't want anyone to doubt your strength and capabilities, would you? After all, if you can't even kill a few defenseless humans, and then go and turn down the opportunity when it's offered to you, people may start to wonder if you're really all that tough."

The movement was rapid. Beelzemon was suddenly off his bike, wrapping a hand around Laylamon's throat as he slammed her against a large rock formation. Pulling out his gun, he pressed it against her cheek as he glared at her furiously. "Say that again. I swear I'll kill you."

Laylamon didn't look the least bit intimidated. "Save your threats, darling. We both know that you're not going to kill me. We Demon Lords need each other. And it's not what I'm saying, it's what others are saying. Or rather, what they'll start saying, so don't go getting angry with me. Our power is already being called into question. Two Demon Lords destroyed, the humans that killed them surviving an encounter with the remaining five, Beelzemon being unable to kill them, and then unwilling to correct his mistake. It certainly doesn't look good."

With a snarl, he removed his gun, but moved his face in close to hers as his hand went from around her neck to cup her face, his claws digging threateningly into her cheeks. "Do you think you can bait me? I know what you're doing. You're trying to use me to do your duty work. You want me to get rid of the humans for you. I don't like being used, bitch, so quit trying to manipulate me."

She chuckled. "Even if I was trying to manipulate you, it doesn't make what I said any less true. Unless you want others to question your power. You could lose a lot of support though if that happens. Most Digimon only serve us out of fear, or because they feel they have no choice. If they no longer see you as the same threat they saw you as before, they might just turn on you."

A growl escaped Beelzemon. "That still doesn't change the fact that you're trying to play me. I know you are, and I don't like it."

She closed her eyes, as if savoring the moment. "Oh, Beelzemon, you're far too sensitive. Can't we just say we have mutual interests? While I admit that I would like to see how you fare against the humans, I really am doing you a favor. Don't think of it as me using you. Think of it as me helping out a friend to protect his reputation." She shrugged. "Or I could just deal with the humans myself while you go back to playing your silly games and just hope that everyone continues to view you as the great and powerful Digimon you are. It really makes no difference to me. I'd actually like to see how the humans would do against a few of my own subordinates."

With a frustrated snort, Beelzemon released her and stepped back. "What really pisses me off is that I know you're manipulating me, but I also know that you're right. So I have to look at the bigger picture. Fine, I'll take care of the humans, but know that it was my choice, not because you talked me into it."

Laylamon casually ran a finger over her cheeks where his claws had been digging in. "Of course not, dearest. I simply gave you some information, and you made a conscious decision on what to do about it. Now go show those humans whose boss." Her tongue slid out to lick her claw as her other hand ran down her body in a sexual manner. "And when you get back, the two of us can celebrate."

Beelzemon humphed. "I'll take a pass on that. I ain't letting you use me for anything ever again, not even for that. Later, sweetheart."

He revved his motorcycle and took off, rising up onto his bike's rear wheel before speeding off, leaving a dust cloud trail behind. Laylamon chuckled as she watched him go. That had been far too easy. She always knew exactly what buttons to push in order to get the reactions she wanted. Whether male, female, or other, she was always able to get inside the heads of others and use them as she saw fit.

Barbamon may have the reputation as the most skillful manipulator around, but she had her own way of doing things. She knew exactly what to say to plant ideas in the heads of others, and even make them think that her ideas were their own. That was the key to being a true manipulator, to control others in ways to make them think that their actions were their own. Despite what Beelzemon had said, there had even been times when she had used Lucemon in such a way.

She relished in the thought of using others. To bend them to her will without them even realizing it. She may be the weakest of the Demon Lords, but her ability to manipulate and control those more powerful than her and use them any way she saw fit was in itself a great and powerful skill. Taking that into consideration, one could actually argue that it was she who was the strongest one around.

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"You have got to be kidding me," Takuya grumbled as he stared at the landscape before them. Turning to Shoutmon, he gave the dragon Digimon an almost pleading look. "Please tell me you're joking."

With a heavy sigh, the dragon Digimon shook his head. "Afraid not. This is the fastest way to go."

Davis was on Takuya's side as he motioned to the path ahead. "But… why…?"

Before them was a wide flat plain that stretched on in every direction for miles. It was almost like looking out at the ocean, only with land instead of water. That wasn't what the teens took issue with though. Traveling across the empty landscape were hundreds, if not thousands, of data streams.

They still remembered their last encounter with the moving beams of pink energy. They had ben riding on a Trailmon and had had the misfortune of getting caught up in one and transported to the middle of Argomon's forest, which had led to its own series of problems.

"If we get sucked into one of them, we could wind up anywhere in the Digital World," TK said, stating the obvious. "Can't we just go around?"

Shoutmon wobbled his head. "Well, we can, but it'll take a long time though. Weeks and weeks. Or we could just cut straight through it and be across in a matter of days."

"But this has got to be the largest gathering of data streams in the entire Digital World," Tai muttered.

Shoutmon nodded. "Yup, it is. That's why there's nothing here; everything's been sucked up and transported away."

Takato crossed his arms and considered the situation. "Maybe we should Spirit Evolve and fly through it really fast."

"And end up getting attacked by an enemy when we're out of power?" Davis asked. "No thanks. Thant's probably what the Demon Lords are waiting for."

"Lets just chance it," said Kari. "The data streams are miles apart. It just looks like they're a lot closer together because it's a wide open area."

"But don't forget that those things move fast," Tai reminded her. "They can cover hundreds of meters in just a few seconds."

They stared at the open plain before them for several long seconds. Finally, TK sighed. "Lets just get it over with. And who knows, even if we do get sucked up, maybe we'll end up even closer to our destination."

"I suggest going straight through," said Takuya. "No stopping, no breaks. Not even to sleep. This way there won't be any surprises."

Takato stared at the long, seemingly endless area before them, then gave Takuya a skeptical look. "Are you sure that's a good idea? This is going to be quite a walk. It could take days before we make it across."

"Look, it's either we push through in one go, or we risk getting sucked up and transported somewhere while we're sleeping. Even with a lookout, if one of those data streams suddenly comes at us, I doubt we'll all be able to wake up and get out of the way in time."

It was with great reluctance that they agreed with his idea to push through non-stop. And so they prepared themselves for what might very well be the longest and most tiring leg of their journey.

For the most part, it wasn't so bad. The land was flat and without obstacles, allowing them to walk in a long straight line. But after several hours of this, it had become incredibly boring, with nothing of interest to see anywhere.

"I spy with my little eyes, something that begins with the letter 'S'," Davis said in a bored tone.

"Shoes?" Takato asked in an equally as bored voice.

"Socks?" asked Takuya, also sounding bored.

"Shirts?" Kari chimed in.

And so it went on. Hours upon hours ticked by. Day turned to night, and yet they pressed on, not stopping to sleep. Even when the sun came up the next morning, they kept going.

"My legs are killing me," Davis complained. "Whose idea was it to not stop again?"

They were more than used to walking, but they had always paced themselves and stopped for breaks, and they had never pulled an all-nighter, preferring to be well rested and refreshed the next day in case they ran into an enemy. But now they were tired and exhausted, and quite looking forward to getting to the other side of this plain.

"We'll be able to rest once we're across," TK told him. "Just keep looking forward to that."

"Sleep…." Takato muttered. "That sounds really good. Don't think I'll be pulling anymore all-nighters after this."

TK glanced at a data stream in the distance. "Better than getting sucked into one of those and ending up who knows where."

Thus far, none of the data streams had actually come at them, though some had gotten close enough to make them uncomfortable. They continued to hope that their luck would hold out. The last thing they needed was to get transported to some random location in the Digital World and end up weeks or even months behind schedule.

It was nearing the evening when Shoutmon surmised that they were probably a little over halfway through. This earned groans of complaints from all the teens. They had been walking nonstop for two days and an entire night and were utterly spent. They didn't know if they would be able to make it across without falling asleep on their feet.

"Maybe we should just Spirit Evolve," Takato suggested. "At this rate, even if we do run into an enemy, we'll be too tired to fight them."

"It would be better to be too tired to fight than to not have the power to fight at all," Takuya pointed out.

Kari stifled a yawn as she struggled to keep her eyes open. "Maybe only one of us should Spirit Evolve and carry the rest of us. This way even if we do run into an enemy, only one of us won't have the power to fight, but the rest of us will."

All at once, TK came to a sudden stop, his eyes widening in realization. It was strange how sometimes even the simplest of solutions could somehow evade a person, despite how obvious it was. How had none of them thought of this yet? But he thought that he had an even better solution.

"Hey, guys," he began carefully, "Shoutmon doesn't lose energy from being in his Digivolved form the way we do, right?"

The dragon Digimon shook his head. "No, why?"

"Then why don't we just have him become OmniShoutmon and just carry us?"

Davis rolled his eyes. "Duh. 'Cause he's the Digimon King, and we don't want him to draw the attention of the Demon Lords' servants."

TK held out his arms. "What servants? What anyone? We haven't seen anybody since we came out here. There's no one around to see him."

Shoutmon blinked, then bashfully rubbed the back of his head. "Oh, yeah, no one comes here due to the data streams."

Crankiness getting the better of him, Takuya began seething. "You mean we've been up all night and walking around when we didn't need to be!?"

The dragon Digimon cut his eyes at him. "Well, I would have needed to be if I were carrying you."

"No, you wouldn't have, because you would be flying, and we would have gotten across in a fraction of the time."

"You make me sound like some sort of pack mule!"

"Enough!" Tai said loudly, trying to keep his own crankiness at bay. "Just… Shoutmon, could you please Digivolve. The faster we get out of here, the faster we can all get some sleep."

Shoutmon grumbled irritably. "Yeah, sure. But don't expect me to make a habit out of this. And I'm not taking the first watch duty when we get out. Shoutmon Digivolve to… OmniShoutmon! Alright, everyone, all aboard."

He scooped the six teens up into his arms and took off. The land sped past them rapidly as they moved at a much faster pace, making them all wish that they had done this a lot sooner.

"This will save us a lot of time," he told them. "What would have taken about two more days and a night will now take only a couple of hours."

Davis yawned, his eyelids drooping. "That's great… Wake me when we get there so I can," yawn, "sleep some more."

And then he was out like a light, snoring even louder than the wind rushing past them. Takuya shook his shoulder gently. "Hey, don't fall asleep yet."

"Oh, you might as well let him be," OmniShoutmon told him. "In fact, you should all try and get some sleep if you can."

"Oh, I can," Takato replied, his own eyes drifting shut. "Believe me, I can."

Then he too was out. One by one, the others joined them, and soon OmniShoutmon had his arms full of sleeping teenagers. "Sleep tight, guys. I wish I could."

The land sped by as he flew along, and he yawned loudly, feeling pretty tired himself. It had to have been worse for his friends as they didn't have the endurance that Digimon had. He really admired them for being able to handle everything Fate had thrown at them. Had their positions been reversed, he didn't think he'd do nearly as well in their world. Not that he would ever admit that.

Having become lost in his thoughts and his reaction being delayed due to exhaustion, he was a little too late to notice the approaching danger. But at the last second, his instincts kicked in, and he came to an immediate stop. It was visible for only a brief moment, but he still saw it. A deadly bullet soared right past his line of vision, mere inches away from his face. Had he not stopped right when he had, he would have taken it in the head.

The jolt from stopping so suddenly, coupled with the dragon Digimon's grip on them tightening, woke most of the teens in his arms. Everyone, with the exception of the still sleeping Davis, looked around in disorientation.

"What happened?" Takuya muttered sleepily. "Are we there yet?"

OmniShoutmon shook his head. "Not yet. We've got trouble."

"Trouble, right," Takato muttered incoherently. "How long have we been asleep?"

"Only for about 45 minutes," the dragon Digimon replied. "But you need to wake up; we're about to have a fight on out hands."

He set them down, and the teens tiredly rubbed the sleep from their eyes. Davis continued to snore loudly, and Tai gave him a light kick in the side to wake him up. "Hey, look alive. OmniShoutmon says there's trouble."

"Wha' happened?" his look-alike mumbled as he sat up. "Is it time to eat?"

"No, you idiot," OmniShoutmon snapped impatiently, and pointed to an approaching dust cloud. "Look there."

Their attention shifted to the approaching figure. As it got closer, the loud hum of a motorcycle was soon heard, and their eyes widened. There was only one Digimon they knew of who rode a motorcycle.

"Oh no," Tai muttered, doing his best to mask his horror. "Not now."

A wicked grin crept up the biker's face as he skidded to a halt in front of the teens, deliberately spraying them with a shower of dirt. Almost casually, he dismounted from his bike and approached them.

"Well, well, well, look at what I found. A couple thorns in my side that I thought I had already ridded myself of."

"Beelzemon," Takuya growled. "What do you want?"

"What do I want?" the Demon Lord pretended to appear thoughtful. "Hmm, what do I want? Well, I did want the rocks in that cave to crush you all into jelly, but I guess I'll have to settle for blowing your brains out here and now."

Tai glared at him. "Coward. You waited until we were sleep deprived and exhausted before coming after us."

Beelzemon raised an eyebrow. "Sleep deprived? Exhausted? I don't give a damn what condition you're in. all I care about is that you're still alive." He pointed a gun at them. "And sleep deprived or not, the end result would have been the same. Heartbreak Shot!"

The bullet sped through the air at Tai, moving too fast for any of the teens to see it. As per its name, its destination was Tai's heart. Mere moments before it would have hit its mark, however, OmniShoutmon's foot shot out, and he knocked the bullet away with his Doom Drillpress. This was not without consequence though, as he grabbed his damaged foot where the bullet struck and groaned painfully.

Tai blinked. He had barely registered what had occurred due to the speed in which it had happened. "OmniShoutmon!" He looked back at Beelzemon furiously. "Did you just try and kill me? Without even waiting for us to Spirit Evolve? That's low."

Beelzemon humphed. "I'm a Demon Lord. Did you really think I would play nice? If you're going to transform, then do it already. The sooner I kill you lot, the better."

Tai's hand hesitantly went to his Digivice. This was not good. Of all the times they could run into a Demon Lord of all things, this had to be one of the worst.

"Tai…" Kari said to him quietly, apparently thinking the same thing as him.

"I know."

"We're all-"

"I know, but we have no choice. Execute! Spirit Evolution… Omnimon!"

"Oh, man. I can barely keep my eyes open. Whatever. Execute! Spirit Evolution… Imperialdramon Fighter Mode!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Gallantmon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… AncientGreymon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Seraphimon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Ophanimon!"

Beelzemon's grin widened as he stared at the DigiDestined. "Excellent. Now I can finish what I started the last time we met."

Gallantmon resisted the urge to rub his sleep-filled eyes. "Any chance we can do this another time. It's been two days since we slept, and we're really tired."

The Demon Lord turned his attention to him. "Yeah? Well, guess what. I'm tired too. Tired of having you humans screw things up. So you can all just die!"

He charged forward, brandishing his claws, his target Gallantmon. Lashing out, he used his Darkness Claw. Gallantmon held up his shield to block, and the Demon Lord's claws left deep grooves in it.

"Eden's Javelin!" Ophanimon cried, firing a beam from her javelin.

Beelzemon's gaze shifted to her and he leapt away from the knight Digimon, charging at her instead. She thrust forward with her javelin as he came at her, but he leapt up over it, and delivered a well-placed kick to her head.

Seraphimon's Strike of the Seven Stars hit him from behind while he was still in the air, knocking him away from Ophanimon. He turned his momentum into a flip and whirled around to face Seraphimon. A sadistic grin spread across his face as he charged at the angel Digimon. Omnimon and OmniShoutmon tried to intercept him with their Transcendent Sword and Doom Drillpress, but Beelzemon maneuvered around the first and knocked away the other.

As the distance closed between them, Seraphimon began punching outward, firing balls of light from his fists with his Hallowed Knuckle. Beelzemon easily dodged the attacks, and was suddenly in front of the angel Digimon, grinning at him mockingly.

Seraphimon didn't bother to use any actual attacks and instead threw a punch. Beelzemon caught his fist, his grin widening. He slashed at the angel Digimon with his Darkness Claw, but Seraphimon managed to duck beneath it. Then he slashed at the Demon Lord with his Excalibur, only to have Beelzemon leap back.

"Double Impact!" the Demon Lord cried, his guns suddenly in his hands. The first bullet hit, cracking Seraphimon's armor and knocking him off his feet. The second bullet hit while he was still in the air, cracking his armor further, and all but carrying him off.

Positron Laser!" Imperialdramon cried, firing a beam.

Beelzemon whirled around to him and fired his Heartbreak Shot. The bullet tore through Imperialdramon's beam and struck him in the chest, knocking him over. Without missing a beat, he shifted his attention to the approaching AncientGreymon and Gallantmon. "Quick Shot!"

Bullets began flying from his guns in rapid succession. The dragon and knight Digimon were peppered with gunfire, and they both fell to the ground. A chuckle escaped Beelzemon, but it was cut short by Omnimon's Double Shot from up above. He along with Ophanimon and OmniShoutmon flew overhead. They began firing attacks down at the Demon Lord, and Beelzemon took off, speeding across the ground as their attacks rained down around him.

"Pathetic fools," he muttered, and placed two fingers to his lips, whistling loudly.

Beelzemon's motorcycle roared to life and began speeding across the ground. AncientGreymon was just getting to his feet when the motorcycle ran up his side, using him as a ramp, and flew through the air. OmniShoutmon caught sight of it out of his peripheral vision and called out to his friends. "Whoa, heads up, guys!"

They pulled back before the motorcycle could crash into them, and the bike landed near Beelzemon and kept going. The Demon Lord leapt up into the air and landed on his bike, standing on the handlebars. The motorcycle continued to ride as Beelzemon stood on it, firing up at the DigiDestined.

"What's this?" Ophanimon wondered out loud as she and the others flew about to avoid the bullets. "He has mental control of his bike?"

"Not quite," said OmniShoutmon. "His bike isn't exactly part of his Digivolution. It's actually its own individual entity. It's a Digital life form called Behemoth that used to go around seeking riders and possessing them. Beelzemon simply tamed and bonded with it. AH!"

One of the Demon Lord's bullets struck OmniShoutmon's shoulder, and he fell spinning from the sky.

"OmniShoutmon!" Omnimon cried. Ignoring the storm of gunfire, he turned and took aim at Beelzemon. "Supreme Cannon!"

The Demon Lord jumped up to avoid the attack as his motorcycle took off in a different direction. Holstering his guns, he met Omnimon in the air and unleashed his Darkness Claw. The knight Digimon countered with his Transcendent Sword, and the two exchanged a clash of claws and blades, Beelzemon using every contact with Omnimon to keep himself airborne.

Crying out, Ophanimon plowed into the Demon Lord, stabbing her javelin into his gut. Beelzemon managed to catch the end of the weapon before it stabbed into him, but was still carried off as she pushed him along.

"Eden's Needle!" she cried, and began firing needles of light from the tip of her javelin.

Beelzemon snarled as the needles showered directly into his stomach. He lashed out with his Darkness Claw, slashing the angel Digimon across the chest, knocking her javelin away from him in the process. Then he followed up with his Double Impact, blowing her away.

Imperialdramon had risen into the sky at this point, and was now speeding down towards the Demon Lord. "Dragon Knee!"

Beelzemon's arms came up to block the attack, but he was still kicked away. Imperialdramon used the opportunity to fire his Positron Laser at him. The attack pushed the Demon Lord back further, and Seraphimon flew into his path. "Strike of the Seven Stars!"

The attack hit, resulting in an explosion as it collided with Imperialdramon's Positron Laser. However, a few seconds later, Beelzemon dropped from the sky. He glanced from the angel Digimon to the dragon, and a grin spread across his face.

His motorcycle suddenly sped over to him, and Beelzemon dropped to a crouching position, slightly bent over. The motorcycle ran up his back and launched into the air, crashing into Imperialdramon's head, knocking him over. Beelzemon rose to his feet, guns in hands, and fired his Double Impact at Seraphimon. The angel Digimon deflected the first bullet with his Excalibur, but the second one struck his side.

Gallantmon, AncientGreymon, and OmniShoutmon began firing their Saber ShotOmega Burst, and Twin Fireball Strike. Beelzemon raced towards them, dodging the attacks, and was soon joined by his motorcycle, which he jumped into the rider's seat of.

Speeding past Gallantmon, he grabbed hold of his cable. The knight Digimon cried out as he was yanked along, and Beelzemon began doing donuts on his motorcycle. "Enjoying the ride, my fair knight? A bike beats a horse any day."

"Let go of me!" Gallantmon snapped.

He thrust his lance into the ground. Beelzemon did not let go of the cable, and was yanked off his motorcycle. He landed unceremoniously on the ground, and Gallantmon charged at him with his Gallant Charge. Beelzemon was taken off his feet and pushed back as the knight Digimon plowed into him.

"Shield Attack!" he cried, holding up his shield and unleashing a burst of energy from it.

Beelzemon was blasted into the air from the attack. He immediately pulled out his guns and took aim at the knight Digimon who was still airborne, but before he could fire, he was tackled by AncientGreymon. They hit the ground, the Demon Lord in the dragon Digimon's embrace, and AncientGreymon called out to his friends. "Distance!"

Knowing right away what was about to happen, the others fled. Beelzemon struggled in his captor's grip as AncientGreymon unleashed his Omega Corona, using as much power as he dared.

The fiery blast radius flowed outward, incinerating everything in its path. The DigiDestined put as much distance between AncientGreymon and themselves as they could, and while they were able to escape the blast itself, the shockwave still knocked them off their feet.

"I'll bet that did a number on him," Imperialdramon commented as he slowly got up.

"Don't be so sure," OmniShoutmon. "Remember, he is a Demon Lord."

They stared at the blast as it began to die down, waiting to see the result. All of a sudden, the large form of AncientGreymon came flying out of it, crashing to the ground in front of them. A moment later, Beelzemon came leaping out as well, his body singed and smoking. Fixing the DigiDestined with a glare, he began marching towards them.

"You little pests are becoming a real pain in my ass. If you're such goodie-two shoes, then just be good little humans and die already."

 

Notes:

(A/N: Our heroes are in big trouble. Beelzemon may be weaker then Leviamon an Belphemon, but they had help with Leviamon, and were at full power when facing Belphemon, and it still took Blast Mode to win. Against Beelzemon, they're on their own, utterly exhausted, and sleep deprived. Are they about to face another defeat so soon after already getting their butts kicked by the Demon Lords? Something tells me that this time Beelzemon plans on finishing the job. Stay tuned to see what happens.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Behemoth

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Unimon

Chapter 118: A Brief Victory

Summary:

(A/N: Alright, last time our heroes were in it pretty deep during their, sort of, rematch with Beelzemon, and things were definitely not looking up. Lets see if they can turn the tables a bit this chapter, or if they'll just end up even deeper in it.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 118: A Brief Victory

The DigiDestined grouped up as the Demon Lord continued to approach. They were well aware of the disadvantage they were at, and that was before factoring in their sleep exhaustion. Beelzemon, on the other hand, was not only much stronger than them, but fully rested. The battle was most definitely not in their favor.

"Guys, I really hate to say it," said Gallantmon, "but I don't think we can win. It's taking everything I have just to keep my eyes open."

"Well, who's bright idea was it to challenge a Demon Lord when we haven't slept for two days?" Imperialdramon demanded.

"Like we had a choice," OmniShoutmon growled. "We're lucky he even gave you time to Spirit Evolve at all. Chalk it up to wanting to crush us at our best."

A frustrated grunt escaped Omnimon. He realized the futility of the situation, and that aggravated him to no end. Maybe it was the grumpiness and lack of sleep impending his judgment, but if Beelzemon did end up killing them, then he at least wanted to make sure the Demon Lord didn't make it out of this unscathed.

As he stared at the approaching Beelzemon, he caught sight of the Demon Lord's motorcycle driving around in the background, and a figurative smirk appeared on his face. "If this is the end, then I plan on doing some real damage to this guy. Even if it's not to him directly. Keep him busy for a few seconds, guys, and give me some cover."

"Will do," AncientGreymon replied. "Gaia Tornado!"

He opened his mouth and unleashed a tornado. Beelzemon braced himself as the swirling vortex appeared around him. Using the claws of one hand to dig into the ground to anchor himself into place, he took aim with his gun. "Heartbreak Shot!"

"Giga Crusher!" Imperialdramon countered, firing his cannon.

The attacks collided, resulting in an explosion, and Beelzemon was thrown backwards from the shockwave. He turned it into a flip while pulling out his other gun and taking aim. Before he could fire though, Seraphimon, Ophanimon, and Gallantmon burst out of the smoke cloud. Beelzemon began firing up at them as they looped around in the air.

"This will be like shooting fish in a barrel," the Demon Lord commented arrogantly.

As he continued firing at them, OmniShoutmon flew out of the smoke cloud, keeping low to the ground. Beelzemon's attention shifted to him as the dragon Digimon flew at him, and one of his guns came down to point at him. "Double Impact!"

"Doom Drillpress!"

OmniShoutmon had been in the process of attacking before Beelzemon's gun was even pointed at him. His bladed foot slashed at the Demon Lord, sending his attack off course.

Beelzemon seethed at him. "You cheeky little-"

"Heavy Metal Vulcan!" the dragon Digimon cried, firing flaming bolts from his chest. They rose up to form a giant wall of fire in front of the Demon Lord, and Beelzemon snarled at it. "What do you think you're playing at?"

From above the firewall, Omnimon came soaring through the air, his sword raised. "Omega Sword!"

He dropped from the sky, bringing his sword down. His target, however, was not the Demon Lord. And while Beelzemon was obstructed by the firewall, Omnimon brought his sword down on Behemoth, slicing the motorcycle in two. The two halves flew through the air and bounced across the ground, coming to a stop several meters away from the Demon Lord.

"My bike!" Beelzemon raged.

Omnimon turned and took aim at the broken motorcycle. "Supreme Cannon!"

He fired once, twice, and the broken halves of the motorcycle exploded and burst into data. Beelzemon let out a furious cry as he watched the particles of data that were once his bike scatter.

Omnimon lowered his cannon and glared at the Demon Lord. "There. How's it feel to have something you care about taken away?"

"But don't worry," OmniShoutmon called down to him, "its data will reconfigure into an egg and hatch into a new one… in a few thousand years."

Beelzemon grit his teeth together, his claws digging into his palms. He let out an angry cry that echoed in the empty landscape before turning to the DigiDestined. "You think you're real cute, don't you? Well, taking something that belonged to me was a real mistake. It's time to put an end to this. Beelzemon Mode Change to… Beelzemon Blast Mode!"

The light faded, and a new Beelzemon stood in place of the old one. While still the same for the most part, his biker attire now seemed to be covered in armor. Large black crow wings stuck out of his back, and his eyes had changed from red to green, though he still looked as intimidating as ever. And most unsettling of all was the weapon that now encased his right arm, a giant blaster whose ends almost resembled pliers.

The DigiDestined stared. The last thing they had expected was for the Demon Lord to go through a Digivolution, even if it was just a Mode Change. OmniShoutmon, on the other hand, had a far more appropriate reaction. "B-B-Blast Mode!"

Ophanimon glanced at him. "You know this form?"

"Of course I do!" the dragon Digimon exclaimed. "We Digimon know all the forms of each other. But I never saw Beelzemon take it on before."

The Demon Lord slightly inclined his head. "But you still know. So why don't you enlighten your uneducated friends."

"Yeah, OmniShoutmon," said Gallantmon, hating that he had to agree with the Demon Lord. "Tell us what we're dealing with."

OmniShoutmon swallowed and took a calming breath. "Beelzemon's Blast Mode is the pinnacle of his power and spirit. He has a calmer mental state, but his speed and strength make him just as dangerous, if not more so."

"How kind of you," the Demon Lord mocked. "And while I may be calmer, I'm still plenty pissed off that you destroyed my bike. And so… Black Skewer!"

He held up his blaster. The pincer-like ends came apart, and a beam of black matter shot out. The DigiDestined dove out of the way as the attack flew past them.

"So, basically," AncientGreymon commented as he got up, "he's a stronger, faster, more powerful version of Beelzemon with new weapons and attacks that can fly and think more rationally since he doesn't lose his cool as much. That about sum it up?"

"More or less," OmniShoutmon replied.

"And now that we've gotten that out of the way…" said Beelzemon, raising his weapon, "Corona Blaster!"

He swiped his weapon and a destructive wave of darkness flowed outward. OmniShoutmon leapt forward and unleashed his Heavy Metal Vulcan, the fiery wall protecting them from the Demon Lord's attack long enough for them to take to the air. Beelzemon glanced up at them and grinned, pointing his blaster straight up. "High Impact!"

Lightning came down, heading for OmniShoutmon. Ophanimon quickly flew into him, pushing him out of the attack's path, narrowly getting hit herself. More lightning came down as the DigiDestined flew around to avoid it.

"Why can't we ever catch a break?" AncientGreymon growled. "It seems like every time we- AH!"

A bolt of lightning struck him, his large size making it more difficult to dodge, and he dropped from the sky.

"AncientGreymon!" Seraphimon cried. He turned back to Beelzemon and fired his Strike of the Seven Stars. The Demon Lord countered with his Corona Blaster, stopping the angel Digimon's attack, then spread his wings and launched himself into the air. In no time at all, he was in front of Seraohimon, and used his Beelzeb Kick, sending him flying.

"Seraphimon!" Gallantmon called to him. He fixed the Demon Lord with a glare. "Darn it. How are we supposed to beat this guy?"

Imperialdramon flew over to him. "We can do it. We beat Leviamon and Belphemon, and they were even stronger." He hesitated for a moment before glancing at OmniShoutmon. "Hey, they were still stronger, right? Even though Beelzemon's in his Blast Mode now, right?"

A grumble escaped the dragon Digimon. "Well, yes, they were. But we had a lot of help with Leviamon, and Tai managed to pull a deus ex machina victory out of his ass with Belphemon."

"Not to mention how tired we all are," Gallantmon added.

OmniShoutmon reluctantly nodded. "Yeah, that too. The point is, we're at a serious disadvantage right now."

"We always have been," Ophanimon pointed out. "But we can't give up. I just wish my healing power could cure exhaustion."

"If you're all done running your mouths," said Beelzemon, slowly turning to them, "I'd like to get back to killing you all."

"Kill this," said Omnimon. "Omni Blast!"

He fired lightning from his sword. Beelzemon did a flip in the air to avoid the attack, then flew at the knight Digimon. He came to a stop directly in front of him, intimidatingly, their faces almost touching. Omnimon jolted back, then swiped his sword. Beelzemon caught the blade in his hand and smirked.

"Omnimon, heads up!" Gallantmon called in warning. "Shield of the Just!"

His warning, while appreciated, also drew the Demon Lord's attention. And as the beam of Gallantmon's attack tore through the air, Beelzemon held up his blaster. With some quick hand motions, he drew a magic circle in the air, and pointed his blaster at the center, the end of it opening. "Corona Destroyer!"

He fired his blaster into the magic circle, and a powerful beam erupted from it. It collided with Gallantmon's attack, and immediately began to push it back. The Knight Digimon gasped as the two attacks came at him. "My attack!"

"Get out of there, you idiot!" Imperialdramon shouted at him.

He flew over to Gallantmon, enveloping him in his arms, and turned his back to the incoming attack. He cried out as he was struck, and dropped from the sky with Gallantmon in his arms.

"Guys, no!" Omnimon cried.

Beelzemon turned back to him and did his Beelzeb Kick right into the knight Digimon's chest. As Omnimon was knocked away, he used his Corona Blaster, sending an additional wave of destruction over him.

"I'm circling around," OmniShoutmon told Ophanimon. "Distract him."

"Not a problem. Sefirot Crystal!"

Beelzemon turned back to her, and his gun was suddenly in his hand. "Double Impact!"

He fired repeatedly, taking out one of Ophanimon's crystals with each bullet. The angel Digimon gasped in surprise, and Beelzemon smirked as he pointed his gun at her.

"Omni Core Fusion!"

The attack came from behind, and Beelzemon barely glanced over his shoulder at OmniShoutmon before it struck, blasting him out of the sky. And before he even hit the ground, he was hit with the dragon Digimon's Victorize Banking.

"Hit him hard!" OmniShoutmon called to Ophanimon. "Flame Cannon!"

"Eden's Javelin!" Ophanimon cried.

Beelzemon hadn't even gotten to his feet yet before the two attacks hit, resulting in an explosion. The dragon and angel Digimon hovered in the air as they waited for the dust cloud to settle so they could see the results.

They didn't have to wait long though, as Beelzemon came flying out of the cloud. He flew right up to OmniShoutmon and lashed out, and the clamp at the end of his blaster closed around the dragon Digimon's neck. "Well, well, look what I just caught."

"OmniShoutmon!" Ophanimon cried, and pointed her javelin at the Demon Lord. "Let him go! Eden's Needle!"

Needles of light began spraying against Beelzemon's back. The Demon Lord glanced at her and grinned menacingly. "Would you mind waiting for your turn?"

"Doom Drillpress!" OmniShoutmon cried, changing his legs into blades and kicking out at the Demon Lord. Beelzemon's other hand came up, catching his leg without even looking at him. Slowly, he turned back to the dragon Digimon, his smirk shifting to a sneer.

Keeping hold of his opponent, Beelzemon dropped from the sky. He slammed OmniShoutmon to the ground so hard that the land shook. And while the dragon Digimon was dazed, he whipped out his gun and pointed it up at Ophanimon. "Now it's your turn. Heartbreak Shot!"

He fired. Ophanimon thrust out her shield to block, but the bullet shattered her shield like pottery, and she was shot down from the sky. Beelzemon smirked at his handiwork, until a Twin Fireball Strike from OmniShoutmon struck him.

Turning back to the dragon Digimon, he fired his gun into his chest. The clamps came off from around his neck, and the Demon Lord delivered a Beelzeb Kick that sent OmniShoutmon flying across the plains.

Groaning, OmniShoutmon forced himself to his feet. He was joined by his friends, who regrouped around him as they looked on at the approaching Demon Lord. "Everyone ok?" he asked.

A grumble escaped Gallantmon. "To be honest, I've been better."

Ophanimon rubbed where she had been shot. "Had it not been for my shield, his attack might have killed me."

AncientGreymon did not take his eyes off Beelzemon, but his vision had begun to go in and out of focus. "Guys, I hate to admit it, but I don't think we can win. I'm so tired that my vision keeps getting blurry."

"We can't win," OmniShoutmon admitted as well. "Not in our current condition. We're too tired and drained. There's no way we can beat him."

Seraphimon's hands clenched as he tried to come up with a plan. There had to be a way to turn this battle around. But as Beelzemon slowly and calmly closed the distance between them, he had to admit that the situation did indeed look helpless.

Suddenly, he got an idea. He wasn't sure if it would work, but it was better than continuing with the way things were. "Guys, I have a plan," he told them. "Listen carefully."

He quickly explained what he had in mind and how to go about doing it. A few of them were a little skeptical about it; the plan was risky and would be hard to pull off.

"You sure that will work?" Gallantmon asked uncertainly. "Seems kind of dangerous."

"And if he notices what we're doing, we're done for," Imperialdramon added.

"We don't have a choice," said Ophanimon. "If things keep up at this rate, we're going to die."

A resigned sigh escaped Omnimon. "I agree. This is our best shot. Lets do it."

As he approached, Beelzemon scowled at the way they were whispering amongst themselves. "What are you lot muttering about? Making some secret plans to try and beat me? Well, I can tell you right now that it won't work."

Ignoring the Demon Lord, they got themselves ready for what they would have to do.

"Everyone ready?" Seraphimon asked. He received nods from everyone and nodded in response. "Ok, lets do it. Hallowed Ascension!"

Lightning began raining down from the sky. Beelzemon glanced up at it before smirking. He rushed towards the DigiDestined, dodging the bolts of lightning that dropped down around him. OmniShoutmon was charging towards him as well as the others held back.

"Heavy Metal Vulcan!" the dragon Digimon cried just before he met the Demon Lord at the edge of Seraphimon's attack range.

The wall of fire that rose up brought Beelzemon to a stop, and he growled in frustration. He was about to fly up over it, but AncientGreymon suddenly appeared at the top, and began launching his Omega Burst. Beelzemon leapt left, right, and backwards as the fireballs exploded around him, moving farther away from the DigiDestined.

Taking aim, he pointed his blaster up at the dragon Digimon. But as he prepared to fire, Imperialdramon came flying at him from down low, having emerged from OmniShoutmon's firewall just as it died down. He fired his Giga Crusher, but did not aim for the Demon Lord. Rather, he aimed at the ground.

The shockwave from the blast still knocked Beelzemon back, and the dust cloud that arouse obstructed his vision of the dragon Digimon. That is, until Imperialdramon emerged from it, using his Dragon Knee to knock Beelzemon away.

Omnimon and Ophanimon flew out from around Imperialdramon. Gallantmon followed a shot distance behind them. As Beelzemon recovered from the blow, Omnimon and Ophanimon plowed into him, the knight Digimon grabbing his right arm and the angel Digimon grabbing his left. They pushed him back while keeping their hold of him, and the Demon Lord struggled in their grip.

"Let go of me, you vermin," he snarled.

Using his superior strength, he slammed them both together. Pulling his arms free, he knocked Ophanimon away with a punch, then did the same to Omnimon with his Beelzeb Kick.

Gallantmon had been ready for this, his shield already charged. "Shield of the Just!"

The beam burst forward. Beelzemon's eyes widened, but more out of frustration than surprise. The beam slammed into him, and he was carried off by the attack.

"Did that do it?" Ophanimon asked hopefully.

Omnimon nodded. "I think so."

Gallantmon's attack died down, leaving a very angry Demon Lord behind, and he glared at the DigiDestined irritably. "You scum. I have to admit that your teamwork is impressive, but if you think that you can beat me with a few fancy combo moves, then you've got another thing…"

A glowing red light coming from behind him drew his attention, and he turned to find a data stream coming right at him, and his eyes widened in genuine shock. "What the!? No!"

There was no time for him to get out of the way. A bellow of rage escaped him as the data stream flowed over him, and he was transported away to another location in the Digital World.

"Alright, it worked!" AncientGreymon cried. "That was a great plan, Seraphimon. I don't think we would have been able to defeat him otherwise."

"You don't always need to defeat your opponent in order to win," the angel Digimon told him. "I just wish we really could have."

"We'll get another chance," Ophanimon told him. "This victory was about survival; we weren't in any condition to fight a Demon Lord."

"When are we ever?" OmniShoutmon grumbled. "Come on, let's get away from this data stream before it changes direction and gets us too."

They quickly put some distance between themselves and the data stream. Once they felt they were far away enough, the teens resumed their human forms, and all but collapsed on the ground.

"Geez, and I thought I was tired before," Davis complained. "I feel like I could keel over right here and now."

"Oh, I'm right there with you, pal," Takuya replied. "Think maybe I'll go to sleep right here, and the heck with the data streams."

OmniShoutmon shook his head. "Not an option. I'll carry you like I was doing before. Hopefully, we won't run into any more Demon Lords."

Kari gave him a look of concern. "OmniShoutmon, are you sure you're ok to do that?"

"I'll be fine. I'm a lot more durable than you guys are. Come on, up we go."

Once more, he gathered them up in his arms, and they were off again. The teens were asleep in moments, and OmniShoutmon couldn't help but to smile in amusement, despite how exhausted he himself was. His smirk widened as he thought about Beelzemon. Wherever he had been transported to, he knew that the Demon Lord must be raging mad that he had been bested. And while that may come back to haunt them when they met him again, OmniShoutmon couldn't help but take delight in their victory.

Hours later, they finally made it to the end of the plain. A mountain landscape greeted them, but only OmniShoutmon saw it since the teens were asleep in his arms. Just to be safe though, he carried his friends deeper into the mountain area until he was sure that they were safe from the data streams. Then he set about finding them some shelter.

It didn't take that long, and soon he was carrying the teens into a small cave he found. Setting them down gently so as not to wake them, he finally sat down himself, feeling as if his eyelids weighed a ton.

"Thank the Sovereigns for that," he mumbled sleepily. "So, whose turn is it for lookout duty?" He glanced at the still sleeping teens, and found that he couldn't find the willpower to move from his spot. "Ah, screw it. It'll be fine."

His eyes drifted shut, and then he too was asleep.

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A frustrated sigh escaped Laylamon as she stared at the screen of a Digimon that had a TV for a head, showing her the battle between Beelzemon and the DigiDestined. She had been so sure that her fellow Demon Lord was going to win, but then the humans had managed to knock him into that data stream. How much luck did they have?

"Well, that was disappointing," she grumbled. "And after all that time I spent hyping him up. Useless."

"What are you going to do now, my lady?"

Laylamon's attention shifted to the speaker. A Mega level Digimon known as Blastmon, whose body was made entirely out of diamond. With a 'harumph', she turned her nose up at him. "I guess I'll have to clean up Beelzemon's mess. Honestly, failing to kill these humans twice in inexcusable. Especially for a Demon Lord."

A sinister chuckle echoed throughout the room as a dark figure came down from up above. "Indeed it is, my lady. If word gets out that a Demon Lord failed yet again, you'll be the laughing stock of the entire Digital World."

Laylamon's eyes narrowed at the newcomer. "Boltboutamon."

"How dare you speak to my lady as such!" Blastmon reprimanded.

The demon Digimon just chuckled. "What do you mean? I merely spoke the truth. It's not insubordination. I simply stated a fact." He turned back to Laylamon, cocking his head so far to the side that it was nearly upside-down as his voice began to rise in volume and depravity until he was almost raving. "Just think of it, of the scandal it would raise. The Demon Lords, the scourge of the Digital World, bested by a group of puny human children. Two destroyed, one who failed to kill them twice. Why, even when five of them attacked together, they still couldn't kill the weak little humans."

Laylamon hissed and swiped her hand through the air. "Those humans are nothing compared to us, even with the power of the Guardians. Why, I could easily destroy them myself if I chose."

Boltboutamon laughed. "And yet they still live. And what more, two Demon Lords have fallen. This puts you in a rather compromising situation, even if you could easily destroy them."

"Explain."

"With pleasure." He licked his lips on a rather perverse manner. "While there's no denying that the power of the Demon Lords is off the charts and well-known throughout the Digital World, your power to rule is mostly due to fear and your reputation. If that fear lessens, then others will find their courage to stand against you. If your reputation is damaged, then others will begin to rebel. We could be looking at a full-scale revolution." His grin widened, seeming to stretch further than his lips were capable of spreading. "Wouldn't that be glorious?"

Blastmon crossed his arms and gave the demon Digimon a skeptical look. "I think you're blowing things out of proportion."

"Am I?" Boltboutmon asked, not taking his eyes off Laylamon. "Hope is a powerful thing. The residents of this world have lived without it for so long. Now that they have some, they will cling to it and fight for it with everything they have. And each victory they gain against the Demon Lords will only strengthen their resolve."

He tapped his fingers together excitedly. "Of course, like I said, you could always destroy them yourself, but here's where that will backfire. All five of you going after them once in retribution for defeating the other two was one thing, you were simply dishing out punishment, but to do it again, even if it's just one of you, would suggest that you're afraid of them to some extent and view them as a threat. And if the Demon Lords fear a group of weak little humans…" He snickered. "Well, you can imagine what the masses would think, even if you do kill the humans."

"We would crush any who rise against us," Laylamon told him.

"Eventually, yes, but they would certainly cause you a lot of trouble. Poor Demon Lords, having so much of your hard work in subjugating everyone undone by some puny humans."

"Enough!" Blastmon roared. "You will not speak to my lady so disrespectfully. Diamond Machine Gun!"

He punched outward, and countless crystals were fired from his body. They tore through Boltboutamon like tissue paper, and the demon Digimon fell in a heap on the floor. He still had a crazed grin on his face before he burst into data.

Blastmon growled. "One of his copies."

"Correct," came Boltboutamon's voice from behind him. The demon Digimon's arm slid over the mineral Digimon, almost caressing him, but in a threatening manner that had Blastmon sweating nervously. "Would you care to find out if this one is real?"

"Enough of this!" Laylamon snapped. "You came here for a purpose. What is it?"

Boltboutamon's hands slowly slid off Blastmon as he crept over to Laylamon. "Simple, my lady. The way I see it, you have two options if you don't want the Demon Lords to lose face any more than they already have. The first, you can wait patiently for the humans to come to you and kill them when they get here. After all, them coming and challenging you is different from you going after them as if they're a real threat. Of course, there will be those who wonder how some puny humans managed to get that deep into a Demon Lord's domain in the first place.

"The second option is to send someone to kill them for you. After all, these humans are opposing you, so it only makes sense that you deal with them, just not personally. Send one of you servants to take care of them and show that they're beneath you and not even worth your time. Of course, each failed attempt will still reflect badly upon you."

Having gotten over the discomfort that had fallen over him from Boltboutamon's touch, Blastmon thumped his chest. "My lady, allow me to deal with the humans. It is my utmost wish to serve you."

Boltboutamon laughed some more. "If only your brain were as big as your devotion. You're Lady Laylamon's most trusted and loyal servant. For her to send you would make it seem like she needs someone she can truly count on, which suggests a level of urgency from her. To make the humans seems as insignificant to you as possible, you should send someone who wants them dead personally. I believe a second chance is in order, if you catch my meaning."

Laylamon's eyes narrowed as she realized what Boltboutamon was suggesting. "You're saying I should send those two? After we just got them to the level they're at?

Boltboutamon shrugged nonchalantly. "They have a reason for wanting the humans dead. To the public, rather than making it seem like you're concerned about them by sending out your troops, it'll simply look like you're letting two of your subjects get the satisfaction they crave."

Laylamon considered this. A part of her felt like the demon Digimon was trying to play her in some way, and she didn't like it. However, she couldn't deny the truth of his words, nor could she see how this would be disadvantageous to her in anyway, or beneficial to Boltboutamon. It seemed like simple, sound advice.

The demon Digimon was indeed a bit if an enigma. He had joined the ranks of the Demon Lords' subordinates eagerly and willingly, seemingly for the sole purpose of being able to torment others. He didn't just follow orders, he took the greatest delight in them.

"Very well," she conceded, "send them. And they better get the job done. We don't give second chances too often, plus we used a lot of power and data to get them to the levels they're at. I'll be very displeased if they fail."

An amused chuckle escaped Boltboutamon. "Not to worry, my lady. I'm going as well. I wouldn't want to miss this."

 

Notes:

(A/N: Looks like our heroes got lucky. Unfortunately, the biggest damaged they seemed to do to Beelzemon was to his ego. Now they're dealing with his Blast Mode. Speaking of which, I used the appearance for his Blast Mode from his 2010 design since it was more of an evolution than his appearance in Tamers, which only included wings and a blaster. So, yeah, Beelzemon is now more determine to kill the DigiDestined than ever. But first he has to get back from wherever he was transported to. In the meantime, Laylamon is going along with Boltboutamon's plan to send two specific minions after them. Who are these two minions, and just what exactly is Boltboutamon playing at? Stay tuned to find out.)

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New Digimon that appear.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Beelzemon_Blast_Mode

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Beelzemon_(2010_anime)

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Blastmon

Chapter 119: Seeing Things

Notes:

(A/N: My busiest time of the year has begun. Glad I got a head start on things, so I should be able to update regularly. I'm a little, I guess you can say, hesitate to post this chapter because… well, you see why, but it was something I wanted to do, and it was something I had planned since the beginning. So, here we go.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 119: Seeing Things

"And I used to like doing things like hiking and mountain climbing," Tai grumbled as he and the others made their way over the rocky terrain.

Kari chuckled. "And when exactly did you go mountain climbing? I certainly don't remember anything like that."

Looking irritated, Tai glared at her. "Not literal mountain climbing. You know what I mean."

"I certainly do," said Davis. "When we get home, I'm done with outdoor activities for the next month at least. It's TV and video games for me until further notice."

TK smiled in amusement. "Kind of ironic since it's almost like we're in a video game."

"Nobody asked you, TP."

"He's kind of right though," said Takato. "It's like the ultimate RPG adventure game. Without the turn based battle style."

Davis groaned. "Fine, then count video games out for me too. It's pure, mindless TV for me."

"As long as I'm off my feet, I'll be happy," Takuya groaned as he adjusted his shoe. "This rocky terrain is killing me. Anyone else want to take a break?"

There were no complaints from anyone. Shoutmon shaded his eyes as he looked up at the setting sun slowly moving below the mountain range. "Sun's going down. Might as well call it a night."

"Shouldn't we look for some food or water?" Kari asked.

Tai looked around at the dead landscape. It was all rocky and devoid of any plant life. "I doubt we'll find anything around here. We'll just have to be more careful with our rations until we can restock."

They made do with the resources they had. Even the sticks they gathered from the few dead wood trees were so old and dried out that they barely burned, even with Shoutmon's Fiery Fastball.

"How much longer until we get to Laylamon's castle?" Takato asked as he attempted to stoke the fire.

"Weeks," Shoutmon told him with a sigh. "Maybe months if we get held up. The next closest one after that is Lucemon's. I say we skip that one and go after a different Demon Lord."

Tai raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Because we'll have a better chance at beating any of the others. So if we die fighting Lucemon, I want to take down as many of those other bastards as we can first."

Davis cut his eyes at him. "Thanks for your load of confidence."

The dragon Digimon just shrugged. "Just being realistic The Demon Lords are monsters, but Lucemon-"

"Is in a league of his own," Takuya interrupted irritably. "You never stop reminding us."

Picking up another stick, TK tossed it into the glowing embers. "It's just too bad we couldn't take down Beelzemon when we had the chance. It feels like a wasted opportunity."

Shoutmon shook his head. "It wasn't happening, not with as tired as we were. We'll get another opportunity though. There's no way he'll let us get away after our last battle."

A sigh escaped Kari. "I hate this sitting around and talking of how we're going to have to kill others, even if it is the Demon Lords."

Tai closed his eyes in regret. "Trust us, Kari, none of us likes it any more than you do, but we're not being given a choice. Even if we didn't have to destroy them to free the Sovereigns, they've made it very clear that they're not going to stop hunting us." He gave his sister a sorrowful look. "If it makes you feel any better, think of it as self-defense, only we're the ones making the first move."

Shoulders slumping, Kari looked down into the fire with a sad look on her face. "I guess that's all I can do."

Reaching out, TK placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. She gave him a small appreciative smile, and he returned it with one of his own before looking back at the others. "We should get to sleep. There's still a long way to go."

Tai nodded. "Yeah, better hit the hay. Who has the first shift again?"

Davis rolled his eyes. "Dude, ever since that night where we all fell asleep after fighting Beelzemon, the order has been all over the place."

Takato raised his hand. "I'll take the first watch."

"Fine with me, pal," said Takuya as he pulled his hat down over his eyes and laid down. "Wake me when it's my turn."

The others began taking sleeping positions as well. Tai glanced at their gathering of sticks, then at their pile of embers before addressing Takato. "I know the fire isn't burning too well, but even if you run out of wood, don't go searching for more alone."

Takato cocked his head to the side. "But we haven't seen that many Digimon lately, and aside from Beelzemon, those that we have haven't been hostile."

"I know, but just to be on the safe side. Don't want anyone to get lost."

Takato shrugged. "Well, if you insist."

And so began yet another shift of yet another night. Takato sat by the smoldering embers of their fire, the pile of sticks dwindling rapidly with the constant need to feed the flames. At this rate, it wouldn't last long, and they would be left in the dark.

Tossing in the last stick, Takato sighed as it barely had any affect on the dying embers. With a sigh, he glanced up at the sky. It was a cloudy night. The stars and moon, and even that strange model of earth, were blocked out by cloud coverage. Once the fire went out, they would be lost in almost complete darkness.

Takato glanced at the sleeping Tai. He knew he didn't want him to go wandering around for more wood, but it was getting darker and darker with the more the embers died out. Maybe if he just looked around a little bit, he would find something to burn. He wouldn't wander too far away, just within eyesight of the campfire.

Speaking of the campfire, he wouldn't be able to bring any burning branches with him since it was just a pile of glowing embers. Instead, he opted to use the light from his Digivice; it shouldn't waste too much power. And so he shined the light ahead of him, hoping to come across another one of those dead trees.

No such luck. All he found was more rocky terrain, and he was getting farther and farther away from their campsite.

"We really should have stocked up more before the sun went down," he muttered dryly, even though he knew they would have still run out eventually anyway.

Keeping an eye on the dying fire from where he was, Takato continued to search. However, as he wandered around in the dark, an uneasy feeling began to settle over him. He got the strangest notion that he was being watched, and he began glancing all around him, holding up his Digivice for light.

"Who's there?" he called into the darkness.

He didn't receive a response, but the feeling that someone was watching him got stronger. Then he heard it; movement over the rocks. He turned his Digivice in the direction of the sound. There was nothing there, but there was the sound of more movement, accompanied by the sound of flapping wings. Large wings.

"Alright, who's out there?" he said loudly, trying to sound bravery than he felt. "I'm warning you, I'm a lot stronger than I look."

There was more movement, and what sounded like heavy breathing. If someone was trying to scare him, then they were doing a pretty good job of it. And just as he was considering Spirit Evolving, the light of his Digivice went out due to inactivity.

"No, no," he muttered, and quickly activated it again. The light came back, and he held it up to the darkness… illuminating a face.

A cry escaped Takato at the six-eyed masked face. A sinister laugh escaped the unknown Digimon, and Takato made a mad dash back to the campsite. "Wake up!" he called to his friends. "There's a Digimon here!"

"Wuss goin' on?" Takuya muttered sleepily as he sat up.

"I think we're under attack," Takato reported. "I saw some Digimon out there."

"Where?" asked Tai, holding up his own Digivice for light as he looked out into the darkness.

Takato shook his head. "I don't know. Somewhere out there."

Davis grinned. "Beneath the pale moonlight?"

"Not the time, Davis," Kari scolded.

He pouted. "Just trying to lift the tension." He waved around his Digivice. "I don't see anything."

"It was out there," Takato admitted. "I was out looking for more wood."

"I told you not to leave the campsite," Tai reprimanded.

"The fire was going out. I didn't want to be left in the dark."

Shoutmon rolled his eyes. "What'd this Digimon look like?"

Takato's brow furrowed as he tried to picture what he had managed to get a glimpse of in the dark. "I don't know. Kind of like, uh…"

Something suddenly dropped down from the sky and landed in the middle of their group. The Digimon that Takato had seen earlier rose up to its full height, towering over the teens.

Takato pointed. "Like that!"

They scrambled away from the Digimon as it chuckled at them. "Now is that any way to greet an old friend? I'm hurt."

"Old friend?" Shoutmon repeated. He stared hard at the Digimon before them, and his eyes slowly widened. "It's you!"

"Shoutmon, you know this Digimon?" TK asked, not recognizing it himself.

Shoutmon was openly glaring at the Digimon. "We all do. That's NeoDevimon, the Ultimate form of Devimon."

"Devimon?" Davis exclaimed in surprise. But then he shook his head. "No, it has to be a different Devimon, right? There's no way the one we faced could have returned to power so quickly, let alone Digivolved. That should have taken centuries, right?"

"It should have," the dragon Digimon agreed. "There's no way it's him, yet it is. It's the same one. But how?"

Mocking laughter escaped the fallen angel Digimon. "You're correct, my little friend, it is I. Rather than having to wait who knows how many years absorbing data and getting stronger, the Demon Lords saw fit to grant me power to help me along. And now I've been given the privilege of taking my revenge." He stomped on the embers of their campfire as he said this, leaving the teens with only their Digivices to provide them with light.

"Revenge, huh?" Tai asked, eyeing the fallen angel Digimon up and down. "At the Ultimate level? Seems like your bosses set you up to fail. Execute! Spirit Evolution… Omnimon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Imperialdramon Fighter Mode!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Gallantmon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… AncientGreymon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Seraphimon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Ophanimon!"

"Shoutmon Digivolve to… OmniShoutmon!"

The light of Digivolution faded, and in its place, lighting up the area, the two angel Digimon provided illumination. Seven Mega level Digimon now stood before their first true enemy, once such a threat to them, but now far out of their league at the Ultimate level.

"How do you feel about your revenge now? AncientGreymon asked. "Still think you can take it?"

Much to their surprise, NeoDevimon chuckled, even as his words contradicted his apparent confidence. "Oh my, it seems I am indeed outclassed. Perhaps I better cut my losses and run. But first… Deep Sorrow!"

He flapped his wings as he fled from them, producing an evil gale. As the wind blew over the DigiDestined, they were overcome by feelings of despair. Despair that they were quite literally marching to their deaths. Despair that they would fall before the Demon Lords, and the evil Digimon would forever rule the Digital World. Despair that they would never see their friends and families again, that their bodies would never even be found for them to mourn over. It took everything they had not to curl into balls and weep.

OmniShoutmon deliberately dug his claws into his palms to use the pain to distract himself from his own morbid thoughts. "Don't let it get to you. This is just the affect of his attack. Rise above it. Keep your thoughts focused. Don't give in to the sorrow."

Gallantmon shook his head, trying to clear it of the depressing thoughts that had threatened to make him want to give up. "NeoDevimon. He's just as evil as ever."

Ophanimon slapped herself to try and regain focus. "You're right. Everyone snap out of it, we can't let him get away."

NeoDevimon laughed. "By all means, catch me if you can, humans."

He took off flying through the mountain range, staying low and soaring between the cracks and crevices. Once they had cleared their heads, the DigiDestined gave chase, firing off attacks when the fallen angel Digimon fell within their line of vision, a feat more difficult than it sounded with the way he stayed in the shadows while it was already so dark out.

"Coward!" AncientGreymon called after him. "Why don't you face us? Isn't that why you came here?"

Imperialdramon gave a smug bark of laughter. "Ha! He knows he's not strong enough to beat us. Guess he didn't know just how strong we got. He thought he had this in the bag, but now he's running scared."

While Imperialdramon's deduction sounded accurate enough, something about the situation wasn't sitting right with Seraphimon. NeoDevimon had said that the Demon Lords had not only resurrected him, but gave him the power so he could take his revenge on them. But that didn't make sense to him. The Demon Lord must have known that as an Ultimate, NeoDevimon wouldn't be able to defeat them. And they wouldn't waste power to resurrect him just to send him off to die again.

"Guys, I'm getting a bad feeling about this," he said as they continued following after the fallen angel Digimon.

"How so?" Omnimon asked as the crevice they were flying through opened into a much wider area.

"The Demon Lords wouldn't waste power just to send someone we could easily defeat. What if he's actually leading us into a tra-"

"Mental Illusion!"

Something had suddenly emerged from the shadows before them. The DigiDestined briefly caught sight of a white, red, and purple figure before a blinding white light flashed from it, and they were suddenly lost.

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Tai blinked as the light faded. His mind seemed to be wrapped in a fog, and it took him a few moments to get his bearings.

A hand suddenly fell on his shoulder, and he looked up to see a girl around his age standing beside him, giving him an amused smile. "Planning on sitting there all day? School's over you know."

Tai blinked again, and it started to come back to him as he recognized his girlfriend, Sora Takenouchi. "Oh, Sora. Sorry, I guess I zoned out a bit."

She just smiled at him. "Hey, it's fine. You try too hard. You should relax some more."

There was a chuckle, and they turned to the door to see their friend Matt standing in it. "No point in trying to talk him into relaxing. Always taking on all the responsibility. But that's what makes you such a good leader."

A snort of laughter escaped Tai. "You mean you're actually admitting it?"

Another head poked into the room that Tai recognized as his friend Koshiro Izumi, or Izzy as they all called him. "What are you saying, Tai? You're a great leader."

Suddenly their friend Mimi Tachikawa draped herself over Izzy from behind. "I think what he means is that he's surprised that Matt's admitting it."

A blush stained Izzy's cheeks as a result of his not so secret crush on her. Tai couldn't help but smile at them. As smart as Izzy was, he was completely clueless to the fact that Mimi not only returned his feelings, but he was oblivious to her flirting and seduction attempts. Tai knew that they would figure it out eventually, but it was still amusing to watch.

Sighing, Matt shrugged. "I can admit when I'm wrong. Tai has always been better than me."

"Glad you can admit it," Sora told him, then turned back to Tai. "You ready to go? We're supposed to meet Joe and Meiko soon. Or did you still have something you needed to do here?"

Tai frowned, wondering why he was still here. The school day was over, and he was never one to stay longer than he had to.

Shaking his head, he stood up. "Nah, lets go. Don't want to hang around here when we don't need to."

"Well, whatever you think is best," said Mimi.

Izzy nodded. "Yup, we completely trust your judgment."

Together, they headed out of the room and made their way through the school. Everyone they passed gave acknowledging head nods to Tai as he walked by. It really was good to be a leader that people could depend on.

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"You totally got this, Davis," his friend Willis told him as he headed for the soccer field. "No one's as good as you."

Beside him, his friend Yolei Inoue nodded in agreement. "Yeah, you're the best soccer player around. Not even the great Ken Ichijoji is a match for you."

Grinning broadly with his head held up high, Davis continued on his way to where the game was taking place. "You know it. It's good to get the recognition I deserve." He spotted his older sister in the crowd cheering for him. "Even my annoying sister has noticed my greatness."

Moving to catch up, his younger friend, Cody Hida, began walking next to him. "Hey, Davis, I was hoping you could teach me your secrets to becoming a great success. I know kendo is very different than soccer, but you're just so great that I'm sure that whatever you tell me I'll be able to apply to my training."

Davis stopped walking and placed a hand on the younger boy's shoulder. "No problem, little buddy. All it takes is getting a lot of sleep, playing a bunch of video games to keep your mind sharp and maintain good hand and eye coordination, and eat plenty of junk food so you'll have lots of energy."

Cody's eyes were wide with wonder. "Wow, really?"

"That's what I do, kid," he said truthfully. "Now, if you don't mind, I've got a game to win."

He headed out onto the field, taking his position. All around, the crowd cheered his name. Much to his delight, he spotted Kari in a cheerleader suit cheering for him, and he blew a kiss in her direction, making her squeal. Next to her, a girl who Davis recognized as their friend Catherine Denevue, also in a cheerleader costume, began cheering louder, and Davis smirked before blowing her a kiss as well.

"So we meet again, my worthy adversary."

Distracted from his cheering section, Davis looked to who spoke, and saw his friend and soccer rival standing across from him on the other side of the field. Davis smirked at him and crossed his arms. "Hey, Ken. Looks like we're facing off again. I'll try not to beat you too badly this time."

Ken smiled appreciatively. "Thanks for the handicap. Hopefully it'll be enough for me to get the drop on you, though I'm not going to hold my breath."

Davis gave him a thumbs-up. "Hey, just keep at it. You're the smartest, most athletic, and most skilled kid in all of Japan. Well, after me, of course. You're a true prodigy. Now, lets give these people a good show."

Ken nodded. "Looking forward to it."

The whistle blew, and the game began.

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"And that officially makes me the winner," Takato declared as he defeated his friend Kazu Shioda's final Pokemon.

Kazu grumbled and tossed his cards in the air. "Aw, man. You got me. I want a rematch!"

Takato just grinned. "Anytime, anywhere."

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw something appear next to him. When he looked, he saw a sock puppet that had been made to look like a dog right in his face.

"Ruff!" its owner barked for it.

Takato jumped away in surprise as his girlfriend, Jeri Katou, chuckled, holding the puppet out to him as she continued to talk for it in a high-pitched voice. "Takato wins again, but Jeri thinks he sometimes plays Pokemon too much."

"Hey!" Takato's other friend, Kenta Kitagawa, objected from beside Kazu. "There's no such thing as playing too much."

"Yeah," Kazu agreed, and pointed to himself, "especially when you're as good as me."

Jeri just giggled and began talking in her own voice. "It's always Pokemon, Pokemon with you guys. Don't you want to do anything else?"

Smirking, Kazu crossed his arms, positively dripping with smugness. "When you're the best at what you do, you've got to protect your title."

The clearing of a throat was heard as they were joined by another one of their friends. "What was that about being the best?"

Kazu suddenly let out a yelp, looking at the newcomer nervously. "R-Rika! Of course I wasn't talking about being better than you. You're so good that whenever anyone talks about being the best, they always mean after you."

She smirked arrogantly. "Got that right. No matter how good you are, you're nothing compared to the Pokemon queen."

An arm suddenly wrapped around her, pulling her close. "Second only to the Pokemon king."

Scowling, Rika Nonaka began to struggle out of his hold. "Darn it, Ryo, let me go!"

He just smiled, but did what she asked. "Whatever you say, pumpkin. I forget how you feel about public displays of affection."

Takato chuckled at their flirting, for lack of a better word. He didn't know why Rika didn't just swallow her pride and admit that she liked the guy. Then again, he didn't have room to talk since it had taken him forever to confess his own feelings to Jeri.

"Rika's gonna teach me how to play too," Jeri announced. She held out a huge stack of Pokemon cards. "I already have a bunch."

Kazu and Kenta's mouths dropped open. "Dude, where'd you get all those!?" the former demanded.

Rika simply placed a hand on Jeri's shoulder and directed her away from them. "Don't pay those idiots any mind. I'll show you how to really play."

Jeri held up her sock puppet. "Ruff! Jeri is grateful, Rika."

Takato chuckled as he watched his friends. This really was the life. No rules, no responsibilities. Just him and his friends having fun together, day in and day out.

"Dude," Kenta whispered to Kazu, "if Jeri gets as good as Rika, we're gonna lose all our best cards to her."

"Didn't you already lose all your best cards to me?" Then he suddenly remembered. "Oh, yeah, Takato, didn't you say your cousin was coming to visit today?"

Takato thought about it before remembering, and his face brightened. "Oh, right, he is. He's bringing his girlfriend too."

Kazu grinned. "Cool. Do either of them play? I'll bet I could beat them."

Ryo Akiyama nudged him. "You can't even beat Henry. Speaking of which, anyone seen him lately?"

Kenta just waved this off. "Ah, he got stuck babysitting his kid sister and the neighbor kids. I think he said he was taking them to the park."

"Oh," said Jeri, "should we go meet them?"

Takato stood up and stretched. "Sure. I've got nothing else to do."

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TK was excited. His brother, Matt, had a pretty big gig today, and he was looking forward to seeing his band perform. He wasn't alone there either. Kari was with him, as were several of their friends. But he was really happy with the two specific people who were here.

"Your brother's band is really awesome," his friend Mikey Kudo told him.

TK couldn't quite hear him over the cheering of the crowd and cupped his hand over his ear. "What?"

"He said your brother's band is really awesome!" cried Mikey's girlfriend, Angie Hinomoto.

"Oh, thanks," TK replied. "He practices really hard."

An arm draped over his shoulder, and he turned to see his friend, Jeremy Tsurgi, a little too close for comfort. "So when are you going to convince your bro to let me join his band? Everyone knows I'd be awesome in it. All the ladies love me. Right, Nene?"

The girl next to him, Nene Amano, just humphed. "The only way you'd contribute to the band would be to clear out the crowd at the end of the concert."

Jeremy visibly deflated. "Ouch, that one hurt."

Beside Nene, their friend Christopher Aonuma gave him a bored look. "When are you going to get it that she's just not into you."

A blush stained Jeremy's cheeks as their friends laughed. "W-Who said I was talking about her? I was talking about chicks in general. No, wait, I didn't even mention anything about getting any girls, Nene or otherwise."

"Good," Ryouma Mogami muttered with a smirk, "because no girl will ever look at you until you grow up."

"Ooh, harsh," Airu Suzaki muttered with a chuckle.

TK had to laugh as well as his brother's band finished up their song. Once it was over, Matt stepped to the mic and addressed the crowd. "Thank you, thank you. It's really great having you all here tonight. And I'm especially happy to have two very special people here tonight. The people who loved and raised my brother and I, our parents. Give them a hand."

A spotlight went on, shining on two people standing off to the side of the stage, the same two people TK was equally as glad to see here. He smiled at the sight of his parents happily standing next to each other, his father's arm wrapped around his mother. It really warmed his heart to see them together like this. He was really glad that things had worked out between them.

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"Morning, Kari," Haru Shinkai greeted her as she entered the library. "Anything I can help you find?"

She gave him an appreciative smile and shook her head. "No, thanks. I'm just meeting up with the others. Asutora said he had something important to show us."

Haru chuckled. "Yeah, I'm going to head there in a bit. Just waiting on Ai. The others are in the usual room."

Kari nodded and made her way to the soundproof room she and her friends usually reserved. The soundproof was necessary since their friend Torajiro Asuka, better known as Asutora, enjoyed showing his videos to his friends before he put them online, and they tended to get a rather loud.

Walking up to the door, she knocked and saw her friends on the inside take notice of her. TK got up and went to let her in. "Hey, you're here. Hajime is getting restless."

"I want to see it!" the young boy cried excitedly. "I always love Asutora's videos."

Beside him, Hajime's older brother, Rei Katsura, placed a hand on top of his head to still him. "Calm down, Hajime. You know it's just going to be another obnoxious video."

Asutora got right up in his face. "Obnoxious? No way! My videos are exciting! I'm an internet sensation!"

Sitting a distance away, Eri Karan flicked her hair back arrogantly. "Of course, you're nowhere near as famous as me. Being an idol is the best way to get popular."

Now Asutora invaded her personal space. "You may be more famous than me right now, but I'm going to surpass you soon enough. Will I? Won't I? Of course I will."

Kari giggled as she tried to decide who was more obnoxious, Asutora or Davis. She decided on the latter as she sat down next to TK. "So what's today's video?"

But Asutora just shook a finger at her. "Ah, ah. No spoilers. We've got to wait for Haru and Ai."

"We're here," Haru cried, rushing into the room with his girlfriend.

Ai Kashiki raised a hand in greeting. "Sorry about that. I got a little held up." She gave Haru a grateful look. "Thanks for your help."

She pressed a kiss to his cheek, and Haru blushed. "It was… It was nothing, really."

Sitting beside Eri, Yuuji Ozora gave him a smile. "Always the reliable one, eh, Haru?"

Haru blushed even harder while Ai just giggled. Rei let out an annoyed grumble and crossed his arms. "Can we please just get on with this? I haven't got all day."

"Sure thing!" Asutora exclaimed, and snatched up his laptop. "Contrary to what you were expecting, I didn't bring you here to show you a video."

TK raised an eyebrow. "Then why did you bring us here?"

"Because of what I found while I was making a video. Turns out my videos are so great that creatures from another world have made contact with me via the internet."

Haru's eyes widened. "Whoa, really?"

"Of course not," Eri said, crossing her arms. "He's obviously full of it."

Asutora glared at her. "Oh, yeah? Should I prove you wrong? Will I? Won't I? Just watch!"

He opened his laptop and, much to everyone's astonishment, several Digimon popped out of the computer. Kari's eyes widened in shock as she recognized several of the Digimon.

Hajime jumped up excitedly. "Oh, wow! Who are they?"

Asutora smirked. "Our new friends. They want to get to know us. Will we? Won't we? We will!"

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Takuya's eyes cracked open as he woke. The first thing he realized was that he was outside. The second was that he was lying beneath a tree with his head resting against something soft.

His gaze shifted a little higher, and the face of a girl with blonde hair fell into his line of vision. She smiled down at him and chuckled lightly. "Hey, there, sleepy head. How you doing?"

Takuya recognized his girlfriend and woke up a little more. "Morning. What happened?"

A giggle escaped Zoe Orimoto. "You fell asleep on our date, silly."

He blinked. "I did? Sorry, I guess I was tired."

From out from behind the tree, their friend Koji Minamoto made an appearance. "No kidding. After all that fighting you did with the Demon Lords, it's no wonder you're tired."

Takuya's eyes narrowed in thought. "The Demon Lords. That's right, we did have to fight them."

From the other side of the tree, his youngest friend, Tommy Himi, popped out. "Fought them and kicked their butts."

Did he? Takuya tried to think back, but his head was foggy. "I don't remember…"

Suddenly, several more of his friends began coming out from behind the tree and gathered around him. Had they been spying on his date with Zoe?

"You've got nothing to worry about," said his friend Junpei Shibaayama, or JP for short. "You guys did a great job."

"Yeah, you totally saved the whole world," Koji's twin brother, Koichi Kimura, told him with a smile.

A sigh escaped Katsuharu as he placed his hands behind his head. "Yup, there's no contest, you're definitely the man."

A snicker escaped Teppei as he pushed his glasses further up his face. "And to think, there was a time that you thought you were his better."

Katsuharu rounded on him. "As if you have any room to talk."

The only other girl in the group, held up her hands. "Come on, guys, don't fight. This is supposed to be a time of celebration."

"Chiaki's right," said Teruo. "Takuya deserves some peace and quiet after everything he's been through."

Takuya's eyes felt heavy. "Peace and quiet. Yeah, that sounds nice."

Smiling, Zoe gently stroked his cheek. "Then why don't you nap a bit longer. I'll be here when you wake up."

Before his eyelids slid shut, he managed to give her a smile. "Thanks, Zoe, you're the best…"

Just before he drifted off again, he thought he heard a sinister and familiar voice sneer out, "All too easy."

Notes:

(A/N: I'm sure some of you are confused. This chapter seemed to have suddenly taken a random turn, but it will be explained next chapter. For now, this chapter allowed me to bring in the characters from all past Digimon seasons. And what's this, Devimon has returned, in his Digivolved form too. Did you see that coming? Our heroes sure didn't and what's happened to them? How are they back in the real world? Stay tuned to find out.)

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New Digimon that appear.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/NeoDevimon

Chapter 120: Breaking Free

Notes:

(A/N: And we're back. Last chapter may have confused some people, but there were those that figured it out right away. Well done. So lets get back to where we last left off.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 120: Breaking Free

"Hey, guys, over here!" Tai called out as he waved to his friend sitting on the bench in the park.

Joe Kido looked up from the papers in his hands and smiled as he saw Tai and the others approaching. "Hey, it's about time you got here."

Matt eyed the papers he was holding. "Really? You're still studying?"

Grinning bashfully, Joe rubbed the back of his head. "Well, maybe a little. Meiko was quizzing me while we waited for you guys."

"And you did very well," the girl next to him, Meiko Mochizuki, told him proudly. "You got most of the answers right."

Sora chuckled. "Joe, you're the only person I know who volunteers for extra school work."

"He's just trying to keep up with Izzy," said Mimi as she traced patterns on the back of the object of her affection.

"T-Technically," said Izzy, trying to hide his blush as her finger ran along his back, "we both have a 4.0 grade point average, so we're both in the same boat."

Tai shook his head. "You both need to relax a bit more. Life's no fun if you spend all your time working and studying."

Joe cocked his head to the side then shrugged. "Well, if you say so. You do know best."

"Hey, how about we go get an ice cream," Meiki suggested.

Sora nodded. "Ice cream sounds good. What do you think, Tai?"

They began making their way through the park. But as they walked, a familiar voice called out to Tai. "This is the kind of thing you fantasize about?"

Tai stopped while his friends kept walking. He began looking around for the speaker, and realized that the voice was coming from up the tree he was standing by. Sure enough, a familiar figure was sitting on one of the branches. "Shoutmon?"

The dragon Digimon humphed before hopping down. He landed beside Tai and began looking around. "So this is the human world. It doesn't look all that different from certain parts of the Digital World." He glanced at the others still walking away. "Those are your friends?"

Tai smiled and nodded. "Some of them, but I've got more. Come on, I'll introduce you."

But Shoutmon just shook his head. "No, thanks. There's not much of a point in meeting mindless drones."

The smile vanished from Tai's face, and he narrowed his eyes at the dragon Digimon. "Hey, those are my friends. They're not mindless drones."

Shoutmon raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really? So your friends usually do whatever you want and hang onto your every word?"

Now Tai was confused. "What are you talking about?"

Shoutmon rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on. You can't tell me you haven't noticed. Those guys were basically acting like you know everything and are always right. You've told me about them, and these humans are nothing like the ones you talked about so fondly."

"But… But…"

Shoutmon sighed. "Look, I get it. You're considered the leader, and as such, others look up to you and expect you to make decisions. But do you really want your friends to just go along with everything you say with no thought of their own, even for simple mundane decisions?"

Tai frowned. He hadn't noticed it before, but now that Shoutmon had pointed it out, his friends had seemed overly agreeable and dependent on him. That wasn't normal. "What are you saying?"

"I'm telling you to snap out of it! This is an illusion."

Tai blinked. "An illusion? But-"

"Just think about it. What's the last thing you remember before you were with your friends?"

"The last thing I…" He crossed his arms and tried to think back. "Lets see. I was sitting in the classroom, but… I wasn't in school before that. I was…" His eyes suddenly widened. "NeoDevimon. We were chasing after NeoDevimon. This is his doing."

"Well done," the dragon Digimon congratulated, only he wasn't Shoutmon anymore, but OmniShoutmon. "But you're wrong, it's not NeoDevimon that did this. Lets got take care of the real problem."

Tai nodded. He glanced once more at his friends as they continued to walk further and further away from him, talking and laughing. A small longing smile crept up his face as he watched them fade away.

"I'll see you soon, guys," he promised as everything around him dissolved into fog. "The real you."

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"Davis! Davis! Davis!" the crowd cheered as they carried him on their shoulders.

A large grin spread across Davis' face as he was carried along, and he flashed them the victory sign. It had been such a great game, one he had dominated in, even against the great Ken Ichijoji. There was no doubt that he was the star of the team, scoring every goal and stopping the other team from ever getting close.

"Thank you, thank you," he told his adoring fans as they set him down. "I know, I'm awesome."

Kari came up to him and clung to his left arm. "You're so great, Davis. You're the best around."

Yolei suddenly appeared, latching onto his right arm. "Yeah, you're awesome. We love you, Davis!"

He chuckled arrogantly. "Of course, ladies. How could you not? I'm a regular super star."

He let out a hearty laugh that was soon interrupted by a disapproving snort. "I think I'm going to gag. This is just sickening. I mean, I knew you were full of yourself, but this is just… wow."

Davis looked down, and smiled broadly when he saw Shoutmon. "Hey, little buddy. Did you come to see the show? You see how amazing I was?"

Shoutmon scoffed. "The only thing here that's amazing is how big your ego is."

"What are you talking about? Of course I'm amazing. Just look at all these fans. It's about time I got the recognition I deserve."

"Mmm, hmm," Shoutmon muttered. He motioned at the fan-girling Kari. "And her?"

Davis smugly closed his eyes and held his head up high. "She finally realized how awesome I am."

"Oh, for the love of…" Shoutmon grumbled in disbelief. "And this is how you want her to be? A squealing fan-girl fawning all over you? When have you ever seen her behave even the slightest bit this way?" His gaze shifted to Yolei. "And her as well. That's your friend Yolei, right? Didn't you say she was with your friend Ken?"

Davis frowned slightly as he looked at Yolei. He had seen her fan-girl before, but never for him. As for Kari, he glanced at her, this type of behavior was indeed very unlike her. He'd always hoped that she would come to recognize his greatness, but now that he thought about it, her acting this way was just plain weird.

"Come on, Davis," Shoutmon continued. "Snap out of it. Do you really want this kind of attention?" He rolled his eyes and changed the question. "Ok, scratch that. Do you really think any of these people would react like this? All of this is an illusion meant to keep you locked in a fantasy."

Davis blinked. "Hold up, you're saying none of this is real?"

Suddenly both Kari and Yolei vanished from his side. Soon the cheering crowd around them began to fade away until only he and Shoutmon remained.

"You guys fell prey to a technique that takes your desires and amps them up to levels so high that they completely take over your mind," Shoutmon told him. "And I really hope for your sake that you're fantasies aren't actually as bad as this."

Davis' fist clenched. "Oh, I only have one fantasy right now. To kick the butt of whoever did this to me."

He walked off, leaving Shoutmon, who was suddenly OmniShoutmon, behind. The dragon Digimon just shrugged. "Well, whatever gets you moving."

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"Well," said Rika with her arms crossed, "you certainly look relaxed for someone who's supposed to be babysitting."

Henry Wong just chuckled as he watched his little sister, Suzie, play with the neighbor kids, Ai and Marco. "Well, I'm getting a little help."

Sitting beside him on the bench was their friend Alice McCoy, who waved to them as she scratched behind the ears of her dog, a large Doberman. "Hi, guys. How's it going?"

"Good," Jeri replied. "Rika said she's going to teach me how to play Pokemon."

"Well," Henry said with a laugh, "if you're going to learn, you might as well learn from the best."

Jeri nodded enthusiastically and suddenly latched onto Takato's arm. "Soon I'll be as good as Takato and his friends." She batted her eyes at him. "Right?"

A blush filled his cheeks. "Uh… right."

Rika just scoffed. "Uch, I don't know what you see in a goggle-head like that."

"What? He's a sweetheart."

Takato's blush deepened further. "Y-Yeah, a big sweetheart. That's me."

Henry burst out laughing. "I envy you, man. No responsibility at all. You can have fun and do whatever you want while I have to deal with this." He nodded at the three playing children as they climbed over the jungle gym.

Takato gave him a smile. "Well, it's not all fun and games for me. Usually I have to… Um… I have to…" He trailed off, trying to remember. He usually had something he needed to do after school, but for some reason, he couldn't remember what it was. "That's funny. What is it I usually do?"

Kazu clapped him on the shoulder. "Hey, man, you've got nothing to worry about. Just enjoy the fun times."

"They're never-ending," Kenta agreed. "You're a kid, you should just enjoy being a kid."

It still felt like he was forgetting something, but he just couldn't put his finger on it. He decided that it wasn't important and just shrugged it off. "Oh well. Guess it doesn't really matter. Anyone up for another Pokemon card battle?"

"Hold up there, pal!"

Something heavy dropped onto his head and around his neck. Takato saw two legs hanging down from his shoulders and glanced up to see a certain dragon Digimon latched onto his head.

"Oh, Shoutmon, it's you. Why are you on my head?"

Shoutmon snorted. "So I can do this."

He snapped Takato's goggles against his head before hopping down. Takato rubbed his head before glaring at the dragon Digimon. "Ow. What'd you do that for?"

Shoutmon pointed an accusatory finger at him. "Because this isn't the responsible, hard worker I know. You may be a goofball, but one thing I've always admired about you is how hard you work."

Takato cocked his head to the side. "What are you talking about?"

"Yo, Takato! How you been, man?"

Takato turned to see his cousin, Kai Urazoe, approaching with his girlfriend, Minami Uehara. Takato beamed and waved them over. "Hey, Kai, Minami!"

He began making his way over to them, but was suddenly tackled to the ground by Shoutmon. Takato groaned painfully before glancing back at the dragon Digimon. "What are you doing?"

"Focus!" Shoutmon snapped at him. "And just think. You told me that you don't normally have free time like this all the time. There's something you usually do after school for a few hours. Something involving bread, among other things. Sound familiar?"

"Bread?" Takato repeated. "But I get bread from…" His eyes widened. "My parents' bakery! That's right, I usually help them out in their bakery after school."

Shoutmon smiled. "There you go. I knew you'd remember."

"How could I forget?"

The dragon Digimon just waved this off. "Don't fret too much. You're young. Even young Digimon wish they could just avoid work and have fun all the time. With the way you're always helping your parents, I can understand why you would want to just be able to let go of all your worries and responsibilities and just have fun all the time. But, unfortunately, that's not something we can do."

"Don't listen to him," Kai replied, seemingly unaffected by Shoutmon's presence. "Lets just have fun. It's been awhile since we've seen each other. Let the adults handle the adult problems."

"Takato," the dragon Digimon growled. "Just think about it. Is this really what you want? To just play all the time and never have any responsibilities? Doesn't working hard and seeing the results give you a sense of accomplishment?"

Jeri held up her puppet. "Ruff! Working is no fun. What good is working unnecessarily, especially when you could be having fun doing something else?"

A growl escaped Shoutmon. "Takato, don't be fooled by these illusions. They may be a desire you carry, but it's not really what you want. You must realize this."

Takato slowly turned to the dragon Digimon, and he was smiling. "It's ok, Shoutmon. While it's true that I may end up helping my parents a lot, I actually really enjoy working in the bakery. And you're right, it does give me a sense of accomplishment." He looked back at his friends. "But even if I hated it, I'd still help out when I'm needed, 'cause it's what needs to be done. And it's more important. The real Jeri not only knows that, but admires it too. So you really are a fake. All of you are."

Still smiling, each of his friends were swallowed up by a fog that suddenly surrounded them. Takato blinked and looked around before realizing that he was standing alone with OmniShoutmon.

The dragon Digimon gave him a proud nod. "That's the Takato I know. You're a fun-loving goofball, but you take your responsibilities seriously."

Takato nodded back at him. "Right. No, lets go take care of business."

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Matt's band was jamming out, and the crowd was loving it. Things started to get a little crazy though when TK saw his friend Tagiru Akashi climb up onto the stage and mime playing the guitar. There was a groan next to him, and he turned to see his friend Mami Takahashi covering her eyes in shame.

"Why's he have to be such an idiot?" she wondered out loud.

Next to her, Nene's little brother, Ewan, crossed his arms as he watched in amusement. "It's just in his nature; he can't help it."

"No, he's just immature," Ren Tobari grumbled coldly. "He needs to grow up if he ever wants to get anywhere in life."

Beside him, their friend Mizuki frowned. "That's not very nice."

"He's right though," Hideaki Mashimo stated. "He should be more like me. I plan to work hard and save up enough to open my own takoyaki shop." He nodded to the boy beside him. "Just like Kiichi here will undoubtedly open his own railroad station one day."

The boy, Kiichi Funabashi, nodded. "That's the plan."

They returned their attention to the stage, where Tagiru suddenly jumped off the stage and began crowd surfing. Mami groaned even louder, embarrassed to know him. "I've accepted that, but can't he act a little more mature. Like you, Ewan."

Nene's little brother just grinned sheepishly. A moment later, Airu suddenly latched onto him. "Hey, don't try and steal my Ewan."

TK just chuckled at his friends, glad that most of them could be here for the concert as he returned his gaze to the stage. His sights weren't on his brother though, but on his parents standing off to the side. A warm and fuzzy feeling filled him as he saw his father's arm around his mother's shoulders, and it felt as if a hole had been filled in his heart; something that had always been in the back of his mind.

"So, this is the type of music you humans listen to. Not bad. I give it the Shoutmon seal of approval."

TK looked down, and sure enough, standing by his side was the dragon Digimon. TK was surprised, but pleasantly so, and he smiled down at his little friend. "Hey, Shoutmon, what are you doing here?"

Huffing, the dragon Digimon bumped his leg. "Looking for you, duh. This is no time to be jamming out."

TK gave him a confused look. "What do you mean? Why wouldn't I be here? This is my brother's concert. That's him up there. And look, those two over there are my parents."

Shoutmon looked to where he pointed, and a small frown crossed his face. "Your parents. Right. They look… happy together."

Now TK was frowning. "Sure. Why wouldn't they be?"

A reluctant sigh escaped the dragon Digimon. "This is just cruel," he muttered, seemingly to himself. "TK, you've told me a lot about your world and the people there. Do you remember what you told me about your parents? Something painful?"

TK's brow furrowed, and he was unsure what he was getting at. "What do you mean?"

Now Shoutmon groaned in frustration. "I'm really going to have to say it, aren't I?" He sighed again. "You told me before that your parents are ex-mates, remember? What did you call it again…? Divorced. You said they were divorced." He motioned to the couple. "So why would they be here like that, looking very much like a couple?"

Now TK was frowning as he looked back at his parents as they smiled happily together. "But… they…"

Shoutmon gave him a sympathetic look. "I really hate to break it to you, pal, but you're living in a fantasy right now. This is one of your innermost desires. But, TK, you know this isn't real, no matter how much you want it to be."

TK looked back at his parents, at how happy they were together, and he realized that Shoutmon was right. This wasn't real. His family had been broken for years, and nothing was going to change that. This really was just a fantasy.

He felt something wet on his cheeks, and realized that he was crying. When had that happened? He hadn't even realized his eyes had started tearing up. Shoutmon saw those tears and winced at the thought that he was partly responsible for them, and he cursed this illusion for creating such a cruel fantasy for him.

"Aw, heck, kid, I'm sorry. I know this must be really hard on you. I hate having to make you wake up this way."

Despite his tears, a smile managed to make its way up TK's face. "No, Shoutmon. It's fine. This is… This is something I accepted already, a long time ago. But I always had this fantasy of what my family would be like if my parents never split up."

He reached up and wiped his eyes. "But what happened with my parents did teach me something. It taught me not to make the same mistakes that they did. And I don't intend to."

The crowd around them vanished, and Shoutmon, now OmniShoutmon, gave him a proud nudge. "You really impress me, TK. To take a painful experience like that and to turn it into strength is not easy. Now, what do you say we apply that strength to our mission?"

TK nodded. "You bet."

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Kari couldn't believe it. Humans and Digimon were getting along. Her friends didn't see them as monsters, but as fellow living creatures, and they were all getting along.

"Ok, I'll admit it," said Eri, "this is one amazing discovery."

"I know, right!" Asutora exclaimed. "Think I'll get the Nobel prize for it? Will I? Won't I?"

Kari chuckled as she looked down at the Salamon sitting on her lap. This really was great. She had made several Digimon friends. It was good to know that they could get along with her human friends. She hoped that her other friends would be able to see them in the same light. Data, DNA, it didn't matter what they were made of, they were all living beings.

Smiling, she turned to Shoutmon, who had been one of the Digimon to pop out of the laptop. "So, Shoutmon, how are things in the Digital World?"

The dragon Digimon smirked. "Things are going great. And as the Digimon King, I've decided to serve as an ambassador. It's my hope to establish a peaceful, friendly relationship with the humans."

Kari beamed joyfully. "That's great! I didn't think it was possible that the human world and the Digital World would be able to interact like this."

He just grinned and winked at her. "Believe it, sweetie, because when humans and Digimon work together, anything is possible."

"Enough of this nonsense!"

From up above, a second Shoutmon dropped down, slamming his mic down on the head of the first one, who promptly fell to the floor. Kari stared in shock before looking at the second Shoutmon, who just humphed at the first. "It wasn't even a convincing impersonation."

"What did you do!?" she exclaimed, fearful for the collapsed dragon Digimon.

Shoutmon cocked his head to the side. "What do you mean? Don't you know who I am?"

"You're another Shoutmon."

The dragon Digimon rolled his eyes. "No, it's me, your friend, Shoutmon. The one who's been traveling around with you. I can't believe you'd be fooled like this. That guy didn't even do a good impression of me."

Kari blinked. "So wait, you're my Shoutmon?"

He sighed. "Well, I guess I can't really hold it against you since all you humans look the same to me." He shook his head. "But that's not important right now. Kari, you've got to snap out of this."

"Snap out of what?"

"This illusion. Look."

He threw a Fiery Fastball at TK. She cried out when it struck him, but then watched as he simply faded away. A fog suddenly rolled in and swallowed up everything. Her friends and the other Digimon faded away as well until only she and Shoutmon were left.

"You mean none of it's real?" she asked sadly.

He shook his head. "I'm sorry, Kari, but there's no friendly relationship between the human world and the Digital World, and I don't think there ever will be. We're literally from different worlds."

"But then what was…?" She trailed off as it began to come back to her. "We were in battle, and we got caught up in a bright light. After that, I… This was all a trick."

"I'm afraid so," came the voice of OmniShoutmon. "And it's time to wake up so we can deal with the real problem. I must admit, I like your fantasy, but we have to face reality."

She nodded. "Right. We'll finish restoring peace to the Digital World and get home. After that, well, I guess we'll have to see."

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Takuya always loved the period of being on the verge of sleeping and waking up. It was always so relaxing. And he deserved to relax after everything he'd been through; saving the world was a big responsibility.

"Well, you're looking pretty comfortable."

Takuya cracked an eye open to see Shoutmon resting against the tree beside him. He woke up a bit more and gave the dragon Digimon a smile. "Hey, Shoutmon. Look, this is my girlfriend, Zoe."

Shoutmon glanced at the girl Takuya was resting against before giving a nod in acknowledgement. "And I see you're taking a nap on her lap."

Takuya chuckled. "Well, everyone deserves to relax after working real hard."

Shoutmon raise an eyebrow at this. "Really? And what job was that?"

Takuya open his mouth to answer, then stopped. He thought about it for a bit, but couldn't for the life of him remember what he had done. "Hey, Zoe, what job was it that I did again?"

She giggled. "Come on, silly, you know. Defeating the Demon Lords and saving the Digital World of course."

"Oh, yeah, that. That's what I did."

Shoutmon scoffed at this. "Defeated the Demon Lords. Right. And remind me, how exactly did you do that?"

"Well, I…" he trailed off as he once again drew a blank. Thinking back, he remembered that he and his friends had managed to defeat Leviamon and Belphemon, but he couldn't recall what had happened with the others. "Zoe, did I happen to tell you how my friends and I defeated the Demon Lords?"

She just smiled at him. "Oh, don't worry about that. Just enjoy your time with me and your friends. You deserve it."

Takuya smiled back, feeling sleepy once more. "You're right, it doesn't matter. It's done and over with."

A snort escaped Shoutmon. "I never would have pegged you to be the type of person to leave things unfinished, but still try and reap the rewards."

Takuya sat up, looking outraged. "I do not! Why would you think that?"

Shoutmon hopped to his feet and pointed at him. "Because deep down you know that the job isn't finished. That's why you can't remember, because we haven't done it yet."

Takuya's brow furrowed in confusion. "But then… how am I back home?"

"You're not. This is an illusion." He sighed and crossed his arms. "I can understand you not wanting to fight anymore. I know that you'd rather just skip over all of this and get back to your world. Trust me, I get it. But we can't pretend that our problems are gone and move on like they're not hanging over us. It's a responsibility we have to own up to. Even if the job really sucks."

His words hit Takuya like a ton of bricks. Slowly, his gaze turned to his friends as they enjoyed a picnic. He watched as they were sucked up by a fog that suddenly rolled in and vanished. Then he looked back at Zoe, and she too faded away.

Feeling a deep sense of loss, Takuya stared at the spot she had disappeared for several long moments. Then, for reasons he couldn't explain, a smile crept up his face, and he let out a deep sigh.

"You're right, Shoutmon. I'm not one to take credit for things I didn't do, or to reap the benefits for a job that's not finished. If I want to get home, then the Demon Lords need to be stopped." He turned back to the dragon Digimon, realizing that he had Digivolved. "And that's exactly what we're going to do."

OmniShoutmon nodded in satisfaction. "Well spoken. And now that all of you are awake, we can finally get this show on the road."

The fog surrounding them then swallowed up everything, and a blinding light filled their vision.

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The light faded, and the DigiDestined, all in their Digimon forms, could see once again. With their heads clear, they glared at NeoDevimon before them.

"What!?" the demon Digimon exclaimed. "How have you regained your senses? You should be lost in illusion!"

"Sorry to disappoint you, pal," Imperialdramon told him, but your little fantasy world failed thanks to our buddy here."

OmniShoutmon, however, was looking all around warily. "That illusion didn't come from him. Someone else is here. Whoever you are, show yourself!"

A sinister laughter echoed off the walls. There was something oddly familiar about it, and not in a good way. It was mocking, and held the promise of something horrible to come. "You humans are a major nuisance. It'll be a real pleasure to spill your blood on the ground."

"Where are you?" Omnimon demanded. "Come out and face us, you coward!"

"Coward? You think that just because I hide that it means that I'm afraid of you? How naïve you are. I simply enjoy toying with my prey before I make my move."

Ophanimon gasped loudly. "That voice! I still hear that voice in my nightmares." All heads turned to her, but she didn't even notice as she scowled at the shadows. "Myotismon!"

The others gasped as more mocking laughter echoed all around them. "I'm not surprised you recognize me, my little pet. You know, I never did get to sample you… in many ways."

Revulsion twisted the angel Digimon's stomach. "I'm guessing the Demon Lords resurrected you as well since you're the kind of sick, twisted individual that they would take pride in."

"That's quite hurtful, little human. But you are right; the Demon Lords revived me, and even made me stronger than ever. And now they've given NeoDevimon and I the chance for revenge."

"Then why don't you come and get it," Gallantmon demanded. "Unless you think we'll just beat you again."

A knowing sneer was heard. "Yes, I suppose the cat and mouse game is over. Now lets get to the main event."

On the canyon walls, the shadows started to move as something began to emerge from them. OmniShoutmon spotted the movement and pointed at the shadows. "Look! On the wall over there."

"But is it Myotismon or VenomMyotismon?" Seraphimon wondered out loud.

A large white and purple figure stepped out of the darkness, and they realized it had been the figure they had seen before they had succumbed to their illusions. They had never seen anything like it before, but it had the face of the vampire Digimon they were familiar with. However, it was more feral, with a larger mask and a mouth full of teeth that looked like they belonged to a shark.

"Actually," he declared, "you can call me MaloMyotismon."

"MaloMyotismon?" AncientGreymon repeated. "OmniShoutmon, got any info for us on this guy?"

A growl escaped the dragon Digimon. "Brace yourselves, guys. MaloMyotismon is the Digivolution of VenomMyotismon, but now he's regained the intellect and self-control of Myotismon he lost when he became VenomMyotismon. He's capable of reading the fears of others and tries to make those fears a reality. He's one twisted Digimon who loves suffering and despair. There's nothing more evil than MaloMyotismon."

"I believe that," said Seraphimon, who had always viewed him as someone even worse than even the Demon Lords. "This guy practically oozes evil."

"Practically?" Gallantmon asked.

Imperialdramon just scoffed. "Come on, this guy's nowhere near as big as VenomMyotismon. Heck, I'm bigger than him now. How tough could he be?"

"Careful, Imperialdramon," Omnimon warned. "Don't forget that when I Digivolved from MetalGreymon to WarGreymon, I went from the giant that I was to a much stronger, yet much smaller size."

"Just be careful," OmniShoutmon warned. "This guy is no joke. And beware of those jaws on his shoulders, they're sentient creatures called Sodom and Gomorrah, and can act on their own."

MaloMyotismon chuckled as he stepped forward. "My little friends are the least of your worries. I'd initially intended to ensnare you all in my illusion and then take my time killing you. But it looks like that's off the table. Tell me, OmniShoutmon, how come my Mental Illusion didn't work on you? Your desires should have taken over your mind."

OmniShoutmon just scoffed. "What do I need of some deep desire? Ever since I met these guys, my life has improved drastically. For the first time in thousands of years, I have hope. And as for my dreams, we're well on the way of accomplishing them. With the exception of some ugly, masked freak standing in our way, my life as it is, well, it's actually going great."

His friends looked at him in surprise, touched by his honesty and affection. "Wow, OmniShoutmon…" Gallantmon whispered.

MaloMyotismon just groaned. "How utterly disgusting. I'll have to put you down quickly before you make me sick."

Imperialdramon gave a bark of laughter. "Yeah, right. You and your little Ultimate level friend there?"

This time it was NeoDevimon who laughed. "You humans are so very ignorant. Do you really think the Demon Lords would send an Ultimate to fight seven Megas? They gave me a lot more power than that of a mere Ultimate. I simply used this lower level form to get you to chase me right into our trap."

Behind his mask, Seraphimon's eyes widened. "Then… does that mean…?"

"NeoDevimon Mega Digivolve to… NeoMyotismon!"

And there it was, their first true enemy in all his Mega glory. He looked like a monstrous, humanoid bat-like creature, and was very intimidating.

"Oh, great," Gallantmon mumbled. "He's upgraded from a Devimon-species to a Myotismon-species. Now we've got two vampire freaks to deal with."

"NeoMyotismon," said OmniShoutmon. "Beware of his Nightmare Leeches attack. He can use it to send out spirits called Evilvil to suck out an opponent's energy."

"Like Gallantmon said," AncientGreymon replied, "two vampire freaks."

"Make it three," came another voice. A portal opened up between MaloMyotismon and NeoMyotismon, and Boltboutamon slipped out of it. "Or did you forget that a Myotismon was the other half of my DNA Digivolution?"

 

Notes:

(A/N: Well, this isn't good. Myotismon and Devimon have both been resurrected by the Demon Lords and are now Megas, and now Boltboutamon is with them as well. This is going to be quite problematic for our heroes. And speaking of which, sorry if the whole illusion thing dragged on a bit. I didn't mean for it to, but something stories write themselves. It was supposed to be dramatic and insightful for their character development, and a way to include other Digimon human characters into the story. But now things can get back underway. It's time for a rematch between our heroes and some of their first main enemies.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/MaloMyotismon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/NeoMyotismon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Nightmare_Leech

Chapter 121: A Chance For Revenge

Notes:

(A/N: I had someone ask that if the Demon Lords are the evil rulers of the Digital World, then where did the likes of ShadowSeraphimon, Myotismon, and Devimon stand, not to mention Boltboutamon? This would be the best comparison. The Demon Lords are essentially the self-appointed "presidents" of the Digital World, and the main villains the teens have faced are more or less like governors of mayors they appointed. They've basically been granted free reign, but still answer to the Demon Lords. As for Boltboutamon, he's the type of villain that just does whatever he wants and is simply working for the Demon Lords because it's fun, but holds no real loyalty to them. So that's basically where everyone stands. Hope that clears things up. Now, our heroes are about to face off against not one, not two, but three Myotismon-species. Lets hope they can handle it.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 121: A Chance For Revenge

An annoyed groan escaped Omnimon. "Oh, great. What are you doing here?"

Boltboutamon's grin spread from ear to ear. "Why, I'm here to oversee these two and make sure they don't screw up again after having failed to kill you once already. The Demon Lords used a lot of data to get them to the levels they're at now. They don't want it to go to waste. And also," his grin somehow grew impossibly wider, "I wanted to have a little fun with you myself."

OmniShoutmon swore. "We might as well be facing a Demon Lord."

"Why are you doing this?" Omnimon demanded. "From what I can tell, you have no true loyalty to the Demon Lords. So why devote yourself to them?"

Boltboutamon just snickered. "It's really very simply, my dear boy. Because it's fun."

Gallantmon grumbled. "Ok, it's official. Anyone who has any bit of Myotismon in them is one sick individual."

MaloMyotismon just laughed. "Coming from you, I take that as a compliment."

"Enough of this," said NeoMyotismon. "I've been looking forward to taking my revenge, and I want to enjoy this. Doom Cannon!"

He fired a beam of dark energy. Most of the DigiDestined scattered, but Seraphimon charged forward and threw a punch, firing his Hallowed Knuckle attack a ball of light flew out of his fist and blasted against the beam. A grin spread across NeoMyotismon's face at the angel Digimon's counter attack. "I knew you would challenge me. It's because of you that I was defeated. This time you're mine."

"And you're mine, little lady,"MaloMyotismon said to Ophanimon. "I never did get to sample you."

She just glared at him from behind her helmet. "If you want a piece of me, then come and get it."

A growl escaped OmniShoutmon. "Unfortunately, we won't be able to help you. It's going to take all of us to defeat Boltboutamon."

The demon Digimon in question chuckled. "Defeat me? Why make things so final. Lets simply… have some fun. Pernicious Waltz!"

He snapped his fingers, and blades suddenly appeared around all the DigiDestined except for the two angel Digimon. They were forced to either block or dodge them as Boltboutamon snickered at them.

"You deranged lunatics!" Omnimon shouted, and flew at the demon Digimon, swinging his sword. Much to his surprise, Boltboutamon didn't even try to dodge or block, and his blade sliced him in half. The two halves dissolved away to data. This made Omnimon blink. "What the?"

A portal opened up behind him, and a sneering Boltboutamon emerged, a gun pressed against the knight Digimon's back. "Made you blink."

The gun in his hand went off as Boltboutamon used his Baleful Draw. Omnimon slowly dropped down from the sky and crashed to the ground. Ophanimon called out her brother's name and tried to get to him, but was blocked by MaloMyotismon. "Your fight is with me, my dear. Remember?"

Gallantmon glared at Boltboutamon furiously. "You lousy son of a… Lightning Charge!"

A sphere of electricity appeared around him, and he charged at the demon Digimon with Imperialdramon, AncientGreymon, and OmniShoutmon right behind him. Boltboutamon just chuckled as he flew back into another portal and emerged high up in the sky above the clouds. The others pursued them as NeoMyotismon turned his full attention to Seraphimon. "This battle won't be like our last one, boy. I'll be the one striking you down this time."

Seraphimon's fists clenched. "You want a strike? I'll give you one. Strike of the Seven Stars!"

He fired his balls of light, but NeoMyotismon just grinned. "I expected as much. Nightmare Leeches!"

From out of his body, he launched leech-like creatures with suction cups for mouths aligned with sharp teeth. Seraphimon realized that those must be the Evilvil OmniShoutmon had mentioned, and he watched as the little spirits swallowed his energy balls. They then returned to NeoMyotismon, vanishing into his body. The demon Digimon chuckled as he was filled with power.

"I told you this battle would be different. Now, give me more. Nightmare Leeches!"

He fired more Evilvils, this time targeting the angel Digimon himself. Seraphimon got ready and used Excalibur. He slashed at the Evilvils, slicing them apart as they came at him. The vampiric spirits were easy enough to dispose of, though one managed to avoid his blade and latch onto his arm. He felt it bite straight through his armor and begin to drain his energy.

Grabbing the Evilvil, he ripped it away and crushed it in his hand. NeoMyotismon suddenly slammed into him, and Seraphimon was knocked back. This was followed up by his Doom Cannon, and the angel Digimon was blasted away.

"Blue Obliteration!" NeoMyotismon cried, and his arms shot out. They grabbed hold of Seraphimon, his claws digging in, and the angel Digimon suddenly felt like an open book as the demon Digimon divulged him of all information.

Doing his best to push him out of his mind, Seraphimon cried out and unleashed his Hallowed Ascension. Bolts of lightning rained down on NeoMyotismon, who, in turn, released him. Seraphimon then flew forward, punching the demon Digimon in the jaw while firing his Hallowed Knuckle.

NeoMyotismon was knocked back. He hovered in the air for a few moments before reaching up to wipe his split lip, and he sneered at the angel Digimon. "You've gotten so much stronger, little human. You've really come a long way from the helpless child you were who sat on the sidelines while your friends fought your battles for you."

Seraphimon glared at him. "And you've become an even bigger pain than before. Bet you wish you had some of your black gears with you."

The smile fell from the demon Digimon's face. "That was a perfectly executed plan. To take control of the Digimon of File Island and corrupt newly reborn Digimon when they were still young to create an army. But you had to ruin everything."

"Glad to hear it. Strike of the Seven Stars!"

"Doom Cannon!"

The two attacks came together and exploded, leaving a large cloud of smoke behind. From down below, Ophanimon came flying up, going right through the cloud of smoke, using it for cover. MaloMyotismon came up after her, flying right through the cloud of smoke and out the top. He looked around when he saw no sight of the angel Digimon anywhere.

Then, from out of the cloud of smoke from which she had stopped in, Ophanimon came flying up, and stabbed her javelin into MaloMyotismon's back. The demon Digimon snarled, and then lashed out with his tail. Ophanimon just managed to avoid being impaled on the pointed end, and MaloMyotismon turned to her, sneering.

"Even now you make me work for my meal," he taunted, baring his shark-like teeth. "But in the end, that will make it all the sweeter."

She pointed her javelin at him. "If you want something to eat, then just open wide, and I'll stick my javelin right down your throat."

The demon Digimon just chuckled. "So cheeky. But you're simply putting up a brave front. No one can hide their fears from me. You might seem focused, but you're very worried about your brother. And rightly so; Boltboutamon's attacks are quite deadly and powerful, especially when taken head on."

Ophanimon's eyes darted down to the fallen Omnimon before she shook her head and returned her attention to the demon Digimon. "He'll be ok. Omnimon is strong. He's survived much worse than a gunshot wound."

As ludicrous as that sounded, it was true. They had all suffered and survived far worse; though she was worried over the fact that he hadn't gotten up yet.

MaloMyotismon, however, just laughed again. "That may be true, on the surface, but you don't truly know just how powerful Boltboutamon is. Or me for that matter."

"Strong enough for this? Sefirot Crystal!"

"Screaming Darkness!" MaloMyotismon countered, unleashing burning streams of darkness from all different opening on his body. The dark beams obliterated Ophanimon's attack and flowed over the angel Digimon. She held up her shield, but it did little block.

Then MaloMyotismon plowed into her. Ophanimon jabbed forward with her javelin, but MaloMyotismon's hand came up. Each of his fingers seemed to contain pincers at the end, and they grabbed the pointed end of her weapon, holding it back. Then his other hand came up, grabbing her torso and pulling her in close.

It seemed that what OmniShoutmon had said before about the jaws on MaloMyotismon's shoulders being sentient were true, as the one closest to her opened, the long red fangs dripping with saliva. As it moved to bite her, Ophanimon stuck out her shield to hold the jaws back.

"Careful, my dear," MaloMyotismon taunted. "My little friends are just as hungry as I am."

"You're disgusting."

"And you're delicious. Or at least you will be. How about some shish-kabob?"

She realized what was going to happen a second before it did. MaloMyotismon's tail shot out to stab her. Somehow, she managed to kick out and knock it away. The demon Digimon just laughed and tried again, but she successfully managed to knock his tail away again. Each time, however, the shoulder-jaw she was holding back came a little closer to chomping down on her.

"Struggle all you want, my dear. Tonight I will finally be able to sample you. I can already taste your fear, and soon I will taste your flesh."

"Taste this. Holy Light!"

Light shined from her body. MaloMyotismon snarled and pulled away from her. She flew back a distance and pointed her javelin at him, firing a beam. He countered with his Screaming Darkness, but this time her attack penetrated his darkness and slammed into him.

He cried out as he was pushed back, but unleashed his Howling Blood attack, launching two balls of black energy from Sodom and Gomorrah. Ophanimon raised her shield to block. She deflected one, but the other slammed into her torso and pushed her into the canyon wall, knocking the wind out of her and pining her in place.

MaloMyotismon laughed as he flew at her. She reacted by throwing her javelin at him, but he unleashed his Crimson Mist, emitting a cloud of blood red mist that almost instantly dissolved her javelin into nothing.

Stopping directly in front of her, he gave her a wicked grin. "Now it's my turn to impale you, my dear."

He stabbed with his tail, aiming for her head. She tilted her head to the left, avoiding getting stabbed through the face. He chuckled as he repeatedly stabbed to the left and right of her head, seeing if he could get her before she could avoid it.

"Strike of the Seven Stars!"

The attack hit him from behind, and MaloMyotismon turned to his attacker. However, that momentary divergence from his own battle cost Seraphimon as NeoMyotismon blasted him with his Doom Cannon.

Smirking, MaloMyotismon turned back to Ophanimon, only to have both her feet slam into his stomach, knocking him back. Then she unleashed her Holy Light, blasting away the ball of darkness pinning her to the wall, and held her hand up to MaloMyotismon. "Shining Laser!"

"Soul Shield!" the demon Digimon countered, and shadows moved in front of him, absorbing her attack, and he sneered at her. "It's going to take more than a little light show to defeat me, my dear."

"Stop calling me 'my dear'. I'm not your dear, and I don't want to be called that by you, you sick pervert."

His grin widened. "But you are my dear. And I'm going to dearly enjoy making you scream. But first, Pandemonium!"

A thick fog suddenly flew out of his body, surrounding them both. Ophanimon raised her shield to defend against whatever was coming, but nothing happened, the fog did not hurt her.

MaloMyotismon's laughter echoed all around her, seemingly from every direction. She blinked as she tried to focus on him in front of her, but he seemed to be rapidly changing position, his body warping in size and shape.

"Something wrong, my little pet?" he asked mockingly, his voice sounding as if it were coming from behind her and underneath her at the same time, despite him being in front of her. "You look a little confused."

She was feeling confused, and it was hard to think straight. The next thing she knew, MaloMyotismon was flying towards her, vanishing and disappearing rapidly in different positions, getting closer each time. She had just enough sense to raise her shield a moment before the demon Digimon slashed at her, and she barely managed to deflect the blow.

"Blood Rain!" MaloMyotismon cried, and began spinning around while firing black pellets in every direction. They rained against Ophanimon, and she was knocked back.

It took her a moment to get her bearings as she hovered in the air, not realizing that she was actually upside-down. MaloMyotismon circled around her like a predator getting ready to go in for the attack, and she manifested a new javelin. She thrust it at MaloMyotismon and fired her Eden's Javelin, only to have the beam strike her, having been pointed the wrong way.

As MaloMyotismon's laughter echoed around her, she tried to shake away the confusion that was clouding her senses. This fog was messing with her head, and she needed to get rid of it. She had an attack that could do that, but she couldn't think straight enough to remember what it was.

MaloMyotismon came at her. She raised her javelin horizontally as he collided with her, and Sodom and Gomorrah chomped down on both ends of it. She grit her teeth as she held him back, trying desperately to remember the attack she needed.

"Is my little fog clouding your head?" he taunted. His hand shot out and latched onto her neck. "Maybe I should take it off."

Now she remembered the attack. This would do the trick. "Sefirot Crystal!"

Wait, that wasn't the right attack. But it did blast the demon Digimon away from her. He clutched his stomach. No longer looking amused, and fired his Screaming Darkness. Ophanimon defended with her Unicorn Shield, but still suffered from the backlash. It managed to clear her head a bit though, as this time she rightfully remembered the correct attack. "Eden's Air!"

A holy tornado appeared, causing the confusion inducing fog to disperse. MaloMyotismon was caught up in it as well, and was thrown against the rock wall.

With the fog gone, Ophanimon's head cleared up. Able to focus once more, she pointed her javelin at the demon Digimon. "I've had enough of your tricks. Lets end this."

However, MaloMyotismon didn't even appear to be angry. On the contrary, he seemed to be enjoying himself, and he gave her a demented grin to let her know that he was. "End this? Oh, no, my dear. We're just getting started."

He then launched himself at her, and the two resumed their battle.

Down on the ground, Omnimon groaned as feeling began to return to his body, and the pain that came with it was most definitely not welcome. Truthfully, with as powerful as he was, he was surprised that a simple gunshot wound could damage him so greatly. But then again, Boltboutamon was incredibly powerful as well.

The shock of the attack had caused him to black out, but now he clawed his way back to consciousness again, and he looked up at the battles taking place. He saw Seraphimon and Ophanimon attempting to hold their own against NeoMyotismon and MaloMyotismon, and the rest of his friends struggling against Boltboutamon, who was very obviously toying with them.

Instinctively, he wanted to go help his sister, but he knew that the others needed his help fighting Boltboutamon more, and so he forced himself to get up and go to them.

"Suck it up, Tai," he grunted to himself. "This pain is nothing."

He launched himself into the air, flying up towards Boltboutamon. He swung to unleash his Transcendent Sword, ready to strike the demon Digimon from behind. There was a loud clang as his attack was blocked by Boltboutamon's bladed tail, and the demon Digimon glanced back at him with a sneer.

"Oh, you're up? About time." He quickly dodged the Gram Slash Gallantmon had tried to hit him with and flew up higher. "Now I can have a more worthwhile battle. Dark Spirit!"

He launched balls of darkness down at the DigiDestined, and they exploded against them. Then he was on the move again, appearing in front of OmniShoutmon and unleashing his Curtain Call to send out a shockwave that knocked the dragon Digimon away.

Pulling out his guns, he took aim at AncientGreymon, who was still recovering from the previous attack, and fired with his Baleful Draw, causing the dragon Digimon to cry out as he was riddled with bullets.

"Giga Crusher!" Imperialdramon cried, firing off his strongest attack.

Boltboutamon turned to the approaching attack. Tossing his guns aside, he snapped his fingers too unleash his Curtain Call. The shockwave flowed outward and collided with Imperialdramon's attack, causing it to blow before reaching its intended target.

"Did you think that would work? So sorry to rain on your parade." He sneered, his eyes wide with madness. "Or am I? Heavy Rain!"

He snapped his fingers, and large black clouds appeared overhead and began expanding outward. A heavy rain equivalent to that of a monsoon began to pour down, drenching the area. Boltboutamon chuckled and snapped his other fingers, unleashing his Electric Cloud attack, and lightning began flying down from up above, heading straight for the DigiDestined. They did their best to avoid the bolts, but they seemed to go after them, plus the heavy downpour made it difficult to see.

"And what's a little rain without some fog?" Boltboutamon taunted. "Venom Disaster!"

He breathed outward, spewing a heavy green fog that completely covered the area. Omnimon had experienced the attack before, and called out to the others. "Don't breathe it!" he needlessly shouted to the others as they quickly realized that the fog was poisonous.

Boltboutamon laughed maniacally as he watched the DigiDestined fly about in the poisoned fog while trying to avoid the lighting flying around. "Are you not having fun!?" he bellowed, his eyes rolling around in his head as a demented grin split his face. "Is this not entertaining for you!? You wanted to play the hero, so now face the villain. Pernicious Waltz!"

From out of thin air, countless blades appeared and began flying at the DigiDestined. It was impossible to avoid the blades and lightning at the same time, and they cried out as they were struck and cut.

"Forget this," OmniShoutmon growled, and turned to the demon Digimon, heedless if the danger around him. "Omni Core Fusion!"

An aura rose from his body, taking on a humanoid form, and Omnimon briefly noted that the humanoid shape it had taken was him, and always had been now that he realized it. He didn't have time to dwell on it though as he dodged another flying blade while OmniShoutmon's attack flew at Boltboutamon. The demon Digimon's grin became even more excited as he pulled out his rapier and stabbed forward with his Chaos Gaieties. His sword pierced straight through the oncoming figure, and it burst apart. OmniShoutmon swore before his risk in attacking rather than dodging caused a bolt of lightning to strike him.

Boltboutamon laughed and used his Battlefield Remover to create a portal that he dove into. He came out behind the still dazed OmniShoutmon, and the dragon Digimon whirled around, managing to kick out with his Doom Drillpress in the process. Boltboutamon caught his bladed foot though and began draining his energy with his Absorption attack.

Omnimon and Gallantmon flew forward to help. Without even turning around, Boltboutamon's extra arms caught Omnimon's sword and Gallantmon's lance. His head twisted around almost 180 degrees as he sneered at the two knight Digimon. "This doesn't seem very fair. There are more of you than there are of me. Lets fix that. Duplication!"

Much to the DigiDestined's horror, he split into three copies so that there were four of him, and each additional one took off while the one holding OmniShoutmon swung him around and slammed him into the two knight Digimon.

Imperialdramon swiped at the Boltboutamon that came at him, only to have the demon Digimon block with his rapier. He then used his Final Act to stick his three remaining arms through portals that appeared above the dragon Digimon, pushing him to the ground and pinning him there, allowing another bolt to strike him, followed by another and another.

AncientGreymon was having a difficult time avoiding the attacks flying around him. He may be fast, but his body's mobility wasn't the greatest, favoring power over agility and movement. As such, it made it difficult to avoid the swords and lightning strikes that came at him.

Then two of the other Boltboutamon appeared in his path. His eyes narrowed and he fired his Omega Blast. One of the Boltboutamon's smirked and used his Curtain Call to block the attack while the other one used Baleful Draw, firing upon the dragon Digimon.

AncientGreymon cried out as the bullets struck him, and he couldn't help but imagine how painful it must have been for Omnimon to take a shot at point blank range when they already hurt this much from a far distance. Then he was struck across the side by another flying blade, ripping another cry from him, and was then struck by a bolt of lightning

He wheezed, getting a lungful of poison. Something needed to be done about this; Boltboutamon had made the battle arena too dangerous. A rainstorm, lightning coming down, swords flying, a poisonous fog, not to mention their opponents.

"Enough of this," he seethed. "Then, knowing the risks, he took a deep breath, inhaling much of the poison. "Gaia Tornado!"

He breathed out, unleashing a tornado. He moved it all about, making it flow all over the arena. It cleared it of the poisonous fog and the storm clouds, giving them all a reprieve. Then he began coughing and hacking horribly from the poison he had inhaled.

His coughs turned into a scream of pain as one of the Boltboutamon copies appeared beside him and stabbed his rapier into his side with his Chaos Gaieties. The demon Digimon dug it in deep and twisted it as he sneered at AncientGreymon. "You think you just saved the day with that little stunt? I can easily recreate those condition."

There was more pain, this time from his other side as the second Boltboutamon stabbed him as well. "But I'm not going to. I want to make this last."

AncientGreymon grit his teeth against the pain. "It's already gone on too long for my taste. Omega Corona!"

An explosion erupted from his body, incinerating the two demon Digimon next to him. The Boltboutamon holding down Imperialdramon glanced at the incoming blast and disappeared through a portal, as did the one fighting Gallantmon, Omnimon, and OmniShoutmon. The explosion, however, never reached the DigiDestined, as AncientGreymon had been careful with the amount of power he had unleashed.

As the blast died down, AncientGreymon dropped from the sky, landing on all fours, breathing heavily. His sides ached terribly from where he was stabbed, but he shook off the pain as he glanced at Imperialdramon. "Hey, you ok?"

A groan came from the dragon Digimon as he struggled to his feet. "Dude, it's a good thing I'm not in human form right now. I was just struck by lightning so many times that my hair would have turned white."

Omnimon, Gallantmon, and OmniShoutmon flew over, hovering above them. "You guys alright?" Gallantmon asked.

AncientGreymon glanced up at them and gasped. "Guys, above you!"

They looked up to see the remaining two Boltboutamon. The demon Digimon unleashed their Dark Spirit attacks, launching balls of darkness at them, and all three DigiDestined went crashing to the ground beside Imperialdramon and AncientGreymon.

"What's wrong?" one of the Boltboutamon taunted. "You didn't like our darkness? You didn't seem to like our steel either."

"Nor did you like our rain, lightning, or poison," the other added. "So very picky."

Grins spread across their faces as their eyes widened with malicious intent. "How about wind and fire?" they said together.

One of them used Hellfire Manipulation, covering the area with fire, including the DigiDestined. Then the other Boltboutamon used his Dark Rostrum, firing his guns into the ground around the DigiDestined. Magic circles appeared where the bullets hit, and tornadoes appeared out of them. The tornadoes were close enough that they came together to form one giant massive tornado. It drew in the flames, becoming a fiery vortex.

The DigiDestined were pulled into it, and got caught up in the burning inferno as they were spun around and around. The Boltboutamon laughed as the fiery tornado carried the DigiDestined along before they were slammed into the canyon wall. The flames dispersed and fizzled out, leaving the DigiDestined groaning on the ground.

"Barbecued human," said one of the Boltboutamon in amusement. He inhaled deeply. "How delicious."

Groaning, Omnimon forced himself to get up, using his sword to support himself. "So what? You plan to eat us now?"

Both Boltboutamon chuckled. "No, I think I'll just wrap things up here," said the one on the left. He then reached out and poked the other one with his clawed finger, and the second Boltboutamon burst into data.

Gallantmon limped over to Omnimon. "We may be down, but we're not out. Shield of the Just!"

He fired a beam from his shield. Boltboutamon just grinned and used his Forcefield Creation, creating a barrier that blocked the attack. He chuckled at the look on the knight Digimon's face as he let the barrier drop. "You mistake me, my little human. I have no intention of killing you. Not yet anyway."

AncientGreymon rose up onto shaking legs. "Why not?"

"Because this is far too much fun. I want this to last a little longer and see where things go. Why end the game when it's just getting interesting?"

"Then this was all a ploy?" Imperialdramon demanded.

Boltboutamon's grin widened. "Something like that. I wanted to get in on the action a bit. But it's also fun being a spectator. So I think I'll step back and see how things play out for a bit."

He snapped his fingers, and a portal opened up behind him. The DigiDestined could hardly believe it; he was really leaving. But somehow, that only worried them more than if he had continued fighting them.

"Don't think this a kindness," the demon Digimon told them as he slowly stepped into the portal. "I could crush you at any moment. I always could, you know. You only live as long as you continue to provide me entertainment. I have high hopes for you, humans, so don't disappoint me. Ta-ta."

Notes:

(A/N: Well, it looks like our heroes have been given a small reprieve now that Boltboutamon has left the battle. But now four of them are badly injured, and they still have NeoMyotismon and MaloMyotismon to deal with. Will our heroes be able to defeat their earliest enemies? Tune in next time to find out.)

Chapter 122: Burning Revelations

Notes:

(A/N: Wow, this chapter ended up being much longer than I intended. But you, stories write themselves and all that. I could have ended it at the halfway mark, but it just flows better as a single chapter. You'll see what I mean.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 122: Burning Revelations

"Whose side is that guy on?" Imperialdramon wondered out loud as the portal closed behind Boltboutamon.

"He's on his own side," Omnimon grumbled. "He's just doing whatever he wants. Right now, that just happens to coincide with what the Demon Lords want, so he's working for them. More or less."

"Lets count our blessings," said OmniShoutmon. "With him out of the way, we can help Seraphimon and Ophanimon. And it looks like they need help."

"Then lets give them a hand," said AncientGreymon. "Omega Burst!"

He launched two fireballs, one at each of his friends' opponents. The first one exploded against MaloMyotismon's back, but NeoMyotismon saw the others flying over to him, and he took off to his comrades' side while Ophanimon went to regroup with her friends.

Growling at the sneak attack, MaloMyotismon glared at the DigiDestined. "So the cavalry is here."

"What happened to Boltboutamon?" NeoMyotismon demanded.

"Gone," Gallantmon replied. "Now you have to deal with all of us."

The demon Digimon's eyes widened. "Impossible. You defeated him? There's no way you could have taken on some powerful."

"Actually, said Imperialdramon, "he just- oof!"

OmniShoutmon had elbowed him in the side. If NeoMyotismon and MaloMyotismon thought that they had destroyed Boltboutamon, then they should let them think that; it would make them more hesitant to continue the battle. "Well, we have defeated two Demon Lords already, and drawn off a third."

MaloMyotismon just sneered. "Well, well, aren't you being cocky. You may have defeated Boltboutamon, but you're looking much worse for ware. I wonder how much longer you'll last."

"Long enough," Gallantmon assured him. "We defeated you once before, we can do it again."

"Perhaps," NeoMyotismon admitted. "But circumstances have changed for us since then."

"Yeah, well, things have changed for us too," AncientGreymon replied. "We're stronger than ever." He gestured to OmniShoutmon. "And there's one more of us than before."

"For all the good it will do you in your wounded state, but lets get to it and see. Doom Cannon!"

"Heavy Metal Vulcan!" OmniShoutmon cried, creating a barrier to block the demon Digimon's attack.

When the flaming wall died down, MaloMyotismon was flying at them, firing his Howling Blood attack. The first black ball hit Omnimon, and the second Imperialdramon. Gallantmon rushed forward to meet the demon Digimon, but was suddenly surprised when numerous Evilvil flew out from behind MaloMyotismon, courtesy of NeoMyotismon's Nightmare Leeches attack. He raised his shield as the life sucking spirits latched onto him and began draining his power.

MaloMyotismon flew past the knight Digimon and raised a hand to strike OmniShoutmon. However, he was tackled and pinned to the ground by Seraphimon, who had intercepted him. As the two struggled, NeoMyotismon fired his Doom Cannon at the angel Digimon, but had his attack blocked when Ophanimon fired her Eden's Javelin, her beam of light colliding with his beam of darkness in a stalemate.

AncientGreymon then launched his Omega Burst. The first fireball hit the demon Digimon, but he dodged the second and third. OmniShoutmon then charged forward and threw a punch at him. NeoMyotismon recoiled from the blow, and then began dodging as the dragon Digimon attempted to slash him with his Doom Drillpress.

"Screaming Darkness!" MaloMyotismon cried, blasting Seraphimon off him. He rose to his feet, sneering at the angel Digimon, but was suddenly blasted by Omnimon Supreme Cannon. Imperialdramon then lunged at him with his Splendor Blade. MaloMyotismon caught it, but had to dodge as Seraphimon fired his Strike of the Seven Stars at him. He took to the air, and Omnimon flew at him with his Dash Grey Sword. MaloMyotismon swerved to avoid the blade, then leaned forward so one of his shoulder jaws bit down on the blade.

"Hallowed Ascension!" Seraphimon cried, and lightning came down. It struck the demon Digimon, but also indirectly shocked Omnimon as well, and Seraphimon winced at his mistake. "Omnimon, sorry about that."

"Don't worry about it," the knight Digimon replied, ripping his sword from MaloMyotismon's shoulder jaw. "It was worth it!"

He slammed his cannon hand into MaloMyotismon's face, then fired his Supreme Cannon on him. The demon Digimon snarled and unleashed his Screaming Darkness, knocking the knight Digimon away.

Gallantmon flew up in front of him a short distance away, NeoMyotismon's leeches still attached to him. He unleashed his Spiral Saver, the fiery tornado surrounding him burning away the leeches. MaloMyotismon hovered back as the flaming vortex came at him, then fired his Howling Blood. The black balls flew into the tornado, and a few moments later, Gallantmon burst from it with his Gallant Charge. MaloMyotismon tried to defend with his Soul Shield, but Gallantmon's attack burst through it and struck him. Imperialdramon and Seraphimon followed up with their Ionic Blaster and Hallowed Ascension, both attacks hitting the demon Digimon at once and sending him flying.

NeoMyotismon was still dodging OmniShoutmon's attempts to stab and/or skewer him. The demon Digimon finally used his Blue Obliteration, forcing OmniShoutmon to fly back to avoid the attack. He followed up with his Nightmare Leeches, sending out several dozen Evilvils. OmniShoutmon flew further back, and AncientGreymon flew into their path. The leeches latched onto him, but he quickly ridded himself of the energy sucking parasites with his Omega Corona.

"Eden's Needle!" Ophanimon cried, firing a shower of needles of light.

NeoMyotismon held up his arms to block as the needles rained against him before seemingly deciding to throw caution to the wind and fire his Blue Obliteration, launching his arms at Ophanimon. She batted away both arms with her javelin before throwing her weapon at the demon Digimon like a professional spear thrower.

He dodged out of the way, retracting his arms while doing so, and fired his Doom Cannon. She blocked it with her Unicorn Shield before flying towards him, still deflecting his attack with her shield. When she reached him, she used Holy Light, the bright flash causing NeoMyotismon to recoil as he was knocked back.

"Omega Burst!" AncientGreymon cried, spewing explosive fireballs. The first few exploded against NeoMyotismon, but he used his Doom Cannon to counter the others before firing his Blue Obliteration again.

AncientGreymon knocked away the extending arms and unleashed his Gaia Tornado. The swirling vortex engulfed NeoMyotismon, and he snarled down at the dragon Digimon. Struggling to fight against the heavy wind, he fired his Doom Cannon at him. Ophanimon flew into its path and fired her Shining Laser, countering his attack. That's when OmniShoutmon circled around the demon Digimon and launched his Victorize Banking.

The attack knocked NeoMyotismon out of the tornado and sent him flying down to the Digimon who had created it. NeoMyotismon's eyes widened as he realized what was going to happen a moment before it did. "Oh no!"

"Omega Corona!"

NeoMyotismon dropped right into the blast. He was blown backwards, spinning through the air. Ophanimon used the moment to her advantage and fired her Sefirot Crystal at him, and NeoMyotismon crashed to the ground.

There was a momentary reprieve in the battle, during which the DigiDestined regrouped. NeoMyotismon struggled to his feet as MaloMyotismon came in for a landing behind him. NeoMyotismon grunted at him in acknowledgement. "It seems we may have underestimated these humans."

"So it appears," MaloMyotismon reluctantly agreed.

"You both made the same mistake last time too," Seraphimon told them. "It seems you never learn."

"Yeah, we've got teamwork," Imperialdramon added. He paused for a moment before continuing. "Ok, so you're using teamwork too, but ours is better."

MaloMyotismon growled. "Arrogant little curs."

"Just give it up," Gallantmon told them. "Before we destroy you. Again. Even in our damaged state, we have the advantage."

"You, the advantage?" NeoMyotismon hissed. "You think you have any advantage in this war. You fools truly have no idea how powerful the Demon Lords are. You think we're strong, but they're the ones who gave us this power, so just imagine how powerful they are. Even if you defeat us, you'll never overthrow the Demon Lords."

"Oh my," said MaloMyotismon, moving closer. "NeoMyotismon, it almost sounds as if you've acknowledged our defeat. That's unacceptable."

The DigiDestined realized what was going to happen a moment before it did. MaloMyotismon's tail lashed out, stabbing NeoMyotismon in the back and bursting out his front. The demon Digimon's eyes widened in shock and pain as he looked down at the tail protruding from his chest. "You… What did you… do…?"

MaloMyotismon just sneered. "Nothing personal, partner. I'm simply using the situation to my advantage. I'm not about to go down here and let all my power go to waste. Crimson Mist!"

A red mist flowed from his body and over NeoMyotismon. The demon Digimon cried out before his body melted apart and dissolved away, leaving only his data behind. MaloMyotismon immediately absorbed it, laughing maniacally.

"He just killed his own partner," Ophanimon exclaimed.

"Talk about a backstabber," Imperialdramon growled.

"You can't tell me you're surprised," said AncientGreymon. "He did the same thing to LadyDevimon."

MaloMyotismon looked back at them. "Yes, but unlike her, NeoMyotismon was far more powerful, especially since he was given his power by the Demon Lords. And partner? You're certainly making a lot of assumptions there. We merely had the same goal. Revenge against you. But I don't need him for that."

Chuckling, he took a step closer to them. "In fact, he was far more useful to me as a means to boost my own strength. Now the power that the Demon Lords gave him is now my own. And I will only continue to get stronger. One day, I will surpass even them, and take my rightful place as the ruler of this world."

"What!?" OmniShoutmon exclaimed.

MaloMyotismon laughed. "That's right. It was always my intention to one day overthrow the Demon Lords and take their place. And how very ironic that it will be the power that they gave me used against them that will help me to do it."

OmniShoutmon stared at him for several long seconds before he burst out laughing. "You!? You think that you can overthrow the Demon Lords and take their place? You really are mad. If not for them, you'd still be a Baby level right now, or at most an In-Training. You have no chance of taking their place. Barbamon alone is literally 100 times stronger than you at your most powerful."

But MaloMyotismon just continued to grin, exposing his shark-like teeth. "You underestimate me. Just as I underestimated you. I won't make that mistake again. Now that I'm rejuvenated and stronger than ever, it's time you faced the full extent of my power." He held his arms out. "Shadows and darkness, come to me!"

And so they did. The darkness of the night seemed to come to life and flow towards him like a river of blackness. It rose up and flowed into his body, entering through the Mark of Evil on his chest. To the DigiDestined's horror, he began to grow at an alarming rate, swelling up like a balloon. And when he finally stopped growing, he was enormous, several heads taller than when he was at VenomMyotismon.

"Well, isn't that just our luck," AncientGreymon grumbled. "Of course he would turn into a giant."

"Actually, this is more along the lines of what I was initially suspecting," said Imperialdramon. "I just naturally think 'bigger' when it comes to Digivolutions."

"Don't worry, you guys-" Omnimon began, but was interrupted by AncientGreymon.

"If you say 'the bigger they are, the harder they fall', I swear I'm going to…"

He trailed off, but Omnimon caught on to his meaning. "No, I was going to say that I don't think he's that much stronger."

"Oh?" MaloMyotismon asked tauntingly. "You don't think so? Very well, then I won't hold back anymore. Screaming Darkness!"

Waves of darkness flowed out of MaloMyotismon and over the DigiDestined. The intensity of it knocked them off their feet, and they all toppled over. Omnimon groaned as he sat up. "Ok, I may stand correct."

"Don't stand," MaloMyotismon told him. "Kneel. Or better yet, play dead. Crimson Mist!"

Having seen what the mist had done to NeoMyotismon, the DigiDestined took to the sky. MaloMyotismon sneered at them as they flew around him, a wicked chuckle escaping him.

"You want to laugh at something?" said Imperialdramon. "Laugh at this. Positron Laser!"

He fired a beam, however, MaloMyotismon simply held up his arms to shield his face. Lowering them, he sneered at the dragon Digimon before lunging at him. His hand shot out, latching onto Imperialdramon, and driving him into the ground. He laughed as he pinned the dragon Digimon down and raised his tail to stab him.

"Let him go!" OmniShoutmon demanded. "Victorize Banking!"

MaloMyotismon grunted as the attack hit him in the back. He glanced back at the dragon Digimon and fired his Howling Blood attack, the black ball colliding with OmniShoutmon and slamming him against the wall, pinning him there. Grinning, he turned back to Imperialdramon, his shoulder jaws opening and venomous drool dripping out.

"Didn't you hear?" Omnimon snapped, raising his arms. "He said to get off him. Double Shot!"

Shots of fire and ice collided with the demon Digimon, knocking him back and sending him stumbling away from Imperialdramon. Ophanimon fired her Eden's Javelin. He held up his arms to block, but was pushed even further back. AncientGreymon slammed into him next, crushing him against the canyon wall. MaloMyotismon raised his arm to strike him, but Imperialdramon leapt to his feet and lunged forward, grabbing and pinning the demon Digimon's arm to the wall.

Seraphimon and Gallantmon were trying to get OmniShoutmon unstuck, and they finally managed to get the black energy ball off him.

"Thanks, guys," he told them. "Now lets go get that creep." They flew over to the other two dragon Digimon as they pinned MaloMyotismon to the wall. "You two, get out of the way. Flame Cannon!"

Imperialdramon and AncientGreymon leapt away, and OmniShoutmon's attack hit the demon Digimon. He doubled over, grunting, and Seraphimon and Gallantmon fired their own attacks.

"Hallowed Knuckle!"

"Lightning Joust!"

"Screaming Darkness!"

MaloMyotismon's attack overpowered the other two and kept going, knocking away OmniShoutmon, Gallantmon, and Seraphimon. Laughing, he leapt up high into the air and began spinning around as he unleashed his Blood Rain, firing a rainstorm of black pellets upon the DigiDestined.

Dropping from the sky, he landed in the middle of the group and unleashed his Pandemonium. A thick fog filled the area, overcoming the DigiDestined as it immediately began to play with their senses.

"Not this again," Ophanimon grumbled as she struggled to find the right words in her confused state.

"Hang on, I got this," said AncientGreymon, his words also slurred. He was about to blow away the fog, but hesitated as the appropriate attack alluded him. "Wait, it was Gaia something. Um… Oh, right. Omega Burst!"

He realized it was the wrong attack as he shot fireballs into the fog. MaloMyotismon laughed and charged at him, kicking out and sending the dragon Digimon crashing into the wall.

"Don't worry about clearing this," OmniShoutmon called out. "Just fly out of it!

He and the others either flew straight up or diagonally out of the fog, with the exception of Gallantmon, who, in his confusion, flew directly into the wall. MaloMyotismon ignored him and AncientGreymon as he flew up after the others.

Upon exiting the cloud, a series of attacks came at MaloMyotismon. He blocked with his Soul Shield and then retaliated with his Screaming Darkness. The DigiDestined cried out as the burning darkness flowed over them, and Omnimon glared at the laughing demon Digimon.

"I think I know what Boltboutamon's plan was," he told the others. At their questioning looks, he explained, "He somehow knew or guessed that MaloMyotismon would betray NeoMyotismon, and then go all out against us. We'd be fairing much better against him if we weren't already weakened from our battle with Boltboutamon. He stuck around just long enough to damage us enough to give this creep the advantage."

MaloMyotismon cocked his head to the side. "You think so? Then I'll have to be sure to put on a good show for him. Screaming Darkness!"

Imperialdramon used his Light Barrier to block the attack as the waves of darkness came at him and the others. "I hate this attack."

Down below, AncientGreymon groaned and shook his head to clear it. Crashing into the wall had knocked some sense into him, and he remembered the correct attack he'd intended to use before. "Gaia Tornado!"

His tornado cleared the fog, and he spotted Gallantmon hovering upside-down in the air a short distance away, looking confused. With the fog gone, he blinked, now looking embarrassed, and righted himself. "I'm so done with this." He raised his shield up high. "Shield of the Just!"

His attack flew through the air and struck MaloMyotismon, causing the demon Digimon to cry out. Gallantmon then followed this up with a Gram Strike, flying up towards MaloMyotismon with his lance extended.

The demon Digimon surprised him by lashing out with his tail, the pointed tip stabbing into his armor, and he howled in pain. MaloMyotismon sneered as he brought the knight Digimon up to him. "Your armor is quite strong. Lets see how well it holds up. Crimson Mist!"

"No!" AncientGreymon shouted, and flew up and into Gallantmon, knocking him away from the acidic red mist. However, it was the dragon Digimon's recuse attempt that caused him to get partly doused by the attack. A cry ripped from his throat as one of his wings dissolved and almost half his body melted.

"AncientGreymon!" the others shouted.

He barely registered their screams through the pain as he dropped from the sky. He landed on his damaged side, causing him to cry out again. The painful landing, at least, prevented him from losing consciousness as he had been on the verge of doing.

"Damn you!" Omnimon shouted, and went on the attack. The others joined him, but MaloMyotismon just laughed as he continued to toy with them.

AncientGreymon cracked an eye open. The pain was agonizing. He didn't think he would be able to get up again. But he needed to. His friends needed his help, otherwise MaloMyotismon would kill them. That would really suck, losing to someone they already defeated because the Demon Lords gave him a second chance.

"Why couldn't AncientWisemon have warned us about this guy instead of giving out that nonsensical advice…" he grumbled.

As he began to fall in and out of consciousness, his thoughts went back to the mutant Digimon in question and what he had told him.

"There will come a time, a time when a darkness from the past will come back to haunt you, that you and your friends will find yourselves in trouble. When this time comes, you must remember what happened back at Cherubimon's castle, and use that to defeat your enemy. It will be up to you, Takuya. Only you can do this."

AncientGreymon blinked as the mutant Digimon's words made sense. "Oh, I guess he did warn us…"

Was this really what AncientWisemon had been talking about though? MaloMyotismon was definitely a darkness from the past. If that was the case, then what was it he was supposed to remember?

"Something that happened back in Cherubimon's castle," he recalled as he tried and failed to stand.

That, however, was incredibly unhelpful. So much had happened back then. There was really no telling what it was he was supposed to remembering, and his frustration grew as he watched MaloMyotismon continue to get the upper-hand on his friends, and he was unable to help them. The pain was so intense that he couldn't even bring himself to cry out.

'What am I supposed to remember!?' he called out mentally. 'What was so important? We fought Tactimon and GrandGeneramon. We destroyed the black gear that was controlling Cherubimon. Apocalymon was unleashed thanks to all that data Cherubimon collected. Lopmon used his…"

His eyes widened in shock and disbelief. It was as if a veil had been lifted, and everything became clear.

'The data. All that data that Cherubimon had gathered. It was pure Fractal Code from various Digimon. And I… I absorbed it when I picked it up. But knowing what I do now about Fractal Code, then that means…'

He closed his eyes and began searching deep inside himself. From what he understood about Fractal Code, it was much more than the data that lingered behind after a Digimon's death, but an essential part that contained all the power and blueprints that made up a Digimon. If he could just find that portion of data he had absorbed, then he should be able to tap into it.

Yes, there it was! Now that he knew what he was looking for, it was easy to detect. It stood out distinctively from his own data very clearly, he had just never bothered to look for it before, having not know he could apply it to himself.

Amongst the Fractal Codes within him, four stood out, almost as if they were calling to him. He felt they were an extension of himself that he had picked up, like the new shell of a hermit crab.

And when he tapped into this data, he was surprised to get flashes of memory too that belonged to the Digimon the Fractal Codes had belonged to. Fragments of memory filled him of their lives that now felt almost as if he had lived them himself. And amongst them was a memory that all four of those Digimon shared, and in them was the familiar face of AncientWisemon.

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

"Thank you for coming, my friends," AncientWisemon said to the four Digimon before him. "I would not have called you here if it were not important."

All four Digimon shared this memory, and AncientGreymon found that he could switch from the point of view of each one. Upon inheriting these memories, he found that he knew the names of these Digimon. AncientVolcanomon, AncientMegatheriummon, AncientKazemon, and AncientTroiamon.

This couldn't be a coincidence. There was no possible way that he, AncientGreymon, was witnessing the memories of four other Digimon with 'Ancient' in their names that were summoned by AncientWisemon, another Digimon with 'Ancient' in his name, by chance.

"You said it was urgent," AncientTroiamon replied. "Of course we would come."

"What do you require of us?" asked AncientKazemon.

A heavy sigh escaped AncientWisemon. "I am sad to say that Cherubimon has been corrupted by the forces of darkness. And before you ask, yes, I do mean the Cherubimon who guards Apocalymon."

This gained immediate urgency from the four Digimon. "How long ago did this happen!?" AncientMegatheriummon demanded, stomping his feet. "Why are we only finding out now!?"

"My friends," AncientWisemon told them. "Please calm yourselves. The situation can still be salvaged."

AncientVolcanomon relaxed slightly, though he still looked worried. "If you say so, then I believe you. You do know everything after all."

AncientWisemon closed his eyes, a pained look on his face. "I have indeed seen what the future has in store. And so, I must ask, do you trust me to do what is best for the Digital World?"

AncientKazemon nodded. "Without question. "You have proved it time and time again."

"Then it is with a heavy heart that I must ask the four of you to go and take care of Cherubimon."

AncientTroiamon raised an eyebrow. "He has been around since the Digital World began. Are you certain that we can take him?"

AncientWisemon opened his eyes again, but would not look directly at them. "I am sorry to say that this is something that only the four of you can do."

AncientMegatheriummon nodded. "We understand, and we trust you completely."

A tear slipped from AncientWisemon's eye, and he turned away. "I thank you. On behalf of the whole Digital World, I thank you. And I am sorry."

AncientVolcanomon cocked his head to the side. "For what?"

AncientWisemon did not turn around. "You will know in time."

A chuckle escaped AncientTroiamon. "As cryptic as ever. Well, we know that you know what you're talking about. Its not like you would send us to our deaths or something."

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

AncientGreymon recoiled from the memory. He didn't need to see anymore, nor did he need to seek out the memories of the four Digimon's battle with Cherubimon. He knew exactly what had happened.

'You knew,' he thought in sheer disbelief. 'You knew they would fail, and that they would have their Fractal Codes taken. You used them like livestock and sent them off to be slaughtered, just so I could obtain their power.'

Outrage and disgust filled him at what AncientWisemon had done. He understood why he had done it, but his moral side refused to accept it. And as he pulled out of the memories, his mind returned to the present to the battle that was taking place between his friends and MaloMyotismon.

"He betrayed them," he growled furiously, his eyes glowing with rage. "Just to give me their power. Is he using us as well?"

Steam shot out of his nose as he forced himself to his feet. He felt power rising up inside him, coming from the Fractal Codes he had tapped into. He almost felt disgusted for having them.

"They shouldn't have had to die just so I could get a power boost. I don't want this power, but I'm damn sure not going to let it go to waste."

His rage burned brighter, and his entire body burst into flames, his missing wing and damaged portion of his body healing. He could feel his code changing as the Fractal Code of AncientKazemon, AncientMegatheriummon, AncientTroiamon, and AncientVolcanomon connected to his own, opening new doors.

His glowing yellow eyes glared furiously up at MaloMyotismon, his rage directed at him. "This is because of you. Such sacrifices wouldn't be necessary if it wasn't for monsters like you. Damn you!"

The fire surrounding him erupted outward, drawing the attention of everyone up above. MaloMyotismon's eyes narrowed at the fiery display. "What type of light show is this?"

"AncientGreymon Digivolve to… EmperorGreymon!"

From out of the fiery blast, a new figure emerged. Still large, but smaller than AncientGreymon, and more humanoid in appearance, yet still bearing a resemblance to the dragon Digimon.

"What!?" MaloMyotismon exclaimed. "This can't be! Not only did you recover from my Crimson Mist, but you Digivolved? How!?"

EmperorGreymon's eyes burned furiously. "Through needless sacrifice. It's not enough that monsters like you go around hurting and killing others, but sacrifices are constantly made in order to stand up to you."

The demon Digimon cocked his head to the side. "I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about."

EmperorGreymon pulled out his sword. "That's fine, 'cause I'm done talking. Flaming Edge!"

His sword ignited in fire, and he swung at the demon Digimon. With his much larger size, he easily blocked the sword swipe, but the flames still burned his arm, and he growled in response.

"Dragonfire Crossbow!" EmperorGreymon cried, and his sword opened up to fire a fiery arrow that exploded against MaloMyotismon and sent him crashing to the ground.

"Holy crap!" Imperialdramon exclaimed. "Where did that come from? And where did you come from?"

"I'll explain later. Lets just kill this beast. Soaring Nine Headed Dragon Force!"

From out of his body, a giant dragon with nine heads made entirely out of fire emerged. The giant fiery dragon flew at MaloMyotismon, whose eyes bugged out just before the attack collided with him and erupted.

"Wa-hoa!" Gallantmon cried. "Now that's an attack. Lets kick it, guys. Shield of the Just!"

His beam flew down at an angle, striking MaloMyotismon and pushing him back until he hit the rock wall. He growled menacingly and started to get up, only to have Imperialdramon dive down and drive his knee into his chest with his Dragon Knee. MaloMyotismon grunted and swiped at him with his claw, but Imperialdramon drew back and fired his Giga Crusher into the demon Digimon.

"That's it, guys," OmniShoutmon told them. "Don't let him breathe. Keep up the attacks. Heavy Metal Vulcan!"

He fired bolts from his chest that erupted into a fiery wall. MaloMyotismon stumbled forward out of the smoke right into it and growled at how he was now pinned between the attack and the rock wall.

"Don't get cocky just because you got in a couple good shots. Screaming Darkness!"

He unleashed waves of darkness that collided with the firewall. When it dropped, his eyes widened as he saw Ophanimon and Omnimon right in front of him. They fired their Eden's Javelin and Omni Blast, causing him to stumble backwards. "Little pests. Howling Blood!"

He fired two black balls that flew at the two DigiDestined, who took off. He chuckled after them, but his snickering soon became a pained cry as lightning from Seraphimon's Hallowed Ascension struck him from up above.

"Gram Strike!" Gallantmon cried, flying down at him to stab with his lance.

MaloMyotismon's claw shot out and grabbed the knight Digimon before his attack struck. Whirling around, he slammed Gallantmon against the wall, snarling at him. "No more fooling around. Now you die. Crimson Mist!"

"Storming Flame!" EmperorGreymon cried, dropping down and plunging his blade into the demon Digimon's back. MaloMyotismon cried out, unintentionally releasing Gallantmon, and the knight Digimon flew away before the deadly mist could touch him.

"Blood Rain!" MaloMyotismon cried, and began spinning around while firing black pellets. EmperorGreymon was dislodged and went flying while OmniShoutmon used his Heavy Metal Vulcan to block the attack.

MaloMyotismon stopped spinning and used his Pandemonium, but Ophanimon flew right towards the confusion inducing fog. "That's not going to work anymore. Eden's Air!"

Her holy tornado manifested and blew away the fog. MaloMyotismon growled and stabbed forward with his tail, but she blocked with her shield. MaloMyotismon was then blasted back by a series of attacks from Seraphimon's Strike of the Seven Stars, OmniShoutmon's Hard Rock Spirit, and Gallantmon's Saber Shot. Omnimon followed up with his Sword of Ruin, slashing at the air in front of MaloMyotismon. "I'd forgotten how persistent you human vermin are. Now I remember why I did this the first time. Mental Illusion!"

A blinding light flowed outward, the same one that had incapacitated them before with illusions. MaloMyotismon snickered, but as the light faded, his grin became a snarl as he saw EmperorGreymon flying towards him with his eyes closed. "Sorry, but a technique like that only works once."

He stabbed outward with his sword, but MaloMyotismon reached out and grabbed the dragon Digimon, sneering at him. "You know what does work though? Attacking with your eyes open."

He pulled EmperorGreymon forward towards one of the jaws on his shoulders. The mouth opened, fangs dripping with saliva, and the smell of death hit EmperorGreymon.

Re-gripping his sword, the dragon Digimon jammed it into the mouth. "Choke on this. Dragonfire Crossbow!"

He fired directly into the mouth. MaloMyotismon cried out and released him. There was an internal explosion, and bursts of fire and smoke erupted from the jaws on both his shoulders. With an agonized howl, the demon Digimon dropped to his hands and knees.

"Ooh, I'll bet that one hurt him," Gallantmon commented.

MaloMyotismon groaned, looking dazed, his body shaking. He tried to stand up, but immediately fell to one knee. Then, suddenly, the wings on his back burst into data. This was followed by his left arm, followed by his right, taking the two sets of jaws with them, earning a pained groan from the demon Digimon each time.

Finally, his lower body exploded into data, leaving MaloMyotismon as nothing more than a head and a floating torso. He let out a cry of outrage and began flying into the sky, away from the DigiDestined. "No, it can't be! I can't be defeated by these miserable humans a second time! I won't allow it!"

"You're not going anywhere," EmperorGreymon declared, stabbing his sword into the ground. "This is for the sacrifices that needed to be made just to stop your evil ways. Pyro Dragons!"

Nine lines of fire flowed out from where his sword had penetrated the ground. From the end of each line, a stream of fire burst from the ground, the ends of each stream shaping themselves into a dragon head. These streams flew up after MaloMyotismon, and the jaws of each dragon head chomped down on him, holding him in place and burning him as he cried out.

The ground exploded beneath EmperorGreymon, erupted like a volcano in an explosion of fire, launching him into the air. He flew towards MaloMyotismon and raised his sword. The demon Digimon turned to him, still caught by the fire dragons, and cried out furiously. EmperorGreymon let out his own battle cry and brought his sword down.

Despite the size difference, EmperorGreymon's sword cut clean through. MaloMyotismon's cry became more and more distorted as a slice appeared down his center. Still held in place by the fire dragons, the right side began sliding down the left.

"Nice shot," said Imperialdramon as he manifested his cannon. "Now lets finish this guy off once and for all. Giga Crusher!"

He fired. His attack soared through the air, up towards the two separating halves of MaloMyotismon, who made no reaction to the incoming beam. It struck the demon Digimon and erupted, lighting up the sky.

The blast died down, and all traces of MaloMyotismon save for some lingering data were gone. The cannon in Imperialdramon's hands disappeared, and he placed his hands on his hips in triumph. "And that puts an end to that!"

Behind her helmet, Ophanimon cut her eyes at him. "You just couldn't resist getting in the last attack, could you? Typical."

"What? With the amount of times that guy kept bouncing back, I wanted to make sure the guy was good and dead."

"He was blasted apart and cut in half," said Gallantmon. "I think he was done for."

"Yeah, thanks to… EmperorGreymon, was it?" Seraphimon asked, looking at the dragon Digimon. "Congrats on Digivolving."

However, EmperorGreymon was in no mood to celebrate. He let out a bellow if rage and threw his sword so hard it buried into the canyon wall straight down to the hilt. "There is nothing to celebrate. Not after what I witnessed."

Ophanimon cocked her head to the side. "What do you mean? Was it his mist attack? That must have been painful. I can't imagine what-"

"Not that!" the dragon Digimon interrupted. "It's what I saw. How I got this new form."

"Meaning what?" Omnimon asked. "Didn't you just Digivolve naturally?"

EmperorGreymon rounded on him. "No! I didn't. This form is not accessible naturally. It needs outside help." He glanced at his fellow dragon Digimon. "Ask OmniShoutmon. He should know."

OmniShoutmon was indeed looking at him with interest. "He's right. EmperorGreymon can only come to be if he DNA Digivolves with AncientKazemon, AncientTroiamon, AncientMegatheriummon, and AncientVolcanomon." His eyes narrowed. "Or if someone from the AncientGreymon line obtains the Fractal Code from their Digivolution lines."

Imperialdramon held up a hand. "Hold up. 'Ancient' as in AncientGreymon and AncientWisemon? That's quite the coincidence."

EmperorGreymon shook his head. "It wasn't. AncientWisemon knew them apparently. It was the advice he gave me. He told me that when a darkness from the past returns, meaning MaloMyotismon, to remember what happened back at Cherubimon's castle."

"Ooook…" Gallantmon muttered. "And what happened?"

"The data," EmperorGreymon replied. "The data Cherubimon gathered to free Apocalymon. It had the Fractal Codes I needed to Digivolve to EmperorGreymon."

"Oh," said Imperialdramon. "That was lucky."

EmperorGreymon rounded on him. "Luck had nothing to do with it! AncientWisemon sent them there to Cherubimon's castle to die. I saw it in their memories. He made it sound like he was sending them there to save Cherubimon from the black gear controlling him, or take him down if necessary, but he knew that they would have their Fractal Codes taken. He did it just so I could get my hands on it. He used them. Sent them straight to their deaths." He looked at the others. "How do we know he's not using us too?"

No one responded to this. Time silently ticked by as they took in this information. It was a very unsettling revelation, one that greatly shook their faith in the wise-man. Gallantmon in particular looked especially unsettled.

Finally, OmniShoutmon shook his head. "No, it's not in AncientWisemon's nature to manipulate others like that."

EmperorGreymon gave him a look of disbelief. "I saw it in their memories when I accessed their Fractal Codes. He sent them to Cherubimon's castle knowing they were going to die."

OmniShoutmon nodded. "I don't doubt that he knew they were going to die, or that he reframed from telling them, but did he force them to go?"

If EmperorGreymon's mouth were capable of moving, he would have frowned. "Well, no. He just told them that they needed to go take care of Cherubimon, that it was something only they could do."

Another nod from the dragon Digimon. "Then he allowed them to make their own decisions. That's what he does. He tells you something, then lets you make your own choice."

EmperorGreymon stomped his foot, cracking the ground. "He knew what would happen, and he deliberately didn't tell them that they were going to die! I'm sure they wouldn't have gone of they'd had known!"

"You don't know that!" OmniShoutmon yelled back, surprising the others. "We all risk our lives everyday in this war. Every battle, every move we make against the Demon Lords puts our lives on the line. It's been that way for thousands of years. And that's why we fight, so we don't need to live in fear like that anymore. Even knowing that we go to our deaths, we blindly charge forward in the hopes that our sacrifices will lead to a better tomorrow. Those Digimon that AncientWisemon sent to die understood this, even if they didn't know his real reason for sending them there. We all understand what's at stake, much better than you humans do, who haven't really lived under their rule. You have no right to judge, especially not the likes of AncientWisemon, who has all knowledge of all things."

His argument had rendered the others speechless, including EmperorGreymon. He recovered quickly though, and readied himself to keep the argument going. "Then why didn't he just tell them? If they were really willing to die for the greater good the way you say they were, then why didn't he just tell them the truth and let them make their own decision?"

A sigh escaped OmniShoutmon. "Because AncientWisemon understands sacrifice. You know how it goes. He tries to move events in the direction towards the best possible future. And, apparently, that meant not telling them. Perhaps if they knew that they would die, then they would have been more careful in the battle against Cherubimon and ended up simply getting destroyed rather than also getting their Fractal Codes taken, which you would have eventually needed. I don't know, I don't have his knowledge. You may disagree with his choice, but he made the one that was in the Digital World's best interest, one that can save everyone from the Demon Lords. That was probably why he allowed himself to get captured, 'cause he had to have seen it coming, but he allowed it anyway."

More silence. They could detect the desperation and agony in the dragon Digimon's voice, and realized just how hard this war must be for him. Still, EmperorGreymon found that he still couldn't approve of AncientWisemon's actions. "To risk your life and die in battle is one thing, but I can't accept a cause that willingly sacrifices others."

"Nor can I," Gallantmon insisted strongly. "Sacrificing others is never the answer. Never. No matter how 'fine' of a reason."

OmniShoutmon locked eyes with him. "That's because you still don't know the true horror of living under the Demon Lord's reign. You've seen what their servants have done, but not them, not really. They must be brought down at all costs. If I had to sacrifice myself for even a chance to stop just one of them, I would do it without a second thought."

"Well, that's you," EmperorGreymon argued, bring the dragon Digimon's attention back to him. "If you want to sacrifice yourself, then that's your choice, but you don't have the right to choose for anyone else."

The two glared at each other, both firm in their beliefs, and Gallantmon looked as if he was about to speak in support of EmperorGreymon once more. Omnimon, however, stepped between them to break up the argument. "That's enough out of you. I get both your points. EmperorGreymon, Gallantmon, I agree that you should never sacrifice anyone for a cause, no matter what it is." He glanced at OmniShoutmon. "At the same time, OmniShoutmon, you're also right. We don't know the true terror of the Demon Lords, and maybe we would feel different about it had we lived through it, so we have no right to judge."

Ophanimon stepped forward. "I think we're avoiding the real question." Everyone looked at her. "Are we being used by AncientWisemon as well?" At their pointed looks, she elaborated. "I know he's using us to defeat the Demon Lords, but that was our goal all along, and he gave us advice to help us do that. But that raises the real question. What is he not telling us?"

To that, no one had an answer.

Notes:

(A/N: Yeah, definitely something to consider there. Not to mention the morality of the state of things, as both EmpeorGreymon and Gallantmon have a different ideology than OmniShoutmon. But as Omnimon pointed out, they haven't lived under the Demon Lord's reign, so they don't really know and therefore can't really judge. This issue of morality will be coming up some for in the next several chapters, and will really make you think. But still, EmperorGreymon, man! That's a major advantage for our heroes. But was the sacrifice worth it. There's more to come, so stay tuned.)

EmperorGreymon's attacks:

Dragonfire Crossbow – Fires arrows from his sword like a crossbow, whose flames are so hot that they become a white light.

Pyro Dragons – Stabs his sword into the ground to releases the nine flaming dragon veins dwelling within Gaia to seize an opponent, followed by an explosion beneath EmperorGreymon, launching him into the air to slay his opponent with his sword.

Dragon Soul Sword – Slashes with his sword, Ryūgonken.

Soaring Nine Headed Dragon Force – Unleashes the nine-headed fiery dragon spirit within Gaia to pulverize an opponent.

Flaming Edge – Ignites his sword and slashes opponent.

Soaring Flame Edge – An aerial version of Flaming Edge.

Gale Flame – Performs a lung slash with his inflamed sword.

Storming Flame – Stabs with sword.

Purgatory Sword Dance – A vicious series of sword combination slashes.

Dragon Crusher – effects unknown.

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/AncientKazemon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/AncientTroiamon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/AncientMegatheriummon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/AncientVolcanomon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/EmperorGreymon

Chapter 123: The Unusual Inn

Notes:

(A/N: Well, here we are again. Last time there was a bit of a… disagreement between a few of our heroes. We're not done with that yet, and it's definitely going to lead somewhere. We're gonna be getting quite a bit of character development for a few of our heroes over the next several chapters. So, without spoiling too much, here's the next installment.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 123: The Unusual Inn

Despite Takuya now having the power of EmperorGreymon at his disposal, things had taken a more depressing tone within the group. After their revelation of how AncientWisemon had sent other Digimon off to their deaths just so Takuya could get their Fractal Codes to become EmperorGreymon, they couldn't help but to have morbid thoughts that perhaps he had unpleasant ends for them as well in order to take out the Demon Lords.

Their inability to see eye to eye with Shoutmon had left a small storm cloud over their relationship with the dragon Digimon, particularly with Takuya and Takato. They could admit that they had no idea what it was like living under the Demon Lords' reign, and if they had, perhaps they would feel differently, just as Tai had said, but as things stood, they couldn't justify the wrongful action of sacrificing someone, even if it was for the greater good.

"So if it came down to it," Takuya had asked the dragon Digimon one day, "would you sacrifice us if it meant saving the Digital World? Even knowing that when we die, we stay dead?"

Shoutmon had glared furiously at him at this before asking, "Would you want we to choose you over the rest of the world if I had to?"

"That's not what I asked. Don't dodge the question."

"You mean like you just did? I hate to break it to you, pal, but life doesn't always turn out the way you want. It's not always divided into right and wrong. Sometimes you have to make hard decisions, like choosing the lesser of two evils. Do you really want or expect me to save you over the rest of the world?"

And so the argument had gone back and forth, over and over again. Eventually though, it was decided that the subject would be dropped and not brought up again. And while this did prevent further argument, it left an uncomfortable type of animosity between them.

On a brighter note, they hadn't run into any more of the Demon Lords' servants, which had led to several days without them having to battle. However, their supplies were getting low, and they would need to restock soon.

"Good timing," Shoutmon told them. "There's a village not too far from here. We can stock up on food and stuff there."

"And sleep in a bed?" Davis asked hopefully. "I mean, not that I'm not capable of roughing it for the rest of this journey, but a bed would be nice."

Unfortunately, "not too far from here" ended up being a two-day long journey, and their supplies ran out before they reached their destination. But after making a mental note not to wait so long before restocking, Shoutmon announced that they were almost there.

"Are those Trailmon tracks?" Kari asked when they came across a rail track.

The dragon Digimon gave the tracks a kick. "Well, considering they're the only ones that use tracks like these, I'd say it's a safe to assume so."

Tai beamed. "Awesome. You think maybe we can hitch a ride to Laylamon's castle?"

Shoutmon scoffed. "No tracks go directly to any of the Demon Lords' castles." He tapped his chin as he considered the tracks. "Hmm, if I remember correctly, these tracks go North-West for a while. We want to go directly North. So, they will take us closer, but also further away in another direction."

TK crossed his arms as he considered this. "Well, will we get closer or further away if we do take a Trailmon?"

Shoutmon nodded in acknowledgement. "Closer. Definitely closer. We'll have to jump off at some point though, or we will get taken further away. We'll ask about hitching a ride when we get to town."

And they reached that town a little over three hours later. It was a rather small place, the term 'dusty town' being very appropriate. The number of residents couldn't have been more than 100, and it didn't look like it was in the best condition.

"Did we just step into a western movie?" Takato asked as they stood at the entrance to the village. "All that's missing is the tumbleweed." At that moment, a data pack glided by. "Ah, close enough."

If they were expecting to feel welcomed, they were sorely disappointed. There weren't many Digimon about, and those that were simply stared at them. There were no signs of hostility, but it was rather unsettling.

"Friendly bunch," TK muttered sarcastically.

"I know, right," Davis agreed. "Why are they all staring at us like that?"

"Probably not used to seeing humans," Takato theorized out loud.

There was another disapproving grunt from Shoutmon, and Tai glanced at him. "What's up with you?"

A sigh escaped the dragon Digimon. "This village has changed a lot since the last time I've been here."

Kari cocked her head to the side. "When was that?"

"About 200 years ago."

Takuya resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Well no wonder it looks different. Do you know how much can change in that much time?"

"A lot of things have changed since the Demon Lords took over. And not for the better."

Sensing that another argument was about to break out between the two of them, TK tried to intervene. "So then, do you have any friends here?"

For a moment, the dragon Digimon looked like he wasn't going to go along with the change of topic, but then he relented. "Well, I was on pretty good terms with the village leaders, Lotusmon and Rosemon." He pointed to what appeared to be a large manor that was visible from where they were. "They've protected this village from Laylamon's tyranny for thousands of years." He looked around at the other residents, who continued to watch them. "But I don't recognize anyone else."

"That's because hardly anyone who was here back then is still here now."

They turned to the sound of the new voice and saw a bizarre spider woman making her way over to them. Her lower body was that of a spider, and her upper body was humanoid. She had a rather demented look on her face, but her smile was rather friendly.

"Greetings, strangers," she said to them, "I am Arukenimon. Welcome to our town."

Kari checked her Digivice. "Arukenimon, Ultimate level. Special attack, Spider Thread."

The spider Digimon nodded. "Yup, that's me. We're so happy to have visitors."

"Happy…" Takato muttered, glancing at all the Digimon staring at them. "Right…"

Arukenimon just waved this off with her pudgy hand. "Oh, don't worry about them. They're just wary of newcomers."

Tai raised an eyebrow. "And yet you're happy to have visitors? Sounds kind of contradictory."

The spider Digimon just shrugged. "Can't be too careful. Don't know who could be working for the Demon Lords. Our village suffered through an attack from their servants several years ago, and it's been on the decline ever since. Most of the former residents moved out after that. But we still try to be hospitable. Come on, I'll take you to the inn."

She motioned for them to follow. They hesitated, but soon allowed her to lead them through the village. The other Digimon continued to watch them, their stares making the teens increasingly uncomfortable.

"Here we are," the spider Digimon replied, coming to a stop beside a rundown looking place. "It may not be the nicest looking place, but the owners are friendly enough."

She went inside, and once again, the teens hesitated. Davis made a move to follow her, but was stopped by Takato. "What's that line from that life lesson? 'Step into my parlor, said the spider to the fly'. Or something like that. I can't help but feel like that applies here."

Placing his hands on his hips, Davis fixed him with a glare. "That's profiling. She can't help being a spider."

Kari wobbled her head. "Well, she kind of can. I'm not saying she's bad, but doesn't a Digimon's personality typically reflect their Digivolution?"

She looked at Shoutmon for confirmation, and the dragon Digimon nodded. Davis just sighed. "Look, it's been a rough couple of days, and I'm beat. Lets just go in, and if we see any Digimon all wrapped up in webbings, we'll leave right away."

Although his suggestion was far from comforting, they decided to go inside anyway. There were no Digimon bound by spider webs, but there were two small Digimon who resembled an old woman and an old man.

"These two are the innkeepers," Arukenimon told them.

"Greetings," said the old woman. "The name's Babamon."

"And I'm Jijimon," the old man added.

"Welcome to the BabaJiji/JijiBaba Inn!" they said together.

They immediately glared at each other for the different name the other said.

"I thought we had agreed in the JijiBaba Inn."

"No, we said we were going with the BabaJiji Inn."

"You're crazy. Why would we go with such a stupid name like that?"

The teens sweat-dropped as they listened to the two Digimon argue like an old married couple. Arukenimon sweat-dropped as well, looking annoyed, and she slammed her fist on the desk to get their attention. "You're being rude to our guests!"

The two ancient beast Digimon snapped to attention. "Sorry, ma'am!"

Arukenimon gave them an apologetic look. "You'll have to forgive them. Fighting with each other is sort of in their nature."

Takato forced a smile. "Sure… no problem."

"Enjoy your stay."

With that, Arukenimon took her leave, and the teens were left alone with the two ancient beast Digimon. They glanced at the two uncertainly, fully expecting them to break out into another argument at any moment.

"An unusual bunch," Jijimon said to his fellow innkeeper. "I've never seen creatures like them before. Rather funny looking."

"I know, they're quite strange," Babamon agreed. "You think they're going to be trouble? That's the last thing we need."

"I think they can hear us."

"Uh oh, you think so?"

"Yeah, I think they can."

"We can," Tai confirmed. "And we don't plan on being any trouble. We just came to rest a while and restock, then we'll be on our way again."

"In that case," said Jijimon.

"You probably want to hit the hay," said Babamon.

"If you'll follow us."

"We'll show you to your rooms."

"Where you can sleep to your heart's content."

"We wish you a very good night."

Takuya glanced at the window where the sun was still shining brightly. "But it's the middle of the day."

Davis placed a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, there's no wrong time to go to bed. However," he clutched his stomach, "I was hoping we could get something to eat first."

"Food!" Babamon exclaimed. "They need food!"

"Well of course they need food," Jijimon chimed in. "We should feed them!"

"Right, lets get on it!"

They immediately began scrambling over each other as they rushed into the next room, which was revealed to be a kitchen, and they began cooking. The teens hesitantly peeked in as they watched the ancient beast Digimon get started on preparing a meal.

"Um, hey," Takato called to them, "how much is food and room going to cost us for the night?"

"No charge!" the two ancient beast Digimon declared loudly.

Tai raised a suspicious eyebrow. "Um, no charge? Really?"

"Just consider it good old-fashioned hospitality," Babamon told them.

"We're good at that," Jijimon added.

Even Shoutmon seemed perplexed by this. "Really? You're not going to charge us at all?"

Babamon, who was currently stirring some sort of batter in a bowl, began waving around the whisk, sending batter flying everywhere. "Just think of this as a free sample. Once you enjoy our services, we'll hope you'll stay longer, and those are the days we'll charge you for staying."

Not wanting to take advantage of the kind but eccentric couple, Kari spoke up. "But we said we're leaving tomorrow."

Jijimon, who was currently chopping vegetables, looked up, yet continued chopping. "Then we hope you'll spread the word of what goes on here. Let everyone know, and maybe they'll come stay here too."

"That's right," Babamon agreed. "Tell everyone what we do to our guests. Everyone!"

The teens stared, unable to get a reading on the ancient beast Digimon's actions.

"Ooook…" Takato muttered. "We'll just… hang out over here…"

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

Despite the unusual actions of Jijimon and Babamon, the two ancient beast Digimon were rather good at cooking, and had cooked up quite the feast for their guests.

"Now this is good service," said Davis as he stuffed his face.

The two ancient beast Digimon had overly big grins on their faces as they watched the teens eat. "Oh, it's nothing," Jijimon told them. "You should see what we plan to make for dessert."

"It's the least we could do since you're going to have some tough times ahead," Babamon added.

Which reminded Tai. "Speaking of which, would you happen to know where we can get a ride on a Trailmon? We want to get as close to Laylamon's castle as we can."

"Oh my, that's quite a ways away still," Babamon commented.

"And you won't find any Trailmon around here," Jijimon told them. "They stopped coming through here years ago since it became too dangerous."

Takato cocked his head to the side. "How's it dangerous here?"

"Oh, well, that's due to the attack that left our village in ruins all those years ago, but the village leader keeps us safe now."

Babamon nodded in agreement. "Yeah, he makes sure we're taken care of."

Shoutmon raised an eyebrow. "You said 'he'. So Lotusmon and Rosemon aren't the leaders anymore?"

The two ancient beast Digimon seemed to deflate. "No," Babamon replied. "Sadly, we lost them both shortly after the attack on our village."

"I think we only survived since we were the only other Megas around," said Jijimon.

Takuya nearly choked in surprise. "What? The two of you are Megas?"

"Of course," they both replied. "What'd you think we were?"

"Honestly, I hadn't considered it at all."

"Yeah, me neither," TK admitted.

Shoutmon snickered. "I kept telling you not to judge us by our appearance, but you never listen."

Noticing something out of the corner of her eye, Kari glanced out the window, and saw a lone Digimon across the street. It was simply standing there, seemingly staring at nothing. It was just as unsettling as before. "Hey, I don't mean anything by this, but why are all the Digimon in this village acting so… strangely?"

"Yeah, I was wondering that myself," Tai inquired.

The two Digimon cocked their heads to the side. "We're not all like that. Babamon's not like that."

"Jijimon's not like that."

"Arukenimon's not like that."

"The village leader's not like that."

They put on big smiles that were almost as disturbing as the unusual behavior of the Digimon outside. The teens exchanged uncertain looks. The only one who didn't seem disturbed by them was Davis, who continued to stuff his face until he eventually asked, "So what's on he dessert menu?"

"On it!" the two Digimon cried, and darted towards the kitchen.

Takato let out a nervous chuckle. "Those two are nice, but they're really weird."

"This whole place is weird," Takuya grumbled. "I say we get out of here as soon as we can."

Tai nodded in agreement. "I agree. Maybe tomorrow we can go see the village leader and see about getting a Trailmon. I know they said that they don't come through here anymore, but maybe we can arrange something."

Shoutmon humphed. "This is what happens when a Demon Lord rules. Everything falls to ruin. That's why they need to be stopped at all costs, otherwise they'll destroy everything."

Takuya glared at him. "That's still no excuse to sacrifice anyone."

"He's right," Takato agreed. "You can't justify it."

Tai slammed his fist down on the table, drawing everyone's attention before another argument could break out between the three. "Enough of this! I'm tired of hearing the two of you argue about it. Whatever issues you're facing, work it out away from us. We're done with it."

The rest of the meal was eaten in uncomfortable silence.

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

They had each been given their own room for the night. Jijimon and Babamon had insisted on it. It was nice to have their own little private space for once, and each of the teens were soon asleep.

Not Takuya though. Despite his exhaustion, he continued to toss and turn under the covers. Ever since he had seen those memories in the Fractal Code, things hadn't been sitting well with him. On the one hand, he could understand why AncientWisemon had done what he did, but he just couldn't approve of it. And the fact that it had been done for his sake just made it that much worse, made it feel personal. He almost felt… responsible for their deaths.

Perhaps that was why he was making such a big deal out of it. Not that it wasn't a big deal, but why he personally couldn't let it go. And the fact that Shoutmon wouldn't admit that the sacrifices had been unnecessary just upset him all the more. And while Takato seemed to agree with him wholeheartedly, always taking his side whenever the argument started, the others seemed to have chosen to keep out of it.

Sighing in frustration, he got out of bed. Until he worked this out with Shoutmon, he would never get any peace of mind. He felt bad that he would have to wake up the dragon Digimon, but he knew he wouldn't get any sleep tonight until they talked this out, hopefully without arguing again.

Getting out of bed, he walked over to the door and opened it… only to find Shoutmon standing there with his fist raised to knock. The two blinked at each other before the dragon Digimon lowered his fist. "I'm guessing we had the same idea."

Takuya nodded. "So you can't sleep either?"

"I don't like fighting with my friends."

"Neither do I. Come on in."

Shoutmon entered the room and hopped onto the bed, letting his feet hang down. Takuya went over and sat down next to him. They were both silent for several long moments before the dragon Digimon finally sighed. "You know that I'm not in favor of sacrificing others for the greater good."

Takuya wouldn't look at him, but gave a small grunt of acknowledgement before saying, "Yeah, I know. But it sounds like you're not against either."

Shoutmon's eye twitched irritably, but he held onto his patience. "As much as I hate to say it, sometimes it's necessary. Believe me, if it were up to me, I'd never have anyone sacrifice themself. Unfortunately, that's not the way reality works. Sometimes sacrifices are necessary, and there's no other choice. This is a war."

Takuya nodded in understanding. "Of course I get that. Like you said, it's war, there's going to be death. But there's a big difference between someone dying in battle and sacrificing someone. You have to see the difference."

Shoutmon shut his eyes tightly. "Of course I know that!" he exclaimed, his voice full of pain. "But as I keep saying, you really don't understand what it's like with the Demon Lords around. The pain they cause, the suffering we've had to endure. You can't even begin to imagine it. And it's been going on for so long. Sacrificing someone for the cause is a horrible, horrible thing to do, but no matter how awful and cruel it is, to not do so would be much greater."

He gave the teen a desperate look, pleading for him to understand. "Do you know what the hardest thing about being king is? Making decisions you hate. But sometimes you have to make them, because the alternative is far worse. You have to understand, no price is too great to defeat the Demon Lords. That's why AncientWisemon did what he did. I hate it, I really do, but to not act, to not make those sacrifices, knowing that we would allow this evil to continue if we didn't…"

Takuya stared, realizing for the first time that the anger the dragon Digimon had displayed when they argued about this in the past had been his way of covering up his pain, the pain of thousands of years of oppression from the Demon Lords. He'd learned about ages of oppression and tyranny in school, but to live through it must have been something completely different. Only then could someone truly understand. He still couldn't could approve of sacrificing another, but at least he could now see that even though Shoutmon would be willing to do it, it still caused him great pain.

"Shoutmon, listen, I-"

"Don't say anything."

Takuya's eyes narrowed. "No, you got to talk, now it's my turn. You-"

"No, I mean it, shut up; I thought I heard something."

Takuya frowned as he strained his ears to listen. He didn't hear anything, but Shoutmon's ears were better than his, and he watched as the dragon Digimon hopped over to the window and peeked outside. "What is it?"

Shoutmon shook his head. "Not sure. It sounded like tree branches scratching against the window and wall."

A frown crossed Takuya's face. "But there are no trees around here."

"Exactly. Huh?" He pressed his face against the glass. "Hey, where are they going?"

"Who?" Takuya asked as he went to the window. Looking out, he saw Takato, TK, and Kari walking away from the inn. A few moments later, Davis exited the inn as well and went to join them. "Hey, where are they going?"

Shoutmon shook his head. "I have no idea, but we better go see."

They both rushed out the door and hurried down the hall, almost running into Tai in the process.

"Oh, Tai, good," said Takuya. "Something's up with the others. They're just leaving."

"Don't interfere," Tai replied in a monotone voice. "I want to play soccer."

"You what?" Shoutmon asked, not expecting that type of response.

It was then that they realized that he had a blank look on his face and hooded, glazed eyes, making him look like he was in a trance.

"Um, Tai?" Takuya asked carefully. "Are you ok?"

"Don't interfere," he repeated. "I want to play."

He suddenly lashed out with a high kick. Takuya and Shoutmon jumped back as he came at them again, openly attacking him.

"Whoa, Tai, what's wrong with you!?" Takuya cried.

"Don't interfere. I want to keep playing."

"This isn't a soccer game, Tai! Are you sleepwalking? Wake up!"

Shoutmon grabbed his arm and pulled him back. "Come on, he's not right. Lets get to a more open area."

With great reluctance, Takuya went with Shoutmon. Tai slowly strolled down the hall behind them, his face still expressionless. As they made their way down the hall, Takuya saw a door open a crack, and then suddenly shut.

"Hey!" he shouted, and dragged Shoutmon towards the door. He slammed into it, breaking the door down. Jijimon and Babamon cried out and hugged each other on the other side of the room.

"Why are you guys awake?" the latter asked.

"Yeah, it's so late, you should be asleep."

"Shut up!" Takuya snapped, forgetting that he was talking to two Mega level Digimon.

He and Shoutmon moved away from the door. A few moments later, Tai walked by, not even acknowledging them. Takuya and Shoutmon let out relieved sighs before rounding on the two ancient beast Digimon.

"Alright," Takuya growled, "what's going on?"

The couple huddled together. "It's not our fault," Jijimon told him.

"We just do what they tell us to do."

"Who?" Takuya demanded. "Who told you to do what?"

"The ones that took you friends," said Babamon. "They force us to play the good hosts, then they come in the night and take them."

"We don't want to do it, but they don't give us a choice. They'll take us if we don't. We're basically hostages."

Shoutmon's eyes narrowed. "They're the ones who attacked this village all those years ago, aren't they?"

Jijimon nodded. "They've been doing this to everyone who passes though here. It's why Trailmon don't come through our village anymore. That's why we told you to tell everyone about what happens here after you die."

Takuya's eyes widened. Jijimon and Babamon didn't realize that humans stayed dead afterwards. His friends were in grave danger.

Shoutmon must have realized this as well, as he immediately grabbed Takuya and pulled on him. "Lets hurry!" He threw a glare at Jijimon and Babamon. "And that warning of yours was vague as hell."

Leaving the two ancient beast Digimon behind, they rushed outside. Tai was already out there with the rest of their friends, and Takuya called out to them. "Stop!"

Slowly, they all turned around to him. Each had the same dead-eyed blank expression on their face as Tai, and none showed any sign of recognizing their friends.

"I said don't interfere," Tai repeated. "I want to play. Don't interfere."

"Don't interfere," Takato repeated. "Don't interfere."

"Don't interfere."

"Don't interfere."

"Don't interfere."

A growl escaped Takuya as he tried to figure out a way to snap them out of their trances. "Here's an idea, lets all play together. Come on, we'll all find a nice grassy field and play."

An amused chuckle was heard, and Arukenimon came creeping out from the shadows. "I'm afraid you won't be able to reach them, no matter how hard you try."

Takuya glared. "Arukenimon. It looks like Takato was right about you."

The spider Digimon just chuckled. "Oh, don't be so dramatic. You got to enjoy some nice hospitality. Now it's time to pay your bill."

"With our lives?"

"I'm afraid that's the going rate."

She motioned forward, and two other Digimon appeared from out of the shadows. Unlike the other Digimon that had been seen throughout the village, these two appeared to be hostile.

Takuya's hand went to his Digivice. "Who are these guys now?"

"Monochromon and Devidramon," Shoutmon replied. "And they look like they're ready for a fight."

The teen growled. "Fine then, lets do this. Execute! Spirit Evolution… EmperorGreymon!"

The two Digimon roared and charged forward. EmperorGreymon, however, was in no mood for games, and held out his sword. "Dragonfire Crossbow!"

He fired a flaming arrow that struck both Monochromon and Devidramon. Both Digimon cried out and then, much to EmperorGreymon's astonishment, their skin crumbled apart, revealing smooth, black, marble-like forms underneath. But then these burst into data, but it didn't linger behind the way the data did with other Digimon upon death.

"What the heck was that?" EmperorGreymon exclaimed in bewilderment.

Shoutmon's eyes narrowed. "Control Spire Digimon." At EmperorGreymon's confused look, he explained. "Remember those Control Spires? Well, Arukenimon has the ability to enchant strands of her hair with her Spirit Needle attack to turn them into artificial Digimon. Basically puppet Digimon that serve her. Fortunately for us, they can't prevent us from Digivolving, so… Shoutmon Digivolve to… OmniShoutmon!"

The two dragon Digimon rounded on Arukenimon. The spider Digimon, however, just chuckled and stood her ground. EmperorGreymon growled at her. If she had created Control Spire Digimon, then she must have been in league with those who had surrounding Cherubimon's castle with them, meaning she was working with the Demon Lords. "Should have known a spider was bad news. Guess I'll just have to squash you."

Arukenimon sneered at him. "Don't get cocky just because you destroyed my puppets. You're still vastly outnumbered."

From all around, the village residents came strolling over, surrounding them. They all had the same blank expression as their friends, and EmperorGreymon glanced at them. "That's fine. I can blast these phonies all day."

But Arukenimon just laughed. "Oh, these aren't Control Spire Digimon. The two you destroyed were the only ones here that I had to serve me. Thanks a lot for destroying them by the way; it's quite a nuisance doing things myself. But I think it's time you saw what you were really dealing with. Reveal yourselves!"

It was as if a cloaking device had been deactivated. From all around, several new Digimon appeared out of thin air. They were all the same species, and not very pleasant to look at. They resembled giant purple spiders. On one end of their bodies was a single giant eye, on the other was an equally as large giant mouth filled with shark-like teeth.

From some of them, a single tube of flesh was extended, at the end of which was another small spider. These smaller spiders were latched onto the village Digimon, including each of their friends. There were plenty of others, however, without a host, that were eyeing the two dragon Digimon hungrily.

The insect-like Digimon were everywhere, on the ground, on rooftops, and on the walls. EmperorGreymon figured that this had been the scratching sound Shoutmon had heard outside their window; one must have been coming to get them.

"OmniShoutmon…" said EmperorGreymon. "What are these things?"

The other dragon Digimon was glaring at them hatefully. "One of the most despicable of all Digimon, Parasimon. They're Mega level parasite Digimon. They latch onto another Digimon and put them in a dream-like trance that uses their desires against them to keep them compliant. Then they feed off their power until the host dries up and perishes before moving on to a new host."

"Yes, indeed," Arukenimon confirmed. "And you are next on the menu. Arukenimon Mega Digivolve to… Parasimon!"

Having Digivolved, the giant eye on her back fixated on the two dragon Digimon, and her large mouth broke out into an evil grin.

"I think I'll have a taste of you!" she declared, and leapt at the two of them.

Notes:

(A/N: Well, this took an unexpected turn. Stumbling into a village of Parasimon. No, this is definitely not the same village Shoutmon remembers. And to make matters worse, everyone but him and Takuya have been taken by the parasites. And just when the two of them had begun to talk things out without arguing. And they'll need to work together to get through this. Stay tuned to see what happens next.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Lotusmon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Rosemon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Arukenimon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Jijimon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Babamon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Monochromon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Devidramon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Parasimon

Chapter 124: Deathmon

Notes:

(A/N: Well, here we are again. Last time there was a bit of a… disagreement between a few of our heroes. We're not done with that yet, and it's definitely going to lead somewhere. So, without spoiling too much, here's the next installment.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 124: Deathmon

 

"Like hell!" EmperorGreymon bellowed, and lunged at the parasite Digimon coming at him, his fist raised.

He threw a punch, and his fist slammed right into Parasimon's eye. Much to his surprise, she came to a sudden halt, his fist all but sinking into the parasite Digimon's body. The force of the blow practically caused her to explode, sending a shower of green guts flying everywhere.

"What the heck?" EmperorGreymon exclaimed as he stared at the smashed body of the parasite Digimon before it began to dissolve into data. "What happened? I thought she was a Mega. She went down so easily."

"Parasimon are actually very weak and fragile," Shoutmon told him. "They may be Megas, but even a Champion level Digimon can defeat them. She was actually a lot stronger as Arukenimon."

This completely bewildered EmperorGreymon. "A Digimon that actually gets weaker when it Digivolves? That's stupid. Why bother to Digivolve?"

"Because a Parasimon's true strength comes from using a host. It gains the strength of the Digimon they have a hold over, plus their own power. Furthermore, they can also control a Digimon they have a hold of to an extent, and even cause them to go berserk. Worse still, they can draw out that Digimon's greatest potential, amping them up as much as possible so they're even stronger than they would be on their own, only they're still under the Parasimon's control."

EmperorGreymon just stared as he weighed the pros and cons of a Parasimon with a host to the cons of one without. It was a gamble, but it was one that could really pay off. "Oh… Ok then, that's a lot more dangerous than I thought."

The surrounding Parasimon snickered as they began to close in, and the two dragon Digimon scooted closer together. OmniShoutmon glared at them, trying to keep them all in his sights at once. "I shouldn't have to say it, but these guys are most dangerous in large numbers. And there's quite a lot of them here."

"No problem," EmperorGreymon replied. "We just have to make sure none catch us."

One of the nearby Parasimon chuckled. "Do you think you can avoid us all? I think the odds are on our favors."

"We'll see," EmperorGreymon declared, and charged at the Parasimon that had spoken. He stabbed into its large eye with his sword and sliced it apart, then leapt into the crowd of parasite Digimon. OmniShoutmon did the same, and the scene erupted into chaos.

The Parasimon began swarming like ants intent on taking down prey, and the two dragon Digimon tore through them. They were indeed very easy to dispose of, just as OmniShoutmon claimed, but there were so many of them, and they gave no care to their fallen comrades.

"Disgusting creatures," EmperorGreymon grumbled as he was sprayed with more entrails. "They're so… juicy."

"You think that's nasty?" OmniShoutmon replied as he took down another enemy. "I'd rather be covered in their guts than one of their controllers. Parasimon are pretty much universally hated because of what they do to other Digimon, and so are normally killed on sight."

"Just like vermin in my world," EmperorGreymon replied, trying to fathom why any Digimon would want to become Parasimon, but figured it was probably due to the potential power they could obtain if they managed to become host to a powerful Digimon.

"Who are you calling vermin?" a Parasimon demanded. "Digicabolic Steroid!"

It fired a wave of energy from its mouth that struck EmperorGreymon in the back. The dragon Digimon turned to the Parasimon and blinked before glancing down at himself. The attack had hurt, but it hadn't really caused any damage. "You're right, OmniShoutmon, these guys are weaklings. Purgatory Sword Dance!"

OmniShoutmon nodded as his fellow dragon Digimon began slicing the Parasimon apart with a combination of sword swipes. "I told you. The fact that they're weak is the only good thing about these things."

"How's this for weak?" a Parasimon demanded. "Electric Bind!"

It, along with several others, shot out a series of tentacles that bound the dragon Digimon and began shocking him. OmniShoutmon growled before letting out a cry and tearing free of his bindings. He unleashed his Omni Core Fusion, and destroyed several more Parasimon in the process.

"I told you," he replied, "unless they have a hold of a stronger Digimon, these guys are only on par with Champions."

"Then how about these?" a Parasimon asked, and several of the parasite Digimon who had hosts moved in.

The hosts, ranging from Rookies, Champions, and a few Ultimates, began firing on the dragon Digimon. OmniShoutmon held up his arms as the attacks bombarded against him, but there was nothing that could cause him any real substantial damage.

"Got you now!" a Parasimon declared, coming down at him from up above.

OmniShoutmon's gaze shifted above him, and he realized that he wouldn't be able to stop it in time before it grabbed him. But then-

"Gentle Punch!"

Jijimon came flying through the air, delivering an energy punch that all but caused the Parasimon to explode. He landed next to OmniShoutmon and used his Guard Stick attack, using his magic stick to send out a wave of earth that sent the Parasimon flying.

"You?" OmniShoutmon exclaimed in surprise.

Babamon suddenly landed beside her mate. "Sorry to keep you waiting. It took us a few minutes to work up our nerve."

"We apologize for deceiving you," Jijimon told OmniShoutmon. "We never wanted to work with these wretched things."

"We were just biding our time until someone could help us. You'll do nicely."

"Um, thanks…" the dragon Digimon grumbled. "I guess…"

EmperorGreymon stopped slashing and instead pointed his sword at one of the Parasimon with a host. "We're up for any help. Dragonfire Crossbow!"

He blasted the Parasimon, and it exploded into data. The Digimon it had been holding immediately collapsed, unconscious. He continued to fire off flaming arrows, destroying one parasite Digimon after another, freeing the hosts.

"Make sure to get our friends," OmniShoutmon called to him. "They'll be able to help us once they wake up."

"I don't think so," said a Parasimon. "Those with human hosts, take them away."

The Parasimon with their friends all chuckled and made a run for it while the rest continued their battle.

"Guys, no!" EmperorGreymon shouted.

"Go after them," Jijimon told them. "Yeah, we've got things here," said Babamon.

OmniShoutmon nodded in appreciation. "Thanks, you two. Lets go, EmperorGreymon."

"Right behind you."

They gave chase after the parasite Digimon that had taken their friends through the village. Several more Parasimon attempted to get in their way, but were no match for their superior strength, and the two dragon Digimon plowed through any in their path.

"Geez, is the entire Parasimon species here?" EmperorGreymon growled.

"It's actually looking like that might be the case," OmniShoutmon told him. He watched as the Parasimon they were chasing crawled into what looked like a large estate house. "They went in there. That's where Lotusmon and Rosemon lived the last time I was here, centuries ago."

EmperorGreymon recalled what Babamon had told them. "Hey, didn't Babamon mention that she and Jijimon were protected by the village leader as long as they cooperated with Parasimon?"

His fellow dragon Digimon nodded. "Yeah, I remember that. I'll bet that it wasn't completely true though. Whoever the new leader is, a Parasimon likely has control of them too."

"Then lets kick some parasite butt. Dragonfire Crossbow!"

"Omni Core Fusion!"

Together they blasted through the large doors of the estate. A long hall greeted them, filled with more Parasimon. They fought their way down the hall, destroying every parasite Digimon in sight until they finally reached the end.

Crashing through the doors, they both fell to the floor. They were now in a very large, dimly lit room. They looked around, spotting a few Parasimon here and there, including the ones that had their friends, who continued to stare out in a trance.

The room was quiet, save for a repetitive scratching thump. This was followed by a deep drawn out chuckle that would have made the hairs on EmperorGreymon's neck stand on end had he been in his human form.

"So you made it," the deep voice of the chuckler stated. "I'm pleased. I was curious to meet you."

EmperorGreymon got to his feet. "Then why are you hiding in the dark? Looking to make a dramatic entrance?"

Another low chuckle. "Perhaps. But if you're so eager to get to the introductions, then we can get to them right now."

The room lit up, and the speaker was revealed. In the middle of the room was a large throne-like chair. Sitting on it was a monstrous beast-like ghoul of a Digimon. The repeated scratching thump came from one of his long claws that served as a finger tapping against the armrest of his seat as he stared at the dragon Digimon.

"I am Deathmon. It may be a little late, but welcome to my village."

EmperorGreymon glared at him. "You're not being controlled by a Parasimon. That means you're in league with them."

"Careful, EmperorGreymon," OmniShoutmon warned as he stood up as well. "This guy is dangerous. Very dangerous."

Deathmon's large, fang-filled mouth spread into a nasty sneer. "No, I'm not being controlled, and to be more accurate, it's the Parasimon who are in league with me."

There were snickered all around from the parasite Digimon at his words. They just aggravated OmniShoutmon further. "Then I'm guessing that you were the one who led the attack on this village. That means you killed Rosemon and Lotusmon!"

Deathmon stopped tapping. Leaning forward, he crossed his clawed fingers in front of him, resting his lower jaw on them. "I suppose you could say I indirectly killed them. It was so much more fun that way."

"What the hell does that mean?"

Deathmon chuckled. "Would you like to hear how we took over? I think you'll enjoy it." He sat back as he motioned to the parasite Digimon. "Some time ago, I saw the potential the Parasimon had. Pathetically weak for a Mega on their own, but a threat in great numbers, especially if they acquired a host. So I recruited all the Parasimon throughout the Digital World. I felt we could… help each other."

EmperorGreymon's eyes narrowed. He didn't like the way the ghoul Digimon said 'help'. "And how exactly would you help each other?"

Deathmon's tongue snaked out and ran over his large, sharp teeth. "Getting food, of course. I'm assuming that as a human, you don't know the nature of the Deathmon species. Would you like to know?"

EmperorGreymon was getting impatient, and didn't want to play whatever game this Digimon was playing. Knowing that OmniShoutmon would get to the point right away, he asked the dragon Digimon, "Ok, what's this guy's deal?"

A frustrated sigh escaped OmniShoutmon. "Deathmon is one nasty Digimon, and very powerful. He eats other Digimon and gets stronger, only it's worse than that. In a way, he's like a cross between Vemmon, Murmukusmon, and Matadormon. Whatever Digimon he eats, he gains the power to turn into a 'Death' version of it, basically a hybrid of himself and that Digimon, with a new list of attacks that are Death versions of that Digimon's."

Deathmon closed his eyes. "Now why did you have to go and ruin my introduction like that?" He opened his eyes. "Oh well, no matter. You wanted to know about my takeover, so I'll tell you. It was quite simple. With my Parasimon army, we invaded this village. Many Parasimon were lost during the battle, but we soon came out on top. Not even the village leaders could stop us. I took them down myself."

OmniShoutmon's teeth clenched. "Rosemon… Lotusmon… So it was you who killed them."

A cruel snicker escaped the ghoul Digimon. "Not quite. You see, in an attempt to stop us, the two of them DNA Digivolved into Rafflesimon, and I'm sure you know what that means. So I decided to keep them as a pet until her time ran out."

OmniShoutmon gasped, but EmperorGreymon didn't what the ghoul Digimon was talking about. "What does he mean by time running out?"

A despairing growl escaped OmniShoutmon. "Rafflesimon is unique among DNA Digivolved Digimon. When Rosemon and Lotusmon merge together, they can't separate or DeDigivolve until Rafflesimon dies. And while she is indeed a very powerful Digimon, she's on a clock. From the moment she manifests, she begins to die, and will do so after several days."

"Correct," Deathmon replied gleefully. "And with a finite lifespan, a Rafflesimon's dearest wish is to enjoy her life wile it lasts in peace with those she cares for. Therefore, after I defeated her, I saw fit to keep her as my personal plaything, forcing her to watch as the villagers she swore to protect fell prey to the Parasimon as I amused myself with her. Each day her life ticked away more and more, until finally it… ran out. Watching her despair grow as each day passed, knowing her time for saving the villagers was running out, was most amusing. It's just a shame her lifespan wasn't longer."

There was laughter from the Parasimon in the room. All the while, OmniShoutmon was seething, and EmperorGreymon was feeling disgusted and infuriated as well. "You're a monster."

The ghoul Digimon just sneered. "As if you or anyone else has the right to judge. It's always so very cute how those of you who fight for the light think you can set the standards for morality."

"There's a general understanding of what's morally right and wrong," EmperorGreymon told him. "And based on what you've done here, you've crossed that line long ago. Even if eating other Digimon or using them as hosts is in your nature, you've taken it too far. Now let our friends go before I really get mad."

The permanent snarl on Deathmon's face grew into a grin. "So sorry, but as I explained, the Parasimon and I have an arrangement. Anyone who enters out village becomes their prey. And once they've drained their host to the point of death, they're brought to me so that I may feed. A nice little arrangement, don't you think?"

"And you forced Jijimon and Babamon to play the kind hosts to unsuspecting visitors, otherwise they'd become hosts too. You're sick, really sick."

Leaning forward, Deathmon glared at him. "Careful, boy. This is my village. I decide what happens in it."

"Do you?" EmperorGreymon asked almost mockingly "I thought that this was Laylamon's territory. How do you think she would feel about your claim?"

It wasn't that good of a barb, but it was all he could think of. However, Deathmon simply threw his head back and laughed, as did the Parasimon.

"Laylamon?" the ghoul Digimon repeated. "Oh, you poor, poor boy. Do you really think that she's unaware of what's happening here? She not only knows about it, she encourages it. She thinks it's amusing. In fact, she helped me gather up the Parasimon for the invasion. As long as we pledge our loyalty to her, she doesn't care what we do. If anything, she supports the subjugation and oppression we inflict. It keeps everyone compliant."

A feeling of utter revulsion went through EmperorGreymon. He knew that the Demon Lords were evil dictators who did horrible things themselves, but to encourage it with others. This whole situation was just unnecessary cruelty, and done simply for the sake of being cruel. How anyone could delight in such horror and suffering was beyond him.

"This is nothing," OmniShoutmon said quietly, his voice low with suppressed anger. EmperorGreymon glanced at him and saw the dragon Digimon practically shaking with fury. "What's been done here, as wrong as it is, is nothing compared to the amount of suffering the Demon Lords have caused. In fact, I'd even call this merciful in comparison. It's not even necessary, it's just an amusing hobby for Laylamon to entertain herself with. She's done far worse than this, all the Demon Lords have. Things that would make this seem like a blessing."

"You're breaking my heart," Deathmon grumbled as he got to his feet. "But the storytelling part is over. It's time to get to the main event."

He leapt forward, landing in front of EmperorGreymon. The dragon Digimon took an involuntary step back in surprise, then raised his sword. "Dragon Soul Sword!"

He brought his sword down on the ghoul Digimon, and Deathmon's hand shot out, catching the blade. EmperorGreymon gasped in surprise as the ghoul Digimon held his sword back.

"Don't look so shocked," he taunted. "I've consumed a lot of Digimon to get to where I am."

His fist shot out, slamming into EmperorGreymon's chest, sending him flying backwards. OmniShoutmon lunged forward and spun around, kicking out with his Doom Drillpress. Deathmon caught his leg as well before slashing at him. OmniShoutmon leapt away from his swiping claw, and Deathmon followed up with his Death Beam attack, firing a beam from his mouth.

OmniShoutmon countered with his Hard Rock Spirit, the blast from his hands colliding with Deathmon's beam. As the two attacks pushed against each other, the ghoul Digimon suddenly came flying at him, leaping over the beams. "Death Knuckle!"

His fist glowed with power and slammed into OmniShoutmon's jaw, resulting in an explosion that sent the dragon Digimon crashing into the wall. Deathmon snickered, then suddenly stumbled forward as a blast from EmperorGreymon's Dragonfire Crossbow exploded against his back. He turned to the dragon Digimon, and EmperorGreymon fired a second time.

Deathmon leapt over the attack, and came down at him. EmperorGreymon ignited his sword with his Flaming Edge and raised it over his head to cut Deathmon in two, but the ghoul Digimon suddenly began glowing. His glowing body changed shape, becoming bigger and longer, taking on a different form.

When the glowing stopped, he flew over EmperorGreymon's head and away from his flaming sword. As he circled back, much to the dragon Digimon's astonishment, Deathmon now looked like Airdramon, though he still retained his own face.

"The heck!?" EmperorGreymon exclaimed.

"I told you," said OmniShoutmon as he stumbled over, "he has the power to turn into a Death version of the different Digimon he eats. He must have eaten an Airdramon at some point."

"And I'll eat you as well," Deathmon told them, and swooped down at them, opening his jaws.

OmniShoutmon flew forward, reaching out and grabbing Deathmon's jaw so he couldn't close his mouth. He was lifted into the air as the ghoul Digimon carried him off, but he refused to let go.

"Soaring Nine-Headed Dragon Force!" EmperorGreymon cried, and the fiery dragon burst from his body. It flew up and collided with Deathmon, causing the ghoul Digimon to roar loudly as he slammed into the wall.

OmniShoutmon flew back before the impact and fired his Omni Core Fusion, and the attack blasted against Deathmon. "That'll teach you." He looked at the Parasimon holding their friends. "And if you don't want the same treatment, then you better-"

"We're not done yet," came Deathmon's voice from within the cloud of smoke.

Something black and humanoid leapt out at OmniShoutmon. It grabbed both his legs and yanked him down, and the dragon Digimon was slammed to the ground with the newly transformed Deathmon crouching down on top of him.

EmperorGreymon gasped as Deathmon stood up. Like before, his face remained that of the ghoul Digimon, his large jaw shifting into grin. "Something wrong, human? You look like you've seen a ghost. Death Beam!"

The beam flew out of his mouth, and EmperorGreymon dropped down to all fours, letting the beam pass over him. "Not a ghost, just unpleasant memories."

He charged at the ghoul Digimon, now in the form of Devimon, and used his Soaring Flame Edge. Deathmon spread his wings to fly away, but was suddenly held back as OmniShoutmon reached up and grabbed his ankle, pulling him back down. EmperorGreymon swung his flaming sword, the swipe leaving a trail of fire through the air.

Deathmon reached out, grabbing the flaming blade. He roared as the fire burned his hands, but refused to let go. EmperorGreymon pushed harder against him, but suddenly a Parasimon landed on his back. He reluctantly pulled away from Deathmon and reached back to grab the parasite Digimon before it could take him over. He ripped it off and slammed it to the ground, smashing it in the process.

"Death Knuckle!" Deathmon cried, punching out.

EmperorGreymon turned back to him and held up his sword like a shield. Deathmon's fist exploded against it, and he was blasted backwards from the explosion. Deathmon transformed again, becoming a MetalGreymon, his face still the same. He raised his metal claw and brought it down, stabbing into OmniShoutmon.

The dragon Digimon cried out as the claws pierced his armor. Deathmon lifted him up and threw him against the wall. He then used his Death Arrow Fire, shooting an energy arrow from his mouth that hit OmniShoutmon in the shoulder, pinning him to the wall.

Deathmon chuckled as he changed back to his natural form. He heard a battle cry from behind him and turned to find EmperorGreymon charging at him, Turning to the dragon Digimon, he began shooting his Death Arrow Fire. EmperorGreymon knocked the energy arrows away as he rushed at the ghoul Digimon and used his Dragon Soul Sword. Rather than dodging, however, Deathmon lunged forward and chomped down on the blade.

The two wrestled together, Deathmon's jaws still biting down on EmperorGreymon's sword. He raised his fist and used his Death Knuckle, but EmperorGreymon had expected this and grabbed his wrist before he could land the blow.

With the two locked together, several Parasimon moved in. EmperorGreymon suddenly found himself surrounded by five of them, and they latched onto his body.

OmniShoutmon was having his own problems with the parasite Digimon as several of them had been moving in towards him. He had been blasting them away with his Victorize Banking, but then he spotted EmperorGreymon surrounded by several of them.

"No!" he cried, unwilling to lose anymore of his friends to these vermin. "Omni Torpedo!"

He surrounded himself with the Omnimon-shaped aura, causing the arrow pinning him to the wall to disintegrate, and he launched himself across the room, tearing through all the Parasimon in his path. He tackled into both Deathmon and EmperorGreymon, despite this meaning that his friend would get caught up in the blast too. The five Parasimon were destroyed, and both Deathmon and EmperorGreymon were sent flying.

They both recovered quickly, and EmperorGreymon flew over to OmniShoutmon's side. "I guess I should say thanks for that, but could you be a little more careful of who you attack next time."

"Unless you prefer to become a host to one of these things, then yeah, you should be grateful."

Deathmon got to his feet and turned back to the two dragon Digimon. "Your determination is admirable, but futile. We all know how this is going to end."

"You mean with your destruction?" said EmperorGreymon. "Yes, it is."

He and OmniShoutmon rushed at the ghoul Digimon. Deathmon charged forward to meet them. Before they collided though, Deathmon suddenly transformed, becoming enormous. Both dragon Digimon skidded to a halt as they came face to face with a Death Whamon, his giant size breaking down the ceiling and walls. Deathmon's mouth opened and he fired his Death Beam, the attack several times its usual size. The two dragon Digimon were struck by the beam and slammed against the wall, which came crumbling down.

The pile of rubble from the attack shifted, and the two dragon Digimon crawled out. EmperorGreymon rubbed his head as he looked at the Whamon version of Deathmon. "How and when did he manage to eat a Whamon, especially so far from the ocean?"

"He must have done so before he came here," OmniShoutmon replied.

Deathmon suddenly transformed into a Trailmon and charged full speed at them. They took to the air, narrowly avoiding missing being run down, and flew a distance away.

"I've really had enough of this guy," EmperorGreymon growled. "And these Parasimon."

Laughter came from Deathmon as he changed back to normal and turned back to them. "That's a real shame, because we're not going to kill you. After my Parasimon friends suck you dry to the point of death, instead of eating you like I've been doing, I'll turn you over to Laylamon. I'm sure she'll be quite pleased with that. Maybe she'll let me consume one of you as a reward; I'd certainly like to see what you humans taste like."

"That won't happen!" OmniShoutmon declared.

"It would be a mercy killing," Deathmon continued. "Being devoured by me would be much better than the slow torturous death I'm sure the Demon Lords have in store for you."

"Like he said, ugly," EmperorGreymon growled, "It's not going to happen."

At that moment, several more Parasimon began entering the estate, crawling through the holes in the ceiling and walls. Among them, two of the Parasimon revealed that they had managed to catch Jijimon and Babamon. Deathmon chuckled at the sight and looked back at the two dragon Digimon. "I don't think you have a choice."

EmperorGreymon looked around warily. He was certain that he and OmniShoutmon would be able to handle the Parasimon, but Deathmon was going to be a problem. All he had to do was distract them enough for one of the parasite Digimon to attach themselves to them, and he did not want to end up as a host to one of those things.

"Got any bright ideas?" OmniShoutmon asked.

"Just one. Take out Deathmon."

He could practically hear his fellow dragon Digimon roll his eyes. "How about something a little more concrete."

EmperorGreymon looked back at Deathmon as the ghoul Digimon approached with several Parasimon behind him. His gaze then went over to their friends in the corner where they were being held by their parasite Digimon. Then he looked back at Deathmon as he tried to come up with a strategy.

"I've got something we can try," he suggested, hoping that what he was envisioning could be pulled off. "If you're up for it."

"If it'll get us out of this, then I'm all for it."

Deathmon stopped walking as he watched the two dragon Digimon talk. "Whatever strategy you're thinking of trying won't help you. You're already beaten."

EmperorGreymon ignored him. "You got it?"

"It'll take some maneuvering, but lets try it."

"Right, lets go." He pointed his sword at Deathmon. "Lets see how you handle this. Dragonfire Crossbow!"

He fired a flaming arrow. As he predicted, Deathmon leapt up over it, and EmperorGreymon flew up to meet him. Deathmon snarled at him and brandished his claws. "I'll cut you down!"

"Not me," said EmperorGreymon.

Suddenly, OmniShoutmon came flying over his shoulders, having been flying directly behind EmperorGreymon to remain hidden, and brought his bladed foot down. "Doom Drillpress!"

Deathmon's hands came up, blocking the attack. However, OmniShoutmon just smirked and reached out, grabbing hold of Deathmon's arms and holding them above his head.

"Storming Flame!" EmperorGreymon cried, stabbing forward.

His sword plunged into Deathmon's torso. The ghoul Digimon's eyes widened, and a pained roar came from his mouth. OmniShoutmon released his arms, and EmperorGreymon brought him down. They hit the ground, and the dragon Digimon pushed his sword in deeper, and it came out Deathmon's back and buried into the floor. Another snarl escaped the ghoul Digimon as EmperorGreymon pushed the sword into his torso down to the hilt.

"Pyro Dragons!"

Deathmon roared again as nine trails of fire flowed out beneath him and EmperorGreymon. At the ends of the fire trails, flaming dragons heads emerged, and they flew out at the Parasimon. Cries rang out from the parasite Digimon as the fiery dragons destroyed one after another, flying about the room and taking them out. OmniShoutmon went on the attack as well, destroying the Parasimon as they tried to flee with his Twin Fireball Strike and Victorize Banking.

The Parasimon that had their friends attempted to slip away, climbing up the wall in an attempt to escape through the hole in the ceiling, EmperorGreymon, however, was not about to let them escape. The ground beneath him and Deathmon erupted, and EmperorGreymon was launched into the air while Deathmon was consumed by the pillars of fire.

Flying towards the Parasimon, EmperorGreymon let out a battle cry and swiped his sword, taking out all five of them with a single swipe. His friends dropped to the ground as the parasite Digimon that had had a hold of them burst into data. EmperorGreymon caught them before they hit the ground and set them down safely.

"It's ok, guys," he told their unconscious forms. "You're safe now."

There was a roar from behind him, and EmperorGreymon looked over his shoulder. Deathmon was lunging for him, covered head to toe in fire. The dragon Digimon instinctively raised his arms to block as he stood over his friends protectively as Deathmon came down on him.

Deathmon's flaming body suddenly burst into data as he was struck by OmniShoutmon's Victorize Banking. EmperorGreymon lowered his arms and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thanks for that," he said, and glanced around the room for the Parasimon. "We get them all?"

OmniShoutmon nodded. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure. And good riddance." His eyes went to a dark corner of the room on the ceiling. "Except for that one."

EmperorGreymon turned to where he was looking and saw one last Parasimon trembling in the corner. Eyes narrowing, he told OmniShoutmon that he would take care of it and picked up his sword. He flew over to the Parasimon and pointed his sword at it. The parasite Digimon let out a frightened yelp and began shaking even harder.

"P-P-Please don't kill me!" the Parasimon begged.

EmperorGreymon's eyes narrowed. "After what you and your friends did to this place and tried to do to me and my friends, give me one good reason why I shouldn't."

"Aw, come on, kid. It was nothing personal."

"It was evil."

"From whose point of view? We Parasimon need a host to survive. It's just in our nature. So we tried to make it easier on ourselves. Are you really going to hold that against me?"

EmperorGreymon hesitated as he considered the parasite Digimon's words. Could he really hold that against him? As the Parasimon pointed out, he needed a host to survive. Even in the human world, there were parasitic creatures that needed a host in order to live. They didn't choose to be that way. And just because others perceived them as evil didn't make it so. Was a cat evil simply because it ate a mouse? Perhaps to the mouse, but was it really?

While he was thinking this over, the frightened grimace on the Parasimon's face became a grin. He suddenly lunged at the dragon Digimon, legs and tentacles reaching out. This snapped EmperorGreymon out of his thoughts and he reacted quickly. With a slash of his sword, he destroyed the last Parasimon.

"Can't believe I almost fell for that crap." He looked back at OmniShoutmon. "That's the last of them. How are they?"

OmniShoutmon looked down at the teens. "They'll be fine once they wake up. They shouldn't remember anything except their dreams. Same goes for everyone else."

EmperorGreymon nodded as he looked at all the other unconscious Digimon in the room. "Good to know. I still can't believe we almost fell prey to those things."

"Parasimon are nasty things, and Deathmon is some real bad news. Hopefully with the, gone, this village can get up and running again."

A groan came from Takato as he rolled over. "You're being too loud."

OmniShoutmon looked down at him. "Oh, good, you're waking up."

Takato's face scrunched up before he cracked his eyes open. "What, is it my shift? I thought we weren't doing shifts tonight since…"

He trailed off as he spotted OmniShoutmon and realized that they were in a large room where it looked a battle had taken place. He looked around in surprise, spotting EmperorGreymon as well. "Um, what's going on here? Did I miss something?"

EmperorGreymon changed back to Takuya and gave him a sheepish look. "It's kind of a long story…"

Notes:

(A/N: Well, that was intense. It looks like EmperorGreymon and OmniShoutmon just took out the entire Parasimon population, but no one's gonna shed a tear over that. And Deathmon, yikes, what a baddie. And I think Takuya is beginning to realize just how terrible the Demon Lords' rule is. It's not just them that are bad, but they're encouraging acts of evil. Maybe this will change his tune a bit. But more on that next time. Lets see what the rest of our heroes will think about what happened to them when they wake up.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Deathmon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Rafflesimon

Chapter 125: An Unscheduled Stop

Notes:

(A/N: The holidays are coming up, so Happy Holidays! Here's an early Christmas present for you all. The next chapter! Yay! Enjoy.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 125: An Unscheduled Stop

"I'm glad Jijimon and Babamon were able to get us a Trailmon," Davis grumbled, "but this isn't exactly what I had in mind."

Shoutmon snorted. "We were able to get what we needed. Be a little more grateful; we could be walking."

Davis fixed the dragon Digimon with a dirty look. "I am grateful. But I was also hoping for something a bit… bigger."

He motioned to the Trailmon they were riding, a species called Ball. It was very small, for a Trailmon, and lacked any cars, and the seven of them were barely able to fit on it. But it wasn't just small, it was slow too, moving itself along by turning the cranks on its sides.

After everything that had happened in the village regarding Deathmon and the Parasimon, the Digimon who had once been hosts to the parasite Digimon had been immensely grateful to Takuya and Shoutmon. And though it had taken some groveling from Jijimon and Babamon, they had been willing to forgive the ancient beast Digimon for the roles they had been forced to play in providing the Parasimon with hosts.

The others had been sorry that they hadn't been able to assist Takuya and Shoutmon in the battle with Deathmon, but their concerns had been waved off.

"It's not like you could help it," Shoutmon had told them. "And believe me, you guys definitely got the shorter end of the stick than we did by having those disgusting parasites attached to you."

So grateful were Jijimon and Babamon to them for clearing the village of the Parasimon that they had given them all the supplies they needed, free of charge. And thanks to the connections the other Digimon had, they had been able to get in contact with the nearest Trailmon station and get a ride. It had taken a little convincing that this wasn't a trick of the Parasimon, but a Trailmon had eventually been sent, albeit a much smaller, much slower one from the ones the teens were used to.

"I think he's cute," said Kari. She patted the Trailmon's head. "Good boy, Ball."

Davis just humphed. "We might as well have just continued on foot. I could jump off and run faster than this."

"Suit yourself," Shoutmon replied, and kicked him off the Trailmon. It wasn't a high fall, and they weren't going fast enough for Davis to get hurt, though he would end up with a sore bottom.

"Hey!" Davis shouted as the distance between him and his friends began to grow. Jumping to his feet, he ran after them, but contrary to his claim, he was nowhere near as fast as Ball, despite the train Digimon's speed being much slower than other Trailmon. "Come on, get back here! Let me on!"

"But I thought you said you could run faster!" Shoutmon called back to him teasingly.

"Shoutmon," Tai grumbled.

"What? I'm just sick of him whining all the time."

TK sighed. "Hey, Ball, do you mind waiting for our friend."

"Coming to a stop," the train Digimon announced, and applied the brakes.

Davis caught up a minute later and threw Shoutmon a dirty look as he hopped on and the Trailmon began moving again. "That wasn't funny."

Shoutmon held up his hand, his thumb and index finger a fraction apart. "Maybe a little funny?"

Tai just sighed and patted Trailmon's side. "Thanks, Ball. You can get going again."

"All aboard!" Trailmon called. "We're moving out… now!"

They began moving along again. Davis didn't complain about the speed anymore, though he did have something to say about the size, particularly when it came time to go to sleep. Trailmon's smaller size made it difficult for them to find a comfortable position, but they had to make do with what they had.

But as everyone else slept, Takuya found himself unable to. His mind had been busy ever since what had happened back at the village with Deathmon and the Parasimon, and it made him rethink his opinion on things.

Glancing at the sleeping Shoutmon, he nudged the dragon Digimon with his foot. Shoutmon snorted awake and began looking around with sleep-filled eyes. His fists raised to fight.

"Whoozit?" he demanded sleepily. "Wadda want?" Shoutmon rubbed his eyes and blinked up at him. "Takuya? What's going on? I just got to sleep."

Takuya gave him a guilty smile. "Yeah, sorry about that. I just wanted to apologize."

The dragon Digimon stared at him for a few moments before his shoulders slumped. "Um, ok. Apology accepted, I suppose. Don't see why this could have waited until morning though." He raised an eyebrow. "What are you apologizing for anyway?"

A deep sigh escaped the teen. "For giving you such a hard time about the whole sacrificing others thing. After seeing what happened back at that village, and knowing that the Demon Lords not only encourage that type of behavior, but enjoy watching it and find it amusing-"

"And have done far worse themselves," Shoutmon interrupted. He motioned for him to continue. "But go on."

Takuya sighed again. "Right. Anyway, after seeing that, and knowing that horrible things like that are happening all over the Digital World, I think I have a better understanding of why you and AncientWisemon would find it so easy to sacrifice a few to save many."

Shoutmon held up his hand. "Hey, whoa, back it up there. I never said it was easy. In fact, knowingly sending someone to their death may be the hardest thing I've ever done."

Takuya nodded in understanding. "Yeah, I didn't mean… Look, what I'm getting at is that I can see why you would think it's… justifiable if a lot of good can come out of it. I guess it would be like in my world, if we could sacrifice a handful of people to take out Hitler and prevent the Holocaust, then…"

"You lost me after you started talking about your world."

Takuya resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "What I mean is that I understand why you would find it acceptable to sacrifice a few in order to stop or prevent the Demon Lords from doing something horrible. I can see why you would do it if you think it were necessary."

"How can you say that!?"

Both Takuya and Shoutmon's heads snapped towards the speaker, and they saw Takato staring at them in disbelief. How long had he been awake and listening in on their conversation?

"Takato," said Takuya with false delight. "How much of that did you hear? 'Cause it may have been out of context."

"And why were you eavesdropping on us?" Shoutmon demanded.

Takato glared at them. "I heard the whole thing. And just for the record, I wasn't eavesdropping; you were having your conversation right next to me. More importantly, how can you say AncientWisemon was justified in making those sacrifices? Weren't you so completely against it before? I thought you were with me on this."

Takuya nodded. "I was against it. I still am. But I can understand why it was done." He held out his arms. "Just look at everything we've seen. That's all because of the Demon Lords."

"Yeah, I remember," Takato growled. "I still don't see how you can agree that sacrificing lives, even if it stops the Demon Lords, can be condoned."

"Don't you remember Myotismon and his snatchers?" Shoutmon asked. "Don't you remember what he was doing, how many suffered because of it? Or what about Devimon and his black gears? Rather than letting those that were suffering to continue to suffer, or to allow countless others to suffer in the future, isn't it better to just lose a few to put and end to all that evil? Or do you think that we should have let more innocents be victimized because we were unwilling to do what was necessary?"

"Of course not. I don't want anyone to suffer."

"Then you must understand that sometimes sacrifices are necessary."

"No, I don't understand that! I don't understand that at all. There has to be another way, a way without sacrificing anyone. There always is, even if we can't see it."

Shoutmon snorted. "You're living in a fantasy. This isn't some child's story where everything will work out just because you're good and follow the rules. This is the real world, come back to it, otherwise you're going to get us all killed. Sometimes certain things are just unavoidable. You make the best decision you can to deal with it, and, unfortunately, that can sometimes comes at a terrible cost."

But Takato just shook his head, refusing to accept this. "Not me. I can't. I'll find another way, a way that won't require sacrificing anyone. I have to."

Shoutmon didn't respond, but he did mutter "delusional" under his breath. Takato heard him, but chose not to respond. Deep down, he knew that what Shoutmon said was true, and that's why Takuya had eventually accepted it. But Takato couldn't. If he came to believe that sometimes sacrifices needed to be made, then he might end up making one.

Truthfully, he was thinking about the reading he had received from AncientWisemon, that he would need to allow someone to sacrifice themself for him and his friends.

He didn't want to believe it, he refused to believe it, yet he couldn't deny that so far it seemed that AncientWisemon's predictions had begun coming true. Tai's had, when he had achieved Burst Mode, and Takuya's had, when he unlocked his EmperorGreymon form. That was two predictions already. If those could come true, then so could the others.

He shook his head. No, they wouldn't. They could prevent them. After all, AncientWisemon's predictions had included Davis betraying them and siding with the Demon Lords. There was no way that could happen. So if one prediction could be avoided, then others could be as well. And Takato fully intended to avoid his. Nothing was set in stone; AncientWisemon had said so himself.

That was why he absolutely had to reject the idea that sometimes sacrifices needed to be made. As long as he refused to accept that, then he would never have to make one, so they would have no choice but to find another way to do whatever they needed to do, one without sacrifice.

He was jolted out of his thoughts as Trailmon came to a sudden stop. TK and Kari, having been leaning against each other, were jolted awake from the sudden stop, and Shoutmon almost fell off. "Hey, what was that for?"

"There's someone on the tracks," Trailmon replied.

The teens looked further ahead and saw that there was indeed someone standing on the tracks, preventing them from going any further. Not just one person, but three, and worst of all, they were familiar.

"Oh, great," Takuya growled, "not these guys again."

"Davis, Tai, wake up," said Shoutmon, bopping them on the head. "We've got company."

Davis groaned, sitting up, but not opening his eyes. "Can't you ask them to come back later?"

"It's the Machine Mercenaries."

"Good for them. Just tell them that we… Wait, the who?"

"Infinity Cannon!" Suijinmon cried, firing a blast of energy.

The teens quickly scrambled to get out of the way of the attacks. Trailmon, however, was stuck where he was, wiggling to get off the tracks, but was unable to dislodge himself before he was blasted away.

"Ball!" Kari shouted as they watched the Trailmon burst into data. "No, how could you? He had nothing to do with any of this."

"His death is on you," Fujinmon stated plainly. "You should have known better than to associate with anyone when you have a bounty on your heads."

"Why can't you just leave us alone?" said Takato. "We've got nothing against you."

"Except for the fact that you keep trying to kill us," Davis muttered.

If the Machine Mercenaries heard him, they ignored the comment. "It's as we told you before," Raijinmon replied, "it's nothing personal. It's just a job."

Takuya held up his Digivice. "Fine then. But if you're going to insist on fighting us, then you should know that our team has gotten stronger since the last time we met."

"Yes," Suijinmon acknowledged. "Omnimon. We were there when his Digivolution was achieved."

"Not quite," said Takuya. "Execute! Spirit Evolution… EmperorGreymon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Omnimon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Imperialdramon Fighter Mode!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Gallantmon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Seraphimon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Ophanimon!"

"Shoutmon Digivolve to… OmniShoutmon!"

The Machine Mercenaries looked at the DigiDestined, taking special notice of EmperorGreymon. "So another one of you has Digivolved," Fujinmon noted. "And to a rather high level too."

"Congratulations," said Raijinmon. "You are now the third strongest member of your group, after Gallantmon and Omnimon."

"Seriously?" Imperialdramon wondered out loud. "Hey, where do I rank?"

"Second weakest," Suijimon stated, and glanced at OmniShoutmon. "With your so-called leader at the bottom."

The dragon Digimon in question growled. "Watch it."

Seraphimon leaned in closer to Omnimon. "Hey, we're not going to retreat again, are we?"

Omnimon glanced at his friends, then looked back at the Machine Mercenaries. "No, I say we take them. We're stronger now, we might be able to win. Besides, they're never going to stop hunting us. I say we fight."

"Alright," Imperialdramon exclaimed. "Now we're talking. Ionic Blaster!"

The Machine Mercenaries took to the air and fired upon the DigiDestined. They took to the sky as well, and yet another rematch began.

"This is for Ball!" Ophanimon shouted. "Sefirot Crystal!"

"Maltcyclone!" Fujinmon cried, spinning around rapidly and using his blades to knock away the crystals. "You'll have to do better than that."

He sped towards Ophanimon, still spinning around. She used her Unicorn Shield to block, and a shower of sparks went flying as the machine Digimon collided with her, and they bounced away from each other. Fujinmon went for her again, causing another spark shower collision, then struck again for the third time.

"Hallowed Ascension!" Seraphimon cried, calling down bolts of lightning.

Fujinmon was struck, and he cried out as he ceased spinning. He immediately flew after Seraphimon, and the angel Digimon quickly used Excalibur, manifesting his sword to block Fujinmon's blade. The machine Digimon began swinging his bladed arms wildly, and Seraphimon quickly found himself on the defense.

Ophanimon let out a battle cry and flew over, thrusting out with her javelin. Fujinmon made a half turn and blocked her javelin while still holding back Seraphimon's blade with his other one. The two angel Digimon began working together to stab and slash at the machine Digimon as he fended them off.

"You've improved some since we last met," Fujinmon commented. "It seems like you've tapped more into your Digimon forms' true power. But it's not enough. Silph Storm!"

He unleashed a powerful wind that blew the two angel Digimon away, then followed up with his Voltage Blade, flinging blades of energy at them. Seraphimon cut through the one coming at him with his sword while Ophanimon deflected hers with her Unicorn Shield.

"Holy Light!" she cried, following up with an attack.

Fujinmon recoiled from the light as Seraphimon flew towards him, repeatedly punching outward as he fired his Hallowed Knuckle. After the first few balls of light hit, he began knocking away the others with his blades. Suddenly, Ophanimon came flying at him, stabbing forward with her javelin.

Fujinmon managed to catch the javelin between his blades and hold it back, but Ophanimon followed up with her Eden's Javelin, firing a beam directly into his face and knocking him back. Seraphimon then launched his Strike of the Seven Stars, and the attack carried the machine Digimon down to the ground.

Raijinmon was using Imperialdramon's size against him as he maneuvered around the large dragon Digimon's body, making sure to stay close. This also made it difficult for OmniShoutmon to attack, as he kept finding parts of his friend in his line of fire.

"Quit running and fight," he shouted at the machine Digimon as he ducked beneath Imperialdramon's wing.

"I am fighting," Raijinmon replied. "Running would be what you and your human friends have done every time our paths have crossed."

Imperialdramon turned to the sound of his voice and threw a punch, only to have the machine Digimon dodge and maneuver around him again. "You're not fighting. You haven't attacked once."

"A fair assessment. Elekugel!"

He fired streams of electricity from his shoulder cannons directly into Imperialdramon's back. The dragon Digimon grunted as the attack pushed him through the air. "Yeah, I pretty much asked for that."

But it had gotten Imperialdramon out of the way, and OmniShoutmon used his Omni Torpedo to plow into the machine Digimon. Raijinmon managed to catch him, but still got the wind knocked out of him, and drove his knee into the dragon Digimon's gut, knocking him back. "Justice Burst!"

OmniShoutmon ducked beneath the attack, then did a flip while using his Doom Drillpress, bringing his bladed foot down on Raijinmon. The machine Digimon caught his leg and used his Blitz Arm, blasting OmniShoutmon back with a bolt of electricity.

"Positron Laser!" Imperialdramon cried, firing a beam.

Raijinmon swerved to the side to avoid the attack, but Imperialdramon had anticipated this and was already coming at him, swinging his Splendor Blade down at him. Raijinmon swerved and dodged the blade before moving back some and firing his Electro Ball attack, shooting numerous balls of electricity at the dragon Digimon.

Imperialdramon held up his arms to block as the attacks blasted against him. OmniShoutmon came to his aid by firing his Victorize Banking, hitting the machine Digimon. With the cease in attacks, Imperialdramon lowered his arms and opened his chest. "Ionic Blaster!"

A bolt shot from his emitter and struck Raijinmon, resulting in an explosion that sent him crashing to the ground like a meteor.

"Ouch," said Imperialdramon. "I think I felt that one."

He and OmniShoutmon flew down and tried to find the machine Digimon in the cloud of dust, being careful not to get too close in case of a surprise attack.

Their caution amounted to nothing as Raijinmon used his Back Storm attack. In an instant, a downpour started, and lightning came flying down to strike Imperialdramon. The dragon Digimon dropped to the ground, and as OmniShoutmon's attention went to him. Raijinmon burst up into the air. "Elekugel!"

"Flame Cannon!" OmniShoutmon countered, firing streams of flaming bolts from his chest. They met with the stream of electricity coming from Raijinmon's cannons, colliding in a stalemate.

The two Digimon hovered in the air a few feet apart, firing their attacks, the energy building up between them. Neither let up, and the energy exploded, blasting both of them back. Raijinmon stopped his momentum and sped at the still dazed OmniShoutmon. Suddenly, Imperialdramon leapt up into the air and delivered a Dragon Kick that sent the machine Digimon flying into the distance.

Omnimon, Gallantmon, and EmperorGreymon had teamed up against Suijinmon. Even so, they were still having trouble against him, but not as much as they had in the past. Aware of the type of powerhouse he was, they used their numbers to their advantage.

"Transcendent Sword!" Omnimon cried, bringing his sword down.

Suijinmon caught it, and was immediately met by EmperorGreymon's Dragon Soul Sword. He caught this one as well, but it left him open to Gallantmon, who plowed into him with his Spiral Saber.

"Shield Attack!" Gallantmon followed up, unleashing a burst of energy from his shield.

The attack blasted the machine Digimon back, and he released the others' blades. He wasn't affected long though, as he slammed his fists together before motioning for them to come at him again.

"You want more?" EmperorGreymon asked, and pointed his sword at him. "I'll give you more. "Dragonfire Crossbow!"

Suijinmon's fists clenched and he bellowed loudly, punching forward. His fist struck the fire arrow, causing the attack to disperse, much to EmperorGreymon's surprise. He then flew forward and backhanded the dragon Digimon, knocking him away. Omnimon aimed his cannon at him and fired. Suijinmon turned and fired his Infinity Cannon. It overpowered Omnimon's attack, blasting the knight Digimon away.

"You!" Gallantmon shouted. "Gallant Charge!"

His lance electrified, and he charged at the machine Digimon. Suijinmon caught the electrified lance and used his Accel Arm, bringing his large hand down on the knight Digimon. Gallantmon hit the ground hard, and Suijinmon dropped down after him.

Balling his fists together, Suijinmon brought them down on Gallantmon. The knight Digimon barely had time to raise his shield before Suijinmon's fists came down on it, sending out a shockwave that shattered the landscape. Suijinmon then proceeded to bring his fist down on Gallantmon, and the ground cracked apart more and more beneath him.

"Flame Edge!" EmperorGreymon cried, igniting his sword as he flew at the machine Digimon. "Dragon Soul Sword!"

Suijinmon leapt away and fired his Infinity Cannon, blasting EmperorGreymon away. He then cried out as Omnimon slammed into him from behind, stabbing his sword into his back. Suijinmon reached over his shoulder and pulled the knight Digimon off. Omnimon then surprised him with his Ultimate Uppercut, slashing him into the air with his sword before repeatedly blasting him with his cannon.

Gallantmon grunted as he adjusted his shield, feeling as if his arms had been crushed. He lined it up with Suijinmon and used his Shield of the Just. The machine Digimon barely recovered from Omnimon's attack before he was blasted by Gallantmon's, the attack carrying him further into the air.

"Now it's my turn," said EmperorGreymon, stabbing his sword into the ground. "Pyro Dragons!"

The nine fiery dragons emerged from the ground and flew up towards Suijinmon. Chomping down on him, they held him in place as the ground exploded beneath EmperorGreymon, launching him into the air. Crying out, he brought his sword down on the machine Digimon, and the two came down from the sky.

Gallantmon leapt away as Suijinmon crashed into the same place he had been laying with EmperorGreymon. The dragon Digimon had been hoping to slice him in two, but it seemed that Suijinmon's metal body was too tough for that.

He leapt away as Suijinmon suddenly took a swing at him, and the machine Digimon got to his feet. He was joined by Raijinmon, who set down beside him, and a few seconds later by Fujinmon, who burst up next to them, having tunneled underground. The DigiDestined regrouped together a short distance away and got ready to fight again.

"They are doing much better than before," Raijinmon commented.

"Indeed," Suijinmon agreed. "Their skills have improved."

"We made an error," Fujinmon told them. "We've fought them too many times, allowing them to get used to our fighting style, and we've allowed them to get too powerful."

"Yeah," Imperialdramon taunted. "Not too bad for a couple of impersonators, huh?"

Omnimon pointed his sword at them. "I suggest you leave us alone from now on before we decide to take you out."

Fujinmon's eyes narrowed. "Take us out? Nonsense. While it is true that this job has become more difficult than we anticipated, it is far from over. Now, behold our trump card."

A feeling of unease gripped Seraphimon. "They have a trump card? That doesn't sound good."

"Everyone brace yourselves," Omnimon told them, expecting some large scale combo attack or fighting strategy.

He was wrong in both accounts. Instead, bands of Fractal Code emerged from the three Digimon and surrounded them. This was followed by a light that had become all too familiar to the DigiDestined.

"Wait!" Ophanimon exclaimed. "Are they…? But they can't!"

OmniShoutmon's eyes narrowed. "They can. And they are."

"Fujinmon/Raijinmon/Suijinmon DNA Digivolve to… Raidenmon!"

Notes:

(A/N: Well, that was intense. It looks like EmperorGreymon and OmniShoutmon just took out the entire Parasimon population, but no one's gonna shed a tear over that. And Deathmon, yikes, what a baddie. And I think Takuya is beginning to realize just how terrible the Demon Lords' rule is. It's not just them that are bad, but they're encouraging acts of evil. Maybe this will change his tune a bit. But more on that next time. Lets see what the rest of our heroes will think about what happened to them when they wake up.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Trailmon_(Ball)

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Raidenmon

Chapter 126: A Lucky Break?

Notes:

(A/N: Happy New Year everyone! Hope everyone had a good holiday. I've got a little present for you. Nope, not just a new chapter, but also a short one-shot that's a crossover of Avengers and Deadpool called 'Deadpool ex Machina'. If you're looking for a laugh, check it out. If you're just looking for the next chapter of this story, look no longer, and enjoy.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 126: A Lucky Break?

The powerhouse that was Raidenmon was a tank, quite literally. Resembling an army tank crossed with an android, the combination of the Machine Mercenaries looked like he was capable of handling any form of attack while packing his own massive amount of firepower.

The DigiDestined looked at the new machine Digimon nervously. "Well…" Gallantmon muttered uneasily, "now we only need to defeat one instead of three. That's kind of better, right?"

"Don't be an idiot," OmniShoutmon growled. "We're in real trouble here. Not only is Raidenmon very powerful, he's also so devoted to destroying his targets that he'll even sacrifice himself to do it."

"Oh, perfect," EmperorGreymon grumbled. "We had a hard enough time trying to beat him when he was the Machine Mercenaries. Nice to know he's a kamikaze now too."

"Kirlian Brand!" Raidenmon cried, and unleashed a blast of electricity.

"Scatter!" OmniShoutmon shouted, and they all took flight as the electricity tore the ground apart.

"That was shocking," said Imperialdramon.

"Be careful," OmniShoutmon told them. "His Kirlian Brand unleashes an electric attack of 45,000 volts."

"I'm guessing that's a lot," said EmperorGreymon.

"Shocking, isn't it?"

"Imperialdramon, will you quit making jokes!" Omnimon snapped. "Now's not the time for that. Lets just take this guy. Dash Grey Sword!"

He flew at Raidenmon and slashed with his sword. The machine Digimon didn't bother to block or dodge, and Omnimon's sword struck against him with a clang. Much to the knight Digimon's surprise though, his blade was ineffective.

"What the!?" he exclaimed, and then proceeded to strike him over and over again. Sparks flew with every blow his sword landed, but Raidenmon didn't get so much as a scratch.

The machine Digimon let this go on for a few seconds, then suddenly lashed out with his claw, grabbing Omnimon around the torso. He lifted the knight Digimon into the air, then slammed him into the ground.

"Hang on, Omnimon!" Seraphimon called. "Hallowed Knuckle!"

"Twin Fireball Strike!"

"Eden's Needle!"

Fireballs along with needles and balls of light fell upon Raidenmon, bouncing harmlessly off his body. The machine Digimon ignored the attacks as he buried Omnimon deeper into the ground. Then Imperialdramon came swooping in, slamming into Raidenmon's side with his Dragon Knee. The machine Digimon was knocked onto his side, releasing Omnimon in the process, but Imperialdramon pulled back, gripping his knee painfully.

"Geez, what's this guy made of?"

"Harder stuff than you," Raidenmon replied, pushing himself upright again.

"Lets see if he's hard enough for this," said EmperorGreymon, pointing his sword at him. "Dragonfire Crossbow!"

He shot a fire arrow, and it exploded in the machine Digimon's face. It appeared to be affective, as a pained grunt escaped him.

"Looks like we'll have to rely on powerful attacks rather than low powered ones and physical blows," Seraphimon noted.

"Fine with me," said Ophanimon, pointed her javelin at him. "Eden's Javelin!"

The beam she fired struck Raidenmon and began pushing him back. A growl escaped him and he held up his hand to keep the beam from hitting him directly. Seraphimon followed up with his Hallowed Ascension, and lightning came down on Raidenmon. Gallantmon then used his Spiral Saver, spinning around above Raidenmon to create a fire tornado that materialized around him and the machine Digimon.

Another growl escaped Raidenmon as the three attacks came down on him at once. He unleashed his Kirlian Brand again, and the electricity blast caused the others to disperse.

"Big Charge Bomb!" he cried, firing a bomb from his tail. Ophanimon flew forward to deflect it with her Unicorn Shield, but instead of deflecting, the bomb exploded against it, and Ophanimon was blasted back by a massive explosion. Seraphimon quickly flew into her path to catch her, and she collapsed in his arms.

"Be careful," OmniShoutmon called. "A lot of Raidenmon's attacks are counter attacks. He can charge them up the more he's damaged."

Imperialdramon glared at him. "That would have ben useful to know earlier."

"So our physical and low powered attacks are ineffective," said Gallantmon. "And any attack we do to deal damage will just allow him to counter with an even more powerful attack. And even if we do manage to weaken him enough to defeat him, he'll just go suicide bomber on us, or something. That about sum it up?"

"He also has a healing ability that will double the power of the next attack he uses."

"Are you kidding me!?" Imperialdramon raged. "This guy is totally cheating!"

"The Machine Mercenaries were as strong as hell," EmperorGreymon told him. "Did you think the DNA Digivolution of all three of them would be a pushover?"

Raidenmon raised his right hand, at the end of which was what looked like a grenade launcher, and he began firing. The first two blasts exploded against Imperialdramon, the first knocking him back, and the second taking him off his feet. Then he turned his weapon on EmperorGreymon, still firing. The dragon Digimon used his sword to knock away the attacks while Gallantmon flew down towards him, using his Lightning Charge.

Raidenmon continued to fire. Despite EmperorGreymon knocking away the blasts, they still exploded against his sword, causing him to lose eventually his grip and take one to the face. Then Raidenmon quickly raised his gun up at the approaching Gallantmon. The blast went straight through the lightning sphere surrounding the knight Digimon, and his dive turned into a fall. Raidenmon grabbed him before he hit the ground, spun him around, and threw him.

"Flame Cannon!" cried OmniShoutmon.

"Omni Howling!" Omnimon cried.

The attacks hit Raidenmon, the former in a continuous stream. A grunt escaped the machine Digimon as he leapt up out of OmniShoutmon's attack and up towards Omnimon. The knight Digimon lifted his sword to block as Raidenmon raised his clawed hand and brought it down on him. Omnimon hit the ground hard, and Raidenmon dropped down on top of him, making the knight Digimon cry out.

"Omni Torpedo!" OmniShoutmon cried, surrounding himself in an aura and launched at Raidenmon.

The machine Digimon glanced his way, then charged at him too. They met in the middle, resulting in an explosion. Raidenmon skidded backwards from the blast while OmniShoutmon bounced across the ground from the impact.

"Damn this guy," Seraphimon growled, and came in for a landing. He gently set Ophanimon down before glancing back at the machine Digimon. "Hang tight, I'll deal with this."

Still dazed from the blast she had taken, Ophanimon reached for him. "Beware of that bomb attack of his. It's a doozey."

He nodded. "I'll be careful."

He flew at Raidenmon, firing his Strike of the Seven Stars. The attack blasted Raidenmon back several feet, and he turned to face the angel Digimon. Seraphimon kept his eyes on the machine Digimon's tail as it swung through the air, fully expecting him to fire a bomb. Instead, he unleashed his Kirlian Brand, and Seraphimon was electrocuted.

"Pyro Dragons!" EmperorGreymon cried, and the fiery dragons rose out of the ground and latched onto Raidenmon, holding him in place.

"Majestic Strike!" Imperialdramon cried, flying up into the sky and then dropping down towards the machine Digimon.

Raidenmon glanced up at him, but was kept bound by the Pyro Dragons. Imperialdramon thought he had a clear path, but then Raidenmon surprised him by firing at him with the cannon on his back.

The second part of EmperorGreymon's attack came into affect, the explosion beneath him launching him into the air. He raised his sword to bring it down on the machine Digimon as Raidenmon kept struggling. He managed to pull his clawed hand free and strike EmperorGreymon before he could strike him with his sword, knocking him away. The Pyro Dragons fizzled out, and Raidenmon was free again. He turned back to the DigiDestined as they regrouped, regarding them with interest.

"I guess this isn't too bad," said Imperialdramon. "He's tough, but manageable."

"Don't jinx it," Gallantmon told him. "The last thing we need is to somehow end up at an even greater disadvantage."

"Yes," Raidenmon mocked. "We wouldn't want that. Gilead Plant!"

His body began glowing, and the damage they had managed to deliver was healed. EmperorGreymon raised his sword and slammed it against the ground in response. "Oh, come on! Are you serious?"

"Be on your guard," OmniShoutmon warned. "His next attack will be twice as strong as usual. That's the technique I was talking about, the one that not only heals him, but doubles the power of his next attack."

Imperialdramon shrugged in resignation. "Sure, why not? We've got everything else going against us."

"Then you might as well go out with a bang," Raidenmon told them. "Big Charge Bomb!"

He launched a bomb from his tail. It sped towards the DigiDestined, but before it could hit, something flew through the air and struck it, causing the bomb to explode. The DigiDestined recoiled from the shockwave, wondering what just happened.

"What was that?" Gallantmon asked.

"Looked like a bullet," said Imperialdramon. "I think someone just saved us."

Raidenmon seemed to have come to the same conclusion. "Who dares to interfere?"

"That would be me."

The hope for salvation the DigiDestined felt vanished instantly at the familiar voice. All heads looked up to see none other than Beelzemon, still in his Blast Mode, floating in the sky. There was a scowl on his face as he surveyed the scene below before coming in for a landing.

Raidenmon glanced at the Demon Lord curiously. "Lord Beelzemon, to what do I owe the honor?"

Beelzemon didn't even look back at him. "These humans are mine to kill. So unless you want to join them, get the hell out of here."

The DigiDestined waited to see what the machine Digimon would do. From what they understood, the Machine Mercenaries weren't strictly devoted to the Demon Lords, but were soldiers hired by them, and the only reason the Demon Lords didn't kill them for not swearing their allegiance to them was due to their usefulness. But would Raidenmon back off as ordered, or would they be dealing with two enemies?

Raidenmon seemed to hesitate, but then his stance seemed to relax. "As you command, my lord."

His body began glowing, and he split back into the Machine Mercenaries once more. Fujinmon offered the Demon Lord a bow. "We shall take our leave now."

With that, the Machine Mercenaries took off, disappearing into the horizon. A grin spread across Beelzemon's face as he stared down the DigiDestined. "Well, well, here we all are once again. I must admit, you surprised me with your resourcefulness, but there are no data streams here for you to pull a stunt like that again."

"Beelzemon," OmniShoutmon growled, even as a bead of nervous sweat ran down his head. "I'd hoped we wouldn't see you again until after we took care of Laylamon."

A cruel chuckle came from the Demon Lord. "That's a bold claim, thinking you stand a chance against her. Or me. But as much as I'd love to see that bitch get slapped around a bit, I'm not going to give her the satisfaction of killing you." He held up his hand and made a fist. "That right belongs to me."

A frustrated sound escaped EmperorGreymon. "Out of the frying pan and into the fire."

"Buck up, guys," Imperialdramon told them. "Our group has gotten stronger. I think we can take him."

Beelzemon closed his eyes, looking entirely too smug. "How very cute you are." Then his eyes opened, and his face contorted with rage. "And how very annoying. Black Skewer!"

He raised his blaster and fired a beam of dark matter. The DigiDestined scattered, taking to the sky, but he kept firing after them, causing Imperialdramon to cry out when a beam grazed his wing.

Ignoring her injuries, Ophanimon took a risk in flying into the path of Beelzemon's attack and used her Unicorn Shield. She deflected the beam, but it took a lot of effort, and the recoil made her feel as if she had been hit by a train. Beelzemon laughed as he kept firing, and Ophanimon somehow successfully managed to deflect the dark matter beams.

Finally, she managed to angle the shield properly, and the next beam Beelzemon fired she managed to deflect back at him. His eyes widened in shock before he was blasted by his own attack, and a furious snarl escaped him. "You dare turn my own attack against me!"

Spreading his wings, he flew up towards her, stopping when he was directly in front of her. She pulled back in surprise, then thrust her javelin at him, firing a beam. He moved to the side, and pushed her javelin away, avoiding the attack, then backhanded her with his blaster.

With a battle cry, Seraphimon flew up behind Beelzemon and grabbed him from the back. He pulled him away from Ophanimon and turned him towards his friends. "I've got him! Attack while you can."

"Nice one," said Gallantmon. "Hold on tight. Gallant Charge!"

He flew at the Demon Lord with his electrified lance, as did the others, brandishing their own weapons. However, an arrogant sneer spread across Beelzemon's face. "You've gotta be kidding."

His tail came up, stabbing Seraphimon in the side. The angel Digimon gasped in pain, and Beelzemon broke his hold. Turning around, he slashed at Seraphimon with his Darkness Claw, then turned back to the others, drawing a magic circle with his blaster. "Corona Destroyer!"

A beam of destruction burst from the circle and flew at the DigiDestined. Imperialdramon flew ahead of the others and used his Light Barrier. Beelzemon's attack hit it, and was held back for only a few seconds before it shattered, and the dragon Digimon was carried off by it.

The others kept coming. Gallantmon thrust his electrified lance at the Demon Lord, and Beelzemon knocked it away with his blaster, then hit him with a Beelzeb Kick. Omnimon and EmperorGreymon attacked together, using their Transcendent Sword and Soaring Flame Edge. Beelzemon grabbed the knight Digimon's sword with his bare hands and caught the dragon Digimon's flaming sword with the clamp on his blaster, holding both back.

"Flame Cannon!" OmniShoutmon cried, firing flaming bolts from his chest while Beelzemon was busy with Omnimon and EmperorGreymon. The Demon Lord grunted as the attack hit him, then slammed the two of them together before blasting all three with a wave of darkness with his Corona Blaster.

He cried out as Ophanimon suddenly stabbed him in the back with her javelin, then fired her Eden's Javelin at point blank range. The beam carried the Demon Lord away before Seraphimon, with precise aiming, fired a Strike of the Seven Stars that blasted Beelzemon at the end if the beam.

"Good shot," Gallantmon commented.

"Was it?" came the voice of Beelzemon from up above as the smoke cleared. "All you're managing to do is piss me off."

"Oh," EmperorGreymon muttered. "We're so very sorry for making you angry in this fight to the death battle you decided to pick with us. Pyro Dragons!"

The fiery streams of dragon heads flew up towards Beelzemon. The Demon Lord just sneered as they approached, and his gun appeared in his other hand. "You've got to be kidding."

He used his gun and his blaster to fire upon the dragon heads, causing each one to disperse. And when EmperorGreymon was launched into the air up at him, he was ready. He used his blaster to block the sword swipe, then fired his Double Impact directly into the dragon Digimon's gut.

A pained grunt escaped EmperorGreymon, and he began to fall from the sky. Omnimon came rising up to meet the Demon Lord as the dragon Digimon fell past him. "Damn you!"

He began swinging his sword. Beelzemon used his blaster to deflect the swipes, and while he successfully managed to block, it was clear that he was not a swordsman, and was soon on the defense. And when an opening presented itself, Omnimon raised his canon and fired into the Demon Lord's chest, giving him the same treatment he gave EmperorGreymon.

Beelzemon didn't take this lying down though. As he was blasted backwards, he fired his Double Impact. The bullet hit Omnimon's shoulder, and he was knocked back. Seraphimon, Ophanimon, and OmniShoutmon immediately rose up to take his place, and fired a series of attacks at the Demon Lord.

"Strike of the Seven Stars!"

"Sefirot Crystal!"

"Hard Rock Spirit!"

The three attacks blasted Beelzemon from the sky. As he fell, Imperialdramon flew up to meet him, hitting the Demon Lord with his Dragon Kick. The attack sent him flying towards Gallantmon, who raised his shield to attack. "Shield of the-"

"Double Impact!" Beelzemon cried while still soaring from the momentum of Imperialdramon's kick. His attack was faster, and it struck Gallantmon's shield, knocking it aside and causing his attack to go off course. "Beelzeb Kick!"

Doing a flip in the air, he brought his foot down on the knight Digimon, sending him crashing to the ground. He then turned back to the DigiDestined and raised his blaster to the sky. "High Impact!"

Lightning came down from the sky, striking the DigiDestined, and they fell to the ground in smoking heaps. Beelzemon smirked before looking down at Gallantmon and slowly descending towards him.

The knight Digimon groaned, his head pounding from Beelzemon's kick. Instinctively, he looked up to see the Demon Lord floating down towards him. A sneer spread across his face as he raised his gun, aiming right between Gallantmon's eyes. "Looks like I was too fast for you earlier. Lets see if I am this time too. Double Impact!"

A bullet flew from his gun. Gallantmon flinched on reflex, but the bullet never hit him. Instead, a portal suddenly appeared, and a hand shot out, snatching the bullet out of the air and pulling it into the portal.

Beelzemon's eyes widened in surprise. "What the hell?"

Another portal appeared, this one bigger, and Boltboutamon stepped out of it, tossing Beelzemon's bullet into the air and catching it. "Hello, Lord Beelzemon. So sorry to interrupt."

A scowl crossed the Demon Lord's face. "What do you want? I'm in the middle of something."

Boltboutamon tossed the bullet into the air once more and caught it before crushing it into dust. "You've been summoned, my lord. Lady Laylamon has requested your immediate presence."

Beelzemon's scowl deepened. "You can tell that whore to piss off. I'm busy right now."

He pointed his gun at Gallantmon again, but, much to the surprise of everyone present, Boltboutamon casually walked in front of the knight Digimon. "I'm afraid she insists on seeing you right now. Before you kill the humans. She was very clear about that. Said your already damaged reputation was at stake, and if you wish to preserve what's left of it as an all-powerful Demon Lord that you'll hold off on killing the humans until you've heard what she has to say." He shrugged nonchalantly. "Unless you think this will be your one and only chance of winning and you won't be able to beat them in the future."

Slowly, Beelzemon's gun moved to the demon Digimon, his eyes burning with fury. "What did you say?"

Boltboutamon held up his hands and grinned. "Now, my lord, don't shoot the messenger. If you have a problem with the summon, then take it up with Laylamon."

Beelzemon glared at him for a few moments longer before glancing back at Gallantmon. His gaze then shifted to the other DigiDestined, and it became apparent that he was trying very hard to restrain himself.

However, he eventually lowered his gun, and let out a frustrated huff. "Seems you humans got a lucky break. But make no mistake, the next time we meet, you're all dead."

"Splendid," said Boltboutamon cheerfully. "I'll be looking forward to seeing that."

He snapped his fingers and another portal appeared. Still scowling, Beelzemon walked into it. "This better be good."

With a sinister chuckle, Boltboutamon stepped in after him. Oh, it will be." He wiggled his fingers in departure at the DigiDestined. "Ta-ta."

The portal closed, and both Beelzemon and Boltboutamon were gone. The tension left Gallantmon's body and he relaxed. "Geez, I seriously thought I was going to die. What was all that about?"

"Us getting a lucky break," said Imperialdramon. "I forgot how strong that guy was."

OmniShoutmon got to his feet. "I don't think that was a lucky break. Whatever Laylamon wants Beelzemon for, something tells me it's not going to be good."

"Maybe he'll do us a favor and kill her," EmperorGreymon said hopefully. "The two don't seem to get along that well."

OmniShoutmon scoffed. "It'd be nice, but that's just wishful thinking. They need each other to keep the Sovereigns sealed away." He looked up at the sky. "No, whatever Laylamon called Beelzemon for, it definitely doesn't bode well for us."

Notes:

(A/N: Yes, I know, this chapter subverted expectations. Not only did Beelzemon interrupt our heroes' battle with Raidenmon, but then Boltboutamon did the same for Beelzemon. There's a reason for this though, as it will establish what comes next and for what will happen later. For now, our heroes may have gotten a reprieve, but OmniShoutmon is actually worried that this means that something even worse is coming. Is he right? Stay tuned to find out.)

Chapter 127: Not The Only Ones

Notes:

(A/N: Last chapter certainly ended on an interesting note. Now we'll see what was so pressing that Laylamon had to pull Beelzemon out of battle for. But that's just the tip of the iceberg. Something even more interesting is going to happen in this chapter. So without giving away any spoilers, lets get started.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 127: Not The Only Ones

A smile grazed Laylamon's lips as she heard the portal materialize. She didn't even need to turn around to know who was angrily storming through it.

"Beelzemon," she said pleasantly, "so glad you could join me."

But the Demon Lord of Gluttony was in no mood for her games. He marched right up to her, pulled out his gun, and held it up to her face. "You've got 10 seconds to tell me why you called me here before I blow a hole in your head."

She just giggled and reached up to run a finger over the gun. "And here I thought you would be happy to see me."

"You now have six seconds, bitch. Start talking."

Laylamon sighed. "Still not one for pleasantries, are you?"

"Your interruption in my fight killed the mood. Now what do you want?"

The smirk on her face grew wider, and she gently pushed the gun away. "Ah, yes, your fight." She casually strolled away from him. "If you can even call that embarrassing display a fight."

Beelzemon glared at her. "The hell you talking about? I was winning."

Laylamon scoffed. "Yes, you were winning. But simply defeating them is no longer an option for you. Not if you want to save face."

His fists clenched, his claws digging into his palms. "Stop talking in riddles and just get to the damn point."

She sighed and turned back to him. "The point is that you screwed up. You couldn't kill them properly after we put them in their place. Then you were given a second chance, and what happens? First, you get your motorcycle destroyed. Then you change into your Blast Mode, and yet you still fail to kill them. What more, they managed to get the better of you by tossing you into a data stream. How very humiliating."

A growl escaped Beelzemon, making Laylamon smirk as she continued. "And then came your third chance. Not only did you interfere in their battle with Raidenmon, but even when they were battle weary, you were struggling a little. You should have been able to crush them easily while they were at full power." She scoffed mockingly. "Even if you managed to kill them now, you would have still been a complete embarrassment to the Demon Lords for all the trouble they caused you personally. Imagine how much our reputation would suffer once word gets out, yours especially. Our influence on the world would lessen. We would appear… vulnerable. Honestly, you should be thanking me for getting you out of there before you embarrassed yourself further."

Beelzemon had had enough. With an angry cry, he reached out and wrapped his hand around her neck and slammed her against the wall. Laylamon grunted, but then smiled saucily at him as if she were enjoying herself. "I think you like slamming me into walls."

"Not for the reason you're thinking of, you whore," he snapped. "Now, if you've got something to say to me, then hurry up and say it before I wring your pretty little neck. I've had enough of listening to that annoying sound you call a voice."

Still smiling, Laylamon reached up and removed his hand from around her neck. "If you want to salvage your reputation, then you're going to have to completely crush the humans. Show the Digital World that despite your… mishaps in dealing with them, that they're nothing. What better way to remind the world of the might of the Demon Lord of Gluttony than to show a massive display of power the likes of which this world has never seen before, and crush the humans in the process."

Beelzemon was silent for a few moments. He'd never admit it, but she was right. He'd screwed up in trying to kill the humans and made himself look like a fool. If he wanted to save face, he would need to do more than simply kill the humans. "So what do you suggest?"

Laylamon began absentmindedly twirling around a lock of her hair as she circled him. "A few weeks ago, in an attempt to kidnap AncientWisemon, an attack was staged against ElDradimon. One of the ones leading the attack was Chaosdramon, who, unfortunately, was destroyed in battle by the humans."

"I heard," Beelzemon grumbled, lamenting the loss of his Chaos General. He had been infuriated when he'd learned of Chaosdramon's destruction.

"Yes, truly a tragedy," Laylamon agreed, though she didn't sound overly concerned about it. "Perhaps you should have taken better care of what your Chaos General was doing."

For once, a smirk crept up Beelzemon's face. "Says the bitch who lost her Chaos General before any of us."

Laylamon threw him a glare as her thoughts turned to ChaosGrimmon. She pushed all thoughts of her useless Chaos General aside though as she focused on the matter at hand. "What I was getting at is that Chaosdramon was given a certain something in case of an emergency. And after he was destroyed, that certain something was retrieved."

She snapped her fingers, and from out of the shadows, AxeKnightmon appeared. Beelzemon eyed the knight Digimon curiously as he approached, and AxeKnightmon held something out to him.

The Demon Lord's eyes widened as he saw the small round object with an X inside it. An X-Antibody. Laylamon smiled in amusement at the way he stared at it. "I think this will get the job done, don't you?"

A wicked grin spread across Beelzemon's face. "Yes, I think this will work very nicely."

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"Oh, thank goodness!" Davis exclaimed as a village came into view. "Finally, we can rest. I'm spent."

It had been several long and tiring days since they faced Beelzemon. Having lost the Trailmon that was meant to provide them with transportation to the next town, they had been forced to undergo the rest of the journey on foot. And while long travel by walking was nothing new to them, it didn't make it any less tiring.

"Praise the Sovereigns," Shoutmon agreed. "I was afraid we would run out of supplies after practically everything we had was destroyed. Next time, we should ration in advance in case something like that happens again."

TK raised an eyebrow. "By 'that', do you mean us losing Ball?"

"That's terrible," Kari scolded the dragon Digimon. "He died because of us."

"That's reality," Shoutmon countered. "I don't know if you've noticed, but a lot of Digimon have died either because of us or for us. That's why we're fighting this war, so there will no longer be such needless death."

"All death is needless," Takato replied. "No one should have to die before their time."

Shoutmon scoffed. "Don't get too touchy-feely on me. It's not like defeating the Demon Lords will stop all fighting and killing. It's in a Digimon's nature to fight and get stronger. That only happens by destroying other Digimon and absorbing their data. There will always be Digimon battle, even when the Demon Lords are taken down."

Takuya scowled at him. "Then why are we even doing this?"

"Duh, to restore balance between the darkness and the light. To stop oppression and bring freedom. To end suffering and fear. To-"

"Ok I get it," Takuya grumbled. He rubbed his temple, as if he had a headache. "Sorry, I guess I'm just a little cranky from all the traveling."

"We're all stressed," Tai replied. "With Beelzemon able to show up at any moment, we've all been on edge. I don't know why Laylamon called him away from battle, but it makes me nervous."

"It should make you nervous," Shoutmon told him. "I don't think those two have ever gotten along, despite being allies. I shudder to think of what they're doing together."

"What do you think they're doing?" asked Takato.

Davis grinned mischievously. "Well, she's the Demon Lord of Lust, and he's the Demon Lord of Gluttony, so…"

Kari glared at him. "Don't be a pervert."

Shoutmon ignored the vulgar suggestion. "Well, knowing Laylamon, she's probably enjoying using Beelzemon to get rid of us. How, I don't know, but it's not going to be good."

Tai crossed his arms. "To be honest, I'm actually more worried about what Boltboutamon is scheming. I can just tell he's up to something."

A reluctant grunt of agreement escaped the dragon Digimon. "I hate to admit it, but you're probably right. Something tells me he's going to be trouble in the future."

He didn't want to worry his friends, but if Shoutmon were perfectly honest with himself, Boltboutamon actually worried him even more than the Demon Lords. Not only was he immensely powerful, and just as evil as them, if not more so, but there was so much mystery to him. At least with the Demon Lords, he knew what to expect. But Boltboutamon was an enigma, and was far too unpredictable. There was no telling what type of sinister plot he was cooking up.

TK sighed loudly. "Look, there's nothing we can do about it right now, so lets not worry about it, otherwise we're just going to end up stressing out."

Tai resisted the urge to groan, but he had to admit that TK was right. Unless an enemy showed itself, all they could do was continue on their way towards Laylamon's castle.

He decided to focus on the good rather than the bad, and turned his attention to the village. Despite losing their Trailmon companion, he could understand Davis' eagerness to be around civilization again. They so rarely got to sleep in a bed that it was always a pleasant treat, and he swore never to take such luxuries for granted again when they got back home.

It seemed that Tai wasn't the only one stressing, because as they entered the village, Shoutmon's eyes landed on a specific establishment, and he suddenly announced that he was getting a drink.

"Of water?" Takato asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No," the dragon Digimon remarked, "a 'drink', drink."

The teens awkwardly followed him into what appeared to be a mini-bar. They hadn't even known that the Digital World had anything akin to alcohol. As per usual, they received strange looks from the residential Digimon. This time, however, the Digimon began whispering amongst themselves.

"Looks like our reputation proceeds us," Davis remarked.

Shoutmon ignored the stares and made his way over to the bar, hopping up onto the stool and slapping his hand on the table. "Give me the cheapest thing you've got."

The Digimon behind the counter, a creature called Deramon, who resembled a bird wearing a crown with a bush growing out of its back, gave Shoutmon a look of disapproval. "You know the law, pal. No drinks to Rookies and below."

Shoutmon just growled. "I'm the Digimon King, and I can have a drink if I want."

"Not in that form, you can't. Either Digivolve, if you can, or get out. No exceptions."

The teens were at least happy to see that the bartender had some morals as he continued to refuse to serve the dragon Digimon. Shoutmon eventually got fed up and Digivolved to OmniShoutmon. He slammed his fist down on the counter and glared at Deramon. "There, satisfied? Now give me my damn drink."

The bird Digimon didn't seem the least bit intimidated as he poured OmniShoutmon a drink and passed the glass to him. "You DeDigivolve and I'm taking it back."

OmniShoutmon just scoffed as he grabbed the glass. "Yeah, whatever." He brought the glass to his mouth and began gulping it down. He finished in record time and slammed the glass down on the table. "That's good stuff."

"OmniShoutmon," Kari said in disapproval, "should you really be drinking right now?"

"I didn't even know you did drink," Takuya remarked.

A chuckle escaped the dragon Digimon. "I haven't had a drink in centuries. But then, I haven't had two Demon Lords working together to kill me and my friends before. Well, I guess I have, but you know what I mean." He patted the stool next to him. "Come have a seat. Drink with me."

TK bit his bottom lip, looking uncomfortable. "Yeah, you see, we're not exactly old enough to drink."

"I'll have one," Davis said, stepping forward.

Tai grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him back. "Over my dead body."

Davis gave him an annoyed look. "Come on, I always wanted to try some. And there's no underage drinking laws here to stop us."

"No, but there is me."

"Don't be such a killjoy."

Kari crossed her arms. "Davis, underage drinking laws aren't just there for no reason. At our age, it can harm our development, and affect us much greater than if we were older."

OmniShoutmon snorted. "Whatever, you do what you want. Today, I'm going to indulge."

Deramon eyed the teens with disdain. "I'm not serving their kind."

The teens were surprised with the hostility in the bird Digimon's voice. OmniShoutmon in particular, slowly turned to him, placing his empty glass on the table as he eyed Deramon with disapproval. "And why is that?"

The bird Digimon raised an eyebrow. "You mean you don't know? I thought that's why you were here?"

"Know what?" Takato asked uneasily.

One of the customers at another table, a Digimon called RedVegiemon, answered for Deramon. "It's the next town over. A few days ago, a Demon Lord arrived and began killing the residents. He only let a handful of Digimon leave to spread word that the humans must come and face him. He decreed that every day they don't appear, he will kill 10 of the residents."

Kari's hand flew to her mouth in horror. "That's terrible!"

"Why don't they just leave?" Tai demanded.

Deramon snorted. "Why do you think? Beelzemon said that if anyone is caught trying to leave that he'll kill everyone in the village, then move on to the next one and start over."

OmniShoutmon gripped his glass so tightly that it shattered. "Beelzemon. I should have known. Rather than waste his time searching for us, he's decided to make us seek him out."

Deramon motioned to the teens. "Which is why I'm not serving them. I don't know what you did to get on Beelzemon's bad side, but innocent Digimon are suffering for it."

Tai's eyes narrowed. "Sir, I can assure you that we had no idea about any of this, otherwise we would have dealt with it sooner."

The bird Digimon humphed. "Well, at least you're owning up to your mistakes. You certainly seem more responsible than your friend. I suggest you take him and get out of here."

OmniShoutmon blinked. "Who? Me?"

Deramon rolled his eyes. "No, I'm talking about your other human friend. The one who arrived yesterday. I thought he was with you."

The bird Digimon's words hung in the air. Slowly, the teens glanced at each other, trying to comprehend what Deramon said.

Suddenly, Tai rushed forward, practically crawling over the counter. "Are you saying that there's another human here!?"

Deramon looked surprised by his outburst. "That's what I was getting at, yes."

Tai glanced at the others. They looked just as flabbergasted as he was. Looking back at the bird Digimon, he demanded, "When!? How!?"

At that moment, there was a commotion from outside. All heads turned towards the door, and Deramon nodded at it. "That's probably him now. You mean he's not with you?"

"No!" Takuya shouted, and practically ran outside.

The others followed, bursting out the door and began looking around. Not too far off, there was a gathering of Digimon with a battle taking place in the middle of the circle. The teens forced their way through the gathering to the inner circle where the fight was taking place.

Two Digimon were fighting. The first was a Digimon who looked like a minotaur with a cannon for its left hand. A quick check of their Digivices revealed that it was the Champion level Minotarumon. The other Digimon was, surprisingly, an Agumon. This Agumon, however, unlike the one they knew, was wearing what appeared to be red belts over his claws, much like the way a fighter would tape up their hands.

"Heavy Attack!" Minotarumon cried, throwing a punch.

Agumon jumped back, avoiding the blow as the minotaur Digimon's fist shattered the ground. "Pepper Breath!"

He spat explosive fireballs, which blasted against Minotarumon. The minotaur Digimon snarled furiously and unleashed his Earthquake Drill, using his demon arm to cause an earthquake. The ground cracked apart in Agumon's direction, and the reptile Digimon leapt over it, doing a flip in the air as he came down on Minotarumon.

"Claw Attack!" he cried, and began slashing at the minotaur Digimon's face. Minotarumon roared and backhanded Agumon away.

"Got you now," he declared, aiming his cannon and firing. Agumon jumped up and began doing flips to avoid the blasts. "Hey, bro, can I get some help?"

From out of the crowd, someone came leaping through the air, having jumped off one of the bystanders to get air. The teens saw a humanoid silhouette fly through the air as it came down. The shadows faded as the light lit them up, revealing a very human boy.

With a battle cry, the boy actually delivered a punch to Minotarumon's face. The minotaur Digimon grunted, more out of surprise than anything, and the boy jumped back.

He landed beside Agumon and, to the teens' utter astonishment, the fist he had punched Minotarumon with was glowing with a pixelated golden light. This was, apparently, quite normal for the boy, as he turned to Agumon. "You ready, pal?"

"Lets do it," the reptile Digimon.

The two of them fist-bumped, and the light surrounding the boy's fist transferred over to Agumon and covered his whole body. He then turned his attention back to Minotarumon as the pixelated light became a different kind of light.

"Agumon Digivolve to… GeoGreymon!"

The teens stared. The Digimon Agumon had Digivolved into looked like Greymon, only different, with spikes protruding from different parts of his body. This brought back memories for the teens, especially Tai, as they watched GeoGreymon charge at Minotarumon. The minotaur Digimon rushed forward to meet him, and the two bucked heads together. They pushed against the other for several seconds before Minotarumon threw a punch. GeoGreymon caught his fist and then pulled back, causing the minotaur Digimon to stumble forward. GeoGreymon used the opportunity to slam his knee into Minotarumon's gut, then spun around and hit him with his tail.

Minotarumon stumbled back and threw a glare before raising his cannon arm. GeoGreymon launched a Mega Volcano just as Minotarumon fired. The blast barely left the cannon before colliding with the fireball, exploding in Minotarumon's face. The minotaur Digimon went down, and GeoGreymon roared.

As Minotarumon began to get up, GeoGreymon charged forward. Using his Horn Impulse, he slammed into the minotaur Digimon, just as Minotarumon turned around to face him again. His eyes bulged out, and a pained cry escaped him as he was impaled by GeoGreymon's horns.

"No one threatens my bro," GeoGreymon growled, and used his Mega Flame, unleashing a stream of fire that flowed over Minotaurmon.

The minotaur Digimon was consumed by the flames. He let out one last cry before dissolving into data. GeoGreymon absorbed it as the other Digimon cheered. Then he turned back to his human companion and DeDigivolved back to Agumon, and the two high-fived.

The teens continued to stare, unable to believe that after all this time, they were finally seeing another human. He was a few years older than Tai, though there seemed to be an air of immaturity about him. He also came across as a bit of a street fighter and a delinquent, though he seemed friendly enough.

"I don't believe it," Tai muttered. "Where did he come from?"

The Digimon beside him in the crowd answered the question. "He showed up here yesterday with that Agumon."

"Yesterday," TK repeated. "So not long after Beelzemon made his demands in that village."

Davis raised his hand and waved. "Hey! Yo! Human guy, over here!"

The boy and the Agumon looked their way. Both their eyes widened in surprise as they caught sight of the teens. Agumon whispered something to the boy, who nodded in response and whispered something back. Then they began making their way over to them.

Once they reached them, the boy crossed his arms and gave them a grin. "Well, well. It's been ages since I've seen another human." He thumped his chest. "The name's Marcus Damon. Nice to meet you."

Notes:

(A/N: Surprise! Bet you never expected to see another human enter the story. Now Marcus has joined the fray. This could very well change everything. Who knows what this could mean for our heroes. But not all news is good news. Laylamon has now given Beelzemon an X-Antibody, and we all know what that means. And now he's coming our heroes go to him in a rather sadistic way. Will Marcus be the ally they need to turn the tables? And how did he get to the Digital World, and how long has he been there. Stay tuned to find out.)

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New Digimon that appear.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Deramon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/RedVegiemon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Minotarumon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/GeoGreymon

Chapter 128: Human Interaction

Notes:

(A/N: Well, this is extremely embarrassing. I can't believe I screwed up this badly. So, last chapter, we had Agumon Digivolve to defeat Minotarumon. For some reason, I had him Digivolve to Greymon, when I meant to have him Digivolve to GeoGreymon. So... my bad. I went back and fixed it, but I'd like to thank The 5th Doctor for pointing that out to me, otherwise I might never have noticed. So thanks a bunch. Hopefully I won't make any other screw ups like that in the future. Now, on with the story!)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 128: Human Interaction

"That's one crazy story," Marcus told the teens when they finished with their tale. "I've been in the Digital World a long time, but I've never turned into a Digimon."

Agumon smirked. "You don't need to, bro. You're plenty strong."

Takuya raised an eyebrow. "Why do you call him 'bro'?"

Marcus wrapped an arm around the reptile Digimon. "Because we're sworn brothers."

"You know it," Agumon replied, and the two fist-bumped. "We've been together since the beginning. Ever since bro first got here."

Tai's eyes narrowed. "Yeah, how did you get here? And how long have you been here for that matter?"

Marcus' eyebrows rose. "That's a bit of a long story. As for the how long I've been here… geez, a really long time. I stop keeping track ages ago."

Agumon nodded. "Yeah, me too, but I'd say it's been about 12,000 years."

Davis spat out the water he had been drinking; it was the only thing Deramon would serve them. "Wait, are you serious!?"

Marcus appeared to think about it for a minute before wobbling his head in agreement. "Yeah, that sounds about right."

"But how's that possible!?" Takato exclaimed, trying to wrap his head around this.

Marcus shrugged. "Ever since I got here, I seemed to have stopped aging." He tapped his chin. "Well, ok, not stopped, more like I age reeeeeally slowly. I am a little older than when I first came here."

"It's the time different," said Kari, and everyone looked at her. "Cherubimon told us that one minute in the real world is one day here. That's why you've aged so slowly; we still age by real world time."

Marcus stared at her for a few moments before shrugging. "Whatever. I guess it makes sense. I stopped trying to make sense of this world a long time ago."

Davis snorted. "Right there with you, pal."

TK's brow was furrowed as he attempted to do the math in his head. "So wait, you've been here for over 12,000 years."

Marcus nodded. "Yeah, I guess about that long. Give or take a few centuries."

TK crossed his arms. "Then going by that, that means that it's been about eight and a half years in the real world since you got here."

Marcus shrugged again. "If you say so. I was never a math wiz."

TK looked back at the others. "Doesn't that sound kind of familiar?"

"Familiar how?" Kari asked.

"That news report about that kid and that scientist that went missing not too far from where we live. The only reason I remember it was because it was close to us."

Tai's eyes suddenly widened. "Yeah! It does, now that you mention it." He looked back at Marcus. "I thought your name sounded familiar. I saw the news report on your disappearance about eight years ago. You and this other guy disappeared together. The police and everyone else assumed he abducted you."

Shoutmon snapped his fingers as he remembered as well. "That's right, Cherubimon spoke of you. You're the human who appeared thousands of years ago. You and another one."

Marcus' eyes darkened a bit. "So I was abducted, huh? Yeah, I guess that's one way of putting it. And the other human, yeah, I know him as well. A real creep named Akihiro Kurata."

Agumon scowled. "That basket case. I hope the old windbag got stomped on by a bigger Digimon, or eaten by one."

Kari frowned. "That's not very nice."

But Marcus was scowling as well. "No, he's right. That guy was a total scumbag. He even tried to sacrifice me to save himself. It's his fault we ended up in this world in the first place."

"How so?" Tai asked, hoping that if they found out how Marcus and this Kurata person got here that they might be able to find an alternate way home. "How'd you two get here?"

A deep sigh escaped Marcus. "I don't think it'll help you, but I'll tell you what I remember. Wow, that was so long ago." He crossed his arms and looked up at the ceiling. "I remember, it was Take Your Child To Work Day. My little sister went with my mom since she was so young, but I went with my dad. He was working with a team of scientists doing… I'm not really sure what. It was such a long time ago, and I didn't really understand it. It was pretty boring anyway, so I wasn't really paying attention."

Agumon chuckled. "You're not interested in anything besides fighting, bro."

Marcus bopped him on the head before turning back to the teens. "One of the head scientists was Kurata. Dad told me to watch out for him, said he was doing some shady and dangerous stuff he wasn't supposed to be doing, but that he had friends in high places to keep him out of trouble. Turns out Dad was right."

"Why?" Kari asked. "What was he doing?"

Marcus shrugged. "Heck if I know. All that science stuff was way over my head. But I did catch him sneaking off into this one room; he didn't look like he wanted anyone to see him go in there. I got suspicious and followed him to see what he was up to, and found him working on this really freaky machine."

He sighed. "Seems like I wasn't very good at being a spy. He ended up catching me, and asked if I wanted to… help him with what he was doing. By 'asked' I mean he wasn't really giving me a choice, and by 'help him' I mean he used me as a guinea pig. I didn't really have a say in the matter. And while I tried to come up with an escape plan, he began activating his machine."

He shook his head, his gaze dark. "Seems that something went wrong with it though. From what I remember, it looked like the machine was going to explode. Kurata even said as much. Before it did, however, there was this big flash of light. Next thing I knew, both Kurata and I were in the Digital World."

Takato's eyes were as wide as saucers. "Whoa, that's amazing. Um, not the using you as a guinea pig part, but the transporting part. Whatever that machine was that Kurata guy was working on, it must have opened a portal to the Digital World."

Marcus rolled his eyes. "Yeah, no kidding. Anyway, shortly after I regained consciousness, I found this guy," he nudged Agumon, "fighting with this ugly devil looking thing."

"Boogeymon," Agumon told him. "I remember it like it was yesterday."

Marcus flashed him a grin. "Yeah, and I remember you were getting your butt kicked."

"Well, he was a Champion."

With another roll of his eyes, Marcus continued. "Anyway, I came to before Kurata did and saw this little guy in trouble, so I thought I'd lend him a hand."

"Landed a blow right to Boogeymon's jaw," Agumon announced proudly.

A big grin spread across Marcus' face. "Yeah, and it gave me this little power surge that I was able to send to Agumon so he could Digivolve."

Agumon crossed his arms, looking proud. "I totally kicked Boogeymon's butt after that, and bro and I have been best pals ever since, taking out any Digimon that are causing trouble. Bro even taught me his fighting skills. And check it out." He showed off the red belts wrapped around his claws. "He gave me these too. I'm like a real street fighter."

Shoutmon considered all this with interest. "Fascinating. We've already established that the power of the human spirit can allow a Digimon to Digivolve. That's why the Sovereigns brought these guys here to begin with, so they can resurrect the Guardians with their inner power channeled through their Digivices. Seems that when you fight, it stirs up your spirit enough for you to send Agumon the power to temporarily Digivolve."

Kari's eyes widened as something clicked. "Shoutmon, the last DigiCard!"

It took the dragon Digimon a moment to realize what she was getting at. "Oh, yeah! That could work. Marcus, do you have your selfin?"

"Cell phone," Takuya corrected.

"Right, that thing. If you give it to me, I can plug Alphamon's DigiCard into it so it'll become a Digivice, then you could Spirit Evolve too."

Marcus gave him a sorrowful look, also looking disappointed. "Sorry, man. That thing stopped working thousands of years ago, so I tossed it." He scratched his head irritably. "Wish I had known about the Spirit Evolving thing back then; I would have held onto it."

Tai sighed. "No, it makes sense that you wouldn't have kept it after all this time. Too bad, we could have used the help."

"Hey!" Agumon exclaimed. "We can still help. With bro's assistance, I can Digivolve without absorbing data. At least until my energy is depleted."

Marcus gave them a thumbs-up. "He's right, we can help. In fact, we were on our way to where Beelzemon was ourselves; we didn't even know about you guys. We heard about what he was doing, and that he wanted the humans to turn themselves in. We thought he was talking about bro, so we were on our way there to kick his butt. We just stopped here for the night and were heading out today until that Minotarumon decided get on our case. Thought he could get on Beelzemon's good side if he turned bro over to him."

Shoutmon snorted. "If you were really going there, then you're damn lucky we ran into you before you left. Beelzemon would have torn you two apart."

"Hold up," said TK. "Whatever happened with Kurata?"

Marcus' gaze darkened. "Who knows? That guy was a creep, and the biggest coward I ever met. He was so terrified of the Digimon we met, even Agumon here, that he became convinced that they all needed to be destroyed without exception. Including Agumon, and he even protected us on our travels."

He shook his head in disgust. "But then one day we ran into a pair of Tuskmon. While Agumon, well, GeoGreymon at the time, fought one, the other came after us. That Kurata creep actually pushed me into its path and told it to take me while he took off running. That was the last we ever saw of him."

"And good riddance," Agumon growled. "That guy actually tried to kill me in my sleep one night. I woke up and saw him standing over me with a large rock that he tried to bash my head in with. After all I did protecting him and bro, finding food and shelter for them, taking care of them, he still tried to kill me. Fortunately, I was too fast for him."

The teens were shocked that anyone could be so ungrateful, and even Marcus looked surprised. "Wait, when was this?"

Agumon shrugged. "The third for fourth night after we met. I decided not to tell you so there wouldn't be any problems between the two of you."

Marcus punched his palm. "I wish you would have, I would've kicked his ass."

"And I would have helped you had I been there," Davis stated. "But instead, lets kick Beelzemon's together."

Tai nodded in agreement. "Yeah, you're welcome you come along with us. Once we defeat the Demon Lords, we'll get to go home. You'll be able to come with us too."

Marcus gave him a grateful, yet resigned smile. "I appreciate the offer, and we'd be happy to help you give Beelzemon a beat down." He closed his eyes. "But as for going home, I'll pass on that. I gave up on going home after my first decade here. This place has been my home for thousands of years." He opened his eyes, and there was a sadness in them. "Besides, I've been gone from he human world for, what was it, eight and a half years, you said? Everyone I knew will think I'm dead and have moved on. Just like I have."

Kari gave him a sad look. "You mean you don't miss anyone back home? Your family, your friends?"

A sad smile was present on Marcus' face, and he lowered his eyes. "Of course I do. I miss my parents. I miss my little sister, Kristy, and her wannabe boyfriend, Keenan. I miss my own girlfriend, Yoshino, and my best friend, Thomas." He chuckled. "I wonder if that girl, Nanami, ever managed to hook up with him. I even miss her two annoying friends, Kouki and Ivan."

He shook his head as he realized he was getting caught up in old memories from a life he barely remembered. "But you have to understand, they're dead to me. I didn't know about the time difference until you told me. I thought they've been dead for over 12,000 years. I mourned them and buried them in my heart long ago. I'm sure they buried me too, thinking I was dead. They moved on with their lives, and I've moved on with mine, building a new one here in this world. I can't just go back and pick up where I left off."

Tai frowned, but could also understand what Marcus was getting at. "I see what you mean, but I don't think it's too late to go back if you want to."

Still smiling sadly, Marcus shook his head. "Thanks, but no. I'm staying right here with Agumon. This is my world now. Besides," he gave them a wink, "I'll have a much longer lifespan in this world than in the human world."

Shoutmon shook his finger at him. "Not if Beelzemon kills you. So you should really reconsider challenging Beelzemon."

Agumon took an aggressive step forward. "I'll never let anything happen to bro. I'd die first."

"And you probably will, depending on what Beelzemon and Laylamon are planning."

A smirk, however, crept up Marcus' face. "Don't be so sure. We've got a secret weapon recently that I think will really help us out."

Shoutmon raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Oh, yeah? A secret weapon strong enough to take on a Demon Lord? This I gotta see. If it's so great, then why haven't you challenged one before?"

Agumon rolled his eyes. "Because we're not stupid. We may have a secret weapon, but we're not dumb enough to think we can take on a Demon Lord by ourselves, no matter how tough we are. But with you guys on our side, we might stand a chance."

Kari frowned. "But then why were you on your way to face Beelzemon if you knew you weren't strong enough on your own?"

A snort escaped Marcus. "Isn't it obvious? He wasn't giving us a choice, what with his kill 10 a day ultimatum. We had to chance it, even though we knew we were most likely walking to our deaths." He punched outward. "But with you guys on our team, we might stand a chance."

This time it was Shoutmon's turn to scoff as he crossed his arms. "Hate to break it to you guys, but if the Champion level is your limit, then you're just going to hinder us; no matter what your secret weapon is."

Agumon glared at him. "I can actually Digivolve up to Ultimate on my own, thank you very much. But with bro's help, when he gives me an energy charge like you saw him do against Minotarumon, I can actually Digivolve to Mega. I can't stay at that level indefinitely like I can my other forms though; once the energy bro gives me runs out, I DeDigivolve, but it should be enough for a long battle."

Takuya beamed. "Great, that'll definitely be useful. The last two times we fought Beelzemon on our own, we almost got ourselves killed."

A grin spread across Marcus' face. "Well, now you have us. So lets kick some Beelze-butt together."

"Yeah!" Agumon exclaimed.

The two jumped up and made a run for the door. Tai blinked at their sudden departure and called out to them. "Hey, wait, where you going?"

Marcus and Agumon skidded to a halt and looked back at them. "Um, after Beelzemon, duh," the latter commented.

Marcus nodded. "Yeah, we were actually on our way out of town when we had that run-in with Minotarumon. Come on, let's go."

Shoutmon held up a hand. "Hold up there, guys. You may be well rested and raring to go, but we've been walking for days. We're tired and hungry. We need to rest up a bit and get something to eat to replenish ourselves. We'll head out tomorrow."

"Tomorrow!" Marcus exclaimed. "But that's 10 more Digimon that Beelzemon will kill while you're here relaxing."

"And if we charge into battle without getting proper rest, or if we lack energy, then we'll all die, and Beelzemon will just keep killing countless others. It may sound cruel, but we can't save everyone. We have to take care of ourselves before we can take care of others. You two spent the night here, didn't you? Wasn't that 10 more Digimon that Beelzemon killed during that time?"

Marcus hesitated. "Well, yeah, but you guys have your Digimon powers, right?"

"Doesn't matter," Tai reluctantly replied. "We still get tired and hungry. The last time we fought Beelzemon and were sleep deprived, we nearly died. Probably would have even if we were at full strength. If we're gonna face a Demon Lord, we need to be well rested and in top form."

The human-Digimon duo exchanged a look before sighing simultaneously. "Ok, you make a good point," Marcus grumbled. "We'll leave first thing in the morning."

Davis stood up, looking eager. "Yeah! Lets make this the final battle with Beelzemon."

The others punched the air, letting out cheers of their own. However, this was soon overtaken by a sinister chuckle that drew everyone's attention. The laughter came from the back corner of the bar where a lone Digimon sat in the shadows, eavesdropping on their conversation.

"How very cute. The humans have made some new friends."

The teens immediately leapt away from the Digimon, regrouping beside Marcus and Agumon. "You! What are you doing here?" Tai demanded.

Chuckling, Boltboutamon stood up and stepped out of the shadows. "Oh, I've been around for a while. You really should be more aware of your surroundings."

Marcus glanced at his new friends. "You know this guy?"

TK's fists clenched. "Unfortunately, yeah. He's been pretty much stalking us."

Another chuckle escaped the demon Digimon as he edged closer, stepping up onto the counter, kicking over drinks as he walked along. "Oh, now, I wouldn't say that I'm stalking you exactly. More like following your progress. You humans are so interesting to observe." He reached up and removed his hat, giving Marcus a bow. "The name's Boltboutamon. It's a pleasure to meet you."

The way he said it made it clear that the pleasure was all his, and not the pleasant kind. One of the drinks he had kicked over belonged to a Digimon known as Shawjamon. It was clear that he was drunk as he glared up at the demon Digimon, not seeming to realize who he was confronting in his drunken state. "Hey, buddy, you spilled my drink."

Without even glancing at him, Boltboutamon pulled out a gun, pointed it at the kappa Digimon, and fired. Shawjamon burst into data, and terrified cries rang throughout the bar as Deramon and the customers scrambled to get out.

Boltboutamon brought the smoking gun up to his nose and took a whiff before blowing away the smoke trail. "That was so rude. We were having a conversation, and he had to go and interrupt."

Marcus' eyes narrowed at him furiously. "What the hell was that about!? You just killed him, you evil bastard!"

The demon Digimon simply grinned as he casually reached down and picked up one of the shot glasses from the counter. "I take that as a compliment," he said before gulping down the glass' contents.

"Why are you here?" Tai demanded again. "I thought Beelzemon and Laylamon had some plan for us."

Boltboutamon just grinned. "Oh, they do, my boy, they do. But you see, Beelzemon's already had his chance to get revenge against you a couple of times. I thought it was only fair to give someone else a chance first before he had another go."

His explanation was incredibly vague, and it didn't look like he was going to say any more. Tai realized he was baiting them, but couldn't help asking, "What's that supposed to-"

Before he could finish asking the question, there was an explosion from behind them. The teens were thrown forward from the blast as the entrance to the bar was blown apart. Boltboutamon, however, remained where he was, not even affected by the shockwave. "Ah, here they are now. Perfect timing."

Amongst the flames and rubble, Tai pushed away the debris covering him. He looked around worriedly, but saw only the collapsed remains of the bar. Panicking, he called out to his friends. "Hey, is everyone alright!?"

There was movement to his left, and Takato pushed aside a collapsed part of the wall. "I'm ok."

More movement, and TK and Kari emerged from beneath some debris. "We're fine too."

One by one, the teens and Shoutmon surfaced, as did Marcus and Agumon. None of them had any major injuries, but none of them looked happy.

"What was that?" Marcus demanded.

There was a chuckle from Boltboutamon as he nonchalantly strolled by them. "Like I said, I thought someone else should get a chance for revenge."

A shadow passed over the group, like a grand bird of prey circling over its hunting grounds. The teens looked up and spotted a giant purple bird flying above them.

Shoutmon sputtered. "Ornismon!? What is that monstrosity doing here!?"

Takuya glanced at him. "You know this Digimon?"

"Of course," the dragon Digimon replied. "She's infamous, and very powerful. In fact, in a way, she's the ancestor of AncientGreymon."

"She's a monster," Agumon told them. "Ornismon is a very dangerous Digimon who feeds on the anger and fear of others, growing stronger on hatred, and then unleashing her power on her victims."

"Ok," said Takato, "that sounds bad. But what's it have to do with us? I thought this was about revenge."

Boltboutamon laughed. "It is, but I never said that Ornismon was the one seeking it."

Up above, Ornismon circled back, and as she got closer, the teens could see that there was someone riding on her back. Whoever they were, they jumped down, and landed with a heavy thud that shook the ground and rose up to their full height.

Davis blinked. "Hey, isn't that… BlackWarGreymon?"

Kari stared hard at the dragon Digimon; she'd gotten a very close look at BlackWarGreymon when Tai had become him and she had purified him. While the dragon Digimon was almost a carbon copy of her brother's dark Spirit Evolved form, the color was slightly off. "No, wait, the color scheme isn't quite right. Shoutmon, this isn't a BlackWarGreymon, is it?"

Shoutmon gulped. "No, it's not, it's his Digivolution."

"His Digivolution!?" Takato exclaimed. "Who?"

"Your doom," the new Digimon replied, running his clawed gauntlets together, creating sparks. "Greetings, humans. I am ChaosBlackWarGreymon."

Davis blinked. "ChaosBlackWarGreymon? Boy, that's quite a name."

"This isn't funny, Davis," Shoutmon snapped. "ChaosBlackWarGreymon is one of the seven Chaos Generals."

"Chaos Generals!?" the teens exclaimed.

"Indeed," ChaosBlackWarGreymon replied, pointing his claws at them. "And in the name of my fallen master, Lord Belphemon, I have come to put an end to you."

Notes:

(A/N: Surprise! Bet you never expected to see another human enter the story. Now Marcus has joined the fray. This could very well change everything. Who knows what this could mean for our heroes. But not all news is good news. Laylamon has now given Beelzemon an X-Antibody, and we all know what that means. And now he's coming our heroes go to him in a rather sadistic way. Will Marcus be the ally they need to turn the tables? And how did he get to the Digital World, and how long has he been there. Stay tuned to find out.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Boogeymon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Tuskmon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Shawjamon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Ornismon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/ChaosBlackWarGreymon

Chapter 129: The Return

Notes:

(A/N: UPDATING ALERT!!! I'm going to be updating more often. I started doing this before, but had to stop due to time restraints, but until I say otherwise, if a chapter ends with a battle that hasn't been concluded, I will be updating the following week. I don't like to leave my readers hanging when a battle is taking place, so I'll be trying to get out the next installment faster. However, if a comes to an end or if there's no battle is going on, then expect an update in two weeks like usual. Everyone got that. If a battle is taking place, the update will be the next week, if not, it will be in two weeks. Hope that clears everything up. With that said, lets get on to the next chapter.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 129: The Return

TK's eyes narrowed at the dragon Digimon. "If you're Belphemon's Chaos General, then I'm guessing that you're the one here for revenge."

ChaosBlackWarGreymon's gaze turned to him. "You are correct. I'm going to make you pay for what you did to him."

Davis placed his hands on his hips. "For your information, he was the one who attacked us. Granted, we were on our way to defeat him, but he was still the one who came after us. You can't fault us for self-defense."

There was a chuckle from Boltboutamon as he suddenly appeared behind ChaosBlackWarGreymon, running his hands over the dragon Digimon in an almost sexual way. "If you hope to reason with him, I think you'll find that he's rather inconsolable. He's quite bent on revenge."

"Revenge is a dish best served cold," Davis countered. "Then again, I never understood that phrase."

Shoutmon closed his eyes. "Idiot. Can you just stop talking? We would have needed to defeat ChaosBlackWarGreymon eventually. They're the Demon Lords most loyal soldiers." His eyes went up to the bird Digimon in the sky. "Although, I'm a little more concerned about Ornismon."

There was a shang as ChaosBlackWarGreymon sliced his claws together. "You talk too much."

Marcus took a step forward. "I'm actually in agreement with the dragon man. Real fighters talk with their fists." He looked at the others. "If you guys are going to go Digimon, now's the time."

"Yeah, I want to see this," said Agumon with an eager grin.

"As do I," ChaosBlackWarGreymon commented. "I want to see the power that took down my master."

Tai held up his Digivice. "You want it, you got it. Execute! Spirit Evolution… Omnimon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Imperialdramon Fighter Mode!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Gallantmon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… EmperorGreymon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Seraphimon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Ophanimon!"

As the DigiDestined stood in their Digimon forms, Marcus and Agumon stared in awe. "Whoa!" the latter cried excitedly. "That was cool!"

"And now it's my turn," said Shoutmon. "Shoutmon Digivolve to… OmniShoutmon!"

Now Digivolved, he stood by the rest of his friends against ChaosBlackWarGreymon, Boltboutamon, and the still circling Ornismon. Marcus flashed them a grin as he took in their group. "That's awesome. Now it's time for us to join in the fray. Ready, Agumon?"

"You bet, bro!"

As if knowing what Marcus was thinking, Agumon held out his arms, and Marcus jumped onto them. The reptile Digimon gave him a boost, and Marcus leapt at ChaosBlackWarGreymon. The dragon Digimon didn't even react as Marcus let out a cry and threw a punch.

His fist collided with ChaosBlackWarGreymon's face, but the dragon Digimon didn't so much as flinch. Marcus dropped down in front of him, and ChaosBlackWarGreymon glanced down at him. "And what did that accomplish?"

Smirking, Marcus held up his fist. "Exactly what I intended to." He turned around and rushed towards Agumon. "You're up, pal!"

Agumon nodded and leapt into the air, going over Marcus' head. "You got it, bro!"

The light from Marcus' hand flashed brightly and flew over to the reptile Digimon. It surrounded him, and he began to glow with the light of Digivolution. "Now I can show you what I'm really capable of. Agumon Warp Digivolve to… ShineGreymon!"

There was a gust of wind as the newly Digivolved Mega swooped past the Chaos General and Boltboutamon. ChaosBlackWarGreymon glanced at him stoically while the demon Digimon grinned as the Digimon known as ShineGreymon flew over their heads and headed up towards Ornismon.

"Hey, cool," said Imperialdramon. "Who's that?"

"ShineGreymon," OmniShoutmon replied, "the Mega form of Agumon, having taken a different Digivolution route from the WarGreymon line."

Marcus punched the air. "You the mon, ShineGreymon! Show that overgrown turkey whose boss!"

"With pleasure," the dragon Digimon declared. "Glorious Burst!"

Spreading his wings, he fired lasers of solar energy at Ornismon. The attack hit the bird Digimon in the back, causing her to shriek and double back towards ShineGreymon. "Tempest!"

Flapping her wings, she caused a mighty windstorm. ShineGreymon struggled against it for a few moments before the powerful gust of wind sent him crashing to the ground.

Marcus stared with a startled look on his face. "Hey, what happened?"

OmniShoutmon glared at him. "Weren't you listening when I said that Ornismon was very powerful?"

"Idiot," ChaosBlackWarGreymon mumbled. "How fools like you managed to defeat Lord Belphemon is beyond me."

Marcus pointed at him. "Ha! Shows what you know. We didn't even fight Belphemon."

"Be grateful for that," Ophanimon told him. "He was terrifying."

ShineGreymon got to his feet. "Don't worry, I'm fine."

"You all talk too much," ChaosBlackWarGreymon growled. "Gaia Force!"

Gathering all the energy in the atmosphere, he threw a ball of energy similar to WarGreymon's Terra Force and BlackWarGreymon's Terra Destroyer, only it was noticeable larger and more powerful. Omnimon quickly rushed forward to catch the giant ball of energy. While his friends would be able to dodge the attack in time, Marcus wouldn't.

He pushed against the attack, his feet shredding the ground apart as the attack threatened to crush him. His friends scattered, and ShineGreymon quickly grabbed Marcus and took him with him. That just left Omnimon and ChaosBlackWarGreymon's attack. He pressed his cannon against it and began firing, pushing that attack back and giving him enough leverage to send the ball of energy into the sky.

Grinning, Boltboutamon jumped up, flying in front of the attack, and easily kicked the ball of energy back down towards Omnimon. This time, however, the knight Digimon flew away from the attack, yet the damage done by the resounding blast was extensive.

ChaosBlackWarGreymon joined Boltboutamon in the sky, and Ornismon flew over them. The DigiDestined hovered in the air across from them, Marcus shaking his fist at their opponents in protest. "Hey, don't be using cheap moves like that! If you want to kill me, then have the nerve to come over here and do it with your bare hands; I can take it!"

Boltboutamon chuckled. "Oh, I like this one. Be sure to save him for me; I want to kill him with my bare hands, just like he wants. Slowly."

ChaosBlackWarGreymon snorted. "I do not take orders from you. Nevertheless…"

He charged forward towards Marcus and ShineGreymon and raised his claw to strike. Seraphimon quickly flew into his path, catching ChaosBlackWarGreymon's claw with his Excalibur. ShineGreymon flew back with Marcus as the angel and dragon Digimon struggled against each other before ChaosBlackWarGreymon lashed out with his other claw.

Seraphimon backed away as the dragon Digimon repeatedly swiped at him. Ophanimon aimed her javelin at him, but before she could fire her attack, a gunshot rang out from Boltboutamon's gun.

"It's so cute how the two angels are always drawn together," he taunted. "I guess it's only fitting that you die together."

"You first," Omnimon shouted as he flew over and swiped his sword.

Boltboutamon avoided the blade and snapped his fingers, unleashing his Curtain Call, and the shockwave sent Omnimon flying backwards. The knight Digimon raised his cannon and fired his Supreme Cannon. Boltboutamon fired his own gun with his Baleful Draw, and the bullet hit Omnimon's attack, causing it to explode. He continued to fire upon the knight Digimon, and Omnimon used his sword to knock away the bullets. He wasn't always successful though as some found their marks, and those his sword struck left chinks in his blade.

"Lightning Joust!" Gallantmon cried, firing lightning from his lance. It struck Boltboutamon, who stopped firing and turned to him with a sneer.

"Was that small static shock your attack? Behold a real electrical attack. Electric Cl-"

He cut himself off as one of his hands shot out to catch OmniShoutmon's leg as the dragon Digimon attempted to use his Doom Drillpress. Glancing over his shoulder at him, he gave OmniShoutmon a wicked grin. The dragon Digimon looked nervous for a moment, then suddenly fired his Flame Cannon.

The demon Digimon let him go as he was pushed back by the flaming bolt. A moment later, Gallantmon slammed into him with his Lightning Charge. Next Omnimon flew over and attempted to use his Transcendent Sword on him, but Boltboutamon's bladed tail came up and blocked his sword.

A maniacal chuckle escaped the demon Digimon as he looked up at Omnimon. "You cheeky little humans. You've really got some nerve." He ran his tongue over his lips in an almost sexual way. "I was right, you really are a lot of fun."

Then he disappeared through a portal that opened behind him, only to reappear above the knight Digimon through another one. He slammed Omnimon down into the ground, then took off laughing as Gallantmon and OmniShoutmon gave chase. Omnimon got to his feet a few moments later and followed after them.

Though smaller now than as he had been as AncientGreymon, EmperorGreymon had grown used to going after larger Digimon, just as Imperialdramon had, and so the two of them had gone after Ornismon as the bird Digimon flew over the village. So far, she seemed to be ignoring them, but Imperialdramon was planning on changing that. "Lets see how much of a birdbrain this giant turkey is. Positron Laser!"

He fired a beam. It flew in front of Ornismon, and the bird Digimon pulled back. EmperorGreymon then took aim with his sword. "Time for a Thanksgiving feast. Dragonfire Crossbow!"

His attack hit, resulting in an explosion, and the bird Digimon shrieked. Amongst the smoke, they watched as she slowly turned to them. "Tempest!"

She began flapping her wings, and a heavy wind picked up. It hit the two dragon Digimon like a physical force, and they both went crashing to the ground.

"Geez," Imperialdramon groaned as he pulled his face out of the dirt. "Did something invisible hit us?"

EmperorGreymon pushed away some of the debris he was covered in from the house he had crashed through. "No, just a very powerful gust of wind."

Imperialdramon humphed. "I'll show this overgrown hatchling what powerful is," he said as he manifested his cannon. "Giga Crusher!"

"Cosmic Ray!" Ornismon countered, firing a beam from her mouth.

The attack hit, and Imperialdramon's exploded. Ornismon's, however, kept going, and the two dragon Digimon took off in different directions. Ornismon didn't seem to care though as she continuously fired her beam, moving her head about so her attack destroyed more and more of the village, sending the residential Digimon fleeing.

"She's destroying everything!" EmperorGreymon exclaimed. "Stop her, quick!"

"I'm on it," said Imperialdramon as his chest opened and his emitter emerged. "Ionic Blaster!"

This time, his attack hit, resulting in a massive blast. However, Ornismon emerged from it and fired another Cosmic Ray. Imperialdramon tried to defend with his Light Barrier, but he was still pushed down into some more houses.

EmperorGreymon landed and stabbed his sword into the ground, unleashing his Pyro Dragons attack. The nine streams of fire rose up towards Ornismon, drawing her attention. She used her Tempest attack, and the streams were blown away. EmperorGreymon was launched into the air a few moments later. The heavy wind had dispersed, and he flew up towards the bird Digimon.

With a swipe of his sword, he slashed Ornismon across the chest. The bird Digimon screeched and turned her attention to him. He realized what was going to happen a moment before it did, and braced himself as Ornismon's Cosmic Ray struck him, and he was blasted to the ground.

"Giga Crusher!" Imperialdramon cried, firing a blast up at Ornismon. This time, his attack hit, and he gave a mental smirk since he lacked a mouth. "Ha, got you that time, drumsticks."

Ornismon emerged from the blast, letting out another screech. She swooped down towards Imperialdramon like an eagle diving down to snatch up prey. The dragon Digimon dropped to the ground at the last moment, avoiding getting scooped up. Ornismon continued to fly low however, and unleashed her Tempest. All the structures around her were torn apart and blown away by the heavy winds, including Imperialdramon.

Once he finished twirling and tumbling, Imperialdramon dug himself out of the debris. "What a creep. She did that on purpose just to damage the village." He looked around at all the damage. "Hey, EmperorGreymon, where are you?"

An arm burst up a short distance away from beneath the debris. Imperialdramon went over and helped pull his fellow dragon Digimon to his feet. "Thanks. That Cosmic Ray of hers really packs a punch."

Imperialdramon looked back up at Ornismon, who was high up in the sky again. She unleashed her Cosmic Ray again, firing down upon the village again. A growl escaped him as he watched as she destroyed more of the village. "Why is she destroying everything? We're the one's she's supposed to be fighting. Does she just get off on killing?"

"We've got to stop her before she hurts anyone else," EmperorGreymon told him. "Come on, let's go."

They took off after her, flying past ChaosBlackWarGreymon as he did battle with ShineGreymon and the two angel Digimon. Seraphimon struck with his Excalibur while Ophanimon stabbed with her javelin. ChaosBlackWarGreymon caught both weapons and pushed them both back in the air before angling them down so they crashed to the ground.

ShineGreymon flew towards the Chaos General as he stood over the two angel Digimon. Using his GeoGrey Sword, he summoned a fiery dual-bladed sword from the ground and swiped at ChaosBlackWarGreymon. The Chaos General turned to him and blocked the blade with his claws. Using his other hand, ShineGreymon used his Shine Hammer, punching out with a fist filled with light energy. ChaosBlackWarGreymon caught his fist with his free hand, struggling with it for a few moments.

"This power you get from your human friends is great indeed," he told his fellow dragon Digimon, "but nothing compared to that of the Demon Lords."

He jumped up and delivered a kick to ShineGreymon, knocking him away, then cupped his hands together. "Giga Blaster!"

A fish-shaped missile appeared in between his hands and he launched it at ShineGreymon. It exploded against him, and he went flying backwards. He hit the ground hard, tearing a deep groove into it as he skidded along, crashing through houses and other structures.

"Strike of the Seven Stars!" Seraphimon cried, firing while ChaosBlackWarGreymon's back was turned.

His attack blasted against the dragon Digimon, pushing him away. He turned back to the two angel Digimon and launched his Gaia Force. Seraphimon and Ophanimon flew off in different directions, the latter firing her Eden's Javelin at the dragon Digimon. He snarled as he was pushed back by the beam, then lunged at her and swiped. She blocked with her shield, and he pressed against it. Then a ball of light from Seraphimon's Hallowed Knuckle struck him, allowing Ophanimon to force him back with her Holy Light.

Seraphimon appeared by Ophanimon's side, and the two attacked ChaosBlackWarGreymon. Ophanimon with her javelin and Seraphimon with his Excalibur. ChaosBlackWarGreymon managed to defend against their attacks, but when ShineGreymon rejoined them with his GeoGrey Sword, he began to lose ground.

"Enough!" he declared, raising his arms over his head and gathering energy. "Gaia Force!"

He threw the attack down at the ground beneath them, and all four of them were caught up in the blast of what appeared to be a suicidal attack. Omnimon halted in his battle with Boltboutamon as he saw his sister and friends get caught up in the blast. "Ophanimon! Seraphimon!"

"Root Bind!" Boltboutamon cried, while he was distracted, and Omnimon was suddenly bound by roots. "You must not let yourself get distracted."

"Like you are now?" Gallantmon cried at him. "Spiral Saver!"

He began spinning around, conjuring up a fiery tornado. Boltboutamon grinned and used his Dark Rostrum, summoning forth a magic circle from which his own tornado emerged. It collided with Gallantmon's, and the two vortexes erupted, sending fire flying out across the sky from the knight Digimon's attack.

"Twin Fireball Strike!" OmniShoutmon cried, throwing fireballs at Boltboutamon.

The demon Digimon reached out, catching the fireballs in his bare hands, and crushed them, extinguishing the flames. Then he used his Final Act, sticking his hands through various portals, only to have them emerge several times larger above Gallantmon and OmniShoutmon, smashing them to the ground.

Omnimon was struggling to get free of the roots binding him so he could get to his sister and the others. ChaosBlackWarGreymon had emerged from the blast, but he had yet to see if the others were all right. But then a portal opened up behind him, and Boltboutamon's arms encircled him from behind, holding him close, almost as if he were a lover.

"As I was saying, you should really learn to keep your focus in battle." He dragged a claw over Omnimon's face, pausing at his temple, and began to dig it into the knight Digimon's head, making him grunt in pain. "Keep your head in the game, so to speak, and worry about your friends later. They're still alive, look."

The dust began to clear, revealing the two angel Digimon and ShineGreymon to be damaged, but still alive, and Omnimon breathed a sigh of relief. It was short-lived, however, as Boltboutamon chuckled and dug his claw in even deeper.

"Don't look so relieved," he taunted. "It was obvious they survived. Besides, I would never allow such a bland tasteless death for them. As I told you when we first met, I intend for you and your friends to suffer greatly before you die. After all, if you humans can only die once, I want it to be excruciating."

"Then why bring a Chaos General?" Omnimon growled, wincing as the demon Digimon's claw dug in even deeper. "Why bring Ornismon?"

Boltboutamon chuckled. "Because it's part of the game. I didn't think it would be fair to deny ChaosBlackWarGreymon a chance to have his revenge since you destroyed his master." He licked the side of Omnimon's face, which was almost as bad as having his claw digging into his head. "But since you and your friends seem to be struggling a bit, I'll give you a handicap. If you or your friends can manage to defeat either ChaosBlackWarGreymon or Ornismon, I'll consider this your victory and retreat from battle. After all, I do wish to see the final confrontation between your little group and Lord Beelzemon."

Omnimon glared at him. "And what if we destroy you?"

"Gram Strike!" Gallantmon cried, stabbing Boltboutamon in the back, and the demon Digimon burst into data. "Damn, just a copy."

With a swipe of his lance, he cut Omnimon free. Suddenly, he cried out as four rapiers stabbed through his arms and legs. Boltboutamon's laughter was heard as he emerged from another portal. OmniShoutmon went after him with his Omni Torpedo, and Boltboutamon's hand shot out. He grasped the dragon Digimon by the face, and the aura around him dispersed.

Tossing OmniShoutmon away, Boltboutamon used his Pernicious Waltz. A pained groan escaped Gallantmon as the rapiers tore free from his limbs and began flying about wildly. They multiplied and began flying towards the two knight Digimon. With his arms and legs damaged, Gallantmon could do little to defend himself, and so Omnimon remained by his side to assist him. OmniShoutmon joined them a few moments latter, batting away the flying rapiers as Boltboutamon laughed.

Imperialdramon and EmperorGreymon were still trying to catch Ornismon. Much of the village had been destroyed by the bird Digimon, as had many of the residents. The two dragon Digimon attempted to stop her, but she kept using her Tempest to keep them at bay or to deflect their attacks, and would, at times, even turn her Cosmic Ray on them.

"We can't just keep chasing her," said EmperorGreymon. "At this rate she'll destroy the entire village. She's already destroyed most of it."

"I'm open to any suggestions," Imperialdramon replied. "Lets try this. Light Barrier!"

A barrier of light appeared in front of Ornismon, and she collided with it. She let out an angry screech before blasting it with her Cosmic Ray. The barrier held for a few moments before dispersing. Imperialdramon and EmperorGreymon began to close the distance, but then Ornismon turned her attack on them. They flew in different directions to avoid the beam, but it still grazed Imperialdramon's wing, causing him to cry out in pain.

"Soaring Nine Headed Dragon Force!" EmperorGreymon cried, and summoned forth a giant dragon spirit of fire. The large figure flew at Ornismon, who unleashed her Tempest. EmperorGreymon's attack pushed against the powerful wind, but was eventually blown away.

EmperorGreymon swore. "It's still no good. Our attacks can't get close."

Imperialdramon came up beside him. "And I swear her attacks are getting stronger."

EmperorGreymon's eyes narrowed in thought. He looked down at the damage Ornismon had caused, taking note of all the Digimon fleeing and cowering in fear. Suddenly, it clicked, and a gasp escaped him.

"She's been destroying everything for a reason. OmniShoutmon said that fear and anger make her stronger. She's been boosting her power by destroying everything to get negative reactions out of everyone."

Imperialdramon's eyes widened as he too surveyed the damage. "That bitch. I can't believe she did this."

Ornismon shrieked and fired her Cosmic Ray. The two dragon Digimon flew towards her, knowing it would be useless to attack from a distance. They avoided the powerful beam as they approached, ready to face her head on.

"Lets see how you like this!" Imperialdramon shouted at her. "Dragon Kick!"

His foot slammed into the bird Digimon's head, making her screech, and sending the beam shooting out of her mouth into a different direction. This allowed EmperorGreymon to move in with his sword. "Purgatory Sword Dance!"

Ornismon shrieked again as the dragon Digimon did a series of sword combination moves, slashing her all over. She unleashed her Tempest, and the heavy winds sent both EmperorGreymon and Imperialdramon crashing to the ground. Ornismon immediately flew down after them, coming down on both dragon Digimon, crushing them beneath her talons. They tried to get up, but she was too strong for them.

"And now to finish you!" she declared, speaking more than an attack name for the first time. "Cosmic R-"

"Dragon Driver!"

Something collided into Ornismon's head. She screeched loudly and stumbled off the two dragon Digimon. They jumped to their feet and leapt away as Ornismon looked around for what had struck her. There was a blur of red as she was struck again before the figure doubled back and hit her a third time.

"What is that?" Imperialdramon asked, trying to keep track of the red blur's movements.

"I don't know," said EmperorGreymon. "It's moving so fast I can't make it out."

Neither could Ornismon. She tried to keep track of the red blur, but it sped along without pause. She let out an angry screech and fired her Cosmic Ray, only to miss, her attack blasting against the ground.

The red blur flew up from the rising dust cloud, finally coming to a stop to unleash an attack. "Yuggoth Blaster!"

A tri-bolo of energy flew from their mouth and stuck Ornismon. The bird Digimon let out a screech as she went down. There was something familiar about the attack, and the two dragon Digimon turned their attention to the one who delivered it.

"Is that…?" EmperorGreymon gasped in astonishment.

"Can't be!" Imperialdramon exclaimed. "Grani!"

The steed Digital life form glanced at them, some semblance of a smile on his face. It was indeed the very Digital life form they had last seen during their escape from Cherubimon's castle with an army of Diaboromon copies chasing after them. They hadn't known what had become of him after they had been separated at sea, but had feared the worst.

"Hello, again, humans," Grani told them. "Sorry I was gone for so long."

"How did you find us?" Imperialdramon asked. "It sure is convenient timing, but how?"

A screech from Ornismon drew their attention, and they looked back at the bird Digimon. Grani's eyes narrowed as she got to her feet. "There will be time for explanations later. I will not lose you a second time. Dragon Driver!"

He plowed into Ornismon again. She screeched in frustration and fired her Cosmic Ray at him, but was unable to hit her target. EmperorGreymon flew over and stabbed his sword into Ornismon's back. The bird Digimon screeched loudly and began thrashing about wildly.

"I have no idea if this will work," the dragon Digimon muttered, "but here we go. Pyro Dragons!"

Nine trails of fire spread across Ornismon's back, causing the bird Digimon to shriek louder and shake about more violently. The dragon-headed streams of fire emerged and wrapped around her, holding her in place.

"Me next," Imperialdramon called out in warning. "Get clear. Giga Crusher!"

EmperorGreymon pulled his sword free and took off as Imperialdramon's attack exploded against Ornismon, consuming her in a blast. Grani doubled back and fired another Yuggoth Blaster into the explosion.

"Fried chicken," said Imperialdramon. "My favorite. Well, not really, but you know what I mean."

The sky was filled with a cloud of smoke from the attacks. It was suddenly blown away by a mighty gust of wind from Ornismon's Tempest. The powerful windstorm sent Grani spinning through the air while Imperialdramon was flattened to the ground, and EmperorGreymon came crashing down beside him.

Ornismon turned her furious gaze down at them and gave a loud screech before dive-bombing down at them. "This time there will be no one to save you!"

"Wrong again, you feathered freak!" ShineGreymon declared as he rushed towards her. "I'm here now! GeoGrey Sword!"

As Ornismon's mouth lit up in preparation to fire her Cosmic Ray, ShineGreymon swiped his sword at her in passing. The two passed each other, and for a few seconds, nothing happened. Then, as Ornismon's Cosmic Ray erupted from her mouth, her head split open, and her attack went off course, missing Imperialdramon and EmperorGreymon.

"And now for the finisher," ShineGreymon decreed. "Glorious Burst!"

His attack blasted against Ornismon as she descended, now in a free fall rather than a dive. On her other side, Grani flew back and fired his Yuggoth Blaster. The additional attack consumed Ornismon in an explosion. The bird Digimon gave one final distorted screech before she dissolved into data.

Everyone's attention had shifted from what they were doing to the destruction of Ornismon. The only one who kept fighting was ChaosBlackWarGreymon, who quickly brought Seraphimon and Ophanimon's attention back to him. Boltboutamon, on the other hand, was watching as Ornismon dissolved away with a slightly bewildered look on his face.

It didn't last long though, and the demon Digimon quickly snapped out of it. When he did, he began laughing. His laughter grew louder and became more deranged, despite the loss of his ally. He turned to his opponents and gave them a wide grin full of madness. "You see! This is why I love this game! Who knows how the tide of battle might turn! Did you expect someone new to suddenly join the fight? I certainly didn't! What a twist!"

Gallantmon glared at him. "You're completely insane."

Boltboutamon just snickered. "I am also a Digimon of my word. Well, when I want to be. And today, I want to. So…"

A portal suddenly opened behind him, and he flew backwards into it. Another portal appeared behind ChaosBlackWarGreymon as the dragon Digimon continued to battle Seraphimon and Ophanimon, and Boltboutamon's hand shot out and grabbed ChaosBlackWarGreymon's ankle.

"What!?" the dragon Digimon growled as he looked down to see Boltboutamon's grinning face poke out of the portal. "What are you doing!? Unhand me, you cur!"

The demon Digimon just chuckled as he yanked ChaosBlackWarGreymon into the portal. "So sorry, my friend, but I made an agreement. This is the humans' win."

ChaosBlackWarGreymon struggled even harder as Boltboutamon's arms wrapped around him, pulling him further into the portal. "You traitor! How can you flee, you coward!? I shall avenge Lord Belphemon! Release me!"

Boltboutamon placed his mouth by the dragon Digimon's ears. "Calm yourself, my friend. If Lord Beelzemon fails to kill them, I have a rather interesting idea that will allow you to take your revenge." He glanced at Seraphimon and Ophanimon, flashing them a grin. "Ta-ta, angels."

With that, he pulled the still struggling Chaos General through the portal, and it disappeared behind them.

Notes:

(A/N: Well, this is a surprising turn of events. Boltboutamon kept his word for one thing, but perhaps even more surprising is the reappearance of Grani. Where did he come from and how did he find them. That shall be revealed next time, so stay tuned. And just to specify, since this battle has come to an end, the n ext chapter will be out in two weeks.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/ShineGreymon

Chapter 130: Ungrateful

Notes:

(A/N: This chapter was interesting to write, as I decided to take a more, shall we say, realistic approach to it regarding people's reaction to certain things. So far, our heroes have gotten an almost formulaic response to their actions, but now they're about to see another side of things. I don't want to give away any more, so lets just get to it.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 130: Ungrateful

"What is that guy's deal?" Seraphimon wondered out loud as he stared at the empty space where the portal that Boltboutamon and ChaosBlackWarGreymon had disappeared through had been.

Ophanimon shook her head. "I really don't know, but I doubt he was actually helping us. It's like he said, this is all one twisted game to him. Whatever he's planning, though, I don't want to be a part of it."

Her fellow angel Digimon looked at their friends. "Same here. At least we got through this in one piece. And with an old friend to boot."

They looked on as Grani circled overhead, glad that the steed Digital life form had survived the army of Diaboromon copies. Then they rejoined the others on the ground and resumed their human forms. ShineGreymon landed beside them as well, and Marcus ran over to him.

"Nice job, pal!" he called up to the dragon Digimon. "You did it!"

ShineGreymon DeDigivolved down to Agumon and high-fived his partner. "As if there were any doubt. Of course, the others helped."

Marcus smiled at the teens. "Yeah, you guys did great. Totally awesome. And who's this new guy? A friend of yours?"

Tai nodded, smiling. "Yeah, someone we thought we lost."

Grani finally came in for a landing, setting down in an area clear of debris. The teens ran over to him happily, a few of them even hugging him where they could.

"You old son of a gun," said Davis as he embraced the steed Digital life form. "I can't believe you're here."

Grani's large eye settled on him. "I am happy to see you again as well. I feared the worst after I lost you at sea."

"You feared the worst?" said Takato. "We thought you were a goner, stuck facing all those Diaboromon like that. How did you escape?"

Grani's eye shifted to him. "Diaboromon copies may be just as powerful as the original, but they are fragile and easily destroyed. Once I no longer had to worry about protecting you, I was able to blast my way free. They were more concerned with finding you than defeating me."

Takuya gave a relieved chuckle. "Well, thank goodness you got here when you did. I don't know if we would have been able to defeat Ornismon like we did, let alone ChaosBlackWarGreymon and Boltboutamon."

Shoutmon raised an eyebrow at Grani. "How did you manage to find us anyway?"

Grani closed his eyes and was silent for a few moments. "I've been searching for you ever since we were separated. Once I had escaped the Diaboromon copies, I immediately began looking for you. I was most relieved to learn that you did not drown, and I began following your trail ever since, but always seemed to be a few steps behind. You have been quite busy. Defeating two Demon Lords; I did not think it was possible."

Takato sweat-dropped. "So everyone keeps telling us."

Grani gave a nod of acknowledgement. "Not too long ago, I was searching in a nearby village when I learned that in another one not too far off where Trailmon no longer traveled to, there was a request to have one come to provide transport for some humans."

"The village overrun by Parasimon," Kari gasped.

Grani nodded again. "I immediately made my way there, but you had already left. Upon inquiring the residents, I learned of where you were heading, and came here to find you engaged in battle. I am glad I arrived in time."

TK gave him a smile. "Well, we're glad to have you here, and even gladder that you survived."

"As am I." He glanced at Marcus. "And with another human companion I see."

Grinning, Marcus thrust his thumb at himself. "The name's Marcus Damon. Good to meet you, big guy."

"And I'm Agumon," the reptile Digimon stated. "But I guess you already knew that."

Grani considered the new human. "Marcus Damon. I am glad to meet you. Have you too come into the power of a Guardian?"

Marcus waved this off. "Nah, no Digimon transformations for me. But Agumon and I do just fine as we are."

"You know it, bro!"

Grani raised an eyebrow at the duo. "I see. And do you intend to face the remaining Demon Lords as well?"

Marcus looked surprised. "Face the remaining Demon Lords? Huh? I guess I hadn't really thought about it. Agumon and I have always sort of just done our own thing, helping out wherever we could." He thumped his chest. "But I'll tell you this much, we already decided to go confront Beelzemon. So if you guys still intend to head there, we'd be happy to tag along."

Grani gave a nod. "And you shall have my assistance as well. I lost you once, I do not intend to lose you a second time."

Tai let out a sigh of relief. "That's good to hear. We could use all the help we can get."

Kari smiled happily. "And with Grani around, we can travel a lot faster since we won't need to walk everywhere."

"My feet thank you," Davis cried gratefully.

His look of gratitude became one of surprise and pain as a piece of debris flew through the air and struck him in the head. He gave a small yelp and turned to see who threw it.

Having gathered around were a crowd of Digimon, and not one of them looked happy. Their expressions ranged from tearful to furious as they glared at the teens. Deramon seemed to be in the lead, and was also the one to have thrown the piece of debris at Davis.

"I knew you humans were trouble!" he shouted furiously. "I never should have let you into my bar!"

Takuya glared at him. "Hey, we just beat one of the Demon Lord's servants, and a powerful one at that."

Deramon returned the glare. "Yeah, congratulations. You only destroyed our whole village in the process."

A feeling of shame and awkwardness fell over the teens as they slowly turned their attention to the destruction. The whole village was in ruins. Very few structures still stood, and even fewer were undamaged at all.

Takato looked at the crowd of Digimon. "We didn't do that. That was the Demon Lords' men."

"And why do you think they were here?" a Digimon in the crowd demanded. "They came here because of you, and our village was caught in the middle."

"What village?" another Digimon snapped. "Everything is gone. They destroyed everything. And lets not forget all our neighbors who were killed."

"And then there's the village that Beelzemon is holding hostage," Deramon added. "He's there killing innocents because he wants you. It would have been better if you never came here at all."

Takuya pointed at him. "Hey, we don't even want to be here. And we didn't want to get involved with the Demon Lords or their men. They're the ones coming after us. All we're doing is defending ourselves. We had no choice but to fight back."

Davis crossed his arms. "And besides, we already took out two Demon Lords, and four Chaos Generals. Your welcome."

"At the cost of what!?" Deramon demanded. "We're the ones paying the price. So what do you humans care? Things may not be great with the Demon Lords in control, but we've lived with it for thousands of years. It wasn't until you humans came around that their wrath was brought down on us. Why don't you just get out of here and spare us your misfortune."

There were shouts of agreement from the other Digimon, and some more began throwing pieces of debris. Davis covered his head as he glared at the Digimon in outrage. He looked like he was going to say something more, but Shoutmon grabbed his shirt and gave it a small tug.

"Don't bother," he told him sadly. "You'll never get through to them."

"But they-"

"I know, but some Digimon have grown so used to the way things are, despite the horrible conditions, that they've just accepted it as fact of life. If anything, they fear things will just get worse by stirring the pot. In their eyes, what happened here will only make things harder for them. To them, you are the problem, not the Demon Lords."

"But that's crazy!"

A sigh escaped Grani. "I'm afraid he's right. There is nothing you can do here. It would be best to just leave. I will bring you to a place where you can rest for your upcoming battle with Beelzemon."

The others all glanced at Tai. He, in turn, gave the angry Digimon mob a sorrowful look before nodding. And, one by one, they climbed up onto Grani's back. The Digimon mob continued to shout insults and throw debris, but they were ignored as Grani rose up into the air and took off.

"Bunch of ingrates," Davis grumbled irritably. "We may be trying to get home, but we're also putting our lives on the line to take out the Demon Lords and give them better lives."

"You cannot expect everyone to be grateful," Grani told him remorsefully. "Especially when they are the casualties who suffer from the collateral damage. To them, your conflict with the Demon Lords had nothing to do with them, yet they still suffered for it, so they blame you for involving them."

Takato hung his head. "I get what you're saying, but everyone keeps telling us how grateful they are for what we've done. To suddenly have others hate us for it…"

"Them's the breaks, kid," Shoutmon replied. "This is the result of living under Demon Lord rule for so long. Trust me though, once we take out the Demon Lords, they'll see how foolish they were and will be grateful. Right now though, they don't even see you succeeding in taking down the Demon Lords as an option, and the consequences for trying will only make things worse for them."

TK frowned. "Wow. You know, we never really considered all the negative actions that fighting the Demon Lords would cause. We just kept focusing on the good it would do."

He felt someone place their hand over his, and turned to see Kari giving him a small smile. "It's all we can do. We're at war. And, sadly, there will always be casualties during war. All we can do is focus on the good we will do for the future and try to prevent as much damage and as many casualties as we can."

"Your mate is right," Grani replied. "You must continue to focus on the good."

Both TK and Kari turned beet red. "M-Mate!?" the former exclaimed as Kari seemed to shrink into her own shirt in embarrassment.

"Hey, pal!" Davis snapped, bopping his fist down on Grani's back. "She's not his mate!"

Grani barely reacted. "Forgive me, I made an incorrect assumption."

"Hey, I thought the same thing you did," Agumon replied.

Tai glanced back and forth between the two blushing teenagers with a suspicious look on his face. "Is something going on that you're not telling me?"

"No!" TK said, a little too loudly. "Nothing's going on between us. There hasn't been any time, and you would have noticed since we're all always together."

Kari glared at her brother. "And even if there was, it's none of your business."

"Like hell it isn't! You're my little sister!"

"And you're my big brother. Do you see me getting in your case about you and Sora? 'Cause I can tell you, it's awkward for me too."

As an argument broke out between the two siblings, Takato let out a nervous chuckle. "It's times like this that I'm glad that I'm an only child."

Fortunately, the bickering didn't last long before the siblings decided not to speak to each other. It brought forth a very awkward silence that no one seemed eager to break. And so they traveled in silence for the next few hours.

The teens had to admit, traveling on Grani made getting around a lot easier and a lot faster. They covered ground in a fraction of the time it would have taken to walk.

"We should be reaching the village Beelzemon is holding hostage in about 20 minutes," the steed Digital life form told them.

Tai raised an eyebrow. They were really going that fast? The village wasn't even in sight yet. If they could reach it that quickly…

"Stop here," he said. " We'll rest up here and the attack in the morning."

Takato glanced at him. "But what about Beelzemon's threat? He said he would execute 10 more residents every day we don't show up."

Tai nodded. "I know, but we won't let him. We're waking up and moving out before sunrise. Trust me, I'd much rather head over there now and not even risk it, but this is a Demon Lord we're talking about. We need to be completely rested, and our Digivices fully energized."

Shoutmon nodded. "Agreed. And even though we'll still probably lose… well, you never know."

Marcus thumped his chest. "Hey, don't worry. Agumon and I are here to even the odds. Right, pal?"

Agumon sweat-dropped, clearly nervous at the thought of facing a Demon Lord now that the moment was almost upon them, but he did a good job of hiding his worry. "You know it, bro."

Grani came down for a landing, and everyone climbed off his back. "I will keep watch during the night. You humans rest."

"Hey," said Agumon, "you need to sleep too, if you're going to help us fight. We'll split the shift. You watch for half the night, and I'll watch the other half."

Grani seemed to consider this before nodding. "Very well. I'll take first watch."

Agumon shook his head. "No, I will. You've been carrying us for the past few hours, so you rest. I got this. Agumon Matrix Digivolve to… RizeGreymon!"

It was a different Digivolution than what the teens had seen so far, and also a different Digivolution cry. "RizeGreymon?" Takuya questioned. "And did he say 'Matrix' Digivolution?"

"An instant Digivolution from Rookie to Ultimate," Shoutmon explained. "Similar to Warp Digivolution, which goes straight from Rookie to Mega."

Kari cocked her head to the side. "What about ShineGreymon? That was your Mega level, right?"

RizeGreymon nodded. "Yes, but like I said before, I can't reach my Mega level on my own yet, only Ultimate. I rely on the energy I get from bro in order to Digivolve to Mega. Unfortunately, that energy doesn't last, and once I burn it off, I DeDigivolve again."

Takuya glanced at his Digivice. "Huh. That's not too different from how our Digivices work."

Shoutmon nodded. "Hence why the Sovereigns decided to use you to resurrect the Guardians. The Digivices are a more perfected and permanent method."

"Enough talk," Grani gently scolded. "You must get as much rest as you can. Whatever discussions you wish too have can wait until after the battle with Beelzemon."

Tai nodded in agreement. "He's right. Tomorrow's going to be a big day. So lets get to it."

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"Line up!"

The malicious voice echoed through the village, waking the residents. This had been the routine for the past several days, but there was nothing that could be done about it. And so, on trembling legs, the residents exited their homes and took their positions, getting into two lines facing each other.

Refusing to report was out of the question, as was fleeing the village; Beelzemon had made that very clear. All they could do was wait and pray that he didn't choose them. If they didn't cooperate, then he would simply kill off the entire village and move his cause to the next one.

Heavy footsteps were heard as the Demon Lord marched between the two roads. His cruel green eyes darted back and forth as if he were mentally taking role call. He came to a stop and looked towards the rising sun as it began to peak up above the horizon. Closing his eyes, he breathed deeply, and a cruel grin crept up his face.

"Another morning. You know what that means. Ten more on the chopping block." He pulled out his gun and cocked it. "So, who's it going to be today?"

His eyes scanned the two rows of terrified Digimon, and came to a rest on a random Digimon. "One."

He fired, and the Digimon burst into data upon impact. The others flinched, but remained in their spots as Beelzemon once again scammed the rows. "Two."

Another Digimon burst into data, followed by a third a few seconds later. There was a sob from the crowd, and Beelzemon snickered. "Hey, don't blame me. This is all thanks to those humans. They're the reason why I'm here doing this, and why I'm still doing it, because they're too selfish and cowardly to come face me. And you thought that they might be your saviors. Four."

As yet another Digimon burst into data, another one let out a strangled, "Please."

Beelemon's gaze landed on him. "What was that?" he walked over and lashed out with his blaster, the clamps snapping down on around his neck, and he lifted him into the air. "You have something to say to me, Dracomon? Say it."

The dragon Digimon coughed as his air supply was cut off. "Please, Lord Beelzemon, don't do this anymore. I beg you."

"Beg me?" Beelzemon repeated, sounding disgusted. "Since when has begging ever worked with me? In fact, the very fact that you're begging me to change my mind is a display of defiance. Corona Blaster!"

Still keeping hold of Dracomon, he fired his blaster, and the dragon Digimon was blown away. The Demon Lord slowly lowered his blaster before looking back at the two rows. "And he doesn't even count as one of today's ten. That was just because he pissed me off. Now, where was I? Four, or five?" The question was rhetorical, and the Digimon knew it, not daring to speak out of fear. "Ah, the heck with it. Lets just start over. One."

And so it went on. Beelzemon would count before firing upon and killing a random Digimon. There were no further signs of protest from the residents as the grinning Demon Lord killed one after another with a sadistic glee.

"Eight," he said, firing upon another. He slowly waved his gun through the air. "Nin-"

"Yuggoth Blaster!"

Beelzemon turned, just in time to be stuck by a tri-bolo blast of energy. The residential Digimon cried out as he went flying through the air and crashed into a house. Grani came flying down, and the teens hopped off his back.

A few moments later, Beelzemon rose up from the destroyed remains, and a wicked grin spread across his face. "So, you're finally here. You just missed today's deadline."

"Bull!" Tai shouted. "It's barely first light. I can't believe you started killing like that."

"Speaking of which," Beelzemon said thoughtfully. "Nine! Ten!"

Two more Digimon burst into data. That was enough for the residents to flee in terror. The teens were equally as horrified, but their horror soon gave way to anger as they looked back at the Demon Lord.

"What the hell!?" Davis exclaimed. "We're here, aren't we?"

"You're late," Beelzemon said simply. "And I believe I made my message clear."

"That every day we're not here you would kill ten," Marcus snarled. "Going by that logic, you should have started killing at the end of the day, not the start of it. And speaking of which, what kind of crap message was that? It'd take awhile for us to even hear it, if we ever did. Not to mention it would take time to get here."

The Demon Lord raised an eyebrow at him. "And who the hell are you? Where'd another human come from?"

Marcus thumped his chest, as he seemed fond of doing. "The name's Marcus Damon, and I've actually been here for thousands of years."

Beelzemon studied him curiously for a few moments before grinning. "Oh, I get it now. You're the other human that showed up with Kurata way back when. Well, this is a surprise. I get to kill an extra human today."

Marcus blinked. "You know Kurata?" He shook his head. "You know what, I don't care. You've got something coming, and I'm going to give it to you."

With a battle cry, he charged forward, ignoring the cries from the others for him to come back. Beelzemon watched him come impassively. Marcus threw a punch, and the Demon Lord lashed out with his blaster, the end clamping down around Marcus' neck the same way he did to Dracomon.

Lifting Marcus into the air, he brought him close. "Just what the hell do you think you're going to do?"

"This!" Marcus managed to gasp out, and punched outward.

His fist struck Beelzemon in the jaw. The Demon Lord didn't even budge, but his eyes narrowed at his audacity. "Did you get that out of your system?"

Despite his predicament, Marcus grinned as he held up his glowing fist. "Uh huh. Agumon, now!"

"Agumon Warp Digivolve to… ShineGreymon!"

The new dragon Digimon pulled his sword from the ground and pointed it at Beelzemon. "Let him go. I'm your opponent now."

The Demon Lord's gaze shifted to ShineGreymon before going back to Marcus, and a sadistic smile spread across his face. "Or I could crush his neck and kill him right in front of you."

He emphasized his point by having the clamps squeeze tighter around Marcus' neck. A strangled sound escaped the teen as his face began turning red, and then purple. Cries of protest came from the others, but there was nothing they could do to help.

Beelzemon chuckled, but then suddenly threw Marcus over to them. He began gasping and coughing, his hand going to his neck, which was already starting to bruise.

"Don't think I was doing any of you a kindness by releasing him," the Demon Lord told them. "I simply want him to watch, helplessly, as I kill each and very one of you. After I finish with you, then I'll put an end to him as well, slowly." He chuckled. "I want to see that fighting spirit of his break."

Tai held up his Digivice. "That won't happen, because we're finally taking you down. Execute! Spirit Evolution… Omnimon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Imperialdramon Fighter Mode!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Gallantmon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… EmperorGreymon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Seraphimon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Ophanimon!"

"Shoutmon Digivolve to… OmniShoutmon!"

Beelzemon was still grinning as he surveyed the group before him. His eyes settled on Grani, and a chuckle escaped him. "Well, well, well, look at this. I didn't expect to find two extra opponents, but I welcome the challenge."

Imperialdramon took a step forward. "You sure you're up to it? You failed to kill us the first time we fought. We destroyed your bike and threw you into a data stream the second time. And the third time you took off running with your tail between your legs when Laylamon called you."

A vein throbbed in Beelzemon's head, but he reeled in his temper and chuckled again. "You've got quite the mouth on you, human filth. But didn't you ever wonder why Laylamon summoned me? She decided to make me a little proposal. Because you humans got lucky and by some miracle somehow managed to defeat two of us, the rest of the Digital World is beginning to foolishly get hopeful. We need to crush that hope. And what better way to do it than to show the full power of a Demon Lord, and how easily I can crush you. She summoned me to give me the means to do just that. Personally, I think it will be overkill, but I've never been one to shy away from that."

He held up his hand, and something materialized within it. OmniShoutmon, ShineGreymon, and Grani all gasped at the sight of it, but the DigiDestined didn't quite understand.

"Wait, I think I've seen one of those before," said Omnimon.

"You have!" OmniShoutmon exclaimed. "It's an X-Antibody. Remember how Chaosdramon used one to become Chaosdramon X? We can't let him use that!"

Beelzemon laughed. "It's amusing that you think that you can actually let me do something or not."

He held up the X-Antibody, and it flashed brightly before bursting into data and flowing into Beelzemon's body. He gave a loud cry as the light of Digivolution surrounded him and flashed brightly.

"Beelzemon Digivolve to… Beelzemon X!"

The light vanished, and a new Beelzemon now stood. His attire had changed, as had his blaster, which was now on his left hand instead of his right, and now had two barrels and resembled a shotgun. He now had four blue wings that stretched out from his back, and his mask had changed shape and turned red.

OmniShoutmon took a step back. "No. No, no, no, no, no. This isn't good. I didn't anticipate this. We're all going to die."

Gallantmon gulped nervously. "It… It can't be too different, can it?"

Beelzemon X chuckled. "Oh, it can. In this form, I now have the ability to summon and control the crimson flames of El Evangelio. And that's just the tip of the iceberg."

"I have no idea what that means," Imperialdramon replied, "but nothing's changed. We're still going to fight."

An evil grin spread across the Demon Lord's face as he held up his blaster. "Then come at me, humans. Come and die."

Notes:

(A/N: Alright, here we go, the final battle with Beelzemon. He's reached his X form, but our heroes now have Grani and ShineGreymon on their side. There's been a lot of back and forth between Beelzemon and our heroes, and now it's finally going to come to a head, so stay tuned.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/RizeGreymon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Dracomon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Beelzemon_X

Chapter 131: Sacrifice

Notes:

(A/N: Oh yeah, here we go. Big showdown with Beelzemon. Is the third time the charm? Will our heroes finally be able to defeat him? They have a new friend to help them out, but as Beelzemon X, he's at his strongest. Lets see how things go.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 131: Sacrifice

"I'll come for you," ShineGreymon declared, and flew at the Demon Lord, raising his sword. "GeoGrey Sword!"

Beelzemon X's free hand grabbed his gun and held it up. "Double Impact SDX!"

He fired, and the bullet hit ShineGreymon's sword, completely shattering the blade. The dragon Digimon came to a sudden stop and stared down at his broken sword. Beelzemon X just grinned and leapt forward, hitting ShineGreymon in the chest with his Beelzeb Kick, sending him flying backwards. The dragon Digimon flew past the DigiDestined, and the shockwave from his momentum flowed over them a few moments later, showering them with rocks and dirt.

Beelzemon X sneered. "That was certainly a way to kick off this fight. So, who wants to go next?"

"Me!" EmperorGreymon declared, holding out his sword. "Dragonfire Crossbow!"

He fired, and Beelzemon X leapt into the air, allowing the attack to pass by beneath him. He swooped down like an eagle and plowed into the dragon Digimon, tackling him to the ground so hard that they tore the ground apart as they skidded along.

"Darkness Claw!" he cried, raising his hand and stabbing towards EmperorGreymon's face.

"Dragon Kick!" Imperialdramon cried, doing a flip to bring his heel down on the Demon Lord.

The impact threw off Beelzemon X's aim, and his claw buried into the ground beside EmperorGreymon's head, forming a large crater. He glanced over his shoulder up at Imperialdramon and pointed his cannon up at him, the double barrels pressed against the dragon Digimon's gut. "Oblivion Cannon!"

He fired, but at the last second, Seraphimon tackled the dragon Digimon, knocking him out of the way as a powerful blast erupted from Beelzemon X's cannon, causing the air to ripple. Ophanimon used the opening to blast him with her Eden's Javelin. Beelzemon X hissed and held up his hand to block, only to be blasted off EmperorGreymon by OmniShoutmon's Omni Core Fusion.

Doing a flip in the air, Beelzemon X halted his momentum just as Omnimon flew at him and swiped with his Transcendent Sword. Beelzemon X dodged, then lashed out with his Darkness Claw. Sword and claws clashed together, sending sparks flying as the two engaged in battle.

Moving a short distance back, they both held up their cannons, the ends pointing at each other. They stared at each other challengingly for a few seconds before simultaneously firing. Omnimon went flying backwards from the shockwave while Beelzemon X remained in the air.

Flapping his wings, the Demon Lord cleared the space of smoke and looked down at the DigiDestined. He suddenly jolted forward as Grani rammed into him with his Dragon Driver. The Digital steed doubled back, and Beelzemon X growled before firing his Nosferatu, unleashing a double blast from his twin cannon. Grani countered with his Yuggoth Blaster, and the two attacks exploded together.

As Grani used his Dragon Driver attack again, Beelzemon X dodged, and his hand shot out, grabbing Grani by the tail and holding him back. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Lightning Charge!" Gallantmon cried, flying towards the Demon Lord while surrounded by a sphere of electricity.

"Charge this!" Beelzemon X shouted, and effortlessly threw Grani into the approaching knight Digimon.

He chuckled as they bounced off each other, then quickly ducked as OmniShoutmon kicked out at him with his Doom Drillpress from behind. His tail came up and coiled around the dragon Digimon's leg, then tossed him away.

"Hit him hard!" Omnimon shouted. "Double Shot!"

"Strike of the Seven Stars!"

"Sefirot Crystal!"

"Giga Crusher!"

"Dragonfire Crossbow!"

"Twin Fireball Strike!"

"Glorious Burst!"

The barrage of attacks came at Beelzemon X from various directions, and he curled up, covering his face as the attacks blasted against him, lighting up the sky.

"Yeah, how do you like that?" ShineGreymon called up to the cloud of smoke. "Some payback for kicking me earlier!"

"Don't get cocky," EmperorGreymon told him. "You may be more experienced in living in this world, but something tells me that we have more experience in fighting Demon Lords than you."

"He's right," Ophanimon reluctantly agreed. "It'll take a lot more than that to beat him."

The cloud of smoke suddenly seemed to burst open as Beelzemon X burst through it at top speed and came to a stop in front of Ophanimon. "You're damn right. Beelzeb Kick!"

His foot collided with her chin, and would have taken her off her feet had she not already been in the air. Then he reached over his shoulder and caught Seraphimon's Excalibur as he brought down his sword of light. He slammed his elbow into the angel Digimon's chest, cracking and denting his armor, before whirling around and kicking him away.

EmperorGreymon flew over, his sword ablaze, and used his Soaring Flame Edge. Beelzemon X, however, caught the sword by its fiery blade, and sneered at the dragon Digimon. "This fire can't hurt me. High Impact!"

Lightning fell from the sky and struck EmperorGreymon, and the dragon Digimon dropped from the sky. Omnimon came at him, stabbing forward with his sword. Beelzemon X moved to the side and grabbed his arm, twisting it in the wrong direction and earning a pained grunt from Omnimon.

This had actually been what Omnimon had been counting on though, and he punched his cannon into the Demon Lord's gut. "Supreme Cannon!"

A grunt escaped Beelzemon X as he was blasted at point-blank range. He released Omnimon's arm, and the knight Digimon swung his sword while using his Omni Blast, unleashing an explosion of lightning. Beelzemon X cried out as he was blasted back, traces of electricity still flowing over him.

"Not bad, but try this. Black Skewer!"

He fired a beam of dark matter. It tore straight through the right side of Omnimon's chest and out his back, causing the knight Digimon's eyes to bulge out. Then he struck with his Darkness Claw, knocking Omnimon away and leaving deep grooves in his armor.

ShineGreymon flew over and fired his Sparkle Shoot, peppering the Demon Lord with bullets of light energy. Beelzemon X recoiled from the attack before he was suddenly blasted by Grani's Yuggoth Blaster, who then successfully followed it up this time with his Dragon Driver.

Then Imperialdramon was there, holding his cannon to fire his Positron Laser. The beam collided with Beelzemon X, pushing him back, but the Demon Lord raised his blaster and fired his Gluttony Flare, shooting a bullet of crimson flame straight out of the Dark Area. It tore through Imperialdramon's beam, going into his arm cannon and bursting out the back. The dragon Digimon hissed in pain as Beelzemon X flew over to him and kicked him away with his Beelzeb Kick.

"Shining Blast!" ShineGreymon cried, surrounding himself in an aura and flying towards the Demon Lord.

"Omni Torpedo!" OmniShoutmon cried, his own aura surrounding him as he flew at Beelzemon X from the other direction.

Beelzemon X was ready for them, but movement from behind caused him to react on reflex, and he whirled around to catch Grani by the nose as he attempted to use his Dragon Driver.

With his only free hand now occupied, ShineGreymon and OmniShoutmon both slammed into him at the same time. Beelzemon X grunted in pain as he was smashed between the two before quickly recovering and sending Grani away with a Beelzeb Kick, then turning to the two dragon Digimon and blasting them away with a destructive wave of darkness from his Corona Blaster.

Gallantmon was suddenly there behind him, his shield raised. Beelzemon X whirled around to strike him with his Darkness Claw, only to get blasted away by the knight Digimon's Shield of the Just. He grit his teeth as the beam pushed him back before spreading his wings and forcing his way through the beam and delivering a Beelzeb Kick that knocked Gallantmon back.

"Double Impact SDX!" Beelzemon X cried, and began to rapidly fire from his gun.

Gallantmon cried out as he was showered by bullets as if from a machinegun, each one leaving a dent in his armor. Then the Demon Lord was grabbed from behind as Imperialdramon's giant arm wrapped around him.

"Got you," the dragon Digimon declared. "So size does matter."

"No," Beelzemon X replied, "only power matters. High Impact!"

Imperialdramon cried out as he was struck by lightning, and Beelzemon X pulled free. He turned and raised his cannon, only to be struck by lightning himself from Seraphimon's Hallowed Ascension. This was joined by Ophanimon's Eden's Needle as barbs of light sprayed against him.

With a snarl, Beelzemon X grabbed hold of Imperialdramon and threw the much larger Digimon at Seraphimon, and the angel Digimon was flattened beneath Imperialdramon.

"Seventh Full Cluster!" Beelzemon X cried, pointing his cannon down at the two. The crown for the sin of Gluttony appeared at the end of it as the power of his Gluttony Flare was condensed within it and fired as a single shot.

"Unicorn Shield!" Ophanimon cried, flying into the attack's path to counter it. She managed to block it, but the blast burst straight through her barrier and caused her shield to shatter.

A grin spread across Beelzemon X's face as he took aim once more. "Nosferatu!"

His shot went flying in the wrong direction as Grani collided with him while chomping down on the arm that wielded Beelzemon X's cannon. The Demon Lord's eyes widened in surprise and he tried to pull free, but the steed Digital life form kept his jaws tightly clenched.

"Damn it," Beelzemon X snarled. "Let go of me, you bastard!"

He began punching Grani in the face, but the steed Digital life form refused to let go, even as his metal skin began to crack and dent. Beelzemon X snarled furiously and raised his hand to use his Darkness Claw.

Instead, a cry escaped him as fiery blasts from OmniShoutmon's Twin Fireball Strike hit him from behind. He turned around and flew at the dragon Digimon with Grani still latched onto him. He swung his arm, and the steed Digital life form smashed into OmniShoutmon. Grani still held on, knowing that despite the damage he was receiving, it would be far worse to allow the Demon Lord to have access to his primary weapon.

"Stubborn bastard," Beelzemon X growled. "Let go of me."

He dropped from the sky and slammed Grani on the ground. Shifting his arm so his cannon was pointed at the ground, he unleashed his Oblivion Cannon. And while he too was caught up in the blast, it successfully tore Grani free and sent the Digital steed flying.

Beelzemon X chuckled at his now free hand, only to get showered by fire bullets from ShineGreymon's chest as the dragon Digimon unleashed his Corona Splash. Beelzemon X took aim at him and fired his Black Skewer twice. The beam of dark matter hit ShineGreymon's left wing, then his right, causing him to cry out and fall from the sky, and then Beelzemon X jumped up towards him and sent him crashing the rest of the way to the ground with his Beelzeb Kick.

Looking down at the DigiDestined, he held up his cannon. "Anyone else care to give it a shot?"

"I'll go again!" EmperorGreymon declared, stabbing his sword into the ground. "Pyro Dragons!"

The nine streams of fire emerged and flew up at the Demon Lord, the ends shaping into dragon heads and chomping down on Beelzemon X, holding him in place. The ground exploded beneath EmperorGreymon, launching him up towards the Demon Lord, but Beelzemon X just grinned, and suddenly broke free of the fiery dragon heads. As EmperorGreymon raised his sword to slash him, Beelzemon X unleashed a wave of darkness from his Corona Blaster that blasted the dragon Digimon away.

"Ionic Blaster!" Imperialdramon cried, firing from his emitter.

Beelzemon X turned to the incoming attack and raised his gun. "Berenjena SDX!"

The two attacks exploded together and lit up the sky. Beelzemon X flew straight through the blast and delivered a Beelzeb Kick to Imperialdramon. And as the dragon Digimon went speeding to the ground, Seraphimon and Ophanimon suddenly double-teamed the Demon Lord.

Gallantmon groaned as he limped along, his armored body covered in dents and cracks. Omnimon walked up beside him, covering the hole in his chest where he was shot. "This isn't going well."

"No kidding," Gallantmon grumbled. "He's taking a bunch of hits, but he keeps coming back for more. Meanwhile, we're getting run down. I still can't believe that one guy can give us all a beating like this."

"Why?" OmiShoutmon asked as he flew over. "Just because he's not really big like Leviamon or Belphemon? When is it going to sink in that size is irrelevant for us Digimon when it comes to power?"

Someone else moved to join them, and the DigiDestined glanced at him. But Marcus' sole attention was on Beelzemon X, and a scowl was present on his face. "Well then, I guess it's time ShineGreymon and I used our secret weapon. Hey, ShineGreymon, you ready, buddy?"

There was a grunt from the dragon Digimon as he lay with his face down in the dirt. He pushed himself up into a pushup position and shook his head. If you say so, bro, then I'm up for it."

Gallantmon gave him a look of disbelief. "You mean you have a secret weapon, and you didn't use it right off the bat?"

"I said we had one, didn't I?" Marcus told him. "And we haven't used it yet because it takes some doing to get it to work, and it doesn't last that long. Come on, ShineGreymon, let's do it."

Getting to his feet, ShineGreymon stomped over to them and picked Marcus up, setting him down on his shoulder.

"Wait, what are you doing!?" OmniShoutmon exclaimed, worried for Marcus' safety.

"Trust us," said ShineGreymon. "We got this."

Marcus punched his fists together. "That's right. There's no way we're letting this mask wearing demon freak hurt anyone else. We should have taken a stand against the Demon Lords long ago; it just seemed like an unobtainable goal that shouldn't even be bothered trying, like breathing underwater or something. But no more." A fire burned in his eyes as he glared at Beelzemon X. "This guy has been allowed to run wild for far too long. His days of hurting others is over. We're putting a stop to this right now. Lets go, ShineGreymon."

The dragon Digimon took off, flying up towards the Demon Lord as he fought the two angel Digimon. "Watch out, you guys!"

Seraphimon and Ophanimon glanced at the two of them before they scattered. Beelzemon X turned to him and raised his cannon. ShineGreymon grabbed the weapon and pushed it away as the Demon Lord fired. He punched forward with his Shine Hammer, but Beelzemon X caught his fist. However, this took up his last free hand.

With a loud cry, Marcus leapt off ShineGreymon's shoulder and delivered a punch to Beelzemon X's face. The Demon Lord simply glanced at him, but otherwise, he was ignored, and Marcus fell from the sky. Beelzemon X then kicked ShineGreymon away as Marcus dropped to the ground.

"MARCUS!" the others shouted as he continued to fall.

Despite the open air beneath him, Marcus grinned as he held up his glowing fist. "All a part of the plan. This is the spirit of a true fighter. ShineGreymon!"

The light in his fist flared, consuming him in a fiery aura. It then flew from him and over to ShineGreymon, consuming him, and a new light flashed around the dragon Digimon.

"ShineGreymon Mode Change to… ShineGreymon Burst Mode!"

It was similar to the form Tai had taken as Agumon when he entered Burst Mode. ShineGreymon's wings and sword had turned into a red aura of high-energy flames, as did the end of his tail, and a shield of the same aura appeared in his other hand.

Moving at rapid speeds, ShineGreymon sped over and caught Marcus before he hit the ground, then flew over to the others and set him down.

"Nice one, ShineGreymon," Marcus told him. "Now lets finish this."

"Hold up," Imperialdramon exclaimed. "You just entered Burst Mode? That's the same thing Tai got when we beat Belphemon. You can do that?"

"Not always," ShineGreymon replied, "but far more often and easily than any Digimon should be able to, thanks to bro."

"Then we're saved," said Gallantmon in relief. "If Tai was able to defeat Belphemon as Agumon in Burst Mode, then ShineGreymon, a Mega, should be able to defeat Beelzemon."

"Levels don't matter when it comes to Burst Mode," OmniShoutmon told him. "Burst Mode is a power that surpasses Mega, regardless of what level the user is at."

"Still," said Gallantmon, "if we beat one Demon Lord with Burst Mode, we should be able to defeat another, right?"

"That depends if I can do it before time runs out," ShineGreymon replied. "You guys back me up, I'm going in."

He sped towards Beelzemon X in a blur of red. The Demon Lord glanced at him as he approached and got ready to engage. "Come on then. If you think you can beat me like this, then I look forward to proving you wrong."

"We'll see about that. Final Shining Burst!"

His wings of pure aura wrapped around himself and fired a blast at the Demon Lord. Beelzemon X raised his blaster and fired his Oblivion Cannon. An explosion was the result, and ShineGreymon came bursting through it. Using his Corona Blaze Sword, he fused his flaming shield and sword into a larger even more powerful sword and brought it down on the Demon Lord.

Beelzemon X raised his arm to block, but still hissed when the fiery aura blade struck him. He kicked the dragon Digimon back, but ShineGreymon immediately began firing his Torrid Weiss, showering Beelzemon X with flame-bullets.

"Those won't work on me," the Demon Lord declared. "I'm fire resistant. Double Impact SDX!"

He returned fire on ShineGreymon, and his bullets were much more effective. Yet as the Demon Lord laughed as he fired, he was suddenly struck by OmniShoutmon's Omni Core Fusion. He barely recovered before EmperorGreymon hit him with his Dragonfire Crossbow. This was followed by lightning coming down from Seraphimon's Hallowed Ascension, and then he was blasted by Imperialdramon's Giga Crusher.

An enraged scream escaped the Demon Lord as the blast died down. He spotted Ophanimon flying towards him, stabbing forward with her javelin. He turned and caught the weapon before it could stab him, but then she began firing her Eden's Needle into his gut. He grunted as the needles of light struck him, but ignored it as he raised his cannon at her. She beat him to it, however, raising her hand and firing her Shining Laser into his face.

Beelzemon X snarled furiously as her beam of light blasted into his face, but he fought against it, keeping his blaster leveled at her. "Corona-"

"Omega Sword!" Omnimon cried, flying up behind him and swiping his sword.

The Demon Lord cried out as he was slashed across the back. With an angry bellow, he unleashed his High Impact, and lightning came down around him, striking the siblings.

Gallantmon was making his way up to the Demon Lord, swerving around the lightning as it came down around him. He came to a stop in front of Beelzemon X and fired his Shield of the Just. The beam pushed the Demon Lord back, but Beelzemon X resisted as the attack flowed over him. Then Grani came speeding over and fired his Yuggoth Blaster at the Demon Lord from behind, resulting in an explosion.

"Yeah!" Gallantmon cheered. "Nice shot!"

His celebration was cut short, however, as Beelzemon X suddenly burst out of the blast. His hand shot out and grasped Gallantmon by the face. Then he turned around and aimed his blaster at Grani. "Seventh Full Cluster!"

His attack went off, and Grani was blown out of the sky. He went spinning to the ground, his pointy nose stabbing into the hard rock, leaving him suspended in the air at an angle.

Beelzemon X turned back to Gallantmon and pointed his blaster at him. Gallantmon raised his shield as the Demon Lord fired his Black Skewer several times. The beams of dark matter tore straight through the knight Digimon's shield and through his body, leaving several holes in his torso. Beelzemon X finished up with a Beelzeb Kick to send Gallantmon crashing to the ground.

"Shining Blast!" ShineGreymon cried, enveloping himself in a golden aura and slamming into the Demon Lord.

Beelzemon X managed to catch him and hold the dragon Digimon back, but ShineGreymon followed up with his Glorious Burst, blasting the Demon Lord and pulling away when he was released.

As ShineGreymon got out of range, EmperorGreymon unleashed his Soaring Nine Headed Dragon Force. The dragon spirit soared up to the Demon Lord, but before the attack could hit, Beelzemon X completely blew it away with his Oblivion Cannon. Imperialdramon fired his Ionic Blaster, but Beelzemon X countered this as well with his Nosferatu before unleashing his High Impact on all the DigiDestined at once.

The only ones to not get caught up in Beelzemon X's lightning were Seraphimon and Ophanimon. Realizing the critical state of Gallantmon, they had flown down to the knight Digimon and used their Perfect Revival and Final Aura to heal his major injuries.

"I'm sorry, but we can't spare any more energy than this," Seraphimon told him.

Gallantmon struggled to get up. "It's fine, I'll make it work."

Ophanimon placed a hand on his shoulder. "No, you rest a bit. Rejoin us when you've got your second wind."

"But…"

The two angel Digimon flew up towards the Demon Lord. Beelzemon X glanced at them and sneered before using his High Impact on them. Gallantmon looked on helplessly as he watched his friends fall prey to the Demon Lord's attack. He, fortunately, was out of range from the lightning as he limped back towards the battle, his legs trembling as he struggled to stay on his feet.

"This is crazy," he moaned in despair. "He's so powerful. How are we supposed to win?"

"We can't. Not as things stand."

Gallantmon glanced at Grani, where he remained embedded in the ground. He limped over to the steed Digital life form, realizing that he too was in bad shape from Beelzemon X's attack. "Grani, you're not looking too good. Should have had Seraphimon and Ophanimon heal you as well. And what do you mean we can't win?"

The steed Digital life form's eyes shifted to look at him. "Beelzemon has become too powerful. Defeating him is impossible for us right now. The team needs more power."

"I'm open to suggestions," the knight Digimon replied. "Is there a way for the rest of us to reach Burst Mode like ShineGreymon?"

"Burst Mode will not help us. Not even ShineGreymon's will last much longer." He paused for a moment. "But there is something that can help. I'm too damaged to fight any longer, but I can still assist you in another way."

"Seriously? I wish you'd mentioned this before. How can you…?" He trailed off, and it suddenly registered to him what was happening. "No. I won't accept that."

"You and I are code compatible," Grani told him in a firm voice. "The only one I am compatible with. It's almost as if Fate has set us on this path."

Shaking his head, Gallantmon backed away. "I said no! I know what this is. This is what AncientWisemon predicted for me. But I won't do it. I won't sacrifice you, Grani."

"You must," the steed Digital life form insisted. "It is the only possible way to save your friends at this point. And it may give you the power boost you need to turn the tables. With this, you will become the strongest member of your group."

"I refuse!" Gallantmon shouted, covering his ears to block out his words. "I said I would never sacrifice anyone, especially not for the sake of power. Did AncientWisemon set this up as well, just as he did to those four Digimon who died so Takuya could become EmperorGreymon? No, you know what, it doesn't matter if he did, because I won't let it happen."

Grani's large eye went back to the battle. "Then you and all your friends will die. There is no other way. Beelzemon is just too strong."

"Can't you do whatever it is you're planning without sacrificing yourself?"

A sigh escaped the steed Digital life form. "Not with as damaged as I am. The only option is to give you my Fractal Code."

"Why?"

"Because if we DNA Digivolved now, my remaining power would not be enough to sustain us."

"Then I'll get Seraphimon and Ophanimon to heal you."

"It won't be enough, and your friends will need the energy or else they may die."

Gallantmon shook his head almost violently. "Then we'll find another way to win. One that won't require sacrifice. I won't let you throw your life away just to make me stronger."

Grani's gaze returned to him. "It is not up to you. It is my choice. Take my Fractal Code, become stronger. Defeat Beelzemon. That is my wish to you."

AncientWisemon's words echoed in Gallantmon's ears; that a time would come when someone would sacrifice themself for him, and he must let them. "How can you ask that of me? And you're not a Digimon, you won't start over at the Baby level. When you die, it will take thousands of years before you hatch from your egg."

"Several thousand years," the steed Digital life form corrected. "And I hope that when I do return that this world will finally be free of the Demon Lords. That is my deepest wish, and my greatest hope. That is what I am willing to die for."

Feeling tears prickle his eyes, Gallantmon shut them tightly. "I won't allow it. If you present your data to me, I won't take it. You'll just die for nothing."

A hard look appeared in Grani's eyes. "You would turn down power when presented to you and let it go to waste?"

"If it's the only way to convince you not to sacrifice yourself, then yes."

"Then you are condemning yourself, your friends, and myself to death. That is the choice you are making."

A feeling of defeat fell over Gallantmon, and he dropped to his hands and knees. "Please don't do this. How will I be able to live with myself? It's not fair."

A deep sigh escaped Grani, the hardness in his eyes fading. "Many things in life are not, especially during times of war. All we can do is make the best of it."

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw ShineGreymon's Burst Mode come to an end, and he reverted to his normal form. Beelzemon X knocked him away with his Darkness Claw, and the dragon Digimon crashed to the ground.

"We are out of time," he said, and looked back at the knight Digimon. "Gallantmon."

The knight Digimon shut his eyes tightly as the tears flowed. "Fine! Just do it before I change my mind."

A look of relief appeared in Grani's eyes, and his body relaxed. "Thank you."

His form became a black silhouette, and his Fractal Code emerged. Gallantmon was unable to look as the ribbon of data flowed over to him and began to enter his body. And as the last of his Fractal Code left Grani, he dissolved into data and disappeared.

Gallantmon let out a cry of grief that mixed with a scream of might at the power surge that flowed through him. He cursed the fates for making things come to this and forcing him to break his vow not to let AncientWisemon's prediction come true.

As the light of Digivolution flowed out of him, he acted almost in a daze as his power rose through the roof. "Gallantmon Mode Change to… Gallantmon Crimson Mode!"

Notes:

(A/N: It's Gallantmon Crimson Mode! Ok, you probably saw this coming when Grani reappeared, but did you imagine that this was the sacrifice AncientWisemon was talking about way back? Yeah, I had all this planned out way back then. Now lets see how this will affect the battle. And remember, since the fight isn't over, the next chapter will be out next week, so look forward to it.)

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Gallantmon Crimson Mode's attacks:

Crimson Light – Throws his energy spear-lance into the air to bring down a beam of energy on an opponent.

Final Justice – Fires a beam of energy at an opponent from his spear-lance to reduce them to atoms and trap them in oblivion in another dimension.

Invincible Sword – Uses his divine energy sword to slash an opponent, sending out a powerful shockwave in the process.

Royal Saber – Fires a blast of lightning from his sword.

Blutgang – Strikes with his sword of light.

Gungnir – Throws his spear-lance of light.

Dash Blutgang – Charges forward and slashes with his sword of light.

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New Digimon that appear.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/ShineGreymon_Burst_Mode

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Gallantmon_Crimson_Mode

Chapter 132: A Crimson Conclusion

Notes:

(A/N: And we're back. Did you all remember the Author's Note saying that I would be updating in one week rather than in two weeks if a fight was left unfinished? If not, well, I guess yo got here eventually. Last time, Gallantmon fulfilled AncientWisemon's prophecy by having to sacrifice Grani to achieve Crimson Mode. Will this be enough to turn the tide of the battle against Beelzemon X? Read on to find out.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 132: A Crimson Conclusion

ShineGreymon knew that his time in Burst Mode was limited, and so he needed to deal as much damage to Beelzemon X as he could before it ran out. As the lightning from the Demon Lord's High Impact attack came down around him and the others, he flew up to Beelzemon X, using his shield and sword to deflect and counter the bolts.

"Shining Blast!" he cried, and plowed into the Demon Lord.

Beelzemon X grunted as the dragon Digimon slammed into him. "Oh, you just don't know when to quit, do you? Darkness Claw!"

ShineGreymon held up his shield to block. "Bro says to never quit, no matter what. And I don't intend to."

Beelzemon X humphed. "Admirable, but annoying. Lets see how long it takes me to break that spirit of yours. Beelzeb Kick!"

ShineGreymon was knocked back, but he immediately retaliated with his Torrid Weiss. Beelzemon X countered with his Double Impact SDX, deliberately shooting ShineGreymon's fire bullets out of the sky, laughing all the while.

ShineGreymon switched it up by using his Final Shining Burst, blasting the Demon Lord back. Then he flew forward and used his Corona Blaze Sword. Beelzemon X recovered from the previous attack and began dodging as ShineGreymon swiped at him. Then a blast from OmniShoutmon's Victorize Banking struck him from behind.

He glanced back at OmniShoutmon irritably before he had to dodge another swipe of ShineGreymon's sword. When he came at him again, Beelzemon X reached out and grasped the dragon Digimon's wrist, holding back his flaming aura sword. While he was preoccupied with that, Imperialdramon flew up behind him and used his Dragon Kick, doing a flip and bringing his heel down on the Demon Lord, sending him crashing to the ground.

Beelzemon X managed to turn his crash into a landing, hitting the ground in a superhero pose. As he looked up, however, he found Seraphimon and Ophanimon standing right in front of him, and he was blasted by their Strike of the Seven Stars, and Sefirot Crystal.

Flying into the air, Omnimon raised his sword into the sky. "Omni Blast!"

He sent explosive lightning down at the Demon Lord, raising a dust cloud with the electric blast. EmperorGreymon then charged forward, raising his sword. "I'm going to take your head! Dragon Soul Sword!"

He brought his sword down where he knew the Demon Lord was in the dust cloud, but hit nothing but air.

"Looking for me, punk?" Beelzemon X asked from somewhere in the cloud.

The next thing he knew, EmperorGreymon was being knocked out of the dust cloud by the Demon Lord's Beelzeb Kick. Beelzemon X then flew straight up out of the cloud and repeated his attack on Omnimon. Imperialdramon's chest opened and his emitter stuck out to fire his Ionic Blaster, but the Demon Lord beat him to it, his gun appearing in his hand and firing at the dragon Digimon. The end of Imperialdramon's emitter exploded as the bullet hit, and he was thrown backwards from the blast.

Beelzemon X laughed as he used his Double Impact SDX, firing a continuous stream of bullets at the DigiDestined from up above. Only ShineGreymon, with his Burst Mode's speed and power, was able to deflect the bullets with his sword and shield as he flew towards the Demon Lord.

"Die, you beast!" he shouted, and began swinging his sword wildly.

Once more, they engaged in a type of aerial dance as Beelzemon X avoided ShineGreymon's blade. In the midst of their dance, however, ShineGreymon fired his Glorious Burst into the Demon Lord, and raised his sword again, certain he would land the blow this time. "Now I've got you."

Suddenly, the fiery aura that seemed to be a part of ShineGreymon's very being vanished, and he reverted back to his base form. The strength and speed in his sword swipe dropped drastically, and Beelzemon X easily caught his blade. The time limit for his Burst Mode had run out.

"Oh no, not now!" he exclaimed.

A chuckle escaped the Demon Lord. "Such a shame. Seems you're out of time. Too bad, because you were actually worth fighting. Darkness Claw!"

He swiped at ShineGreymon, and the dragon Digimon hit the ground. Beelzemon X laughed before dropping from the sky and landing hard on ShineGreymon, making him cry out.

With a sneer, Beelzemon X leveled his blaster at ShineGreymon's head, the end of the double barrel less than an inch from the dragon Digimon's face. "I'd say that I'm going to put one between your eyes, but in all honesty, this'll likely completely blow your head to hell."

"Get off him!" Seraphimon demanded.

Beelzemon X glanced at the angel Digimon to see him and a few of the others glaring at him threateningly. The sight brought a grin to the Demon Lord's face. "Tell you what, lets see what's faster. You rushing over here to stop me, or me pulling this trigger."

"Hurt him and I'll kill you myself!" Marcus shouted.

Beelzemon X raised an eyebrow at the boy. In all honesty, he had actually completely forgotten about him. Whipping out his gun, he pointed it at him. "You're more than welcome to try."

Before anyone could react, there was a flash of light, and something sent the gun flying out of Beelzemon X's hand. He let out a surprised cry of protest and turned to the source. "Who did that?"

He had only enough time to see a second spear of light come flying at him before he had to duck to avoid it. An annoyed growl escaped him as he wondered who was interfering now.

"BEELZEMON!"

There was a blur of red as something rushed over, stopping a short distance away, and Beelzemon X's eyes widened at the sight of the knight Digimon. "Wait, you're…?"

"Did you forget about me?" Gallantmon demanded furiously with tears still present in his eyes. "Or did you already write me off as dead? Me and Grani both?"

"Grani?" OmniShoutmon repeated, looking at Gallantmon's new form. He suddenly gasped. "Ah! Gallantmon Crimson Mode!"

Ophanimon glanced at him. "Crimson Mode?"

"Gallantmon and Grani must have DNA Digivolved. That or Grani gave him his Fractal Code."

Gallantmon didn't take his eyes off the Demon Lord. "Grani is gone, but his power is in me. And let me tell you, I've never felt stronger."

Beelzemon X glared at him. "Is that right?" He hopped off ShineGreymon and kicked the dragon Digimon away. "And I suppose you think that this means that you can beat me. Just like this idiot thought he could with his Burst Mode. Ha! You really have no idea what-"

"Final Justice!" Gallantmon cried, holding out one of the swords of light he held. It erupted into a beam of light, surprising the Demon Lord, and carrying him off to crash into a house. "I'm done talking. I'm going to end this."

From the rubble, Beelzemon X emerged, glaring at the knight Digimon. "No more talking? Fine. Then come to your death!"

Gallantmon complied and sped towards the Demon Lord. Beelzemon X leapt up and flew out of the way as Gallantmon swiped his Invincible Sword at him. He fired his Gluttony Flare, but Gallantmon sliced through the fire bullet. He used his Royal Saber, firing a blast of lightning, and Beelzemon X flew straight up to avoid it. He rapidly fired with his Berenjena SDX, and Gallantmon maneuvered around the bullets as he soared up towards the Demon Lord.

Gallantmon had to admit, actually being able to fly like this was much easier and far more convenient than simply hovering like in his previous form. He had been able to float in the air and launch himself about, but to actually be able to fly like this was something else. And that wasn't even counting the massive power increase he had received.

"Blutgang!" he cried, stabbing at the Demon Lord.

"Darkness Claw!" Beelzemon X countered, swiping at the blade of light.

His claw collided with Gallantmon's sword, resulting in a shockwave that knocked them both back. Then one of the swords of light in Gallantmon hands suddenly extended into a weapon that was a cross between a lance and a spear, and he threw it into the air. "Crimson Light!"

The spear erupted into a beam of light that came down on the Demon Lord. Beelzemon X cried out as the beam sent him crashing to the ground. As he was pinned down, Omnimon aimed his cannon at the Demon Lord. "Omni Howling!"

"Positron Laser!"

"Dragonfire Crossbow!"

"Eden's Javelin!"

"Hallowed Knuckle!"

"Flame Cannon!"

"Glorious Burst!"

The blast radius grew larger and larger as the attacks bombarded Beelzemon X. They paused to take a breather as the dust cloud rose, obscuring the damage.

"Tell me that did something," Imperialdramon begged, clutching his aching chest. "I feel like I'm going to fall apart."

"It had to have done something," said EmperorGreymon, although he didn't sound too sure himself.

From out of the dust cloud, Beelzemon X sped towards the latter dragon Digimon. "Oh, it did something alright. Beelzeb Kick!" His foot slammed into EmperorGreymon's head, knocking him off his feet. "It pissed me off. Darkness Claw!"

He slashed at the dragon Digimon, carving a groove out of his metal body. Omnimon raised his cannon at him, and, as if sensing the attack, Beelzemon X turned to him and raised his blaster. He fired his Seventh Full Cluster as Omnimon shot his Supreme Cannon. The Demon Lord's attack burst straight through Omnimon's ice blast and hit his arm. The knight Digimon went flying, and when he crashed to the ground, he was down half an arm, his cannon gone.

"Tai!" Ophanimon shouted, turning to him, not seeing as Beelzemon X suddenly appeared behind her.

"Watch out!" Seraphimon cried, and swung his Excalibur at the Demon Lord.

Beelzemon X whirled around while dodging the angel Digimon's blade and grabbed his arm. He pressed his blaster to Seraphimon's torso and fired his Black Skewer, shooting a beam of dark matter straight through him.

This had all happened before Ophanimon had even had time to turn around, and by the time she did, Beelzemon X's Darkness Claw was already coming down at her. She managed to materialize a new shield and create a barrier with her Unicorn Shield, but the Demon Lord's attack shattered it, although it was deflected.

Raising his blaster to her, he prepared to fire, only to have Gallantmon come down on him. He held the Demon Lord down as he looked at Ophanimon. "Go!"

Ophanimon complied and rushed towards her brother as OmniShoutmon and ShineGreymon joined Gallantmon in an attempt to hold the Demon Lord down. "Hold on, Omnimon. I'll heal you."

He groaned. "Don't waste your energy. You'll need it for the fight."

"And you'll need your arm. And especially your cannon. Now shut up and hold still. Final Aura!"

Her healing light flowed over him, and his injuries healed, including the missing half of arm. Omnimon sat up, grateful for the healing despite knowing the energy it cost her. "Thank, sis."

"Get off me!" Beelzemon X bellowed, and with a burst of strength, sent the three Digimon on top of him flying.

Whirling around he held out his gun and his blaster. He fired his Nosferatu at Omnimon and his Double Impact SDX at ShineGreymon, then turned both weapons on Gallantmon. "Oblivion Cannon!"

"Final Justice!"

There wasn't more than a few feet between them, and their attacks met in the middle, resulting in an explosion that sent them both flying. As Beelzemon X skidded to a halt, Ophanimon unleashed her Air Sefirot. Air from the Tree of Life began swirling around the Demon Lord. Then Omnimon rushed in and used his Sword of Ruin, slicing the air to produce an explosion the Demon Lord was caught up in, the blast amplified by Ophanimon's attack.

Omnimon moved in front of his sister protectively in case the Demon Lord came popping out to attack like he did before. This proved to be the right call, as Beelzemon X came leaping out at them. He slashed with his Darkness Claw, and Omnimon deflected with his Omega Sword. This, however, knocked the knight Digimon's sword-wielding arm out if the way, and Beelzemon X raised his blaster. "Oblivion Cannon!"

"Unicorn Shield!" Ophanimon cried from behind Omnimon, thrusting her shield forward and producing a barrier. It deflected Beelzemon X's attack back at him, but the knight and angel Digimon were blasted back as well from the shockwave of the barrier collapsing.

Beelzemon X growled. "You pests are really getting on my nerves."

"Final Justice!" Gallantmon cried, firing another beam.

Beelzemon X turned to the incoming attack and flew up into the sky to avoid it. A snarl twisted his features as he stared down at the DigiDestined. "I'm done with this nonsense. Die, all of you! High Impact!"

Lightning began raining down, tearing apart the ground and striking the DigiDestined unable to avoid it. Gallantmon, however, flew directly towards the Demon Lord, heedless of the lightning around him, even as he was struck. Beelzemon X glanced at him as he approached and fired his Gluttony Flare. The fiery bullet struck Gallantmon in the chest, burning straight through his armor, and the knight Digimon began to fall from the sky, mere feet away from the Demon Lord.

"Crimson Light!" Gallantmon cried, using the last of his strength to throw his spear.

Beelzemon X's eyes widened and he cried out in pain as Gallantmon's spear stabbed into his chest. The spear erupted into the knight Digimon's Crimson Light, the attack bursting out of the Demon Lord's body as he thrashed about.

"Ultimate Uppercut!" Omnimon cried, flying up towards the Demon Lord.

He did an uppercut with his sword, and the end of the blade stabbed into Beelzemon X's chin and out the top of his head. A gargled sound escaped the Demon Lord before his eyes slowly slid down towards Omnimon.

Despite the sword going through his head, Beelzemon X brought up his blaster, pointing it at the knight Digimon, moving in almost slow motion. Omnimon, likewise, raised his cannon, glad that Ophanimon had healed him after all. The barrels of both weapons were pointed directly at each other, and they both fired.

The sky lit up in an explosion, consuming both Digimon. A few seconds later, however, the flaming form of Omnimon came speeding towards the ground like a fiery meteor, forming a large crater upon impact.

The others quickly gathered around to see if he was alright. But it wasn't Omnimon in the crater, it was Tai, having reverted his human form.

"You ok, man?" Imperialdramon asked.

The teen groaned. "I think I'll survive. That wasn't very smart though."

A growl escaped EmperorGreymon. "I don't know how much longer we'll be able to last. This could actually be the end."

"Hey, you guys!" Marcus called to them. "Look!"

He pointed up at the dying explosion. The cloud of smoke was beginning to disperse, and something was flowing out of it, moving across the sky. It was Beelzemon X, not quite flying, but gliding across the sky as he fell. A shower of data flowed out of him as he dissolved away, filling the sky with data and making it appear as f it were snowing.

"Wait," said Imperialdramon, "is he…?"

"Yes," OmniShoutmon exclaimed. "That did it. He's been defeated!"

Ophanimon dropped to her knees, feeling all her strength leave her as she was overcome with relief. "It's over then. We won. We finally won."

There were tears in ShineGreymon's eyes. "No way. We actually did it. Bro, we helped defeat a Demon Lord. I honestly didn't think we could."

Marcus flashed him a grin. "Well, I did. And you should know better than to doubt your bro."

"Lesson learned."

OmniShoutmon sat down. "Three Demon Lords down. I never would have imagined it. And after he became Beelzemon X. This is truly a miracle."

Gallantmon was oddly quite as he watched the data left behind float about as the last traces of Beelzemon X disappeared. "You should probably get his data before it's too late."

OmniShoutmon jumped to his feet. "Oh, you're right! I better go and… Uh…"

He glanced at ShineGreymon, but his fellow dragon Digimon just waved it off. "It's all yours. Thanks to bro, I don't need to absorb data to get stronger."

OmniShoutmon shrugged. "Suit yourself."

As he flew after the data, Seraphimon let out a sigh. "Since we don't need to worry about conserving energy anymore. Perfect Revival!"

Healing light flowed over ShineGreymon, and his injuries healed. A look of relief passed over him, and he let out a pleased groan. "Ah, that's better."

Imperialdramon became Davis once more and let out his own relieved sigh. "This feels better too. No injuries in our human forms."

Taking a leaf out of his book, the others resumed their human forms as well. Despite their victory, Takato still had a scowl on his face. It didn't go by unnoticed by the others, and Kari asked, "Takato, what's wrong?"

"What's wrong? What's wrong!? What's wrong is that we lost Grani in that battle. No, we didn't just lose him, he sacrificed himself just so I could reach Crimson Mode. And after I had already sworn never to sacrifice anyone!"

Frowns appeared on the others' faces as the impact of the loss of the steed Digital life form hit them. They exchanged sorrowful looks with each other, but there was really nothing they could say to make the situation any better.

"It's war," Tai finally said remorsefully. "There's always losses in war."

"It wasn't a loss!" Takato shouted. "It was a sacrifice. The one AncientWisemon predicted. I swore that I wouldn't let it happen, but then I let it anyway. How am I supposed to live with that?"

"By not being such a baby," ShineGreymon snapped. His words were so shocking that they promptly shut Takato up while drawing everyone else's attention. The dragon Digimon, however, didn't look the least bit sorry, and he held his head up high. "That's right. I said it. Stop being such a baby. If Grani gave his life for you, then you dishonor his sacrifice by moping about it. Instead, you should honor his bravery. Show gratitude for his sacrifice, and relish in the victory that it brought you."

Even Marcus had initially looked surprised by his partner's outburst, but then he gave a small smile. "Yeah, he's right. Grani did what he did because he had faith in you. And that faith paid off. Beelzemon's been defeated. You avenged Grani."

Takato gave him a look of disbelief. "You expect me to be happy about this?"

"Not about his death," ShineGreymon told him. "It's natural to feel sad about the death of a friend. But Grani did not give his life for you to be miserable. He wanted you to be happy, and he sacrificed himself so Beelzemon could be defeated and everyone would be able to enjoy life with one less Demon Lord around. If you're upset about having to accept his sacrifice, then use his power to make sure that no one else will ever have to meet the same fate."

Marcus stepped forward. "He's right, pal. Grani believed in you, that's why he gave you his power. You may not have made the finishing blow against Beelzemon, but you were the one who allowed Omnimon to take it. Even before that, you really turned this battle around. And you saved us after Beelzemon had ShineGreymon pinned down and his gun pointed at me. That's why I think you deserve this."

He tossed something to Takato, who caught it on reflex. Looking down at it, he saw that it was a small round object with an X inside it, and realized it was the X-Antibody that Beelzemon had used in order to Digivolve to Beelzemon X. "But this is…"

"I picked it up after it landed nearby when Beelzemon started dissolving away," Marcus told him. "I think you should have it. You earned it."

Takato looked back at the X-Antibody. "Why me though? We all took part in the fight."

ShineGreymon let out a snort of laughter. "Didn't you hear what bro said? It's thanks to you that we won. And you did kind of save my life back there."

Takato just lowered his eyes at this. "No, it was thanks to Grani. If he hadn't given me his power-"

"I think they're right," Tai interrupted, and Takato glanced at him. "Grani may have given you his power, but I can't imagine how hard it must have been for you to accept his sacrifice."

"Yeah, especially with how opposed to it you were," Takuya added.

"And how determine you were not to let AncientWisemon's prediction for you happen," Kari added.

Takato stared at them for several long moments before looking back at the X-Antibody. "I don't know. I still feel like-"

"Oh, for the love of…" Davis grumbled impatiently, and marched over to him. "Just take it already."

Grabbing Takato's hands, he made him push the X-Antibody against his Digivice. Takato's Digivice began to chime before it suddenly absorbed it into the device.

"There," Davis said, letting him go, "was that so hard?"

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OmniShoutmon was completely unaware of the conversation taking place amongst his friends. He was busy looking for something; he had been ever since he absorbed Beelzemon X's data. It had to be around here since they were indestructible. Even for those who didn't possess an X Digivolution, it would still provide a nice power boost.

"Where is that X-Antibody?" he asked himself impatiently gleefully as he looked around. "It's got to be around here somewhere."

But as he looked around, something began to happen. A loud rumbling sound drew his attention upward, and he looked up to see the sky began to ripple and distort. OmniShoutmon's eyes widened at the phenomenon as the distortion increased.

"Um, guys," he muttered, all thoughts of everything else forgotten, and he quickly flew over to them. "Guys!"

The others turned to him as he rushed over, spotting the distortion in the distance. "Whoa, what's happening!?" Davis exclaimed.

"No clue," said Marcus. "I've never seen anything like it."

ShineGreymon got into a fighting stance. "If it's a new enemy, I'll do my best to hold them off."

TK held up a hand. "Wait, I think I know what this is. Look."

Clouds began to form in the distortion, and something large emerged from them. It was a giant bird with patterns of fire all over its body. Letting out a screech, it circled around a few times before flying over to the teens.

OmniShoutmon immediately DeDigivolved and dropped to his hands and knees. "The Vermillion Bird of the South, Zhuqiaomon!"

ShineGreymon instantly DeDigivolved down to Agumon and bowed as well. "The Southern Sovereign, here!? What an honor!"

The phoenix Digimon came down for a landing. Like Ebonwumon, he too was surrounded by an aura, only his was bright red, and he also had 12 orbs floating around him, six around his neck and six more around his tail, only his were pink instead of yellow. And while he was much smaller than the tortoise Digimon, though still massively large, he looked far more powerful, and hostile.

"So," Zhuqiaomon thundered, "you are the humans who defeated the Demon Lords that set myself and Ebonwumon free."

Takuya gulped; this Sovereign was far more intimidating than the seemingly gentle and grandfatherly Ebonwumon. "Y-Yes, sir."

The phoenix Digimon's four eyes narrowed. "Speak clearly. I have no patience to decipher mumbling. And show the proper respect to a Sovereign; bow to me."

The teens were somewhat taken aback by the phoenix Digimon's harsh tone, especially since they had been the one to set him free, yet they bowed all the same, not wanting to offend the Sovereign.

"Geez, what's up his butt," Davis grumbled quietly.

Still bowing, Shoutmon kicked him. "Cut it out. Zhuqiaomon is much stricter than the other Sovereigns. Don't piss him off."

"Stop whispering," Zhuqiaomon ordered. "It's quite rude." His gaze zeroed in on Shoutmon. "You there, Shoutmon. I recognize you. You're no ordinary Shoutmon; you're the Digimon King."

Shoutmon raised his head. "I am, sir. It is an honor to see you again. I am most relieved to have you back."

"No more than I am," the phoenix Digimon agreed. "And to know that several of the Demon Lords have fallen is an even greater relief. Tell me, which of them have been dethroned?"

"So far, Leviamon, Belphemon, and Beelzemon."

Zhuqiaomon's eyes narrowed, as if simply hearing their names were offensive to him. "I see. Then there is still much work to be done." His gaze shifted to the teens. "And I suppose I have these… creatures to thank for my release. It certainly took them long enough."

A feeling of outrage fell over Tai at the ingratitude the Sovereign was showing them. "Yes, your Sovereign-ness. I'm sorry we took so long."

Despite knowing that he shouldn't irritate the mighty Digimon Sovereign, he couldn't help the traces of bitterness that crept into his voice. Zhuqiaomon seemed to detect the frustration in his voice, and an annoyed "humph" escaped him. "Just to make it perfectly clear, I was very much against using humans in the war with the Demon Lords. However, I suppose you did do well. Just be sure to keep up the good work. Shoutmon, I trust you will keep things in order."

The dragon Digimon bowed lower. "Oh, yes, my Sovereign. I have been watching over them from the beginning, and will continue to do so."

Zhuqiaomon nodded. "See that you do. I do not care to have humans with such power running freely through my world. Now, I must go; I have many duties to catch up on since my imprisonment."

Spreading his wings, he took off into the sky. The teens hesitantly rose to their feet as they watched the Sovereign disappear into the distance.

"What a jerk," Davis growled. "Not even a thank you. And after everything we've been through to set him free."

"Don't take it personally," Shoutmon told him. "Zhuqiaomon has always been a bit on the grumpy side, and very prideful. I don't think he liked the fact that he needed help getting free, especially by humans. He's also always been rather prejudice against outsiders, especially humans."

"Then it was personal," Takuya complained.

Agumon chuckled. "Like Shoutmon said, he's very proud. I think he just didn't want to admit that he was wrong, and that humans aren't as bad and useless as he thought."

Marcus bopped him on the head. "What was that?"

"Ow,"the reptile Digimon complained. "I'm saying that that's what he thought, not me."

Tai turned to the duo. "Speaking of which, we really owe you guys for helping us out. I don't think we would have survived if it wasn't for you."

Davis let out a bark of laughter. "Yeah, no joke. And I can't believe you had the nerve to slug a Demon Lord like that. Twice."

Marcus gave him a thumbs-up. "Hey, it was our pleasure. Right, Agumon?"

"You bet, bro. It's just too bad I couldn't be the one to take him down. I wanted to land the finishing blow."

Kari gave them a smile. "You still might be able to. There's still four more Demon Lords to deal with. We were actually going after Laylamon when Beelzemon started coming after us."

TK nodded. "Yeah, it'll be a big relief to know that you'll be fighting along side us."

Both Marcus and Agumon looked surprised. They exchanged looks before smiling sheepishly at the teens. "Yeah, about that," Marcus muttered. "Agumon and I weren't planning on going after the other Demon Lords."

The reptile Digimon nodded in agreement. "Yeah, we only came to fight Beelzemon because of the threat he was making to this village and demanding that the humans come here." He glanced at the abandoned village. "Speaking of which, we should probably find everyone that ran away and tell them that it's safe to come back."

Davis shook his head. "Wait, you mean you're not coming? But I thought that fighting was your thing."

Marcus grinned. "Oh, trust me, it is. But going after the big bosses seems to be your thing. We'll still be doing our part though. The Demon Lords aren't the only baddies out there. They've got a lot of agents causing trouble. That's who we'll focus on. It won't do to just focus solely on the top bad guys and let their men run wild."

His words made the teens think about the likes of Devimon, Dragomon, Argomon, Myotismon, and ShadowSeraphimon. Put in that context, Marcus' plan not only made sense, but it sounded like a good idea.

"Then does that mean we'll be heading in different directions?" Tai asked.

Marcus shrugged. "Seems like it. But I think we can stick around for one more day."

Agumon grinned. "Yeah. After all, we've got to celebrate. We did take down a Demon Lord. Lets party!"

Notes:

(A/N: Beelzemon X has been defeated and Zhuqiaomon has been freed. Not the friendliest or most grateful Sovereign, but still good new for our heroes. And now for some bad news. Marcus and Agumon will be staying with our heroes. Did you think they would be? Nope, sorry, they were just temporary, and now it's time for them to head off on their own journey once again. But maybe this will lift your spirits. The next arc is going to be different from the others, and it will have something happen that several people have been asking to happen for a while now. Did that get you excited? I hope so. Stay tuned for more. And stay safe and healthy.)

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New Digimon that appear.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Zhuqiaomon

Chapter 133: Temptation

Notes:

(A/N: Hey, everyone. Hope you're all staying safe and healthy. The next chapter is here, and it's the start of the next arc. So, I had a few of you mention how you thought/hoped that Beelzemon would turn good, maybe even be the one that Kari was supposed to help, but, sorry, that wasn't going to happen. Don't forget, these aren't just any old Digimon who reached the levels of Beelzemon, Belphemon, Daemon, etc, these are THEE Demon Lords, the driving force of all that's evil in the Digital World. But don't worry, they're not all just going to be the standard baddies who need to be defeated. I'll be doing some pretty interesting things with some of them. Don't want to give out any more than that. This next arc though is going to get very interesting; I'm sure you'll like it.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 133: Temptation

A deep sigh escaped Laylamon as she watched Beelzemon X's defeat on the screen of a HiVisionMonitamon. Sitting back on her chair, she rested her chin in her open palm and pouted at having witnessed the fall of the Demon Lord of Gluttony.

"Ho-hum," she muttered. "So much for that. I can't believe Beelzemon let himself get defeated like that. And after all I did for him. And now Zhuqiaomon is free and the Demon Lords are down to four. What a nuisance."

Beside her, Blastmon gave her an inquisitive look. "What now, my lady?"

Laylamon sighed. "I guess I'll just have to deal with the humans myself. And it was such fun manipulating Beelzemon. I'm going to miss it."

The mineral Digimon hesitated before speaking. "My lady, you are aware that Lord Beelzemon was aware that you were using him and that he was letting you, right?"

She just chuckled at that. "Of course. But that just makes it all the sweeter. Someone knows you're manipulating them, but they still can't resist playing right into your hands. I love it." Her smirk became a frown. "And don't call him 'Lord' Beelzemon. He's not the lord of anything anymore."

Blastmon nodded. "As you wish, my lady. So, what are you going to do now?"

She tapped her chin in thought before slipping her finger into her mouth in a very suggestive manner and smiling. "I was entertaining the idea of possibly creating my own team to face them. That could be interesting to watch. And I have a few ideas of who I could get to fight for me."

Blastmon stood up straighter. "I would be honored to fight on your behalf."

Laylamon chuckled. "I'm sure you would, but you're no match for the Guardians." She reached out to the screen, and HiVisionMonitamon resisted the urge to shrink away. "If only I could get my hands on that power, then I…"

She trailed off, and her eyes widened. A thoughtful smile appeared on her face, and it soon grew into one of cruelty.

"Yes," she purred. "Yes, that would be most beneficial. To have one or more of these humans stand beside me. Not only would it bring down the spirits of their little group, but also those of all of the Digimon placing their hopes and dreams in their hands."

A grin spread across Blastmon's face. "An excellent suggestion, my lady. Very few can resist your charms. Only those with the greatest of willpower can resist your temptations. Well, that and one other thing."

"Indeed," the Demon Lord acknowledged. She looked at each of the teens on the screen, and her tongue darted out to lick her lips. "I think I'll give them a few days to enjoy their victory before I make my move. After that, they're mine."

Blastmon snickered, knowing what his mistress intended to do, having seen it before. And she made good on her promise three days later after the teens had settled for the night. The older human, the one with the Agumon for a partner, had already taken his leave of the group two days prior, but Laylamon didn't care about him, setting her sights on the ones with the powers of the Guardians.

"Hmm," she muttered thoughtfully as she looked at each of the teens on screen. "Who should I pick first?"

Blastmon didn't answer. He knew it was a rhetorical question, and he also knew that his mistress had already made a decision.

The smile on Laylamon's face grew wider as she tapped the screen over Takato's sleeping face. "Yes, you will do nicely. The now strongest member of the group, but ironically the most weak willed. Lets see just how strong you really are."

Her eyes began to glow, and she began waving her hands around. The Crown of Lust appeared in front of her and a pink aura surrounded her hands as she cast her dark spell of seduction.

"Come to me," she whispered, her voice taking on a mystical, seductive tone. "You can't resist me. Give in to my temptations. You want me. You desire me. I consume your every thought. You will do anything to please me. Accept me now."

Blastmon chuckled. He had witnessed his mistress do this before. It was a powerful seduction spell that would make others subservient to her, a slave to their lust for her. It worked best on males, but could also work on females. This poor little human wouldn't stand a chance.

But as Laylamon worked her magic, much to Blastmon's surprise, nothing was happening. The boy just kept right on sleeping. Laylamon's eyes stopped glowing, as did her hands, and she gave the screen a confused look as the Crown of Lust disappeared. "What is this? My spell did not take hold. Why? What is blocking me?"

She held her hand out to the screen, and her eyes began glowing again as she concentrated on her target harder. And image suddenly flashed before her eyes of a young girl with reddish-brown hair. She had a kind smile and, for some reason, wore a sock puppet on her hand.

A scowl crossed Laylamon's face as the image disappeared and she realized what the problem was. "Ah, I see. This girl, this… Jeri, she's the reason my spell isn't taking hold. Love, what a disgusting emotion."

Blastmon shifted uncomfortably, fearful of Laylamon's wrath. As the Demon Lord of Lust, she was able to use others' desires against them as a way to control them. Lust, when used affectively, could be a powerful weapon, and she used it to consume her victims' thoughts and make them her slaves.

But love, that was something else. It was connected to lust, but it was something more, something stronger. And it was why Laylamon's lust spell couldn't affect those in love. It tended to enrage the Demon Lord, as it was beyond her power, and Blastmon had seen her fly into a rage on more than one occasion when her spell was rendered powerless due to love.

"No matter," Blastmon told her, knowing he risked her turning her anger on him, "there are several others you can still enslave. Don't worry about the one who is immune."

A low growl escaped the Demon Lord, but she seemed convinced by his words. "Yes, I suppose you're right. I may not be able to take the strongest, but I can take their leader. And he's the second strongest. Yes, this may even work out better."

Blastmon relaxed as she began to work her magic on the one called Tai. His relief was short-lived, however, as he watched his mistress' face twist into an angry snarl.

"Him as well!?" she seethed. "Two of these humans have someone they love!? How infuriating!"

The mineral Digimon gulped nervously. In front of Laylamon, the HiVisionMonitamon was visibly shaking. He didn't blame the LCD Digimon for being nervous; he had seen numerous HiVisionMonitamon, Monitamon, and SakutekiMonitamon perish at her hands when she did not like what she had seen on screen.

"Then how about Shoutmon, my lady," Blastmon said quickly. "Without their guide, the humans will be running around blindly. And just think, the Digimon King, slave to the Demon Lord of Lust. It would be quite-"

"Silence, Blastmon!" Laylamon snapped, and the mineral Digimon immediately fell silent. She tapped her claws against her cheek for a few moments before nodding in acknowledgement. "You are correct though, that would be quite beneficial."

Third time was a charm, or so Blastmon told himself. Despite Shoutmon being a beast type to Laylamon's humanoid type, her spell should still take affect. And he greatly doubted that the dragon Digimon would have the willpower to resist his mistress. The only thing that would stop her spell was-

"A Renamon!" Laylamon suddenly raged. "My spell stopped by a random Renamon he met briefly nearly a year ago! And a mere crush to boot!"

The mineral Digimon winced. This was not good. Laylamon was close to losing control, and Blastmon desperately looked at the teens on screen for a suitable target. "What about the girl?" he said quickly. "She's the sister of their leader. To enslave her would affect him, and in turn affect the group. I know your spell does not work as well or as often on females as it does with males, but it is worth trying."

Laylamon hissed angrily, but decided that he was right, and turned her power on Kari. For some reason, Blastmon knew what was going to happen before it did.

"Love!" Laylamon raged. "Love, love everywhere! Does each of these humans have someone special in their world? There must be one of them I can affect!"

In a fury, she turned her spell on one after the other. Each time, however, she was met by the same resistance, the face of the one they held in their heart blocking her spell.

"All of them!" she bellowed. "Every single one of them is immune! I despise love!"

She let out an angry shriek and instantly destroyed the HiVisionMonitamon. Blastmon shrank back, fearful of getting caught up in her wrath as well. He let the Demon Lord rage, knowing there was nothing he could do or say to calm her.

Laylamon's tantrum lasted for several long minutes. She finally began to calm down after doing extensive damage to the room before she dropped into her throne with a huff as her claws dug into the armrests.

"Love," she seethed, "such a despicable emotion. It's only ever been a thorn in my side. The only consolation is that it can lead to a broken heart." A humorous smirk briefly crept up her face. "I hope that boy suffers from it greatly."

Blastmon dared to approach her, albeit cautiously. "Which boy, my lady?"

"The annoying one who actually deludes himself into thinking his love will bear fruit. What I sensed between his love rival and his love interest is some of the strongest love I've ever felt, or at least it will be one day, and that's really saying something. It's the kind of love that would make you believe in soul mates." She chuckled cruelly. "That boy is going to feel the pain of rejection and heartbreak, no doubt about it. But that's the cost of being on the odd end of a love triangle. I hope he gets his heart trampled on."

Blastmon could see that she was still not happy about her spells failing. "I'm sorry your plan didn't work, my lady."

Laylamon let out an irritated grunt and said nothing, but as she sat there fuming, a new idea came to her. She immediately summoned a one of her servants, and a SakutekiMonitamon fearfully made its way over to her.

The image of the teens sleeping with Takuya taking his turn as lookout appeared on the screen, and Laylamon zeroed in on Davis. She kneaded her lowered lip in thought as she looked at his sleeping face before a cruel smirk crept up her face. "Hmm, perhaps I can still make use of this one after all. Being the odd man out in a love triangle invites much jealousy. I can use jealousy."

Blastmon cocked his head to the side. "Wouldn't that be more of Lord Leviamon's area? Jealousy is more of a form of envy."

Laylamon chuckled. "True, but it is related to lust as well, especially when feelings are involved. Jealousy can spur one on to act on their desires, sometimes in rather cruel ways. Yes, I think I can make this work. It won't be the same as making him my little love slave, but it will suit our purpose."

It was a great relief to see his mistress' anger fade away, and he relaxed. "What is the plan, my lady?"

The Demon Lord licked her lips as she stared at Davis' image. "This might actually work out even better. Rather than simply enchanting him and making him my slave, I can bring forth a betrayal that will completely break down the spirit and morality of their little group." She rubbed her hands together eagerly. "This is going to be most delightful indeed."

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Davis quietly stoked the fire during his shift as he reflected on everything that had happened over the past several days. Things had been crazy, that was for sure. Meeting another human, reuniting with Grani, losing him, Takato Digivolving, defeating a Demon Lord, freeing a Sovereign, and, finally, saying goodbye to Marcus and Agumon.

His thoughts turned to the two of them. It was a shame that they didn't come along; they could have really used their help, especially since they were apparently able to use each other to easily reach Burst Mode; that would have been really useful. But at the same time, he understood their reasoning for their leaving. The Demon Lords weren't the only villains out there; many of their servants were causing trouble and needed to be stopped. And Davis had the utmost faith in them to take down any enemy they came across. And who knew, maybe the two of them would actually end up taking down a Chaos General.

It was still a shame they hadn't been able to spend more than a few days together. As much as Davis liked and cared about his friends, it had still been nice to have another human around. Marcus was most definitely an interesting fellow, despite his obsession with fighting.

Still, he couldn't understand why Marcus had decided to live out the rest of his life in the Digital World rather than return to the human world, no matter how long he had been here. He understood to an extent, but didn't the guy want to see his family again after all this time, even if they did think he was dead and had moved on with their lives? Davis for one couldn't wait to return home and see his parents again, no matter how cool the Digital World was. Heck, he even missed his annoying older sister and all the trouble she gave him.

But that was him, and Marcus was Marcus. They each had to live their own lives. Davis would miss the guy, Agumon too, but at least they'd had a grand send off. Once the village residents had returned after Beelzemon X's defeat, they had thrown a massive celebration in thanks for not only saving their village and their lives, but also for taking down a third Demon Lord. It was quite a different reaction from the village that had been destroyed be Ornismon's attack. Davis hoped that, in time, despite the loss of their village, those Digimon would come to see that they had done right.

"Mind if I join you?"

Davis let out a startled yelp, and the stick he had been stoking the fire with sprang into the air when he jumped, sending a piece of orange glowing ember into the air. It came down and landed in his lap, and Davis cried out as his crotch began to smoke.

A hand clamped over Davis' mouth to prevent him from screaming. "Shh. Don't wake your comrades. I swear I didn't mean to scare you."

Davis quickly brushed the hot ember out of his lap and then turned to see who had snuck up on him while he was lost in thought. He relaxed, however, when he saw that it was a non-threatening looking Digimon with a TV for a head. He didn't lower his guard though, having learned several times that appearances could be deceiving when it came to Digimon.

"Who are you?" he whispered, keeping his voice low but stern. "What are you doing here?"

The Digimon held up his hands, showing that he wasn't a threat. "I mean you no harm. I just saw your fire and hoped you'd offer me some of its warmth. My name is Monitamon. What's yours?"

Davis studied the TV Digimon for a few moments before deciding that he was indeed harmless and took his hand off his Digivice. "I'm Davis. Sorry for being so jumpy."

Monitamon nodded. "I understand completely. You can never be too careful."

A smile crept up Davis' face. "No, I guess not. Have a seat; I'd be happy for the company." He sat down himself, and motioned for Monitamon to sit across from him on the other side of the fire. "So, what brings you here?"

The TV Digimon hesitated before letting out a sigh. "Ok, I lied. I didn't just spot your fire; I came looking for you."

Eyes narrowing, Davis was instantly in his guard again. "Looking for us?"

Monitamon shook his head. "No, not them, just you. I have a message for you, and you specifically. It's a private message, so that's why I'm coming to you now while your friends are asleep."

Davis raised an eyebrow. "A message? For me?"

The TV Digimon nodded. "Yes, from my master. Let's go over here so we don't wake you friends."

As Monitamon began to walk away, Davis stood up, but did not follow. "No, it's fine. Whatever the message is, you can tell us all."

Monitamon shook his head. "I'm not allowed to give it to them. You can tell them what the message says if you want to after I've given it to you, but I am to give it to you and you alone. Now come on, this won't take long."

Davis glanced at his friends, then back at the TV Digimon. "How do I know this isn't a trick?"

Monitamon laughed. "What, you think that little old me can hurt you, someone who has the power of a Guardian? That's ridiculous. Now let's go. If you don't come now, then I'll just come back night after night until you let me deliver the message."

He began walking away. Davis hesitated, wondering if he should follow. He didn't detect any other Digimon nearby, and after quickly checking Monitamon out on his Digivice, he decided that he would be able to handle things if the TV Digimon tried anything, so he followed after him.

They walked about a dozen yards from the campsite before Monitamon turned around to face him. "This should be far enough. My master shall now deliver her message."

The screen on his monitor turned on, and a static screen appeared. There was the sound of a conversation going on that Davis couldn't make out, and so he leaned in closer. "Um, hello?"

"Huh? Oh it's on," came a somewhat familiar female voice from the monitor. "What's wrong with this thing? Work, you, work!"

Davis raised an eyebrow as it sounded like the person on the other side was hitting their TV, or, to be more precise, their Monitamon. The picture cleared once or twice before the static screen finally went away, and the image of Laylamon appeared on it. "Ah, there we go. It's about time."

"Laylamon!" Davis exclaimed, his hand going to his Digivice.

She smiled at him. "Hello, little human. So nice to see you again. Davis, was it?"

The boy in question turned his angry gaze on Monitamon. "So this was a trick!"

Monitamon waved his arms. "No, I'm just here to deliver a message I swear!"

The Demon Lord chuckled. "He speaks the truth. Right now, I'm snuggled up in my castle. I knew you wouldn't speak to me if I came in person, so this is the only way we can speak. You see, I have an offer for you."

Davis snorted. "What? You want us to surrender to you? Forget it, you succubus. We're not stopping."

She didn't seem bothered by his comment. "I actually find that name to be a compliment. But no, I'm not here to negotiate your surrender. You and your friends are going to have to die. Nothing is going to change that. But that doesn't mean we can't help each other out in different areas in the meantime."

Davis' eyes widened, and he couldn't help it as his gaze took in her curves. A blush stained his cheeks, and he shook his head. "I'm… I'm not interested in finding out how you came to embody lust."

The Demon Lord blinked, as if she didn't understand, but then threw her head back and laughed loudly when she realized what direction his thoughts had taken. "As interesting as it would be to… experience a human, that is not what I was referring to. What I meant was that you could provide me with some entertainment, the kind you would find very appealing."

Davis frowned. "That doesn't sound any less suggestive."

A vein throbbed in Laylamon's head. "That is not the kind of entertainment I was referring to. I would normally encourage your thought process, but I must ask that you get your mind out of the gutter for now. Besides, I highly doubt that you could satisfy me."

A scowl crossed Davis' face at the insult. "I'm about to change the channel, unless you quit beating around the bush and just tell me what you want to tell me."

Laylamon's clawed finger tapped against her armrest impatiently. "I see that you have no taste for foreplay. The girls won't like that." She sighed. "Very well, I'll get to the point. I've been watching you and your little friends, and I've taken a special interest in you."

Davis couldn't believe he was having a conversation like this with a Demon Lord of all people. "That still sounds suggestive. What kind of interest?"

"Hmm…" Laylamon muttered thoughtfully. "A bit of an underdog support interest, I guess you could say."

"Hey, I'm no underdog! I'm the star player!"

She just smirked at his reaction. "Do not lie to yourself. It will only make it harder on yourself when you realize that what you desire will never be yours."

"What are you talking about?"

She ran her tongue over her lips in a suggestive manner. "I'm talking about your feelings for the girl you covet. The one you delude yourself into thinking will ever return your affections."

Davis grabbed Monitamon and began shaking him as he yelled at the Demon Lord on screen. "Hey, Kari loves me! I know she does!"

An amused chuckle escaped the Laylamon. "But of course she does. She loves you as a dear friend, just as she does the others in your little group. But she doesn't love you the way you want, in the way you feel about her. As the Demon Lord of Lust, I'm able to sense the feelings one has for another, including the kind of feelings they have and how deeply for them they feel."

He stopped shaking Monitamon, and a low growl escaped him. "Yeah… well… maybe she doesn't love me that way yet, but I'll win her over time."

Smirking, Laylamon leaned back in her seat and began tapping her fingers together. "And that's where the lies you tell yourself stem from. You delude yourself into thinking that you can actually win her affection. Such a foolish boy. If you could sense what I sense, you would realize how impossible it was."

She sighed nonchalantly. "Perhaps it's a form of denial on your part, maybe to avoid the pain of rejection you know you'll face deep down. But they are still lies, nevertheless. In spite of your display of affection for her, you've never really given her a true genuine confession, have you? All you've ever done is make off-handed comments to make your affection known. I'm right about that, aren't I?"

She waited for a response, but she didn't get one. Davis did look rather irritable though, only now for a different reason. It was all the answer Laylamon needed, and a look of triumph appeared on her face. "Just as I thought, you've haven't. That's because you know that if you did, that if you ever confessed to her seriously and not in a joking manner, that she would turn you down, because she will never feel for you the way you feel about her, and you know it. Even if she could, do you really think she would go for someone who looks and acts so much like her brother? Do you not think she would find that to be an incredible turnoff? Or have you closed your eyes to that as well?"

Davis looked away. He wanted to argue with her, but he couldn't. She was hitting home in ways he never wanted to think about or accept. His expression became somewhat pained, and Laylamon's eyes twinkled with a cruel merriment.

"And if that weren't enough," she continued mockingly, "she has feelings for another. No, more than feelings of mere affection, but something much deeper and stronger. What more, those feelings are reciprocated just as intensely, and only the circumstances of your little group being lost in this world are preventing their love from bearing fruit."

Seeming to enjoy the emotional turmoil she was causing, she leaned in closer. "She will never return your feelings. You know she won't. And you'll have to watch as her love and his continues to grow and blossom. What a sad, sorry fate for you."

Davis finally looked back at her, his pain shifting to anger. "What do you know of love? You're a Demon Lord, a pure evil embodiment of darkness. You probably don't even believe in love."

A somewhat irritated look crossed Laylamon's face. "That's where you're wrong. I do believe in it. In fact, I have a deeper understanding of love than most do. I am the Demon Lord of Lust, and lust and desire are both a part of love. So yes, I do believe in love, and I find it absolutely sickening."

Again, Davis wanted to argue, but again, couldn't bring himself to as he realized that she was probably right. Letting go of Monitamon's monitor, he took a step back. "Is this why you're here? To stomp on my feelings?"

The Demon Lord smirked. "As much as I would enjoy seeing you sink into despair over a broken heart, there's something else I'm more interested in. Therefore, I've decided to help you out."

Davis blinked. "What?"

"I said that I'm willing to help you get the girl of your dreams."

He stared, completely flabbergasted, unable to comprehend what she was saying. "Wait, what? Why would you help me?"

She leaned back again. "Why? Because I find it entertaining. As the Demon Lord of Lust, I take a genuine interest in certain matters of the heart, particularly when it comes to one's desires. It would be most amusing to watch you steal that girl away and win her affections for yourself. Lust has been known to break up many couples. I would love to see it play out between the three of you. And if I need to offer a little assistance to get those results, then I wouldn't mind offering my assistances."

Davis gulped, still unable to believe this was happening. "You would actually help your enemy this way? Someone you're trying to kill, and who is trying to kill you? I find that very hard to believe."

A sigh escaped her. "I already said that your deaths will come in time. However, there is no reason why I can't have some fun with you before that times comes. Just think of it, a real chance to obtain the object of your affections, until your time of death arrives of course. It sounds quite tempting, doesn't it?"

A scowl suddenly crossed Davis' face. "I'm not using a love spell or love potion on her or anything. That's fake love, and I won't have it."

Amusement shined in Laylamon's eyes. "An interesting proposal, but not what I had in mind. This is something for you."

"For me?"

"Indeed. Monitamon, show him."

The TV Digimon held something out to Davis. He hesitantly took it. It looked like a small dark purple vile; the silhouette of a shapeless mass could be seen moving around inside.

Davis looked back at Laylamon. "What is this?"

She motioned to the vile. "Something that can help you to get what you want. With this, you'll be able to have the girl for yourself. And before you ask, no, it's not an aphrodisiac, although I could offer one if you want."

Davis grasped the vile in his hand and smirked arrogantly at Laylamon. "Ha! Nice try. What is it really? A poison? Some evil spell? Did you really think I would just take this?"

Laylamon humphed. "Don't be stupid. If it were anything like that, I could have had Monitamon administer it to you a number of more practical ways, or simply had him sneak up and kill you. Unfortunately, with all the trouble you and your little friends have caused, when we do finally kill you, we have to make an example out of you to make sure no one else follows in your footsteps."

She nodded at the vile in Davis' hand. "So no, it's nothing harmful. However, it must be taken willingly in order for it to have any affect. You must know what it is and want it, or else it won't work, so I can't even lie to you about it. And no, it's not a spell or anything; you will be in complete control of yourself. But I can assure you, with this, you'll be able to get the girl."

She shook her finger at him. "Bare in mind though, it will still be up to you to get what you desire. This will merely help you to get it. But if you accept it, you will be able to get everything you want, even more than just the girl of your dreams if you desire it." She shrugged nonchalantly. "Or don't. The only thing I would get out of this is some entertainment in watching the drama of your love triangle unfold. It would be amusing to see, but I can certainly live without it. If you decide you would rather lose the girl of your dreams to another man, then simple return the vile to Monitamon, and this transaction will come to an end. Whatever you do decide though, we will still remain enemies."

Davis stared at her for several long moments before looking back at the vile. "You're serious about this thing?"

"Of course. Like I said, it's a bit of a hobby for me, nothing more. Despite the fact that I'm helping you, I'm actually doing it for my own personal interest, not as a kindness for you."

He glanced back at the vile. This had to be a trick of some sort. There was no way one of his greatest enemies would help him this way. But then again, she did say that it was for her own interest and entertainment, and that they would still be enemies. Being the Demon Lord of Lust, her interest in relationships did make sense. And as she pointed out, if this was meant to harm him, there were a significant number of easier and more practical ways of doing it, ones that wouldn't rely on him actually trusting her.

"What does this stuff do?" he asked suspiciously, even as his curiosity was quipped against his will."

Laylamon tapped her chin in thought. "Hmm, how to put it in a way you would understand. I suppose you can say it's an amplifier of sorts."

Davis raised an eyebrow. "You mean like a performance enhancement drug? Like steroids?"

Now it was Laylamon's turn to look confused. "I do not know what a… steroid is, but no, not a drug. It's meant to give you a little push to help make your dreams come true and give you what you want. I suppose you could say that it fills in the areas you lack that prevent you from achieving your goals. It will also give you a certain insight that you currently lack." She started to look impatient. "Now, if you're done asking questions, hurry up and make a decision; my interest is beginning to wane. Either you're going to give me a show and get something out of it, or not. What will it be?"

He looked back at the vile and the swirling silhouette inside. Was it possible? Could she actually help him land Kari? She didn't appear to be lying. He still wasn't sure about trusting Laylamon, but if she was telling him the truth, then whatever was in this vile would enable him to get his crush. This could be just what he needed to get her away from TK and return his feelings. His only chance even.

Should he use it? If it was what Laylamon said it was and did what she said it did, shouldn't he give it a shot? From the sound of it, it was supposed to help him along, like some kind of mystical wingman or something. And why shouldn't he have a little help? It wasn't fair that Kari never looked at him and only had eyes for TK.

This could be what he needed to get her to look at him in a different light. And it wasn't like he was doing anything wrong. Other people used certain methods and strategies to attract their love interests, or at least gain their attention to see them as something more than a friend. Natural good looks, makeup, charisma, seduction techniques, makeovers, there were many ways to gain one's affection. This was just supposed to give him what he needed. That's all this was supposed to be, wasn't it? So why shouldn't he take advantage of it? He deserved it, didn't he, after everything he had done.

He ran his thumb over the seal of the vile. Inside, the silhouette of the mass began to swirl about more erratically. Was it reacting to his thoughts? Laylamon had said that he needed to take it willingly. And he wanted to. If it was really what she said it was, he definitely wanted what she promised it could provide him.

Grasping the vile in his hand, he threw the vile to the ground. It shattered, and a small wisp of blackness seeped out and began to float away. Davis looked back at Laylamon and glared at her. The Demon Lord merely raised an eyebrow at him. "I take it that you're turning down my gift?"

"It's temptation," Davis told her. "That's your specialty, right? If that stuff really would have done what you said it could do, then yeah, I could admit that I would want it. But even then, I can't bring myself to take it. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I won that way. I want Kari to love me for me, exactly the way I am. Not because of some magic, or whatever that stuff was, and not because I've been 'enhanced' in any way. So, sorry to burst your bubble, but you're going to have to find your entertainment elsewhere."

He puffed out his chest and held his head up high, feeling proud of himself. He expected Laylamon to be angry; after all, the Demon Lords did not go for defiance. He was surprised, however, to see that there was an amused twinkle in her eye.

"No, little human," she told him. "I think you will be providing me with a great deal of entertainment from now on."

Davis blinked. "What?"

He saw the reflection of something moving on Monitamon's screen, and turned around. A mass of blackness was swirling before him. He suddenly realized that it was the wisp of darkness that had slipped out of the broken vile, only much bigger, and suddenly smashing it didn't seem like such a good idea anymore, even if he had been trying to make a statement.

The wave of darkness suddenly fell over him, and Davis cried out loudly. His skin began to tingle unpleasantly all over as he felt the darkness seeping into him "What is this!? What's happening!?"

"Exactly what I said would happen," Laylamon told him. "Soon you'll be able to obtain everything you desire."

He looked back at the screen as he felt something, a sensation he couldn't describe, flow through his body. "But… you said that I had to take it… willingly…"

Laylamon's smirk widened as Monitamon began backing away from him. "And so you did. Before you smashed it. You wanted it, and what it offered. That was enough to draw it to you, even if you did end up rejecting it in the end."

A horrified gasp escaped Davis as he realized for the first time just how dangerous temptation and lust could be. He had always considered it to be the lowest of the Seven Deadly Sins, but as it turned out, even a single lustful thought, a single moment of giving into temptation, was enough to start someone down a dark path, even if it wasn't intentional.

"Don't fret," Laylamon's voiced rang out from the darkness. "What I told you before was the truth. Soon you'll have everything you want. Nothing will stop you from getting all you desire. Not even you."

The darkness completely filled Davis, and with it came thoughts and possibilities he had never had before, never would have even considered even if he had. And somewhere in the midst of all these thoughts, a memory surfaced. The memory was of his reading with AncientWisemon, about how he must give up on his futile feelings for Kari, otherwise the Demon Lords would use them against him, and he would end up betraying his friends. That no longer seemed like such an impossibility the way it had back then. And in response to this realization, a single thought ran through Davis' head.

'I don't care.'

Notes:

(A/N: Yes, it's exactly what you're thinking. I've had several people send me requests for having one of the group become the Digimon Emperor. Ironically, this has been in the works since pretty much the beginning? What, did you think I just had the love triangle between Kari, TK, and Davis as an unimportant side-plot? Nope, wrong! That was always going to play a part of the story, it just had to stay in the background until the right time. Well, that time is now. Davis really should have heeded the advise AncientWisemon gave him, but he had been convinced that he would never betray his friends. Not that you can blame him for thinking that way, he never saw this coming. If someone offered you something that could get you something you really wanted, if it really did what that person said it could do, wouldn't you want it, at least on a subconscious level? That's basically what happened. Basically, Davis wanted what Laylamon offered, but didn't agree to take it. However, simply wanting it was enough to activate the darkness. I did it this way to make his betrayal seem believable. Stay tuned, because things are really going to escalate from here.)

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New Digimon that appear.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/SakutekiMonitamon

Chapter 134: Betrayal

Notes:

(A/N: Hey, everyone. Hope you're all staying safe and healthy. Let's keep hanging in there. Is the isolation getting to anyone? Let's see if I can help with that with this installment. Last time we had Laylamon play dirty when she used Davis' feelings to trick him into something. Time to see the result of that.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 134: Betrayal

Laylamon laughed in triumph at how smoothly things had gone. Even after the boy had rejected her 'gift', he had still wanted what she had promised that it could give him enough for it to activate and take hold. True, it wasn't as sufficient as placing him under her lust spell as she had originally planned, but it would suit her purpose all the same.

"It is done!" she declared. "The darkness has taken root. Now he merely needs to act. And act he will."

Blastmon cocked his head to the side. "What was it you gave him, my lady?"

She smirked arrogantly. "Just some dark magic mixed with the extract of a Dark Spore."

The mineral Digimon's eyes widened. "A Dark…? You mean like the ones that came from ZeedMillenniummon?"

"The very same, my shiny friend. Soon his ambitions and desires will skyrocket through the roof until they become prominent in his mind, corrupting him from the inside out. Morality will be thrown out the window, his conscience will all but fade away, and any compassion, sympathy, and empathy he has for anyone and anything will become insignificant in light of his desires. He'll reach out and take whatever it is he wants without any of his silly emotions to hold him back, and he'll do anything to get them, even hurting his friends." Her smile widened. "It's just as I promised, he'll be able to get anything he wants."

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"Davis, what's going on?" Tai asked as he and the others rushed over to their friend. "We heard screaming. Is everything alright?"

He didn't answer. He was too busy trying to process his new train of thoughts. Besides, his so-called friends were utterly insignificant compared to him, so he had no need to listen to them unless he wanted to.

"What happened?" Takuya asked, looking around the darkness. "Why'd you scream?"

Davis' fists clenched irritably. "Everything is fine."

Takato picked up on the edge of hostility in his voice. "Davis? Are you ok?"

He reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder, and Davis aggressively shoved it away. "Don't touch me! I said everything was fine!"

The others blinked in surprise at his reaction. Shoutmon crossed his arms, giving him a dirty look. "Geez, someone's cranky."

"Oh, shove it, Shoutmon. Just because this world is your home doesn't mean you know everything."

The dragon Digimon glared at him. Tai did as well, giving his look-alike a scowl of disapproval. "I think he's right, you need some sleep. We'll change shifts early."

"And that's another thing. Who exactly elected you leader? Everyone seems to look to you as the one in charge, but I don't ever remember voting."

He gave them a challenging look that they didn't know how to respond to. They exchanged bewildered looks before Tai finally sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "I can't do this right now; it's too late. If you want to discuss it further, we'll do it in the morning."

"Whatever," Davis grumbled, shoving past him.

They made their way back to the campsite. As usual, TK and Kari seemed naturally drawn to each other, taking seats beside one another. This time, however, Davis wasn't having it. He glared at the two of them before marching over.

"Get up, TO. I'm siting next to Kari."

The blonde boy gave him a questioning look. "What?"

"You two always sit together. I should be the one sitting next to Kari."

Sitting on Kari's other side, Takato started to get up. "Um, you can take my spot."

"No one was talking to you," Davis snapped. He pointed at the blonde boy. "Move it, TP."

TK stood up, but not to move. "What's your problem?"

"You're my problem, TB. I've had more than enough of you and my girl always cozying up together. Now move it!"

His fist suddenly struck TK's jaw, and the blonde boy went down. Everyone else gasped in shock, and Kari's hands flew to her mouth in horror. "TK!" She dropped down beside him. "Are you ok?" She looked up at Davis furiously. "What is wrong with you, Davis? Just what do you think you're doing?"

Davis just humphed. "Something I should have done a long time ago." He reached out and grasped her arm hard enough to bruise, and pulled her to him. "You belong to me, and it's about time you realized it."

Slap! The sound of Kari's palm meeting Davis' cheek rang throughout the night. Davis head snapped to the side from the impact, and angry red handprint was now present on his cheek.

"I do not belong to you!" she snapped, angry tears present in her eyes. "I don't belong to anyone but myself!"

His angry eyes shifted to her for a few moments before he backhanded her so hard she was knocked off her feet. There were more shocked gasps from the others, and Tai's face twisted with fury.

Clenching his fists, Tai made to give his look-alike the same treatment he had given his sister tenfold, but someone beat him to it. TK had jumped to his feet and delivered his own punch.

Davis went down, and TK pounced on top of him, grabbing a handful of his shirt. "You son of a bitch! How dare you hit her! What the hell is wrong with you!?"

Instead of answering, Davis glared up at him before throwing another punch, knocking TK off him. Then he pounced on the blonde boy, and the two teens got into a squabble, rolling around and punching each other.

Deciding he would give his look-alike his own beating later, Tai bent down to help Kari up. His fury skyrocketed when he saw the trail of blood running down her lip from the blow, and he vowed to make that beating all the greater. "Kari, are you ok?"

She sat up. "I'm fine. But what's wrong with Davis? He's never acted like this before."

"I don't know, and I don't care. If TK doesn't kill him, then I will."

Shoutmon, however, was looking at the two fighting boys suspiciously. "Something's not right here."

Takuya and Takato went over to pull the two fighting boys apart. Both were covered in cuts and scraps, and TK now had a black eye while Davis had a bloody nose. "Break it up, you two," Takuya snapped as he held Davis back.

"Yeah, we shouldn't be fighting each other," Takato added as he restrained Davis.

Davis' elbow jabbed Takato in the stomach, and he released him. Turning around, he grabbed hold of Takato and threw him into TK and Takuya. His hand went to his Digivice, and he held it up to the others. "If you want to keep fighting, then let's take this to the next level."

Tai was incredulous. Fist fighting was one thing, but Davis actually wanted to Spirit Evolve? "Are you crazy? What the hell is up with you? Why are you acting like this?"

Davis glared at him with a hostile look on his face. "You want to know what's going on with me? I'm sick of not getting what I deserve. I should be the strongest of us. I'm better than all of you. I should be the one calling the shots. And I should most definitely get the girl."

"She doesn't like you like that!" Tai snapped. "When is that going to sink in? And even if she did, you're out of your damn mind if you think I'd ever let my sister be with someone like you, especially with the way you're acting right now!"

"Davis, please," Kari begged. "This isn't like you. You've never acted like this before. Why are you doing this?"

His gaze shifted unapologetically to her, and his expression was equally as hostile. "Because my eyes have finally been opened. If I can't earn what's rightfully mine, then I'll just have to take it. And something tells me that you can't stop me. Or, to be more precise, you don't have the balls to. Execute! Spirit Evolution… BlackImperialdramon Fighter Mode!"

The teens couldn't believe this was happening. Davis was actually serious about this. No, he wasn't Davis anymore. Standing before them was a version of Imperialdramon that they hadn't seen before. Though identical in appearance to the one they were familiar with, his color scheme was different, with most of him being black, as indicated by his name.

"Wait, hold up," said Takato. "Who's this now?"

Shoutmon growled. "BlackImperialdramon. A corrupt version of Imperialdramon."

"Just like when I became BlackWarGreymon," Tai noted, recalling how he had become a corrupt version of WarGreymon.

"This can't be Davis," said Takuya. "Davis would never do this. It's either someone impersonating him, or someone is controlling him."

BlackImperialdramon took a step forward. "You think so, do you? Would an impersonator know that before we came to this world that we were in the computer room at our school?"

Takuya growled. "Not unless his mind was read."

"As for me being under someone else's control, I can assure you that no one is controlling me. This is me, the whole me." He pointed at them threateningly. "And unless you submit to me, I'll have no choice but to make you."

"Enough of this!" Shoutmon shouted. "I don't know what happened to you before we showed up, but something did. Probably whatever made you scream, despite your claim that it was nothing. And I'm going to find out what. Shoutmon Digivolve to… OmniShoutmon!"

The two dragon Digimon stared at each other, one with hostility, the other with wariness. The teens looked on worriedly, not sure what to do, or if they should get involved. They didn't want to fight and risk hurting Davis, but it didn't look like he was willing to extend the same courtesy.

"Don't think that I won't kill you," BlackImperialdramon told his fellow dragon Digimon, confirming the teens' fears, "because I will."

"I can tell," OmniShoutmon replied. He stared hard at BlackImperialdramon for a few seconds before taking a cautious step forward. "Davis, whatever's happened to you, you have to fight it. Don't you remember what AncientWisemon said, about how you will betray us? Well, you're doing it. You swore that you wouldn't, but that's exactly what you're doing right now. You have to stop. Fight whatever's affecting you. Fight it!"

BlackImperialdramon raised an eyebrow. "Fight it? Fight what? You assume that there's something to fight against. I already told you, this is all me."

"Davis…"

"Maybe you need a little more convincing. Positron Laser!"

He fired a beam of energy from his arm cannon. OmniShoutmon took to the sky to avoid the attack, and BlackImperialdramon fired up at him. OmniShoutmon swerved and flew down towards him, delivering a kick to the dragon Digimon that knocked him down.

"Cut it out!" he shouted. "Don't you realize what you're doing? The Demon Lords are behind this. They have to be. They've turned you against us."

BlackImperialdramon sat up. "The Demon Lords haven't done anything. They're not making me do anything. I'm doing this of my own will. Giga Death!"

A large cannon suddenly appeared in his hand, and he fired. OmniShoutmon managed to twist out of the way at the last second, and the attack flew past him and erupted in the air in a massive explosion.

"Has that convinced you that I'm acting of my own accord?" BlackImperialdramon demanded before suddenly lunging at OmniShoutmon, his arms wrapping around the dragon Digimon tightly, crushing him in a bear hug.

OmniShoutmon groaned in the tight embrace. He angled his head and fires his Victorize Banking, grazing BlackImperialdramon's shoulder. This caused the dragon Digimon's grip to loosen, and OmniShoutmon broke free. He delivered a kick to BlackImperialdramon's head, and then took off, his opponent following shortly after, firing his Positron Laser at him.

The teens looked on in complete horror and astonishment as their friends fought. It was clear that OmniShoutmon was trying not to hurt BlackImperialdramon, but the same treatment was not being returned. They still couldn't believe this was happening. They knew of AncientWisemon's prediction, but they hadn't really believed it, not this one.

"What is going on?" Takato exclaimed. "Am I dreaming? I have to be dreaming?"

"Afraid not," said TK. "This is real. Something's happened to Davis. I think OmniShoutmon's right; the Demon Lords must have done something to him. Something that turned him against us."

Takuya glanced at Tai. "You said it's like when you became BlackWarGreymon, right? So he's just emotionally distraught, and that caused his Digimon form to become corrupt and go out of control, right?"

Tai shook his head. "No, this is different. It's not the result of him simply being in a corrupt form. When I was lost as BlackWarGreymon, I wasn't really in control of myself. Davis is. He's fully aware of what's going on, and what he's doing. This Spirit Evolution is a result of him being corrupted in human form. That must mean that whatever happened to him happened before he Spirit Evolved."

"We have to do something before one of them gets hurt," said Kari.

Takato nodded and pulled out his Digivice. "Right, let's Spirit Evolve."

Tai held out his hand to stop him. "Wait, that might just make things worse. We don't know what's going on, so for now, let's just trust OmniShoutmon to handle things. Maybe he'll be able to get through to him."

Another beam flew through the air as OmniShoutmon swerved to avoid it. Then another blast from BlackImperialdramon's Giga Death lit up the sky, forcing OmniShoutmon to pull back to avoid getting caught up in the blast. He turned to face the dragon Digimon, and BlackImperialdramon's fist flew at him. OmiShoutmon caught it, struggling, but managing to hold it back.

"You're not fit to rule this world," BlackImperialdramon told him. "I would be better suited. Maybe you should just abdicate your thrown and crown me as king."

OmniShoutmon glared at him. "Do you even hear yourself? You're completely deluded. Just where did this ambition come from? You certainly didn't have any desire to rule before now."

"When you're the best around, you should be the one on top. Positron Laser!"

OmniShoutmon pushed away BlackImperialdramon's fist and avoided the attack. "So you're arrogance has risen so much that you now actually want to rule the whole Digital World? You're certainly not the Davis I know. What about going back to your world? What about your dream of opening the world's best noodle cart?"

BlackImperialdramon humphed. "I'm clearly meant for so much more. And once I rule, I can force everyone to eat my noodles."

"A little extreme, don't you think?"

"When you're in charge, you can do whatever you want. Of course, you blew that with your incompetence as king. That's why the Demon Lords were able to overthrow you. Giga Death!"

"Heavy Metal Vulcan!"

OmniShoutmon's firewall managed to protect him from BlackImperialdramon's attack, and when he dropped it, he glared at the dragon Digimon furiously. "You think you're fit to rule? I don't know what happened to you to make you this way, but you would have made a much better leader before you changed. Now, you're just a tyrant. You'd just be an evil Digimon emperor."

If BlackImperialdramon were capable of it, he would have smiled. "Digimon emperor, huh? I kind if like the sound of that. Maybe I'll look into it after I get rid of the Demon Lords. And you. Positron Laser!"

OmniShoutmon countered with his Flame Cannon. The two attacks met, coming to a stalemate between the two. A growl escaped BlackImperialdramon as he unleashed more power, only to have OmniShoutmon match it.

"You think you can beat the Demon Lords?" OmniShoutmon asked. "You don't even realize that you're playing right into their hands, even if you are in control of yourself. AncientWisemon even warned you about this, and yet you still-"

"I don't care!" BlackImperialdramon shouted. "Nothing is going to stop me from getting what I want. And I'll take out anyone who stands in my way."

OmniShoutmon had had enough. "Get over yourself! Omni Torpedo!"

He engulfed himself in an aura and plowed through both his and BlackImperialdramon's attacks, slamming into the dragon Digimon. BlackImperialdramon hit the ground, and OmnioShoutmon came down to stand on top of him.

"It's not all about you," OmniShoutmon told him. "The old Davis would have know that. The one I'm looking at now is vastly inferior. The old Davis would be ashamed."

BlackImperialdramon glared up at him. His hand suddenly shot out, grabbing OmniShoutmon's leg. He raised his other hand, and was suddenly holding a cannon. "The old Davis wouldn't have been able to do what he needed to do to get the things he wanted. Giga Death!"

He blasted OmniShoutmon while leaping up and flying away from the blast. OmniShoutmon received the full force of the attack, and went bouncing across the ground.

BlackImperialdramon flew over to him once the explosion died down, and brought his giant foot down on the dragon Digimon. "There is nothing you can't get if you're good enough and have the nerve to take it."

Tai growled as he watched BlackImperialdramon repeatedly stomp down on OmniShoutmon. "Damn it. You guys stay here."

He charged forward, pulling out his Digivice. Takato's voice called after him. "Wait, I thought you said we shouldn't interfere!"

"Do what I say, don't do what I do! Execute! Spirit Evolution… Omnimon!" He sped towards the two dragon Digimon as BlackImperialdramon continued to stomp down on OmniShoutmon. "Hey, Davis!"

The dragon Digimon turned to him, and Omnimon hit him in the head with the flat side of his sword, knocking him off OmniShoutmon. BlackImperialdramon went down, and Omnimon fell upon him, pressing his cannon to the dragon Digimon's head.

"Enough of this!" he shouted down at him. "There is something wrong with you, Davis. You need help."

BlackImperialdramon glanced up at him. "You don't have the balls. None of you do. But me, I'm not letting anything hold me back anymore."

Omnimon pushed his cannon harder against BlackImperialdramon's head. "Don't tempt me, or I might forget that we're friends. Now change back."

"Omnimon!" OmniShoutmon shouted. "Behind you!"

Before the knight Digimon could react, something yanked his cape, pulling him off BlackImperialdramon and throwing him aside. He jumped to his feet and turned around, only to be mildly surprised to see Boltboutamon standing there. "You."

The demon Digimon grinned. "Hello again, my friend. Congratulations on defeating Beelzemon. It was quite the show. Everything I hoped for, in fact."

"You were watching?"

"I'm always watching. You humans are so very entertaining. And this latest development has been most amusing. Laylamon really outdid herself."

OmniShoutmon was on his feet again. "Laylamon is behind this? I should have known it was her."

"What did she do to him?" Omnimon demanded.

The demon Digimon shrugged nonchalantly. "Nothing he didn't want. It just didn't go the way he thought it would. Oh well, buyer beware."

Behind him, BlackImperialdramon rose to his feet and lashed out at Boltboutamon. Without even turning around, one of the demon Digimon's arms caught BlackImperialdramon's fist, and a chuckle escaped him as he looked back at the dragon Digimon. "Now, that wasn't a very nice thing to do to a friend."

"A friend!?" BlackImperialdramon exclaimed in outrage. "We are not friends in any way, shape, or form."

"Acquaintances then, or allies at least."

"Not in the least," BlackImperialdramon snapped, pulling his hand free. "Not even close."

Boltboutamon snickered. "Ooh, feisty. Me likey. We will be though. Lady Laylamon sent me here to collect you."

"And why would I want to go see that harlot?"

"Supreme Cannon!"

With barely a glance, Boltboutamon fired his Dark Spirit, shooting a ball of darkness to counter Omnimon's attack. He then snapped his fingers, using his Root Bind attack, and both Omnimon and OmniShoutmon were bound by roots.

"Because," Boltboutamon continued without even sparing the knight and dragon Digimon a glance, "she's not done providing you her assistance. She's already helped you so far by removing all your inhibitions preventing you from doing anything to get what you want. Now she's offering to help you out a little more."

BlackImperialdramon's eyes narrowed. "How?"

Boltboutamon shrugged. "Beats me. You'll have to talk to her." He snapped his fingers, and a portal appeared. "Shall we go see what she wants?"

The dragon Digimon glanced at the others. "Might as well. No point in wasting my time here."

"Davis, no!" Takato yelled.

"Don't let them manipulate you!" Takuya added.

BlackImperialdramon just scoffed. "No one is manipulating me. And all I'm going to do is hear her out." He glanced at Boltboutamon. "But I can't guarantee that I won't kill her the second she's done talking."

The demon Digimon just chuckled. "I wouldn't expect anything less."

He slipped through the portal after that as BlackImperialdramon turned back to the others. "Mark my words, I will be back. You'd best think about things long and hard until then."

"BlackImperialdramon, don't!" OmniShoutmon cried, and sliced the roots binding him free with his Doom Drillpress.

He sped towards the dragon Digimon, but BlackImperialdramon slid into the portal, and it immediately closed behind him. OmniShoutmon missed him by just a few seconds, and he let out a scream of frustration that echoed through the night.

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A smile grazed Laylamon's face as she heard the portal open behind her. A few moments later, she heard the two Digimon come out of it. She savored the moment for a few seconds longer before speaking. "Welcome to my castle, BlackImperialdramon." She turned to face him. "Or would you prefer Davis?"

The dragon Digimon's eyes narrowed. "My friends call me Davis…" He hesitated as he realized that everyone called him Davis unless he was in his Digimon form. "You… uh… you can call me… Yeah, Davis is fine, I guess. But you're not my friend."

She chuckled as she ran a claw across her lips. "Yes, well, I've been thinking, and I'm hoping we can change that." Her gaze shifted to the demon Digimon he had arrived with. "Thank you for bringing him here, Boltboutamon."

The demon Digimon grinned in amusement. "But of course. This is proving to be quite interesting."

BlackImperialdramon pointed at the Demon Lord. "Don't be so sure of things. I might still decide to kill you."

She openly pouted at that in a childish manner. "Oh? Even after I helped you out? You're not only stronger now, but now there's nothing holding you back from getting everything you want. Well, except for your own limitations."

"What limitations?"

Laylamon chuckled. "Don't get me wrong. You're strong, very strong, even more so now than you were as plain old Imperialdramon. However, nearly everyone else in your group is stronger than you, even though you clearly deserve that spot. And they outnumber you; let's not forget that. I may have given you the willpower to get what you want, but you still lack the ability." Her tongue snaked out and ran across her claw. "But I can help you out with that as well, if you'll let me. You see, I'm putting together my own team to challenge your friends, and I think you'll make a fine leader of it. It's the position you deserve after all."

BlackImperialdramon's eyes narrowed. "Why do you keep helping me like this?"

Laylamon held her arms out in a shrug. "Like I said before, I was merely interested in your little love triangle and wanted to give the underdog an advantage. This simply goes hand in hand with that. But it does help me out too. I need to take down your friends because they're being a thorn in my side, and you need to take them down because they're in your way of your heart's desire. We have a mutual goal, so it only makes sense to help each other out."

She leisurely flew over to him, getting rather close to his face. Reaching out, her much smaller hand stroked his giant cheek. "You can have everything you want and more. The girl will be yours. You'll have the power, respect, and authority you deserve. You'll be the leader of your group, the best of the bunch, and you'll finally get to beat your rival. You could even have a place here. The power you humans possess would be quite valuable. Why, you could be the, what did you call it…? The Digimon Emperor. What do you think? Sound good? We could always work out the details some more later."

BlackImperialdramon stared at her for several long moments, as of he were considering her proposal. Laylamon waited patiently for him to come to a decision. Boltboutamon stood a short distance away, an amused and eager grin on his face, and behind him was Blastmon, looking ready to jump in if the dragon Digimon chose to attack his mistress.

Finally, BlackImperialdramon seemed to relax. Suddenly, he reverted back to his human form. A smile crept up the Demon Lord's face as she raised an eyebrow at him expectantly.

"The Digimon Emperor," Davis repeated, and his own dark grin spread across his face. "I kind of like the sound of that."

Notes:

(A/N: It looks like things are going to hell. Davis has fallen prey to Laylamon's scheme and has turned against his friends. And what's this, Laylamon is forming her own team to combat our heroes. Things are certainly looking bleak for our heroes. How will they handle this latest development? Stay tuned to find out.)

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New Digimon that appear.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/BlackImperialdramon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Imperialdramon_Fighter_Mode_(Black)

Chapter 135: By The Firelight

Notes:

(A/N: Ok, this chapter was interesting to write, mostly because the third part kind of just happened. It's really interesting how stories can write themselves sometimes. You don't plan on it, it just comes out. In any case, I hope you enjoy it.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 135: By The Firelight

The sound of the battle had been going on for as long as anyone could remember. Some even said that it had been going on since the Digital World first began. Everyone knew to stay away, but Laylamon fearlessly approached.

She wasn't alone either. A group of Digimon were with her, including Davis. Before them, fighting in a valley, were two giant insect Digimon. The Demon Lord watched them battle in amusement while Davis looked on with a scowl on his face.

"Why are we here?" he demanded impatiently. "I'm not interested in seeing some battle bugs. I can YouTube that stuff."

Laylamon chuckled. "We're here to get the last recruit for your new team. Right now, you're witnessing the never-ending battle between HerculesKabuterimon and GranKuwagamon, two of the strongest insect Digimon. They've been fighting endlessly for as long as anyone can remember. That type of power and determination could come in handy, don't you think?"

"Mmm," Davis mumbled as he looked at the fighting Digimon. "So which one are we recruiting? And how are you going to recruit them if they never stop fighting?"

Laylamon licked her lips in anticipation. "GranKuwagamon, of course. He has a much more vicious streak. As for how…"

The two insect Digimon charged at each other again, slamming together in combat. A cocky smirk made its way across Laylamon's as she leapt into the valley and flew towards them.

"Razor Nail!" she cried, and slashed at HerculesKabuterimon.

The insect Digimon cried out as her claws racked across him. A corrosive rot immediately began to spread from the wound, and HerculesKabuterimon recoiled. GranKuwagamon used his Dimensional Scissors, cutting at his opponent. Laylamon turned to him and used her Evil Sigh, letting out a sigh that caused an evil wind to blow GranKuwagamon back.

"Now then," she said, turning back to HerculesKabuterimon. "Phantom Pain!"

She drew the sign for death in the air, and launched it at the insect Digimon. An even more horrible rot began where the mark touched, and rapidly began to spread across HerculesKabuterimon's body.

From behind her, there was a screech from GranKuwagamon as he made to attack Laylamon. The Demon Lord turned back to him almost carelessly. "You're in the way right now. Empress Emblaze!"

A hand-shaped monster suddenly materialized and leapt at GranKuwagamon. The insect Digimon became engaged with it as Laylamon smiled and returned her attention to HerculesKabuterimon. "Alright, where were we? Ah, yes. Just enough. Evil Sigh!"

She blew upon HerculesKabuterimon. The insect Digimon screeched as his body continued to rot. Finally, he collapsed. Laylamon let out a chuckle and held her hand out. "Fractal Code, Digitize!"

HerculesKabuterimon's body became a black silhouette, and his Fractal Code emerged and began rotating around him. Laylamon pulled it towards her, and the ribbon of data flowed into her open palm. HerculesKabuterimon then shrank down, reverting to a Digi-Egg. Layalmon snickered at it before dropping from the sky and smashing it, chuckling as it burst into data beneath her foot.

"And now for the finish step," she said as she faced GranKuwagamon.

The insect Digimon had finished with her hand monster and was now coming for her. Laylamon couldn't help but find it amusing how his violent instincts completely over-ruled his self-preservation instincts by having him attack her. Or was he merely in a frenzy from his battle with HerculesKabuterimon? Whatever the case, it was of no concern to her.

"Is this what you want?" she asked, holding up HerculesKabuterimon's Fractal Code. "You can have it. I got it for you after all. A little payment in advance for your future services."

She sent the insect Digimon the Fractal Code, and GranKuwagamon eagerly absorbed it. Davis looked on, seemingly bored, as the insect Digimon roared triumphantly, and Laylamon flew over to him. "What was the point of all that?" he asked.

A small chuckle escaped the Demon Lord as she watched the insect Digimon. "You'll see. If my calculations were correct, then this should have been just enough."

"GranKuwagamon Digivolve to… MegaGranKuwagamon!"

Despite having Digivolved, MegaGranKuwagamon's appearance was still the same, only now he was several times larger, and had he had already been enormous to begin with. Laylamon frowned slightly at the new form and crossed her arms. "Hmm, not what I was hoping for, but considering GranKuwagamon's violent nature, I suppose it's to be expected."

MegaGranKuwagamon turned to them and roared. It began stomping towards them, but Laylamon didn't look concerned. Her eyes began glowing red, and a black aura surrounded her. She held her hand out towards the insect Digimon, focusing her dark power on him. "This won't do. Lets get something a little more in control of itself."

MegaGranKuwagamon began trembling as a black aura similar to the one surrounding Laylamon began to flow around his head. He let out a roar as the Demon Lord's power tempted him into bending to her will. "MegaGranKuwagamon Slide Evolution… GrandisKuwagamon!"

Laylamon lowered her hand, and the aura surrounding her faded away. She now looked satisfied as she studied the insect Digimon's new form. "There, much better."

Davis raised an eyebrow "What did you do to him?"

Laylamon ran her tongue over her lips suggestively. "I simply coaxed him into taking on a form that was more manageable. He's not as strong as GrandisKuwagamon as he was as MegaGranKuwagamon, but at least he's reasonable in this form and not ruled by his instincts."

GrandisKuwagamon looked at Laylamon. "You are a Demon Lord."

A smug look appeared on Laylamon's face. "Indeed. The Demon Lord of Lust, Laylamon. I'm glad to see that my reputation is known to you, despite your never-ending fight with HerculesKabuterimon. Well, formerly never-ending."

GrandisKuwagamon looked down at his hands, from which three long blades grew out of his knuckles. "Why did you interfere? Our battle never got to reach its conclusion."

The smile faded slightly from Laylamon's face. "I don't care about your rivalry. Your never-ending fight was cute for a while, but it's old news now. I plan on making much better use of your power." She was suddenly in front of him, her claw pressed against his throat. "Or I could kill you now and make use of your data instead, then you and your rival can go right back to your fight once you hatch from your eggs. Your choice."

GrandisKuwagamon stared at her for a few moments before his shoulders slumped. "I… will serve."

Laylamon's smirked and removed her claw. "Good choice. Now, go join the ranks."

GrandisKuwagamon heeded her command and flew over to the others. He walked past Davis, glancing at the teen briefly before falling in line with the other four Digimon that had come along. Laylamon surveyed the group of six, looking thoroughly satisfied. "Very nice. So, Davis, what do you think of your team?"

The teen turned to look at them, giving a nonchalant head wobble. "I guess they're fine. And I get to lead them?"

The Demon Lord chuckled. "Of course. I said you would get your own team to lead. And once your group defeats your friends, you'll prove what a great leader you are, and you can take the girl for your own."

Davis humphed. "Fine, let's get this over with. We've wasted enough time on recruiting these guys."

"As you wish," Laylamon commented.

"And one more thing," Davis continued, giving the Demon Lord a warning look. "I still don't trust you. I'm only working with you because we share a common goal."

Laylamon gave him an innocent look, but her eyes held a dark promise. "Not to worry. By the time this is over, we'll both have gotten what we want."

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"Ok, I've got it," Takato said, drawing the others' attention. "We grab him while he's still in human form, and then Shoutmon hits him over the head really, really hard with his microphone. That should snap him out of it."

TK frowned skeptically. " You really think that'll return Davis back to normal?"

An annoyed grumble escaped Shoutmon. "No, I told you, it doesn't work like that."

Takato held his arms out objectively. "But that's how they always undo brainwashing in movies and stuff, with a good bonk on the head to snap them out of whatever's controlling them."

The dragon Digimon let out a deep sigh as he prayed for patience. "For the last time, this isn't the result of brainwashing. It's not an evil spell, it's not hypnosis or possession, and he's not being controlled by anything. Davis is fully aware of what he's doing and is in control of his actions. The only thing that could affect him like this and still make him change the way he has is a Dark Spore."

He had thought long and hard over it, and that had been the conclusion he had come to. He had thought that all the Dark Spores were gone, but apparently Laylamon must have saved one. It was the only explanation for the change in Davis' behavior.

"Yeah, you mentioned that," Takuya reminded him. "So it's like an evil seed that's controlling him and making him do bad things. We need to free him from its control"

Shoutmon rubbed his forehead in frustration. "No, you're still not listening. It. Is. Not. Controlling. Him. The Dark Spore takes root in a host and spreads throughout them. It then warps their personality, making them dark, malicious, and completely immoral. They begin to take pleasure in doing wicked things and start to lose interest in doing good things. And if I know Laylamon, she probably tampered with it to make to even worse. Do you get it? There's no controlling and no brainwashing. Right now, this is Davis as if he had born evil and without a conscience."

"It still doesn't change anything," Tai snapped. "If there's a way to make Davis this way, then there's got to be a way to undo it. There has to be."

Shoutmon held his tongue as he thought about all the other Digimon that had fallen prey to Dark Spores in the past. When infected, the Dark Spore would turn even the sweetest Digimon into a cruel, heartless individual. Eventually, the Dark Spore would reach maturity and kill its host by turning them into a Dark Tree. The only way to prevent such a torturous fate was to destroy the host, and the Dark Spore along with them. The end result was still death for the host, but it was a far more merciful one. But he didn't have the heart to tell his friends that.

"What?" Tai demanded of Shoutmon when he noticed the dragon Digimon looking deep in thought.

Shoutmon glanced at him. "I didn't say anything."

"No, but you certainly look like you want to. Just spit it out already. What do we have to do?"

The dragon Digimon's aggravation began to outweigh his resolve not to break the news to them. "You want to know? Fine. There has never before been a case where someone has recovered from a Dark Spore infection. Those things came from ZeedMillenniummon himself. The only option is death, and when the host is reborn, they're free of the infestation. But that's not an option for Davis since he won't come back to life. In short, there is no cure, get it? It's kind of like that disease from your world you told me about. What was it called again? Rabers? Rapis?"

"Rabies," Takuya corrected. "And that's good, because rabies can be cured."

Kari frowned with worry. "No, that's only before symptoms occur. After that, rabies is fatal."

Shoutmon stomped his foot. "That's what I'm trying to tell you. We can't save him the way you're suggesting."

"Well, we sure as hell need to try something!" TK shouted angrily. "We're not going to just give up on him! There has to be something we can do, so think!"

Shoutmon threw his hands up in the air. "I don't know. I mean, in theory, a powerful surge of purification energy might work since Dark Spores are made of pure darkness, but since it's completely taken over Davis' body, that could just as easily kill him. I really couldn't tell you, this is completely uncharted territory."

"Well, we have to think of something," Takuya insisted. "These Dark Spores more or less sound like they flipped a switch inside Davis from good to bad. We just need a way to flip it back."

"And that's the problem," Shoutmon growled. "There is no way to do that."

"No known way," TK corrected. "We could still find one. Kari, do you think you could purify him the way you did with Tai when he became BlackWarGreymon?"

A hopeful smile lit up her face. "I could try it. What do you think, Shoutmon?"

He rubbed his head to sooth the headache he felt coming on. "I… pff… yeah, I guess, maybe. But this is different from simply purifying one's Digivolution so they'll take on an uncorrupted form, but I suppose it could help. I don't know if it'll eliminate the Dark Spore inside him, but at the very least, it might force into becoming regular Imperialdramon again."

TK nodded. "Ok, that's a start."

"But it's not a solution. Just like we can't just purify a Demon Lord and turn them good. It's the person themself that's evil; their Digivolution is just a reflection of that evil and the result of it. Davis would need to consciously want to change as a person, and then live with and manage the evil urges and impulses the Dark Spore gives him for the rest of his life. And still, that's just dealing with a regular Dark Spore. I'm sure Laylamon tampered with it and mixed her own brand of dark power with it."

"Then what if we destroy Laylamon?" Tai asked. "Will that turn Davis back to normal?"

Shoutmon shook his head. "The Dark Spore, even if she tampered with it, is still a completely outside source of power from her. Destroying her wouldn't help him at all. In fact, not even she would be able to change him back to the way he was before, even if she wanted to." He crossed his arms. "And speaking of destroying her, our chances were already slim at best, but without Imperialdramon's help, our chances are non-existent."

"Ok, we'll worry about dealing with her later. For now, we're focusing on getting our friend back."

Takato cocked his head to the side. "So what's the plan then?"

Grumbling, Tai ran his hand over his face in exasperation. "I guess for now, we'll… I don't know. We'll see what Kari trying to purify him will do. Maybe it'll burn the darkness out of him."

"Or destroy him along with the darkness," Shoutmon reminded him.

"Well, we have to try something. Do you think a Sovereign will know? Could we ask Ebonwumon or Zhuqiaomon?"

The dragon Digimon rolled his eyes. "Oh, sure. I'll just grab one of those cell phone things you told me about and… Oh, yeah, THEY DON'T EXIST HERE!"

Tai closed his eyes and began muttering under his breath, as if he were trying to control his temper. "Fine then. How long until we reach Laylamon's castle?"

Shoutmon crossed his arms and closed his eyes. "Hmm… I'd say a few weeks at the pace we're going. But like I said, we don't stand a chance without our whole team."

TK tried to be optimistic. "Well, you never know. She is the weakest of them Demon Lords, we might get lucky."

"Yeah," Takato agreed. "We've beaten ones stronger than her."

"With help," Shoutmon snapped. "That's what you seem to keep forgetting. We had help. But it's just us this time. Ah! If only we had Marcus and Agumon with us. Their Burst Mode would at least bring our chances up from zero."

Takato's eyes lit up. "Hey, Burst Mode! Maybe we could-"

"Don't," Shoutmon interrupted. "Just don't. I already told you how unreliable and how rare that is. Marcus and Agumon are the unique exception. Unheard of even."

"Than what about them?" Takuya asked. "Could we find them again and ask for their help?"

Even Tai was opposed to this suggestion. "They'll be long gone by now, to who knows where. No, we'll have to handle this on our own."

TK sighed. "Well, a lot can happen in the next few weeks."

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TK may have been optimistic by nature, but that didn't mean that he didn't get worried or fearful. And this whole thing with Davis was making him particularly worried. It wasn't just Davis that he was worried about; it was also Davis' primary target.

His gaze shifted to the sleeping Kari. She was the one Davis really wanted. They had all known about his not so secret crush on her, but after he had fallen prey to the Dark Spore, Davis' feelings had taken a much darker turn. It was now more than obvious that he would be willing to do anything he needed to in order to get her; even if that meant hurting and possibly killing the rest of them.

TK shook his head. He couldn't think that way. Davis wasn't strong enough to defeat them, not even as the more powerful BlackImperialdramon. Still, it wasn't a pleasant thought to think that they had to face off against their friend.

Or was it still even Davis? The Davis they knew would never do anything like this. He was like a completely different person. No wonder he had thought that AncientWisemon's prediction was nonsense. It would have been nice if the mutant Digimon had been a little less vague with his readings.

A humorless chuckle escaped TK. "Right. Not supposed to reveal too much, or else the chance for the future he hoped for wouldn't happen."

But despite his frustration at the mutant Digimon, AncientWisemon was definitely smarter than him and knew a lot more, so he must have known what he was doing, even if TK didn't understand.

He let out a sigh as his gaze returned to Kari. The light from the fire lit up her face, and he couldn't help but take note of the anxiety on it, not to mention the way she was breathing and fidgeting.

"Hey, are you awake?" he asked quietly, in case he was mistaken.

Sighing, Kari opened her eyes and looked up at him. "Yeah. I've been having trouble sleeping for the past few days. Ever since Davis…"

She trailed off, not wanting to say it, but TK understood, and nodded sadly. "I get it. Want to join me?"

He patted the spot beside him. She gave him a sad smile and sat up. "Sure, thanks."

"Think nothing of it." He scooted over as she went to sit beside him by the fire. "Been a crazy past few days."

She chuckled lightly. "As opposed to the past several months?"

He laughed, trying to keep his voice down so he wouldn't wake the others. "Fair point. Guess this means that we've gotten used to this world's insanity."

"What we call insane, Shoutmon calls normal. Makes you wonder how he'd react to being in the Real World."

The thought almost made TK laugh again. "I think he'd have an easier time adjusting there than we did here. Besides, the Real World isn't all that different."

Kari smiled and looked up at the night sky to where the model of Earth floated. "What I would give to be back there with our families and friends. To have all of us back there."

He noted the unease in her voice and placed his hand on top of hers. "We'll get him back, Kari. Somehow, we'll get Davis back. I promise we will."

Shifting her hand to grip his, she frowned and a slightly guilty look crossed her face. "I hope so, but, TK, I'm worried. And not just about Davis."

"About the upcoming battle with Laylamon?"

She shook her head. "No. Well, yes, but that's not what I was thinking about." She looked back at him. "I'm the one Davis really wants. What if he tries to…?"

Realizing what she was thinking, disgust coiled in TK's gut and his fist clenched so tightly that his nails almost drew blood. The thought of that happening hadn't even occurred to him until now, mostly because he couldn't imagine Davis doing something so horrible. But this wasn't the same Davis they were friends with; he had to remember that. There was no telling what he was capable of as he was now. If the current Davis wasn't above trying to kill them to get what he wanted, then he likely wouldn't be opposed to trying to use force in other areas.

"I'll never let that happen," he promised her. "I'd die first."

"You might," she told him, her fears finally getting the best of her as they came spilling out all at once. "With Laylamon helping him, he might just kill you. And not just you, but Tai and everyone else as well. And it'll be because of me." She grabbed hold of his shirt, clenching the material tightly. "It'll be my fault if anything happens to you. Davis is only doing this because of me."

She hung her head, resting it against his chest, and a whimper escaped her. TK hated seeing her like this, and he cursed the Demon Lords for doing this to them. And he could only imagine how devastated Davis would feel when they finally returned him to normal.

She looked up as he placed his hands on her shoulders and gave her a hard look. "Kari, listen to me. This is not your fault. None of it is. It's not even Davis' fault. It's not your fault that he had feelings for you, just like it's not his fault for having them. Laylamon has taken advantage of the situation and twisted it to something for her benefit. Davis is a victim of her evil, and you're the target he's set his sights on as a result of it. But it's not your fault. The only one to blame for this is Laylamon, and no one else, so stop beating yourself up over it."

She stared at him for a few moments with tear filled eyes before giving him a small smile. "It's funny. I know you're right, but I still can't help feeling guilty. I know it's dumb, but part of me feels like if only I were able to return his feelings that this never would have happened, but I just can't."

He playfully karate chopped her head. "Stop thinking that, it's silly. Those are things out of your control. Just imagine how guilty Davis will feel when we get him back. But do you actually think he should? Are you going to blame him for anything he does while under the Dark Spore's influence?"

"Of course not."

"Then stop blaming yourself. It's only going to give the Demon Lords the satisfaction of knowing that they got to us. You're stronger than they are, so don't let them beat you. And when we get Davis back, we'll convince him that he's not at fault either."

Despite the tears that had begun to slip down her face, Kari couldn't help but smile. "That's something I really love about you, TK. You never let anything get to you, and you always remain optimistic."

He returned her smile. "What can I say? It's just in my nature." He brushed away a stray tear with his thumb before gently cupping her cheek. "You'll see, we'll return Davis to normal, and later we'll look back on this and laugh at his attempts at trying too be a badass."

Kari did laugh at that. It felt good to laugh. They hadn't laughed for several days, not since before Davis betrayed them. That was another great thing about TK, he could always make her smile.

Letting out a sigh, she rested her forehead against his and closed her eyes. "You're the best, TK. I don't know what I would do without you."

He closed his eyes as well. "I feel the same about you. You mean everything to me, Kari."

"Just like you do to me."

They stayed like that for several moments, until a shift in movement from one of them caused them both to open their eyes. Their close proximity slowly seemed to register, and they diverted their eyes, blushing, but still not putting any distance between them.

Slowly, their eyes met again, and they stared at each other. They experienced déjà vu as both their memories went back to several months ago to when they had been in a similar scenario, only to have the moment ruined by Impmon. But there was no one to interrupt them this time.

TK's hand, which had initially been cupping Kari's cheek, had moved to her shoulder. It now slowly rose up to tenderly cup her cheek once again, his thumb stroking it gently. "Kari…"

Her own hands had slowly slid up to hold onto his shoulders, as if to keep him close or bring him closer. "TK…"

They slowly moved in and their lips met in their first kiss. She had given him quick chaste kisses on the cheek before, but nothing like this. It stirred emotions in them both that were almost too intense for them to comprehend, and the whole world, along with all their troubles, seemed to fade away completely.

Slowly, they broke apart, but kept their faces close. They looked into each other's eyes as months, even years, of unspoken feelings shined in them. Then they kissed once more, Kari's arms wrapping around his neck as his hands went to the back of her head and her lower back, pulling her close. Once again, all their worries and concerns vanished as they got lost in each other, leaving only the two of them in their own little world.

"If it came to making a choice between your life and the lives of your friends, even one of them, which would you choose? And again, I'm not asking if you would risk your life. I'm asking that if death was for certain, would you give up your life to save your friends?"

AncientWisemon's prophetic words rang through TK's head, and he suddenly broke the kiss. He cursed his foolishness for letting this happen, despite knowing what his fate was. He'd known and come to accept that he wasn't going to survive this adventure for some time now, but it wasn't fair to Kari to let something develop between them when he was going to die before their journey was over.

No, something had already developed between them. It had been there even before they had come to the Digital World, and had been growing stronger over time. He had ignored it at first, not wanting it to ruin their friendship, but after that night where Impmon had interrupted them, when he realized that she might feel the same, they'd had more important things to worry about, like surviving and getting back home. And then, after speaking with AncientWisemon, he had decided not to pursue anything, knowing that he would just end up leaving her broken-hearted when he died.

But it seemed that she was mutually willing to pursue him, and he didn't know if he had the strength to resist. Shooting down her feelings wouldn't work either; he'd never been able to lie to her. She would see right through it and want to know the truth, which would eventually lead to his inevitable prophesized death coming to light, which would only cause a whole new series of problems.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly, breaking his thought process.

He looked back at her, seeing the look of sad uncertainty on her face before she turned away. He couldn't stand to see her like that, and placed a hand on her shoulder, making her look at him again.

He shook his head. "Don't be. It's not you, it's me. I want this too, but there's just a lot on my mind right now. I just don't think this is the best time, not with everything that's happening. You know what I mean?"

She gave him a look that was so full of hope and longing that it made his heart hurt, and he almost broke his resolve right then and there. "Then when would be a good time?" she asked hopefully.

He felt himself blush, and came close to telling her everything, but managed to hold himself back. "I… don't know. I guess when this whole thing with the Demon Lords is over and we're back home safely. Then we can figure out you and me."

She gave him a smile and placed a hand on top of his. "Is there really anything to figure out? I think we both know what we want."

He almost winced at that. He hated keeping the truth from her, but he didn't want his fate to weigh on her mind, on any of their minds. "It's just… things are so uncertain right now. We don't know what might happen. And who's to say the Demon Lords wouldn't try and use our feelings for each other to their advantage the way Laylamon did with Davis? It would be best if we didn't have any… um, distractions."

He couldn't look at her, both fearing that she would see through his half-truth or that his resolve would crumble. Instead, he heard her chuckle, and felt her cup his face and turn his head to face her again. Much to his surprise, she was smiling.

"Then one more until then?" she asked.

It was more of a request than a question, and he couldn't bring himself to deny her as she leaned in again, and the world once more faded out around them.

Notes:

(A/N: Well, it's about time things finally happened between these two. It's only been teased since practically the beginning. Sometimes a tragic event is what it takes to give people the push they need. But they've wisely decided to put things on hold until they make it back home. And after the way Laylamon used Davis' feelings to her advantage, that was a smart move. And speaking of Laylamon, it seems she's building her own team for Davis to lead against his friends. We know of one of his team members, but who are the others, and how will our heroes fair against them? Find out next time.)

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New Digimon that appear.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/HerculesKabuterimon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/GranKuwagamon

digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Laylamon_(Fusion)?file=XW-07_06_01.png#Manga

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/MegaGranKuwagamon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/GrandisKuwagamon

Chapter 136: The Anti-DigiDestined

Notes:

(A/N: Ok then, this is going to be interesting. I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, especially the first part. Writing a corrupt version of a character is very... unique, and it makes for some interesting interactions. You'll see what I mean very soon.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 136: The Anti-DigiDestined

TK was sleeping, and Kari was left sitting by the fire for her shift. Despite not getting much sleep after tossing and turning for most of the night, she wasn't the least bit tired. Despite how morbid their conversation had started, what had happened between her and TK left a warm and fuzzy feeling inside her that made her want to giggle.

It seemed almost wrong that she should feel this happy in light of everything that was going on, but she couldn't help it. She'd been feeling emotional when she admitted her concerns to TK, and that had simply led to other feelings coming out. Things had just progressed from there, leading to her first kiss. Not just between the two of them, but in general.

She had always known that there was something between them. It had been there ever since they were kids. And now it seemed that it was finally bearing fruit. True, what had happened hadn't exactly been a confession, but it might as well have been. And as reluctant as she was to put this next step in their relationship on hold, she understood TK's reasoning, and reluctantly had to agree with it.

That didn't stop her from having happy thoughts about things for most of her shift. But as time passed, her good feeling was soon replaced by an unsettling one as she became aware of the fact that she was being watched by something in the darkness.

She tried to ignore it at first, telling herself that it was just the late-night jitters, and that if there were an enemy out there that they would have attacked by now. But she just couldn't shake the feeling. And even though she couldn't see them, she became convinced that she was being watched.

"You're out there, aren't you?" she said, speaking into the fire. "It's you, isn't it, Davis?"

She looked into the darkness to where she felt his gaze. There was no reply, but she could hear the sound of footsteps walking away.

Standing up, she glanced at the others. She knew she should wake them up, but something was telling her that Davis wanted to talk to her, and just to her. This could be their only chance to convince him to come back to them.

Taking a deep breath, she stood up and slowly walked away from the campsite. Her inner voice was telling her that this was a very bad idea, but her conscience told her that she had to at least try. With Davis' affection towards her, she might be the only one who could get through to him, and the presence of the others, especially TK, would only make him hostile.

When she had gotten too far away from the fire to see well, she used her Digivice for light and continued onward. She did eventually reach a point where she wasn't willing to go any farther though, and stopped there.

"If you have something to say to me, then say it now before I call for the others," she said loudly into the darkness. "I'm not going to let you isolate me, so start talking before I go back."

She waited for a response, but there was only silence. She began to wonder if she had been mistaken, but no, she could still feel eyes on her, and it was making her skin crawl unpleasantly.

Just when she was about ready to go back, light from Davis' own Digivice illuminated him about half a dozen yards in front of her.

"Hello, Kari," he said calmly, an almost mocking grin on his face. "How have you been these past few days?"

Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Just so you know, it's creepy to have someone just stare at you like that." Her expression softened. "But to answer your question, I've been worried sick about you. We all have."

He chuckled, looking amused. "Sorry for creeping you out. You just looked so beautiful in the firelight that I couldn't help staring. And you shouldn't worry about me; I feel better than I ever have in my life."

She glared. "That's not reassuring, Davis, especially after you tried to kill us."

"Not you, Kari. I never wanted to kill you. I want you by my side."

"That's never going to happen, Davis, especially with how you are now. The Davis I know would be appalled at the very idea of taking a life."

"That Davis is gone!" he snapped angrily, almost looking disgusted with himself. "He was pathetic and weak. My eyes have been open to what a person is capable of if they're willing to do whatever it takes."

She hated hearing him talk like this. He didn't even sound like himself. "Well, I liked the old Davis better, faults and all."

"That's too bad, because he's gone, and he's not coming back."

She shook her head, "That's not true. He's still in there. That Dark Spore is just suppressing your conscience and good nature, and amplifying any traces of meanness in you so you're not even acting like yourself. Don't you see that this is what Laylamon wants? She's actually managed to recruit you to her side. The old Davis would never do that, and we want him back. You know what's right and what's wrong, but that Dark Spore makes you not care. Davis, please, come back to us. Let us try to help you."

He stared at her for several long moments, his expression unreadable. Then, finally, he spoke. "Are you done? I hope so, because it was getting annoying. And because I know you're going to keep trying to convince me, let me tell you now that it's a waste of time. I don't want to go back to how I was before. I like the way I am now, and I'm not going to change, so just give up on that."

Kari winced internally as she saw that he meant it. She suddenly felt foolish for not listening to Shoutmon after how he had so insistently expressed that there would be no reasoning with Davis.

"However," he continued, drawing her attention, "even though I'm not the same person I was before, I don't actually want to kill our friends." He smirked as Kari gave him a hopeful look. "Don't get too happy about it. I'm perfectly willing to annihilate every last one of them, but it's not exactly on my To Do list. You can save them, Kari, if you'd be willing to give yourself over to me."

Her eyes widened in disbelief. "What?"

He snickered. "It's a simple proposal, Kari. You're the one I really want. Become my girl, and they'll be safe. Heck, I'll even go back to helping you guys destroy the Demon Lords. Afterwards, we can either rule the Digital World, or we can go back to the real world and rule there with our Digimon powers."

"I don't want to rule anything," she snapped, unable to believe what she was hearing.

He shrugged. "We can work out the details later; I just figured I shouldn't let my natural leadership go to waste. But back to the topic at hand, what's it going to be, Kari? Are you going to come willingly, or am I going to have to use force?"

She scoffed. "Force, huh? You really aren't the same Davis. The old Davis at least had honor and respect. He would rather try and win me over fairly, even if it meant that he would fail, instead of having to cheat or use force."

Davis pointed an accusatory finger at her. "And that's where the old Davis was foolish and weak. Honor and respect? Those are just words for idiots too stupid to do what it takes to get the things they want, so they made up that kind of nonsense for others to follow. Not me though, not anymore. I'm determine enough and strong enough to get what I want by any means necessary."

"And not care about my feelings at all, or anyone you need to hurt to get it. God, Davis, do you even hear yourself? How can you just not care? How can you expect me to care for you at all while you're like this?" Her eyes narrowed. "Or are you planning to infect me with a Dark Spore as well?"

He laughed at that. "Actually, it was the extract of a Dark Spore, with a little bit of Laylamon's flare thrown in. She used the last of it on me, and it would have needed to be taken willingly, not through force or coercion or trickery."

She gasped. "Then you chose to take the Dark Spore?"

He wobbled his head. "Well, yes and no. She told me what it was, though she was a little vague on the details. Basically, she assured me that it would allow me to make you my girl. And she wasn't wrong about that. I simply thought that it would be nice to have something that could help me win you over, and that was apparently enough for the Dark Spore's extract to activate. I'm glad too, because I actually turned down her offer."

Kari's hatred towards Laylamon intensified for her trickery. "Nice of her to leave out the side affects."

He smirked. "Those 'side affects' are the very thing that allowed me to take a stand to get what I want. I never would have considered doing anything like this before. My silly conscience and so-called good nature would have held me back. And, of course, that's why I wouldn't have been able to make you my girl if I did infect you with a Dark Spore, because you wouldn't care about your friends enough if I threatened them, and you wouldn't hesitate to kill me either, which is something I know you're not willing to do."

"Davis-"

"Which brings us back to this. Are you willing to give yourself over to me, or are you going to let your friends die to save yourself?"

Anxiety made her gut clench, and she glanced back at her friends. The more pacifist side of her told her to just surrender to him. It would get Davis back on their side, and it would save her friends. But then she thought about what they would say if she did that. She too wouldn't stand to have any of her friends sacrifice themselves to save them, and to do so herself would make her a hypocrite. They also wouldn't allow the deal to stand if Davis did rejoin them.

More than anything else, she had faith in her friends, and in what TK had said. They would find a way to return Davis to normal, and they would make the Demon Lords pay fort what they did to them.

"Forget it," she told him firmly. "We'll get the old Davis, no, the real Davis, back no matter what. And I'm not going to whore myself to you either. Besides, the Demon Lords would still be out to get us no matter what, so this whole alliance you have with Laylamon is pointless anyway. Besides, I wouldn't trust you not to turn on us again."

Davis stared at her for several long moments before smirking. "Ah, well, I kind of expected that. I knew you were noble and selfless enough to sacrifice yourself for your friends, but I also knew that you had enough faith and confidence in them to think that you didn't have to. So I put my chances at about 50/50 on whether or not you would accept my deal. But I guess we'll have to do this the hard way. Execute! Spirit Evolution… BlackImperialdramon Fighter Mode!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Ophanimon!"

The two Digimon stood a distance apart from each other, staring the other down. Then, at the same time, they lunged at each other.

"Save your bluffs, Ophanimon!" BlackImperialdramon shouted. "I know you're not going to hurt me!"

But then, much to his surprise, she jumped up and drove her knee into his face. He stumbled back, and she unleashed her Eden's Javelin on him, knocking him off his feet.

She landed a short distance away and glared at him from behind her helmet. "You have your facts a bit backwards. It's my friend Davis who I would never hurt. Not you. You're not him. You're just an imitation, a shadow of the person he once was. The real Davis would want me to stop you."

A chuckle escaped BlackImperialdramon. "How very cheesy."

"Ophanimon!"

She was suddenly joined by the others in their Digimon forms. They landed beside her, glaring at BlackImperialdramon in disgust. The dragon Digimon just snickered again. "Oh, look, the gang's all here."

"I'm sorry," Ophanimon told them guiltily. "I should have woken you guys up."

"Yes, you should have," Omnimon snapped angrily. "But we'll talk about it later. For now, let's deal with this."

Laughing, BlackImperialdramon got to his feet. "Ah, right. The power of teamwork. Quite an effective strategy. That's why Laylamon thought I should have one of my own. Say hello to me new friends."

He snapped his fingers, and a group of shadows suddenly appeared above them. The shadows dropped down and landed beside BlackImperialdramon, and the dragon Digimon held his arms out proudly.

"Behold, my new team," he said arrogantly. "Each one hand-picked by Laylamon. Allow me to make the introductions. To my left we have GrandisKuwagamon and Raguelmon."

The cat-like fallen angel Digimon hissed as the insect Digimon slid his claws together, generating sparks.

BlackImperialdramon then motioned to his right. "And over here we have BlackSeraphimon and Ophanimon Falldown Mode."

It was obvious just from looking that the two were corrupt versions of Seraphimon and Ophanimon. BlackSeraphimon was a mirror image of his counterpart, only the blue of his armor was black, and his wings were a rust-colored red. Ophanimon FM was almost identical to Ophanimon, only her clothes and features had a more demonic quality instead of an angelic one, and she wielded a giant scythe rather than a javelin.

BlackImperialdramon sneered. "And last, but not least, the big guy behind me. Laylamon chose him extra specially. Say hello to BlackMegaGargomon."

The giant machine Digimon truly looked formidable, like a giant mecha with an enormous missile on each shoulder. He stared at the DigiDestined with a blank look, then raised a fist and punched his open palm.

A growl escaped OmniShoutmon. "It's you. I should have known you would get involved eventually."

BlackMegaGargomon chuckled, yet his mouth did not move. "So nice to see you again, your highness. I heard you saw my brother not too long ago. How was he? I mean, before he died, of course."

OmniShoutmon's eyes widened before he took a threatening step forward. "You bastard!"

Gallantmon placed a hand on his shoulder. "Whoa, hold up there, pal. You know this Digimon? And what does he mean by 'brother'? I thought Digimon don't have siblings."

BlackImperialdramon snickered. "This guy does. The only one to have a sibling. Oh, you're really going to love this. The irony is so sweet."

"When the Digital World began," BlackMegaGargomon told them, "and Digi-Eggs first appeared, my egg was the only one to contain two Digimon inside it. We were twins, the only ones in the Digital World. Care to guess who my brother eventually became?"

It seemed that BlackImperialdramon was a little too eager, as he didn't even give them the chance to answer. "Cherubimon! He's the brother of Cherubimon!"

The DigiDestined's heads snapped back to BlackMegaGargomon. "But, Cherubimon…" EmperorGreymon began. "No, it can't be."

"I'm afraid it is," OmniShoutmon confirmed. "They were both born from the same Digi-Egg. However, over thousands of years, this traitor grew jealous and bitter over his brother being stronger and more gifted than him until he eventually joined the Demon Lords, thinking it would make him superior. Talk about idiotic."

"Idiotic, huh?" BlackMegaGargomon remarked. "Tell me, which one of us ended up dying recently? I have yet to experience what that is like. Maybe I'll ask my brother when we meet up again, before I kill him again."

A gasp escaped OmniShoutmon, and he lunged forward, but was held back by Gallantmon and Omnimon. "You son of a… I'll kill you myself, then you'll know exactly what it's like."

BlackMegaGargomon cracked his knuckles. "Do you really think you can? I've survived since the Digital World began, even outlasting my so-called superior brother. You've died… How many times now? Dozens? Hundreds? Thousands?"

Growling, OmniShoutmon shook off the two knight Digimon. "That one is mine. I don't care who fights who, but BlackMegaGargomon belongs to me."

"Suits me," EmperorGreymon replied. "Hey, BlackImperialdramon, care to see which of us is the better dragon?"

BlackImperialdramon cracked his neck side to side. "Makes no difference to me. My Anti-DigiDestined team will be victorious in the end."

Gallantmon scoffed. "Anti-DigiDestined. What, it take you a whole ten seconds to come up with that? That name's so cliché and cheesy I can't even take it seriously."

GrandisKuwagamon sliced his claws together, generating more sparks. "Then allow me to amend your opinion."

Seraphimon looked at his and Ophanimon's counterparts. "Well, I think it's pretty obvious who we'll be fighting."

"Obviously," his fellow angel Digimon remarked.

Omnimon glanced at Raguelmon. "I guess that means that-"

Raguelmon roared and suddenly lunged at him. He was tackled to the ground, and the fallen angel Digimon hissed down at him. He struggled with her for a few moments before he managed to bring his feet up and kick her off him.

As Raguelmon flew past the Anti-DigiDestined, they charged forward to meet their chosen opponents. BlackMegaGargomon had no issues with OmniShoutmon's claim upon him and rushed to meet him. His giant fist flew through the air, and OmniShoutmon punched out as well. The machine Digimon's much larger fist overpowered him, and so OmniShoutmon grabbed it instead, holding it back.

"I'm really going to enjoy putting you back in your egg," BlackMegaGargomon told him as he pushed forward. "I've always hated you almost as much as I hate my brother."

"That's a shame," OmniShoutmon remarked, "'cause even after you joined the Demon Lords, your brother still loved you. As for me, I was disgusted!"

Using BlackMegaGargomon's arm for leverage, he leapt up and kicked at his face with his Doom Drillpress. BlackMegaGargomon leaned back to avoid it, then threw another punch. This one knocked OmniShoutmon back, and BlackMegaGargomon followed up with a kick that sent the dragon Digimon crashing into trees that did little to cushion his fall.

Taking a step back, BlackMegaGargomon held his arms out, displaying his whole body. From all over his body, numerous panels and compartments opened, each one containing a series of missiles and rockets. "Burst Shot!"

All the missiles launched, sending a barrage of explosives at the dragon Digimon. OmniShoutmon leapt to his feet and flew directly into the swarm of missiles. He weaved in and out of flying missiles as they exploded around him. Using his Omni Torpedo, he plowed into BlackMegaGargomon, knocking the giant off his feet. OmniShoutmon fired his Victorize Banking down at him, but BlackMegaGargomon moved surprisingly fast for one so big and flew up into the air to avoid it.

"Not bad, your majesty," he mocked, "but we've only just begun. GA Missile!"

An enormous missile was launched from the machine Digimon's chest. OmiShoutmon countered with his Omni Core Fusion, and the two attacks exploded together. That didn't stop BlackMegaGargomon though as he barreled right through the blast and grabbed OmniShoutmon. He slammed him into the ground, skidding the dragon Digimon along, and then raised his foot to stomp down.

OmniShoutmon's arms came up to catch the giant foot as it came down on him. BlackMegaGargomon pushed down with his whole weight, but the dragon Digimon was able to hold him up. He fired his Flame Cannon, the flaming bolts from his chest slowly pushing the machine Digimon's foot back. BlackMegaGargomon lost his balance and fell backwards.

Flying up into the air, OmniShoutmon prepared to attack again, but BlackMegaGargomon fired his Burst Shot again. OmniShoutmon managed to use his Heavy Metal Vulcan, to create a barrier between him and the missiles, but it was a close call.

"I'll make you pay for your betrayal," he seethed.

The firewall vanished, and BlackMegaGargomon was suddenly right in front of OmniShoutmon. His fist shot out, and this time OmniShoutmon wasn't able to catch it. It slammed into him, and the dragon Digimon went flying backwards, crashing through trees.

"I'd like to see you try," BlackMegaGargomon, and sped after him.

A short distance away, Raguelmon continued her aggressive assault. Omnimon was surprised by her ferocity. The fallen angel Digimon was a savage beast, attacking wildly and viciously, and Omnimon found it difficult to keep up.

"Form Taranis!" Raguelmon cried, attacking with her claws and the tip of her tail. Omnimon used his sword to combat her attacks, and even had to use his cannon-hand to block.

"Geez, you're one pissed off kitty," he commented, and received a hiss in response. "Yeah, yeah, 'hiss' to you too. Supreme Cannon!"

Raguelmon was blasted backwards, but she kicked off a tree and flew back towards him. She swiped with her claws, slashing Omnimon across the chest as he stepped to the side to try to avoid the attack, leaving deep claw marks across his torso. She swiped at him again, and Omnimon blocked with his sword.

"Omni Blast!" he cried, unleashing an explosion of lightning from his sword.

Raguelmon hissed as she was shocked, and Omnimon fired his Supreme Cannon again. The fallen angel Digimon skidded backwards from the blast, but then leapt at him again. Omnimon was once more tackled to the ground with Raguelmon on top of him. She used her Form Taranis again, stabbing downward with her claws. He caught them with his sword, and she stabbed at him with her tail, aiming for his head. He moved his head to avoid it, then slammed his forehead into her face. She hissed, pulling back, and Omnimon held up both hands.

"Double Shot!" he cried, shooting both fire and ice. Raguelmon was blown back by the two elemental blasts, but recovered quickly.

"Pahorus!" she cried, firing laser bullets at him from her arms and chest.

Omnimon swiped about rapidly with his sword, knocking the laser bullets away. Then Raguelmon lunged at him with her Form Taranis. Omnimon leapt back, but she managed to scratch his arm. It wasn't deep, but he still hissed in pain while Raguelmon sneered at him.

"I got you! I got you!" she taunted.

"It's just a scratch," Omnimon snapped back. "I can still fight just fine."

The fallen angel Digimon snickered. "For now. Let's see just how long you last."

Omnimon wasn't sure what she meant at first, but then a terrible pain began to build in his arm. It started out just where her claws had cut him, but then began to spread to the rest of his arm. Strangely enough, the cuts on his chest didn't hurt the same way.

"What did you… do to me?"

Raguelmon sneered. "My Form Taranis attack allows me to inject destructive data into my opponent through my claws and tail. Soon you'll rot from the inside out." She brandished her claws. "Let's speed up the process with a second dose."

She lunged at him, swiping wildly. Omnimon deflected and dodged her tail and claws more carefully this time as he felt his arm rotting. He would need to get to Seraphimon or Ophanimon for healing quickly, but they were both preoccupied with their counterparts.

BlackSeraphimon and Ophanimon FM fought as a team, almost perfectly, working in sync with each other. Seraphimon and Ophanimon were used to fighting as a team as well, but weren't as experienced as their counterparts, and therefore weren't as coordinated.

"Sefirot Crystal!" Ophanimon cried, firing her crystals at the two fallen angel Digimon.

BlackSeraphimon and Ophanimon FM were back to back, and they rotated so the former was in front. "Divine Breaker!"

He fired a ball of light, similar to Seraphimon's Hallowed Knuckle. It exploded against Ophanimon's attack, canceling it out. BlackSeraphimon and Ophanimon FM then twirled around, and the latter swiped her scythe. "Flame Hellscythe!"

The blade of her scythe became engulfed in hellfire. The flames flew at Ophanimon, and she used her Unicorn Shield to deflect them. Then her counterpart was coming at her, swinging her scythe. Seraphimon flew in front of her, blocking with his Excalibur. Ophanimon FM's blade clanged against Seraphimon's as he held it back.

Hallowed Ascension!" he cried, calling down bolts of lightning upon the fallen angel Digimon.

"Ascension Hallow!" BlackSeraphimon countered, bringing down his own lightning to cancel out his counterpart's attack.

Ophanimon rose up higher. "Shining Laser!"

"Seven Heavens!" BlackSeraphimon cried, firing a ring of seven holy energy balls. They collided with Ophanimon's attack and exploded. She immediately flew at him and stabbed with her javelin. He caught the end, and shoved it back, jabbing her in the stomach with the end, then delivered a kick to her face.

"Ophanimon!" Seraphimon cried as he struggled to hold back the scythe.

"Yes?" Ophanimon FM taunted.

Behind his helmet, Seraphimon glared at her. "Not you. Hallowed Knuckle!"

He both punched while firing a ball of light into Ophanimon FM. The attack knocked her back, and BlackSeraphimon flew in front of her and fired his Seven Hells attack. This time, a ring of seven evil energy orbs flew like a rotating wheel at Seraphimon. He fired his Strike of the Seven Stars into the attack, resulting in an explosion of holy and evil energy.

Seraphimon recoiled from the blast, and Ophanimon FM flew at him, swinging her scythe at him. Ophanimon flew over and blocked with her shield, then jabbed her javelin at her and fired her Eden's Javelin, knocking her away. Ophanimon flew after her as Seraphimon and BlackSeraphimon came together in combat.

Gallantmon was feeling more confident than ever since he achieved his Crimson Mode. However, it became very obvious very quickly that he best not underestimate his opponent. GrandisKuwagamon was a fearsome opponent, as fast as he was strong, and quite vicious.

"Invincible Sword!" Gallantmon cried, slashing with his sword of light. GrandisKuwagamon blocked the blade with his claw, and Gallantmon tried his Blutgang attack with his other one, but the insect Digimon caught this one as well.

"Final Justice!" Gallantmon cried, firing a beam of light from his blades, pushing GrandisKuwagamon back. The insect Digimon halted his momentum and swiped his claws through the air. "Nice move, but I've faced better."

He flew at Gallantmon, slashing and swiping. The knight Digimon blocked the blows one after another, but couldn't find an opening to attack back.

"I'm not going to lose here," Gallantmon told him. "We've come too far."

"So I've heard," GrandisKuwagamon replied. "Your former teammate told us all about it, about how you sacrificed Grani to get stronger. You treat your friends with just as much respect as your enemies."

Gallantmon gasped, and the insect Digimon managed to slash him. A grunt of pain escaped the knight Digimon as GrandisKuwagamon scratched him all over, leaving deep painful grooves in his armor. The swords of light eventually fell from his hands as the slashes kept coming.

"Gran Killer!" GrandisKuwagamon cried, driving his claws towards Gallantmon's head.

Gallantmon's hand shot out, grasping the insect Digimon's wrist. He glared at GrandisKuwagamon furiously, angry tears wetting his eyes. "You bastard!"

He delivered a punch to the insect Digimon's face, then followed up with several more punches and kicks, knocking GrandisKuwagamon back with each blow.

"How dare you make it out like I don't care about my friends, like being forced to take Grani's data with no other choice in the matter didn't tear me up inside." He created new swords of light. "How dare you!"

He used his Royal Saber attack, firing blasts of lighting. GrandisKuwagamon took the attack, and while it appeared to be affective, it didn't do as much damage as Gallantmon had been expecting. Then, much to his unease, the insect Digimon began chuckling.

"How very cute. You're so emotional. But you'll need to keep your wits about you if you want to defeat me."

Suddenly, he disappeared, almost as if he had melted into the air itself. Gallantmon blinked and looked around, but he could find no trace of him. "Where are you?"

GrandisKuwagamon's laughter echoed all around. "You'll never be able to take me down if you can't even find me. I can conceal my presence all around you like a dense fog. Can you feel it? Can you feel me? Everywhere? Anywhere?"

Gallantmon cried out as the feeling of GrandisKuwagamon's claws slicing him ran down his back, but when he turned around, no one was there.

"I am the rarest of insect Digimon that only the strongest of GranKuwagamon can become. I hold the reputation as the Demon of the Deep Forest. After MegaGranKuwagamon, I am the strongest of all insect Digimon."

Another slash, this one across Gallantmon's chest, and he hadn't even seen the insect Digimon.

"Your armor is useless. No matter how strong or how hard the shell or metal is, my claws are capable of cutting through it. I'll slice you to ribbons, and you'll never even see it coming."

There was another slash, then another. They came faster and more frequently. Gallantmon randomly lashed out, hitting nothing as GrandisKuwagamon's laughter rang out as slash after slash landed on his body.

"Dragonfire Crossbow!" EmperorGreymon cried.

"Giga Death!" BlackImperialdramon countered.

The two attacks exploded together, and both dragon Digimon flew through the blast and slammed together. BlackImperialdramon was much larger than his opponent, but EmperorGreymon was stronger, allowing him to hold back the bigger dragon Digimon.

"I can't believe you're doing this," EmperorGreymon growled. "Even of you are evil now, to actual assemble a team specifically to take down your friends, that's low."

"I prefer to call it ambitious," BlackImperialdramon replied as he tried to break from EmperorGreymon's grip. The smaller dragon Digimon glared at him. "Spoken like a true asshole."

He twisted around and threw the giant Digimon over his shoulder. BlackImperialdramon righted himself and turned back to him. "You're just using insults because you know I'm right. Things like good and evil are just words and concepts people came up with to maintain order and society, but that puts so many limitations on us. Ignoring these so-called ideals of right and wrong allows us to gain so much more. Positron Laser!"

EmperorGreymon swung his sword, cutting through the beam. "Only a person without a conscious actually thinks that way. They're unfit to even be a person. That's exactly what makes you an asshole." He stabbed his sword into the ground. "Pyro Dragons!"

The flaming dragon-heads flew on streams of fire to chomp down on BlackImperialdramon. The dragon Digimon was bound by the fiery entrapment, and EmperorGreymon was launched through the air towards him. But as he brought down his sword, BlackImperialdramon suddenly broke free and grabbed the blade.

A mocking chuckle escaped him. "It's just as I thought. You can't actually bring yourself to hurt me. If you could, I never would have been able to escape your fire dragons. I never would have been able to catch your sword. You held back far too much. It's as I said, your conscience and morals hold you back. That's why you're going to lose, because you're not willing to do what it takes to win."

EmperorGreymon glanced at him. "Never would have been able to stop my attacks, huh? Does that mean you acknowledge that you're not as strong as me?

Anger flashed in BlackImperialdramon's eyes. "Positron Laser!"

The attack sent EmperorGreymon flying backwards, and he crashed through several trees, coming to a rest on a pile of them. BlackImperialdramon hovered over to him, looking furious.

"You know," he growled down at EmperorGreymon, "you guys were initially just an obstacle I needed to remove to get what I wanted. But you know what, I think I'm going to enjoy this more than I thought."

Notes:

(A/N: Things aren't looking good. Our heroes' best skill was their teamwork. But not only have they lost a member of their team, they now have to fight one on one. How will they get themselves out of this predicament, and which team will come out on top? Stay tuned to find out. And remember, since this battle is incomplete, I'll be posting again next week.)

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New Digimon that appear.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Raguelmon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/BlackSeraphimon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Ophanimon_Falldown_Mode

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/BlackMegaGargomon

Chapter 137: Expectations Subverted

Notes:

(A/N: Yeah, I know this chapter title is a little... ominous, I guess you could say, but I think you'll understand by the end of it. I don't want to give anything away, but I think it'll be safe to say that your expectations will probably be subverted. Wink.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 137: Expectations Subverted

OmniShoutmon grunted each time BlackMegaGargomon brought his balled fists down on him. The machine Digimon was laughing as he landed blow after blow, burying the dragon Digimon deeper into the ground each time.

OmniShoutmon's eyes darted to his friends. Each opponent had indeed been chosen well, and they were clearly meant to isolate each of them so they couldn't use teamwork. But teamwork was what had gotten them this far. They had to work together, meaning that one of them had to quickly deal with their opponent so they could help the others.

"Still think I'm a fool for joining the Demon Lords?" BlackMegaGargomon mocked as he raised his fists again.

The dragon Digimon's eyes went back up to him. "Yes, I do. A damned fool. Omni Core Fusion!"

His humanoid aura flew up and collided with BlackMegaGargomon, and the machine Digimon stumbled back. OmniShoutmon flew out of the crater and up to BlackMegaGargomon's face. Using his Twin Fireball Strike, he slapped his open palms, and the fireballs in them, against the machine Digimon's cheeks.

"Did that slap some sense into you? Flame Cannon!"

The flaming bolts fired into BlackMegaGargomon's face, making him stumble back further. BlackMegaGargomon swung his arm in retaliation and sent OmniShoutmon spinning into a tree.

Wiping his face, he turned to the dragon Digimon, taking a stance. "I'll blow you back to your egg! Giant Missile!"

The rockets on the two giant missiles on his shoulders ignited and launched. OmniShoutmon gasped as he saw them coming and used his Hard Rock Spirit, firing blasts of fire from his hands at them. The two missiles exploded, the blast radius consuming the area, incinerating everything in it. And when the blast died down, a large hole and the remnants of charbroiled trees were all that remained.

BlackMegaGargomon sneered as new missiles manifested on his shoulders. "Should have done that to begin with. Send the former Digimon King off with a bang."

"I'm not dead yet! Victorize Banking!"

BlackMegaGargomon turned to the voice before he was blinded by the V-shaped bolt before it struck him. With blurry vision, he let out an angry cry before he began blindly firing his GA Missile repeatedly. Explosions went off all around as the missiles hit random targets, one even nearly striking BlackImperialdramon and EmperorGreymon.

"Watch it, you imbecile!" BlackImperialdramon snapped at him.

BlackMegaGargomon blinked, his vision still blurry from having OmniShoutmon's attack flash right in front of his eyes. OmniShoutmon circled behind him as he taunted the machine Digimon. "Careful, you don't want to hit your teammates. They may think you betrayed them, just like you did your brother."

BlackMegaGargomon turned around, his vision almost back to normal. "I don't care about them. I came here for you. And I'll gladly kill them all just to take you out. Burst Shot!"

All his compartments opened, and he fired a barrage of ammunition at the dragon Digimon. However, OmniShoutmon didn't retreat or dodge. Rather, he used his Omni Torpedo to fly straight through the bullet storm and plowed into BlackMegaGargomon.

The machine Digimon went down, and OmniShoutmon flew directly above him. He used his Twin Fireball Strike, but BlackMegaGargomon's vision had returned to normal at this point, and he knocked the fireballs away.

"I've had enough of you!" he bellowed. "Giant Missile!"

But OmniShoutmon had been waiting for this, and flew down until he was right on top of BlackMegaGargomon, just as the missiles started to launch. "Heavy Metal Vulcan!"

BlackMegaGargomon's eyes widened. "Are you mad!?"

The firewall erupted from OmniShoutmon's chest. BlackMegaGargomon's missiles made contact with it before they even left their holsters. The explosion that followed was kept trapped between OmniShoutmon's barrier and the ground, consuming BlackMegaGargomon. The force of the blast burst through the firewall, and OmniShoutmon went flying through the air.

Grunting in pain, he halted his momentum and looked down. He saw the traces of BlackMegaGargomon's data fading away. The sight of it left him with grim satisfaction. "Good riddance."

He looked to his friends, trying to decide which one to help. His gaze settled on Omnimon as he realized that something was wrong. It was his left arm, it appeared to be rotting. And the rot looked like it was beginning to spread to his chest.

Noticing that he was fighting Raguelmon, OmniShoutmon realized that Omnimon must have been infected by the destructive data from her Form Taranis attack. He would need healing fast, otherwise the corrosive infection would rot him from the inside out.

With his decision made, he flew towards the only healers of their group. Seraphimon and Ophanimon were still facing off together against their evil counterparts. BlackSeraphimon was the closest to him, and he went after the fallen angel Digimon, driving his bladed foot into his back with his Doom Drillpress.

BlackSeraphimon cried out as OmniShoutmon's bladed foot buried into his back. He whirled around, grabbing the dragon Digimon and throwing him into Seraphimon, then fired his Seven Heavens at them both.

While they were caught up in the blast, Ophanimon FM flew towards them with her scythe raised. She brought it down, but it clanged against Ophanimon's javelin as she rushed forward and thrust it out to block. She then held out her hand and blasted her counterpart back with her Shining Laser.

"Ascension Hallow!" BlackSeraphimon cried, bringing down lighting that struck Ophanimon.

"Strike of the Seven Stars!"

The attack blasted BlackSeraphimon back, and then OmniShoutmon slammed into him with his Omni Torpedo. BlackSeraphimon retaliated by bringing his elbow down on him, knocking the dragon Digimon to the ground, but was then blasted by Ophanimon's Eden's Javelin.

The attack pushed him back, but while Ophanimon was using it, her counterpart attempted to attack with her Flame Hellscythe, but was instead struck by Seraphimon Hallowed Ascension, and she fell from the sky.

"Seven Heavens!" BlackSeraphimon cried, firing upon his counterpart.

Ophanimon moved in front of him and deflected the attack with her Unicorn Shield. They were then joined by OmniShoutmon, and all three attacked at once.

"Strike of the Seven Stars!"

"Sefirot Crystal!"

"Omni Core Fusion!"

BlackSeraphimon raised his arms to block as the three attacks struck him simultaneously. A pained groan escaped him as he descended slightly from the sky.

"Excalibur!"

BlackSeraphimon looked up to see Seraphimon upon him. He swung his sword, slicing through the top of BlackSeraphimon's helmet. The blade became embedded there, and one of the fallen angel Digimon's hands came up to grasp it. His other hand clenched into a fist and began glowing. "Divine Breaker!"

He made to punch his counterpart with his glowing fist, but with a burst of strength, Seraphimon forced his sword down farther. It sliced down, cutting through BlackSeraphimon, splitting him in two, and the fallen angel Digimon burst into data.

"One more down," Seraphimon said. "They're dropping like flies."

"Omnimon is going to drop lie a fly soon," OmniShoutmon replied. "He needs some healing fast."

There was an angry screech, and Ophanimon FM flew towards them, swinging her scythe. They dodged the blade, and she turned to the one who destroyed her partner. "Demon's Crystal!"

Ophanimon flew in front of Seraphimon and used her Unicorn Shield to deflect the attack. "Seraphimon, you're stronger than I am. Can you handle her while I go heal Omnimon?"

"With pleasure," he replied, and flew out from behind her to face off against Ophanimon FM.

OmniShoutmon and Ophanimon immediately flew over to Omnimon. His left arm hung uselessly at his side, all brown and rotten, and he was doing his best to deflect Raguelmon's swiping claws with his sword.

"Omni Torpedo!" OmniShoutmon cried, slamming into the fallen angel Digimon, tackling her away.

Omnimon blinked, feeling delirious from the pain of his corroding body. "What…?"

"Omnimon."

He turned to the voice. "Ophanimon?"

"What did you do to yourself? Come here."

"Careful of her claws and tail," he warned. "They have some sort of destructive data in them."

"And of course you went and got yourself scratched. Hold still. Final Aura!"

Her healing aura shined on Omnimon's body, and the deterioration ceased and began to heal. "Not on purpose. I didn't find out until after she scratched me. Oooh… that feels so much better."

Ophanimon lowered her hands. "We already defeated two of these guys. Let's finish off the rest of them and get Davis back to normal."

Omnimon nodded. "Sounds good. I've got a score to settle with this cat girl."

"No, I'll handle her," OmniShoutmon shouted to him as he deflected Raguelmon's claws with his bladed legs. "It looks like Gallantmon could use some help though. Go to him."

They looked to the knight Digimon and saw that he did indeed appear to be struggling, seemingly with an invisible enemy.

"He's right," said Ophanimon. "Let's go."

They flew over to Gallantmon, who was lashing out at thin air. A slash appeared on his body, seemingly from out of nowhere. Gallantmon stabbed his sword in the direction the slash seemed to have come from, but he hit nothing.

"Gallantmon, what's happening?" Omnimon called.

Looking woozy, the knight Digimon turned to him. "It's GrandisKuwagamon. He's here somewhere, but I can't find him anywhere. He can completely mask his presence."

Omnimon raised his sword. "Then let's draw him out. Ophanimon, protect Gallantmon."

She nodded, knowing what he was thinking. "Right. Air Sefirot!"

A powerful wind surrounded Gallantmon, but Ophanimon controlled it so it only provided him with cover. Omnimon then used his Sword of Ruin, tearing the air with his sword to produce an explosion all around.

As the blast died down, GrandisKuwagamon came into view, and he turned to the newcomers. "Attacking everywhere to make sure I couldn't escape your attack despite masking my presence. Well played. But I'm afraid it'll take more than that to-"

He cried out as Gallantmon suddenly stabbed him in the back, and the blade of light burst from his chest. "That's for all those cheap attacks. Final Justice!"

A beam of light erupted from the sword, pushing GrandisKuwagamon off the blade and carrying him across the sky. Ophanimon used the bought time to fly over to Gallantmon and heal the numerous cuts all over his body.

"Thanks for that," he told her, "but you should save your energy for really bad injuries."

"I'll be fine," she assured him.

"Don't be so sure," said GrandisKuwagamon, suddenly appearing behind her.

He lunged forward, and the pincers on his head snapped shut. Omnimon moved quickly, pushing her out of the way, and the pincers came down on him instead, burying deeply into his shoulders.

"Fine then," said GrandisKuwagamon, "you can be first. Grandis Scissors!"

Spikes of energy shot out of his pincers, directly into Omnimon. The knight Digimon cried out before glaring at him and stabbing with his sword, giving the insect Digimon a second matching hole in his chest.

"My sister just healed me, creep. Don't go undoing her efforts. Omni Blast!"

He swiped his sword overhead, taking GrandisKuwagamon with it, while unleashing a blast of electricity. The insect Digimon spun through the air before righting himself and shaking off the electric attack. He ran his claws together before pointing them at Omnimon, looking ready to keep fighting.

"Gotta give him credit," said Ophanimon, "the guys determine."

"No kidding," Gallantmon reluctantly agreed, "Two stab wounds in his chest and he's still raring to go. The guy's as hard to kill as a cockroach."

"You have no idea, do you?" GrandisKuwagamon told them. "I've been fighting far longer than you could imagine. Grandis Scissors!"

More spikes of energy were shot from his pincers. One of Gallantmon's swords extended into a spear, and he spun it around, deflecting the attack. GrandisKuwagamon then sped towards him, stabbing forward with his claw. Gallantmon held up his sword and spear and blocked the attack.

"Eden's Needle!" Ophanimon cried, and began peppering the insect Digimon with needles of light.

"Gran Killer!" GrandisKuwagamon cried, and began spinning around while slashing wildly.

"Omni Howling!" Omnimon cried, firing upon the insect Digimon.

The attack knocked GrandisKuwagamon out of his spinning formation and encased one of his claws in ice. Ophanimon rushed forward and grabbed his other arm, and Omnimon did the same with his frozen one.

"Good one, guys," Gallantmon told them. "Now hold on tight and get ready to move. Crimson Light!"

He threw his spear high up into the sky, where it erupted into a beam that came flowing down. Both Omnimon and Ophanimon leapt away from GrandisKuwagamon as the beam came down upon him, and his cry tore through the night.

"Finish him!" Omnimon declared. "Supreme Cannon!"

"Sefirot Crystal!"

The two attacks came from both sides of GrandisKuwagamon while Gallantmon's beam continued flowing down from up above. The insect Digimon cried out before bursting into data and vanishing.

"And that makes three," said Ophanimon.

"Good job, you guys," Omnimon told them. "Looks like these Anti-DigiDestined are no match for us."

"Of course not," Gallantmon replied. "They're not a true team like we are. They're just random Digimon that Laylamon threw together."

Ophanimon glanced at EmperorGreymon and BlackImperialdramon. "Speaking of which, we should take this opportunity to try and purify Davis."

Omnimon looked at the two fighting dragon Digimon. "Well, now's as good a time as any. Come on."

They flew at BlackImperialdramon. EmperorGreymon was struggling against him as he tried not to hurt him, while BlackImperialdramon held nothing back.

EmperorGreymon swung his sword in a half-effort attempt to attack. BlackImperialdramon caught the blade and delivered a kick to him, knocking EmperorGreymon away and causing him to drop his sword.

BlackImperialdramon tossed the sword aside and took aim. "Positron Laser!"

Omnimon crashed into his side, grabbing his arm and pulling it aside. BlackImperialdramon's attack went array as the knight Digimon twisted it behind his back.

"Get his other arm!" he shouted.

"Got it!" Gallantmon cried, grabbing hold of the dragon Digimon's other arm.

BlackImperialdramon struggled. "What is this? You think you can capture me?"

"Not quite," said Ophanimon as she flew up to him.

She placed her hands on either side of his head and let her power of purification flow into him, just as she had when Tai became BlackWarGreymon. A rainbow of aura flowed over BlackImperialdramon and his eyes widened. A few seconds later, a cry ripped out of his mouth, and he began to thrash about wildly, as if he were having a seizure. Omnimon and Gallantmon held on tightly as BlackImperialdramon continued to spasm.

EmperorGreymon flew over. "This isn't normal! It's hurting him!"

"Hurry and purify him!" Omnimon ordered.

"I'm trying," Ophanimon insisted, "but it's not working. I think Shoutmon was right, we can't purify him this way because there's nothing controlling him."

"So what do we do?" Gallantmon cried.

"Hold on, I'm going to see if I can find the traces if the Dark Spore inside him. Maybe if I purify that instead of him, the Dark Spore will be destroyed, and Davis will return to normal."

"Well, hurry up!" Omnimon snapped. "We can't hold him like this forever."

Ophanimon frantically searched for any traces of darkness inside BlackImperialdramon that wasn't a part of his data, but feared that Shoutmon was right. This was indeed Davis, and the Dark Spore had simply blocked all morality and conscience. But then her theory should work. If she removed the Dark Spore, he should return to normal. It was impossible to remove, but a surge of positive energy might be able to purge it from him.

"I think I found something," she said. "Hold him tightly. Here it goes."

She flooded BlackImperialdramon with purifying energy. She feared that it might end up killing him, so she didn't use too much. BlackImperialdramon reacted very violently, thrashing around even more than before. However, she began to feel traces of the Dark Spore disintegrate within him. She could only hope that she could remove all traces of it before she ended up killing him.

"Hang in there, Davis," she pleaded. "I know it hurts, but I'm going as fast as I-"

The sound of a gunshot was heard, and Ophanimon was knocked away from BlackImperialdramon. Two more rang out as Omnimon and Gallantmon were shot as well. BlackImperialdramon went limp and fell from the sky, but a portal suddenly opened above him, and a giant version of a familiar hand came out of it and grabbed the dragon Digimon.

"Who did that?" Gallantmon wondered out loud, clutching his gunshot wound.

"Who do you think?" Omnimon growled and glared into the distance.

Boltboutamon sneered as he lowered his smoking gun. "So sorry, but Lady Laylamon still has use for your friend."

One of his arms was inside a portal, the same one that connected to the one above BlackImperialdramon, where the giant version of Boltboutamon's hand was holding onto the dragon Digimon. He pulled him up into the portal, and it closed. When Boltboutamon pulled his own hand out of the portal beside him, BlackImperialdramon was not there.

"What'd you do to him, you bastard!?" Gallantmon demanded.

The demon Digimon chuckled. "Temper, temper. He's simply back with Lady Laylamon again."

Suddenly, EmperorGreymon's Pyro Dragons rose up and snared Boltboutamon. The demon Digimon didn't seem bothered by them though as he sneered down at the dragon Digimon.

"Bring him back!" EmperorGreymon demanded.

Boltboutamon just chuckled. "Say pretty please with a cherry on top."

Instead, EmperorGreymon allowed himself to be launched into the air by the explosion of his attack beneath him. He raised his sword, but Boltboutamon's grin just widened. The sword came down, cutting the demon Digimon through from shoulder to hip.

"You're just a copy, aren't you?" EmperorGreymon growled.

Boltboutamon laughed. "You're learning."

His two halves burst into data, but his laughter continued from further away as another Boltboutamon made himself known.

"Such a shame about the Anti-DigiDestined," he commented. "Laylamon had such high hopes for them. Talk about having your expectations subverted. But, oh well, not everything works out the way we plan." He turned to the two remaining members. "Looks like it's time for plan B."

He snapped his fingers, and a flash of dark energy flowed outward and over the two fallen angel Digimon. Ophanimon FM froze mid-attack, suddenly looking as if she were in a trance, and then abandoned her battle with Seraphimon.

Omnimon eyed her suspiciously as she flew over to Boltboutamon. "What's plan B?"

The demon Digimon licked his lips in anticipation. "Just wait and see. You wouldn't want me to ruin the surprise."

"Ankokuiki!" Raguelmon cried, shooting a series of thorns from her gems.

As OmniShoutmon held up his arms to block the shower of thorns, Raguelmon flew over to Boltboutamon and Ophanimon FM, now seemingly in the same trance as her fellow fallen angel Digimon.

Brushing the thorns off himself, OmniShoutmon turned to the three of them. "What are you up to this time?"

Boltboutamon chuckled. "Just a different brand of teamwork, if you catch my meaning."

OmniShoutmon seemed to understand the implications, and his eyes widened. "Are you mad!?"

"As a hatter!" Boltboutamon exclaimed, taking off his hat and waving it at him. "I orchestrated my own birth; so doing this is nothing." He licked his lips eagerly. "I can't wait to see how this turns out. Ciao for now."

And then he was gone, disappearing through a portal. The two fallen angel Digimon remained behind and got closer together. OmniShoutmon reached out to them desperately. "Not those two!"

"Raguelmon/Ophanimon DNA Digivolve to… Ordinemon!"

The DigiDestined had also figured out what OmniShoutmon had deduced a moment before it happened. The result, however, was not what they expected. Ordinemon was humanoid in appearance, with a large white body. She lacked eyes and had a frowning mouthful of shark-like teeth, and squid-like tentacles fell down around her face from her head, acting as hair. Most of her mass, however, consisted of enormous black crow-like wings that completely dwarfed her actual body. She hung in the air, her wings rising up and then bending down to seemingly hold her up like legs, even though they didn't touch the ground. She didn't look too threatening, but OmniShoutmon was clearly unsettled.

"That brainless fool," he growled angrily. "I can't believe he brought her into this."

"Her who?" asked Seraphimon as he flew over to join the others.

"Ordinemon is a powerful Digimon whose sole purpose is to destroy the world. Long story short, she's basically a second Apocalymon."

"Well, that's just perfect," EmperorGreymon growled. "Why would Laylamon create a Digimon like that? I though the Demon Lords wanted to rule the world, not destroy it."

"Something tells me that Boltboutamon did this on his own," Ophanimon replied.

"Then why would he want to destroy the world?"

"Because he's a raging psychopath who lives to cause chaos and suffering." OmniShoutmon snapped. "Now we've got to clean up this mess."

Ordinemon hadn't moved since she appeared. It almost looked as if she were in a trance, staring off into space with eyes that didn't exist. The DigiDestined regarded her cautiously as she showed no sign of hostility.

"Hey, um, is she ok?" Gallantmon asked. "She's not moving."

"This is just the calm before the storm," OmniShoutmon replied. "Once she goes off, she's not going to stop until everything's been destroyed."

As if his words were a trigger, Ordinemon opened her mouth and let out an ear-splitting wail. The DigiDestined covered their ears as the ground shook from the vibrations of her cry.

"Somebody make her stop!" Gallantmon shouted, his cry getting lost in the noise.

"Hallowed Knuckle!" Seraphimon cried, firing a ball of light from his fist.

It struck Ordinemon in the side of the face, and her screaming stopped as her head snapped to the side. Slowly, she turned to them, the spot where her eyes should be fixated on them.

"Oh boy," EmperorGreymon muttered. "I have a bad feeling about this."

Ordinemon opened her mouth again, but it wasn't a scream that came out this time. "End of the World!"

A black wave of energy burst from her mouth and flew at the DigiDestined. They flew out of its path as the attack came at them, and it erupted into a mighty blast in the horizon.

"For some reason, that attack didn't surprise me," Seraphimon grumbled.

"Fear not," Ordinemon said to them. "This world is filled with much sadness. The Demon Lords have caused so much suffering. It will be better to simply start anew."

She flapped her enormous wings, and a miasma began to emit from them. It began to spread at an alarming rate, covering everything like a fog, even flowing over the DigiDestined.

"What is this stuff?" asked Gallantmon.

"Her miasma," OmniShoutmon replied. "It comes from her wings. Eventually, it'll spread across the entire Digital World and kill all life."

EmperorGreymon's shoulders slumped. "Maybe that would be for the best. It's like she said, then life can start anew."

Omnimon glanced at him, surprised by his morbid words; though he had to admit, he too was suddenly feeling deeply depressed. "Why would you say that?"

"It's not his fault," OmniShoutmon told him. "Ordinemon's wings also emit negative emotions. But we can't let them overwhelm us. Remember what we're fighting for and focus on that."

"Yes," said Ophanimon. "We have the chance to tip the balance in favor of the light indefinitely. If the world is destroyed, then the struggle between the darkness and light will start all over again as well."

"And the suffering of the world will end," Ordinemon replied. "It will be better for all to have fresh start."

"We don't get a fresh start," Gallantmon told her. "We don't get reborn like Digimon. Once we're dead, we stay dead."

The fallen angel Digimon raised her arm, at the end of which was a double helix-like appendage rather than a hand. "No, but you humans will get to eternally experience the bliss of Heaven and never have to suffer again."

Omnimon raised an eyebrow. "While I'm surprised that you know more about humans than most other Digimon do, it almost makes it sound like you think you're doing us a kindness by killing us."

"She is," OmniShoutmon told him. "Deep down Ordinemon is kind, and in her eyes, she believes she'll be doing us a kindness by killing us all."

"Then we have a very different opinion about kindness," Gallantmon growled.

"It was said that when the Digital World is overcome with chaos and turmoil that Ordinemon would appear to destroy it. From her point of view, doing this is merciful and the kindest thing that can be done rather than let us all suffer needlessly under the Demon Lords' rule, even if we're opposed to it."

"But the Digital World isn't in chaos," Seraphimon said to Ordinemon.

The fallen angel Digimon appeared unmoved. "The Sovereigns sealed away for thousands of years and the Demon Lords ruling supreme. War about to break out amongst those who fight for the light and those who fight for the darkness. Even other worlds are being affected now by drawing uninvolved humans to fight for the Digital World's cause. And one of those humans has become corrupted. Far better to just end all this and begin again while letting you humans find peace."

"That'll just have everything go to waste," Ophanimon objected. "Everything that's happened since the Digital World began will be undone."

"Not to mention us," EmperorGreymon added as he attempted to fight off the negative emotions Ordinemon was still emitting. "If we die, our friends and families will be sad when we never return."

"Their sadness will pass," Ordinemon replied. "The needs of a few cannot be put before those of the many."

OmniShoutmon growled. "Don't bother reasoning with her, you'll never convince her to change her mind. She shouldn't even have come into being unless the Digital World was in such turmoil that it's on the very verge of destruction, but Boltboutamon forced her coming, and now nothing will dissuade or stop her from carrying out her purpose. We have no choice but to destroy her."

"You can't," Ordinemon replied, sounding genuinely sorry for them. "I will restart this world anew. Magna Visibility!"

The green orb on her left wing and the purple one on her right began to glow. They suddenly fired beams in every direction at speeds almost too fast to see. They struck the DigiDestined again and again, so rapidly that it was almost like being hit by a single wall of energy. And when the attack stopped, the DigiDestined fell to the ground.

"Ouch," EmperorGreymon grumbled. "That really hurt." He started to get up. "But I think we can take her."

"It's futile," Ordinemon told them. "Nothing can stop the beginning of the end. Summon Apocalypse!"

Hundreds of feathers blew off her wings and fell to the ground. Suddenly, each feather became a Digimon. The DigiDestined gasped as they stared at duplicates of their previous and current Digivolutions. There was something off about them though, and their eyes were completely empty and devoid of life.

"Oh, right," OmniShoutmon grumbled as he stared at the army of newly created Digimon. "She can do that too."

"You mean create fake Digimon to fight for her," Omnimon growled. "Why doesn't that surprise me? And I guess she thought it would be poetic to create an army of our previous Digivolutions."

"It's over," Ordinemon declared. "The inevitable has come. Please accept your deaths without forcing me to harm you. Nothing can stop this world's destruction. Life shall begin again. But first, the current one must end. Now, all of you, please die."

Notes:

(A/N: So, let me guess, you were expecting the Anti-DigiDestined to be a team of baddies that kept coming back to challenge our heroes over and over again throughout the Laylamon Arc, right? Well, I had considered that, but I kind of already did that with the Machine Mercenaries, so I decided to subvert expectations, hence the chapter title. And you know, not every master plan or grand scheme is gong to have the epic results that you want or expect, so I thought it would be more realistic this way too. Besides, with the exception of a few, most of the Anti-DigiDestined wouldn't be worthy rivals to our heroes with how strong they are, and the only reason that they were as much of a challenge as they were was because they had many years of absorbing data to make them so strong. That's actually the biggest issue our heroes face, their power comes from their own inner strength rather than having absorbing data, which can indeed be a good thing, but based on circumstances, can also backfire. Anyway, I'm rambling, so I'll end things here. See you next time.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Ordinemon

Chapter 138: Why We Fight

Notes:

(A/N: Alright, whose ready for a blast from the past? By that I mean our heroes doing battle with a bunch of copies of their pre-Digivolved forms. It's going to make for an interesting battle to be sure. And at the end of it, there's still Ordinemon. Now, I know what a lot of you are thinking, but I'm not going to spoil anything, so let's just get to it.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 138: Why We Fight

"I'm not going down without a fight," EmperorGreymon declared. "So you can take your so-called act of kindness and shove it up your-"

"Talking is pointless here," OmniShoutmon growled. "We should just end this quickly before her miasma spreads too far and does too much damage."

"I can take care of it," Ophanimon declared. "Air Sefi-"

"Don't bother," the dragon Digimon interrupted again. "Her wings are constantly producing miasma. Even if you blow it away, you'll only buy us a few seconds at most. It's not worth it. Better to save your energy."

"Yeah, and it looks like we're going to need it all," said Gallantmon, eyeing all the artificial Digimon.

Ordinemon let out a roar, and the artificial attacked. Predictably, each group went after the DigiDestined they were based off of, and each found themselves facing off against dozens of their pre-Digivolutions.

"Pepper Breath!" the several dozen fake Agumon cried, shooting fireballs at Omnimon.

The knight Digimon easily knocked them aside with a swipe of his sword as a dozen or so fake Greymon and MetalGreymon came at him. He dodged as a MetalGreymon swiped at him, and took to the air as a Greymon attempted to ram into him with their Great Horns Attack. Numerous Nova Blast and Giga Blaster attacks flew up at him, and he swerved and dodged them.

Three fake WarGreymon came at him. One used its Great Tornado, and Omnimon dodged out of the way before quickly blocking a War Driver attack from another. The third flew up higher and threw a Terra Force at both of them.

"The hell with this," Omnimon growled, and turned so the artificial WarGreymon he was fighting was turned towards the attack before kicking it into the Terra Force. The attack exploded, destroying the fake WarGreymon. Then he quickly had to turn to block against the artificial Omnimon, their two blades clanging together.

"I'm not losing to some phony," he growled. "Omni Blast!"

The explosion of lightning from his attack shocked the fake Omniomon, and the real one pressed his cannon against it and fired. The artificial Omnimon was blasted back, and Omnimon slayed it with his Transcendent Sword.

A series of fireballs struck Omnimon's back, and he turned to find several more artificial Digimon all around him.

"This is going to take a while," he grumbled, and went in to attack as Gallantmon's spear flew past him.

"Crimson Light!" Gallantmon cried, as his spear tore a hole in the sky and brought down a beam upon the crowd of fake Guilmon and Growlmon, destroying several of them. He then produced two swords of light and blocked the two fake Gallantmon that came at him with their lances. A third came at him and fired its Shield of the Just. Gallantmon was blasted back, right into the arms of an artificial WarGrowlmon. It wrapped its arms around him, and a fake Gallantmon Crimson Mode came at him.

The strength of an Ultimate, let alone a fake one, was no match for a Mega, and Gallantmon burst out of the fake WarGrowlmon's grip. He spun around, slicing it in half, then turned to block the artificial Gallantmon CM.

"Final Justice!" he cried, blasting away his copy.

Suddenly, several of the fake WarGrowlmon dog-piled on top of him from up above. Gallantmon bulked under their weight and crashed to the ground, only to have the remaining fake Guilmon and Growlmon piled on top of him as well.

EmperorGreymon stabbed his sword into the ground and unleashed his Pyro Dragons. Instead of focusing on a single target though, he sent them out to attack many. Numerous fake Flamemon were easily destroyed, but the Champion and up proved to be more difficult.

Suddenly, nine other streaming dragon-heads of fire appeared and latched onto EmperorGreymon, holding him in place. He turned to see a fake EmperorGreymon using Pyro Dragons as well, and several other fake Digimon moved in to attack.

"Nice try," EmperorGreymon called, just before the ground beneath him exploded, breaking him free of his imprisonment and launching him into the air.

He headed for the fake EmperorGreymon, knowing it would be the most important to take it out first since it was the strongest of his copies, but a fake BurningGreymon got into his path. He sliced through it instead, and then the fake EmperorGreymon was launched into the air as well. The two crashed together, the force of their swords meeting causing a shockwave that shook the ground.

"Soaring Nine Headed Dragon Force!" EmperorGreymon cried, unleashing a dragon spirit. It seized the fake EmperorGreymon and carried it off. The real one then took aim with his sword. "Dragonfire Crossbow!"

The attack destroyed the artificial one, and EmperorGreymon dropped to the ground. An artificial Aldamon charged at him, and he fired his attack again. And as the crowd of fake Digimon rushed forward, he repeatedly fired over and over again as he spun around.

Ophanimon had wrapped herself in a holy tornado with her Eden's Air, and was currently firing her Eden's Javelin at the fake Nefertimon and Angewomon, ignoring the artificial Salamon for now. But then her tornado suddenly dispersed as it was countered by a fake Ophanimon.

The copy came at her, stabbing with its javelin, and Ophanimon blocked with her Unicorn Shield. But then another fake Ophanimon hit her from behind with its Eden's Javelin, and when she turned around, she was hit by another, then by a third.

"Shining Laser!" she cried, firing lasers from her hands at the two fakes, countering their attacks. She then turned around and used her Sefirot Crystal, destroying the third.

On reflex, her hand shot out and caught a Celestial Arrow shot by a fake Angewomon. This was followed by a series of Rosetta Stone attacks from several of the fake Nefertimon. Even the artificial Salamon fired their Puppy Howling attacks up at her. Ophanimon turned to them and began firing her Eden's Needle.

"Strike of the Seven Stars!" Seraphimon cried, destroying one of the fake MagnaAngemon. All around him, the artificial Patamon proceeded to fire their Boom Bubble attacks, but he ignored them, his main focus on the half-dozen fake MagnaAngemon and the two fake Seraphimon. He knew what they were capable of, and they made him very, very nervous.

"Omni Tornado!" all the Angemon cried at once.

Numerous tornadoes appeared, merging into a single giant one around Seraphimon. He held himself in place against the heavy winds, keeping an eye on the copies that worried him the most.

"Justice Genome!" he cried, increasing the power of his Light attacks. "Hallowed Knuckle!"

He began repeatedly punching outward, sending out balls of light. They either destroyed the fake Angemon or knocked them back, and when the last one was dealt with, he produced his sword.

"Excalibur!" he cried, slicing through the tornado around him, causing it to disperse. But as he had been doing this, the six fake MagnaAngemon had circled him. He knew what was going to happen before it did.

"Gate of Destiny!" they all cried.

Six golden gates appeared and began to draw Seraphimon in. He resisted, and, fortunately, the suction from each gate seemed to cancel out the others. But he knew what fate would befall him should he get sucked into one.

"Hallowed Ascension!" he cried, bringing lightning down on the fakes. All but two of the artificial MagnaAngemon were destroyed, but all six Gates of Destiny closed and vanished.

"Strike of the Seven Stars!"

The attack hadn't come from Seraphimon, but one of his copies. He was blasted back, and then had to quickly block as the other one came at him with its sword. And as the two struggled, Seraphimon managed to punch the fake in the face while using his Hallowed Knuckle, knocking it away.

The scuffle had caused him to lose sight of the other fake Seraphimon, and when he caught sight of it again, his stomach dropped out from beneath him. The artificial Seraphimon was glowing, and had what appeared to be a halo over its head. "Rising-"

"NO!" Seraphimon bellowed, and charged at the fake. "Excalibur!"

He stabbed forward, plunging his sword into the copy's face. It stabbed straight through the fake's helmet and out the back of its head, but Seraphimon was taking no chances, and used his Strike of the Seven Stars to completely destroy it.

OmniShoutmon paused in his battle against one of his copies. "Did that one just try to-"

"Yes!" Seraphimon exclaimed.

The dragon Digimon swore, and an artificial Shoutmon suddenly latched onto his face. He ripped it off and crushed it in his fist. "This can't go on. We've got to get rid of these phonies so we can deal with the real problem. Especially your copies."

Five fake OmniShoutmon suddenly grabbed hold of him. Seraphimon flew over and knocked them off. "Then let's regroup and take them on together."

OmniShoutmon nodded and whistled loudly. "Guys, over here, quick!"

A few moments later, the rest of the DigiDestined flew over as they managed to break away from their fights.

"What's up?" EmperorGreymon asked.

"No time for questions," OmniShoutmon told them. "Just destroy the last fake Seraphimon and the MagnaAngemon."

They did as they were told and turned their attacks on the fake angel Digimon, grateful that the copies weren't too hard to destroy. The artificial Seraphimon went down, followed by the last two MagnaAngemon. But that still left several other artificial Digimon, and they all came charging at the DigiDestined.

"Enough is enough," Omnimon growled in frustration. "Let's blast these fakes out of the sky. Supreme Cannon!"

"Final Justice!"

"Dragonfire Crossbow!"

"Eden's Needle!"

"Hallowed Knuckle!"

"Flame Cannon!"

An onslaught of attacks bombarded against the approaching groups of artificial Digimon. They began dropping in rapid succession as they recklessly charged forward towards the DigiDestined.

"We're doing good, guys," Omnimon cheered. "Keep it up."

"Magna Visibility!" Ordinemon suddenly cried, and her orbs unleashed their innumerable series of beams in every direction. All the remaining artificial Digimon were destroyed, and the DigiDestined were blasted as well. Ordinemon loomed over them. "This fighting is pointless. You've seen my power. You cannot win. Accept your fate and die in peace."

Gallantmon gave her a look of sheer disbelief. "You really expect us to just die and let you destroy the world? I don't care if that is your purpose, it ain't happening, lady."

"I do not wish for needless suffering," the fallen angel Digimon replied, sounding genuinely sad. "Believe me when I say that this is for the best."

"That's just you're opinion!" Seraphimon exclaimed. "And what if you're wrong? You must know it's not really true. Boltboutamon forced your coming; it wasn't necessary. At least give us a fighting chance."

Ordinemon was silent for a few moments, as if she were considering what he said. "Then come. Come and change destiny."

She let out a roar, and her wings suddenly shifted. What seemed to be countless tentacles made entirely of feathers flew out of them, the ends shaping themselves into hands. The DigiDestined took off in different directions, but it was pointless, as there were so many that several dozen of the reaching feather tentacles followed after each one of them.

"Transcendent Sword!" Omnimon cried, and began slicing away at the tentacles. The ends were sliced off, but that only bought him a few seconds, as it seemed that new ends would sprout from them moments later.

Swearing at the futility of the situation, Omnimon turned his gaze to Ordinemon. From what he understood about Digivolution, since she had just recently Digivolved, it should take her some time to properly adapt to her new form before her real power was reached. And while that meant that she would only become stronger, for now it left her somewhat vulnerable, not to mention both Raguelmon and Ophanimon FM had been fighting before they had DNA Digivolved together. Their best chance to destroy her was to move fast before she got used to her new form.

"Dash Grey Sword!" he cried, flying through the forest of feather tentacles, slashing through them as he went along.

Ordinemon looked up at him as he appeared before her actual body. She was enormous. His entire body was the size of her head alone, and that wasn't even counting her wings, which were over a hundred times bigger than her body.

But Omnimon didn't let her size intimidate him as he raised both arms. "Double Shot!"

Blasts of fire and ice exploded against Ordinemon's face. The fallen angel Digimon roared and lashed out with her double helix-like appendages. Omnimon blocked with his sword and took aim with his cannon, but Ordinemon opened her mouth and fired her End of the World attack. Omnimon cried out as the attack carried him off, erupting when it hit the ground.

"Tai!" Ophanimon cried. She had been flying around to avoid the tentacles, but now doubled back. A wall of tentacles was in her path, reaching for her, and she blasted through with her Eden's Javelin.

Ordinemon turned her attention to her and fired her Magna Visibility. Ophanimon deflected the beams with her Unicorn Shield, destroying several more tentacles with the rebounds in the process.

"Eden's Air!" she cried, creating a tornado around the fallen angel Digimon. Ordinemon roared at her, and Ophanimon followed up with her Sefirot Crystal.

Ordinemon's wings rose up and whipped out, causing the tornado to disperse. Dozens of more tentacles flew out towards Ophanimon. She tried to fight them off, but there were too many. They grabbed and tore at her, and finally slammed her to the ground and pinned her there.

Then several more tentacles emerged, these with spear-like ends. They flew down to impale Ophanimon, but moments before they could, Seraphimon rushed over and sliced them off with his Excalibur.

"Hang on," he called to his fellow angel Digimon as she slashed away at the tentacles now reaching for him. "I'll get you free in just a minute."

She shook her head as she struggled against the tentacles' hold. "Don't worry about me! Just get Ordinemon while you can!"

He hesitated. "But…"

"TK, you were right, we can't let our personal feelings get involved! Attack her, now!"

Knowing that she was right, he swore and flew up towards Ordinemon, slashing through the tentacles along the way. She fired her End of the World, and he countered with his Strike of the Seven Stars. The blast that followed provided cover, allowing Seraphimon to circle around and fire again at the back of her head.

One of Ordinemon's hair-tentacles suddenly shot out and coiled around Seraphimon's leg. It yanked him forward, bringing him to the front of Ordinemon. Seraphimon cut himself free with his sword, and Ordinemon roared at him just before her orbs flashed.

Seraphimon realized she was about to unleash her Magna Visibility attack and quickly used his Hallowed Ascension. Lightning came down as countless beams erupted from Ordinemon's orbs. It managed to cancel out a portion of Ordinemon's attacks, but not enough to save Seraphimon.

Ordinemon moved forward to impale the angel Digimon with her double helix-arm, but Gallantmon flew forward from out of the forest of feather tentacles. He blocked Ordinemon's stab with one of his spears of light, and held up his other one. "Final Justice!"

A beam erupted in her face, and a roar escaped her. She sent out several more feather tentacles, and they coiled around Gallantmon in a tight cocoon. A few moments later, he came bursting out, and threw his spear into the sky, unleashing his Crimson Light.

The attack came down on the fallen angel Digimon, and she roared once again. Her wings came up and spread out, seemingly covering the entire sky. Countless feather tentacles rained down from them, the ends pointed, and they stabbed into Gallantmon, bringing him crashing to the ground, his wings, limbs, and two areas of his torso impaled.

EmperorGreymon came slicing through the tentacles, and let out a growl when he saw what had become of his friends. "It's those damn wings of hers. We've got to get rid of them."

Forcing his way through the tentacles, he dropped to the ground, stabbing his sword into it. Using his Pyro Dragons, he sent out the nine dragon-headed streams of fire to take care of the tentacles that kept coming after him. The explosion beneath him then launched him up towards Ordinemon.

Several more tentacles came reaching for him, the ends shaped like hands, but he used his Purgatory Sword Dance, unleashing a series of sword combinations moves to cut his way through. Ordinemon turned to him and roared as he approached.

"Roar at this, ugly!" he shouted back. "Soaring Nine Headed Dragon Force!"

His nine headed dragon spirit emerged and collided with Ordinemon. The dragon spirit pushed her back as EmperorGreymon flew for her wings. "Soaring Flame Edge!"

His sword burst into flames and cut clean through Ordinemon's left wing. A blood-curdling roar escaped her as the wing was severed from her body, and she went lopsided as it dissolved into data.

"Eat that!" EmperorGreymon shouted victoriously.

Ordinemon opened her mouth and fired her End of the World. EmperorGreymon managed to dodge the black wave, but the movement brought him too close to Ordinemon. One of her head tentacles rose into the air and came down hard on him. The whipping tentacle sent him speeding to the ground, hitting it so hard he created a crater.

Ordinemon roared, but EmperorGreymon managed to chuckle from inside the crater as he cracked an eye open. "It was worth it. What are you going to do now, ugly?"

But Ordinemon's expression didn't change. She still wore the same sad, resolved look on her face as before. "It's useless."

From the severed area, an entirely new wing grew where the old one once was until it was as if she had never lost it at all.

"Oh, come on!" EmperorGreymon bellowed.

Ordinemon roared, and suddenly from her regenerated wing, a giant mass of feathers dropped down and crushed EmperorGreymon, knocking the wind out of him.

"Don't despair!" OmniShoutmon called as he proceeded to dodge and attack the tentacles chasing after him. "She may not look it, but we're wearing her down. If I could just shake these tentacles. Doom Drillpress!"

His attack allowed him to shred his way through the tentacles. Ordinemon turned to him as he approached. "You can't win. End of the World!"

The black wave of destruction burst from her mouth. OmniShoutmon used his Heavy Metal Vulcan to block the attack, then flew over the firewall and the explosion it blocked. "Omni Core Fusion!"

The attack slammed into Ordinemon, and she jolted back. OmniShoutmon flew at her, throwing his Twin Fireball Strike to ward off any reaching tentacles and hit Ordinemon when he could. And just when he was close enough that the fallen angel Digimon reached for him, he used his Omni Torpedo to plow into her.

"I won't let you destroy the world!" he shouted, and a moment later, a series of tentacles suddenly grabbed OmniShoutmon from behind and yanked him away from the fallen angel Digimon.

Ordinemon lifted him up and then slammed him down on the ground. Ordinemon's limbs stabbed into the ground right by him. An inch or two to the right, and he would have been skewered. He cracked his eyes open and looked up at her, noticing that she appeared to be a little more sad than usual.

"Why?" she asked quietly. "Why won't you let me save you? Why do you fight so hard to preserve this world when there is so much suffering in it? Don't you see that I want to free you all from your pain? It will be better to just destroy this world and let everything start over again from scratch. Why won't you just let me restart everything?"

"Supreme Cannon!"

Ordinemon looked up, only to be blasted in the face. She stumbled back, her limb tearing out of the ground. Omnimon came speeding back to the battle, looking heavily damaged from the attack he had taken. Ordinemon roared at him and sent several tentacles his way.

Using his Transcendent Sword, Omnimon cut through the tentacles. He took aim with his cannon and fired at the ones pinning his friends down. They immediately leapt up and regrouped before flying towards Ordinemon again as Omnimon caught up and brought up the rear.

The orbs on Ordinemon's wings began to glow as she prepared to attack. OmniShoutmon suddenly jumped up and used Omni Torpedo to fly straight up and plow into Ordinemon's lower jaw. Her head snapped back as she ceased her attack, and the dragon Digimon blasted her again with his Victorize Banking before one of her giant wings smacked him away.

A snarl escaped Ordinemon as she returned her attention to the approaching DigiDestined. Countless tentacles flew out of her wings, reaching out for them.

"Dragon Soul Sword!" EmperorGreymon cried out in the lead, and began hacking his way through the tentacles. There were too many though, and he was eventually seized by a number of them and smashed to the ground. "Keep going!"

The DigiDestined did just that, continuing on towards Ordinemon. Several more tentacles came at them. Gallantmon used his Gungnir attack to throw first one spear then the other, and they tore through the tentacles. More came at him, but instead of coming straight on, they came from above and below, curving downward and upward. Gallantmon created new swords of light and began slashing, but was soon overwhelmed and was lost amongst an entourage of tentacles.

"Give up!" Ordinemon shouted. "You can't win! End of the World!"

"Strike of the Seven Stars!" Seraphimon cried, attempting to counter. The colliding attacks caused an explosion that he was caught up in, leaving only Ophanimon and Omnimon.

"Why won't you stop?" Ordinemon wailed. "Magna Visibility!"

The omnidirectional lasers fired. Ophanimon stayed in front of her brother, deflecting them with her Unicorn Shield. She cried out as she struggled under the strain of holding back the attack, and managed to deflect a portion of the lasers to create an opening.

"Omega Sword!" Omnimon cried pouring all his strength into his sword.

He stabbed forward, stabbing into Ordinemon's neck, the blade burying up to the hilt into her throat. A gurgling sound escaped the fallen angel Digimon, and it became a screech as she was flooded with electricity from Omnimon's Omni Blast.

"You want to know why we won't stop?" he said in a strangely calm voice. "It's because despite all the horrible things going on and the amount of suffering we undergo, this world is still worth living in and saving, and so we fight to protect it."

He sliced his sword, cutting outward. Ordinemon's head fell back, half severed from her body. Then, slowly, her wings began to break down into data, as did her legs, the dissolving slowly making its way up her torso.

"If you truly wish for this world to continue," she said in a pleading voice, "then I beg you to try and put an end to the suffering in it."

A strange feeling that he couldn't explain overcame Omnimon as he stared at the place where Ordinemon's eyes should have been. "You have my word."

The ghost of smile appeared on the fallen angel Digimon's face, but she said nothing as she disappeared. The rest of the DigiDestined floated over to him. All were strangely silent. For some reason, the victory felt hallow, and not because they failed to save Davis. Even OmniShoutmon seemed gloomy as he absorbed Ordinemon's data.

"The miasma's clearing," Gallantmon muttered.

"Makes sense," said Ophanimon. "With Ordinemon gone, her miasma's dispersing."

Several more seconds passed before EmperGreymon voiced all their thoughts. "Why do I feel bad? She was going to destroy the world, and thought of it as a mercy."

OmniShoutmon sighed. "It's because Ordinemon is a tragic Digimon. Despite being born from wicked Digimon like Raguelmon and Ophanimon Falldown Mode, Ordinemon was not actually truly evil herself. She was supposed to appear only if all hope for the world was lost and was already on the verge of meeting its end. Boltboutamon forced her birth when it shouldn't have happened."

"Bastard," Omnimon growled. "That guy may be even more evil than the Demon Lords. They at least are motivated by a desire to rule. Boltboutamon just seems to want to cause pain and spread darkness wherever he goes because he thinks it's fun."

"He's pure evil," said Seraphimon. "We can't let him keep doing this." He sighed. "I've decided, we have to take him out. I know we need to defeat the Demon Lords in order to save the world from their rule, free the Sovereigns, and go home, but I can't go back knowing that we let Boltboutamon run free. That's why I'm going to stop him. Even if we beat the Demon Lords and get the chance to go home, I'm going to make sure Boltboutamon is defeated first, even if I have to do it alone."

Ophanimon placed a hand on his shoulder. "You won't be alone, because I'm going to make sure to stop him too."

"So am I," said EmperorGreymon.

"I guess we all feel the same," Gallantmon replied, glancing at his fellow knight Digimon. "Right, Omnimon?"

He nodded. "Of course. It's just like when we decided to defeat Devimon. Boltboutamon must be stopped."

They all looked at OmniShoutmon expectantly. The dragon Digimon stared back for a few moments before letting out a sigh. "Ah, what the hell; I guess our chances are about the same as defeating the Demon Lords. We probably won't even make it that far anyway."

Omnimon nodded. "Alright then, it's decided. Boltboutamon is officially on our hit list. First we rescue Davis, then we defeat the Demon Lords and Boltboutamon."

The others all cheered as they punched the air. All except OmniShoutmon. He had already made it clear on several occasions that defeating the Demon Lords was a fool's errand. There would be little point in mentioning how their goals were entering more and more into the realm of the impossible.

Notes:

(A/N: Phew, this battle was a doozy to write, especially when they were facing off against their copies. But I guess it made for a nice throwback. What, were you expecting Omnimon Merciful Mode to appear? Sorry, nope, but he was the one to land the finishing blow on Ordinemon. And with her defeat, they not only saved the world from her, they defeated the last of the Anti-DigiDestined. All except one. They still need to find a way to save Davis, if they can. Stay tuned to see where things go from here.)

Chapter 139: The Ultimate God of Destruction

Notes:

(A/N: Hello, readers. Before we get started I need to go over something. I sometimes get questions from my readers who are only reading as guests. I have no problem with answering questions, but it's very hard to answer them if you're a guest user because I can't respond, and instead have to post them in my Author's Notes like I'm doing now, which I'm really not a fan doing. It's free to sign up on FanFiction, and it allows you to use the website's additional features like Private Messaging, Favoriting, Following, receiving updates, and more, so I would recommend doing it. But to answer the question of why GrandisKuwagamon didn't leave behind an X-Antibody when he was defeated, it's because even though some Digimon are stated to be carriers of the X-Antibody, they don't actually possess one. Really only Digimon with X in their name actually have one, as it's required in order to Digivolve to an X form. For those like GrandisKuwagamon, even though he's stated to be a carrier of an X-Antibody, he doesn't actually need one in order to become GrandisKuwagamon, so he wouldn't leave one behind when destroyed in these instances. Now, Okuwamon X, who Digivolves from a regular Okuwamon after obtaining an X-Antibody, can Digivolve to GrandisKuwagamon, in which case, yes, he would have left behind an X-Antibody, but this GrandisKuwagamon Digivolved from GranKuwagamon, who did not possess an X-Antibody, which is why he didn't leave one behind when he was defeated. Hope that clears things up, now on with the story.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 139: The Ultimate God of Destruction

A frustrated growl escaped Laylamon as she watched Ordinemon's defeat. The Monitamon sweated nervously as the Demon Lord tapped her fingers on her armrest in frustration.

"How annoying," she seethed, biting down on her bottom lip. "And after all that time I spent putting together that team to fight the humans, they barely provided any entertainment. Their battle with Ordinemon proved to be more amusing."

Which reminded her.

Getting up from her throne, she stormed through her castle and entered the room where the unconscious BlackImperialdramon rested with Blastmon tending to him. She ignored them for now as she looked around for the one she was really looking for.

"Boltboutamon!" she bellowed. "Where are you? Come here now!"

A portal opened, and the demon Digimon appeared. He took off his hat and bowed low to her. "What can I do for you, my lady?"

Laylamon held back a hiss; she had detected the traces of mockery in his tone and stance. "You took certain liberties with the team I sent. I did not give the order to have Ordinemon birthed."

"Of course not," said Boltboutamon, "because, I assume, that despite your genius, you did not consider birthing her as a possibility. I, however, considered all options. So when the team began to fall, I simply sought to salvage your victory any way I could. I was merely acting in your best interest to help you achieve victory."

Laylamon's eyes flashed violently. "By unleashing a creature whose sole purpose is to destroy the world? We seek to rule the world, not destroy it."

Boltboutamon bowed his head even lower so that his face was practically pressed to the floor, although there was still a visible grin on his face. "Forgive me if I overstepped, my lady. I knew the threat that Ordinemon's birth presented to the world, but I knew that the power of a Demon Lord would be more than enough to control her, if not destroy her." He looked up slightly. "Unless, of course, I was mistaken, and not even the mighty Laylamon could have stopped her."

It took all of Laylamon's self-restraint to hold herself back. Even if she lashed out at the demon Digimon, she knew that he was likely just one of his duplicates, and all it would do would show that he got to her. "I do not appreciate your cheek."

Boltboutamon chuckled quietly, lowering his head once more. "I offer no cheek. It was just a fleeting thought when I suggested that I may have overestimated your strength. Of course you would have been able to control Ordinemon; I never should have voiced such an outrageous thought."

Laylamon regarded him suspiciously. "Did you plan to bring forth Ordinemon this whole time? It was you who suggested that I include Raguelmon on the team."

The demon Digimon raised his head. "Of course not, my lady. I simply thought she would be a good choice. I had no plans of bringing forth Ordinemon at the time. After all, it was you who chose Ophanimon Falldown Mode. I gave no input there. No, to have the two DNA Digivolve to Ordinemon was a spur of the moment decision, one that I once again apologize for if I overstepped in my actions."

Laylamon studied him carefully, but couldn't tell if he was lying or not. It was true that she had chosen Ophanimon FM after he had suggested Raguelmon, but it was possible that he somehow knew that she would pick the corrupt Ophanimon. Boltboutamon was a master manipulator, and she did not like the fact that she felt as if she had been manipulated. If only she could use her power of lust to put him under her spell to truly make him loyal to her, but it seemed that he was somehow immune to her power, and not because he was in love with someone.

She dismissed him with a wave of her hand. "Get out of my sight. And next time, do not forget which one of us is in charge."

Boltboutamon bowed once more. "Of course, my lady." A portal opened up beneath him, and he sank into it. "Whatever you say."

humph escaped Laylamon as she one again wondered why she and the other Demon Lords tolerated him. They'd spoken of simply disposing of him before, but had always decided against it since, despite his insubordination, he was a powerful soldier who proved to be very useful. But there was always this small nagging thought deep in the back of Laylamon's head that told her that the real reason why they never chose to destroy him was because they would regret it if they tried.

She shook her head, putting the outrageous thought out of mind, and turned her attention to BlackImperialdramon. Ophanimon attacking the essence of the Dark Spore inside him had been unexpected, and she wondered if the angel Digimon might have actually been successful at purging it from his body if given more time.

"How is he?" she asked Blastmon.

The mineral Digimon glanced at her. "I'm not entirely sure. The Dark Spore has been tampered with. He may be less aggressive than before, and less inclined to give into dark urges."

"But still willing to do what he needs to in order to get what he wants," she finished for him. She tapped her chin in thought. "Hmm, I may have a solution to fix that. And to make sure the humans won't be able to purge the Dark Spore from him should they try again."

"I'm certain that whatever you have planned will work perfectly," Blastmon replied confidentially. Then a small frown crossed his face. "But what are we going to do about the humans now? At the rate they're going, they'll be here in just a few days."

She raised an eyebrow. "That almost sounds as if you're worried."

The mineral Digimon detected her threatening tone and quickly clarified. "No, not at all! I know the humans are no match for you. I was simply wondering what your plan was. Are you going to face them yourself?"

Laylamon gave a bark of laughter. "Don't be absurd. You expect me to lift so much as a finger to kill those little nothings? They're not even worthy to be killed by me." An evil grin spread across her face, and she drummed her fingers together gleefully. "Besides, I have yet to use my trump card."

Blastmon's eyes widened. "You don't mean… him, do you? Isn't that a little reckless? Not to mention overkill?"

The Demon Lord chuckled. "That's the point, my little pet. I plan to make those humans feel the true hopelessness of their quest as they stare death in the face."

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

"Well," said Takuya as he and the others stared at the sight before them, "I guess I can cross visiting the Grand Canyon off my bucket list."

"Yeah, no kidding," Takato replied, "this thing is huge."

They stood before a massive canyon. They had seen others in their travels, but never one this big. It had to have been at least a mile across.

"Maybe we should stop here for today," TK suggested.

Takato gave him a strange look. "Really, right here? Don't you remember what happened the last time we stayed too close to a ledge for too long? The Machine Mercenaries showed up, and we almost ended up at the bottom of the canyon."

Kari frowned in thought. "Whatever happened to those three anyway?"

Takuya shrugged. "Who cares? As long as they're not coming after us anymore."

TK sighed. "I didn't mean right here. I meant over there."

He pointed to the wall of the canyon. There was a small cave present there. It wasn't that big, and it only went in a dozen feet or so, but it looked more than big enough for the six of them.

Tai nodded. "Good eye, TK. We can stay hidden there. I doubt anyone will find us there."

Takuya crossed his arms. "Yeah, I guess it's a good spot, but are we really going to climb all the way down there?"

Shoutmon smacked his head. "Climb all the… You idiot. Shoutmon Digivolve to… OmniShoutmon!"

He gathered the teens up in his arms and leapt off the ledge. Takuya's eyes widened and he suddenly felt foolish. "Oh, right…"

OmniShoutmon landed in the little cave in the side of the canyon and set them down. He chose not to DeDigivolve though and took a seat, needing to crouch down in order to fit in the cave. "Geez, Takuya, you pulling a Davis?"

A small chuckle escaped the teen. "Yeah, I guess so. Probably just tired."

"Well, it's been a long day of traveling," said Tai. "And tomorrow will be just as long."

"Same as every other day," Kari pointed out.

The dragon Digimon gave them a smile. "Well, don't worry about it too much. We should reach Laylamon's castle in a few days. That's when we can worry. Now you guys sit tight, I'm going to get us some firewood."

He leapt out of the cave and flew up out of sight. The teens watched him go, waving slightly. The smiles soon faded from their faces though as they thought about the dragon Digimon's words.

"A few days, huh?" Takato muttered. "Do you think we'll be able to rescue Davis before then?"

Tai sighed. "I don't know. All we can do is hope."

TK glanced at Kari. "Do you think your purification had any affect on him?"

Her shoulders sank. "I honestly don't know. It did something to him, but I don't know if it actually helped."

"It did," Tai said with conviction. "Boltboutamon wouldn't have interfered if it wasn't helping."

Takato voiced something that had been nagging at the back of his mind. "But what if it wasn't helping him? What if it was killing him instead, and Boltboutamon only interfered because he didn't want to lose an ally?"

The others were silent for several long moments as they considered this. They exchanged uncomfortable looks with each other, and finally Tai spoke. "I don't think so. Knowing what we know about Boltboutamon, he would probably prefer it if we did end up killing Davis by accident, just because of how it would affect us psychologically and emotionally."

"Tai's right," came OmniShoutmon's voice as he reappeared at the cave entrance with large tree branches in his arms. "That would be exactly the sort of thing Boltboutamon would do. Besides, it's not like the Demon Lords actually need Davis with the amount of power they're packing. Recruiting him was just a way to hurt us."

Kari gave him a hopeful look. "Then you really think it was working?"

The dragon Digimon nodded. "Oh, yes, I think so. I'd never heard of anyone purging a Dark Spore from another's body before, but it's possible that it was never tried, or, like with you, it was never completed, and so was believed to be impossible."

TK let out a relieved sigh. "Well, thank goodness for that. We'll just have to make sure no one interferes next time."

"And then we'll get Davis back to normal!" Takato declared happily. He turned to Kari. "This must be the fortune AncientWisemon gave you. How did it go again? Something about how there will be an enemy we must not destroy? It has to be referring to Davis, right? It was telling you not to kill Davis, because he can be saved."

Kari smiled and gave a small nod. "I was thinking that too."

"Great!" said Takuya. "So next time, a few of us will hold him down while Kari purifies him, and the rest of us will cover her."

OmniShoutmon shook his head. "I don't think it'll be that easy next time. Laylamon will take precautions to make sure we can't purify him."

"So we destroy her first then?" Takato asked.

Again, OmniShoutmon shook his head. "We won't stand a chance without Imperialdramon on our side. Even with his help, our chances-"

"Are practically non-existent, we know," Tai interrupted. He let out a sigh. "It won't do us any good to worry about it. Let's just have something to eat and then rest up for the night."

"Yeah, about that," said TK as he went through their supplies. "We're almost out of rations. We'll need to restock soon."

OmniShoutmon set down the wood in a pile and ignited it with a Twin Fireball Strike. "It'll be fine. We'll be able to restock at Laylamon's castle. Considering we survive of course."

They fell into small talk after that, avoiding the more uncomfortable topics as they ate. It was some time into their meal when a shadow briefly passed them. It seemed that only Takato took notice of it though, and poked his head out of the cave. At first he had thought that a cloud had passed in front of the moon, but it had happened too fast to be a cloud.

He had been half right though. Something had passed in front of the moon and it was now currently flying through the canyon. It was a large red and blue Digimon that looked like a strange cross between a bird, a dragon, and, perhaps, an insect. It circled about like a predator on the hunt, ready to swoop down and snatch up its prey.

"Takato, what are you doing?" said Tai. "Get away from there before you slip or something."

Takato pulled his head back in. "Sorry, there's this Digimon flying around out there. OmniShoutmon, do you know who it is?"

The dragon Digimon rolled his eyes. "There's lots of Digimon; we don't need to worry about every last…" He trailed off as he looked out into the canyon, and his eyes widened as he caught sight of the Digimon. "Holy Sovereigns!"

He immediately stomped out the fire and crouched down low as the Digimon flew by once more.

"Um, OmniShoutmon," Takuya muttered, "what are you-"

"Shut the hell up unless you want to get us all killed. That's Chronomon Destroy Mode out there."

He said this as if it meant something, but the teens were completely clueless. "Ok," said TK, "the Destroy Mode part sounds bad, but are we supposed to know who that is?"

"For King Drasil's sake, will you keep your voice down!" OmniShoutmon hissed quietly. "Chronomon is the strongest of all the gods of destruction Digimon. Heck, he's one of the strongest of all Digimon. If he finds us, we're done for."

The shadow passed by again, and this time there was a whoosh sound, indicating how close the god Digimon was to their cave.

"You make him sound like he's stronger than any of the Demon Lords," Tai whispered.

OmniShoutmon glared at him. "He is stronger. Stronger even than Lucemon. Chronomon is one of the very few Digimon that has bypassed the Mega level and reached the Ultra level. There is no way we can win."

The shadow passed by again, closer still.

"Figures we'd run into someone like that," Takuya grumbled.

OmniShoutmon shook his head. "This is no coincidence. He was sent here by Laylamon to kill us; I'm certain of it."

"How?" Kari asked. "If Chronomon is so much stronger than Laylamon…"

"You think the Demon Lords don't have ways to control Digimon stronger than them? Chronomon is a relentless force of destruction. It's simply a matter if directing that destructive instinct. Now get down and keep quiet!"

They all fell silent after that. The shadow passed by once more, so close that the wind from him flying by blew through the cave.

Then it was silent. OmniShoutmon still wouldn't let the teens move or speak for several long moments afterwards. Slowly, he began to rise, and crept to the entrance. Slower still, he began to stick his head out of the opening.

A large face suddenly appeared in the cave entrance and roared. OmniShoutmon jumped back in fright as the teens screamed. Chronomon continued to roar, then raised his fist and drove it into the cave entrance.

OmniShoutmon pushed the teens to the back of the cave, but there was very little room. Fortunately, it seemed that Chronomon's fist was too big to get inside the cave, and it instead smashed against the entrance, cracking the rock.

"Jump!" OmniShoutmon shouted, leaping towards the entrance when Chronomon pulled his fist back. "Victorize Banking!"

His attack slammed into Chronomon's head in a continuous beam. The god Digimon roared and pulled back as OmniShoutmon flew out, still firing his attack. The teens immediately took OmniShoutmon's advice and leapt out of the cave, falling down to the bottom of the canyon.

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Omnimon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Gallantmon Crimson Mode!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… EmperorGreymon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Ophanimon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Seraphimon!"

The DigiDestined pulled out of their falls and flew up to join OmniShoutmon in the air. They now got a proper look at Chronomon, and saw that he did indeed look quite powerful. Was he really an Ultra level? With how rare they were, they hadn't thought that they would ever see one.

"We can't win this," OmniShoutmon told them. "Chronomon is too powerful. We have to flee."

"And go where?" Seraphimon asked. "If Laylamon sent this guy after us, he'll just keep hunting us even if we do escape."

"Plus, we can't let the Demon Lords have someone this powerful at their disposal," Omnimon added. "We should just take him out now. Transcendent Sword!"

He flew towards the god Digimon as OmniShoutmon yelled after him, "You're going to get us all killed!"

Quick as lightning, Chronomon's giant clawed hand shot out and grabbed Omnimon before his attack could land. Spinning around, he threw the knight Digimon so hard into the canyon wall that he buried into it.

Gallantmon winced. "That looked like it hurt."

"Gusty Blade!" Chronomon cried, and unleashed a large blade of wind.

"That'll hurt more!" OmniShoutmon cried. "Fly!"

They did so as the blade of wind sliced straight through the canyon wall, leaving a deep gash in the rock. Chronomon repeated the attack several more times, and the DigiDestined flew along as the blades of wind came at them.

EmperorGreymon turned around as he continued to avoid the wind blades. "Let's see how he likes this. Dragonfire Crossbow!"

The arrow of fire flew through the air and struck Chronomon in the face. He barely even reacted, though he did stop his attack, just long enough to use another one. "Corona!"

He unleashed a stream of fire that filled the entire canyon and beyond. The DigiDestined recoiled from the flames as Omnimon burst out of the canyon wall and flew over to Chronomon, punching him in the side of the head with his cannon hand.

Chronomon barely glanced at him as his hand came up and smacked the knight Digimon away. Omnimon tumbled down to the flames below, but was saved by Gallantmon, who caught him. "You ok?"

"Look out!" Omnimon shouted.

"Holy Flare!" Chronomon cried.

He fired a pillar of light at the two of them. Ophanimon quickly flew in the path of the attack and used her Unicorn Shield to block. She realized her mistake right away. The attack was far too powerful. Not only could she not deflect it, but her shield was beginning to crack.

OmniShoutmon flew over. "You idiot! What are you doing!? You can't deflect that! Heavy Metal Vulcan!"

His flame wall sprung forth in front of Ophanimon. It bought only a split second of time before OmniShoutmon crashed into her, pulling her out of Chronomon's attack's path a moment before it burst through the firewall.

The DigiDestined were blinded by the light of the blast. And when it died down, the already massively wide canyon was notably much wider.

"Phew, that was close," Ophanimon breathed in relief.

"Close nothing," OmniShoutmon growled. "At full power, Chronomon's Holy Flare attack can completely destroy one of the 108 zones that make up the Digital World."

"Then it's a good thing we weren't hit by that," said EmperorGreymon.

"Finger Bomb!" Chronomon cried, materializing a handful of bombs and throwing them at the DigiDestined.

"What about those?" Gallantmon exclaimed.

"Hallowed Ascension!" Seraphimon cried, not wanting to find out.

Lightning rained down between the DigiDestined and Chronomon, the bombs he threw exploding from either the numerous bolts of lightning or getting caught in the blasts of others. Chronomon immediately flew forward, flying towards Seraphimon and delivering a punch.

His giant fist pushed the angel Digimon back until he was smashed against the rock wall. He pulled back to punch again, and EmperorGreymon stabbed him in the back with his Storming Flame attack. Chronomon roared and whirled around, spinning the dragon Digimon along with him and slamming him against the wall. He then pulled away enough to reach back and pull EmperorGreymon off his back. "Dreadful Night!"

EmperorGreymon cried out as he began to feel his life draining away while he was simultaneously plagued by horrific thoughts and visions straight out of a nightmare as a result of the attack. Omnimon and Gallantmon went flying in to attack, and Chronomon glanced at them. He threw EmperorGreymon at them, but they swerved out of the way and fired their attacks.

"Double Shot!"

"Final Justice!"

Chronomon's eyes narrowed as the attacks came at him. "Avenger!"

In a blur of movement, he moved at speeds too fast to see and avoided the attacks. He was suddenly behind the two knight Digimon, his fists raised. He brought them down on them before they even realized what happened and went hurtling towards the fiery ground.

Neither could stop their momentum, and Omnimon just barely managed to fire his Supreme Cannon at the ground, the explosive ice ball extinguishing the flames when it burst, but it still didn't stop them from making painful crash landings.

"What was that?" Ophanimon questioned. "Did he just teleport?"

"No," said OmniShoutmon. "His Avenger allows him to increase his speed. So let's hurry while his back is turned. Omni Core Fusion!"

"Sefirot Crystal!"

The attacks blasted against Chronomon's back. The god Digimon turned to them and roared. "Ghoulish Bind!"

He held out his hand, and it began to glow with dark power. A similar dark aura surrounded OmniShoutmon and Ophanimon, keeping them bound and paralyzed as they cried out in pain.

"Vanishing Touch!" Chronomon cried, firing a blast of dark energy at them.

"Strike of the Seven Stars!" Seraphimon countered, firing his attack to cut off Chronomon's, saving his friends. He then flew at the god Digimon as Chronomon turned to him. "Excalibur!"

He struck with his sword of light, but Chronomon raised his arm, easily blocking the attack as Seraphimon brought his sword down. Chronomon then held up his other hand to the angel Digimon and used his Venom Ball attack.

Seraphimon gasped and recoiled as he felt poison spread through his body. He tried to ignore it though as he used his Hallowed Knuckle attack. It blasted against Chronomon, but the god Digimon didn't even react. Instead, he swatted at Seraphimon. The angel Digimon pulled back, but his movements were sluggish and caused him pain. The poison was quickly taking affect.

"Final Heal!" he cried, and felt instant relief as he healed himself of the poison. "Time for a power boost. Justice Genome!"

The power of his Light attacks increased, and he showed it by punching several balls of light with his Hallowed Knuckle at Chronomon, then fired his Strike of the Seven Stars. He finished his onslaught with his Hallowed Ascension, bringing down several bolts of lightning upon the god Digimon.

"Let's see what that did."

But as it turned out, his attacks seemed to have not done much, if anything at all. Chronomon flew towards Seraphimon and head-butted him, sending the angel Digimon crashing into the canyon wall.

"That hardly affected him at all!" Gallantmon exclaimed. "Even the Demon Lords recoiled from our attacks. Just how strong is this guy?"

"It doesn't matter," EmperorGreymon told him as he flew over to the canyon wall and stabbed his sword into it. "Just keep attacking. Pyro Dragons!"

From out of the canyon wall, the dragon-headed streams of fire emerged and latched onto Chronomon. Gallantmon added his own attack to the mix by using his Crimson Light, throwing his spear into the sky and causing a beam of light to come down on Chronomon.

The side of the canyon wall exploded beneath EmperorGreymon's feet, launching him at the god Digimon. But then, much to the dragon Digimon's surprise, Chronomon tore free of the fire streams and the beam of light.

"Power Sucker!" Chronomon cried at the attacking dragon Digimon.

EmperorGreymon gasped as he felt himself weaken, but still proceeded to go through with his attack.

"Don't!" OmniShoutmon cried. "His Power Sucker lowers your attack power!"

EmperorGreymon ignored him and swiped his sword. Chronomon's large hand shot out, however, grabbing the entire sword and EmperorGreymon's arms. This didn't deter him though as he used his Dragonfire Crossbow.

An explosion went off in Chronomon's hand, but much to EmperorGreymon's surprise, the god Digimon didn't even release him. His other hand came up though and began to emit a poison mist as he prepared to use his Venom Ball.

"Omni Howling!"

"Victorize Banking!"

"Eden's Javelin!"

The three attacks blasted against Chronomon, and he turned to his attackers, seemingly unfazed. Then OmniShoutmon, with his Omni Torpedo attack, plowed into the god Digimon. Chronomon released EmperorGreymon and instead clapped his hands together on OmniShoutmon. He then spun around and threw the dragon Digimon into the canyon wall.

"Finger Bomb!" Chronomon cried, throwing a handful of bombs at OmniShoutmon. They exploded on and around him, causing the canyon wall to crack apart. OmniShoutmon dropped down to the ground, and an avalanche of rocks fell down on top of him, burying him alive.

"OmniShoutmon!" Gallantmon shouted. He turned back to Chronomon as the others regrouped around him. "What are we going to do? He's too powerful."

"Then let's attack him together," said Omnimon. "Double Shot!"

"Final Justice!"

"Soaring Nine Headed Dragon Force!"

"Sefirot Crystal!"

"Strike of the Seven Stars!"

The attacks flew at the god Digimon in a giant mass of destruction. Chronomon flew straight at the attacks, and an explosion erupted as they collided. The DigiDestined recoiled from the shockwave as a cloud of smoke obscured Chronomon. They half expected to see him come charging out at them, but he didn't.

"That couldn't have been it," said EmperorGreymon. "No way that's all it took."

"I doubt it," Omnimon growled. "He's an Ultra; it'll take a lot more than that."

And as the smoke cleared, they saw that he was right. What surprised them though was that it seemed that Chronomon was relatively unharmed.

"You're kidding!" Gallantmon exclaimed. "I didn't think we'd beaten him, but we didn't even hurt him."

Seraphimon cocked his head to the side. "I… think we may have scratched him up a bit…"

Chronomon seemed to regard them for a moment before raising his arms. "Sacred Game!"

His body glowed with a sacred light, and the scratches and scrapes on him vanished. Even without the visuals, the two angel Digimon with similar abilities recognized it for what it was, healing power.

"Oh, come on!" EmperorGreymon shouted. "The guy can heal himself too. He wasn't even really hurt; he was just mocking us by rubbing his power in our faces. Seriously, how are we supposed to beat his guy?"

A feeling of dread coiled in Seraphimon's stomach. He always had hope that they would get by somehow, even when facing a Demon Lord. But in the face of the massive powerhouse that was Chronomon, victory seemed well and truly unobtainable.

"I…" he gulped, "I don't think we can."

Notes:

(A/N: Sufficient to say, this is very bad. Our heroes are now dealing with an enemy even stronger than Lucemon, and Ultra level at that. How are they going to get out of this one? And what kind of evil scheme is Laylamon concocting to prevent Davis from being purified? Find out next time.)

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New Digimon that appear.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Chronomon_DM

Chapter 140: The Gift of Destruction

Notes:

(A/N: And we are back. Last time our heroes were, well, let's face it, pretty much screwed. Their dealing with a super powerful Digimon even stronger than Lucemon. Even TK, the most hopeful member of their group, seems to have acknowledged that they can't win. How will they get out of this situation. Only one way to find out. Enjoy.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 140: The Gift of Destruction

Ophanimon's head snapped in Seraphimon's direction in disbelief. She had never heard him admit that they couldn't do something before. Every time, in every situation, he was always the hopeful one, the one who never gave up. But if even he was admitting that something was impossible…

Despair filled Ophanimon's gut. Even when things seemed their bleakest, even when she didn't think something was possible, as long as he still had hope, then she could hold onto it too. True, his admission that he didn't think they could win was not him saying that they should give up, but if Chronomon was going to be an obstacle in their path, then they might as well call it quits. Even if they managed to escape him this time, they would still need to face Laylamon at some point, and the god Digimon would likely waiting for them as well.

"Then let's get out of here," Gallantmon suggested, echoing her thoughts from a moment ago. "If this is a battle we can't win, then we have to escape."

"To what end?" Omnimon asked. "If Chronomon is always going to be guarding Laylamon, then we'll still have to face him at some point."

"We'll just have to figure something out," said Seraphimon. "Maybe we can take out some other Demon Lords before then, or maybe gain some allies to help us. I just know one thing, if we do end up dying at Chronomon's hands, I want to at least save Davis first. I can't stand the thought of going to my grave while leaving him behind as a puppet of the darkness."

Ophanimon looked down at her hands. Yes, Davis. It wasn't just their lives they had to worry about; they had to save him as well. His very soul was at risk of being completely corrupted by the darkness. She found herself agreeing with Seraphimon; if they were going to die, then at the very least they needed to save their friend first. But how could they with such a relentless force of destruction in their path?

Beneath her helmet, her eyes suddenly widened in realization, and she looked back at Chronomon, now seeing him in a whole new light. Was it possible…?

It seemed that Chronomon had grown tired of letting them just float around and talk. With a roar, he used his Gusty Blade attack, sending out a blade of wind. The DigiDestined flew either under or over it and flew towards Chronomon.

"Let's hit him again," said EmperorGreymon, igniting his sword.

"Wait!" Ophanimon shouted after them, having been the only one to stay behind.

"Ghoulish Bind!" Chronomon cried, trapping the four attacking DigiDestined in his paralyzing bind of dark energy. "Finger Bomb!"

"Eden's Air!" Ophanimon countered, bringing forth a holy tornado between Chronomon and her friends. It sucked up the bombs, and a series of explosions went off all throughout the tornado. "Eden's Javelin!"

She fired a beam against Chronomon, and the god Digimon raised a hand to keep the beam away. However, this freed the DigiDestined from their binds, and they fled just in time to avoid Chronomon's Holy Flare attack.

"That was a close one," Gallantmon muttered. "I'd hate to see what that attack can actually do to us."

"Guys, listen," said Ophanimon. "I think we got it wrong before. I don't think AncientWisemon's reading for me was about Davis. I think it was about Chronomon."

EmperorGreymon glanced at her. "What do you mean?"

"He said that we would come across an enemy that we couldn't defeat, and that we shouldn't try. Someone who has a destructive nature, but a good heart underneath. I think that might be Chronomon. I think I need to purify him."

Omnimon gave her an uncertain look. "Are you sure? Chronomon isn't being controlled by darkness or corrupted by it or anything. He's just naturally violent and destructive. OmniShoutmon said as much himself, remember?"

"Corona!" Chronomon cried, unleashing a burst of fire. EmperorGreymon used his Soaring Nine-Headed Dragon Force to collide with the attack, resulting in a massive fiery explosion that the DigiDestined were just barely able to avoid. They had to flee, however, when Chronomn flew after them.

"It doesn't matter if darkness isn't controlling him," Ophanimon stated as they flew along. "AncientWisemon said that sometimes it can be our very nature that keeps us prisoner. And if Chronomon's nature is for him to be destructive, then he can't escape it."

"Makes sense," said Gallantmon. "His name is Chronomon Destroyer Mode."

"Destroy Mode," Seraphimon found himself correcting on reflex, "but she might be right. If he has a Destroy Mode, then he may have a form that's not destructive, kind of like how there's Ophanimon herself and then an Ophanimon Falldown Mode."

His fellow angel Digimon nodded. "That's what I was thinking too. It shouldn't be too different from when I changed Tai from BlackWarGreymon to WarGreymon."

"Gusty Blade!"

Another blade of wind flew through the canyon, cutting a crevice along the walls, and the DigiDestined scattered to avoid it before coming together again.

"But, Ophanimon," said Omnimon, "when I became BlackWarGreymon, it was because I fueled my Digivice with anger and hate. You purified those feelings, allowing me to become WarGreymon again. Chronomon isn't corrupted like I was."

"No," she agreed, "but if I can purify his destructive nature and impulses, it might force him to take on a new form."

"Finger Bomb!"

Bombs flew at them, exploding against the walls and in the air. They knocked the few that came near them away before they exploded as they flew along.

"Screw it," EmperorGreymon growled. "I say we give it a shot, 'cause we're certainly not beating this guy, and escape doesn't seem that likely."

Chronomon suddenly used his enhanced speed to wiz past the DigiDestined and appear in front of them, where he roared loudly.

"Other way! Other way!" Omnimon shouted, and held up his cannon as he began flying backwards. "Supreme Cannon!"

He began firing as Chronomon chased them back the way they came. The god Digimon either swatted away the explosive ice balls or outright ignored them as he flew after them.

"We need to find OmniShoutmon!" Seraphimon cried. "We need his help."

"He got buried under a bunch of rocks around here somewhere," Omnimon called back as he continued firing. "I'm pretty sure he's unconscious, and we don't have time to go looking for him!"

"Dreadful Night!" cried Chronomon.

Omnimon cried out and stopped firing as his essence was drained. Seraphimon stopped flying away and used his Hallowed Ascension to cut off Chronomon from grabbing the knight Digimon.

"Soaring Nine Headed Dragon Force!" EmperorGreymon cried.

The fiery dragon appeared and slammed into the god Digimon, tackling him into the wall, and attempting to pin him there.

"Ophanimon, now!" EmperorGreymon shouted to her.

It wasn't ideal, but Ophanimon flew over to place her hands on Chronomon's head. But the god Digimon's fist shot out, punching the fiery dragon, causing it to burst apart into a shower of flames. Chronomon then swiped at Ophanimon, who flew back to avoid his large hand.

"Corona!" Chronomon cried, shooting out fire at her.

Omnimon and Gallantmon flew into the attack's path, the latter cutting the sky to produce an explosion with his Sword of Ruin while Gallantmon fired his Final Justice, the two attacks managing to cancel out Chronomon's, causing an explosion.

"Well, that didn't work," said Gallantmon. "I don't think we'll be able to restrain him."

"Then maybe we can distract him long enough for Ophanimon to get a hold of him," Seraphimon suggested.

His fellow angel Digimon nodded. "Good thinking. I'll start it off. Eden's Air!"

A tornado formed around Chronomon. He didn't seem overly bothered by it, but he did roar. EmperorGreymon then followed up by repeatedly firing his Dragonfire Crossbow over and over again. Seraphimon began rapidly punching, sending out balls of light with his Hallowed Knuckle attack. Gallantmon then fired a continuous beam with his Final Justice while Omnimon repeatedly fired his Supreme Cannon.

"Alright, I'm going in," Ophanimon declared.

As her friends continued to distract Chronomon with their continuous attacks, Ophanimon flew straight up and then down the center of the tornado. She came down on his shoulders, wrapping her legs around his neck and placing her hands on his head.

As she began to flood him with purifying energy, Chronomon roared. He lashed out, causing the tornado to disperse, then used his Finger Bomb attack, throwing a handful of bombs at the DigiDestined to stop them from attacking. Then he reached back and pulled Ophanimon off his shoulders, slamming her against the canyon wall.

"Vanishing Attack!" he cried, unleashing dark energy upon her.

Ophanimon cried out as the dark energy took affect on her. Omnimon and Seraphimon flew forward, each grabbing one of Chronomon's wings and yanking. He stopped attacking Ophanimon and turned to them, firing his Holy Flare attack. The angel and knight Digimon just barely avoided the attack, the beam grazing Seraphimon's wings and Omnimon's cape before it completely lit up the sky.

As the angel and knight Digimon led Chronomon away, Ophanimon pushed away from the wall. Gallantmon and EmperorGreymon quickly went to check on her.

"How you holding up?" the former asked. "Did that do anything?"

She groaned. "I'm not sure. This is going to be harder than I thought."

Gallantmon gave her an uncertain look. "Are you sure this is what AncientWisemon was talking about when he gave you your reading?"

Ophanimon nodded. "I'm certain of it. It has to be."

"But what if you're wrong and we're risking our lives for nothing? Wouldn't he have just told you that Chronomon was the right Digimon?"

Ophanimon considered this. "Not if it would have affected the outcome of the future he was hoping for. Maybe he had to be vague. Maybe if he told me it was Chronomon right off the bat, then I would have tried to purify him right away and would have died trying. Those few minutes before I realized that it was Chronomon he was referring to could have allowed me to avoid the event that would have led to my death, or one of yours. There's really no way of knowing, we just have to do what we can now."

EmperorGreymon sighed. "Why does doing the right thing have to be so hard?" He shook his head. "Whatever. If this is what needs to be done, then we'll do it."

"We have to restrain him somehow," said Gallantmon.

Ophanimon nodded. "It's going to take all of us to do that. And even then, I don't know how long we'll be able to hold him."

"Long enough for you to purify him," EmperorGreymon told her. "If this is what AncientWisemon foresaw, then we're guaranteed to pull this off, right?"

"Not necessarily. This may be the future he was talking about, but it'll still be up to us to pull it off. We could still fail, so we'll need to be careful."

EmperorGreymon groaned. "Fine then, we'll be careful. For now, let's just get him off Seraphimon and Omnimon's backs."

"What about OmniShoutmon?" Gallantmon asked.

"He's still taking a nap beneath one of those piles of rocks. We can't worry about him now. Dragonfire Crossbow!"

"Gungnir!"

"Eden's Needle!"

Chronomon was swiping at Omnimon and Seraphimon when EmperorGreymon's attack hit him in the back of the head, followed by Gallantmon's spear of light stabbing into his back. He turned to them, and Ophanimon's shower of needles began to rain against him. He ignored the needle spray as he reached back and pulled Gallantmon's spear from his back and crushed it into particles of light.

Using his enhanced speed, Chronomon suddenly appeared in front of the trio who attacked him. Since Ophanimon was still attacking, he raised his balled fists and brought them down on her, sending her crashing to the ground.

Gallantmon created a sword of light and used his Invincible Sword attack while EmperorGreymon used his Dragon Soul Sword. Chronomon easily caught a blade in each hand and used his Venom Ball attack, poisoning both of them.

"Corona!" he cried, opening his mouth to breath fire.

At that moment, a pile of rocks on the ground burst apart as OmniShoutmon came flying out. Using his Omni Torpedo, he plowed into Chronomon's stomach, pushing him back and causing the god Digimon's attack to miss. He followed up with his Hard Rock Spirit, shooting blasts of fire from his hand into Chronomon's face.

The god Digimon ignored the attack and raised his hand as it filled with dark energy in preparation of using his Vanishing Touch attack. Then Seraphimon suddenly latched onto his arm, pulling it back. Chronomon glanced at him before reaching out with his other hand, only to have Omnimon grab that arm. Still poisoned, Gallantmon and EmperorGreymon flew in, each grabbing one of Chronomon's legs.

"Hold him!" the latter shouted.

OmniShoutmon hesitated for a moment before latching onto Chronomon, wrapping his arms and legs around his mid-section.

"Ophanimon, now!" Seraphimon shouted.

Down on the ground, Ophanimon groaned as she looked up to see her friends struggling to hold onto Chronomon. Realizing that they wouldn't be able to hold on for long, she forced herself to her feet and flew up towards them.

"What are we attempting?" OmniShoutmon cried as he hung onto the thrashing god Digimon.

"Just hold on as long as you can!" Gallantmon told him. "We have to buy Ophanimon time!"

The angel Digimon once again came down on Chronomon's shoulders, wrapping her legs around his neck and placing her hands on his head. The god Digimon roared as purification energy filled him, and he began struggling harder.

Omnimon was strong and his weapons were powerful, but lacking fingers, and even actual hands, tended to make it hard to hold on. And so, as Chronomon thrashed about, Omnimon lost his grip and went flying off. With his arm free, Chronomon lifted his fist and brought it down on OmniShoutmon, knocking him away.

"Hurry up, Ophanimon!" Seraphimon shouted as Chronomon reached for him.

"I can't control the speed of this!" she called back.

Chronomon pulled Seraphimon off his arm before driving his fist into him and then tossing him away. Then he pulled Gallantmon and EmperorGreymon off his legs and slammed them together before letting them fall.

Then he reached for Ophanimon, his large hands coming up to grab her on both sides. She shut her eyes as she felt him grasp her tightly and begin to pull her off.

And then his grip went slack. A few seconds passed, and Ophanimon dared to open her eyes as his hands fell away. She looked down at him, noting the faraway look on the god Digimon's face. The purification energy she had filled him with began to emit from his body in the form of a colorful aura, and his entire body relaxed.

Slowly, Ophanimon removed herself from Chronomon and floated over to her friends. She quickly healed Gallantmon and EmperorGreymon of their poison, and they all looked up at Chronomon.

"Did you do it?" Gallantmon asked. "Did it work?"

"He certainly seems more docile now," Seraphimon commented.

"What was this?" OmniShoutmon asked. "I don't even know what the plan was."

Up in the sky, Chronomon suddenly raised his arms up as the aura around him faded, and he began to glow with light too bright to make him out. "Chronomon Mode Change to… Chronomon Holy Mode!"

The light faded, and a new Digimon now hovered in the air. He was completely different from his Destroy Mode, now resembling a majestic, humanoid, white eagle. Unlike his previous form, there was no air of hostility about him, yet he radiated power and wisdom the likes of which the DigiDestined had never seen before, not even from the Sovereigns, or even the Demon Lords.

"Chronomon Holy Mode…" OmniShoutmon whispered in complete awe. "I can't believe it…"

"With a name like 'Holy Mode', I'm guessing this is a good thing," said Omnimon.

The dragon Digimon slowly nodded, not taking his eyes off the god Digimon. "Chronomon Holy Mode is a legendary Ultra level Digimon born from the YMIR Project. It's a form he achieves when he Digivolves with the power of holy light. He's one of the most powerful of all Digimon, and a benevolent force for good."

"That's, um, good," Gallantmon replied.

Slowly, Chronomon descended from the sky and landed in front of the DigiDestined. Despite OmniShoutmon's claim that he was a benevolent force for good, it was still intimidating to be in his presence.

The god Digimon looked at each of them in turn, regarding them with interest, then lowered his head in gratitude. "Humans, you have my thanks. For so long, I was trapped by my destructive nature, so consumed by the desire to destroy that I could not see beyond it. But now I have been freed." His gaze settled on Ophanimon. "And I especially wish to thank you. It was your power that healed me."

Ophanimon felt herself blush, embarrassed by the praise. "Oh, it was nothing. You should actually be thanking AncientWisemon. I wouldn't have even thought of purifying you had he not told me. I would have thought you were an ordinary bad guy and tried to defeat you."

"You would have died trying," Chronomon told her bluntly.

EmperorGreymon's eyebrows rose. "Geez, he's not modest."

"No, he's honest," OmniShoutmon replied. "There's no scenario in which we would have survived a fight to the death with him; he's too powerful. Turning him from the Demon Lords' side is a crippling blow to their forces."

Chronomon's gaze darkened. "The Demon Lords. Those vile fiends. They have been a blight on this world for far too long and must be stopped."

"Trust us, we know," Gallantmon grumbled. "We've managed to take out a few, but our odds of beating them all are looking slim at best."

Chronomon puffed his chest out. "Then I shall assist you in taking down those wretched creatures."

Seraphimon inhaled. "You're going to help us defeat the Demon Lords?"

"I shall face down all forces of darkness. The Demon Lords and their minions have been at large for far too long. The balance must be restored, and I shall see that it is."

OmniShoutmon suddenly dropped to his knees. The others looked at him in surprise, and were shocked to see tears in his eyes.

"OmniShoutmon, what…?" EmperorGreymon asked.

OmniShoutmon wiped his eyes. "I'm sorry, it's just, with Chronomon on our side, defeating the Demon Lords is actually a possibility. He's strong enough to destroy the entire Digital World. He's even more powerful than Lucemon at his strongest. We can actually do this; we can defeat the Demon Lords."

The DigiDestined looked at each other, feeling a deep sense of hope. Defeating the Demon Lords had seemed like a pipe dream before, but now even OmniShoutmon seemed sure that they could win with Chronomon on their side. They could do this. They could save the Digital World and go home.

"But wait," said Ophanimon as she thought of something. "If the Demon Lords find out that Chronomon is on our side, they might attack all together like they did before. Chronomon might be stronger than any of them, but is he strong enough to face all four of them?"

Silence came in response to her question. The hopeful look on OmniShoutmon's face quickly faded away to be replaced by a look of horror as he considered this possibility. Even Chronomon closed his eyes, looking forlorn.

"You are right, my child," he admitted sadly. "I am strong, but not strong enough to defeat four of them."

"But you'll have us!" Gallantmon declared. "We'll be fighting along side you. Surely then we'll…"

But Chronomon was shaking his head. "It's still too much. On my own, I could defeat two. With your help, maybe three. But four, that's too much."

"And once he falls, we'll be screwed," OmniShoutmon growled. "Hell, it might not even come to that. All Lucemon would need to do is use his Ultimate Sacrifice attack. The odds would still be fifty-fifty on whether or not the victim survives, even for someone as powerful as Chronomon." He angrily kicked a rock, sending it flying. "And for a second, I actually thought that we could do this!"

Guilt coiled in Ophanimon's gut. She hadn't meant to bring down the group's hope, she had just wanted to confirm where they stood. She needed to come up with a way to fix this, fast.

"Well… then we'll just have to make sure they don't have a chance to team up. Chronomon, you said that with our help you could probably take on three of them, right? We'll, we're only a few days from Laylamon's castle. Maybe we can take her out quickly before the other three Demon Lords join up with her. That'll just leave us with three Demon Lords left."

"Yeah," OmniShoutmon grumbled, "the three strongest. And there's still Lucemon with his stupid instant kill or massively damage Ultimate Sacrifice attack."

"Then we'll just have to watch out for that," Seraphimon stated. "Even if the battle will still be tough, this is still great advantage for us. AncientWisemon even told Ophanimon that we would gain an ally that will help us in the battle with the Demon Lords. That has to be Chronomon, right? So we're on the right track for the future that AncientWisemon was hoping for."

Chronomon nodded. "You are very wise yourself, young one. In fact, I believe I may be able to help you even more than simply being an ally in battle. Come, approach me, Ophanimon."

The angel Digimon cocked her head to the side curiously before walking up to the god Digimon. "Yes?"

"Though your friends assisted you, it was ultimately you who saved me from my destructive nature, not to mention it was you who realized that I needed saving. As a token of my thanks, I choose you to bestow this gift upon."

Cupping his wing-like hands together, a light began to emit from his palms. Data particles began flowing out of his hands and coming together to form a round object.

When it was finished, a black orb with a glowing green center, covered in purple, blue, and orange plates floated in Chronomon's hands. OmniShoutmon inhaled deeply upon seeing it while the others stared at it cluelessly.

"For saving me from myself, I now give this to you, Ophanimon."

OmniShoutmon seemed to have trouble finding his voice. "Is that… a ChronoCore?"

"Indeed," Chronomon replied. "The last one I made I was forced to give to Grimmon, enabling him to become ChaosGrimmon."

Omnimon wobbled his head. "Makes sense. He was Laylamon's Chaos General, and if you were serving her… Um, no offense."

"What's a ChronoCore?" Gallantmon asked.

"It's a Digital life form of sorts," OmniShoutmon explained. "They're formed with Chrono Data, which only Chronomon can produce. I suppose you could call it a sentient virus that degrades and destroys data."

Ophanimon recoiled from it. "Why would you want to give me something horrible like that!?"

"The ChronoCore was initially produced by my Destroy Mode," the god Digimon told her. "However, it doesn't have to be used for wicked purposes. Even destructive power can be used for good, if you control it properly. I believe that you, Ophanimon, will be able to do that."

Despite this encouragement, Ophanimon still took another step back, not wanting to be near such a destructive power source. "I… I can't take that. What if I lose control the way you did when you were in your Destroy Mode? And I'm the only one of us who can purify. If I go bad, none of you guys can save me."

Seraphimon came up behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Ophanimon… Kari, you won't go bad. I know you won't. You're the purest person I know. Not even the power of destruction can corrupt you. There's just too much goodness in you. I know you can handle it; I have faith in you."

She gave him an inquisitive look. "You're not just saying that because you and I…?"

He chuckled and shook his head. "No, I'm not. I truly believe in you."

"We all do, Kari," Omnimon told her. "You're much stronger than you think. And you can be pretty stubborn too. I should know."

Chronomon then spoke, easing her fears further. "If it makes you feel better, you need not use it now. The power can lay dormant within you until you feel ready or until you need it. But you must take it now before the virus awakens, otherwise I will have to destroy it before it becomes a threat to the Digital World, and I don't know how long it will be before I can create another one."

OmniShoutmon gave her a look. "We can't lose this opportunity, Ophanimon. Even with Chronomon's help, we'll need every advantage we can get. Just take it and hold onto it. It'll be better to have it and not need it, then need it and not have it."

Ophanimon internally winced at the logic of his words. Still, she didn't want to have that kind of destructive power and risk losing control. Her thoughts turned to Grimmon, the Digimon who pretended to be their friend, only to betray them and reveal that he was in fact a Chaos General all along. Discovering that he too possessed the destructive power of a ChronoCore, which was what initially allowed him to become ChoasGrimmon, only made her all the more reluctant to take it.

EmperorGreymon sighed and stepped forward. "I'll take it if she doesn't want it."

"No!" Ophanimon insisted. "It'll take it."

She stepped forward. If Chronomon was offering it to her, then he must really believe that she could control the power. Seraphimon and Omnimon had faith in her as well, as did the rest of her friends. One thing was certain though, she wasn't going to let one of her friends take it and have them risk falling prey to its destructive power because she was too nervous.

Taking a deep breath, she reached out and took the ChronoCore. It was surprisingly light, weighing next to nothing. She had thought that an item with such destructive power would be heavy.

The ChronoCore began to glow in her hands. Then it suddenly dissolved into data and flowed into her. Ophanimon shut her eyes, bracing herself, but, surprisingly, she didn't feel any different. No, that wasn't exactly true. She could feel something new. Deep below the surface, she detected the presence of the ChronoCore sleeping within her, waiting for her to tap into it and unleash its destructive power.

"The ChronoCore is part of you now," Chronomon told her. "When you are ready, use it, and you will be gifted with a mighty destructive power."

Ophanimon prayed that that time would never come. And as long as they had Chronomon on their side, it didn't seem like it would ever be necessary. At least, that's what she told herself.

Notes:

(A/N: Well, this is an interesting turn of events. Our heroes now have an incredibly powerful ally on their side. Kudos to those who called that. I was trying to have Davis be the red herring of who Kari needed to purify from her reading with AncientWisemon, so good job to those who figured out the truth. And with Chronomon on their side, they now actually stand a good chance at defeating the Demon Lords. And with the ChronoCore in Ophanimon's possession, things are only looking even more up. Unless her fears become justified. And this still leaves the question of what they're going to do about Davis. What will happen next? Find out in the next installment.)

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New Digimon that appear.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Chronomon_Holy_Mode

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/ChronoCore

Chapter 141: Stolen Advantage

Notes:

(A/N: Uch, I'm cringing at this poor chapter title. I mean, it makes sense for what happens, but I'm not happy about it. I'm up for suggestions for a better one. Or if you don't really care, then feel free to read on, you know you're here for the actual story anyway.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 141: Stolen Advantage

Laylamon let out a bellow of rage as she tore her throne out of the ground and flung it across the room. She fired her Darkness Love attack in a random direction, causing even more destruction.

Ever since she witnessed Ophanimon purify Chronomon, she had been raging, even destroying the Monitamon she was watching the battle on. Blastmon remained huddled in the corner, doing his best to stay out of the path of her fury. Boltboutamon, however, watched from the other side of the room, snickering in amusement.

"We lost Chronomon!" she bellowed, putting her fist through a pillar. "My ace in the hole! What more, they turned him to the light! How could they do this? This wasn't supposed to happen!"

A chuckle escaped Boltboutamon. He nonchalantly cracked his neck as he spoke in a mocking tone. "Ah, but it did happen. This will be quite troubling for you. With Chronomon on their side, the humans now stand a chance of defeating you. Not just you, but all the Demon Lords."

With a cry of rage, Laylamon zoomed over to him and, with her Razor Nail attack, jabbed her claw straight through the demon Digimon's face. Just as she expected, it was a copy, and it soon dissolved away.

"I have enough to deal with without listening to your mockery," she seethed.

A portal opened behind her, and a new Boltboutamon stepped through. He came right up behind her and whispered in her ear. "This is quite the blunder on your part. I wonder what Beelzemon would say to that if he were here."

Knowing that he was probably another copy, Laylamon whirled around, lashing out at him. Much to her surprise, he grabbed her wrist before she could strike him, and then shocked her further by suddenly throwing her to the floor.

"My lady!" Blastmon exclaimed in shock and outrage.

Laylamon was stunned as well as she determined that this was likely the real Boltboutamon. His actions had also shocked the anger right out of her. Boltboutamon may have always been disrespectful, but he had never raised a hand to any of them before. She was suddenly overcome with the irresistible urge to kill the demon Digimon once and for all.

"Don't direct your anger at me because of your failure," he told her, as if reading her mind. "This is your domain, and you've been making the decisions. This is the result of them." He licked his lips, letting his tongue hang out. "You have more important things to worry about anyway than being mad at me. The humans will be here in a day or two, and they now have a very powerful ally. Even I don't dare to face Chronomon. Not even Lucemon will be able to defeat him. You are in charge, so what are you going to do?"

Laylamon ground her teeth together angrily as her claws dug into the stone floor. She had to admit though, he was right. With Chronomon as their enemy, she and the other Demon Lords would need to take serious action. Unfortunately, that would look bad for their image, making it look like they were actually afraid.

Blastmon gulped nervously before he dared to creep over. "My lady, there's no need to fret. Don't forget, we still have their friend. It doesn't matter if they now have Chronomon on their side, they won't kill their friend, nor will they allow Chronomon to kill him. And we took steps to make sure he can't be purified. As long as we have him, victory is still ours."

Laylamon considered this, and slowly calmed down. Yes, they did still have Davis; she had forgotten that in her anger. It didn't matter how strong the humans' group became if they wouldn't finish him off while the boy continued to fight for her.

A sigh escaped Boltboutamon. "And I suppose that, if I must, I can provide a temporary solution for Chronomon; though he will need to be dealt with eventually."

"Then do that," Laylamon ordered, getting to her feet. "And send the boy in. There's something I must speak to him about."

Boltboutamon lowered his head in a small bow. "As you wish, my lady."

He disappeared through a portal. Once he was gone, Laylamon ordered Blastmon to fix her throne. He did so quickly, putting it back in place, and Laylamon sat down on it as she waited for Davis to arrive.

He walked into the room a few minutes later and crossed his arms. "I'm not your pet. You don't get to just snap your fingers and expect me to come running like a dog."

"Silence!" she snapped, in no mood to play nice. "I've had more than enough insolence for today. And you have no right to speak, especially since you failed twice to deal with your human friends."

Davis glared back at her. "Once, with your useless team that you said I'd lead, but they went and got themselves killed."

"Twice, counting the night you first turned on your friends," Laylamon corrected. She regarded him curiously. "Speaking of which, how is your new friend?"

A black aura suddenly surrounded Davis, and his eyes flashed red before it faded out. "We're fine. Just… getting to know each other."

"Hmm," Laylamon muttered. "Well, know this, your human friends will be here tomorrow; the day after that at the latest. This will be your last chance to deal with them and take the girl for yourself. If you can't do it this time, then I'll kill them all myself, including your precious Kari."

"Don't you touch her!" Davis snarled.

Laylamon flickered her hand, and Davis was taken off his feet by an unseen force, slammed into the wall, and dropped to the floor. "That will be up to you. I gave you what you needed to get what you want, but you're the one who had failed to obtain. I'm now done playing nice, with them and with you. If you fail this time, I will personally slaughter your friends, and you along with them." She leaned forward. "Do I make myself clear?"

Davis got to feet and dusted himself off before glaring at her. "Crystal."

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"Laylamon's castle," said Shoutmon as he and the others stared at it. "Never would have thought I'd be happy to see it."

Smirking, Takato glanced up at Chronomon. "It wouldn't happen to be because we now have a powerful, Ultra level Digimon on our side, would it?"

The dragon Digimon chuckled. "Maybe."

Tai smiled. "You know, when AncientWisemon first gave us his advice, I was really skeptical about it at first, but now I can definitely see the advantages. He helped me achieve Burst Mode so I could take down Belphemon. He convinced Takato to do what was necessary in order to reach Crimson Mode so we could defeat Beelzemon. He made Takuya realize he had the power he needed to become EmperorGreymon so he could defeat MaloMyotismon. And he let Kari realize that we could save Chronomon from himself, and now we have a great ally."

Kari frowned slightly. "If only Davis had listened to him, then maybe Laylamon never would have been able to trick him."

"Fear not," Chronomon replied. "You saved me from my destructive nature, I'm sure you can free your friend from the influence of the Dark Spore."

Shoutmon crossed his arms. "I don't know about that. After what we almost did last time, I'm sure Laylamon has taken extra precautions to make sure we can't purge the Dark Spore from Davis."

"We'll figure it out," Takuya said confidentially. "And we still have yours and TK's readings to go. Maybe one of them will help us get him back."

The feeling of standing in the shadow of Death overcame TK as he remembered what AncientWisemon told him what his fate would be. "No, my reading is completely unrelated to that."

"And I doubt mine has anything to do with it too," the dragon Digimon replied. He glanced at TK. "By the way, you never told us what your reading was."

"Neither did you," Takuya pointed out.

Shoutmon just shrugged. "He was basically telling me not to repeat a mistake I made in the past. Really unhelpful in regards to rescuing Davis." He looked back at TK. "But what about you? Could your advice possibly help?"

Unease gripped TK. He had been able to dodge the question before when asked, but he needed a more concrete way to prevent them from asking further. "Sorry, I can't tell you. It's… I just can't."

Tai cocked his head to the side. "Why not? Is it one of those things where it won't happen if you do tell us?"

TK's eyes widened and he latched onto the excuse Tai had unintentionally provided. "Yes! Yes, that's right. It's something that will really help us, but if I tell you, then it won't happen."

It wasn't a complete lie. Knowing his friends, if he told them that he was destined to die in order save them before the war was over, he knew that they would do everything they could to make sure he survived. But if that happened, then they would all die, and so he chose to remain silent about it.

Takuya sighed. "This whole predicting the future stuff is annoying. I mean, I guess it makes sense since knowing the future will likely change since people will either do things out of the ordinary to try and make something happen or to try and avoid it, which would then have different events happen than if they occurred naturally, but then why did he bother telling us anything at all?"

"Because if he hadn't," Kari spoke up, "and if he hadn't been vague about it, then we likely wouldn't have made the choices we did when we did, and would have ended up dead because of it."

Takuya humphed. "Well, I know one choice I'm making," he pointed at the castle, "I'm going to march in there and teach Laylamon a lesson."

A malicious chuckle rang out as Boltboutamon suddenly stepped out from behind a rock formation. "How interesting. I didn't think you were the person who would raise their hand to a lady."

Takuya glared at him, not missing a beat. "Laylamon is no 'lady'. And what are you doing here?"

The demon Digimon grinned broadly. "I wanted to meet your new friend. Well, meet him again I should say. I liked him so much better in his Destroy Mode. I was so hoping you'd use your Corona attack to the fullest in your battle with them and set the planet ablaze. That would have been glorious to behold. Such a shame."

Chronomon stepped forward. "I may not be consumed by the desire to destroy any longer, but that does not mean I'm incapable of it. Starlight Explosion!"

He breathed a stream of fire that completely incinerated the demon Digimon. The teens weren't naïve enough to think that this was the end of it though, and were proven right when three more Boltboutamon stepped out from hiding.

"Were you looking for us?" they asked simultaneously.

"Holy Flare!"

Chronomon's attack made quick work of the three copies, but a few seconds later, twelve portals appeared, and a dozen Boltboutamon stepped through them. "Don't forget about us."

"Gusty Blade!" Chronomon cried, sending out a blade of wind that sliced all twelve in half. But then numerous portals appeared all around him, and several dozen Boltboutamon leapt out, dog-piling on the god Digimon.

"Chronomon!" the teens cried.

As Chronomon fight off the Boltboutamon, the swarm of demon Digimon worked together to create a portal beneath him, and they pulled the god Digimon through it. The portal vanished, and Chronomon was gone, along with the numerous Boltboutamon.

"No!" Shoutmon shouted and ran over to where the portal had been. "Chronomon!"

Boltboutamon's laughter was heard as a single one stepped out of hiding. "I'm afraid he can't hear you. He's far away from here."

The teens turned to him. "What do you mean?" Tai demanded. "Where is he? What'd you do to him?"

The demon Digimon sneered. "If you must know, I sent him to another layer of the Digital World. Oh, don't worry, he'll be fine, but you won't be seeing him for quite awhile. It could take months, even years for someone to get from one layer of the Digital World to another unless they have the ability to teleport or create portals the way I do. Even someone as powerful as Chronomon will have trouble going from one layer to another. So I hope you weren't counting on him to defeat the Demon Lords, because he certainly won't be back in time to help you with that."

"You bastard," Shoutmon growled.

Boltboutamon seemed to find his anger amusing. "What's wrong? Did I subvert your expectation? So sorry about that, but I couldn't make things too easy for you. Where would the fun be in that? I expect a good show. I want to see you and Laylamon go all out."

Takuya took a step forward. "Ok, just what is your deal? Sometimes you help us, sometimes you help the Demon Lords, sometimes you do things that don't help us or the Demon Lords. What is your goal?"

Boltboutamon cocked his head to the side. "Is it not obvious? It's the same as everyone else's. To have a good time. Now, provide me with one, little humans."

A new portal opened beneath him, and the demon Digimon sank into it. Even though he knew it was pointless, Shoutmon threw a Fiery Fastball after him, which burst against the ground as the portal closed.

"That son of a…" Takuya growled. "He just took away our trump card. Chronomon was our key to ending this."

"Never mind that!" Kari exclaimed. "Is Chronomon alright? Is he in trouble? We've got to help him!"

Shoutmon growled. "Chronomon will be fine. He's strong enough to handle anything he might come across." He looked up at Laylamon's castle. "It's us who are in trouble. Now we have to face Laylamon on our own."

The others looked up at the castle as well. Tai hesitated for a few moments before speaking. "Well, if you think about it, we're right back to where we were before we met Chronomon."

"And we're just as screwed now as we were then," Shoutmon seethed. He punched a large boulder. "Damn it! We had victory in our grasp!"

"So now what?" Takato asked.

"No choice," TK replied. "We're already here, we have to keep going."

With great reluctance, they slowly approached the castle. Much to their surprise, there were no guards. But as they approached, the large double doors opened, and a Digimon made entirely out of crystal and diamonds stepped out. He stood over the teens with his chest puffed out, scowling down at them. "You have a lot of nerve coming here. You human filth are not welcome."

Takuya glared at the mineral Digimon. "Whose pretty boy here?"

Takato checked his Digivice. "Blastmon, Mega level, special attack Diamond Machine Gun. It says here that he's capable of regrowing his body over time as long as his head remains undamaged."

"Great," said Tai, "then let's go for his head."

Blastmon pointed at them. "You humans have caused my mistress so much distress. I will not tolerate it any longer."

Takuya gave him an incredulous look. "Excuse me? We've caused her distress? We don't even want to be a part of this war. It's your mistress and her Demon Lord friends that keep coming after us and who keep causing everyone trouble."

"Where's Davis?" TK demanded. "What did you do to him? Give him back."

Blastmon raised an eyebrow. "You want us to give him back? What makes you think we're keeping him against his will?"

Coming up behind him, Davis stepped outside, fixing the teens with a glare. They inhaled upon seeing him, as he looked just as cold and unfeeling as ever.

"Davis, are you ok?" Takato asked.

Davis crossed his arms. "No thanks to you. I feel better than ever. And now that you're here, you've saved me the trouble of hunting you down."

"Davis, please don't do this," Kari begged. "Please, come back to us."

An almost cruel smile crept up Davis' face. "I have a better idea. How about you come to me. That way I won't need to hurt any of you."

Tai moved in front of his sister protectively. "We've already been through this, Davis. It's not happening."

"Then you leave me with no choice," Davis told them. "This is my last chance, so I'm not holding anything back." He held up his Digivice. "Are you ready?"

"Davis, please don't," Takato begged.

"Too late. Execute! Spirit Evolution… BlackImperialdramon Fighter Mode!"

The teens looked on in dismay as they realized that they were once again going to have to face off against their friend. Kari, however, still hoped to reach him though, and made one last attempt to get through to him. "Davis-"

"It's BlackImperialdramon."

She shook her head. "I'm not calling you that, because that's not the real you. I said this before, but I need you to really listen to me and understand. I don't feel about you the same way you feel about me. I'm sorry, but I just don't. And this is not winning you any points. You can't force someone to love you."

"Oh?" BlackImperialdramon asked mockingly. "Ever hear of brainwashing? How about Stockholm Syndrome?"

"That's fake love."

His eyes shifted to the others. "Then what if I was your only option?"

She shook her head. "I'd rather die."

"If it comes down to it, I can arrange that as well. Positron Laser!"

His attack blasted the ground a few feet from her. The shockwave threw Kari back, and she fell into her friends. They looked up at the dragon Digimon in shock, surprised that he would actually attempt to hurt her.

"I will have you, Kari," BlackImperialdramon promised. "If not in life, then with your death. You will truly be mine then, your life mine forever."

Tai's eyes narrowed. "Something's different. He wasn't like this the last two times he attacked us. It's like he's…"

"Darker," TK replied. "Like he's becoming more evil and more unfeeling."

Blastmon chuckled. "Indeed. In light of how you almost purged the Dark Spore from him last time, Lady Laylamon took precautions to make sure you won't be able to do that again."

Takato held up his Digivice. "Well, that's not going to stop us from trying. Execute! Spirit Evolution… Gallantmon Crimson Mode!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Omnimon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… EmperorGreymon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Seraphimon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Ophanimon!"

"Shoutmon Digivolve to… OmniShoutmon!"

Six Digimon now stood off against two, but neither BlackImperialdramon nor Blastmon looked worried. Omnimon still attempted to give them an out by stepping forward and pointing his sword at them threateningly. "You're outnumbered. Blastmon, don't be foolish and throw your life away for Layalmon. Step aside and let us fight her. And Davis, stop being so naïve. Even if you really believe that this is what you want, you're still playing directly into Laylamon's hands. Stop letting her use you."

BlackImperialdramon just chuckled. "You're still mistaking her using me for us having a mutual goal. That being getting rid of all of you. Well, save one." He glanced at Ophanimon before looking back at the knight Digimon. "You're also mistaking something else. The odds are a little more even than you think."

A gunshot suddenly rang out. All six of the DigiDestined immediately ducked down the moment they heard it, but the bullet didn't hit anyone. It was followed by more laughter as Boltboutamon hovered upside-down in the air several yards away.

"Darn, I missed," he said with a chuckle. "Did you miss me as well?"

"We miss not having you around," Seraphimon replied as he got to his feet. "We should have known you'd be back. Decided to get in on the fun again instead of being a spectator?"

The demon Digimon chuckled. "Well, yes and no. I decided to get involved, but not personally. The me you see here is just another copy. And I won't be retreating this time. But seeing how this body is just a copy, you should be able to destroy it with a good attack or two. Of course," he grin widened, "that's assuming you can actually hit me."

"I'll hit you," Gallantmon told him, taking a step forward. "Many, many times."

"I plan to get in on this as well," said Omnimon.

"And me," EmperorGreymon added.

Boltboutamon placed a hand over his mouth. "Oh my, three of you against little old me? But what of my friend here?"

A rip in dimensions suddenly appeared, and the DigiDestined were surprised to see none other than AxeKnightmon. "Hello again, humans. It has been awhile."

Boltboutamon chuckled as he looked back at the DigiDestined. "So then, four on six. Even though you outnumber us, do you still feel so confident about your odds?"

"We'll make it work," Ophanimon replied. She turned back to BlackImperialdramon. "We have to."

The dragon Digimon brought up his hands and cracked his knuckles. "I should certainly like to see you try."

The two groups stared at each other for several long moments before leaping towards each other at the same time. And as the battle commenced, from inside the castle, Laylamon watched in amusement on the screen of a Monitamon.

"Now let's see how this goes." She chuckled as she licked her lips in anticipation. "Will the little humans be able to kill their friend? It will certainly be amusing to see. Of course, no matter how the fight turns out, the end result will still be the same. They'll never be able to defeat me."

Notes:

(A/N: The final battle with Laylamon is approaching. Only now they lost Chronomon. Yeah, that was the 'advantage lost' this chapter was titled after; see why I said I didn't care for it. Things had been looking up, but now Boltboutamon has taken away their trump card. I kind of had to, otherwise the rest of their journey will be too easy. Don't worry though, we haven't seen the last of him. I wouldn't go through all that and not do anything more with him. He's just going to be out of the picture for a little while. And it looks like Davis is becoming more evil due to whatever it is Laylamon did to him. How will this final confrontation end? Will our heroes be able to save their friend? And even if they come out on top, will they be able to defeat Laylamon after all that? Find out in the next few chapters. Just one thing though. I was initially going to have the next chapter out next week, but I have a friend who's been requesting that I write a story for him that I wasn't too keen on doing due to what he was asking for, but he finally convinced me to accept his request. So I'll be taking next week to write and post that one. But don't worry, I'll be back the following week with the next chapter, so look forward to it.)

Chapter 142: The Shade

Notes:

(A/N: Things are coming to a head. Last time, our heroes made it to Laylamon's castle and were confronted by Davis and a few allies of his. It's the moment of truth. Will the DigiDestined be able to save their friends and defeat their enemies? And if they do, will they be strong enough or even have enough power left to fight Laylamon, let along defeat her? Only one way to find out.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 142: The Shade

As they said they would, Omnimon, EmperorGreymon, and Gallantmon all went after Boltboutamon. The copy of the demon Digimon eagerly flew forward to engage them in battle as all three lashed out with their swords.

Three of Boltboutamon's arms flew out, each one catching a blade and successfully held them back. A mocking snicker escaped him as he cocked his head to the side in a near ninety-degree angle. "The three strongest members of your group attacking me together. I would feel honored if this weren't such child's play to me."

He shoved the three of them back, then whipped out his guns, shooting all three of them at the same time with his Baleful Draw attack. Both Omnimon and Gallantmon dodged the bullets flying at them while EmperorGreymon batted his away and then flew at the demon Digimon with his Soaring Flame Edge. Boltboutamon easily blocked the attack with his bladed tail. He used his Curtain Call, flicking his finger to send out a shockwave that knocked EmperorGreymon back, then used his Final Act, sticking his hand through a portal so that a giant version of it came out another and grabbed the dragon Digimon.

"Gungnir!" Gallantmon cried, turning one of his swords of light into a spear and throwing it at the demon Digimon.

Boltboutamon used his Forcefield Creation to create a barrier, which blocked the attack. Omnimon fired his Supreme Cannon as well, but this too failed to penetrate the barrier.

"You'll have to do better than that," Boltboutamon told them. "Dark Rostrum!"

He fired his gun at the ground, the bullet causing a magic circle to appear where it struck. A tornado rose out of the circle, coming up beneath the two knight Digimon and trapping them both. Boltboutamon chuckled as his giant hand holding EmperorGreymon suddenly slammed the dragon Digimon to the ground. He then retracted his hand before taking out one of his rapiers and telepathically sent it flying down to bury into EmperorGreymon's back, causing the dragon Digimon to cry out.

"Sword of Ruin!" Omnimon cried, setting the sky ablaze as he cut through the tornado, freeing him and Gallantmon. His fellow knight Digimon then aimed his spear of light at Boltboutamon and unleashed his Final Justice, the attack shattering the barrier surrounding him.

"Ultimate Uppercut!" Omnimon cried, flying towards the demon Digimon and stabbing with his sword.

Boltboutamon clapped his hands together, catching the blade. Omnimon brought up his cannon to fire, but one of Boltboutamon's extra hands knocked it away. His fourth hand fired his Dark Spirit attack at Omnimon, shoving a ball of darkness at him, blasting him away.

Gallantmon flew in to take his place. Wielding two swords of light, he used his Dash Blutgang, slashing at Boltboutamon. The demon Digimon avoided the swipe from both blades, them used his Final Act, sticking all four arms into portals that popped out around Gallantmon, allowing him to grab the knight Digimon's arms and legs.

"Come on," Boltboutamon taunted. "The three of you are strong, and I'm just a copy. One good hit should be all it would take to destroy me."

As he yanked on Gallantmon's limbs, threatening to tear them out, EmperorGreymon forced himself to stand up, a difficult feat considering Boltboutamon's rapier had him literally pinned to the ground down to the hilt. "Oh, we plan to get that attack in."

Reaching behind his back, he pulled the sword out, hissing in pain as he did so. He took a moment to compose himself, then flew back up to the battle. Boltboutamon glanced at him, sneered, then used his Pernicious Waltz. Several more rapiers appeared and flew towards EmperorGreymon.

The dragon Digimon used his Purgatory Sword Dance to knock the blades away. He swiped at Boltboutamon when he reached him, but the demon Digimon recreated his barrier to block the attack. He did release Gallantmon though, and pulled his hands back through the portals and reached out to grab EmperorGreymon. He used his Absorption attack and began to suck up the dragon Digimon's energy. He didn't get much though as Omnimon came at him again, swiping with his Dashing Grey Sword.

Boltboutamon released EmperorGreymon and pulled back to avoid the attack. His three opponents all pointed their swords at him, and Boltboutamon chuckled.

"You think you can take me?" He put one of his four hands behind him as rapiers appeared in his other three. "I can take you with one hand behind my back."

They knew he wasn't bluffing, but moved in to attack all the same, the demon Digimon laughing all the while.

Meanwhile, in the distance, OmniShoutmon was engaged in battle with AxeKnightmon. Despite only being and Ultimate, the knight Digimon was one of those rare, unique Digimon who was much stronger than he should be, and thus had no problem facing off against a Mega. OmniShoutmon was wary of this as AxeKnightmon came at him with his giant double-ended spear.

"Treason Vortex!" AxeKnightmon cried, spinning his spear around to create a dark vortex that he sent at the dragon Digimon.

OmniShoutmon jumped up over the attack and did a flip in the air as he brought his bladed foot down with his Doom Drillpress attack. AxeKnightmon's axe came up, and OmniShoutmon's bladed leg clanged against it.

With a grunt, AxeKnightmon pushed OmniShoutmon back, then sped after him, swinging both his spear and axe. "Why are you even here?"

OmniShoutmon danced backwards, avoiding the two weapons and using his bladed legs to block when he couldn't. "Why do you think? To defeat Laylamon. Victorize Banking!"

The attack slammed against AxeKnightmon's axe, pushing him back, but he immediately went on the attack again. "You can't possibly be this foolish. The humans maybe, because they don't know better, but you do. You know you can't defeat the Demon Lords. Twin Spear!"

He stabbed forward, but OmniShoutmon caught the pointed end. He was still pushed back until he slammed into the side of the castle, but managed to avoid being impaled. "Yeah, I once thought so too. But then we defeated Leviamon. Then Belphemon, in his Rage Mode no less. Then Beelzemon X. Call me crazy, but I'm actually feeling a little hopeful. Hard Rock Spirit!"

He dared to let go of the spear with one hand to shoot a blast of fire into the knight Digimon. AxeKnightmon was blasted back, and OmniShoutmon flew after him. Now on the defense, AxeKnightmon used his spear and axe to deflect OmniShoutmon's Doom Drillpress.

"You're delusional. You've let a few fluke victories go to your head and have allowed yourself to become deluded. Now maybe, just maybe, you'll be able to defeat Laylamon if you get extremely lucky, but the rest of the Demon Lords, especially the big three? You're completely out of your mind. Multi-Dimensional Axe!"

He swung his axe, the blade slicing through the very fabric of dimensions. OmniShoutmon clapped his hands together and caught it, struggling as he tried to hold the axe back, the blade inches from his face. "Maybe so, but even if we die, as long as we take Laylamon down with us, I'd consider it a victory. Heck, even if we don't, having already taken down a single Demon Lord is a victory, but we plan to go as far as we can."

He shoved the axe backwards, and the handle jabbed AxeKnightmon in the gut. He grunted and stumbled back, allowing OmniShoutmon to drive his fist into his face, knocking him back further and then follow up with his Omni Core Fusion.

AxeKnightmon swung his axe, slicing OmniShoutmon's attack in half. "Don't be a fool. You know who I answer to. You can't win this war. Just surrender. Your death will be easier. Twin Spear!"

"Heavy Metal Vulcan!" OmniShoutmon countered, blocking with his firewall. "Compared to living under the Demon Lords' rule, everything is easier."

Had Ophanimon heard his claim, she might have disagreed. Fighting against BlackImperialdramon and trying not to hurt him was proving to be quite difficult. He, on the other hand, wasn't holding anything back, not even against her.

"Positron Laser!"

"Eden's Javelin!"

The two beams collided, the energy building up until it exploded. BlackImperialdramon charged at her, and she used her Unicorn Shield to bounce him off her barrier when he tackled her.

"Davis, stop this," she begged as he came at her again, slashing with his claws. She batted them away with her javelin. "Don't you remember what happened last time? I can save you. Please, let me."

He knocked her away with a kick. "There is no saving me, Kari, because there's nothing to save. I don't know how I can make that any clearer to you. Giga Death!"

"Unicorn Shield!"

The energy ball struck her shield, and she deflected it up into the sky where it exploded. "That's not true. It was working last time. Let me try again."

"You mean let you turn me into a weakling again? One ruled by compassion and morality?" He let out a cruel chuckle. "I'm afraid that's no longer even an option." His eyes suddenly flashed bright red for a brief moment. "Laylamon saw to that."

He charged at her. Ophanimon fired her Eden's Needle, but BlackImperialdramon flew straight through the stream of needles of light. He used his Positron Laser, the beam knocking her javelin out of her hands, and tackled her.

Ophanimon went down willingly, and grasped his head. She immediately began to flood him with purifying energy. BlackImperialdramon froze and then roared in pain as a multicolored aura flowed over him.

But then something else happened. The purifying energy was suddenly overcome by a wave of darkness. The rainbow aura vanished as a new one took its place, a pitch-black aura with numerous glowing red eyes swimming around in it. The aura surrounded him, moving about as if it were alive.

Ophanimon gasped and wriggled out of BlackImperialdramon hold, wanting to get away from the aura. She sensed the darkness in him caused by the Dark Spore rise up and undo the purification she had poured into him, corrupting him further. "What?"

Almost mechanically, BlackImperialdramon rose to his feet, the black aura surrounding him rising up and dancing around him violently. A cruel chuckle escaped him as he looked at Ophanimon's surprised expression, his eyes glowing red once more. "Are you surprised? I'd like you to meet my new friend, Shademon. She's taken up residence inside me for the time being. A sort of mutual partnership."

The black aura shrank down to form what seemed to be a black flame filled with glowing red eyes and a single yellow eye. It wrapped around BlackImperialdramon like a serpent, seemingly emerging from within the dragon Digimon.

Behind her helmet, Ophanimon's eyes were wide with horror. "You willingly picked up a parasite? Are you mad?"

BlackImperialdramon chuckled. "It's more of a symbiotic relationship. She gets to be a part of a powerful Digimon like myself, and in return, she prevents you from purging the Dark Spore from me. Any purification you do, she'll simply undo." He cracked his knuckles as Shademon sank back into his body. "Has the futility of your efforts finally sunk in?"

He began marching towards Ophanimon, who began backing away, not sure what to do now. "OmniShoutmon," she called, "what do you know about Shademon?"

The dragon Digimon ducked beneath AxeKnightmon's swinging axe and blasted him back with a Twin Fireball Strike. "Champion level. Special attack, Free Death Fall, which continuously displays illusions of its opponent being knocked to the ground 10,000 times."

He was interrupted as he was blasted back by AxeKnightmon's Treason Vortex, but immediately went after the knight Digimon again. "Shademon have no real substance. They haunt the shadows of others and feed off their despair in order to Digivolve. Whatever they Digivolve into is based on the amount of whatever it ingests."

"None of that is really helpful," Ophanimon called back.

"Giga Death!" BlackImperialdramon cried, firing another blast that Ophanimon deflected. "You're not getting away from me this time, Kari."

He charged at her. Ophanimon held out her hand, and her javelin flew into it. BlackImperialdramon threw a punch, and Ophanimon jumped away as his fist shattered the ground. She blasted him back with her Shining Laser, then brought forth a tornado with her Eden's Air attack to surround him.

BlackImperialdramon dug his feet into the ground as he resisted the tornado's heavy winds. "So, are actually going to try and kill me now?"

"Never!" she snapped. "I'll still find a way to save you."

"You can try."

He lunged forward, bursting out of the tornado. Ophanimon held up her shield and used her Unicorn Shield as he rained punches against her and she blocked them. She swung her javelin, hitting him in the side of the head with it, and he smacked it away, sending it flying before firing his Positron Laser at her.

Ophanimon flew backwards, avoiding the attack. BlackImperialdramon flew after her, still firing his beam. Then she surprised him by suddenly throwing her shield at him. It hit him in the forehead, distracting him, and then she blasted him back with her Sefirot Crystal.

Speeding forward, she plowed into him and used her Holy Light attack. The light she radiated knocked him back into the side of the castle, and she followed up with her Shining Laser, using the beams to pin him to the wall as she approached.

Reaching out with one hand, she placed it on his head while still firing with her other one. BlackImperialdramon just laughed. "It won't work. My little friend will just undo whatever you do."

"Maybe so, but what happens if I purify her instead? OmniShoutmon said she feeds on despair. What if I feed her something else?"

She injected purifying energy into him, but rather than targeting the Dark Spore, she sought out Shademon. She found her data swimming amongst BlackImperialdramon's, and she poured as much purification energy into it as she could. From within the dragon Digimon, Shademon screeched.

"You bitch!" BlackImperialdramon snarled, and managed to deliver a punch that knocked Ophanimon back.

She skidded to a halt, and was about to continue her assault, but BlackImperialdramon stumbled forward groaning. He fell to his hands and knees as a black and white aura surrounded him, and something emerged from his back. Much to Ophanimon's surprise though, it wasn't Shademon, but a pink and white Digimon that almost resembled an angelic version of Lopmon.

The little Digimon opened her eyes and looked up at Ophanimon, almost pleadingly. "Kill me."

Ophanimon blinked. "What?"

"I can't hold him back for long. You must kill me, quick."

Ophanimon tried to wrap her head around this, but everything was happening too fast. "But, wait. Kill you? Who even are you?"

A groan escaped BlackImperialdramon, and the fairy Digimon made a notable effort to keep him subdued. "I am Luminamon. The purified Digivolution of Shademon. Please, there's not much time before the darkness takes me back."

She let out an almost pained cry and grasped her head as the black aura surrounding BlackImperialdramon began to overcome the white.

"What do you mean, the darkness will take you back?" Ophanimon asked. "Tell me how I can help."

Luminamon shook her head. "You can't. I was Laylamon's failsafe so you couldn't purify your friend. I fused with the Dark Spore as Shademon so that if you tried to purify him, I would contaminate him again, and if you purify me, then the Dark Spore would contaminate me. You must destroy me before that happens. Please."

She let out another pained cry as the aura around BlackImperialdramon completely turned black and then spread to Luminamon.

Ophanimon felt torn. This Digimon who she didn't even know, who was apparently the purified Digivolution of the wicked Shademon, was begging her to kill him. She couldn't sacrifice her like that, but then again, it sounded as if this were the only way to save Davis from the darkness. And not just him, but Luminamon too, otherwise the Dark Spore would keep them both corrupted.

I can't just kill you," she said. "Maybe I can purify you both."

"You can't. It doesn't work that way. You must save your friend, and the only way to do that is to eliminate all traces of the dark Spore. I'm attached to the Dark Spore, I can't be saved. Once you kill me, the Dark Spore inside him will die too. It's the only way to save us both. Please, it's what I want!"

She let out another cry, and suddenly reverted back to Shademon. Her numerous eyes narrowed at Ophanimon before she hissed and sank back into BlackImperialdramon's body again.

He stood up and leered at Ophanimon. "That Luminamon has a big mouth. But you just caught me off guard. Don't think that I'll let you have an opportunity like that again. She can't hold me back anymore. You missed you chance."

He flew at her, and the two collided together in combat, while not too far away, Seraphimon and Blastmon engaged in battle. On the whole, Seraphimon found that his opponent wasn't on his level in terms of power, but when it came to defense, it was truly where the mineral Digimon shined.

Blastmon's body was incredibly hard, and this made it difficult to do any real damage. And when he did manage to damage him, Blastmon's body showed to be capable of regenerating.

"Diamond Machine Gun!" Blastmon cried, punching outward, and countless crystal shards flew from his body.

"Hallowed Ascension!" Seraphimon countered, and lighting came crashing down in front of him to strike down the barrage of crystals. He then flew forward, punching outward with his Hallowed Knuckle, and the balls of light blasted against the mineral Digimon. Seraphimon ended it with a punch to the face while blasting him again, and Blastmon slammed into the castle wall.

Coming to a stop, Seraphimon shook out his hand. Even with armor covering his knuckles, that punch against Blastmon's hard body still hurt.

Blastmon stepped away from the castle, looking relatively unharmed. A small crack was present on his body, but it quickly healed. "You can't get through my defenses that easily. I am the ultimate moving fortress."

Seraphimon's eyes narrowed behind his helmet. "A fortress can only take so much before it collapses."

"Not when it can regenerate like I can. Diamond Hedgehog!"

Curling up, he launched himself at Seraphimon. The angel Digimon took to the air, easily avoiding the tackle, but then, much to his surprise, Blastmon used his Kenron Crystal Volcano, and an explosion took place beneath him, launching him into the air.

Seraphimon gasped in surprise, but wasn't fast enough as Blastmon plowed into him. The angel Digimon slammed into the castle and dropped to the ground, and Blastmon charged at him.

"Janeken: Rock!" he cried, throwing a punch, only to have Seraphimon catch his fist with both hands. "Janken: Scissors!"

He threw another punch with his other hand, this time with his middle and index fingers extended. Seraphimon shifted to the side, and Blastmon's fingers buried into the castle, cracking it.

"Strike of the Seven Stars!" Seraphimon cried, and Blastmon was knocked backwards as the angel Digimon got to his feet. "What were those attacks supposed to be? Based off Rock-Paper-Scissors?"

Blastmon dusted off his smoking body. "The game is more dangerous than you think. Let me show you. Janken: Paper!"

He chopped forward, sending out a shockwave. Seraphimon flew up into the air to avoid it as the attack shattered the castle wall. Using Excalibur, he flew at Blastmon and brought the sword of light down on the mineral Digimon. It only cut through a few inches before Blastmon's hard body prevented him from cutting through any further.

"Crystal Breath!" Blastmon cried as he absorbed sunlight into his body and then released it in the form of a laser. Seraphimon was blasted back, his sword dislodging, and Blastmon came at him. "Naïve Emerald Chop!"

Raising his hand, he chopped down at Seraphimon, who blocked with his sword, which caused it to burst into light particles. Blastmon then followed up with his Final Subagon Punch, driving his fist into the ground. An earthquake started up, the ground splitting apart, and Seraphimon sought safety in the air.

"Hallowed Ascension!" he cried, sending lightning down upon Blastmon.

The mineral Digimon covered his head, grunting as he was struck by lightning, but he immediately launched himself into the air again with his Kenron Crystal Volcano and used his Naïve Emerald Chop. Seraphimon was able to block with his Excalibur, and this time his sword held.

"I don't get why you follow the Demon Lords," Seraphimon told him as they grappled in the air. "All for the sake of power? You must know that they only grant you that power so they can use you."

Blastmon glared at him. "Not all of us are in this for power. Janken: Rock!"

He threw a punch, but Seraphimon swerved to the side and grabbed is arm. "You're not in this." He began spinning the mineral Digimon around. "You're out of here!"

He let go, throwing Blastmon far into the distance. The mineral Digimon cried out as the light reflected off his diamond body, making him resemble a shooting star as he disappeared upon the horizon.

On reflex, Seraphimon turned his attention to Ophanimon. She was still engaged in battle with BlackImperialdramon, only now the dragon Digimon was surrounded by a black aura that seemed to be growing and expanding, filling the area like an evil fog. Seraphimon didn't know what that meant, but he didn't think it was good, and quickly flew over to help.

BlackImperialdramon had become much more aggressive, slashing away at the angel Digimon with his claws. Ophanimon was using her javelin and shield to bat his claws away, but was losing ground as she backed away, trying to figure out a way to simultaneously subdue BlackImperialdramon, purify Shademon again, and still manage to bring herself to destroy Luminamon all at the same time.

Finally, she lost her footing and fell over. BlackImperialdramon rose up over her, pointing his arm down at her. "Positron Las-"

Seraphimon's fist suddenly collided with his face, disrupting the attack. He simultaneously used his Hallowed Knuckle. Both the punch and the attack knocked BlackImperialdramon off his feet and he went flying.

"You ok?" he asked Ophanimon, offering his hand.

"I've been better, but thanks." She took his offered hand and allowed him to pull her to her feet. "You take care of Blastmon?"

"I don't think we need to worry about him for awhile. Did you get a chance to try and purify Davis yet, or did it not work?"

There was an angry cry as BlackImperialdramon sped over to them. He reached for Seraphimon, but the angel Digimon caught both of his much larger hands and held them back by his wrists.

"I'll kill you!" BlackImperialdramon snarled as the black aura continued to spread to the surrounding areas.

"This is new," Seraphimon commented, referring to the black aura.

"Shining Laser!" Ophanimon cried, blasting BlackImperialdramon off him, then following up with her Air Sefirot, blowing him away with a powerful gust of wind. "Purification alone won't work anymore, but I do know how to help him. TK, I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I must ask something horrible of you."

The fact that she had used his real name while he was in his Digimon form told him just how serious this request was. "What is it?"

Ophanimon took a deep breath. "In order to prevent us from purging the Dark Spore from him, Laylamon had a Digimon called Shademmon attach itself to him and fuse with the Dark Spore. If we destroy Shademon, the Dark Spore will die with her."

That sounded like good news to Seraphimon. "Ok, so what's the problem?"

"Giga Death!" BlackImperialdramon cried, firing an energy ball.

Seraphimon and Ophanimon took to the air to avoid the massive blast that followed. "The problem is that Shademon won't come out willingly," she told him. "I tried to purify her instead, and it caused her to temporarily Digivolve into Luminamon before the Dark Spore reverted her back to Shademon again. Luminamon wanted me to destroy her in order to free Davis. I can bring Luminamon back, but I'll need you to destroy her when she comes out while I keep her purified."

Seraphimon's eyes widened. "You want me to kill Luminamon? But if she's been purified, then she won't be evil anymore."

Ophanimon shut her eyes in despair. "I know, but there doesn't seem to be another way. As Shademon, she'll prevent Davis' purification, and the Dark Spore will keep reverting her back to Shademon even after I purify her. She said it's the only way to save them both from the darkness. She… She said told me it's what she wants."

"Positron Laser!" BlackImperialdramon cried, firing at them as he gave chase.

The two angel Digimon swerved about in the air as BlackImperialdramon continued to fire at them. Seraphimon glanced back at him. "I don't know if I can bring myself to do it, Kari."

"I know," she said remorsefully, her voice cracking. 'It's not fair, but we're out of options. Either we let both Davis and Luminamon remain evil, or we kill one of them who, at the very least, will be reborn."

"Giga Death!"

They dodged the attack that came at them and watched as it lit up the sky in a mighty blast. Seraphimon looked back down at BlackImperialdramon and realized that this may very well be their one and only chance to save their friend. His fists clenched, and he let out a frustrated cry. "Damn it! Alright, let's do it fast before I think about it too much."

Ophanimon nodded, hating that it had to come to this and that she had to ask this of her fellow angel Digimon. "Stay close to me."

She flew straight down towards BlackImperialdramon. He stopped chasing and fired his Positron Laser. She used her Unicorn Shield to defend herself, pushing onward through the beam, getting closer and closer. Her barrier began to fracture from the continuous onslaught as BlackImperialdramon kept firing, and he began to emit an angry cry as she got closer and closer.

Seconds before her barrier shattered, she slammed into him, and they both crashed to the ground. As she started to get up, BlackImperialdramon's hand shot out and grabbed her. He rolled them over and pinned Ophanimon beneath him, then raised his clawed hand to strike her.

Seraphimon was suddenly there, grabbing his arm and bending it backwards. BlackImperialdramon let out a pained grunt as his arm was bent in the wrong direction, and Seraphimon used his position to pin the dragon Digimon down.

Ophanimon grabbed the wrist of the hand holding her to the ground so BlackImperialdramon couldn't grab Seraphimon. Her other hand reached up and grasped the dragon Digimon's face. She quickly sought out Shademon's data. When she found it, she poured as much purification energy in as she could.

There was a wail from inside BlackImperialdramon that did not come from the dragon Digimon. A few moments later, Luminamon emerged.

"Do it!" the fairy Digimon shouted, spreading her arms.

Seraphimon didn't think, he could allow himself to. He cleared his mind and acted. Releasing BlackImperialdramon's arm, he used his Hallowed Knuckle, firing a ball of light at the fairy Digimon.

"NO!" BlackImperialdramon roared, reaching for her.

A smile grazed Luminamon's face a moment before the ball of light hit, and she exploded into data.

Notes:

(A/N: It's never easy having to choose the lesser of two evils, but it really came down to letting both Davis and Luminamon remain evil and corrupt or sacrificing Luminamon and allowing her to be reborn in order to free Davis. Blame it on Laylamon for having such a cruel ploy. But will this really have been enough to free Davis from the darkness? If not, they're in trouble. Blastmon may have been taken out of the battle, but AxeKnightmon and Boltboutamon's copy are still holding their own. And even if they win, Laylamon is right inside the castle, and you know she's not going to just let them get away. What hope is left? Stay tuned to find out.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Shademon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Shademon_(Nene)

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Luminamon

Chapter 143: Reunited

Notes:

(A/N: Hey, people. Sorry I didn't have this out on time. I lost my grandfather last week, so I wasn't really in a writing mood. It's ok though, I'm ok now. Just trying to get back into the swing of things. So, here's the next chapter, sorry it was late, enjoy.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 143: Reunited

An agonized roar was torn from BlackImperialdramon's mouth as he leapt to his feet. Seraphimon was knocked off his back and Ophanimon scrambled away as the dragon Digimon grasped his head. The black aura around him danced more violently than ever before, seeming to condense inside BlackImperialdramon, almost making him appear to be a living shadow with glowing red eyes.

"Is this normal?" Seraphimon asked uncertainly.

"Nothing about any of this is normal," said Ophanimon.

BlackImperialdramon let out one final roar before the darkness surrounding him exploded outward. The two angel Digimon were knocked off their feet from the shockwave as the darkness continued to flow outward, stretching thinner and thinner until it dissipated completely.

BlackImperialdramon remained standing, his hands still gripping his head, his no longer glowing eyes blank. Then, suddenly, a strange flower bloomed at the top of his head. It only remained there for a second or two before it completely wilted away, dissolving into data particles and disappearing. Then BlackImperialdramon fell forward and collapsed facedown on the ground.

Seraphimon and Ophanimon starred at the collapsed dragon Digimon uncertainly. That hadn't exactly been the reaction they had been expecting. Whenever they had purified anyone before or freed them from whatever dark power was controlling them, the Digimon in question had merely reverted to normal or took on a purified form. Had whatever they had done to Davis damaged him, or worse?

"Davis?" Ophanimon asked as she and Seraphimon cautiously approached. "Davi-"

A gunshot rang out, hitting Ophanimon in the back. She let out a pained cry and fell to the ground at Seraphimon's feet.

"Ophanimon!" he cried, and whirled around, already knowing who shot her.

The Boltboutamon copy was floating above them, one of his guns smoking. Behind him, Omnimon, Gallantmon, and EmperorGreymon were struggling to break free from the countless vines of his Root Bind attack.

"Now why did you have to go and ruin the fun?" he asked with mock disapproval. "He was such an amusing pawn."

Seraphimon growled up at him, but his attention was soon drawn to Ophanimon once more as she began thrashing and screaming on the ground in terrible agony.

"What did you do to her?" Seraphimon demanded. He flew up towards the demon Digimon. "What did you do!?"

"Quartzione!" Boltboutamon cried, firing a second time. The bullet struck Seraphimon in the chest, completely piercing his armor. Boltboutamon chuckled as he kissed his smoking gun. "The same thing I just did to you. You see, my Quartzione attack allows me to fire a special bullet from my Ala di Pollo guns. This particular bullet lodges into an opponent's body, which then tears them apart from the inside out, affectively annihilating them from within." His grin widened and became one of madness. "Can you feel it? Can you feel it attacking you from the inside?"

Yes, Seraphimon could most definitely feel it. The bullet was indeed moving around, shredding through his insides as it tore him apart, and he fell to his hands and knees as he screamed in agony.

"Dragonfire Crossbow!" EmperorGreymon cried, having broken free of his bindings.

Boltboutamon's bladed tail swished outward, slicing apart the fire arrow. Grinning, he glanced at EmperorGreymon over his shoulder. "Such a shame that you can't keep quiet when attacking, don't you think? It can make it difficult to sneak up on people."

The dragon Digimon swore. Turning away from Boltboutamon, he flew over to the two knight Digimon and used his Purgatory Sword Dance to free them from their bindings.

"Thanks for that," said Gallantmon. "You wouldn't think that vines would be so tough."

Boltboutamon sneered. "They're not ordinary vines." He gestured down to Seraphimon and Ophanimon. "Just like those weren't ordinary bullets. I'd say your friends only have a minute or two left to live."

Omnimon's eyes widened in horror. "You son of a bitch!"

He flew forward and swung his sword, but it clanged against Boltboutamon's rapier, and he easily blocked his attacks.

Down on the ground, Seraphimon struggled against the pain. The bullet making its way through his body was unbearable agony, and he was on the verge of passing out from the pain. But he knew that if he did, both he and Ophanimon would die.

He glanced at his fellow angel Digimon. Ophanimon was spasming on the ground, frothing at the mouth in her pain. She didn't even seem to be aware of her surroundings. Seraphimon could definitely relate; his own pain was making him lose coherency.

Reaching out, he used whatever strength he could muster up to use his Perfect Revival on her. His healing light flowed over her, and slowly her spasms relaxed. The bullet that had been tearing through her body forced its way out and dissolved away as the damage it had been causing her healed.

Ophanimon coughed a few times and groaned. Coherency returned as the pain faded, and she was able to sit up. "What happened?"

An agonized groan escaped Seraphimon as he collapsed, now spasming as well. Ophanimon gasped his name and quickly used her Final Aura on him. The bullet worked its way out of him as his injuries healed, and he let out a relieved sigh.

"Are you ok?" she asked worriedly.

"I'll be fine, Seraphimon replied. He looked up at their friends fighting Boltboutamon. "We've got to help the others."

Ophanimon glanced at BlackImperialdramon's still form. "What about Davis? Should we heal him?"

Seraphimon considered it, taking note that Davis was still in his corrupt Digimon form. "No, better not. He doesn't appear to be in any life-threatening danger, and it'll be best if he remains incapacitated for now, just in case he's still evil."

Ophanimon reluctantly agreed with him. "Right. Let's go."

They flew up to join the battle. Ophanimon fired her Eden's Javelin at Boltboutamon. Without even turning her way, the demon Digimon sent a rapier at her, and it tore through her beam, and would have impaled her as well had Seraphimon not knocked it away with his Excalibur.

The five DigiDestined surrounded the demon Digimon. Boltboutamon looked at each of them in turn, but was still grinning, despite being outnumbered five to one.

"I don't think you should be smiling when there's so many of us and only one of you," Gallantmon told him.

Boltboutamon pouted, making a show of appearing distressed. "Oh, woe is me. Whatever shall I do against such odds?" He barely got out the last word before he burst out laughing. "Ah, I just couldn't say that with a straight face. You're ignorance is just so amusing. Greater numbers mean nothing when you're against such a superior power. Let me show you what I mean. Pernicious Waltz!"

All around, countless rapiers appeared out of thin air. With a large grin, Boltboutamon made a gesture with his fingers, and the swords began flying through the air at and around the DigiDestined. He laughed at their attempts to dodge and bat them away with their own weapons. But now it was them that were outnumbered, and no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't avoid being nicked and cut here and there.

"Now, now, children," Boltboutamon mocked them, "you're far too active. I think you need to sit down for a bit. Final Act!"

Four portals appeared around him, and he stuck his hands inside. Much larger portals appeared a short distance away, and giant versions of his hands emerged, each one grabbing a DigiDestined until only Omnimon remained, but Boltboutamon quickly immobilized him as well with his Root Bind attack.

"Let us go, you four armed freak!" EmperorGreymon demanded as he struggled in the grip of the giant hand holding him.

Boltboutamon just snickered. "But I want you to be healthy so I can play with you for a long time." He motioned with his tail to his flying swords, aiming the rapiers at them. "That's why I'm going to give you all a little shot." His grin widened sadistically. "It's ok, you can trust me; I'm a doctor."

Ophanimon futilely wiggled in her giant hand's grip. "OmniShoutmon, a little help!"

Down on the ground, the dragon Digimon in question was backed up against the castle walls, using his bladed feet to block against AxeKnightmon's spear and axe he was repeatedly swinging at him. "I'm kind of busy over here!"

Grinning madly, Boltboutamon got all his rapiers into position. "Now don't move. This won't hurt a bit."

"Giga Crusher!"

Boltboutamon turned to see a ball of energy flying up towards him, and a look of legitimate surprise crossed his face. "Oh."

The attack hit and erupted, filling the sky with its blast radius. Boltboutamon quietly muttered, "Bummer," before bursting into data. The giant hands holding the DigiDestined dissolved away, as did the swords, and the portals all closed as the vines holding Omnimon wilted away.

The DigiDestined all looked down, hoping against hope. There, standing on his feet and holding a cannon, was Imperialdramon. Not the BlackImperialdramon they had been seeing lately, but the one they were all familiar with.

"Davis/Imperialdramon!" the DigiDestined all shouted.

Looking furious, Imperialdramon lowered his cannon. "Talk later, end this now."

He sped over to where AxeKnightmon had OmniShoutmon pinned against the wall and used his Dragon Knee to knock the knight Digimon away.

"Imperialdramon!" OmniShoutmon exclaimed.

"Attack him!"

OmniShoutmon blinked. "Oh, right. Twin Fireball Strike!"

He threw fireballs at AxeKnightmon. The knight Digimon spun around his spear, deflecting the fireballs, but was suddenly blasted back by Omnimon's Supreme Cannon. The rest of the DigiDestined landed beside Imperialdramon and OmniShoutmon, the full team together again.

Gallantmon pointed his spear at AxeKnightmon. "Now it's your turn."

The others took on fighting stances, ready to continue fighting. AxeKnightmon stared at them for a few seconds before his shoulders slumped. "No, this battle is over. I know when I'm beaten." Using his Multi-Dimensional Axe, he sliced open a portal. "We shall meet again."

He stepped through the tear and it closed behind him, leaving the DigiDestined alone outside of Laylamon's castle.

Imperialdramon humphed. "Good riddance."

Suddenly, he was almost knocked over as he was enveloped in a group hug. Being larger than any of them, each of his friends had latched onto a part of him and was hugging him tightly.

"Davis, you're back!"

"We missed you, man!"

"Imperialdramon, you're back to normal!"

"So good to have you back!"

"Thank goodness you're alright!"

"Glad to have you back on the team!"

Imperialdramon's eyes were wide in surprise, but once he got over his initial shock, he began to shake them off. "Ok, ok, ok, I'm back! Now get off me!"

The others released him, startled by his hostile tone. For a brief second, they were afraid he wasn't fully back to normal, but then he began marching away from them.

"Imperialdramon," said Gallantmon, "we-"

"Don't!" he interrupted. "Just… don't…"

"Don't what?" EmperorGreymon asked. "Hey, where are you going?"

Imperialdramon paused, obviously not having an answer. "I'm just… going… over here, alright."

"Davis, come on," said Seraphimon. "We just got you back. We can't separate now. Especially since we're right outside Laylamon's castle. We need to stick together."

Imperialdramon rounded on him. "Stick together? How can you even stand to look at me after what I did? I can't even stand to be around myself. I tried to… Oh, God, I actually tried to…"

He covered his mouth, looking as if he were going to be sick. His friends were quick to rush to his defense.

"It wasn't your fault," Ophanimon told him.

"Yeah, Laylamon was the one who made you act like that," Gallantmon added.

Imperialdramon glared at them, but it was clear that he was angry with himself, not them. "Laylamon didn't make me do anything. That was me. All me. My own thoughts. My own feelings. My own actions." He looked down at his hands, looking horrified. "AncientWisemon warned me. He warned me, but I didn't listen. I didn't listen because I was selfish, and because I thought it was impossible."

"No one blames you for that," Seraphimon told him. "None of us would have ever thought you would ever betray us either. And you didn't, not really. That wasn't the real you. The Dark Spore changed you."

"He's right," Omnimon agreed. "Laylamon's the one who made you like that. She made you do those-"

"She didn't make me do anything. I did it. I did it all. I wanted to do those things. I knew what I was doing, and I didn't care."

Sighing, OmniShoutmon stepped forward. "Davis listen to me carefully, because we don't have time for a pointless pity part. You were infected by a Dark Spore. I've seen what those things do. You may have been in control of your actions, but the Dark Spore warped your personality. It puts a blocker on one's morality and conscience, and it greatly amplifies a person's darker nature and makes them want to and be willing to do horrible things; things that person would normally never do. You're not responsible for your actions while the Dark Spore was inside you. And before you try and beat yourself up further, you know good and well that had it been any of us that had been infected by the Dark Spore and done those horrible things that you wouldn't blame us, and you would tell us not to blame ourselves either. So don't be a hypocrite and stop blaming yourself."

Imperialdramon stared at him for several long moments before looking away. "I know what you're saying is true, but I'm still disgusted by what I did during that time. I'm just so… angry with myself. I just… RAH!"

He punched a hole in the ground as he seethed. The others didn't say anything about this, understanding that he needed to vent. Anyone would after what he had gone through.

Before any of them could say anything more, a new sound suddenly drew their attention. It was the sound of the doors to the castle opening. They all looked at the giant double doors, but there was no one there. It was a clear invitation for them to enter.

Gallantmon pointed at the doors and glanced at Imperialdramon. "That's who you should be angry with. Laylamon's the one who made you go bad. If you want to be mad at anyone, then be mad at her. Anything else can wait until she's been dealt with."

Imperialdramon's eyes burned with fury and hatred. He began trembling with suppressed anger as his claws dug into his palms. "Laylamon. I swear I'm going to tear that she-demon apart limb from limb."

"Well, it looks like she's ready for us," said EmperorGreymon. "I say it's time for a little payback."

"Hold up," said Ophanimon. "Is it such a good idea to fight her now? We were just in a fight. Should we really be challenging a Demon Lord?"

OmniShoutmon sighed. "Ordinarily, I'd say no, but I don't think she's going to give us a choice. If we don't go in, she'll probably come out. We could always try to run away, but-"

"No," Imperialdramon growled. "I know what she's like. Even if we do get away, we'll have to come back, and she'll probably have someone else waiting here for us to fight before we can get to her. She likes to use others to do her dirty work. And next time, since she won't have me on her side, she may have someone else who's even stronger. Maybe even another Demon Lord, or the real Boltboutamon."

Omnimon nodded in agreement. "Yes, I say we just get this over with." He looked up at the castle. "It's not like we have much of a choice."

Seraphimon glanced at Ophanimon, who seemed to know what he was thinking and nodded. "Alright," he said, "then Ophanimon and I better heal everyone of our injuries."

Gallantmon looked a little concerned. "Is that really such a good idea? You don't want to waste anymore energy than you have to."

"We're sure," Ophanimon replied. "We don't want to go into battle with any injuries. The energy we use to heal will definitely be worth recovering any damage we've sustained."

And so they all gathered around, and the two angel Digimon healed the group. Then, as one team, finally reunited, they turned to the castle and cautiously made their way inside. The doors slammed shut behind them, but they continued onward, ignoring the foreboding feeling they had.

"We should keep an eye out for traps," Gallantmon suggested.

"There are no traps," Imperialdramon told them. "I never saw any while I was here. And beside, Laylamon may like to use and manipulate others, but she's too arrogant to rely on traps."

They decided to take his word for it, especially after OmniShoutmon confirmed that that did indeed sound like Laylamon. Fortunately, with Imperialdramon being familiar with the castle, he was able to lead them straight to Laylamon's throne room.

Just like with the entrance to the castle, the doors to the throne room opened for them, and they stepped into the enormous room. Laylamon was indeed there, sitting on her throne, waiting for them. Her eyes seemed to be glowing red, and there was a furious scowl on her face.

As the DigiDestined approached, Laylamon got to her feet, here figure casting a shadow over the group. "You miserable, rotten humans. You have cost me a great deal of time and aggravation. And now you have the nerve to challenge me. Me, the Demon Lord of Lust, who holds the title as the Goddess of Darkness."

"Your titles mean nothing to us, lady," EmperorGreymon growled. "To us, you're just a bully who needs to be put in her place."

Laylamon's eyes flashed violently. "How dare you speak to me that way, human!"

"No," Ophanimon cried, "how dare you do all the horrible things you've done. You Demon Lords are pure evil, and we're going to put a stop to your wicked ways."

Though she still looked angry, Laylamon grinned. "I believe you're speaking of what I did to your little friend. I suppose you would be especially angry about that since you were the reason I was able to trick him."

Imperialdramon took an angry step forward. "You evil, manipulative-"

"Of course, I can understand why you would be upset. It was so easy to use your feelings against you. This is why only fools fall in love." She gave a mocking laugh. "The desperation of someone wanting to have their unrequited feelings returned is so easy to make use of."

Imperialdramon pointed at her. "I'm going to make you pay for turning me against my friends."

She put on a false innocent face. "What I made you do? I didn't turn you against anyone. You turned against them yourself. I simply offered you a partnership after your betrayal."

"You tricked me into taking the Dark Spore. Actually, I didn't even take it. I just briefly thought that it would be convenient and useful if it could actually win me Kari."

Laylamon shrugged nonchalantly. "It did exactly what I said it would. I said it would help you get the girl."

"You didn't say it would make me willing to take her by force. You didn't say it would make me willing to kill my friends. You didn't say it would turn me into a evil bastard without morals or conscience."

"Because I didn't have to. The Dark Spore's essence could only take root in one who was willing. I just had to truthfully make you want it for what it was; the technicalities didn't matter. That brief moment where you thought it would be 'nice' and 'useful' to have something that would help you get the girl was all that was required."

She gave him an arrogant look. "And honestly, what exactly did you expect to happen? Did you think she would magically return your feelings if you became stronger or smarter? I may find love to be revolting, but even I know that it doesn't work that way. The only way you would ever make her your girl was through force, and the Dark Spore allowed you to do that, just as I said it would, by getting rid of all moralities and other nonsense that prevented you from doing just that. But what's really pathetic is that even then you were still unable to obtain her. You're a loser. No wonder she could never return your feelings."

"Positron Laser!"

Imperialdramon fired his beam. Laylamon flew straight up into the air as the attack destroyed her throne.

Laylamon remained floating in the air. She wasn't smiling anymore, and the anger she had been emitting when they had first entered the room had returned with a vengeance.

"The audacity of you humans is astounding," she seethed. "You come to our world, defeat our servants, and begin undoing our work. You even somehow managed to destroy three of us. And now you're here to challenge me." She raised her clenched fist. "But this is where your journey ends. It was cute at first, but we've let this game go on for far too long. Now it's time for you to die."

Notes:

(A/N: The team is reunited and it feels so good! Uch, that sounded lame. But the group is back together again. And while that's a good thing, they now face a pretty pissed off Laylamon. She's been behind a lot of things; you could even say she was behind the Beelzemon arc as well. And now it's reaching it's conclusion. Will our heroes be able to defeat her? Uch, why do I even ask? You know they will... Or will they? Bwa, ha, ha! Find out next time.)

Chapter 144: Fighting Lust

Notes:

(A/N: Well, this one has been a long battle in coming. Laylamon has pretty much been in the background since the Beelzemon arc, and has done, arguable, the most damage to the group after what she did to Davis. And now it's finally coming to a head. Laylamon may be the weakest of the Demon Lords, but she's still an unimaginable powerhouse. Our may have defeated Demon Lords stronger than her, but they'd always had help. Now, it's just them. Will they be able to take down a Demon Lord on their own? Time to find out.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 144: Fighting Lust

Laylamon started the battle off with her Darkness Love attack, firing a dark heart shape at the DigiDestined. They jumped up to avoid it and flew at her, ready to fight.

Laylamon let them approach, making no move to attack or defend until they were only a few feet away. "Evil Sigh!"

She blew out a breath, and a powerful gust of wind with traces of evil energy in the form of a thick black mist flew past her lips. It blew against the DigiDestined with the force of 1,000 trains. They all blew backwards, slamming against the wall with such force that they remained embedded in it.

"Empress Emblaze!" she cried, and summoned forth an eldritch in the form of a ghostly hand-shaped monster. She repeated the attack several more times, and more of the monsters appeared. "Tear them apart!"

The hand-shaped monsters began crawling across the floor towards the DigiDestined. EmperorGreymon stared down at them skeptically. "What are those ugly things gonna do? Flip us off?"

One of the monsters leapt at him, and he jumped off the wall as its finger-like limbs buried into the wall where he had been. Another one jumped up, and latched onto his back, followed by one on each leg, and then another on his shoulders.

"Whoa, I stand corrected," EmperorGreymon stated. "Purgatory Sword Dance!"

He sliced apart the monsters clinging to him. The others did the same with their weapons, OmniShoutmon using his bladed legs and Imperialdramon blasting them with his Positron Laser. Laylamon just smirked and created more when the number of monsters grew low.

"Forget wasting time with this," said Seraphimon. "Hallowed Ascension!"

Lightning came down, striking and destroying the hand monsters. He called down more, this time bringing it down on Laylamon. The Demon Lord hissed as the lighting came down on her, and Omnimon flew up to attack.

"Transcendent Sword!" he cried, swiping at her.

Laylamon's hand shot out and caught the blade before it struck her. Still smoking from the lightning strikes, she scowled at the knight Digimon. "It'll take more than some lightning and a mere sword to stop me. Razor Nail!"

She slashed at Omnimon, her corrosive nails slicing through his armor and knocking him away. Gallantmon attacked with his Final Justice, firing a beam at her. She slashed through the beam with her claws, then used her Phantom Pain attack, creating a magic circle containing the sign of death, from which a beam fired that flowed over Gallantmon. He let out a pained cry as the beam knocked him back, not only damaging him, but causing his body to begin to rot.

"Giga Crusher!" Imperialdramon cried, shooting his canon.

Laylamon smirked as the blast came at her. "Empress Emblaze!"

Another eldritch appeared and flew directly into the path of the blast, taking it for her. Imperialdramon swore, but before he could react, Laylamon flew through the lingering blast towards him and grabbed one of his wings. Using strength her much smaller form didn't look like it possessed, she threw the dragon Digimon over her shoulder and slammed him to the ground.

Standing over him, the Demon Lord raised a claw. "I have no use for disobedient servants."

"I'm not your servant."

Laylamon made to bury her claw into him. "Then I still have no use for you."

"Eden's Javelin!" Ophanimon cried, firing a beam from her javelin.

Laylamon stumbled forward as the beam struck her, then slowly turned to the angel Digimon. "Darkness Lo-"

"Positron Laser!"

Imperialdramon's blast blew her up into the air. Laylamon whirled around in the air and glared down at the dragon Digimon. Imperialdramon glared right back at her. "That's only the start of the payback I plan to dish out."

Laylamon continued to look angry for a few seconds before giving him an arrogant smirk. "Want to know a little secret? Had you actually been able to kill your friends and steal the girl, I was still planning to kill you. I would have let you both live just long enough for you to violate her, then I planned to torture her to death in front of you before doing the same to you as well."

EmperorGreymon stabbed his sword into the ground. "You sick bitch. Pyro Dragons!"

The dragon-headed streams of fire emerged from the ground and flew up towards her. She hissed at them and raised her claw. "Be gone!"

She slashed at the Pyro Dragons with her Razor Nail, causing them to disperse. EmperorGreymon was still launched into the air though, and Laylamon flew forward to meet him. She was intercepted though by OmniShoutmon plowing into her with his Omni Torpedo.

Laylamon snarled and grabbed hold of the dragon Digimon, breathing her Evil Sigh attack into his face. OmniShoutmon coughed and sputtered painfully as the powerful, evil wind blew over him, but Laylamon kept hold of him as she let out a humorous snicker before driving her claws deeply into his chest.

"OmniShoutmon!" Seraphimon shouted. "Justice Genome! Hallowed Knuckle!"

He began punching out wildly, sending balls of light at the Demon Lord. She tossed OmniShoutmon aside before she began easily smacking the balls of light away as she began making her way towards the angel Digimon. Omnimon suddenly flew up into her path with both hands raised. Laylamon pulled back on reflex as he fired his Double Shot at point blank range.

Laylamon slammed into the wall and dropped to the floor. She immediately began to get up, but Gallantmon threw his spear into the air above her and used his Crimson Light. The beam came down on her, and she grit her teeth against it as she continued to rise to her feet.

"Soaring Nine-Headed Dragon Force!" EmperorGreymon cried, manifesting his dragon spirit. It flew through the air and crashed into Laylamon while she was still pinned down by Gallantmon's beam, resulting in an explosion that left a massive hole in the wall.

With a few seconds to spare, Seraphimon glanced at the two who had been the most damaged. "Gallantmon, OmniShoutmon, you guys ok?"

The knight Digimon shifted in obvious agony, but fought hard to hide it. "Well, I've endured worse."

"Me too," OmniShoutmon replied, clutching his damaged chest. "You may want to heal Gallantmon though."

But Gallantmon shook his head. "No, don't bother wasting your energy, I can take a little pain."

OmniShoutmon looked like he wanted to say something, but before he could, the floor suddenly exploded as Laylamon burst up from beneath it. "You won't take it for long. Razor Nail!"

EmperorGreymon swung his sword to block the attack aimed at him, and his sword was knocked out of his hands. Laylamon then blew him away with her Evil Sigh, then moved her head here and there to hit the others with it.

"Sefirot Crystal!" Ophanimon cried, attacking from behind.

Laylamon whirled around and countered with her Darkness Love. The two attacks canceled each other out, and Laylamon flew into Ophanimon, wrapping a hand around her neck. She pushed the angel Digimon back, crashing through a pillar and slamming her against the wall. She inhaled to use her Evil Sigh, but Imperialdramon grabbed her from behind and pulled her off Ophanimon, causing her attack to miss.

Using his Dragon Knee, he knocked to wind out of the Demon Lord. She retaliated with her Empress Emblaze, and an eldritch dropped down onto his face. He released her on reflex to grab at the monster, and she fired her Darkness Love at him. He just barely managed to use his Light Barrier to block, but was still blasted backwards.

"Excalibur!" Seraphimon cried, swinging his sword of light at Laylamon.

She turned and used her Phantom Pain on the sword, and it dissolved into light particles before it even hit her. Smirking, she lashed out with her Razor Nail. Seraphimon managed to catch her wrist, but her deadly nails slowly moved closer to his face as she overpowered him, and her scratching claws left grooves in his helmet.

"Eden's Needle!" Ophanimon cried, firing at the Demon Lord.

Laylamon turned her attention from Seraphimon back to Ophanimon. She used her Darkness Love while Ophanimon blocked with her Unicorn Shield. She couldn't deflect the attack completely though, and the backlash threw her back.

"Strike of the Seven Stars!" Seraphimon cried while she was distracted. He too felt some of the blast from firing it so close, but Laylamon went flying backwards. She was then knocked to the ground by OmniShoutmon's Omni Core Fusion, and then hit from up above by Gallantmon's Royal Saber.

"Keep her pinned down!" Omnimon cried, flying above her. "Supreme Cannon!"

"Twin Fireball Strike!"

"Final Justice!"

Omnimon, OmniShoutmon, and Gallantmon continuously fired down at her. Laylamon attempted to rise from the ground, but the onslaught of attacks made it difficult. Then Imperialdramon used his Dragon Kick, doing a flip in the air and bringing his heel down on the Demon Lord. The impact cracked the floor apart, knocking Laylamon through it to the lower level.

"Idiot!" OmniShoutmon snapped. "Why'd you do that? We had her pinned down; we could have kept attacking her."

"Please," Imperialdramon grumbled. "How long do you think the floor would have held out under all those attacks anyway?"

Like before, Laylamon came bursting up from beneath the floor in a different location. "Longer than you. Empress Emblaze!"

She created an eldritch for each of them, and the hand-shaped monsters leapt at the four of them, latching on.

"I hate these things," Omnimon growled as he struggled with his eldritch.

Laylamon smirked, but the smile soon left her faced as she was hit by EmperorGreymon's Dragonfire Crossbow, and she turned to find him flying towards her with Seraphimon and Ophanimon beside him.

Laylamon turned to them and took a deep breath. "Evil Sigh!"

A heavy wind and a cloud of darkness flew past her lips. The attack flowed over the three of them, blowing them back. Laylamon kept attacking, spinning around to blow over the other four DigiDestined. She kept going, spinning around and around to fill the entire room with a black, smoky fog.

Ophanimon cringed within the cloud of darkness. It felt so inexplicably evil, and it hurt. The whole room was now full of it, and she needed to clear it out. "Eden's Air!"

She conjured up a holy tornado that manifested in the room. The black fog began to clear, the sensation of evil going along with it. And as the darkness dissipated, she caught sight of the Demon Lord. Laylamon was looking at her, appearing displeased at first, but then smirking in mockery.

It made Ophanimon's blood boil. What Laylamon had said before had gotten her, about how she was the cause of Davis getting fooled into betraying them. She's tried not to blame herself, but she couldn't help it; a part of her still did.

Laylamon raised her hand to her and used her Darkness Love. Ophanimon didn't even bother to try and deflect it this time, and instead flew up into the air to avoid it. Laylamon continued to fire her attack after her as the angel Digimon did her best to avoid the blasts.

A battle cry suddenly rang out behind the Demon Lord, and Laylamon glanced over her shoulder to see Imperialdramon charging at her from out of what remained of her evil fog. He used his Imperial Claw attack, slashing at her, but Laylamon just grinned and caught his hand. In a repeat of before, she threw him over her shoulder, but this time he somehow managed to land on his feet, and turned back to her.

"Phantom Pain!" she cried, conjuring up a magic circle.

Imperialdramon could have avoided it, but instead aimed at the beam that burst from the magic circle with his arm cannon. "Positron Laser!"

The attacks collided together. It wasn't even a contest. Laylamon beam began to easily push back Imperialdramon's. There was still plenty of time for him to get out of the way, but he stubbornly held his ground.

"Hold on!" Ophanimon called, and landed beside him. "Eden's Javelin!"

Her beam joined Imperialdramon's against Laylamon's, but it barely slowed it down.

The black fog finally cleared from around OmniShoutmon, and his eyes widened at the scene before him. "What are you doing!? Idiots!"

He flew over and fired his Flame Cannon into Laylamon's beam. The rest of the DigiDestined joined them with their own attacks. Laylamon's beam slowly came to a stop against the onslaught of attacks. They held it back for several tension filled seconds before the combine attacks erupted, the blast sending all combatants crashing into the walls.

Imperialdramon growled and pushed off the wall, ignoring OmniShoutmon's cry after him. Laylamon pushed off the wall and flew at him as well. Imperialdramon prepared to use his Imperial Claw, but Laylamon smirked and used her Darkness Love. Imperialdramon gasped and attempted to block with his Light Barrier, but this time Laylamon's attack shattered it, and he was blasted back.

Hitting the ground, he skidded across the floor back over to his friends. Along with the damage Laylamon's attack inflicted, it also brought on an onslaught of incredibly erotic thoughts and feelings that completely consumed his body with lust, making it difficult to concentrate on anything else, even his own aching body.

"Moron!" OmniShoutmon snapped. "What is wrong with you?"

Imperialdramon grunted as he attempted to get up, trying to shake his mind of the dirty thoughts running through his head. "Nothing is strong with me. This bitch is going down."

He was panting heavily, and not from the battle. His legs shook with lust as he tried to stand, but instead his legs gave out beneath him. OmniShoutmon growled down at him, shaking his head at the dragon Digimon's state. "We can't let our emotions get the best of us and let us act irrational. I know you have an understandable grudge against her, but trust me, whatever hatred you feel for her is nothing compared to what I feel for all the things she and the other Demon lords have done to the Digital World over the past several millenniums. We've got to keep our heads."

Laylamon chuckled. "Lose your heads? I kind of like the sound of that." She brandished her claws. "Mind if I sever them from your bodies?"

EmperorGreymon pointed his sword at her. "Only if we get to do it to you first."

He, Omnimon, Seraphimon, and Ophanimon all flew up to her, but when Gallantmon tried, he ended up collapsing. "Ah, damn it. My body's not working."

OmniShoutmon glanced at him. The rot that had taken hold of him from Laylamon's attack earlier had taken its toll, and was only getting worse. Already Gallantmon's shiny red armor had become a reddish brown and was rusting off. Even his wings of light had been reduced to a dim glow and were crumbling away.

"Looks like the affects of Laylamon's Phantom Pain attack are doing a number on you," OmniShoutmon noted. "You really should have gotten healed earlier."

"I don't think I can get up either," Imperialdramon groaned, hating to admit it.

OmniShoutmon glared down at him. "Well, I know what's wrong with you. The affects of Laylamon's Darkness Love attack overwhelms the victim with lust, if they survive it that is." He called up to the two angel Digimon. "We need a healer down here!"

Seraphimon turned his attention away from Laylamon as she fought with the others. "Be there in a second."

"Pay attention!" said Laylamon, suddenly appearing behind him. "Razor Nail!"

Her claws slashed across his back. He lost one of his right wings and two of his left. A pained cry was ripped out of him as he shot to the ground, crashing into it.

Laylamon chuckled, but her laughter was cut off as Ophanimon came up behind her and pulled the length of her javelin up against her neck. She shifted so the Demon Lord was facing Omnimon and EmperorGreymon, who came at her with their Dash Grey Sword and Storming Flame. Laylamon just smirked and let out an Evil Sigh, blowing them away, them almost easily broke out of Ophanimon's hold and knocked her away.

"Damn it," OmniShoutmon growled. "Seraphimon, you ok?"

The angel Digimon groaned and pushed himself up. "I'll be fine."

"Then hurry up and heal them. And don't bother wasting too much on Imperialdramon's symptoms."

With that, he flew up to rejoin the fight. Grunting, Seraphimon forced himself to get to his feet and went over to the others. It was obvious what was wrong with Gallantmon, but Imperialdramon was panting and trembling, a deep blush on his face, however Seraphimon couldn't see anything physically wrong with him that would cause such a reaction.

"What's up with you?" he asked.

"Symptoms of Laylamon's attack," Imperialdramon stated vaguely. "Just fix it."

Seraphimon didn't question him further and used his Perfect Revival on them. Imperialdramon's strange symptoms ceased, and the damage done to Gallantmon from the rot healed.

The knight Digimon got to his feet and gave Seraphimon grateful look. "Thanks, pal. You gonna be ok?"

Seraphimon knew he was referring to his missing wings. "Yeah, I'm good. As long as I can still fly, a few missing wings won't matter."

Gallantmon nodded and flew off to rejoin the others. Seraphimon turned his attention to Imperialdramon, noting the dragon Digimon's frustration. They had very little time, so he made what he had to say quick. "I know that you more than most of us have reason to want to defeat Laylamon, but being reckless won't do it. We stick together, like always. I know you want to be the one to do it, but just imagine how PO'd she'll be when we actually defeat her, no matter which of us does it."

He flew back to the battle after that. Imperialdramon took a moment to regain his composure and calm himself before following after him.

When Seraphimon and Imperialdramon rejoined the others, they completely surrounded Laylamon on all sides. The Demon Lord hovered in the middle of their circle, eyeing each of them in turn, but not looking worried. Putting on a mocking smile, she raised her index finger and motioned for them to come at her.

The DigiDestined hesitated. When it came to fighting a Demon Lord, they knew that teamwork was more essential than ever. However, it was in this moment that they realized something important. They had always assumed that the larger the opponent, the bigger the threat and the more difficult the battle. But larger opponents also meant slower movements, and it gave them plenty of spots to attack.

But with a smaller opponent like Laylamon, not only was it easier for her to avoid their attacks, but no more than one or two of them could attack her or engage her in battle than once, or else they would start to get in each other's way. And though none of them actually said it, they almost wished Laylamon were a larger opponent that they could simultaneously attack together.

OmniShoutmon had known this all along. In fact, it was one of the many reasons not to judge a Digimon based on their size. And even though she was smaller, Laylamon's power was still off the charts. "Don't let her breathe."

With that order given, he flew at the Demon Lord and used his Doom Drillpress. Laylamon blocked his first strike with her claws, and his second, then easily knocked him away. EmperorGreymon charged in with his Soaring Flame Edge. She ducked and dodged the fiery sword, then struck him with her Razor Nail. Seraphimon came flying in, punching out balls of light with his Hallowed Knuckle. He landed several hits as he closed the distance between them before Laylamon used her Darkness Love. He countered with is Strike of the Seven Stars, but her attack overpowered his and blasted him back.

"Transcendent Sword!" Omnimon cried, flying in and began slashing away. Laylamon used her speed to maneuver around the swiping blade before lashing out with her Razor Nail. Her claws clanged against Omnimon's sword, and the two pressed against each other for a few moments before he raised his other hand and blasted her with his Supreme Cannon.

Laylamon was knocked back, but was given no reprieve as Ophanimon flew at her, firing her Eden's Needle. She stopped when she reached the Demon Lord and began swiping and stabbing with her javelin. Laylamon dodged a few times before grabbing the weapon, and Ophanimon unleashed her Holy Light attack. Laylamon hissed as the damaging light shined on her and released Ophanimon's javelin, but then she blew her away with her Evil Sigh.

Her attack was cut short by a slicing pain as Gallantmon rushed at her with his Dash Blutgang. He doubled back and came at her again with his Invincible Sword, then did it again with a repeat of his Dash Blutgang. He attempted a fourth strike, but Laylamon had gotten a reading on his movements at this point and countered with her Razor Nail, her superior strength knocking him away.

Then it was Imperialdramon who was on her. He used his Imperial Crusher and stabbed forward with his electrified claw, but Laylamon caught his claw, bearing the electric shock. He attempted to slash at her with his Splendor Blade on his other hand, only to have his attack countered by Laylamon's Razor Nail, his sword of light dissolving into light particles upon contact.

Imperialdramon used his Dragon Knee, doing a flip in the air to bring his heel down on her, but Laylamon caught his foot. While she held it though, he pointed his arm cannon at her and fired his Positron Laser.

Laylamon shot backwards in the air, but halted her momentum. She didn't even get a chance to retaliate before she was hit by OmniShoutmon's Omni Core Fusion. He then slammed into her with his Omni Torpedo, but Laylamon managed to catch him before he could hit her. He didn't hesitate though as he raised his hands and blasted her with his Hard Rock Spirit.

Dazed, an angry hiss escaped Laylamon as EmperorGreymon stabbed at her with his sword. She caught his blade, but it instantly opened to blast her with his Dragonfire Crossbow. Afterwards, she was struck by lightning from Seraphimon's Hallowed Ascension, then immediately by Omnimon's Omni Blast. He came at her with his Ultimate Uppercut, but she aggressively smacked him aside, only to be hit by Ophanimon's Sefirot Crystal, and then sent flying by Imperialdramon's Dragon Knee.

"Keep it up," OmniShoutmon called. "We've got her dazed."

They kept attacking, one after the other, not letting her get her bearings. When she began to pick up their attack pattern, they changed it up with some unspoken communication that could only come from trusted comrades in arms.

"ENOUGH!" Laylamon bellowed. "Phantom Pain!"

Her magic circle appeared, and she fired a beam from it. She didn't bother to aim, and simply sent her attack flying around at random in all different directions. The beam tore openings in the ceiling, walls, and floor, producing a rot that followed the attack, but she didn't care as she let her attack go wild.

"She's losing it," said EmperorGreymon. "That is one pissed off succubus."

"Let's break out the big guns," said Imperialdramon as his chest opened and his emitter poked out. "Ionic Blaster!"

His attack filled the room. Laylamon turned to the blast and let out an angry snarl as the blast consumed her. The DigiDestined moved away from the blast while keeping an eye out for the Demon Lord, knowing that that attack wouldn't be enough to finish her off.

They spotted her flying out of the explosion, staying close to the floor. EmperorGreymon dropped to the ground and used his Pyro Dragons while Omnimon began repeatedly firing his Omni Howling attack. The dragon-headed streams of fire flew at Laylamon as the explosive ice balls locked onto her and followed her movements.

Layalmon used her claws to slice through the streams of fire while dodging the ice blasts, flying low enough so they exploded against the ground when she swerved out of their path.

Imperialdramon looked on as the Demon Lord continued to avoid and counter the attacks. He was greatly tempted to fly in and attack her head on, but he remembered what Seraphimon had said. No matter how he felt about the situation, this wasn't about him.

"Hey, OmniShoutmon," he whispered, "I've got a plan."

As he told his fellow dragon Digimon what he was thinking, Laylamon curved upwards, flying towards the DigiDestined, swerving out of the ways of the attacks coming at her.

"Hallowed Ascension!" Seraphimon cried, calling down lightning.

Laylamon snarled and slashed through the lightning with her Razor Nail, unable to avoid it. EmperorGreymon was then launched at her by the explosion beneath him, but she easily knocked him away as well.

"Time for some payback!" Imperialdramon declared loudly. "This time I'm taking you down. Majestic Strike!"

He dropped down towards her, leaving the others behind. Laylamon smirked and flew up to meet him, brandishing her claws. But moments before they would have met, Imperialdramon suddenly pulled out of his drop and shot to the side. Laylamon's gaze followed him, not noticing OmniShoutmon had been flying directly behind the dragon Digimon while using his Omni Torpedo.

She noticed him a second too late, and was hit by OmniShoutmon's attack. She dropped down from the sky, and was then hit by OmniShoutmon's Victorize Banking, knocking her the rest of the way to the ground.

"Deceitful brat," she seethed as she began to get to her feet.

A heavy thud drew her attention, and she looked up to see Imperialdramon aiming his cannon at her. "Giga Crusher!"

Before she could react, Laylamon was blasted backwards, crashing into the wall. OmniShoutmon landed beside Imperialdramon, and they fired their Flame Cannon and Positron Laser.

"Attack!" OmniShoutmon shouted. "Attack! Don't stop attacking!"

The others landed beside them and began firing an onslaught of attacks on the Demon Lord.

"Double Shot!"

"Final Justice!"

"Sefirot Crystal!"

"Strike of the Seven Stars!"

The attacks kept coming nonstop, bombarding against Laylamon. She was lost amongst the numerous explosions and growing cloud of dust. Eventually, the wall behind her completely cracked apart and came tumbling down, and still the DigiDestined continued with their attacks, putting everything they had into each blast.

They didn't know how long they kept at it. It felt like an eternity, but finally their strength began to give out. Despite his determination to keep fighting, OmniShoutmon, being the most heavily damaged from the wound in his chest, was the one who eventually buckled. He ceased attacking, placing his hands on his knees and breathing heavily.

That seemed to be the cue everyone else was waiting for to get a reprieve, and they all stopped attacking as well, gasping and panting in exhaustion. If it had to be put into words, using an attack was like performing a physically demanding exercise, such as a pull-up or sit-up or push-up, the stronger the attack, the more difficult the exercise, and thus the more energy it required. Attacking repeatedly had been exhausting, and they were in desperate need of a break.

"I think…" Gallantmon wheezed, "I pushed… myself… too much…"

"You're not alone… in that…" EmperorGreymon panted. He looked up at the dust cloud. "Surely we hurt her… that time…"

There was no point in resuming their barrage of attacks if they didn't even know if Laylamon was still in their attack path or not. And so they waited for the dust to begin to clear as they kept a look out for the Demon Lord.

As the dust settled, they took note of the damage they had done to the castle. Their barrage of attacks had completely taken down an entire section of the wall, from ceiling to floor, leaving a large pile of rubble behind. Laylamon was nowhere to be seen, but they weren't naïve enough to think that it was over just yet, not when their opponent was a Demon Lord.

As they waited, bracing themselves in case an attack came at them, they became aware of the sound of the rubble shifting, as if someone were moving it around and walking on it. The dust cleared further, and Laylamon reappeared, stumbling back into the room. She looked battered and beaten, and seemed disorientated. But more than anything else, she looked furious.

"You… miserable little bastards…" she mumbled, her speech slightly slurred. "How dare you… you do this… to me… I am the… Demon Lord of… of Lust… You're just a bunch of… a bunch of pathetic… humans… You're no match for… me…"

Then, to the DigiDestined's complete and utter astonishment, she fell forward, collapsing in a heap on the floor, completely unconscious.

Notes:

(A/N: Well, holy crap. Who saw that coming? They actually managed to knock her out. After a massive onslaught like that, even Laylamon was affected. But the battle isn't over yet. Now the question is, now that they have Laylamon at their mercy, what are they going to do with her? Or is she at their mercy? We all know how deceitful and manipulative Laylamon is. Could this be a ruse? Find out next week.)

Chapter 145: Moral Dilemma

Notes:

(A/N: Alright, here we go. The aftermath of the battle with Laylamon. Last time, after a massive onslaught of attacks, it appeared that our heroes managed to knock out Laylamon. Demon Lords may not be invincible, but they're so powerful that knocking them out almost seems outlandish. But then again, they actually destroyed 3 others, so knocking one out isn't impossible. Is this another one of Laylamon's tricks? And if it's not, what are our heroes going to do about it? Find out... now.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 145: Moral Dilemma

The DigiDestined stared, not quite believing their eyes. Laylamon lay motionless on the floor, completely out cold. At first, knowing how manipulative the Demon Lord was, they thought it could be a trick, but it certainly didn't seem like one.

"I don't believe it," said Gallantmon. "Did we actually knock her out? Us, knock out a Demon Lord? Is that even possible?"

"Considering we've destroyed three of them, yeah, I'd say it's possible," EmperorGreymon pointed out.

"It could be a trick," said Ophanimon, bring up what they were all thinking. "She could be trying to get us to lower our guard so she can hit us with a surprise attack."

Unable to tear his eyes away from the fallen Demon Lord, OmniShoutmon shook his head. "No way. Laylamon may be deceitful and manipulative, but she's also very proud. No Demon Lord would lower themselves to use such a cowardly tactic. I think we actually did it. We really knocked her out."

A relieved bark of laughter escaped Gallantmon. "Then that's it. We won. We beat Laylamon."

"Don't celebrate too soon," said Omnimon. "As long as she's still alive, she's not completely defeated."

OmniShoutmon cracked his knuckles. "That can be fixed. Demon Lord or not, while she's unconscious like this, she'll be easy enough to destroy."

He began making his way over to the Demon Lord, but a voice stopped him. "Wait."

The dragon Digimon paused, then glanced back at Seraphimon. "Wait? Wait for what? We need to do this before she wakes up."

The angel Digimon hesitated. "Yeah, but can we really do this?"

"Of course we can. A good hit with my Doom Drillpress to her neck will sever her head from her body. That'll get the job done."

A sigh escaped Seraphimon. "That's not what I meant. Look, I know she's evil and needs to be taken down, but doing it like this, when she can't even defend herself… it feels wrong somehow."

OmniShoutmon gave him a look of utter disbelief. "Wrong? Wrong!? You're kidding me right now, right?"

Ophanimon hung her head a bit, looking somewhat ashamed. "You're not going to like hearing this, but I kind of agree with him."

The dragon Digimon's eyes widened. "What!?"

"It's murder, OmniShoutmon. This isn't taking out someone who's trying to kill us in the heat of battle, it's cold-blooded murder. She's not a threat right now. She can't even defend herself. To just kill her when she's like that…"

OmniShoutmon couldn't believe what he was hearing. "She's a Demon Lord! Hello, did you forget that?"

"We didn't forget anything, OmniShoutmon. It still doesn't change the fact that it's not right."

Beside him, EmperorGreymon suddenly slammed his sword on the ground. "Ah, damn it! Why'd you have to say anything? Now my conscience is kicking in."

OmniShoutmon took a step away from them, as if he no longer recognized them. "You can't be serious." He looked at the others. "You actually agree with them?"

Gallantmon rubbed the back of his head uncomfortably. "Well, they do have a point…"

A frustrated grumble escaped Omnimon. "I hate to say it, but they're kind of right. Killing a defenseless person, even an enemy, is just… That's something the Demon Lords would do."

"No," OmniShoutmon growled, "the Demon Lords would capture them, wait for them to wake up, then torture them to death just for kicks." He looked to his fellow dragon Digimon. "Imperialdramon, you understand, right? You more than anyone should want her dead."

The dragon Digimon was staring at the fallen Demon Lord. His face didn't display emptions properly, but the look in his eyes showed just how torn he was. He finally let out an enraged cry and fired his Ionic Blaster against a wall.

Looking furious, he turned back to OmniShoutmon. "It kills me to say this after what she did to me, but I don't want to sink down to that level. And after all the horrible things I've done, I could use a bit of redemption."

"Redemption!?" OmniShoutmon wailed. "You're all crazy! This could be our one and only chance to beat her, but you don't want to because it feels wrong? What about Devimon? We had him beat, but you all still destroyed him, remember?"

"Devimon was still a threat though," Seraphimon told him. "He made it clear that he wasn't going to stop. And he wasn't lying helpless and unconscious on the ground unable to attack us or defend himself."

"She's a Demon Lord. As long as she has power, she's a threat. She needs to be destroyed, no matter what, or how."

Omnimon tried a different tactic. "Remember how you once told us that there's this unspoken absolute law where you never attack another Digimon while they're Digivolving? That's kind of what this is for us."

It looked as OmniShoutmon was going to protest, so Ophanimon tried to come up with a reasonable solution. "Can't we just, I don't know, lock her up somewhere?"

OmniShoutmon gave a bark of humorless laughter. "There's no prison that can hold a Demon Lord for long. And speaking of prisoners, what about the Sovereigns? We need to destroy all the Demon Lords in order to free them. And we need to free them all in order to send you home. You do still want to go home, don't you?"

Gallantmon shifted uneasily. "Well, yeah, of course. I just don't think I can bring myself to kill a defenseless person in cold blood, even someone as evil as Laylamon who deserves it."

OmniShoutmon's eyes narrowed. "I can. If you don't want to take a part in it, then just stay back and let me take care of it." He walked up to Laylamon, glaring down at the Demon Lord coldly. "If it makes you feel any better, just think of this as the death penalty for a war criminal. Doom Drill-"

"NO! Diamond Hedgehog!"

Something shiny whizzed past the DigiDestined and slammed into OmniShoutmon, sending him crashing into the wall. Blastmon uncurled and turned to the others, standing in front of Laylamon protectively.

"Blastmon?" Gallantmon exclaimed. He glanced at Seraphimon. "I thought you took care of him."

"I did, kind of," the angel Digimon replied. "I threw him far away."

"Why didn't you just destroy him?" EmperorGreymon asked.

"His hard body and regeneration were proving to be problematic, and I was a little more concerned with helping Ophanimon purify Davis."

"It's fine," said Omnimon. "He's no match against all of us."

They were ready to fight, but then, much to their surprise, Blastmon dropped to his hands and knees, bowing down so low and so fast that his head hit the floor hard enough to crack it. "Please, I beg you, spare Lady Laylamon. Please."

The DigiDestined stared at the mineral Digimon, caught off guard by his sudden request. That had not been what they had expected.

"Um, what?" Gallantmon asked, dumfounded.

"I'm begging you to please spare my lady's life. I humbly ask for your mercy."

From a short distance away, OmniShoutmon stood up. "You've got to be kidding. You're asking us to spare her? You've got a lot of nerve."

Blastmon kept his head down. "I know you have all the reason in the world to destroy her, but please-"

"You're damn right we have all the reason in the world. After all the suffering she's caused, for all she's planning on causing. Do you really expect us to spare her?"

Blastmon raised his head, looking pleadingly at the DigiDestined. "Please."

"You're asking a lot," said Omnimon, finding it ironic at how they had just been discussing whether or not they should even kill Laylamon while she was unconscious. "We're fighting to end the Demon Lord's tyranny. If we let her go, she'll just keep doing horrible things."

Blastmon's hands clenched. "What if she doesn't? What if I make sure she stops being bad?"

OmniShoutmon threw his head back and laughed, almost hysterically. "You? You actually think that you can prevent her from doing bad things? She'll just kill you if you try."

"I can talk her out of it," the mineral Digimon responded. "I'm her most loyal servant. Even more loyal than ChaosGrimmon, her own Chaos General. I'll do anything for my lady."

OmniShoutmon pointed at him angrily. "You know good and well that if she wants to do something, there's nothing you can do to stop her."

"I can try. At least give us a chance. You're already beaten her once. If she keeps being bad, you can just beat her again."

"What? This?" OmniShoutmon exclaimed, pointing to the unconscious Demon Lord. "This is a fluke, and you know it. If we fight again, we're far more likely to die."

Blastmon gave them a desperate look. "Perhaps she'll be grateful you spared her life."

"Grateful!?" the dragon Digimon raged. "Insulted we beat her and more determine to kill us than ever is more like it. A Demon Lord literally can't help but be evil; it's in their very nature. Being so evil is part of the reason they even became a Demon Lord in the first place."

Realizing that he wasn't going to get through to OmniShoutmon, Blastmon focused entirely on the others, folding his hands together as he begged. "Please, just give us a chance."

"Why do you even care so much?" asked Gallantmon. "You must know that she doesn't care about you. She doesn't deserve your loyalty."

Blastmon lowered his head again. "Regardless, I would die for my lady."

Behind his helmet, Seraphimon's eyes widened as he recalled what the mineral Digimon had said about not being loyal out of a desire for power. "You love her."

Blastmon didn't respond, but OmniShoutmon let out another laugh. "Yeah right. You don't love her. It's impossible to love someone as evil as a Demon Lord. You're just under her lust spell and think that you love her. You're just a mind slave."

"I know my own heart!" Blastmon snapped at him, now sounding angry. "And I know how I really feel."

Ophanimon decided to address one of the main issues in regard to Laylamon. "Even if she does stop being bad, she still has her seal on the Sovereigns' prison. We need that seal removed no matter what."

Blastmon was now very clearly becoming desperate. "I promise, I'll convince her to lift the seal. I'll do whatever I have to in order to save her. If you want, I'll even-"

"Enough!" OmniShoutmon interrupted. "Enough of this farce. There's nothing you can do or say that'll change what needs to be done. Lets just put an end to this nonsense."

Blastmon stared at the DigiDestined, looking on the verge of tears. "Please, be better than her."

Those final words seemed to have an impact on the DigiDestined, and they began exchanging uncertain looks, all except OmniShoutmon, who was clearly unmoved.

"What guarantee do we have that even if you're telling the truth that you can really convince her to do the things you said?" EmperorGreymon asked.

Without hesitation, Blastmon held out his hand, and his Fractal Code emerged. "I am so resolute to do whatever is necessary to save her that if you want it, I will hand over my Fractal Code to you."

Omnimon shook his head. "Sorry, but that's not good enough. That's just a testament of your loyalty to her. How do we know you're willing to change your ways and will convince Laylamon to change hers?"

Blastmon's Fractal Code retracted back into his hand as he thought for a bit. "As proof of my word, I'll tell you where AncientWisemon is being held."

The DigiDestined gasped. Even OmniShoutmon looked drawn in.

"Where?" Gallantmon asked. "Where is he?"

"He's being held in an old fortress a ways away from here; the one that was built way back during the Second Catastrophe. Do you know the one?"

Everyone looked to OmniShoutmon. The dragon Digimon's eyes widened, and he gave a small nod. "Yes, I know it. But why's he there?"

Blastmon shook his head. "All I know is that Lord Barbamon wants something from him; some knowledge that only he possesses. I don't know what it is, only that AncientWisemon hasn't told him yet."

OmniShoutmon crossed his arms. "I never would have thought to look there. That place has been abandoned for millennia." He sighed. "Truthfully, I considered AncientWisemon to be a lost cause."

Blastmon gave them another pleading look. "By telling you this, I just committed high treason to the Demon Lords, but I will do it again a thousand times in order to save Lady Laylamon. So please, will you spare her and place her in my care."

It was more than obvious what OmniShoutmon's answer was, but the others looked more uncertain now than ever, with the exception of Imperialdramon. They all looked to him, as if they were leaving it up to him to decide.

"You can't possibly be considering this," OmniShoutmon said in a low voice.

"Davis?" Omnimon asked, ignoring OmniShoutmon.

Imperialdramon didn't respond. He stared at the Demon Lord for several long moments before turning away, choosing to remain silent.

A low moan escaped Laylamon, and all attention shifted to her. She didn't wake though, and continued to remain unmoving. Blastmon turned away from her and looked back at the DigiDestined hopefully, his eyes begging.

If Omnimon had had actual hands, he would have clenched them, but instead he let out a frustrated sigh. "Take her and get out of here. And you better keep your word."

OmniShoutmon sputtered in disbelief. "You can't be serious! This is like letting that Hitler person you told me about go free!"

Looking relieved, Blastmon jumped to his feet. "Oh, thank you, kind humans!"

"Don't," Omnimon growled, letting the mineral Digimon know that he wasn't any happier about this decision than OmniShoutmon. "And you're not off the hook yet. I don't know how long she'll stay unconscious, but it can't be for more than an hour. You better make sure that lifting her seal on the Sovereigns' prison is the first thing she does when she wakes up. We'll give you two hours, maybe three. Our Digivices will have recharged plenty by then. If one of the Sovereigns doesn't appear to us by then, we'll assume she didn't change her ways and hunt you both down, and we will kill her."

Blastmon nodded as he stood up. "Yes, I understand." He gently scooped up Laylamon. "I give you my word that I'll convince her."

He began to walk away. OmniShoutmon stared at them in disbelief before seeming to get over his shock, his features twisting with fury. "No."

He made to go after him, but Gallantmon and Ophanimon held him back. He struggled against their hold, but they held him firmly.

"Let them go, OmniShoutmon," the latter told him.

"We can't!" he insisted. "She's too evil, too dangerous. She can't and won't change. She's too full of darkness."

"We've got to be greater than the hate," Gallantmon insisted.

"This isn't noble or righteous," the dragon Digimon insisted. "It's sheer stupidity and naïve idealism. Imperialdramon!"

His fellow dragon Digimon had his back turned, refusing to look or act.

Blastmon carried Laylamon over to one of the holes in the floor, then looked back at the DigiDestined. "You have my thanks."

He jumped down, taking the unconscious Laylamon with him. OmniShoutmon's cry of protest echoed throughout the room after them. Gallantmon and Ophanimon let him go, and he stumbled to the floor. He didn't chase after them though, and instead turned to the others, shaking. "What have you done?"

"OmniShoutmon," Gallantmon began, "I know that was hard, but-"

"Hard!? It wasn't hard! It was stupid! You guys have done some pretty foolish things since I met you, mostly out of naivety, but this is by far the most idiotic."

"We know you hate her," said Seraphimon, "we do too, but we can't let our personal feelings get in the way of doing what's right. That's what separates us from those that fight for the darkness."

OmniShoutmon grabbed his head and screamed in frustration. "You idiots don't get it! Regardless of how I feel, Laylamon is too dangerous. There are just some who are simply beyond redemption. It's not a matter if what's right; it's a matter of what's smart. And this, this is sheer stupidity."

He stood up, taking an almost threatening step towards them. "What are you going to do when she kills more innocent Digimon when we could have prevented it? What about when she comes after us again, and I guarantee to you, she will, and ends up killing one of us, or all of us. What then? Will you be glad that you did the 'right' thing then? Sometimes doing what is best isn't always easy. Imperialdramon, you understand me, right?"

His fellow dragon Digimon sighed before turning back to them. "The decision was too personal for me, that's why I didn't say anything."

EmperorGreymon stepped forward. "OmniShoutmon, you told me once that the hardest thing about being king was making difficult decisions. I know that letting Laylamon go was hard for you, and yes, it could be a risk, but it was still the right thing to do."

OmniShoutmon stomped his foot so hard he cracked the ground. "There's a clear difference in doing the right thing despite it being hard and doing the wrong thing for the right reasons. Doing what's right and doing what's best don't always go hand in hand. You may have done what's 'morally' right, but it was the wrong decision." He glared at them furiously. "Mark my words, you will come to regret this."

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

Laylamon slowly became aware that she was being carried. She attempted to shift into a more comfortable position when she began to wonder why she was even being carried in the first place, and by who.

Opening her eyes, she saw that she was in Blastmon's arms. She also noticed that they were in the depths of the castle. A scowl crossed her face as she could not recall the reason she was in this situation.

"What are you doing, you fool?" she snarled, pushing away from him. "Put me down at once."

The mineral Digimon's face lit up as he looked down at her. "My lady, you're awake."

"I said put me down!" She scrambled out of his hold. "Why are we down here? Why are you carrying me?" She fixed him with a hard look. "What happened with the humans?"

Blastmon bowed. "Forgive me, my lady, but it seems that they defeated you."

Her eyes widened in disbelief. "What?"

"I said it seems that they defea-"

She rushed at him, pushing him back, and Blastmon slammed into the wall. She got right up into his face, her own a mask of fury. "You lie! I am still standing here, so how could I possibly have been defeated?"

The mineral Digimon gulped nervously. "Forgive me, my lady, but it seems that you were knocked out."

Once more, disbelief flashed across her face. "I what?

"You got knocked out, my lady. When I found you, you were lying unconscious on the ground."

An angry screech escaped her, and she threw him to the other side of the room. "Impossible! I am a Demon Lord! Demon Lords do not get knocked out!"

Blastmon didn't dare to get up. It was risky, but with her being this angry, it would be best to distract her from lashing out. "I deeply apologize, my lady, but I see no other explanation for your being unconscious. I didn't witness the battle take place, but when I arrived, you were lying still on the ground, and the humans were standing over you victoriously."

Another angry screech escaped her, and she slashed at the wall, leaving deep grooves behind. "Knocked out. Unconscious. Defeated. How? How can this be? It's illogical." She looked down at her hands. "And if this is true, then why did they not finish me off?"

Blastmon hesitated before speaking. "They… decided to spare you, my lady."

For several long moments, Laylamon didn't speak. Blastmon watched her warily, not sure what she would do. Slowly, she lowered her arms and turned to face him. Her eyes were glowing red, and she was angrier than he had ever seen her before. "They spared me? Me? A Demon Lord needed to be spared? As if a Demon Lord were so weak that someone even had the option of sparing them? They spared me!"

Blastmon quickly got to his feet and began backing away. More than anything, he had to assure the Demon Lord that she was not, under any circumstances, one to be pitied. "They weren't going to. I begged it if them, my lady. OmniShoutmon especially wanted to finish you off."

His words seemed to have some affect on her as Laylamon grinned, though she still looked furious. "Of course, he would know. Those humans are just plain foolish creatures who don't know any better. But they'll see. Oh, yes, they'll see. I'll make them suffer greatly for this insult."

Blastmon gulped, knowing that what he was about to say could very well cost him his life, but decided it would be better for him if he told her rather than if she found out from the humans. "M-My lady, you can't."

Laylamon became completely still. Slowly, her eyes came up to meet his. "I can't? Is that what you just said?" She took a threatening step forward. "You actually think that you can tell me what I can and can't do?"

Blastmon quickly shook his head. "No, of course not, my lady. It's just…" he tapped his fingers together nervously, "I sort of promised the humans that I would convince you to change your ways."

Laylamon's eyes were wide. She trembled as she slowly raised a hand and pointed a shaking finger at him, her voice unsettlingly calm and nearly inaudible. "You dare to presume that you have any say in what I can or can't do? In how I am able to live my life? You actually spoke on my behalf without my consent, and decreed that you could possibly have the smallest most insignificant impact on my actions?"

Seeing that she was on the verge of brutally killing him where he stood, he quickly changed tactics. "I would have said and done anything to save you, my lady. My loyalty is to you alone, and thus I did whatever I could to see to it that the humans would spare you, including convince them that you would change."

"And they believed it?" Laylamon exclaimed in disbelief. "You actually convinced them of such a preposterous thing?"

Blastmon wobbled his head back and forth. "They were… skeptical, which is why I promised them that I would convince you to remove your seal on the Sovereigns' prison. They said they would give you a few hours to do so before they came after you."

Laylamon's eyes widened in shock. "Come after me? Them come after me!? As if I were on the run from them? As if a Demon Lord would be on the run from anyone?" She angrily slashed at the wall, slicing deep grooves in it. "Does their audacity know no bounds? And remove my seal on the Sovereigns' prison? Never! I would die first!"

She began pacing back and forth, muttering under her breath. Blastmon relaxed slightly as it seemed as if her wrath was now directed at the humans once more instead of him. "My lady?"

"Who do those humans think they are? They actually think they can intimidate me. That they can threaten me! I am Laylamon, the Demon Lord of Lust! No one threatens me! Come after me, they said. Well, they need not bother. I will finish what I started right now."

She turned to walk away, and Blastmon reached out for her, but didn't dare touch her. "My lady, wait. You have suffered substantial damage. Is it really wise to challenge them in your current condition?"

The Demon Lord stopped. She stood where she was for several seconds before looking back at him, her face blank, her eyes glowing red. "Blastmon, what are you implying? Are you actually suggesting that I might lose?"

The mineral Digimon hesitated. "I'm simply pointing out, my lady, that the humans, ah, got extremely lucky, even if it was by a fluke's chance. And, unfortunately, the result of that seems to have, um, temporarily put the odds slightly in their favor. If luck remains on their side-"

"Silence!" Laylamon thundered. "I am a Demon Lord! I do not run from anyone or anything! Those humans are nothing! Nothing but insignificant insects to be crushed beneath my feet! And I shall crush them like the vermin they are!"

He wouldn't be able to talk her out of it. He knew he wouldn't be, and he was foolish for trying. But he was also willing to do whatever he could to assist her.

Dropping to his knees, he bowed to the Demon Lord. "Then use me, my lady."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "What?"

"Allow me to aid you in battle. Let us fight together."

After a few seconds, a mocking smile crept Laylamon's face as she covered her mouth and let out a laugh. "You and me? As if I would need help from one so insignificant. I am a Demon Lord; I do not require help. All I require from others is that they follow my orders."

"Order me then. With our power combine, we will crush the humans and pay them back tenfold for all that they've done."

No longer looking amused, Laylamon scowled down at him. "I know what you're suggesting, and quite honestly, I would take it as an insult if I didn't know you better. But as I said, I do not require help."

He looked up at her. "Then do not look at it as me helping you, my lady. Instead, look at it as you using me. I am your loyal servant. I ask you to use me as you see fit."

Laylamon stared at him for a few moments before smiling once again in amusement. "That's one of the things I always liked about you. You grovel so nicely." She let out a chuckle. "Very well, Blastmon, I shall indeed use you as I see fit. Congratulations, you're about to gain the greatest honor one can get."

Blastmon bowed his head once more as she reached for him.

Notes:

(A/N: Well, that didn't go over well. Looks like they should have listened to OmniShoutmon. But you have to see it from their point of view too. Could you kill a helpless person who can't even defend themselve, even if they're your enemy? I don't think I could. But it seems like OmniShoutmon knew what he was talking about. Just what is Laylamon planning to do, and what are our heroes going to do. Find out next time. Update in two weeks.)

Chapter 146: Unions

Notes:

(A/N: Alrighty then, time to find out how much our heroes morals are going to bite them in the rear, because you know they will.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 146: Unions

"Can we please go after them?" OmniShoutmon begged. "It's not too late; they're probably still in the castle, or just outside it."

He looked to the teens. They had all resumed their human forms in order to let their Digivices recharge. The only reason he hadn't gone after Blastmon and Laylamon himself was because he knew that he wouldn't survive alone if the Demon Lord awoke and he was the only one there to fight, no matter how much damage Laylamon had sustained.

"OmniShoutmon, it's done," Tai told him. "We can't go back on our word now. If Laylamon doesn't remove her seal in a couple of hours, then we'll go after her."

"It may be too late by then!" the dragon Digimon exclaimed. "They could be gone, and we'll have missed our chance."

"I'm sure they won't have gotten too far by then," Takato replied. "And I'm sure we'll be able to find them."

OmniShoutmon let out a frustrated cry at their naivety. "She won't do it. Laylamon is incapable of changing. All the Demon Lords are. They've gone as bad as anyone can go. Evil is literally a part of their nature and code."

"Give it a rest, OmniShoutmon," Davis replied gloomily. He was sitting off to the side, facing away from the others with his chin resting on his bent knees as he hugged his legs. "You know good and well that if Laylamon doesn't change that she's too stubborn to run away. She'll come right back here to kill us, and we'll finish her off then."

OmniShoutmon had to admit, he had a point. Laylamon would indeed do just that. The smarter thing to do would be to get reinforcements and then come back, but she was too proud for that. Not to mention short-tempered.

"Or she'll kill us," he pointed out. "Laylamon is still much stronger than us."

"Yeah, but we hurt her pretty badly," TK reminded him. "We actually knocked her out, remember?"

"Of course I remember, but we can't rely on that. If she's wounded, it could potentially make her more dangerous."

"Let's just not think about it right now," Kari suggested. "We should focus on what Blastmon told us. Do you think we should go after AncientWisemon?"

Takuya nodded. "Yeah, I think it's a good idea. He could really help us. At the very least, we need to stop Barbamon from getting whatever information he's after."

"But should we?" Takato questioned. "If AncientWisemon knows everything, and he let himself get captured, then it must have been for a reason. Maybe he has a plan, and we'd be interfering with it by going there." He scratched his head in thought. "Unless he knew we'd think that and therefore wouldn't go rescue him. Ah, this is so confusing!"

Tai crossed his arms. "There's really no way of knowing with AncientWisemon. Maybe he needed us to go to that fortress for some reason, so he let himself get captured in order to make us go there and rescue him."

Takuya's face scrunched up. "That's stupid. Why not just tell us to go there when we saw him?"

TK shrugged. "Maybe because it would have interfered with the future he was hoping for. Or maybe he knew we'd end up going there anyway and didn't want us to concern ourselves with it until then. Or maybe he doesn't want us to go even though he knew Blastmon would tell us, and he hoped that we'd come to that conclusion since he didn't tell us. There's a million reasons why."

"I say we go," Davis spoke up. Everyone turned to look at him, but he didn't face them. "If Barbamon wants something from him, then it can't be good, and we should stop him before he gets it."

Tai gave a small nod. "That's a good point, but we-"

BANG! The entire castle shook. It was as if an explosion had taken place on the bottom floor, rattling the entire structure. The teens all scrambled to their feet as cracks began running all up and across the ceiling, walls, and floor, and large sections began crumbling down.

"What's going on?" Takato cried. "Is it an earthquake?"

"More likely Laylamon throwing a tantrum," said OmniShoutmon.

The castle shook some more and began breaking apart further. The teens all grabbed onto the dragon Digimon for support.

"This is too big though," said Kari. "Would she really tear down her own castle like this?

"It wouldn't surprise me," Davis commented dryly.

Suddenly, a loud monstrous roar echoed through the castle. It was obviously from a very large creature, and it sounded full of hatred.

"Well, that definitely wasn't Laylamon," said TK.

The floor began to break apart and fall away. OmniShoutmon scooped the teens up and took to the air as most of the ground disappeared beneath them.

OmniShoutmon looked down, and his eyes narrowed in disgust. "You're only half right. Look."

Way down below, an enormous creature stood at the bottom of the castle as it tore it apart. It was easily one of the largest Digimon they had ever seen. From the waist up, the creature resembled a more monstrous and demonic version of the Demon Lord of Lust, with eerie, glowing blue eyes. From the waist down, however, it consisted of an even larger centaur-like quadruped body far too big for the upper-half, looking more like am enormous cancerous growth with large crystal spikes protruding from it in various spots.

"What the hell is that!?" Takuya cried.

A growl escaped OmniShoutmon. "Exactly what I warned you about. That thing is EvilbeastLaylamon."

"EvilbeastLaylamon?" Kari repeated.

"What the hell is that?" Takuya repeated.

"The combination of Laylamon and Blastmon," OmniShoutmon told them. "I told you that you couldn't trust her. Now she's stronger than ever. EvilbeastLaylamon is a monster, and a lot stronger than Laylamon."

Tai's fists clenched. "Damn it. So much for doing the right thing. Guys, we gotta Spirit Evolve."

Takato glanced at his Digivice. "We were just in our Digimon forms a little while ago. I don't know how long our power will last."

"However long they'll hold out for. We've got to fix our mistake. Execute! Spirit Evolution… Omnimon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Imperialdramon Fighter Mode!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Gallantmon Crimson Mode!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… EmperorGreymon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Seraphimon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Ophanimon!"

EvilbeastLaylamon looked up at them and grinned. An evil demonic laughter, far more sinister than anything they had heard from the Demon Lord before, escaped her. "Demon Blast!"

She opened her mouth and breathed a massive stream of fire. The DigiDestined scattered as the fire came at them, flying in different directions to throw off her aim. EvilbeastLaylamon barely even bothered to aim as she breathed fire whenever she caught sight of one of them.

"She's going to burn down her whole castle," said Seraphimon.

"She doesn't care," OmniShoutmon told them. "EvilbeastLaylamon is an out of control montser who lives solely for destruction."

"Well, we've faced guys like that before," said Ophanimon. "Eden's Javelin!"

"Demon Blast!"

EvilbeastLaylamon's stream of fire made contact with Ophanimon's beam and easily pushed it back. Ophanimon used her Unicorn Shield just before the flames hit her. She deflected them, but they kept coming. The heat was unbearable, and her barrier began to fracture.

"Hang on, Ophanimon!" Omnimon cried, flying down to the Demon Lord. "Supreme Cannon!"

He fired blasts of explosive ice at her until she stopped breathing fire and turned her attention to him. "Dark Helping Hand!"

Another eldritch appeared, this one much larger and far more menacing than the ones created by her Empress Emblaze. It loomed over Omnimon, ready to come down on him like an evil wave.

"Soaring Nine-Headed Dragon Force!" EmperorGreymon cried.

The dragon spirit appeared and flew into the hand-shaped monster. It closed around the dragon spirit, and the two erupted in a mighty blast.

"Thanks for that," Omnimon called up to him, and flew at EvilbeastLaylamon. "Transcendent Sword!"

"Nazar Nail!" the Demon Lord cried.

She swiped her giant claws at the knight Digimon. Omnimon's sword clanged against her claws, and his blade shattered like glass against them, sending him flying into the wall, over half his sword gone.

EvilbeastLaylamon roared at him as Imperialdramon flew overhead. "Leave him alone, you bitch! Giga Crusher!"

EvilbeastLaylamon didn't even seem to notice the attack until it exploded against her. She let out another roar as the blast consumed her, and began randomly firing her Demon Blast attack all about. As she raged, Seraphimon flew down and pried Omnimon off the wall.

"You ok?" he asked.

"I think so," the knight Digimon replied. He looked at his broken sword. "For the most part."

"Dark Pentagram!" EvilbeastLaylamon cried, unleashing an attack similar to her Phantom Pain.

A magic circle manifested in front of her, and the beam that came out of it flew at Seraphimon and Omnimon. The former flew straight up at to avoid the attack, bringing the knight Digimon with him, before calling down lighting with his Hallowed Ascension.

"Crimson Light!" Gallantmon cried, throwing his spear into the air, and a beam of light came down on the Demon Lord, causing her to emit another roar as the two attacks hit her.

"Now it's my turn," EmperorGreymon declared, stabbing his sword into the already crumbling floor. "Pyro Dragons!"

The dragon-headed streams of fire emerged and flew down at EvilbeastLaylamon. They coiled around her upper body and bit down as she thrashed about. OmniShoutmon added his own attacks to the mix as he flew around her head, firing his Victorize Banking.

The explosion went off beneath EmperorGreymon, launching him down towards the Demon Lord to slice her head open. She looked up at him and used her Dark Magic Square attack, firing a dark square shape at him. EmperorGreymon attempted to cut through it, but when his sword made contact, the square burst into an explosion of dark magic, and he slammed into the wall.

With a burst of strength, EvilbeastLaylamon broke free of the Pyro Dragons. Her gaze zeroed in on EmperorGreymon, and she moved in to attack. "Nazar Nail!"

She stabbed forward with her claws, but they instead buried into Imperialdramon as the dragon Digimon shielded his friend with his body. EmperorGreymon was crushed against him and the wall, but was spared the Demon Lord's attack.

"Imperialdramon, no!" he shouted. "Why'd you do that?"

Imperialdramon let out a pained cough. "I owed you guys," he said, sounding as if he were half joking. Then he glared at EvilbeastLaylamon. "And I owe you too. Ionic Blaster!"

He fired his emitter and the blast consumed EvilbeastLaylamon. She pulled her claw back, and Imperialdramon fell, no longer pinned to the wall. And as he fell, he reverted back to his human form. EmperorGreymon made an attempt to go after him, but a stream of fire from EvilbeastLaylamon pinned him to the wall again, preventing him from helping his friend.

"Davis!" OmniShoutmon shouted, flying down after the teen.

He managed to catch him before he would have splattered against EvilbeastLaylamon's giant lower body. The Demon Lord looked down at them and directed her Demon Blast at them. Gallantmon quickly flew over and used his Invincible Sword to cut through the attack, providing OmniShoutmon a clear path through which he could carry Davis.

"Strike of the Seven Stars!"

"Sefirot Crystal!"

"Double Shot!"

The attacks bombarded against EvilbeastLaylamon, and she looked up at them. With an angry sneer, she reached out and began tearing off chucks of the castle, which she then began throwing at the three of them.

"This is new," Omnimon commented, and fired his cannon at a piece of debris.

As EvilbeastLaylamon proceeded to throw pieces of her castle, EmperorGreymon peeled himself off the castle wall, feeling extremely grateful for his fire resistance. He then flew at the Demon Lord and used his Storming Flame, stabbing his sword into EvilbeastLaylamon's chest.

A mad hiss escaped the Demon Lord, and she glanced down at the dragon Digimon. He didn't give her time to react though as he used his Dragonfire Crossbow while his sword was still embedded into her.

An internal explosion took place, and EvilbeastLaylamon's upper body wobbled on much larger lower one. Her hand came up and smashed EmperorGreymon to her chest before grasping hold of him. She held him up to her face before roaring at him.

"Final Justice!" Gallantmon cried, firing a beam at the Demon Lord.

The attack hit her in the face, but she didn't let go of EmperorGreymon as he hoped she would. Instead, she fired her Demon Blast at him. He tried to counter with his Royal Saber, but the flames pushed straight through the blast of lightning and flowed over the knight Digimon. Gallantmon cried out, and his wings disintegrated. Dropping from the sky, he landed on EvilbeastLaylamon's lower body and reverted to his human form.

"Takato!" the others shouted.

EvilbeastLaylamon sneered and reached for the teen. Seraphimon, Omnimon, and Ophanimon began firing attacks down at her to draw her attention, and the Demon Lord looked up at them and began breathing fire.

OmniShoutmon glanced down at Davis in his arms. He hesitated for a moment before flying to a part of the floor that still seemed stable and set him down. Then he flew down to retrieve Takato.

EmperorGreymon was struggling in EvilbeastLaylamon's hand. Being distracted by the others, her grip had loosened, and he was able to pull his arms free. He then ignited his sword and stabbed it into EvilbeastLaylamon's wrist. The Demon Lord's attention returned to him, but she still didn't release him, so he tried something else.

"Dragonfire Crossbow!" he cried, shooting an arrow of fire that struck the Demon Lord right between the eyes and exploded.

EvilbeastLaylamon roared at him and then suddenly smashed him against the wall. Pulling back her hand, she fired her Dark Pentagram at him. Through his daze, EmperorGreymon somehow registered the beam, and, more on reflex than anything, countered with his Soaring Nine-Headed Dragon Force. EvilbeastLaylamon's beam collided with the giant dragon spirit. It forced its way through the fiery body, and the dragon spirit dispersed. EmperorGreymon just barely managed to hold up his arms to cover his face before the beam struck him.

Along with the destruction the beam caused, a rot began to spread throughout the castle as a result of her attack, and EmperorGreymon was left in horrible condition, his body now looking as if gangrene had completely consumed him. He didn't last long though before reverting to his human form and dropping to the ground. Fortunately, the rot did not carry over to his human form.

OmniShoutmon had been in the process of flying up with Takato when Takuya fell past him. He skidded to a halt, and immediately doubled back to catch the teen, wondering why he was getting stuck with rescuing everyone. EvilbeastLaylamon reached for them, only to have Omnimon fire his Supreme Cannon at her.

She fired her Demon Blast back at him, and Ophanimon moved in front of the attack to deflect it with her Unicorn Shield. EvilbeastLaylamon kept attacking, breaking through the angel Digimon's barrier until Seraphimon hit her with his Hallowed Ascension, causing her to cease breathing fire and allowing Omnimon and Ophanimon to escape.

As they regrouped with Seraphimon in the air, they glanced at OmniShoutmon as he set Takato and Takuya down by Davis. "This is bad," said Ophanimon. "Our numbers are dropping quickly."

"We've been pushing ourselves too much," Seraphimon replied. "First that fight with the others outside, and then with Laylamon herself. Then we had to Spirit Evolve again so shortly afterwards when she came back as this monster."

"We were fools," Omnimon growled. "OmniShoutmon was right all along. The Demon Lords are irredeemable. We can't afford to give them second chances anymore, or worry about what's morally right. They need to be taken down no matter what."

"Dark Magic Square!" EvilbeastLaylamon cried, firing a magic square up at them.

The three of them scattered, and OmniShoutmon used his Omni Torpedo attack, slamming into the side of the Demon Lord's head while she was distracted. He kept circling around her head, slamming into her over and over again, and EvilbeastLaylamon roared. She lashed out with her Nazar Nail, slicing at the already rotten castle walls.

More of the fortress came crumbling down, and Davis, Takato, and Takuya cried out as the floor crumbled beneath them. Omnimon swore and flew down to scoop them up before they fell. Their screams had drawn EvilbeastLaylamon's attention though, and she fired her Demon Blast at them.

"Look out!" OmniShoutmon called to them.

Omnimon saw the stream of fire coming and swore again. He turned his back on the flames and encompassed his friends in his embrace, shielding them with his body. The stream of fire hit, completely burning away his cape, and he cried out in agony at the burning flames.

"No, no, no, no," OmniShoutmon chanted as he flew up towards them while Seraphimon and Ophanimon drew the Demon Lord's attention with their Strike of the Seven Stars ands Sefirot Crystal.

Omnimon's body was beginning to pixelate by the time the dragon Digimon reached him, a clear sign that he was close to losing his hold on his Digimon form. OmniShoutmon wrapped an arm around him and helped to support their friends.

"Hang in there, bug guy," he said, looking around for a safe place they could set down their friends.

Omnimon just let out a pained groan. "Not sure how much longer I'll last."

Takato looked down at EvilbeastLaylamon. "We're sorry we didn't listen to you, OmniShoutmon."

"You can make it up to me if we survive this. Now shut up and help me find a stable spot to put you guys."

Seraphimon and Ophanimon continued to circle over EvilbeastLaylamon, trying to keep her attention on them. She roared up at the two angel Digimon, occasionally breathing fire as they flew about. They fired their own attacks down at her, but it wasn't enough.

"This isn't looking good," said Ophanimon. "It might be up to us."

Seraphimon glanced at their friends, noting how close to becoming human again Omnimon was and how OmniShoutmon was trying to keep them safe from the collapsing castle. "I think you might be right. I just hope we get a lucky break soon."

She gave him a smile. "I'm confident we can do it. As long as we're together, I feel like we can do anything."

Behind his helmet, he smiled as well. "Yes, you're right, and we can do this too."

"Demon Blast!"

More fire came their way, and the angel Digimon flew out of the way to avoid it. Seraphimon looked down at the Demon Lord as he tried to come up with a way they could make it out of this. Even though he hadn't given up, he honestly didn't see a way they could win this. They managed to one-up Laylamon once, but that had been hard enough. EvilbeastLaylamon was far more powerful, and they had already lost three teammates. And from the looks of it, Omnimon was going to give out any moment too.

"Hey, Seraphimon," said Ophanimon, "remember the fight with Leviamon?"

He nodded. "Yeah, but which part of it? It was a long fight."

She held up her javelin. "I'm going to try to blind her."

Now he saw what she was getting at. "You'll have to get in close."

"I know. Cover me."

"Will do."

He began circling over EvilbeastLaylamon once more to keep her attention on him. First he used his Justice Genome to amplify his Light type attacks, then proceeded to punch out balls of light at the Demon Lord. Ophanimon waited for an opening, then flew down towards EvilbeastLaylamon, her javelin raised to throw.

"Dark Magic Square!" EvilbeastLaylamon cried, launching a magic square at Seraphimon.

He swerved out of the way, and the magic square exploded against a broken section of one of the ceiling/floors. The force of the blast still sent him spinning as EvilbeastLaylamon fired her Demon Blast. He was unable to avoid the stream of fire, and it flowed over him, making him howl in pain.

"Seraphimon!" Ophanimon shouted, distracted by his cry.

Her shout drew EvilbeastLaylamon's attention, and she turned to the angel Digimon, swiping out with her Nazar Nail. Ophanimon attempted to throw her javelin, but it was too late, and the Demon Lord's attack knocked it away before it could hit, and the weapon dropped down into the dark abyss of the castles depths.

"Demon Blast!" EvilbeastLaylamon cried, breathing a stream of fire.

There was no time to dodge, so Ophanimon used her Unicorn Shield. The stream of fire slammed into her and began pushing her up into the air. The flames went flying everywhere as her barrier deflected them, but she felt it giving out. She grit her teeth against the strain, but her barrier soon shattered.

EvilbeastLaylamon fired her Dark Magic Square. Ophanimon attempted to create a new barrier, but the attack hit at the same time she produced one. The attack was blocked, but the magic explosion caused her to drop her shield, and the shockwave caused an avalanche of rubble to come raining down on her, and she covered her head as large pieces if castle bombarded her.

"Dark Pentagram!" EvilbeastLaylamon cried, materializing a magic circle.

Shaking in pain from his burns, with several parts of his armor literally melted to his body, Seraphimon tried to call out a warning to Ophanimon, but his voiced failed him, coming out as a quiet rasp. With a glance at the others, he saw that OmniShoutmon was still supporting Omnimon while holding their human friends. They wouldn't be able to help.

Without hesitation, he sped towards Ophanimon. He'd seen what EvilbeastLaylamon's Dark Pentagram attack was capable of. He wasn't even sure if Ophanimon would even be able to survive the attack with the damage she had already taken.

Reaching his fellow angel Digimon, Seraphimon embraced her, shielding her from both the falling rubble and the incoming attack. Ophanimon gasped in surprise at his sudden appearance. "Seraphimon?"

He held her tightly as he waited for the attack to hit. He wasn't even sure if he would survive with as damaged as he was. A part of him suddenly wondered if this was the moment his reading with AncientWisemon was actually about. In taking this attack, was he going to die, sparing Ophanimon, who would then manage to defeat EvilbeastLaylamon? Strange, he had always thought that it would have involved something else.

Maybe his death would be the push Ophanimon needed to use the ChronoCore he just remembered he possessed. Why hadn't they considered using Chronomon's gift sooner? It was strange how things came back to you during such crucial moments. He would have to remind her that she carried it in case she forgot as well. If he survived that is.

Suddenly, he was turned around so Ophanimon was facing the attack. The beam from the Dark Pentagram hit, and Ophanimon cried out. Seraphimon called out her name, but it was lost over the sound of the beam tearing through the air.

When the attack died down, Seraphimon was horrified to see Ophanimon in a horrible state. Her armor was rusted to the point of crumbling off, her organic wings had withered to resemble dried out flowers, and her skin looked as if it had started to decompose.

Ophanimon gave him a small smile before slowly reaching up with a rotted hand and caressing his cheek through his melted helmet. He quietly whispered her human name before she slowly fell away, dropping down towards EvilbeastLaylamon, who reached up towards her.

Seraphimon snapped out of his stupor and sped after her, desperate to reach her before she fell into the Demon Lord's clutches. "Why'd you do that?"

A pained cough escaped Ophanimon as she fell. "I was trying… to protect you…"

Seraphimon internally winced. It may sound chauvinistic of him, but he wanted to be the one to protect her. "That's what I was trying to do to you."

She smiled slightly, letting out a light chuckle as she reached for him. "So why can't I… do the same…? I want to… keep you safe too…"

Seraphimon felt tears creep up in his eyes as he reached out to grab her hand. "Then let's keep each other safe! Forever!"

His fingers grazed hers, attempting to grab hold, and hers twitched in response. "Yes… let's always protect each other…"

Their hands interlocked, just as EvilbeastLaylamon's were about to close over them. A bright light suddenly burst forth from their connected hands, and the Demon Lord recoiled from it, hissing madly. The light consumed both Seraphimon and Ophanimon, stopping their descent as ribbons of Fractal Code emerged from their conjoined hands and wrapped around the two of them.

Up above, the others looked on as the light surrounding the two angel Digimon grew brighter.

"OmniShoutmon," said Takato, "what is that?"

The dragon Digimon was unable to tear his eyes away. "A chance."

"Seraphimon/Ophanimon DNA Digivolve to… Magnadramon!"

Notes:

(A/N: Ha! Bet you didn't see that coming. I had several reviewers theorize what would happen with Seraphimon's prophecy and Ophanimon's ChronoCore in the battle with Laylamon. Didn't see DNA Digivolving happening though, did you? Just to be clear, the Angewomon has two Mega levels in her direct line, Ophanimon and Magnadramon. Magnadramon is harder to unlock, as she's more powerful than Ophanimon, but Ophanimon is capable of DNA Digivolving with Seraphimon to become Magnadramon. That alone tells you how powerful Magnadramon is. But will it be enough to defeat EvilbeastLaylamon? You'll have to wait until next time to find out. Please note that I will be beginning my busiest time of the year when it comes to work for the next two months, so during that time, updates will take place every two weeks regardless of whether a battle is finished or not. See you then.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Evilbeast_Laylamon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Magnadramon

Chapter 147: The Eighth

Notes:

(A/N: Wow, so a lot f people were really liked Magndramon's surprise appearance last chapter. Cool. The chapter was called "unions", meaning more than one. Well, I've got another surprise this chapter too. Whether it's good or bad is up to you. You'll just have to decide that for yourself. So, let's get to it.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 147: The Eighth

For some reason, the thought of DNA Digivolution had never occurred to them. They had known that it was a type of Digivolution, and had even seen it take place before, but it never seemed like an option before. Possibly because they thought of themselves as humans merely wearing the bodies of Digimon. Or maybe because despite having seen others do it, since they were human, they just never considered combining with each other to be a possibility.

But apparently, not only was it possible, it had actually happened, and the DigiDestined were unable to tear their eyes away from the sight.

"Kari?" Omnimon whispered. "TK?"

"Not anymore," said OmniShoutmon. "Now they're Magnadramon."

The new dragon was indeed a sight to behold. Resembling a lion crossed with a dragon, it was a pale pink color, and glowed with a holy light.

"Magnadramon is the ultimate form of god beast Digimon, who's a ruler of the sky," OmniShoutmon explained. "She's a member of the Miracle Four and the Four Great Dragons."

"I'm not sure what all that means," said Takuya, "but it sounds good for us."

"But what about TK and Kari?" Takato asked worriedly "What happens when two humans merge?"

"Priorities," OmniShoutmon replied. "Once we're out of danger, we'll see about any repercussions them DNA Digivolving should cause."

EvilbeastLaylamon growled up at Magnadramon, still dwarfing her in size. Magnadramon roared down at her, and the Demon Lord hissed back.

"We gave you a chance," Magnadramon declared, "and you threw it back in our faces! I will not forgive this!"

The Demon Lord roared again and fired her Demon Blast. Magnadramon swerved out of the way and flew down at her. EvilbeastLaylamon still massively dwarfed the dragon Digimon, who was only a few inches long in comparison.

"Hermit Fog!" Magnadramon cried, breathing a freezing mist over the Demon Lord.

EvilbeastLaylamon hissed as a cold fog blew over her, and her skin began to corrode where it made contact. She slashed at the dragon Digimon with her Nazar Nail, but Magnadramon cartwheeled backwards in the air to avoid it. She then flew straight up to avoid the Demon Blast fired at her, and countered with her Dragon Fire, summoning down energy bolts from the sky on EvilbeastLaylamon that exploded in bursts of light and electricity.

"OmniShoutmon, tell us honestly," said Omnimon, "does Magnadramon stand a chance?"

The dragon Digimon hesitated for several long moments before sighing. "No… not unless…"

"Dark Pentagram!" EvilbeastLaylamon cried, and a magic circle appeared before her that unleashed a magic beam.

"Fire Tornado!" Magnadramon countered.

Flames gathered in her mouth that burst forth in a spiral of fire. The two attacks slammed together, sending out a shockwave that caused the castle to crumble further. EvilbeastLaylamon hissed and unleashed more power, and her attack began to push back Magnadramon's Fire Tornado.

The dragon Digimon's eyes narrowed as she continued to breathe fire. EvilbeastLaylamon's attack continued to get close, but she refused to back down, even as the Demon Lord laughed, assured of her victory.

"You find this funny?" Magnadramon demanded as she proceeded to fire her attack. "We really were fools to think a Demon Lord could change. You're reign of terror is a blight on this world, and we won't tolerate it any more." Her eyes began glowing as the fire she breathed grew in intensity. "It's time you faced justice for all the wrong you've done."

Her heart suddenly began glowing in her chest. A distance away, the hearts of her friends began glowing as well. OmniShoutmon didn't seem surprised though as he looked down at his chest in awe. From each of them, a beam of light suddenly burst forth, shining in the sky above Magnadramon, where a spiral of light appeared over the dragon Digimon. Countless specks of light came down from the sky, gathering in the spiral, causing it to grow.

"That," said OmniShoutmon. "Unless that."

"OmniShoutmon, what is this?" Davis exclaimed.

"It's Magnadramon's hidden power," he replied. "The full extent of her Fire Tornado attack gathers the light energy of all justice in the world and unleashes it in a spiral of holy fire." He looked down at EvilbeastLaylamon. "This battle is over."

A ray of light came down from the spiral above Magnadramon. She began to glow brighter as she was bathed in the light until she was blinding. The flames in her mouth shined all the brighter as well and grew in intensity as the energy of all justice gathered together, and EvilbeastLaylamon roared in outrage.

"Feel the light of justice," Magnadramon cried, "and be gone!"

She unleashed all the stored energy, and the Fire Tornado she breathed expanded many times over. It completely consumed the beam from EvilbeastLaylamon's Dark Pentagram attack. The spiral of fire came down and flowed over the Demon Lord, completely filling the bowels of the castle.

A murderous cry escaped EvilbeastLaylamon as she looked up at the dragon Digimon, her body blackened and burned. Within seconds, only a giant charcoal statue of the Demon Lord remained as her cries ceased, with only her glowing blue eyes shining in her blackened face.

EvilbeastLaylamon stood frozen for several seconds as the flames continued to flow around her. She slowly reached up towards Magnadramon as cracks began to appear over her, spreading across her whole body. Then she began to crumble apart before exploding into an eruption of data.

Magnadramon stopped breathing fire and roared in victory as the light of justice around her faded. She looked down at her friends, relieved that they were ok, before flying over to them. They simply stared back, completely dumfounded by what they had just witnessed.

"Is everyone alright?" she asked.

Takato was the first to find his voice. "You just completely incinerated her. How'd you do that?"

Magnadramon just smiled. "I wouldn't have been able to without the help of everyone who believes in and seeks justice." She glanced to another section of the castle. "Come on, it looks pretty stable over there."

She led them over to the section she indicated. OmniShoutmon set down Davis, Takato, and Takuya as Omnimon allowed himself to return to his human form, relieving him of his burns and other injuries. Magnadramon settled down beside them before she suddenly split into TK and Kari once more.

"Kari!" Tai cried, and rushed forward to hug his sister. "Thank goodness. You're… you."

She blinked. "Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?"

"We didn't know what would happen since you and TK were human," Takato told them. "For all we know, you two could have remained merged together even as humans, or ended up swapping bodies or switching genders, or even ending up like Siamese twins or something."

TK held up his hands. "No, guys, really, we're fine. See, perfectly normal."

"Well, in that case, that was awesome!" Takuya declared. "I can't believe you guys DNA Digivolved like that. How'd you do it?"

Tai broke the hug. "I'd like to know that myself. Now that we see that there are no repercussions for us to use that, we could definitely use it in the future."

Both TK and Kari paused. They seemed to think about it for a minute before glancing at each other questioningly.

"How did we do it?" Kari asked.

TK shook his head. "I'm… not really sure. We just did."

Davis rolled his eyes. "Yeah, but how?"

Kari bit her lip as she tried to recall how she and TK did what they did and how to put it into words. "It's… hard to describe it. We just sort of did it. I remember feeling a deep desire to fight with and want to protect TK in that moment, and then we just kind of…"

She clapped her hands together for emphasis, and TK nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I felt that too, but I don't really know how to explain it. It's like being able to laugh or cry. You know you can do it, but you can't really explain how to."

OmniShoutmon DeDigivolved back to Shoutmon. "Often, two Digimon will DNA Digivolve if they're compatible and when they fall completely in sync with each other. Their hearts and spirits unite, and then they Digivolve together."

"That doesn't really tell us anything though," Takuya complained. "We need to know how it works so we can do it again. Or so at least TK and Kari can again." He glanced at them. "You guys can do it again, can't you?"

The two teens glanced at each other uncertainly. "I'm not sure," TK muttered.

"I guess we can always try," Kari added.

That's when it happened. High in the sky, visible through the missing ceiling, a distortion began, interrupting their conversation. Familiar clouds appeared, drawing the teens' attention. They knew what that meant, and they knew what was coming.

"Better put this topic on hold," said Tai. "It looks like we're about to meet another Sovereign."

"Hope this one is more helpful than the last two," Davis muttered.

"Don't worry," Shoutmon assured them. "If the Sovereigns are escaping weakest to strongest, then I think I know who the next one is."

From out of the clouds, the next Sovereign suddenly appeared. It was easily one of the largest Digimon they had ever seen. It resembled a dragon with a long serpentine body that seemed to be made of transparent, pale blue vapor with white angel-like wings running down its back, and four clawed limbs.

Chains ran down the length of its long body that were attached to the dark blue mask with yellow patterns it wore. A long white beard that hung down its face gave it a wizard-like appearance, and a blue aura surrounded its whole body. Like the other sovereigns, it had twelve orbs rotating around its body, six around its neck, and six more around its tail.

Shoutmon immediately dropped to his knees and lowered his head in a bow. "Behold, Azulongmon, the Azure Dragon of the East."

Davis whistled at the sight of the massively large dragon Digimon. Each of the Sovereigns four yellow eyes was larger than their entire body. "Now that's a Sovereign."

Shoutmon shushed him. "Show the proper respect. He might not be the strongest, but Azulongmon is the most deified among the main four."

Before any of the teens could ask what he meant by that, the Sovereigns looked down at them. "You. You are the humans who defeated a Demon Lord and set me free?"

His words held great power and authority, and each of the teens took a knee. "Yes, Azulongmon, sir," said Tai, "that was us."

Azulongmon's gaze took in each of them, as if he were trying to commit each of them to memory. "Then you have my utmost gratitude. Thanks to you, the tides are now turning. Half of us have been freed, and the Demon Lords' power has crippled further."

"It was with the biggest satisfaction that we put those monsters in their place," said Takato. "We're glad we could have been of service."

Azulongmon's already kind gaze softened further. "Please rise, young ones. You have done, not just me, but the Digital World as a whole, a great service. You have more than earned the right to stand in my presence."

Relieved breaths escaped a few of the teens. Azulongmon seemed far friendlier and not as uptight as Zhuqiaomon.

"Thank you, sir," said Tai as he and the others stood up. "We're glad you're alright."

"I owe that to you, young human. I knew we made the right choice when we called on you." His gaze shifted to e smaller dragon Digimon. "But what is this? Shoutmon. I did not expect you to join the humans on their quest. You were only tasked to provide them with the DDNA of the Guardians."

Shoutmon rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, well, I couldn't just abandon them after tasking them with such a difficult, uh, task. So I went along as a sort of guide until I became strong enough to fight alongside them."

Azulongmon nodded to him. "A noble cause, but a dangerous one. You are the Digimon King, handpicked by the Digimon God himself. You have your own duties to attend to."

Shoutmon began nervously tapping his fingers together. "Yeah… about that. Even though I've been going around telling everyone that I'm the Digimon King, the truth is that I haven't really been the king of anything since Lucemon dethroned me. I won't really be the Digimon King again until I've earned back my title. And to do this, I need to help take down the one who dethroned me, and those that have covered this land in darkness during my absence as king."

Azulongmon gave another nod, looking pleased. "Spoken like one truly worthy of his title. I only wish I could personally assist you on your journey."

Davis gave him a thumbs-up. "Hey, no sweat, we get it. You've been gone a long time and have a lot of work to catch up on. You just leave the Demon Lords to us; we'll take care if them. I still don't feel like I've gotten even with them yet."

TK's face lit up. "Speaking of which, do you guys realize what this means? We're over half done. We took down four Demon Lords. Just three more to go, and we'll have freed all the Sovereigns. Then we'll finally be able to go home."

Takato punched the air. "Woohoo! We passed the halfway point and beyond!"

Azulongmon's face fell slightly. "I am terribly sorry, humans, but I'm afraid you've been misinformed. It will take more than defeating the Demon Lords to free all of the Sovereigns."

His statement was met with silence. The teens stared up at him in shocked disbelief, then with horror as the full extent of his words hit them, and their spirits came crashing down.

"What!? Tai shouted furiously. "But how can that be!?" He rounded on Shoutmon. "Did Cherubimon lie to us?"

The dragon Digimon shook his head. "Of course not! He would never lie like that!"

"Then I don't get it," said Kari. "We were told that the Demon Lords sealed away the Sovereigns, and that if we freed them that they'll be able to send us home. We've been destroying the Demon Lords, and that has been freeing the Sovereigns. What else do we have to do to get them all?"

"Children," Azulongmon cried, drawing their attention, "what you were told is the truth. It was primarily the Demon Lords who sealed us away, and thus they do need to be destroyed in order to free us. However, there was another that assisted them, and contributed their power into sealing us away. He may not be a member of the seven, but he is in the same classification. An unofficial Demon Lord if you will. He too will need to be defeated in order for all of us Sovereigns to be free."

Davis' eyes narrowed. "Let me guess, it's Boltboutamon, isn't it? That figures."

Tai crossed his arms. "We should have known. Only someone like that could-"

"I'm afraid you're mistaken," Azulongmon interrupted. "While Boltboutamon is indeed a great evil and could indeed be placed in the same class as the Demon Lords, he is not the one I speak of."

Takato let out a heavy sigh. "Well, let's look on the bright side. We're still half done. It's one more bad guy. And he can't be worse than Lucemon."

Azulongmon closed his eyes, looking dismayed. "Once again, I am sad to say that you are wrong. This is an enemy whose powers surpasses even that of Lucemon."

"Oh, come on!" Takato yelled. "When are we ever going to catch a break? It's like this never ends. Now not only do we have another enemy to defeat besides the Demon Lords, but it's someone even worse than the worst of them."

Tai angrily grabbed Shoutmon's cape and picked him up. "Did you know about this?" When the dragon Digimon didn't answer and simply looked away guiltily, Tai shook him. "Well, did you? Tell us!"

The dragon Digimon grabbed the arm that was holding him. "Yes, ok! I knew!"

TK angrily turned to him. "Why didn't you tell us?"

Shoutmon sighed in resignation. "To what end? When Cherubimon first told you that you needed to defeat the Demon Lords, it seemed so impossible that I didn't even see any point in mentioning that we would still need to face someone worse than Lucemon. Even with the progress we've been making, it felt like it would only bring down everyone's spirits if I told you that if we somehow accomplished the impossible and managed to defeat the Demon Lords that there would be someone even stronger than any of them waiting afterwards."

A frustrated groan left Tai, and he dropped the dragon Digimon. Kari placed a reassuring had on his shoulder, and he let out a sigh. "Ok, fine. I get why you didn't tell us right away. And it's like Takato said, we're still half done. It's just one more enemy. Even if they are stronger than Lucemon." His eyes narrowed, and he looked back at Azulongmon. "Unless there's anyone else we need to defeat after that."

Azulongmon shook his head. "No, once the Demon Lords and their ally are defeated, your journey will be over. All of the Sovereigns will be freed, the balance will be restored, and we will be able to send you hone."

Davis crossed his arms, looking irritable. "I can't believe I didn't hear about this guy when I was," he cringed, "working with Laylamon. Who is this guy anyway?"

Azulongmon was quiet for a long moment before speaking. "His name is…"

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Lucemon's fingers drummed impatiently against his arm as he sat in the meeting hall, waiting for his fellow Demon Lords to arrive. A scowl was present on his face, revealing his displeasure as a noise of frustration escaped him.

Finally, the doors to the meeting hall opened, and both Daemon and Barbamon marched into the room. The only greeting Lucemon gave them was a grunt of, "It's about time you got here."

Daemon's eyes narrowed slightly as he and Barbamon took their seats at the table. "You called this meeting on such short notice; some of us were in the middle of something."

Lucemon uncrossed his arms and sat up straight. "It was necessary. I'm sure you can imagine why."

"Of course," Barbamon stated plainly. "We all felt Laylamon's seal on the Sovereigns' prison lift. That means she's been destroyed."

"Indeed," the Demon Lord of Pride said. "That makes four of us that have fallen. This is inexcusable. Those humans must be dealt with."

"The humans are nothing," Daemon replied. "While the fall of our comrades is indeed… unfortunate, the humans are not in our league. They pose no true threat to the three of us."

Lucemon angrily slammed his fist on the table. "Be that as it may, we can not ignore them the way we have been. Their defiance must be dealt with, regardless of their insignificance."

A chuckle escaped Barbamon. "Careful, Lucemon, it almost sounds as if you're worried about them."

The head Deon Lord let out a humph and sat back. "I'm hardly worried, but they are causing unnecessary problems for us. In addition to decreasing our numbers and freeing the Sovereigns, they are restoring hope and making us look bad. That is the real issue here, not whether or not they actually pose a threat to us."

Daemon cocked his head to the side. "So you suggest that we treat the humans as if they really are a threat? That will only make us lose face all the more if the public thinks we're afraid of a group of puny humans."

Folding his hands together in front of him, Lucemon narrowed his eyes at the other two Demon Lords. "The fact is that we need to address the human issue for what it is; rebels that defy us, and somehow managed to destroy four of us. It's not a matter of making us look like we're worried, it's of us nipping something in the bud that we should have taken care of long ago but didn't because we considered them to be nothing. Only now that nothing is causing other issues that are making things complicated for us."

"Then what would you suggest?" Barbamon asked. "How do we deal with the humans without making it appear as if we're afraid of them?"

A deep laughter suddenly echoed through the room. The three Demon Lords looked around for a few moments before realizing that it was coming from above them and looked upward.

From above, another Digimon slowly descended. They didn't appear the least bit concerned to be in the presence of the Demon Lords as they settled beside the meeting table, standing at the other end of Lucemon.

The Demon Lord of Pride's eyes narrowed in irritation. "So glad you finally decided to join us, Bagramon."

The Digimon in question resembled a mighty warlord. His body was somewhat lop-sided, as both his right arm and leg were carvings of wood shaped into monstrous limbs, his arm in particular being far too big for his body. Six blackened and burned wings protruded from his back, indicating that they had once been far grander. In place of his right eye, a large ruby was present in his head as he surveyed the three Demon Lords.

"I would have thought the great and powerful Demon Lords could handle a few powerless humans," he scolded, "but it seems I was wrong. Instead, you've shown incompetence the likes of which I've never seen, and have now painted yourselves into a corner."

A low growl escaped Lucemon. "You're out of line."

"Am I?" Bagramon demanded, his mocking tone giving way to his own irritation. "Because the way I see it, you ignored a potential problem due to your vanity and pride, allowing it to grow until it became an actual threat that defeated two of you. And when you finally addressed it, you failed to kill the humans, and now two more of you have been destroyed as a result, along with several of your most loyal followers, including four Chaos Generals. Now you can't even take care of the situation without it appearing to the public that you're actually afraid."

Barbamon pointed his staff at him. "And why have you not dealt with them yourself?"

"As I said," Bagramon replied, looking unconcerned, "I did not think it was necessary, as I trusted that the Demon Lords would be able to deal with the situation. I see now that I was mistaken."

Lucemon stood up. "You forget who you're talking to. We are the Demon Lords. You may be allied with us, but you are not one of us."

The demon Digimon didn't look the least bit intimidated by Lucemon. "And there is a reason for that. Our goals may be aligned, but our ambitions are not. My ideals are something I have committed myself to entirely, and I am willing to do whatever it takes to accomplish my goals. You do not have the resolve that I do, and will let things like pride and public opinion stop you from doing what needs to be done."

Daemon stood up as well. "Do not test us, Bagramon."

"And do not attempt to intimidate me. We all know which of us is the strongest one here." He looked at each of them in turn, as if daring them to contradict him. "And even if that were not the case, you wouldn't dare to destroy me. I bring too much to the group; including my seal on the Sovereigns' prison. You need me, just as I need you. We do not need to like each other to be allies; Beelzemon and Laylamon certainly despised each other after all."

He turned his attention to the wall, and his ruby eye glowed briefly. "Azulongmon is speaking to the humans now. With him free, half the Sovereigns have been released." He looked back at the Demon Lords. "Regardless of how you think it may affect your reputation, the humans must be dealt with. If you do not wish to lose face, then do as Beelzemon and Laylamon attempted; crush them so completely that it will seem like overkill. This will give the impression that they are merely being severely punished for their deeds as opposed to making it look like you're worried about them."

He turned his back to them, having finished with what he had to say. "I hope you'll show me that your ambitions are even half of what mine are by handling things from here on out. It will truly be a sad day for the Demon Lords if I need to step in and deal with a situation you should have easily been able to take care of."

With nothing else to say, he casually strolled out of the room. The doors closed behind him, leaving the three Demon Lords alone. Lucemon and Daemon remained standing for several moments before the latter sat. "He does make a point. We viewed the humans as so far beneath us that we ignored them until they became a problem that has escalated. Now we do indeed risk looking like we're afraid of them if we take them on ourselves. That opportunity has passed with our first attempt."

Lucemon sat down as well and crossed his arms. "That may be, but he also provided us with a solution. We are to crush the humans so completely that it will make it appear like punishment rather than us facing a threat. Not only will this remind the world of just what the Demon Lords are capable of, it will also remind them of the repercussions of defying us. This will also quickly crush any resistance that has risen up against us since their coming. The humans are a symbol of hope. Without them, that hope will die."

A wicked grin spread across Barbamon's face, exposing his shark-like teeth. "I may have something that will work very nicely. As you know, I've been working on a little project for some time now, and I'm close to completing it. Once I do, I'll show those humans, along with the entire Digital World, just what a Demon Lord is truly capable of."

Daemon chuckled. "What a coincidence. I've been working on a little something myself. I'd be more than happy to show the humans once I've finished. I think it'll get the point of where they stand compared to us very clear."

Lucemon smiled. "Excellent. Then you may both handle the humans as you see fit. And if it doesn't work out, we still always have our secret weapon to fall back on." He chuckled cruelly. "And at the end of it all, they'll still have us to deal with."

High above, hidden in the shadows, a grin spread across Boltboutamon's face. "And I can't wait to see it."

Notes:

(A/N: Dun, dun, dun. That's right, it's not just the Demon Lords our heroes have to deal with. Bagramon has been there behind the scenes the whole time. I'd had this planned since the beginning. And with that, our bad guy roster is complete. But how are out heroes going to react to Bagramon? What will they be able to make further use of DNA Digivolution? If they do, will they be able to stand against whatever Barbamon and Daemon's projects are? And what is this secret weapon Lucemon spoke of? And then there's still Boltboutamon and his schemes. There's a lot coming up, so stay tuned for me. I'll be updating in 2 weeks.)

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New Digimon that appear.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Azulongmon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Bagramon

Chapter 148: Divine Exposition

Notes:

(A/N: So, it seemed I got some positive opinions about Bagramon joining the fray, along with some other interesting predictions of what's to come. I also had someone ask if what happened with Seraphimon and Ophanimon DNA Digivolving was TK somehow escaping his prophecy of death. Sadly, no it wasn't. TK merely wondered if that was going to be the moment, but AncientWisemon said that TK would give up his life for his friends, so his prophecy is still going to be hanging over his head. But more on that later. For now, let's see how our heroes react when they learn about their new enemy.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 148: Divine Exposition

"Bagramon?" Tai repeated. "Never heard of him before."

An angry growl escaped Shoutmon. "That's because no one likes to talk about him. He's the biggest traitor in history. He actually betrayed the Digimon God himself."

Takato's eyes widened. "He actually betrayed the Digimon God? Wow, that's bad. Like, really bad."

Azulongmon closed his eyes. "It is true. Bagramon was once what would be described as the right hand man of the Digimon God. One could even go as far as to call him a former Digimon Sovereign."

Shoutmon let out what could only be described as a hiss. "You saw a representation of him before. Remember when Asuramon was going to be mated to Beastmon. Bagramon was one of the two golden statues in the church at the end of the aisle in front of the stained glass representation of the Digimon God. Personally, I think we should get rid of those statues, even if they are meant to portray him for what he once was."

"The former right hand of the Digimon God," TK repeated uneasily. "How and why would someone like that betray the Digimon God and become an unofficial Demon Lord?"

"It is a sad and tragic story," Azulongmon replied, "but I shall account it for you. It would be best if you knew everything."

"Here, here," Takuya agreed. "I'm tired of being left in the dark about things, only to find out later when we should have known sooner."

"He fell from grace," Shoutmon snarled. "There's nothing more you need to know."

A sigh escaped Azulongmon. "Now, Shoutmon, you that's not the whole story. As the Digimon King, you must remain unbiased."

The smaller dragon grumbled. "Yes, sir."

Azulongmon turned his attention back to the teens. "You see, children, when the Digimon God first created life in the Digital World, Bagramon was his favorite. He originally served as the highest ranking angel Digimon, and stood on equal par with the Sovereigns, serving directly under the Digimon God."

"Which just makes his betrayal all the worse," Shoutmon seethed, "considering what an honor that was."

Kari placed a finger to her lips. "Shoutmon, shh."

Azulongmon did not seem bothered by the interruption, and went on as if it had never happened. "For the longest time, Bagramon served the Digimon God and the Digital World loyally, but as time went on and darkness began to rise, Bagramon began to grow weary with the state of things. The Three Catastrophes were especially concerning for him, as were the rise of the Demon Lords, and all those they were recruiting to their cause."

Takuya's face scrunched up. "That doesn't make sense. If he was so worried about the Demon Lords and what they were doing, then why did he join them?"

"This was before Bagramon gave himself over to the darkness. For the longest time, the Guardians fought back the forces of darkness and kept the Demon Lords in check, but after the Third Catastrophe, when the Guardians sacrificed themselves to destroy ZeedMillenniummon, Bagramon found that he could no longer stand idly by and allow evil to run rampant. And after the destruction of Yggdrasil, he finally brought his concerns to the Digimon God. He questioned the way other life forms used their free will and the wicked deeds that came from it. The birth of ZeedMillenniummon was, perhaps, the biggest example of this, for a single Digimon to nearly destroy the entire multiverse simply by existing."

Tai held up a hand. "Wait, hold up. Bagramon was questioning whether or not living beings should have free will because there were those who decided to be evil?"

"That is correct," Azulongmon replied sadly. "And he also began to question the way the Digimon God ruled the Digital World, claiming that he was failing at his duty as this world's creator by letting the residents use their free will to commit such atrocities."

"Geez, he said that to the Digimon God?" Takato asked. "I don't even have the nerve to talk back to my parents."

"But it couldn't be helped," said Kari, ignoring Takato. "Free will means that everyone is in control of their thoughts and actions, and that sometimes means that there will be those that will do horrible things. But without free will, there wouldn't be any point in living."

"Indeed," the Sovereign agreed. "And the Digimon God tried to explain this to Bagramon. Unfortunately, he was so blinded by all the evil that free will allowed that Bagramon could only focus on the bad. He began to feel that free will was pointless if so much suffering came as a result of it. But when he could not convince the Digimon God of this, he decided that the Digimon God was unfit to rule. Bagramon came to believe that only he, with his ideology, was suitable to rule, and was willing to do whatever was necessary to bring forth everlasting peace."

Shoutmon scoffed. "Which is just stupid. And who gave Bagramon the authority to just decide he was in the right? Oh, that's right, his free will! Without free will, then Bagramon wouldn't even have been able to question the Digimon God's authority in the first place, let alone disagree with it. He'd be nothing more than a mindless puppet, unable to even think for himself."

Azulongmon sighed again. "Be that as it may, Bagramon felt that he was in the right, and was willing to go to any means necessary to create the perfect world he envisioned, one with no suffering and no violence. He betrayed the Digimon God and staged a rebellion against him in an attempt to overthrow him."

Takuya rolled his eyes. "Well that was stupid. I may not know much about the Digimon God, but even I could have told him how idiotic that was."

Azulongmon nodded. "You are correct, young one. But Bagramon was so resolute in his ideals that he strove to do the impossible. Naturally, his rebellion ended in complete and utter failure, and he received the scourge of the Digimon God for his betrayal. As a result, Bagramon eternally lost half his body and one of his eyes. His once grand angel wings were completely incinerated, and his remaining additional ones were permanently blackened and burned."

Takuya made a motion with his hand, as if to say 'I told you so'. "There, see, just what I said. Stupid."

Another sigh escaped the Sovereign. "Despite Bagramon's betrayal, the Digimon God was benevolent, and decreed that Bagramon would be forgiven if he repented. However, Bagramon became more resolute than ever, and he committed even further blaspheme by carving out replacement artificial limbs for himself from the holy Server Tree where Yggdrasil once dwelled, and replaced his missing eye with a large ruby.

"This resulted in a monstrous transformation and the rewriting of his very code, greatly increasing Bagramon's power and granting him terrifying new abilities. With his artificial arm, Bagramon was now able to grab hold of the very souls of others and rip them from their bodies, even allowing him to send them to Digimon Heaven or Digimon Hell as he pleased, or even place them inside the bodies of others. And with his new ruby eye, he was now able to observe anywhere within the Digital World. With this new form and these new powers, Bagramon gained the title as the Sage of Death."

Takato whistled. "That sounds pretty bad. I can see why he's labeled as the biggest traitor in history."

Shoutmon let out a humorless chuckle. "Oh, we're not done yet. This was just his descent into darkness. Tell them what happened next."

The Sovereign did so with the utmost regret. "Bagramon had become more determine than ever to banish the Digimon God from this world and have his own idea of justice replace what he deemed was an 'unreasonable' one. To do this, he decided to tear down the Digimon God's branch of authority. This is when he approached the Demon Lords and proposed an alliance. With their powers combined, they sealed my fellow Sovereigns and I away in a pocket dimension, and there we've remained for the better part of 10,000 years."

TK ran a hand over his face. "I just don't see Bagramon's logic. He betrayed the Digimon God because he thought there was too much evil in the world, and his solution is to cause even more evil?"

"Bagramon intends to let the Digital World fall to ruin and rebuild it in his image," Shoutmon muttered. "And anyone who even thinks of defying his will in the slightest is to die again and again until they submit to him absolutely. Truthfully, he's not too different from Lucemon. Probably why they allied with each other. Lucemon believes he's the most suitable ruler, while Bagramon thinks only he can bring forth a truly peaceful world by dominating everyone. They're just using each other for a mutual goal, just with a different outcome."

"But what about the Digimon God?" Kari asked. "Why didn't he do anything to stop this?"

"For the very reason Bagramon condemned him," Azulongmon replied. "Because the Digimon God believed in free will. And, sadly, this is what Bagramon chose to do with his, just like all those who gave into the darkness. He only rained his wrath on Bagramon before because Bagramon attempted to attack him directly, but otherwise, he allowed his once most loyal servant to do as he pleased with the very free will that Bagramon held in contempt.

"But despite the Digimon God's belief in free will, he was greatly despaired at what had become of Bagramon and what was happening to the world he had created that he withdrew from it, taking Homeostasis with him, deciding to see how things would play out without his interfering." He closed his eyes sadly. "So it seems that, in the end, Bagramon got what he wanted after all."

Tai's eyes narrowed. "Not completely. The Digimon God may have withdrawn from the world, but Bagramon does not rule it, and we're not going to let him. Nor are we going to let him subjugate everyone. I don't see how anyone who thinks free will is a bad thing could be anything less than a tyrannical dictator. As far as I'm concerned, he's just as bad as the Demon Lords. Maybe worse. They may have gone bad, but at least they never directly and literally betrayed anyone the way he did."

Shoutmon punched the air. "That's what I'm talking about. I knew you guys would understand."

Takato sighed. "Well, we would have had to face him anyway. At least now we know that he's the ultimate traitor who doesn't believe in free will and can literally rip our souls out of our bodies. Oh, and let's not forget that he can spy on us anywhere we go at any time thanks to that ruby eye of his. That's going to make going to the bathroom feel really awkward."

"I am deeply sorry that I must place this burden on your shoulders, children," Azulongmon told them. "But you truly are our best hope at bringing balance to this world. The power of the human spirit resonates greatly with those they share it with. It is that power that I believe will save us. I cannot go with you on your journey, but I can still help you." His gaze zeroed in on Tai. "You, young one, you are the leader of your group, are you not?"

Tai blinked. "Huh? What? Oh, well, yeah, I guess I am. But there's also Shoutmon."

"Shoutmon has his own duties to follow, and while he may accompany you on your journey, the task falls mostly on the six of you. As the leader of your group, you will be required to shoulder the most responsibility. To lead requires great power and wisdom. Therefore, I now grant you this to help you on your quest."

One of the orbs floating around him came away from his body and floated down over to Tai. Shoutmon's mouth dropped open in astonishment at the sight of it. "You're giving him one of your DigiCores!? Don't you know how long it will take you to produce another one?"

"It is for a good cause, Shoutmon," the Sovereign told him, "and it is all the assistance I can give right now."

Takuya pointed at the DigiCore. "Hey, can the rest of us get one of those too?"

Shoutmon jumped up and smacked him over the back of the head. "How dare you ask that!? This is the equivalent of him giving away a piece of his soul!"

Tai looked up at Azulongmon uncertainly. "Are you sure about this?"

The Sovereign nodded. "I am. But be wary when using its power. I do not know how it will affect a human, so be sure to save it for a time of need."

Tai nodded. "Yes, I will."

He held up his Digivice towards the DigiCore, and watched as it was drawn into the device. The Digivice chimed and glowed for a few seconds before powering down once more.

"It is done then," said Azulongmon. "I'm afraid I can not stay away from my duties any longer."

Takato just waved this off. "Hey, don't worry about it. You've already been way more helpful than the other Sovereigns have been- Ow! Why'd you kick me?"

"Idiot," Shoutmon grumbled.

"I believe in you, children," Azulongmon told them as he prepared to depart. "I know you will save this world."

He rose up into the sky after that, his long serpentine body disappearing into the clouds. The clouds soon faded away, along with all traces of Azulongmon.

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The days passed in a blur after that. With the destruction of EvilbeastLaylamon, peace had been restored to what had once been the domain of the Demon Lord of Lust. The teens took a day off to rest from the battle, choosing to take up residence in a section of the castle that was not at risk of collapsing from the rampage the Demon Lord had gone through.

They knew they couldn't stay long though, and so, after restocking as much as they could, they set out the next day for the fortress where Blastmon had claimed that AncientWisemon was being held. They hoped that once they freed the mutant Digimon that he would be able to help them on their journey.

"How long should it take us to get there?" Tai asked.

Shoutmon wobbled his head. "Not too long, I don't think. It's a several days journey going at our pace, maybe a little longer depending on whether or not we run into any trouble."

I guess that's good," Takuya muttered thoughtfully. "Do you think Barbamon will be at the fortress?"

The dragon Digimon nodded. "There's a good chance. Either him or his Chaos General. We'll need to face both at some point anyway."

"Fine with me," Davis growled. "Personally, I'd rather end this sooner rather than later."

No one said anything to this. No one had said much of anything about his time where he was working with Laylamon. It was obvious to anyone with eyes that he was still sore about what had happened to him, and it seemed to be an unspoken agreement amongst the group not to bring up what had happened. Instead, they would wait until Davis brought the subject up and decided to talk about it.

"So, Shoutmon," said TK, deciding to bring up something that had been nagging at him, "what can we expect from Barbamon? He, Daemon, and Lucemon are the strongest of the Demon Lords, right? The Big Three, so to speak? Just what exactly are we looking at?"

The dragon Digimon sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "Well, it's not good. Of the three, he's ranked beneath Lucemon and Daemon, but he's a lot stronger than any of the four Demon Lords we've faced so far."

"Great," Takato muttered. "How much stronger exactly? Can you give us an example?"

Shoutmon tapped his chin. "I guess this would be the best example. Remember how Azulongmon mentioned how Yggdrasil was destroyed? Well, it was pretty much Barbamon who was responsible for that."

Kari nodded. "Yeah, I think you mentioned that before. Didn't Barbamon take him over, causing Yggdrasil to malfunction, so he had to be destroyed."

Shoutmon wobbled his head. "That's the short version of it. You see, the Digimon God created two avatars that he copied a portion of his consciousness into. One was Homeostasis, whose purpose was to see to the balance of the Digital World, and the other was Yggdrasil, whose purpose was to see to the Digital World's survival and function. Yggdrasil had a more active role than Homeostasis, and as such was a lot more power.

"For Yggdrasil's design, the fragment of the Digimon God's consciousness he was made up of was placed into a crystal shard, which was then placed into the core body of King Drasil. King Drasil was then inserted into the host computer, Yggdrasil_7D6, who resided in the Server Tree. And yes, Yggdrasil was powerful. Even an army of Digimon wouldn't be able to defeat him."

Davis recalled something about this being mentioned, but it was from too long ago. "Yeah, you said like he was as strong as several hundred Digimon, or something."

Shoutmon scoffed at this. "Several hundred? More like 9,000 Mega level Digimon."

Takuya whirled around to face him. "Whoa, how many?"

"It's over 9,000!" Takato suddenly shouted. When everyone else gave him a strange look, he just turned red in embarrassment. "Sorry, joking. Just trying to break the tension."

"I do remember that now that you mention it," Davis recalled.

"I don't," Takuya remarked, still feeling shocked.

Shoutmon just rolled his eyes. "Anyway, because Yggdrasil's primary role was to see to the survival of the Digital World, he was always at risk of… malfunctioning and resorting to unorthodox or even malevolent means to see to it. So the Digimon God took precautions in case such a malfunction ever happen. He created VictorGreymon and ZeedGarurumon, two powerful Mega level Digimon who were specifically designed to take down Yggdrasil in case he ever did malfunction, and assigned them to watch over him."

"This is all very interesting," Tai interrupted, "but where does Barbamon come into all this?"

"I'm getting there. Sheesh, show some patience. Anyway, Barbamon managed to corrupt and take over Yggdrasil, forcing VictoryGreymon and ZeedGarurumon to destroy him, and the body of King Drasil as well until all that remained was the crystal shard containing the fragment of consciousness the Digimon God had created, which Homeostasis was then forced to shut down due to the way Barbamon had corrupted it. So while Barbamon didn't destroy Yggdrasil himself, he did take him over and was responsible for his destruction."

"Ok, we get it, that's pretty bad," Takato said uneasily.

"And let's not forget," TK added, "he's also the one who drove Bacchusmon insane, and didn't you say he was even capable of easily controlling that guy we fought, Ghoulmon Black?"

Shoutmon nodded. "Yup, and Ghoulmon Black is a god of destruction."

"Alright, that's enough," said Takato, "you're making us nervous."

The dragon Digimon sighed. "Sorry, I just want you guys to be prepared. You got a taste of his power when you faced him before, but he was just toying with you then. This time, he's going to be out to really kill you." He crossed his arms. "And there's no telling what advantages he'll gain if he gets what he's looking for from AncientWisemon."

"What does he want from AncientWisemon?" Takuya asked. "What do you think he's after?"

Shoutmon shrugged. "Who knows? AncientWisemon knows everything, so it could literally be anything."

Tai glanced hesitantly at Davis, knowing he was about to break their unspoken rule. "Hey, Davis, did Laylamon ever-"

"No, she didn't mention anything about Barbamon's plan, or of anything about the other Demon Lords either. And, quite frankly, at the time, I didn't even care. I was too focused on… other things."

That was all that was said on the matter, and so they let the subject drop.

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The room was filled with darkness, obscuring those present in shadow. There was no need for any light though, as everyone knew the other, and there were none who would dare to interfere with their meeting, not unless they wished to die.

Three pairs of eyes shined in the darkness, one holding more hostility than the other two. It was the owner of these eyes that had called this meeting, and now addressed the other two. "We have a job to do."

One of the set of eyes, a pair of light green ones, looked on uncaringly at the lavender ones that had belonged to the speaker. "You are referring to the humans. Are you implying that they pose a threat? You would know better since you've faced them before."

"And failed to defeat them," the owner of the pale yellow eyes remarked.

The lavender eyes flashed angrily. "You know good and well how and why that battle did not end with their demise, but I intend to see to it that they meet a fitting end."

"Is that why you're requesting our assistance?" Yellow Eyes asked. "Have the humans become too powerful?"

"Do not think me so weak that I cannot handle these humans on my own. I intend to pay them back a hundred times, a thousand times, for all they've done."

"Calm yourself," Green Eyes said calmly. "It's understandable that you more than others would have reason to want them dead. However, the masters have decided to deal with them."

The lavender eyes narrowed. "Perhaps, but they did not order us to stand down, and we have a duty to uphold. These humans are not even worth the masters' time; we are meant to handle situations like this."

An almost mocking chuckle escaped Yellow Eyes. "You can't fool us. This is personal for you. You're too emotionally involved."

"I am loyal!" Lavender Eyes snapped. "And I will not allow the masters to lower themselves to having to personally kill these humans especially when it is our duty. Or are you saying that your loyalty is beneath mine?"

The yellow eyes widened in surprise before glaring furiously. "My loyalty to the masters is unshakable, and I will kill anyone who questions it. Even you."

"Enough of your squabbling," Green Eyes remarked. "It is beneath us. You do, however, raise a good point. Taking care of these humans is indeed a matter for us to deal with, not the masters. Therefore, I concur, we should take care of them."

Snickering filled the room that did not belong to the three of them, and they looked around to see who would dare to interrupt their meeting. They didn't need to look long though, as a flame appeared at the end of a fingertip, illuminating the intruder's face.

"Well, it's about time the three of you decided to step up," the newcomer commented. "I was honestly wondering when you would decide to take action."

The lavender eyes flashed with anger. "Boltboutamon! How dare you show your face before me after what you pulled!"

"Calm yourself, Mr. Sensitive," the demon Digimon told him. "All I did was set the stage for an even more interesting outcome. It's a game, you see, and I'm enjoying it immensely. Learn to lighten up and have a little fun. It's not that often that something this interesting happens."

"Do you think we care about your opinion in the slightest?" Yellow Eyes growled. "You have no loyalty."

"I am loyal," Boltboutamon replied. "To myself. I just want to have a good time, and you're all providing me with one. In fact, it seems that even Bagramon is going to get involved soon. That will really make things interesting."

There was movement in the dark as Lavender Eyes took a step closer to him. "Just stay out of our way. I will not have you interfering again."

Boltboutamon chuckled. "Relax. I promise that I won't get in the way of your little revenge. In fact, I'd even be willing to offer my assistance if it comes to it." He flicked the flame at the lavender eyes, where it bounced off the dragon Digimon's face. "Will that make you happy, ChaosBlackWarGreymon?"

Notes:

(A/N: And there it is. All the cards are on the table now. Well, almost. Bagramon, the last one in the our heroes way, is going to make himself known. What more, ChaosBlackWarGreymon is back, and it looks like he's bringing some friends along. And just what is Boltboutamn playing at now. It looks like our heroes are going to have a lot to deal with beside Barbamon on their journey to save AncientWisemon. Hopefully the DigiCore that Azulongmon provided them will help. There's a lot more coming, so stay tuned, and I'll see you in two weeks.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear.

wikimon.net/Bagramon_(Archangel_Form)

https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/digimon/images/2/2d/XW-22_19_01.png/revision/latest?cb=20121225132337

Chapter 149: Deep Discussions

Notes:

(A/N: Ok, this is really kind of funny/creepy. Like 5 weeks ago, I had a reviewer write a review that pretty much predicted this chapter almost to a T. No, seriously, I already had the rough draft for this chapter completely written, and then I read this review that predicted pretty much everything that takes place in this chapter. Am I just that predictable, or the two of us think alike. Let's see just how alike our minds are with what I actually ended up turning out.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 149: Deep Discussions

Surprisingly, the teens didn't run into any problems with any of the Demon Lords' agents. Days passed where they only ran into Digimon who either ignored them or praised them for destroying four of the Demon Lords.

It was a little over a week after they set out from Laylamon's castle that they came across what appeared to be a city. It was, perhaps, the largest Digimon society they had cone across, and was, in fact, very similar to that of a city in the real world.

"This is awesome," said Takato. "We've never seen a place like this here yet."

Takuya raised an eyebrow. "Um, Machine Tower? ElDradimon? Several of the villages we've been to?"

"Oh, come on," Takato told him. "They were nothing like this. Most of the places in the Digital World seem rather, uh, primitive, I guess you could say." Realizing that he may have said something offensive, he glanced at Shoutmon. "Um, no offense."

The dragon Digimon shrugged. "None taken. From what you told me about your world, mine does seem more primitive. But we have different lifestyles, so it makes sense that our societies would be different."

TK looked at a Trailmon track that ran through the city. "Think we can get a Trailmon to take us to this fortress we're trying to get to?"

Shoutmon shook his head. "That fortress is so old and has been abandoned since the Second Catastrophe. No Trailmon tracks go there."

"How about a Blimpmon?" Kari asked, pointing at the machine Digimon in the sky.

The dragon Digimon gave her a strange look. "Are you kidding? Do you think any Digimon will go anywhere near a place where a Demon Lord might be?"

"Hey, don't yell at her!" Davis snapped irritably. "She was just asking a question."

Shoutmon looked surprised, then angry. "I wasn't yelling at her. Why are you yelling at me?"

"I'm not yelling! Let's just go."

He angrily stormed off, leaving his flabbergasted friends behind. This had actually become somewhat normal for Davis over the past few days. Ever since he had come back to their side, he seemed grumpy most of the time, and would often have angry outbursts.

At first they had been worried that there might still be traces of the Dark Spore inside him, but Shoutmon had assured them that that was not the case. And as the days went by, it became apparent that he was right.

When it came down to it, it seemed that Davis was just plain mad. And they supposed it made sense. He was still angry with himself for what had happened to him and what he had done. And, truthfully, who wouldn't be? While the others made it clear that they had forgiven him, despite there being nothing to forgive since he had been a victim, Davis very obviously hadn't forgiven himself.

They hoped he would soon, or would at least talk to them about it so they could help him work through it. They didn't want to bring up the matter themselves since they knew it was a sensitive subject though.

"Anyway," said Tai, trying to change the subject, "where should we stay tonight? It's a city, so we probably have a lot of options."

No longer looking angry, Shoutmon broke out into a grin. "Probably anywhere we want, free of charge. You guys are celebrities. And you've got the Digimon King with you."

Takato chuckled. "What happened to the whole 'I won't really be king until I defeat the ones who overthrew me' speech you gave Azulongmon?"

The dragon Digimon just waved this off. "Ah, details."

It turned out he was right. Once in the city, the teens were treated more or less the same as celebrities walking down the red carpet would be in the real world. There were fans and admirers that lined the streets as countless Digimon gathered around to show their gratitude and admiration to them for defeating half of the Demon Lords.

"This is really embarrassing," Takuya muttered quietly as he walked along with an overly large forced grin on his face as he waved at the crowd.

"Just smile and wave," Tai told him, wearing a similar grin. "Smile and wave."

"How much longer do we have to smile like this?" Kari asked in a whisper, also forcefully grinning. "My cheeks hurt."

"So do mine," TK grumbled. "I guess I never realized how tough celebrities actually had it, and it's only been a couple hours since we entered the city."

But it wasn't just fans that gathered. They were also swamped by what seemed to be the Digital World's equivalent of gossipers and reporters, and they brought an onslaught of questions that they threw at the teens.

"How did you come to the Digital World?"

"Is it true that you possess the power of the Guardians?"

"How did you manage to defeat four Demon Lords?"

Most of the questions were pretty standard and what the teens had come to expect. Some questions were even asked repeatedly and in different ways. But then came the one question that completely killed the mood.

"Is it true that a member of your party betrayed you and joined the Demon Lords?"

In a different scenario, the situation might have been funny. The loud crowd almost suddenly went silent as they waited for an answer. The teens came to a stop, their forced smiles falling from their faces. A few of them unconsciously glanced at Davis, who had suddenly gone pale.

Shoutmon recovered first. It seemed as if he had somewhat expected a question like this to come up, and had an answer ready. Producing his mic, he spoke into it loudly and clearly so that everyone could hear.

"I had a feeling that this would come up, and I want to completely clear the air on this." He glanced at Davis and gave him a wink before continuing. "This rumor of betrayal is a complete and utter lie. Everyone knows what the Demon Lords are capable of. There have been countless times where they have taken control of other Digimon and forced them to do their bidding, whether the Digimon wanted to or not. That is what happened to one of us. There was no betrayal. Our comrade temporarily fell under the control of a Demon Lord. But the moment that control was broken, they immediately rejoined us and opposed the Demon Lords once more. Which of us that was is irrelevant, just know that we always have and always will be on the same team. With that said, let's put that rumor to rest and never bring it up again."

He said this with such finality that it left no room for argument. A few moments later, applause broke out from the crowd that quickly spread. The standard questions began getting thrown around after that, which the teens proceeded to answer with their forced smiles back in place.

The only one who made no attempt to smile after that was Davis.

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Celebrity status definitely had its perks, especially when it came to finding a place to stay for the night. As Shoutmon had said earlier, they could stay anywhere they wanted. As soon as it became known that they were looking for a place to stay for the night, the offers came rolling in for them, free of charge, everyone wanting the reputation of having the heroes who took out four of the Demon Lords to stay at their place.

It was too tempting not to take advantage of the offers after having been roughing it for so long, and so they ended up staying at the most luxurious hotel offered to them. And as a bonus, each of them got their own room instead of being shoved into one.

TK, however, couldn't sleep. Thoughts pulled at his mind, and had been for over a week now. And now that they weren't out in the wild and could actually relax for a bit, those thoughts were nagging him more than ever.

He couldn't stop thinking about how he and Kari and DNA Digivolved. It had been so indescribable that he couldn't put it into words. He could see why some DNA Digivolved Digimon would permanently and truly become one and share a single DigiCore after spending years merged together, because there was no longer a difference between the two of them. He and Kari had truly united into a single being with no distinguishing difference between the two of them, their thoughts, minds, personalities, and memories becoming one.

It was that last thing that was bothering him though. Their memories had been merged and become united, all the events of their pasts laid bare, and easily accessed just by recalling them. As one being, Kari and known of TK's past just as deeply and as intimately as if she had lived it herself. Just as he did hers. But only while they had been united.

That in itself wasn't the problem though. Those memories had been there, but they had still needed to be recalled in order to know them. At the time, they had been preoccupied with the battle with EvilbeastLaylamon, and so they hadn't really had time to think about anything else. But they had been there, easily accessible all the same, and that's what worried him.

What if Kari saw the memory of his meeting with AncientWisemon? The one where the mutant Digimon had told him that he wouldn't survive. He couldn't recall thinking back to that memory while they had been Magnadramon, and therefore, theoretically, she shouldn't have that memory now that they were separated, but what if she did, having unconsciously thought back to it when they were merged? After all, he had been thinking about it just before they combined. What if he only couldn't remember thinking about it while they had been Magnadramon? Then Kari would know too, even if his memories were no longer accessible to her.

This wasn't just some random worry. Kari had been somewhat distant from him since they had been Magnadramon, and he didn't know why. Was it because she had seen that memory and now knew of his fate, and her distance was her way of trying to come to terms with it? He didn't know, and it was driving him crazy. It had been bothering him over the past week, but tonight especially, since they weren't out in the wild and didn't need to constantly be on guard, the thought was especially bothering him.

Sighing, he rolled out of bed, deciding that he wouldn't be getting any sleep until he found out how much she knew. If she didn't know, then she was acting distant for a different reason that they needed to work out. If she did, well, then he would need to find a way to convince her that he would rather sacrifice himself than lose all of them and still end up dying himself, because he knew she wouldn't accept his death as an option.

Quietly sneaking out, he made his way over to her room and knocked on the door. He received no answer for the first few tries, but figured she was probably asleep since it was so late, despite all the nightly activity going on outside. He kept knocking though, and eventually the door opened to reveal Kari looking half-asleep.

"TK?" she muttered sleepily. "Everything ok?"

He nodded, suddenly feeling embarrassed. "Yeah, sorry for waking you. Can we talk?"

She cocked her head to the side. "Right now?"

He rubbed the back of his head. "I know it's late, but something's been bothering me."

She didn't say anything, she just stifled a yawn and opened the door more for him to enter. He did so as she went to turn on the lights, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. Then she made her way over to the bed, which was clearly built for a much larger Digimon, and sat down, patting the spot beside her. TK blushed slightly and took a seat next to her.

"So, what's up?" she asked, now sounding more awake.

He sighed, wondering how he should broach the subject. He'd planned to talk to her, but never actually thought about what to say. He couldn't simply ask her, as that would just reveal his upcoming death when she might not even know about it.

"I guess I was just thinking about when we… you know, became Magnadramon."

Her eyes widened slightly and a blush stained her cheeks as she shyly diverted her eyes. "Y-Yeah? What about it?"

"Well…" he began, trying to find the right words, "I was just wondering if there was anything you might have learned about me that may have… bothered you."

Her blush deepened, and she still refused to look at him. "I-I… No, not really. Why?"

He shifted uncomfortably. "It's just that… it seems like you've been acting distant from me since then. So I guess I was wondering if you saw something from my memories that bothered you."

"Oh," she said, looking back at him, seemingly less embarrassed. "No, not really. There wasn't much time to think about anything else with the battle going on. I mean, the memories were there, but you still had to think back to them, just like we do now for our own memories, but we were a little preoccupied with EvilbeastLaylamon at the time to think of anything else, and I can't see your memories now. So no, I didn't."

So she didn't know. That was a relief. "Then why does it seem like you're avoiding me? Did I do something wrong?"

She looked away again, blushing once more, only this time there was a smile on her face. "Of course not. I guess I'm just… a little embarrassed."

He cocked his head to the side. "How come?"

Her blush deepened. "TK, we became one person. Didn't it feel really… intimate?"

This surprised him. At the time, their had been more pressing matters to deal with, so he hadn't dwelled in it, and later, he'd had other things occupying his thoughts. Now that she brought it up, however, it had felt pretty intimate, albeit in a non-sexual way. They had shared one body after all. So now that they were two again…

His own cheeks turned red. "Y-Yeah, now that you mention it, I guess it was pretty personal."

Kari shifted around shyly. "It's not just that either. When we were together, we shared the same feelings. Feelings aren't like memories, you don't have to think about them; you simply feel them. And when we were Magnadramon, I… felt how you felt about me."

She was unable to keep the smile off her face, and hung her head in mild bashfulness. Both their hands rested between them, and she pinky crawled closer until her finger touched his. "I knew we've talked about how we feel about each other before, but to actually feel it, and to feel how deep they are, is different. Especially since I feel the same about you." She shyly looked back up at him. "And I know you could feel how I felt too."

TK's own face was burning right along with hers. When she put it that way, he could see why her feeling what he felt about her could be overwhelming, and that knowing that he had felt what she felt about him could be embarrassing. No wonder she had been distant; she probably hadn't known how to act around him after that, while simultaneously been trying to process everything. Putting a little space between them until she worked it all out made sense.

He too had had similar thoughts, but also, he had his upcoming death hanging over him. It was hard to think of anything long term knowing you were going to die soon, and it tended to keep him living in the moment and focus primarily on what he could do with the time he had left. Had it not been for that, then he may not have acted too different than she had.

Her pinky finger was curled around his, and he moved to take her hand in his. "Yeah, I could feel it. But I guess it didn't register to me that you felt what I was feeling too." Had he not been concerned about other things that is.

She let out a small giggle. "It made me happy. It was just a little… much at the time. A bit of an overload, you know."

He nodded. "I do, now. I just thought it was something else. I'd never merged with anybody before. It was pretty…"

"Intense?" she offered with a smile.

He chuckled. "That's one way of putting it." His thoughts then took a different turn, and the smile left his face. "You know, we never really did get back to the conversation we were having about DNA Digivolving after Azulongmon's appearance interrupted us. Do you think we'll be able to become Magnadramon again?"

She frowned slightly as she thought about it. "I don't know. Based on what Shoutmon said, it's not just a matter of simply Digivolving. When we Digivolve, it's like a door is unlocked, and we're able to walk through it anytime we want after the first time. With DNA Digivolving, we also have to be in sync with each other. I guess we can try and figure out how we did it. Maybe have some training sessions where we try and combine."

He nodded. "We could try that, but we'll have to be careful of when and where. It'd be just like the Demon Lords to come after us when we're low on power from practicing."

Kari nodded in agreement, and they fell silent for a few moments. With the topic of DNA Digivolving brought up, TK's thoughts turned to something else that had crossed his mind just before they had merged. He knew it would be a sensitive topic, but it still needed to be addressed eventually.

"You know," he said carefully, "us DNA Digivolving isn't the only option. You still have the ChronoCore that Chronomon gave you."

Her eyes widened and she looked away. "I've been trying not to think about that. The thought of wielding destructive power like that scares me."

He tried to lighten the mood. "Well, if you think about it, we all have scary, destructive powers."

She playfully nudged him. "You know what I mean, and you know this is different. After seeing what Chronomon's destructive nature did to him… I'm afraid that if I use it that I'll lose control and accidentally hurt someone, or even become corrupted by it."

He shook his head. "I don't think that the power alone made Chronomon destructive. He had a whole Digivolution whose very nature was tied to it, and so he used his power for destruction. That doesn't mean that it has to be used that way."

"I know that, but what if-"

She was cut off by a knock at her door. The two of them exchanged surprised looks before she got up to answer it.

Opening the door, she found Davis standing behind it with a nervous look on his face. He tried to cover it up by putting on a big grin. "Hey, Kari, hope I didn't wake you."

She shook her head. "No, I'm awake, but I'm surprised you are. You usually sleep like a log."

He shifted uncomfortably. "Yeah, well, I've had a lot on my mind, and I was hoping I could talk to you."

She chuckled. "Well, you're not the only one. I was just discussing strategy with TK."

Davis blinked. "TP's here?"

He looked past Kari to see TK sitting on her bed. The blonde boy gave him an awkward wave. "Uh, hey, Davis. I see you still can't spell 'TK'."

Eyes narrowing slightly, Davis looked back and forth between the two suspiciously. "What exactly are you two doing alone together so late?"

Kari moved to let him in. "I told you, battle strategy."

"Well, sort of," TK added. "It was mostly about us becoming Magnadramon. When you merge together with another person, you tend to have certain things to talk about. Personal things that are best kept private, and we haven't had much privacy lately."

Davis seemed to accept that answer as he stepped inside. "I guess that makes sense. Actually, I'm glad you're here; I've got some things I'd like to talk to you about too."

TK and Kari exchanged a look before shrugging. "Ok, what'd you want to talk about?" asked the former.

"Right, hold up. Kari, can you go sit by TK."

She did as he asked and sat on the bed beside TK. Davis nodded, satisfied, then went to stand in front of them. He stood up straight with his hands at his sides and his eyes closed before taking a deep breath and bowing to them both.

"I'm sorry!" he practically shouted.

Both TK and Kari jumped at his sudden cry, not having expected it. They glanced at each other in confusion before looking back at Davis uncertainly.

"Um, sorry for what?" Kari asked.

"What do you think?" he said loudly. "For all the things I while under the Dark Spore's influence. I know I did horrible things and that I've already apologized for them, but I feel like I owe you both an extra apology. And, Kari, I feel like I owe you an extra, extra apology. I'm sorry!"

A feeling of deep awkwardness feel over the other two teens. "That's really not necessary," TK told him, waving his hands. "Please, stand up."

"Yeah, you were under the Dark Spore's influence," Kari reminded him. "That wasn't the real you."

Davis stood up straight, his face a mask of emotional turmoil. "But it was. It really was. That was me the whole time. I just, I guess you could say, felt things differently, or saw things from a different point of view. I mean, I was going you kill you guys, and I felt nothing. No guilt, no remorse, nothing. Right now, the thought of even hurting my friends makes me sick, but at the time, I simply didn't care. I'd even go as far as to say that a part of me wanted to. Those thoughts and feelings were there, but I was the one in control, and I acted on them. Do you know what that's like? I hate myself for what I did. It's like-"

"Davis, you're rambling," Kari interrupted. "Just calm down, everything is fine."

Her brother's look-alike paused in his rant and began taking a few calming breaths, slowly settling down. "Ok, look, I know that the Dark Spore messed with my feelings and thought process, but I guess what really gets to me is that I was capable of doing such horrible things, especially to my friends, no matter what I thought or felt."

TK sighed deeply. "Davis, you're putting too much blame on yourself. Ok, yes, it was you in control of your actions, but your mindset was altered, and your personality warped. You weren't the same person you were before."

Kari nodded in agreement. "Yes, it's like you were sick or something. Just think of it that way."

TK snapped his fingers. "Yeah, that's perfect. Shoutmon described it almost like rabies. It makes the host go crazy and become violent. It's still the same person, but the illness affected them and made them act in ways they would never act otherwise."

Kari smiled, glad for the analogy, and looked back at Davis. "Can you look at it that way? That you were just really sick from an infection that made you act differently?"

Davis stared at the two of them for several long moments before letting out a sigh. "I guess I can look at it that way, and I guess that makes me feel better…" He closed his eyes, still looking regretful. "But that doesn't excuse what happened before that. That I actually let Laylamon trick me into getting infected."

The other two hesitated. They had also wondered how exactly that had happened. Based on what Laylamon had said, they got the gist of it, but they still didn't know the details.

"Then tell us what happened," TK suggested. "How exactly did she trick you?"

Davis diverted his eyes and rubbed the back of his head. He sighed deeply before looking back at them. "She contacted me through this Digimon with a TV for a head. I should have woke you guys up right away, but figured that I should at least hear what she had to say, if only to find out anything we could use against her."

TK nodded. "Ok, that sounds pretty reasonable."

Davis snorted. "Yeah, she certainly had a way with words. She started going on about how she didn't even consider us a threat, and was merely looking for some entertainment until she decided to kill us. Then she fed me this load of crap story of how since she was the Demon Lord of Lust that she tended to take an interest in other's relationship, and she was looking to stir up some drama to make things more interesting."

He seemed to have lost them a both with his explanation, as they both wore confused looks on their faces. "Ok," Kari muttered. "I guess I can see how the whole lust and relationships thing makes sense, and why someone like the Demon Lord of Lust would be interested in them, but what's that have to do with anything?"

Davis' eyes narrowed. "Motive. I didn't see it then, but I do now. She led me to believe that she was so unconcerned with us and could deal with us at any time that there was no reason for her to try anything sneaky to get rid of us, and that the only reason she was getting involved in our personal affairs was out of personal interest."

"That's… pretty insightful," TK admitted.

"It was a load of garbage, Davis growled. "I didn't trust her, but it did get me to lower my guard, because, well, it made sense, I guess. That's when she offered me the Dark Spore."

Kari nodded in understanding. "Very smart of her. She did a good job of making her motives appear like they weren't personal. So what happened?"

He sighed again, now looking remorseful. "You know how I feel about you, Kari. And I know you don't feel the same; you've told me enough times, even though I keep trying. Apparently, Laylamon knew how I felt too, and said that's why she decided to get involved, because she wanted to see how our relationship would play out if she stirred up a little drama. She told me that the Dark Spore would help me win you over. That it would give me what I lacked to get you to be my girl."

TK gave him an incredulous look. "And you believed that?"

"Of course not!" Davis objected loudly. "Geez, give me some credit. My first thought was that it was some kind of poison or something. But then why would she need to resort to poisoning if she really thought that she could just kill us anytime she wanted? And why trick me into taking it when she could have just spiked my food or something? And then why just me? If only one of us, then why me specifically and not a stronger member of our group?"

"Crafty," Kari once again reluctantly admitted to Laylamon's brilliance. "She really thought this out."

"And what more," he continued, "she said she had to be honest about what it was and what it did, because it had to be taken willingly or else it wouldn't have taken root." He scoffed. "Technically, she was honest about it, as the Dark Spore certainly made me willing to do what was 'necessary' in order to make you my girl, by literally any means. That sick bitch."

He ran his hands over his face, now looking dismayed. "I still didn't trust her, and there was no way I was going to take anything she gave me… But that still didn't stop me from thinking that if she wasn't lying and that if whatever she was offering me was legit and could actually help me win Kari over, then it'd be nice to have something to help me out, especially with the number of times she rejected me. Next thing I know, I was being filled with darkness."

"But that's not willingly accepting it," TK objected. "That was just wishful thinking on your part."

Davis shrugged. "I guess that was good enough though. I didn't make the rules, but apparently wanting something that technically did what Laylamon said it would do counted. Suddenly, I didn't care what I had to do or who I had to hurt to get the things I wanted, so I…"

He let out a deep groan and hung his head. TK and Kari exchanged sorrowful looks, feeling bad for him. What Laylamon had done was unbelievable cruel and despicably deceitful in so many ways. They really had been foolish for not finishing her off the first time when they had the chance.

"Davis, you can't blame yourself for this," TK assured him.

"He's right," Kari agreed. "You were tricked. Don't forget, this was a Demon Lord. They've used and manipulated those far smarter and stronger than any of us. Laylamon could have come after any of us; it just so happened that due to an opportunity presented that she chose you. And that whole thing about you needing to be 'willing' to take the Dark Spore sounds incredibly vague to me, if not pure nonsense. It certainly doesn't count as consent in my eyes."

"Nor mine," said TK.

Davis still looked frustrated with himself. "Well, one good thing came out of being tricked and manipulated like that, it made me realize that I need to change."

The other two blinked. "Change how?" Kari asked.

"I need to grow up. I really don't act my age a lot. I'm naïve, stubborn, arrogant, immature, I act too much like a child."

"That's not necessarily a bad thing," TK told him. "Being carefree and innocent are good qualities to have."

"We actually like that about you," Kari added. "It's good to have someone around who can always lighten up a situation and make life fun and entertaining."

"And besides, you always come through in the end. Whenever the situation calls for it, you always step up to do what's right. We know we can rely on you when we need you."

"And it's not like you're the only one who has their share of flaws. Everyone does. And those flaws help us grow as people and allow us to better ourselves."

Davis crossed his arms. "Well, I intend to do some growing. I'm not going to be that naïve, childish, little kid anymore."

TK gave him a smile. "Well, don't change too much."

"Yeah, we like you the way you are," said Kari. "Obnoxious, but lovable."

Davis smirked. "Lovable, huh? How about dashing?"

She cut her eyes at him. "Don't push it."

They had a good laugh after that. It was as if a weight had been lifted off all their shoulders, and just like that, the underlying tension they'd all felt was gone, and it was like the good old days again.

But the good times didn't last, and the sound of an explosion outside interrupted their merriment. Davis glanced at the window, wondering what the source of the loud sound was. "Geez, are they setting off fireworks or something?"

There was another loud bang, this one louder, and TK's eyes narrowed. "I don't think those are fireworks, they sound different."

They rushed to the window as another explosion went off. Looking outside, they saw that the city was under turmoil. Either a battle was taking place with no care of who got caught in the crossfire, or the city was under attack.

"The heck is this!?" Davis exclaimed. "Look at all that destruction."

"We've got to put a stop to this before someone gets hurt," Kari insisted. "Come on."

They rushed out into the hall, where several other guests were frantically running about. The rest of their friends were either already there or soon joined them, and they quickly found each other.

"Is this some kind of attack? Takato asked.

Tai nodded. "Looks like it. Come on, let's get to the roof; it'll be faster."

Another explosion was heard, and this time the hotel shook as a result. With no time to lose, the teens made a mad sash for the roof. It seemed as if their night of luxury was over.

Notes:

(A/N: Well, this is an interesting turn of events, First a little heart-to-heart with TK and Kari in regards to their DNA Digivolving, and then one with Davis and how he behaved while under the influence of the Dark Spore. A while back, I had someone ask when Davis was going to get some character development since he kept acting so immature all the time. Well, this is it. We're going to start to see a more mature and responsible Davis. Don't worry though, he won't change too much, otherwise he just won't be Davis. We'll see how that goes, along with the possibility of TK and Kari DNA Digivolving again in the future. For now, it seems like they've got a situation to deal with. Our poor heroes really can't catch a break. I hope you're ready, these next few chapters are going to be a doozy.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Blimpmon

Chapter 150: Three Times The Chaos

Notes:

(A/N: Phew, my busiest time of the year is over. Well, for now anyway. Updates will still continue as they have been for now. But I'm sure you're less interested in that and more interested in what's going down with our heroes. Well, let's put it this way, more than one thing is going to come to light this chapter. Enjoy.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 150: Three Times The Chaos

The teens burst out onto the rooftop. A few Digimon capable of flight joined them before quickly flying off. The teens ignored them as they looked around for whoever or whatever was attacking the city.

"Anyone see anything?" Tai asked.

Takuya pointed. "There, look."

They looked in the direction he was pointing. It was too far away to make out who was attacking, but someone was definitely launching attacks on the city.

"What do you think?" Davis asked. "Someone working for the Demon Lords?"

"Wouldn't surprise me," TK muttered angrily. "With as much attention our coming here caused, it only makes sense that the Demon Lords or someone loyal to them would hear of it."

"Then let's bring their attention to us instead of the city," said Shoutmon. "Let's see if this'll get them to notice us. Shoutmon Digivolve to… OmniShoutmon!"

It seemed the light of his Digivolution did indeed draw the attacker's attention, as they began making their way over to them. They were soon joined by two others, and all three landed on the roof. OmniShoutmon began sputtering at the sight of them while the teens gasped as they recognized one of them.

"ChaosBlackWarGreymon!" they exclaimed.

"Hello again, human filth," the dragon Digimon growled. "Did you think you saw the last of me?"

"Wishful thinking," Takuya snapped. "But I guess we would have had to deal with you eventually." His eyes darted to the other two. "Friends of yours?"

"Nightmares to you," ChaosBlackWarGreymon replied.

The first one stepped forward. He was a mirror image of Gallantmon, only his color scheme was dark blue and dark gray instead of red and white, and a pair of yellow eyes looked at the teens. "ChaosGallantmon, Chaos General of Lord Daemon."

The other stepped forward. In a way, he seemed to be based off Omnimon's design, complete with a sword and cannon for hands that were the heads of other Digimon. Green eyes stared at the teens from within a helmet that obscured his face. "And I am Chaosmon, the Chaos General of Lord Lucemon."

Takato gulped nervously. "The last three Chaos Generals all at once. Great, lucky us."

"Guess you needed help from your friends after the last time we fought," Takuya taunted ChaosBlackWarGreymon.

The dragon Digimon growled. "Big words from someone who needs an entire team. But Boltboutamon isn't here to interfere with our battle this time."

"We will not allow you humans to annoy our masters anymore," ChaosGallantmon told them. "You've been too much of a nuisance."

Tai smirked. "I guess the Demon Lords are getting nervous now that there are so few of them left."

"On the contrary, human," said Chaosmon. "They are simply too busy to bother dealing with such insignificant pests. Pests that need to be eliminated."

"Too busy nothing," Davis snapped. "They're scared. Otherwise they would come face us themselves."

"Those on top do not handle the jobs that are insignificant or of less importance," ChaosBlackWarGreymon stated. "That is what we who are loyal to them are for. And so we shall see to your annihilation for them. And I fully intend to fulfill the masters' wish to see you crushed so thoroughly that no one would dare to rise up against them ever again."

He let out a loud roar that echoed throughout the city. A few seconds later, a familiar looking portal appeared and a new Digimon emerged from it.

"Hey, who's that guy?" Tai asked.

"He looks like a member of the Garuru Trio," said TK.

ChaosBlackWarGreymon chuckled. "I'd like to introduce you all to an old friend of mine, who has graciously offered his assistance. Say hello to BlackMetalGarurumon. And now prepare yourselves."

He suddenly began glowing for a few moments before the light faded. When it did, they saw his color scheme had slightly changed, yet the teens still recognized his form.

"Hey, wait," said Kari. "Did he just DeDigivolve to… BlackWarGreymon?"

Davis eyes narrowed. "Why would he revert to a lower level?"

A growl escaped OmniShoutmon. "I know why."

"BlackWarGreymon/BlackMetalGarurumon DNA Digivolve to… Omnimon Zwart!"

For some reason, this didn't come to a surprise to the teens, especially Tai; it had just taken the actual event to play out for them to realize how obvious it was. Omnimon Zwart was, for the most part, a black version of Omnimon, only far more intimidating, especially since they knew he was their enemy, and had an idea of what he was capable of.

Tai didn't miss a beat. "Hey, OmniShoutmon, I'm just going to go out on a limb here and assume that Omnimon Zwart is even stronger than regular Omnimon, right?"

The dragon Digimon nodded. "Considering he's basically a corrupt Omnimon who Digivolved even further by fusing with the secretion Black Digitron to greatly increase his power and stamina, yes, yes he is."

"Well, that's perfect," Davis grumbled, though he didn't fully understand what OmniShoutmon was talking about. "Even I was stronger as BlackImperialdramon, and Tai was stronger as BlackWarGreymon than he was as WarGreymon. Why does it seem that all the evil versions of Digimon are stronger than the originals?"

"Because they're the original ones infused with the power of darkness," Takato replied as he read up on Omnimon Zwart on his Digivice. "But at least it seems that Omnimon Zwart sacrifices speed for power, so that's an advantage for us in the speed department."

"It won't help you," Omnimon Zwart replied. "Soon you will face our judgment."

"Enough stalling," ChaosGallantmon grumbled. "I want to get this over with. Show us your power, humans, so that we may squash it."

Smirking, Takuya glanced at his friends. "Hear that? He wants to see our power."

"Then lets show him. Execute! Spirit Evolution… Omnimon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Imperialdramon Fighter Mode!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Gallantmon Crimson Mode!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Seraphimon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Ophanimon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… EmperorGreymon! Bring it on!"

Omnimon Zwart let out a cry and charged at the dragon Digimon who challenged him. He swung his sword, and EmperorGreymon raised his own to block. OmniShoutmon leapt at the knight Digimon with his Doom Drillpress, but Omnimon Zwart simply held his cannon up and blasted him with his Garuru Cannon, firing a beam of subzero energy that blasted the dragon Digimon back.

Turning his cannon on EmperorGreymon, he fired again, but EmperorGreymon leapt away. Imperialdramon stabbed the knight Digimon with his Imperial Crusher, but Omnimon Zwart took to the air, and Imperialdramon's hand smashed through the top if the hotel. He pulled out his hand and went after the knight Digimon, as did EmperorGreymon and OmniShoutmon.

ChaosGallantmon suddenly charged forward as well. From what seemed to be by default, Seraphimon and Ophanimon once again prepared to fight together. "Let's go."

"Right," the latter replied, and they flew at ChaosGallantmon. Seraphimon threw a punch while Ophanimon stabbed forward, and both fist and javelin clanged against ChaosGallantmon's shield.

"Judecca Prison!" ChaosGallantmon cried.

His attack took a few seconds to charge, and the two angel Digimon recognized it as a dark version of Gallantmon's Shield of the Just. Seraphimon moved back as Ophanimon moved in front of him and created a barrier with her Unicorn Shield. A beam of evil corrosive power burst from ChaosGallantmon's shield, pushing her back into Seraphimon.

Her barrier deflected the attack, but it began to fracture. Seraphimon wrapped an arm around Ophanimon's waist and flew them up into the air before it shattered while bringing down lightning with his Hallowed Ascension. ChaosGallantmon flew up after them, dodging the lightning bolts in the process.

That just left Chaosmon, who had yet to move from his spot. Omnimon and Galllantmon stared him down, waiting for the Chaos General to attack.

"So, you're Lucemon's Chaos General," Gallantmon stated. "I'm guessing that means you're the strongest of them. Kind of strange how the strongest Demon Lord needs the strongest Chaos General to protect them."

"The best deserves the best," Chaosmon replied simply. "And Lord Lucemon is far from needing protection from anyone. We Chaos Generals are more along the lines of… enforcers of their will."

Then it's time to put an end to it," Omnimon declared, raising his cannon. "Supreme Cannon!"

He fired an explosion of ice. Chaosmon didn't move until the last second, and when he did, he sliced the attack in half, and the two halves exploded on either side of him. Then he was off, speeding towards Omnimon, stopping directly in front of him. "Dragon Slash!"

He sliced outward, only to have his blade clang against Gallantmon's sword, who had rushed to defend Omnimon. Chaosmon glanced at him, looking impressed. "Not many can block my invincible blade."

"Luckily my blade is also invincible," the knight Digimon growled.

"Ultimate Uppercut!" Omnimon cried, stabbing at Chaosmon. The unique Digimon swerved back to avoid the sword before leaping up into the air and taking aim with his cannon. "Dark Prominence!"

He fired his cannon, using his own digital cells as ammunition. Omnimon danced backwards to avoid the blasts as Gallantmon circled around the attack and fired his Final Justice. The beam struck Chaosmon, pushing him back, but then he suddenly sliced through the attack and charged at Gallantmon. "Ban-Tyo Blade!"

"Invincible Sword!"

The two blades met with a loud clang, and the two began dueling. Omnimon stood a distance away, taking aim with his cannon. He tried to focus on Chaosmon, but the unique Digimon was moving too much, causing Gallantmon to get caught in his line of attack.

"Damn it," he growled. "Gallantmon, get out of the way!"

The knight Digimon in question was too busy trying to deflect Chaosmon's single blade with both of his. "Easier said than done. I've barely got time to do anything at all."

Omnimon swore again and lowered his cannon before swooping in with his Dash Grey Sword. Chaosmon managed to turn to him in time and blocked the attack, but then had to dodge Gallantmon's Blutgang. He leapt backwards and off the roof, and the two knight Digimon flew after him.

"End of Paradox!" Chaosmon cried, firing a beam of light and darkness from both hands.

Omnimon and Gallantmon swerved out of the way and fired their own attacks at the unique Digimon. The ground was quickly approaching, and Chaosmon suddenly pulled out of his dive and flew along the ground as the attacks coming after him hit the ground. He laughed as he flew along, his blade sticking out, slicing through buildings and other structures as he flew along.

"Cut it out!" Omnimon shouted at the needless destruction. "Omni Howling!"

He shot homing ice blasts, and Chaosmon suddenly turned down an alley. He swerved about, causing the ice blasts to follow his movements, and explode against the alley walls.

"You know something," Chaosmon called as he flew straight up and came out on the rooftops, "you humans and I have something in common." He swung his sword as Omnimon and Gallantmon made it to the roof as well, and his blade came down on both of them, "we're anomalies that should not exist in this world."

Omnimon raised his cannon, and Chaosmon kicked it aside. With his free hand, Gallantmon swung his other sword, and Chaosmon back-flipped away.

"I'm not sure what that means, and I don't really care,' Gallantmon told him, converting one of his swords into a spear. "Crimson Light!"

He threw his spear into the sky, and a beam came dropping down. Chaosmon glanced up at it before firing his End of Paradox attack up at it. His beam of darkness and light collided with Gallantmon's and began pushing it back.

The knight Digimon who had attacked looked on in shock. "He's overpowering my beam?"

"It doesn't matter," Omnimon told him, taking aim. "Supreme Cannon!"

He fired his attack. Chaosmon immediately stopped firing and leapt forward, out of the way of Gallantmon's descending beam. He charged forward, slicing away Omnimon's attacks, and rushed towards the two knight Digimon with his Ban-Tyo Blade.

It was a classic showdown scene with both sides charging forward to meet, their attacks happening too fast to see, and both sides passing each other to end up in the spot their opponent started in, only this time, it was the heroes that fell, and both Omnimon and Gallantmon dropped.

Chaosmon turned to them. "You humans really don't know anything," he said as he began stalking towards them. "You really thought that you could just coast along, and that everything would go your way. But you'll soon see that life is unpredictable, and when something is unpredictable, it can result in a little… chaos."

He fired his Dark Prominence. Gallantmon quickly grabbed hold of Omnimon and pulled him into the large hole his Crimson Light attack had left in the rooftop as Chaosmon's attack passed by above them.

The Chaos General came to a stop by the hole and looked down, but not seeing either knight Digimon. "Hide-an-Seek then, is it? Very well, I'll play."

He hopped into the hole to continue his pursuit. A moment later, Seraphimon crashed into the very same building, having been thrown into it by ChaosGallantmon. Ophanimon flew up behind the knight Digimon and began firing her Eden's Needle.

ChaosGallantmon turned to her, holding up his shield to block the needles of light she fired. He used his Duke Charge to slam into her with his shield and knock her back, then aimed his lance at her. "Chaos Crusher!"

A beam of evil energy burst forth from his lance and struck the angel Digimon. She cried out and used her Unicorn Shield, deflecting the beam, and Seraphimon used the opportunity to kick off the wall and grab the knight Digimon from behind. ChaosGallantmon stopped firing and began attempting to shake the angel Digimon off.

"You want to go for a ride?" ChaosGallantmon growled. "Then let's ride."

He flew them back into another building, slamming Seraphimon against the wall. He began flying along, tearing the angel Digimon through the wall as he was dragged against it.

Seraphimon lost his grip, and ChaosGallantmon broke free. He whirled around and used his Demons Disaster, stabbing with his lance. Seraphimon managed to catch the end of it before he was impaled, but the pointed end moved slowly closer until it pushed against his armor. The angel Digimon groaned as the lance started to penetrate through, and ChaosGallantmon laughed.

"Sefirot Crystal!"

The attack hit ChaosGallantmon from behind, and he growled as he looked over his shoulder at Ophanimon. She held up her hands and unleashed her Shining Laser, and the two beams shot out of her palm. The Chaos General growled as they pushed against him, and Seraphimon used the distance to shift the lance he held to the side and delivered a Hallowed Knuckle, accompanied with a punch, to the knight Digimon's head.

ChaosGallantmon was knocked back, and Ophanimon proceeded to fire her beams. ChaosGallantmon grew frustrated and raised his shield to the sky. "Waking Dead!"

Lightning began flying from his shield. It hit first Ophanimon, then Seraphimon, and their attacks ceased. ChaosGallantmon then flew towards the former and used his Cruel Balmung to strike her with his lance and knock her into Seraphimon, then aimed his lance at them. "Judecca Prison!"

"Justice Genome!" Seraphimon cried, amplifying his Light attacks as he shifted Ophanimon behind him. "Strike of the Seven Stars!"

His attack met ChaosGallantmon's a few feet away. It didn't stop the beam, but the shockwave caused by the explosion from the two attacks meeting threw them both back, allowing the rest of ChaosGallantmon's attack to pass by above them.

"This could be going better," Seraphimon commented.

"We usually fight the big bosses as a full team," Ophanimon told him. "This time it's the bosses who've teamed up."

"Duke Charge!" ChaosGallantmon cried, charging them both down as his lance glowed with power.

Seraphimon and Ophanimon split apart, and the Chaos General flew between them, crashing straight through a building. The two angel Digimon put some distance between it and them as they waited for the knight Digimon to emerge.

"Maybe we should try teaming up again," Ophanimon suggested.

Seraphimon glanced at her. "Are you suggesting that we DNA Digivolve again?"

"It'll certainly make things easier."

ChaosGallantmon burst through the roof of the building he had plowed into and unleashed his Waking Dead. Seraphimon countered with his Hallowed Ascension, his lightning striking against the knight Digimon's attack. He briefly wondered about the risk of Kari discovering his predicted death, but decided that it was worth the risk. "Alright, let's do it."

ChaosGallantmon charged at them again, stabbing with his Demons Disaster. Ophanimon blocked the lance with her Unicorn Shield, and Seraphimon used his Excalibur. ChaosGallantmon blocked the sword of light with his shield, but was then blown away by Ophanimon's Air Sefirot.

"Let's go, quick," she said, holding her hand out to Seraphimon.

He grabbed her hand, and they turned to face ChaosGallantmon. "DNA Digivolve!" the cried together.

ChaosGallantmon paused in his charge and waited, respecting the unspoken rule of not attacking while one is Digivolving. The two angel Digimon hovered in the air a short distance away, but nothing happened. There was no light of Digivolution, no Fractal Code emerging to connect the two of them. It was just them floating in the air with their hands joined, feeling more and more awkward.

"Why isn't anything happening?" Ophanimon asked quietly.

"I don't know," Seraphimon whispered back, but this is beginning to feel pretty embarrassing."

ChaosGallantmon laughed. "You ignorant fools. It's not enough to simply want to DNA Digivolve or saying the words. You need to know how to come together and understand how. You humans obviously know nothing about Digivolving."

He charged at them again, and the two angel Digimon broke apart. He stabbed at Ophanimon, who dodged and used her Holy Light. ChaosGallantmon recoiled from the attack, and Seraphimon blasted him away with his Strike of the Seven Stars.

"Why didn't it work?" Ophanimon exclaimed.

"I don't know," said Seraphimon as ChaosGallantmon came at them again, "but we better figure it out fast."

But the two of them weren't the only ones having trouble with a DNA Digivolution. EmperorGreymon, OmniShoutmon, and Imperialdramon were struggling with a successful one as Omnimon Zwart displayed strength and power that greatly exceeded ChaosBlackWarGreymon's. Despite the three-on-one advantage the DigiDestined held, Omnimon Zwart was proving to be a very tough opponent.

"Why do the bad guys always have to have an evil version of us good guys?" Imperialdramon demanded as he used his Light Barrier to block the subzero beam Omnimon Zwart was firing at him with his Garuru Cannon.

EmperorGreymon flew in and used his Soaring Flame Edge to cut through Omnimon Zwart's attack, disrupting it. "My guess, they're just corrupt versions of the original."

"I'll show you corruption," Omnimon Zwart decreed. "Grey Sword!"

His blade crashed against EmperorGreymon's sword. The dragon Digimon found it difficult to hold the knight Digimon back, despite wielding the bigger weapon. OmniShoutmon flew in to help, but Omnimon Zwart aimed his cannon at him and began firing. OmniShoutmon dodged the beams, but was unable to find an opening to attack while doing so.

Imperialdramon dropped his Light Barrier and flew in on Omnimon Zwart's other side. Still holding back EmperorGreymon, Omnimon Zwart directed his cannon at him and fired. Imperialdramon launched his own beam with his Positron Laser to counter, but Omnimon Zwart's attack was much stronger and overpowered it, blasting the dragon Digimon away.

It served as the distraction OmniShoutmon needed, as he then successfully managed to hit Omnimon Zwart with his Omni Core Fusion, knocking him away from EmperorGreymon, who then used his Dragonfire Crossbow, blasting him back further.

"Victorize Baking!" OmniShoutmon cried, firing his attack.

Omnimon Zwart stopped his momentum and used his Hell Crusher III, firing a blast of dark magic that canceled out the dragon Digimon's attack. EmperorGreymon flew in, and Omnimon Zwart turned his cannon on him and fired. EmperorGreymon cut through the beam with his Soaring Flame Edge, and Omnimon Zwart dodged the swipe of the sword.

"Destruction Cannon III!" he cried, using his cannon to punch the dragon Digimon while simultaneously firing a wave of darkness.

The attack sent EmperorGreymon flying, and Imperialdramon caught him before producing his emitter. "Ionic Blaster!"

Omnimon Zwart took off as the explosion went off. The speed he sacrificed for power worked against him, and he was caught up in the blast.

"Yeah, that'll teach you," Imperialdramon called.

Omnimon Zwart suddenly flew up out of the explosion towards him. Imperialdramon pulled back in surprise, but was unable to avoid the knight Digimon's Grey Sword attack, and his emitter was sliced clean off.

The dragon Digimon howled in pain and grasped his chest. "Why do they always go after my emitter?"

Omnimon Zwart's answer was to deliver a kick that sent Imperialdramon crashing to the ground with EmperorGreymon crushed underneath him. OmniShoutmon then flew in, throwing fireballs with his Twin Fireball Strike until he reached the knight Digimon, then suddenly used his Doom Drillpress. Omnimon Zwart blocked and parried the dragon Digimon's bladed legs with his sword as down on the ground, EmperorGreymon crawled out from beneath Imperialdramon.

"Rotten Chaos General," he growled, and stabbed his sword into the ground. "Taste my Pyro Dragons!"

The streams of fire emerged and flew up towards Omnimon Zwart, the ends forming into the heads of dragons. Omnimon Zwart prepared to slash at OmniShoutmon again when one of the dragon heads chomped down on his arm. OmniShoutmon then backed off as the rest of the dragon heads seized the knight Digimon as well.

"Three, two, one, blast off!" EmperorGreymon cried, just before he was launched into the air.

Omnimon Zwart glared down at the approaching dragon Digimon. "Chain Loss!" he cried, and the flaming dragons holding him burned out. "Acceleration Boost!"

He pointed his cannon at EmperorGreymon and fired his Garuru Cannon. OmniShoutmon gasped and called out to EmperorGreymon. "Don't! Wait!"

But EmperorGreymon ignored him. "I cut through that attack before, and I can do it again. Soaring Flame Edge!"

He swung his fiery sword to cut through the ice beam. Much to his surprise though, the attack was twice as strong as before, and he couldn't cut through it. "What?"

He was blasted back down, bouncing on the ground and landing close to Imperialdramon, who was getting to his feet. OmniShoutmon flew down to the two of them, giving EmperorGreymon a reprimanding look. "I was going to tell you that his Acceleration Boost doubles the power of his next attack."

EmperorGreymon used his sword to help push himself up. "Thanks for the warning, I guess. Next time just say that instead of the 'Don't! Wait!' part." He looked up at the knight Digimon. "How'd he break out of my Pyro Dragons anyway? He didn't even make a move."

"His Chain Loss allows him to cancel out attacks that have combo moves."

"How the hell does that work?"

Imperialdramon was standing up once more. "How about some combo moves that come from teamwork?"

"Sounds good to me," EmperorGreymon replied.

Omnimon Zwart pointed his cannon down at them. "Enough of your chit-chatting. Die in the name of the Demon Lords. Garuru Cannon!"

"Go now!" Imperialdramon called as the attack came at them, and the three dragon Digimon split up.

OmniShoutmon flew straight up and fired his Victorize Banking, deliberately getting into a position where his attack would blind the knight Digimon. Omnimon Zwart squinted as the brightness of the attack shined in his eyes, but used his sword to slice it apart.

Then Imperialdramon was there. He lashed out with his Imperial Claw, but Omnimon Zwart blocked it with his sword and raised his cannon. He fired, but it seemed as if Imperialdramon had expected this, as he quickly blocked with his Light Barrier.

EmperorGreymon then flew out from behind Imperialdramon and fired his Dragonfire Crossbow. Omnimon Zwart, having been firing at Imperialdramon while also holding back his claw, was blasted backwards. OmniShoutmon was suddenly in his path, having circled around the knight Digimon, and used his Heavy Metal Vulcan. Omnimon Zwart collided with the firewall, but before he could pull away from it, Imperialdramon fired his Giga Crusher, which exploded against the knight Digimon.

"Let's see you stop this!" EmperorGreymon shouted. "Soaring Nine Headed Dragon Force!"

The giant dragon spirit appeared and flew right into the explosion, resulting in an even bigger one. Imperialdramon waited a few seconds for the blast to die down before using his Dragon Kick, doing a flip in the air and bringing his foot down on where he surmised the knight Digimon might be. His foot made contact, and Omnimon Zwart plummeted to the ground. He hit hard, forming a crater, and a pained groan escaped him.

"Damn humans," he growled, pushing himself up. "A few lucky shots won't grant you victory. This battle is just getting started."

A dark chuckle drew his attention, and he looked up to see Boltboutamon lying on the edge of the crater, letting one leg dangle into it. "All you cliché baddies are all the same. You all say and do the same things, and the result is always the same."

Omnimon Zwart's eyes narrowed. "What are you doing here? Come to interfere some more like last time?"

The demon Digimon chuckled. "Of course not, my good sir. I already told you that I wasn't going to get in the way of your revenge." His grin widened, becoming mischievous, yet sinister. "But I also said I was going to offer my assistance. So I went and got you a little something to help you out."

Up above, EmperorGreymon pointed. "Hey, isn't that Boltboutamon?"

"Oh great," Imperialdramon grumbled. "What's he doing here?"

"Nothing good," said OmniShoutmon. "Come on."

They landed nearby, but were sure to keep their distance. EmperorGreymon pointed his sword at the demon Digimon. "Alright, what are you up to now, Boltboutamon?"

The demon Digimon glanced at them, winked, then looked back at Omnimon Zwart, who continued to eye Boltboutamon suspiciously. "What exactly did you bring?"

Boltboutamon chuckled and extended one of his arms down towards the knight Digimon. A pixilation was present on his fingertip as he brought it close towards Omnimon Zwart. "Just a little boost to spice things up."

He pressed his finger to Omnimon Zwart's chest, and the pixilation flowed over him before disappearing. Omnimon Zwart's eyes widened before they started to glow red, and a black aura surrounded him. He suddenly grasped his head and began wailing.

Boltboutamon let out a bark of laughter and jumped to his feet, clapping his hands in delight. "Splendid! Truly splendid! Now things are really going to get fun!"

Omnimon Zwart continued to emit a blood-curdling scream as his voice began to distort. Cracks began appearing all over his body, from which distorted pixels began to flow out of.

Despite knowing how evil and destructive the Chaos General was, Imperialdramon couldn't help but feel a little bad as he watched Omnimon Zwart scream in agony. "What did you do to him?"

Boltboutamon turned to them, his face twisted with psychotic excitement. "Exactly what I said. I gave him something to spice things up a bit. A little computer virus injected into his data to be precise. It just has a few… unstable side affects."

OmniShoutmon's eyes widened. "You didn't!"

"Oh, but I did!" Boltboutamon practically shouted manically. "So you all better get out of here unless you want him to crush you along with this entire city. Toodle-loo."

A portal appeared and he stepped into it, laughing in his derangement. Within the crater, Omnimon Zwart continued to scream as he rose up into the air, the black aura surrounding him dancing about madly.

"OmniShoutmon, what's going on?" EmperorGreymon demanded worriedly.

The dragon Digimon in question just growled. "Brace yourselves, you're about to find out."

"Omnimon Zwart Digivolve to… Omegamon Zwart Defeat!"

Notes:

(A/N: Things have certainly escalated quickly. ChaosBlackWarGreymon is back, and he brought the last two Chaos Generals with him. We all know how strong an individual Chaos General is, but our heroes have had teamwork on their side. And to make matters worse, ChaosBlackWarGreymon has become Omnimon Zwart. Scratch that, Omegamon Zwart Defeat thanks to Boltboutamon. But from what we know of Boltboutamon, nothing he plans ever turns out well for anyone, not even his allies. What will be the result of this new Digivolution? Find out next time. Next update in two weeks.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/ChaosGallantmon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Chaosmon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/BlackMetalGarurumon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Omnimon_Zwart

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Omegamon_Zwart_Defeat

Chapter 151: Defeat

Notes:

(A/N: Well, things have certainly been exciting here on my end, and not exciting in a good way. Over on FanFictionNet, my primary fanfic site, the website was glitching again, and new chapters that people were posting weren't appearing to the public. This went on for several days, but seems to have been fixed. If anyone didn't see my last update, this was why. If someone is reading my stuff there and something like that ever happens again though, you can also find my stories on on this site. It's not as good as FFN, but it's a good alternate. Hopefully though there won't be any more problems. Now, on with the next chapter.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 151: Defeat

The side of the building exploded as both Omnimon and Gallantmon were tossed out of it. Chaosmon calmly stalked after them, having torn apart most of the inside of the structure, and now looked on in disapproval at the two knight Digimon.

"I did not know you humans were such cowards that you would hide like that," the Chaos General stated.

Gallantmon pushed himself up. "Don't mistake us buying time to catch our breath for cowardliness." He glanced at his fellow knight Digimon. "Omnimon, you ok?"

A groan escaped Omnimon as he managed to sit up. He glanced down to his mid-section, where a deep slash was present. "I think so. He really cut me good. I'm gonna need some healing."

Gallantmon was afraid of that. "Hang on, we'll get you to Seraphimon or Ophanimon."

Chaosmon suddenly charged forward, slashing with his Dragon Slash. Gallantmon managed to bring up both his swords to hold back the unique Digimon's attack as the Chaos General pushed against him. "Your friends won't be able to help you. This is where your journey ends."

Ignoring the pain in his torso, Omnimon raised his cannon. "That's your opinion, not a fact. Supreme Cannon!"

Chaosmon leapt back to avoid the attack and landed a distance away. "Your persistence in the face of defeat is admirable, but it won't save you."

Suddenly, a loud wail reached his ears, and he glanced in its direction. Omnimon and Gallantmon looked in the direction as well in bewilderment. "The heck was that?" the latter asked.

Chaosmon cocked his head to the side. "Omnimon Zwart?"

ChaosGallantmon suddenly flew over. Seraphimon and Ophanimon followed, keeping their distance, but the knight Digimon completely ignored them. "We have a problem. Boltboutamon has forced Omnimon Zwart to Digivolve."

"Digivolve?" Chaosmon repeated. Then his eyes narrowed. "Into him?"

"Would you expect anything less of Boltboutamon?"

A frustrated growl escaped the unique Digimon. "No, it's exactly the sort of thing he would do." He closed his eyes in thought for a few seconds. "The situation has become too unpredictable. Let us retreat for now. This city is doomed."

ChaosGallantmon nodded in agreement, and the two took off, much to Gallantmon's shock. "Hey, wait! You're just leaving?"

"We no longer need to worry about you," Chaosmon stated plainly. "Our comrade shall see to your demise."

Gallantmon glanced at Omnimon. "What's he mean by that?"

"Are you guys alright?" Ophanimon asked as she and Seraphimon landed beside them.

"I'll live," Gallantmon replied, looking down at the gash on his chest in his armor. "Omnimon could use some healing though."

"I got it," said Seraphimo, and went to examine the knight Digimon. "Geez, Omnimon, he nearly cut you in half."

"A lucky shot," Omnimon replied. "I'll be more careful next time."

"I hope so. Perfect Revival!"

A relieved groan escaped the knight Digimon as his wound healed. "That's nice. Wish I had a healing ability."

"We all might need one based on the way Chaosmon and ChaosGallantmon reacted," Gallantmon pointed out.

Omnimon reluctantly agreed as he got to his feet. "We better go see what that was all about."

They took off, searching for their friends. It wasn't hard to find Imperialdramon due to his size, and EmperorGreymon and OmniShoutmon were standing beside him. They were staring at a crater, within which Omnimon Zwart stood, but something seemed very off about him.

They landed beside their friends, and Ophanimon asked, "What's going on?"

"Nothing good," EmperorGreymon replied. He glanced at them. "Where are Chaosmon and ChaosGallantmon?"

"Took off," said Omnimon. "They seemed bothered by something."

OmniShoutmon scoffed. "Yeah, no kidding. We're in some pretty big trouble."

"Like what?" Gallantmon asked, and looked into the crater.

The Digimon inside it did indeed seem to be Omnimon Zwart, only he had changed considerably. He seemed to have lost a great deal of weight, as he was now almost all skin and bone beneath his armor. He was also bandaged up with black wrappings, almost making him look like a mummy. His cape was much larger and far more elaborate, and seemed to be smoking and pixelating, as if it were about to burn away. Both his BlackWarGreymon and BlackMetalGarurumon hands were larger as well, and seemed to be damaged, his sword glowing red as if the metal were heated.

"That's… unsettling," Gallantmon commented. "What happened to him?"

"He Digivolved," OmniShoutmon told him. "Forcibly so. Boltboutamon infected him with a virus that clashes with Omnimon Zwart's Vaccine attribute, resulting in him becoming this, Omegamon Zwart Defeat."

"Omegamon Zwart Defeat," Ophanimon repeated. "That actually doesn't sound too good for him. He even looks pretty battered."

"Yeah, why are we just standing here?" Imperialdramon asked. "We should just finish him off."

"Wait," OmniShoutmon said quickly. "Don't be fooled by his appearance. It's true that he's damaged and unable to heal, but that actually makes him even more dangerous. It's the cornered or wounded animal that will even attack a predator scenario. Not to mention he's a lot stronger."

He glanced at Imperialdramon. "I know I used rabies to describe the Dark Spore influencing you, but that was basically an analogy. This, however, would be a far more accurate comparison." He looked back at Omegamon Zwart Defeat. "Once he goes off, nothing will stop his violent rampage."

Gallantmon took a step closer to get a better look, and a rock tumbled down the crater and tapped against Omegamon Zwart Defeat's foot. The Chaos General shifted, and then slowly raised his head. He looked up at the DigiDestined, staring at them with open hostility, a low growl emitting from his throat. He suddenly let out a maddening roar, and leapt out of the crater. The DigiDestined stumbled back in surprise, and Omegamon Zwart Defeat shot towards the one closest to him, which happened to be Gallantmon. He swiped and jabbed at the knight Digimon, who danced backwards, until Imperialdramon's large foot came flying in, the kick sending Omegamon Zwart Defeat crashing into building.

"Geez, he's fast!" Gallantmon exclaimed.

With unnatural, mechanical movements, Omegamon Zwart Defeat rose to his feet. He let out a monstrous roar and charged forward again, behaving very much like the rabid animal OmniShoutmon described him to be.

"I got this," said Imperialdramon. "I think my size has the advantage here. Dragon Knee!"

He raced towards the knight Digimon with his knee out. As the two came together, Omegamon Zwart Defeat suddenly leapt up, avoiding Imperialdramon's knee, and slammed into the dragon Digimon's chest.

"Grey Sword Spiral!" Omegamon Zwart Defeat cried, and began spinning around while slashing wildly. Several gashes appeared across Imperialdramon's chest before Omegamon Zwart Defeat kicked him to the ground.

The dragon Digimon hit the ground, skidding across the road. Omegamon Zwart Defeat landed on top of him, right in front of his face, and raised his sword to stab. Omnimon suddenly tackled him before he could stab him, knocking him off Imperialdramon. The two grappled for a few moments before Omnimon was thrown into the side of a building. Omegamon Zwart Defeat immediately charged after him.

Seraphimon and Ophanimon flew into Omegamon Zwart Defeat's path and fired their Strike of the Seven Stars and Sefirot Crystal. Omegamon Zwart Defeat swiped at the attacks, causing them to disperse, before plowing into both angel Digimon, sending them flying. His target was still Omnimon though, and he swiped with his sword.

Omnimon kicked off the wall and took to the air, avoiding Omegamon Zwart Defeat's blade, but the force of his sword sliced the entire building in half. It began to collapse, and Omnimon quickly rushed forward to hold it up as Omegamon Zwart Defeat returned his attention to him.

"Final Justice!" Gallantmon cried, blasting the knight Digimon. OmniShoutmon appeared by Gallantmon's side and fired his Victorize Banking. Omegamon Zwart Defeat easily cut through the attack, and then whirled around to block EmperorGreymon's Dragon Soul Sword, catching the dragon Digimon's blade with his own before swinging him around and throwing him towards Gallantmon and OmniShoutmon.

"Garuru Cannon and Grey Sword!" Omegamon Zwart Defeat cried, raising both hands.

Blasts fired from both hands. OmniShoutmon blocked with his Heavy Metal Vulcan, the firewall protecting him and his friends. But the moment the wall came down, they saw Omegamon Zwart Defeat charging at them. He used his Grey Sword Spiral, spinning around in a tornado of fury, and numerous cuts and scraps appeared over the three of them before Omegamon Zwart Defeat charged at each of them in turn, knocking them into different buildings.

Imperialdramon was on his feet again and moved to help Omnimon with the building. Together, they set the giant structure down, not sure what else to do with it.

"This guy's going to destroy the whole city with his rampage," Omnimon growled. "No wonder Chaosmon and ChaosGallantmon took off."

"Then let's finish him off quickly," Imperialdramon said, manifesting his cannon and pointing it at Omegamon Zwart Defeat. "Gaia-"

"Wait!" Omnimon cried. "We can't go firing off big attacks like that here, or we'll end up destroying the city ourselves."

Imperialdramon hesitated before glancing at the damage they had already caused. "Damn it, you're right. Fine then, hand-to-hand combat it is. Imperial Claw!"

He charged at Omegamon Zwart Defeat and swiped at him. The knight Digimon went flying into a building, crashing straight through, making Imperialdramon wince at the unintentional damage he caused to the city. He didn't have time to dwell on it though as Omegamon Zwart Defeat came bursting out of the building. "Garuru Cannon and Grey Sword!"

Imperialdramon tried to block with his Light Barrier, but it was shattered byOmegamon Zwart Defeat's attack, and he was blasted through the air, landing on top of a shop. Omegamon Zwart Defeat roared and flew towards Omnimon, who rushed forward to meet him. Their swords came together, and they pushed against each other for a few moments before Omegamon Zwart Defeat's other arm suddenly wrapped around Omnimon, and he slammed the knight Digimon to the ground.

Standing over him, Omegamon Zwart Defeat took aim with his cannon, but was suddenly struck by lighting from Seraphimon's Hallowed Ascension, and then blown off of Omnimon by Ophanimon's Air Sefirot. The two angel Digimon flew down beside Omnimon and helped him up.

"You ok?" Ophanimon asked.

"No," the knight Digimon growled. "I'm sick of all these bad guys pulling this crap."

"I hear you," Seraphimon agreed. "I think I preferred when it was just Ophanimon and I against ChaosGallantmon instead of all of us against this guy. That battle wasn't this difficult."

Omnimon glanced at them. "Speaking of you two fighting together, why don't you two try DNA Digivolving again?"

"We did," Ophanimon replied. "Against ChaosGallantmon. It didn't work."

"Well, try again! This guy's out of control."

He charged at Omegamon Zwart Defeat again, who had resumed his rampage against Gallantmon and EmperorGreymon. Seraphimon and Ophanimon looked at each other and nodded. Facing each other, they reached out with both hands, interlocking fingers. Closing their eyes, they sought out what they felt before during the battle with EvilbeastLaylamon.

"DNA Digivolve!" they shouted together.

Nothing happened. They remained as separate individuals. Seraphimon growled in frustration as he looked at their joined hands. "Why isn't it working? What are we doing wrong?"

"You can't just DNA Digivolve all willy-nilly," OmniShoutmon declared as he came down beside them. "Not at first anyway. You must be completely in sync with each other, your hearts and minds united. You won't be able to DNA Digivolve at will until you're able to know and understand that feeling of unity and know how to replicate the feeling."

"We are in sync," Ophanimon insisted. "We both want the same thing, to protect our friends and fight the bad guys."

"It takes more than a shared desire," the dragon Digimon told them. "But there's no time to worry about it now. We need to focus on the battle. Let's go."

He went to rejoin the others, and Seraphimon and Ophanimon dropped hands. "What now?" the latter asked.

Seraphimon hesitated. "We could try something else. Or rather, you could."

Ophanimon glanced at him curiously, not understanding. But then she seemed to realize what he meant and gasped. "No, I can't do that."

He placed his hands on her shoulders. "Listen to me, Kari. Chronomon entrusted you with a ChronoCore. I don't know about you, but the guy seemed to know what he was doing to me. He wouldn't have given it to you if he didn't think you could control the power that came with it."

"He couldn't even control it, and it was his own power," she argued. "What makes you think I can control it when he was so much stronger than me?"

"Don't use that as an excuse. You know that's not why he became all destructive. And even if it was, the ChronoCore isn't his full power, just a portion of it. You can handle it."

Ophanimon hesitated before looking at Omegamon Zwart Defeat as he brutalized their friends. Then her gaze went to the city itself before she looked back at Seraphimon. "I can't. Not here. If we weren't in the city, maybe I would try it, but not here."

This time it was Seraphimon who hesitated. He too looked at the city and considered what she said. It was an excuse, he knew that, but it was a good one. Even if she did manage to control the power, it might take a little time for her to get the hang of it, or she might slip up and do some real damage to the city. With that possibility, she wasn't willing to risk it.

"Ok," he conceded. "But we'll need to come up with a better plan to beat this guy."

Ophanimon looked back at the battle. "I have an idea that might work."

"I'm listening."

"This may sound crazy, but… what if we heal him?"

Seraphimon did a double take. "Do what now?"

"Use our healing power on him. OmniShoutmon said that Omegamon Zwart Defeat's Digivolution was the result of him being infected by a virus that's warring with his Vaccine attribute, which makes him go crazy. If we heal him, maybe it'll cure him of the virus, and he'll revert back to plain old Omnimon Zwart."

Seraphimon considered this. "Maybe. But even if we do cure him of the virus, we'll end up healing him of the damage he has too, and we'll have to fight him all over again."

Ophanimon nodded. Even if they did cure the Chaos General of his virus, something was telling her that he wouldn't have a change of heart. "True, but if he reverts back to Omnimon Zwart, then he'll be weaker, and we'll be able to work together to take him out. And who knows, maybe just the virus will be eliminated and he won't heal from the damage he has; OmniShoutmon did say that his body can't heal in this form."

There was a loud crash as EmperorGreymon was thrown into a building. Their friends needed them, no matter what plan they did or didn't have.

"Alright, let's give it a shot," Seraphimon conceded. "This may come back to bite us in the end, but at least it's a plan."

They flew in to join their friends. Omegamon Zwart Defeat was dueling with Gallantmon, then turned and fired his cannon at OmniShoutmon, who tried to attack him from behind with his Doom Drillpress. Omnimon suddenly blasted him back with his Supreme Cannon, and then Imperialdramon charged in and struck with his Imperial Crusher.

Omegamon Zwart Defeat jumped out of the way of the dragon Digimon's attack, and was suddenly struck by Seraphimon's Hallowed Knuckle. The angel Digimon proceeded to punch out balls of light that Omegamon Zwart Defeat began to knock away. Ophanimon took the lead as they got close and used her Holy Light attack. Omegamon Zwart Defeat had been about to slash at her, but recoiled from the light instead. Both Ophanimon and Seraphimon plowed into him, tackling the knight Digimon to the ground.

"Final Aura!"

"Perfect Revival!"

Their healing light flowed over Omegamon Zwart Defeat, who simply roared and struggled in their hold. Normally, their healing abilities would take affect right away, but this time nothing happened. There was no reaction whatsoever from Omegamon Zwart Defeat, not even any sign of his injuries healing.

"Grey Sword Spiral!" Omegamon Zwart Defeat cried.

Breaking out of their hold, the knight Digimon cried out as their armor did little to protect them before they were knocked away.

Imperialdramon came charging in, managing to catch them both, and was quick to reprimand them. "Did you just use your healing power on him? What were you guys thinking?"

Ophanimon groaned. "We were hoping we could eliminate the virus inside him and he'd revert back to Omnimon Zwart."

OmniShoutmon flew over. "A nice attempt, but that only would have worked in his previous form. The way he is now, the virus has already been assimilated into his data, despite the internal war it's causing inside him."

"So then did they just end up healing him?" Gallantmon asked worriedly. "He doesn't look any less damaged."

"Don't worry about that," said OmniShoutmon. "Omegamon Zwart Defeat can't heal. The instability of his body won't let him. He just rampages until he succumbs to his injuries, or until…"

"Until what?" EmperorGreymon asked.

"Until his inner war reaches a conclusion. In which case, the results will be disastrous."

Omegamon Zwart Defeat was on his feet again. He looked at the DigiDestined and roared loudly, swiping his sword through the air in a fit of rage.

Omnimon swore. "Looks like I've got no choice. This guy's going to destroy the whole city if we don't stop him. Guess I'll have to use this."

He held his hand out, and the orb given to him by Azulongmon appeared. Gallantmon gasped at the sight of it. "Hey, that's…"

"I was hoping to save it for a Demon Lord, but I guess a Chaos General is a good alternative, especially under the circumstances. Here we go!"

He focused on the DigiCore, and it began to glow with power. The light drew Omegamon Zwart Defeat's attention, and he let out another mad roar before charging forward and stabbing out with his sword.

Horrified gasps echoed all around. Omnimon's eyes were wide with shock, and he slowly looked down. Omegamon Zwart Defeat's sword had pierced straight through the DigiCore, going right through it and stabbing into Omnimon a good several inches. The DigiCore suddenly burst into data, and Omegamon Zwart Defeat, using his sword, catapulted Omnimon over his head and threw him down the street.

"Omnimon!" the others shouted.

But it was his deranged counterpart that acknowledged them. Letting out another roar, he charged at them. EmperorGreymon raced forward as well, swinging his sword, and his blade met Omegamon Zwart Defeat's. The others quickly rejoined the fight as well while Ophanimon remained where she stood, looking on in shock. Seraphimon didn't join the battle either and instead flew over to Omnimon.

"Hey, Omnimon," he said as he helped the knight Digimon to sit up. You ok? Come on, Tai, hang in there."

Omnimon coughed and groaned, his eyes glazed over, seemingly in a state of shock. Seraphimon couldn't blame him as he looked at the knight Digimon's wound. Omegamon Zwart Defeat's sword had stabbed him deeply, right between his throat and chest. "That looks bad. Just hold on, this time my healing will work. Perfect Revival!"

His healing power flowed over Omnimon, and his wound slowly closed. The light reappeared in the knight Digimon's eyes, and he rose up further, coughing.

"Omnimon, you ok?" Seraphimon asked.

Omnimon coughed some more. "Thanks to you. I can't believe I let that guy get the jump on me like that. And worst of all, he destroyed that power boosting thing Azulongmon gave me."

"Forget it," Seraphimon insisted. You're more important than any power ball."

"Doesn't stop me from kicking myself," Omnimon replied as he got to his feet. "Now what are we supposed to do?"

He looked back at the battle and froze. But it wasn't the combatants he was looking at, it was Ophanimon. She stood with her back to him, and appeared to be holding something.

"Ophanimon?" he asked uncertainly.

She slowly turned to him, and there were tears running down her cheeks, falling down from her helmet. And in her hand, she held the ChronoCore.

"Kari?" he asked uneasily. "Are you ok?"

She slowly shook her head. "I'm sorry. I should have used this to begin with. But I was afraid of what it might do to me. And because I was a coward, you almost died."

"That's hardly your fault. And what are you going to do with that thing?"

"Like I said, something that I should have done from the beginning. I'm not going to let my friends suffer because of my cowardliness."

"You're not a coward, Kari," Seraphimon told her. He motioned to the ChronoCore. "And are you sure about this? Remember what you said before."

She shook her head. "No, no more running, and no more excuses. It's do or die time."

She held the ChronoCore over her head and unleashed all the power within it. The ChronoCore burst into a shower of data and began swirling around her. Ophanimon looked afraid, but determine, and held her hands out to the data. It flew towards her, getting drawn into her body, and Ophanimon gasped as it entered her.

A pained cry escaped the angel Digimon, and she suddenly burst into flames.

Notes:

(A/N: So, who forgot about the ChronoCore until I mentioned it again? Did you forget? That's ok, you were supposed to. But it seems that Kari is finally ready to accept the power. Let's just hope she can indeed control it. And what of Omnimon? It looks like he lost the DigiCore Azulongmon gave him. Will they be able to win without it? Will Kari be able o control the power of destruction, stay tuned to find out. Next chapter will be out next week.)

Chapter 152: Savage Knight

Notes:

(A/N: Well, I would say Happy Almost Thanksgiving, but that would be a lie. This virus is ruining everything. No family get togethers for me this year. I do hope everyone else is doing well though and staying safe. But enough grim talk, let's get to the good stuff.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 152: Savage Knight

The flames surrounded Ophanimon, and she cried out. They weren't normal flames though, as they didn't physically burn her, but they were hot. It was as if the flames were a manifestation of the power that had been contained in the ChronoCore, and they now surrounded and burned within her. It was overwhelming.

A whimper escaped Ophanimon, and she dropped to her knees. She heard Omnimon and Seraphimon call out her name, but they sounded far away. She could feel her power threatening to spill out of her, and she struggled to hold onto it, afraid that she would hurt them.

Flames, as it turned out, were actually a very good representation of the power she now felt. When controlled and tended to, a fire could be of great use and benefit, but if it spun out of control, it could cause unspeakable destruction. Holding onto this much power made her feel like she was indeed going to lose control and have it go wild.

A roar penetrated her consciousness, and she glanced at Omegamon Zwart Defeat. The knight Digimon was still rampaging as her friends tried to fight back. Would she become like that, a raging monster unable to control her own destructive power?

A pair of hands grabbed her, and she turned to see Seraphimon beside her. She quickly pulled away from him and jumped to her feet, backing away. "No, don't touch me!"

"Ophanimon, listen to me-"

"No! Can't you see that I'll hurt you?"

"Kari, listen to us," said Omnimon, stepping forward.

"NO!" she shouted, and the flames rushed outward, filling the area. "This is what I was afraid of. The power of destruction. It's too much for me. I'll just end up hurting people. I can't control it."

Omnimon attempted to hover above the flames as he tried to get as close to her as he could, but Seraphimon stayed where he was, the flames surrounding him on all sides. "But, Kari, don't you see you're already controlling it."

Too afraid to move, Ophanimon looked at her fellow angel Digimon. The flames felt on the verge of slipping out of her grasp, but he was right, so far she had prevented them from even touching him.

"This is too dangerous," she whispered. "All this power can do is destroy."

"Fire doesn't just destroy, Kari," he told her. "It can also purify. It can bring life and warmth. Even when it does destroy, new life rises from the ashes it leaves behind."

He began to approach her, stepping directly into the fire. Both she and Omnimon called out to him, but he ignored them as he closed the distance between him and Ophanimon, letting the flames graze over him.

Still too afraid to move from fear of losing the grip she still had on the power, she pleaded with him as he approached. "Please, I don't want to hurt you."

He came to a stop right in front of her. "Then don't." He suddenly reached out and pulled her into a hug, embracing her flaming body with his. She struggled in his hold, but he refused to let her go. "You could never hurt me."

Slowly, her struggles ceased, and she stood frozen in his arms. The flames continued to run over them both, but neither she nor Seraphimon were harmed.

"See," he told her softly, "you can control it just fine."

At his words, and the realization that came with them, the flames flared upward before they were suddenly drawn back inside Ophanimon. She cried out loudly as power and light erupted from her body.

"Ophanimon Digivolve to… Ophanimon C!"

The light faded away, and Seraphimon stepped back to observe her new form. For the most part, her appearance was the same, but her turquoise armor had turned a sapphire blue. Also, her wings and lance now appeared to be made of fire, burning brightly about her.

"Ophanimon?" Omnimon asked.

"C," she corrected, and looked directly up at him. "It's Ophanimon C."

"I knew you could do it," Seraphimon told her.

She gave him a smile. "Right now, there's something else I need to do." She turned to Omegamon Zwart Defeat. "Let's take this guy."

The flames surged around her, and she charged forward, a stream of fire trailing behind her. Omegamon Zwart Defeat was currently swinging both his sword and his cannon wildly as OmniShoutmon and Gallantmon blocked with their bladed feet and sword of light. Ophanimon C leapt up, doing a flip in the air, then launched herself at Omegamon Zwart Defeat, kicking outward.

Her foot hit the knight Digimon in the side, and Omegamon Zwart Defeat bounced across the ground and down the road. Ophanimon C flew after him and used her Holy Slash, swiping her flaming lance through the air, the strike causing him to crash into a building.

Gallantmon blinked. "Was that Ophanimon? Was she blue? Was she on fire?"

OmniShoutmon got over his own surprise. "No, that was Ophanimon C, her Digivolution. It's a major upgrade that gives her the power of light and fire."

EmperorGreymon limped over, using his sword as a walking stick. "C?"

"It stands for Core," OmniShoutmon replied. "Ophanimon Core. But that means that…"

He looked at Omnimon and Seraphimon as they flew over. "Yes," the latter replied, "she used the ChronoCore that Chronomon gave her."

A section of the building Omegamon Zwart Defeat had crashed into burst apart as the knight Digimon reappeared. He let out a roar and charged towards Ophanimon C. She rushed forward to meet him as he swung his sword, and she brought up her lance to block the swipe.

"Come on," OmniShoutmon told them. "She may be stronger now, but she's still going to need our help."

"They all rushed forward as Ophanimon C and Omegamon Zwart Defeat pushed against each other. Ophanimon C suddenly jumped back, allowing her friends to pass, and EmperorGreymon slashed with his Dragon Soul Sword. Omegamon Zwart Defeat blocked with his sword, and OmniShoutmon circled around to slam into him with his Omni Torpedo.

He pushed the knight Digimon back, crashing straight through a building, until Omegamon Zwart Defeat managed to knock him away. Imperialdramon immediately dropped down from the sky, using his Majestic Strike to send him crashing to the ground.

"Crimson Light!" Gallantmon cried, throwing his spear into the air.

Imperialdramon quickly moved out of the way as a beam came down on Omegamon Zwart Defeat. A roar was heard as the beam tore the ground apart with the knight Digimon in the middle of it.

"Good shot," Omnimon replied as he flew past his fellow knight Digimon.

"Thanks," Gallantmon replied. "How is it that when one of us Digivolves it's like the rest of us suddenly gets stronger too."

"Group morale," Seraphimon stated plainly as he came up beside him. "Hallowed Ascension!"

Lightning came down, striking into Gallantmon's beam. The DigiDestined circled around the combo moves, looking for any sign of Omegamon Zwart Defeat within the beam.

"You finally Digivolved again, and may not even get a chance to test out your power," EmperorGreymon told Ophanimon C.

"Hold that thought," she replied, looking into the beam.

Omegamon Zwart Defeat suddenly burst out, rising up into the sky. "Garuru Cannon and Grey Sword!"

"Spoke too soon, "Imperialdramon commented as he and the others flew out of the way of the attack. Omegamon Zwart Defeat just kept firing, destroying several building in the process.

"Wish we could use our big attacks," Omnimon growled. "Omni Blast!"

With a swipe of his sword, he unleashed an explosion of lightning. Omegamon Zwart Defeat roared and turned to him, but OmniShoutmon was suddenly in front of him, kicking out with his Doom Drillpress. Omegamon Zwart Defeat roared again as the dragon Digimon's bladed foot slashed him across the chest. He swiped with his sword, and OmniShoutmon blocked with his foot, struggling to hold him back.

"Pyro Dragons!" EmperorGreymon cried, stabbing his sword into the ground.

The dragon-headed streams of fire rose up and latched onto Omegamon Zwart Defeat. OmniShoutmon pulled back as Seraphimon flew in and began using his Hallowed Knuckle. Omegamon Zwart Defeat roared and used his Grey Sword Spiral to break free of the fiery dragons, then aimed his cannon at the angel Digimon.

Ophanimon C flew in, and Omegamon Zwart Defeat seemed to detect her presence and turned to her as she stopped just a few feet behind him. "Holy Destroy!"

She unleashed a burst of holy light that hit Omegamon Zwart Defeat at point-blank range. He roared and went speeding to the ground, just as EmperorGreymon was launched into the air. As the two passed by, the dragon Digimon swiped at him. Omegamon Zwart Defeat hit the ground a few moments later with a fresh gash from where he was cut.

Ophanimon C held out her hand. "Volcano Napalm!"

A fireball appeared in her hand, and she threw it at Omegamon Zwart Defeat. It struck the ground right beside him, and a moment later, a large pillar of fire rose up, consuming the knight Digimon.

"Damn," Imperialdramon muttered. "Talk about turning up the heat."

"I could have done more," Ophanimon C replied, "but I didn't want to burn down the city."

The pillar of fire slowly burned out, and a large cloud of smoke rose up where it had been. The DigiDestined waited, and sure enough, Omegamon Zwart Defeat soon came walking out. There was something different about him though; he seemed calmer, and less hostile, almost as if he were in a trance. Then he suddenly dropped to his hands and knees, staring blankly at the ground.

"Whoa," said Gallantmon. "Did he just call it quits?"

OmniShoutmon's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "I don't think so."

They landed in a circle around the fallen knight Digimon, but Omegamon Zwart Defeat didn't even seem to acknowledge them. He stared at the ground, emitting small grumbling sounds, not moving.

"Should we… do something?" EmperorGreymon asked.

"It could be a trick," Imperialdramon pointed out.

OmniShoutmon shook his head. "Omegamon Zwart Defeat can't think rationally enough to play a trick."

They hesitated some more, not sure whether to attack in case that would send the knight Digimon on another rampage. Finally though, Gallantmon inched forward, slowly approaching him. Omegamon Zwart Defeat gave no indication that he even noticed him as he continued to stare at the ground. Slowly, Gallantmon reached out with his spear.

"Careful, Gallantmon," EmperorGreymon warned.

"Maybe you shouldn't…" said Omnimon.

Still keeping his distance, Gallantmon gently poked the knight Digimon with his spear. Omegamon Zwart Defeat roared loudly in response, rising up with his arms raised, and Gallantmon jumped back in surprise as the others regrouped and took fighting stances. Instead of attacking, however, Omegamon Zwart Defeat suddenly began to glow brightly.

"The hell is this?" Imperialdramon exclaimed. "Is he…? But he can't; he just did."

"Omegamon Zwart Defeat Digivolve to… Omegamon Alter-B!"

The light faded, and a new Digimon was present, one far more powerful looking than any of his previous forms, with more advanced armor. Both his cannon and his sword were much larger and more lethal looking than ever, and had switched hands, the BlackMetalGarurumon head now being the sword and the BlackWarGreymon head now being the cannon.

"Damn!" OmniShoutmon swore. "This is the disastrous conclusion I was talking about."

"But… But how?" Ophanimon C cried. "He just Digivolved from Omegamon Zwart to Omegamon Zwart Defeat. How could he Digivolve again so soon."

The dragon Digimon's hands clenched. "The right conditions. It's rare, extremely rare, but the war between the virus and his Vaccine attribute must have concluded. Usually, because Omegamon Zwart Defeat is always damaged by default and is unable to heal, he would die before the virus is able to completely take over. But once it does, this is the result, an even more powerful version of Omegamon Zwart Defeat, without any of the drawbacks and damage."

"That doesn't sound good,' said Seraphimon. "And after we just got the upper hand."

The dragon Digimon glared at him. "It's probably you and Ophanimon's fault. That healing you did on him did nothing to mend him, but it probably strengthened the virus while his body remained weak, allowing the virus to get the upper hand and take him over quickly."

A loud, menacing breath escaped Omegamon Alter-B, and his gaze fell upon the DigiDestined. The madness in his eyes from his previous form was gone, but the hostility was greater than ever, and his gaze was almost blank.

"Well," said EmperorGreymon, "at least it doesn't look like he's going to go crazy again."

OmniShoutmon scoffed. "You may end up wishing he would. In this form, he's lost all sense of himself. And while that may make him less destructive, it also makes him more deadly. We're in real trouble here. Omegamon Alter-B is the most powerful and dangerous of all his forms."

"His overly complicated names are what's dangerous," Imperialdramon growled. "Omegamon Zwart, Omegamon Zwart Defeat, Omegamon Alter-B. I've had enough of it. Let's just finish this before he changes his name to Omegamon Super Dark Alter Zwart Q Divided By Negative Ten or something. Imperial Crusher!"

He charged forward and struck with his electric claw. At the last possible second, Omegamon Alter-B raised his sword and effortlessly blocked Imperialdramon's attack. The dragon Digimon immediately used his Splendor Blade with his other hand. Before he could land the blow however, Omegamon Alter-B knocked his claw away, and then blocked the sword of light.

Leaping up, he used his Supreme Sword, swiping at the dragon Digimon with such power that in addition to the massive gash that appeared on Imperialdramon's chest, the shockwave sent him flying straight into a building, which then collapsed on top of him.

"Bastard!" EmperorGreymon cried, and charged forward. "Flaming Edge!"

His sword became engulfed in flames, and he struck with his Dragon Soul Sword. Omegamon Alter-B easily blocked the attack, and EmperorGreymon used his Purgatory Sword Dance, unleashing a series of combo moves. Omegamon Alter-B blocked and dodged each and every strike before raising his cannon. "Grey Cannon Railgun!"

He fired a blast of darkness, and EmperorGreymon was blasted backwards, tearing the road apart as he skidded along before crashing into a building. Omegamon Alter-B then turned towards the DigiDestined and began calmly stalking towards them, his eyes burning with unfeeling, murderous intent.

"Ok, this is even scarier than when he was rampaging," said Gallantmon.

"We have to stop him now," OmniShoutmon. "Right now, he's still fresh from Digivolving, and he's weak from his previous form and from battle damage. If he gets the time to adjust to his new form and recover his strength, we won't have much of a chance of beating him than we would a Demon Lord."

"Then let's make sure it doesn't come to that," said Seraphimon. "Hallowed Knuckle!"

He began punching out balls of light. Omegamon Alter-B continued to calmly walk towards them, knocking away the balls of light as he did so.

"Final Justice!" Gallantmon cried, firing a beam.

Omegamon Alter-B held up his cannon and kept walking. "Transcendent Cannon!"

His attack blasted straight through Gallantmon's attack, causing it to disperse. Gallantmon attacked again with his Gungnir, throwing his spear. A single swipe of Omegamon Alter-B's sword sliced it in half, and it burst into particles of light.

"It's like he's not even trying," said Ophanimon C. She flew up into the sky, and fireballs appeared in her hands. "Better turn up the heat. Volcano Napalm!"

She threw the fireballs. This time Omegamon Alter-B reacted, leaping from one spot to the next as pillars of fire rose up where the fireballs struck. Then he suddenly charged towards the DigiDestined. OmniShoutmon reacted by using his Heavy Metal Vulcan. A firewall appeared, separating the knight Digimon from them. It only bought them a few second, as Omegamon Alter-B's blade slowly sliced through it.

"Ultimate Uppercut!" Omnimon cried, stabbing upward with his sword when Omegamon Alter-B was visible.

Omegamon Alter-B shifted to the side, and Omnimon's sword only cut against his shoulder rather than stabbing him in the face. Omegamon Alter-B's eyes flashed violently, and he raised his cannon. "Transcendent Cannon!"

Seraphimon tackled Omnimon out of the way before he was hit, and OmniShoutmon flew at Omegamon Alter-B. He kicked out with his Doom Drillpress. Omegamon Alter-B caught his leg and threw the dragon Digimon into a building.

Turning to the remaining DigiDestined, he held up both hands. "Grey Cannon and Garuru Sword!"

Attacks erupted from both hands, and Omnimon, Seraphimon, and Gallantmon were all blasted away, along with a portion of the city. Ophanimon C gasped in horror at the destruction as her friends lost amongst it. Slowly, Omegamon Alter-B looked up at her, and she felt a chill run down her spine.

"Ok then," she said, "time for a little assistance. Call Dramon!"

At her summon, a dragon manifested in the sky beside her. It roared down at Omegamon Alter-B and breathed a massive stream of fire that flowed over the knight Digimon and the surrounding area.

"Be careful!" Ophanimon C told the dragon. "My friends are down there."

The dragon stopped breathing fire and disappeared soon after. Ophanimon C looked down at the fiery landscape, relieved to see that it hadn't spread to the destruction she knew her friends were buried under. But as she searched, Omegamon Alter-B suddenly burst out of the lake of fire and flew up towards her.

"Supreme Sword!" he cried, and swiped his sword.

Ophanimon C tried to block with her Unicorn Shield, but the barrier shattered. She managed to withstand a good portion of the attack that wasn't blocked and quickly countered. "Air Sefirot Crystal!"

A more powerful version of her previous form's attack manifested, amplified by air from the Tree of Life. The crystals shined brightly with an additional pink holy light that Omegamon Alter-B recoiled from before she launched them at the knight Digimon.

Omegamon Alter-B was blasted back, sent flying across the city. He appeared to be dazed, indicating that this was the first time they had really hurt him. And before he could recover, EmperorGreymon burst out of the top of the building he had crashed into. He flew towards Omegamon Alter-B and swung his sword.

His blade was blocked, the knight Digimon had recovered enough to defend against the attack, but it still left EmperorGreymon's sword pointed directly at him. "Dragonfire Crossbow!"

Omegamon Alter-B went spinning backwards from the attacks, and Ophanimon C rejoined EmperorGreymon. "Are you ok?"

"I'll live," he replied, and looked around. "Where's everyone else?"

She looked down at all the destruction and motioned to the rubble. "Somewhere under all that." She turned to a collapsed building. "Except for Imperialdramon. He's still under there. Imperialdramon!"

Her call seemed to stir the dragon Digimon, because a few moments later, he rose up from out of the rubble, rubbing his head. "What happened? Where that Omnimon rip-off?" He winced, his hand going to the gash on his chest. "Geez, that smarts."

EmperorGreymon flinched at the sight of the injury. "That looks bad. You better heal him."

Ophanimon C frowned. "Unfortunately, I can't. I don't have a healing ability in this form. Seems it substitutes healing for more power."

"Don't worry about it," Imperialdramon groaned as he got to his feet. He caught sight of Omegamon Alter-B calmly floating back over to them. "And now that the guy's up in the sky, I don't need to worry about destroying the city. Giga Crusher!"

He fired his strongest attack up at Omegamon Alter-B. The knight Digimon glanced at the incoming energy wave and raised both hands. "Grey Cannon and Garuru Sword!"

His attack collided with Imperialdramon's. It overpowered it and kept coming, and the dragon Digimon's shoulders sank as he realized there would be no avoiding the attack. "This is going to hurt."

The attack fell upon him, and Imperialdramon was lost amongst the blast as Ophanimon C and EmperorGreymon called his name. When the blast died down, Davis was lying in the ground, out cold.

Omegamon Alter-B flew down and landed beside the unconscious Davis. He stared at him for a moment before pointing his cannon at him.

"NO!" Ophanimon C shouted, dropping to the ground a distance away. "Shining Laser II!"

She fired a beam from her hand that struck Omegamon Alter-B, being wary of Davis. The knight Digimon stumbled, and then slowly turned to her as the beam kept coming. He held up his cannon and fired his Grey Cannon Railgun. The beam of darkness pressed against Ophanimon C's beam and began pushing it back.

Ophanimon C kept firing, and EmperorGreymon used the distraction to circle around the knight Digimon to retrieve Davis. Omegamon Alter-B glanced at him while still firing, and Ophanimon C used her Shining Laser III, unleashing even more power, which brought Omegamon Alter-B's attention back to her. Their beams came to a stalemate, and an explosion went off at the meeting point, blowing up a cloud of dust that consumed the angel and knight Digimon.

With Davis securely in his arms, EmperorGreymon began to fly away. But then Omegamon Alter-B suddenly burst out of the cloud of smoke and stabbed the dragon Digimon in the back. EmperorGreymon cried out as Omegamon Alter-B's sword burst out of his chest, barely missing Davis. He slid off the knight Digimon's sword and fell to the ground, Davis still in his arms. He reverted back to Takuya a moment later, unable to move from the lingering pain he still felt from being stabbed.

Once again, Omegamon Alter-B pointed his cannon at Davis, this time with Takuya also in his sights. Before he could fire though, Ophanimon C suddenly grabbed him from behind. "Holy Light III."

A breathy snarl escaped Omegamon Alter-B as he was pulled back while Ophanimon C simultaneously unleashed holy light. She only managed to hold on for a few seconds before Omegamon Alter-B knocked her off. Then he whirled around, kicking her, and she slammed into a building.

Omegamon Alter-B began stalking towards her, her death in his eyes, and she felt a shiver of fear run through her. She pointed her flaming lance at him as he approached, trying to hide her terror.

"Transcendent Sword!"

Omnimon suddenly reappeared with the rest of the DigiDestined that had been buried, rushing towards Omegamon Alter-B. His counterpart turned and blocked the attack, but then he was hit by OmniShoutmon's Omni Core Fusion, blasting him away from Omnimon. Seraphimon hit him next with his Strike of the Seven Stars, and then Gallantmon threw his spear into the air to bring his Crimson Light down on him.

"You guys are alright," Ophanimon C said in relief. "Thanks goodness. I was worried you were badly hurt since you were gone for so long."

"We wouldn't leave you hanging," Seraphimon told her. "It just took some time to get out fro under all that debris."

"Yeah, that attack took a lot out of us," Gallantmon replied.

Ophanimon C nodded. "I can tell. He already used it to turn Imperialdramon back to human. EmperorGreymon's human again too, but I think they'll be ok. We just need to keep Omegamon Alter-B away from them."

Speaking of Mr. Long Name," said Gallantmon, "he's coming back."

Omegamon Alter-B had crawled out of Gallantmon's beam and was now approaching them again. The DigiDestined took fighting stances as he slowly approached.

"We better end this soon," said Omnimon. "I'm not sure how much longer I'll last."

"Same here," Gallantmon reluctantly agreed.

"I have an idea, sort of," Ophanimon C told them. "Maybe it can help us."

"I'm open to anything," Seraphimon replied. "What are you thinking?"

Ophanimon C glanced at OmniShoutmon. "You said he has no sense of self, right?"

The dragon Digimon nodded. "Yes, he's basically in a permanent berserker mode where the only thing on his mind is to kill."

She nodded at that. "I noticed that too. It's like he doesn't really think; he just reacts rather than strategizes or plan an attack. If we can distract him, maybe keep his attention so focused on one of us-"

"Then the rest of us can go in and hit him with some critical attacks," Omnimon finished for her. "Good thinking, sis."

"So which if us distracts him?" Gallantmon asked.

"I will," said OmniShoutmon. "You guys are stronger than I am, you'll be able to damage him more."

"No, I'll distract him," Ophanimon C argued. "You guys are more heavily damaged than I am after taking his attack, and there's a good chance the distracter may need to take another one."

"Just make up your minds of who's doing what, because he's coming," Gallantmon warned.

Ophanimon C turned to their opponent. "Right, here I go."

She flew towards the knight Digimon and unleashed her Holy Destroy. The beam collided with Omegamon Alter-B, pushing him back, but he kept coming as Ophanimon C flew closer. When they nearly met, Omegamon Alter-B swung his sword at her, and she did a flip in the air, avoiding the blade.

"Holy Light II!" she cried, and began shining brightly.

Omegamon Alter-B began to skid back under the light's intensity, but once he regained his footing, he began stalking towards her again, regardless of the damaging light flowing over him. With his attention fixed solely on the angel Digimon, OmniShoutmon flew in with his Doom Drillpress. Ophanimon C saw him coming and increased her attack's intensity to Holy Light III, shining several times brighter and emitting more power.

Omegamon Alter-B came to a stop as the light's power pushed against him. Then he suddenly used his Supreme Sword, swiping at Ophanimon C. She was out of range, but the force of the backlash still knocked her away.

OmniShoutmon kicked outward with his bladed foot. Omegamon Alter-B turned to him at the last possible moment and blocked the attack, making the dragon Digimon swear. "Damn it, he noticed."

Omegamon Alter-B raised his cannon, pointing it directly at OmniShoutmon. But a moment before he could fire, an attack hit him. It was a small attack, but it was soon followed by another of a different kind, then another, and another. Soon, several attacks were bombarding against Omegamon Alter-B, and he turned to the source.

A crowd of the city Digimon had gathered a distance away without any of them noticing, and they were launching one attack after another at him as they booed for him and cheered for the DigiDestined. Omegamon Alter-B stared at them for a few moments before raising his cannon at them while still holding back OmniShoutmon's bladed leg.

The crowd of Digimon gasped as the cannon was pointed at them, but then Omnimon came soaring in. He stabbed forward, burying his sword to the hilt in Omegamon Alter-B's chest. Then Ophanimon C struck, having circled around and stabbing her flaming javelin into Omegamon Alter-B's back. Seraphimon attacked next, using his Excalibur to stab the knight Digimon in the gut.

Gallantmon was last, soaring up over the others and bringing his spear down with both hands to drive it into Omegamon Alter-B from up above. "Burn him!"

"With pleasure," Ophanimon C replied. Pulling her javelin out of his back, she brutally jabbed her hand forward into the wound. "Volcano Napalm!"

Her attack erupted, and fire spread all throughout the knight Digimon. The DigiDestined leapt away as the flames burst out of Omegamon Alter-B and consumed him, burning him from the inside out.

Still burning, Omegamon Alter-B let out another menacing breath and turned to the DigiDestined. He began to slowly walk towards them, covered head to toe in fire. The DigiDestined back away as he approached, but his movements were slower and sluggish. His legs started to wobble, and then he suddenly collapsed. He continued to burn for a few seconds before dissolving into data. And just like that, it was over.

OmniShoutmon dropped to the ground. "Oh, thank the Sovereigns. I wasn't sure we would make it."

"We might not have if it hadn't been for them," said Omnimon, glancing at the Digimon who had come to their aid." He waved to them in thanks. "Thank you. We don't usually get help in battle."

"Especially against someone like a Chaos General," Gallantmon added, "let alone one who's Digivolved beyond that."

One of the Digimon slowly approached. "It was all because of you."

Ophanimon C cocked her head to the side. "Us?"

"You inspired us," another Digimon replied. "Seeing you stand up to three Chaos Generals, and then Omegamon Alter-B."

"The stories of your victories against the Demon Lords were what gave us the courage to fight."

"Those monsters are so strong and have been in power for so long that defeating them just seemed impossible, so we've just accepted their rule."

"But you're showing us that there's another way, that there's hope, that we can fight back, and win."

"Yeah, down with the Demon Lords!"

Cheers rang out among the Digimon, along with more cries of "Down with the Demon Lords!" The DigiDestined stared at the cheering crowd, feeling their own confidence grow.

"I never expected this," said Takuya. "Gratitude is one thing, but full on support. It looks like they're really ready to start fighting back."

"It's beautiful," OmniShoutmon awed, rubbing his tear-filled eyes. "This is what we need. This is how we'll win. The more support we get against the Demon Lords, the greater our chances."

"Most definitely," Gallantmon agreed. "Things are definitely looking up."

Notes:

(A/N: Well geez, after a really intense battle, Omegamon Alter-B was finally defeated. And you know what that means. Only 2 Chaos Generals left. Hopefully Ophanimon's new form will be able to help them with that. That's right, Ophanimon C is here to stay. Sorry to say, but that means no more Magnadramon, that was just a one time thing, especially since Ophanimon C can't Digivolve any further, not even with DNA Digivolution. But now that the big battle is over, we can get back to the actual plot, so stay tuned for that, because a lot of things from the past are about to come full circle. Two weeks until the next update.)

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Ophanimon C's attacks:

Holy Destroy – Destroys everything with a holy light.

Call Dramon – Calls forth a dragon to breath defense lowering fire upon her opponents.

Volcano Napalm – Throws fireballs that create pillars of fire.

Holy Slash – Slashes with a strike filled with holy power.

AT Change – Swaps her strengths and weaknesses.

Air Sefirot Crystal – A stronger versions of Sefirot Crystal. Manifests ten crystals fueled by air from the tree of life in the shape of the Sephirot to fire at opponents.

Holy Light II – A stronger versions of Holy Light. Emits a bright shining light that damages opponents.

Holy Light III – A stronger versions of Holy Light. Emits a bright shining light that damages opponents.

Shining Laser II – A stronger versions of Shining Laser. Fires beams of energy from her hands.

Shining Laser III – A stronger versions of Shining Laser II. Fires beams of energy from her hands.

Unicorn Shield – Uses her shield to deflect elemental attacks.

Eden's Water – effects unknown.

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New Digimon that appear.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Ophanimon_C

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Omegamon_Alter-B

Chapter 153: The Abandoned Fortress

Notes:

(A/N: Aaaaand we're in full quarantine again. How frustrating. Likely due to the holidays because friends and family are getting together to celebrate. I at least hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving. Here's something to be thankful for. A new chapter!)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 153: The Abandoned Fortress

The pain was intense, but AncientWisemon knew that the worst was yet to come. That was the burden of knowing every outcome of absolutely everything. It was a great benefit, but also a terrible curse, especially when you knew a horrible unavoidable fate was coming your way.

Taking a deep breath, the mutant Digimon braced himself for what he knew was coming. He'd foreseen all possible outcomes of all possible futures. Now he just needed the resolve to let the future he hoped for to come to pass. And while he knew what would most likely happen, until the event itself actually occurred, there was really no way of knowing how he would actually handle himself in the situation.

The door to his prison opened, and AncientWisemon looked up at his jailer, already knowing who it was. Barbamon strolled into the cell, and a chill of fear ran through the mutant Digimon as he braced himself for what would soon happen.

"Your days of being in power are dwindling," he told the Demon Lord. "Soon your reign of terror will be at an end."

A sinister chuckle escaped Barbamon, unfazed by his words. "I'm sure that's one possible future you've foreseen, but how many others have you seen where we win and the Demon Lords continue to rule?"

AncientWisemon didn't reply, there was no need to. He knew each and every way this conversation could go, and it always ended the same.

"Ah, to know that mind of yours," the Demon Lord replied. "It must truly be overwhelming to have all the knowledge of all things. How do you even process all that information?"

"By focusing on the best path and living your life as if that is the only option."

The Demon Lord snickered again. "How very cute, but it was a rhetorical question. There's only one question I truly want an answer to from you. So, are you going to tell me, or are you going to suffer some more first?"

AncientWisemon stubbornly lifted his chin. "Save your threats and attempts to intimidate me. There is nothing you can do or say that will surprise me."

Barbamon sped forward, stopping an inch from the mutant Digimon and grabbing his robes, lifting him into the air. "And what of yourself? You may know all futures, and you know that there will be pain in them, but do you truly know which future will come to pass before the pain actually begins?"

AncientWisemon's eyes narrowed. "That is the true question. One's free will is what makes the difference that determines which future will occur."

"Is that so?" He dropped the mutant Digimon. "Then let's see how long your willpower can last. I've decided to see to your interrogation personally from here on out. You may know that pain is coming, and you may know that it's bad, but to experience it is something different, isn't it? I don't know what future you're hoping for, but if it relies on your resistance to me, then let's see what will last longer; your resistance, or my patience."

This was it, the moment that AncientWisemon had been dreading the most. It would now be up to him to endure what was to come. He hoped he could last long enough to allow the future he hoped for to come to pass.

With a cruel grin on his face, Barbamon pointed his staff at the mutant Digimon. "Last chance. Tell me what I want to know, or suffer."

AncientWisemon locked eyes with him. "Pain is nothing new. I've know nothing but pain since you captured me."

The Demon Lord's grin widened. "Not like this. Death Lure!"

Unimaginable agony filled AncientWisemon, so intense that he couldn't even bring himself to scream. He couldn't move, he couldn't think, all he could do was feel. Time meant nothing. It could have been seconds, or hours, or even days, it didn't matter, there was only pain, and nothing else.

It suddenly stopped, and AncientWisemon went limp. He couldn't even react, his body going into shock from the sudden difference of indescribable pain to none.

"Unbearable, isn't it?" Barbamon mocked. "Of course, I've never felt it myself, but I've inflicted it on others enough times to know what to expect. Tell me, how long do you think I used that attack on you for? You have no idea, do you? All you knew was pain, and then no pain, time meant nothing at all."

AncientWisemon couldn't have responded if he wanted to. His body and mind were still trying to reboot to no longer being surrounded by pure agony.

"While affective," Barbamon explained as he casually paced back and forth, "I don't use this method of interrogation that often. The continuous sudden shock of going from pain to no pain can cause one's body to shut down and kill them. And the level of pain experienced for too long can break the mind and drive the victim insane. I can't get any information from someone if they die or end up with a broken mind. Although, the breaking of the mind under continuous exposure can also convert the victim to wickedness. I even broke one of the Olympos Twelve, Bacchusmon, and used him in the attack on ElDradimon when we captured you."

Breathing heavily, AncientWisemon was finally able to find his voice again. "I know… all about… your wicked deeds…"

Barbamon laughed. "Of course you do. You know everything. Including what I want to know. You should also know that you will break eventually and tell me what I want, so you might as well spare yourself further pain."

He pointed his staff at the mutant Digimon again. AncientWisemon remained silent, letting that be his answer. Barbamon cocked his head to the side before shrugging. "Very well, just know that the level of pain my attack causes renders the victim unable to speak while I'm using it. So if the pain becomes too much to bear and you decide to tell me, you'll just have to bear with it until I stop. Not that you'll be able to think at all to even make that decision while under such pain. But of course," he chuckled, "you knew all that already. Death Lure!"

There was no preparation for it. Even knowing it was coming, even having felt it before, there was no way to be ready for such a level of torture. It was an inescapable hell beyond the ability to comprehend, so great that the intensity would have caused the victim to pass out if the level weren't also so high that it also brought them back to consciousness the moment the brain shut down.

Barbamon ceased his attack, and AncientWisemon's body relaxed, the aftershocks of the pain still echoing through him. Reaching out with his staff, Barbamon placed it under the mutant Digimon's chin and lifted his head. "There's no escaping this. I'm going to make sure you survive, and that your mind remains intact. You will tell me what I want to know. How much you suffer before you do depends entirely on you."

Struggling to find his voice, AncientWisemon spoke. "You've been… content to… let your servants… handle my interrogation… until now… Something must… be making you feel… pressured…" He somehow managed to chuckle. "I would know…"

Barbamon was silent for several moments before speaking again. "I would say that you will suffer for that remark, but you were going to anyway. Death Lure!"

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"You know," said Takuya, "after the way we inspired all those Digimon in the city to fight back, I was kind of hoping that more of you would join us."

The teens were currently riding on the back of a bird Digimon called Eaglemon. Out of all the Digimon in the city, he was the only one willing to bring them to the fortress that Blastmon had claimed AncientWisemon was being held at. At the Mega level, and with a body made of gold armor, the bird Digimon looked like he would be a powerful ally.

"You can't really blame them," said Takato. "Rising up against the Demon Lords' forces is one thing, but for them to face off against an actual Demon Lord is another. And there's a good chance we'll run into Barbamon on this rescue mission."

"Neptunemon's men did it," Takuya pointed out.

"They were an army obeying their king," Davis reminded him. "Everyone in the city were just civilians." He patted Eaglemon. "But at least we got this guy to help us."

The bird Digimon started. "Whoa, hold up there, little human. If you think I'm going to fight against a Demon Lord, the you're crazy."

Davis blinked. "But you volunteered to help us."

"Yeah, get to your destination, not fight a Demon Lord. I'll drop you off, but then I'm out of there."

"Seriously?" Takato asked. "Because I thought you were going to help us fight too."

"Yeah, I thought you had faith in us," Takuya added.

"I do, but if I fought, I would end up dead for sure, even if the battle ended in victory. I do have faith in you though, enough that I'm going against my own nature when I should kill you."

Tai tensed up. "Kill us? Why?"

"It's in Eaglemon's nature to destroy any invaders to the Digital World," Shoutmon replied. "It's a real testament that he's going against his instincts to help us instead of kill you."

"How comforting," Davis muttered. "Still, thanks for the ride."

"Would you be willing to stick around if there are no Demon Lords there?" Takuya asked the bird Digimon.

"I'm not even sticking around long enough to find out," Eaglemon replied. "I'm dropping you off, and then I'm out of there. Sorry."

"It's fine," TK replied, glad to even have a ride at all. "We're just grateful that you're able to help us out this much. I thought we'd end up having to walk all the way there. This'll save us days of travel."

Kari frowned as she thought about AncientWisemon. "What do you think Barbamon wants to find out from AncientWisemon?"

Tai shrugged. "It could literally be anything. The guy knows everything, so he's a never-ending fountain of information."

"Well, I still don't understand his actions," said Takuya. "If he knows everything, then he should have been able to avoid being captured."

"You can ask him when you see him again," Eaglemon replied, "because we're coming up on your destination."

The teens shifted around on Eaglemon's back as the bird Digimon swooped down. Far below, an ancient fortress was present, standing alone with no other structures in sight. The place didn't look to be in the best condition, and there were no other Digimon in sight. Shoutmon had claimed that it had been abandoned since the Second Catastrophe, and it made the teens wonder if Blastmon had indeed been truthful with them.

"Anyone see anything?" Tai called.

Kari shook her head. "No sign of anyone, but they could all be inside."

Takuya raised an eyebrow. "The place looks abandoned, and on the verge of falling apart. Are we sure this wasn't just some wild goose chase Blastmon sent us on?"

"No way," Davis replied. "The guy was obsessed with Laylamon. He would have told us anything to save her."

"Including a lie," Takato pointed out.

Davis shook his head. "No, he would have made sure it was something believable. Something we wouldn't think would be a lie, because it was the truth."

"Either way, we still need to look around," TK replied. "Maybe looking abandoned is the point, if they're trying to remain hidden."

"You humans talk too much," Eaglemon grumbled. "Where do you want me to drop you off?"

Before any of them could answer, something came speeding up towards them. Eaglemon pulled back, just narrowly missing being hit as the figure shot past them.

"What was that?" Kari cried.

Tai pointed above them. "Look, up there!"

They looked up at what had nearly hit them. Floating in the sky, clad in purple armor, was a fierce-looking knight Digimon wielding a lethal looking double-ended spear.

"So who's this guy now?" Davis wondered.

Shoutmon's eyes narrowed. "Craniamon."

"Who?" Kari asked.

Takuya checked his Digivice. "A powerful Mega level Digimon who holds the title of Royal Knight. He lives to fight, and his Power of Breath allows him to negate any attack for three seconds."

"Royal Knight," Takato repeated. "That means he should be on par with me and Tai. Great."

Eaglemon stopped flying and simply hovered on mid-air. "All passengers, please exit your ride now."

Tai detected the worry in the bird Digimon's voice and decided that he had done more than enough for them. "Thanks for all your help. We've got it from here. Execute! Spirit Evolution… Omnimon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Imperialdramon Fighter Mode!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Gallantmon Crimson Mode!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… EmperorGreymon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Seraphimon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Ophanimon C!"

"Shoutmon Digivolve to… OmniShoutmon!"

The DigiDestined flew up towards Craniamon, leaving Eaglemon behind, and the bird Digimon saluted them. "Good luck, humans."

As he flew back the way he came, Craniamon pointed his spear at the DigiDestined threateningly. Gallantmon took the lead as they flew up towards the knight Digimon. "I'm going to shove that thing right down your throat. Final Justice!"

"Power of Breath!"

Craniamon kept firing, counting down from three. He saw Craniamon's shield's power die down and watched as the knight Digimon pull back and throw his spear. It tore through Gallantmon's attack, and he swerved to the side to avoid it. With Craniamon's weapon gone, Omnimon flew up to attack the knight Digimon.

Craniamon held out his hand, and his spear flew back into it. Omnimon swung his sword, and Craniamon blocked with his spear. EmperorGreymon appeared beside him and used his Dragon Soul Sword, but Craniamon blocked with his spear.

Twisting his weapon, he knocked both blades away. He then began spinning his spear and used his Shock Ringer, sending out a sonic wave that pushed both Omnimon and EmperorGreymon back.

"Imperial Claw!" Imperialdramon cried, slashing at Craniamon. The knight Digimon blocked with his spear again, but Imperialdramon had anticipated this and fired his Positron Laser from the arm attached to the very hand Craniamon blocked.

The knight Digimon was pushed back by the attack, but recovered quickly. Then Seraphimon came speeding in. He used his Hallowed Knuckle, punching balls of light at Craniamon. The knight Digimon defended with his Breath of Power, but the moment the three seconds were up, Seraphimon moved aside to make way for Ophanimon C.

"Holy Destroy!" she cried, firing a blast of holy light.

The attack carried Craniamon to the ground, but he managed to land on his feet. He looked up and acted just in time to block OmniShoutmon's Doom Drillpress.

Omnimon came rushing up behind him while Craniamon was holding back OmniShoutmon's attack and stabbed him through the back. Craniamon cried out, but it was cut off as EmperorGreymon zoomed in with his Storming Flame, stabbing the knight Digimon through the torso.

Ophanimon C then used her Volcano Napalm, and OmniShoutmon, Omnimon, and EmperorGreymon leapt away as a pillar of fire erupted beneath Craniamon, setting the knight Digimon ablaze. Finally, Gallantmon rushed in with his Invincible Sword, slicing clean through Craniamon, and the knight Digimon's flaming upper body went flying from his lower half.

"Strike of the Seven Stars!"

"Ionic Blaster!"

Seraphimon's attack struck Craniamon's upper half while Imperialdramon's hit his lower half, and both halves burst into data. The DigiDestined remained where they were, astounded, as they stared at the spot where their enemy had been.

"Did… Did we just take out the main guard?" Gallantmon asked. "So fast?"

"I think so," said Imperialdramon. "I'm surprised how relatively easy that was. And Craniamon is pretty powerful, right?"

He looked at EmperorGreymon, who had looked up Craniamon's information, and the dragon Digimon nodded. "Very powerful. As I said, Royal Knight status."

"Our team is very powerful as well," OmniShoutmon told them. "And we worked together while Craniamon stood alone."

"That's how we win," said Ophanimon C. "It's always how we win. And we'll keep winning as long as we stick together."

"Then let's make sure we stick together inside there as well," Omnimon told them. "Come on, let's find AncientWisemon."

They approached the entrance, and Imperialdramon kicked the doors open; there was no point in keeping quiet, as their battle with Craniamon would have alerted the entire fortress. Strangely though, there was no one else present. Still, they remained on their guard as they crept inside and made their way through the fortress.

"Creepy place," Gallantmon muttered. "Definitely has that old, abandoned feel to it."

"It was built as a place to combat the Second Catastrophe," OmniShoutmon replied.

"That was Quartzmon, right?" Seraphimon asked.

The dragon Digimon nodded. "Yes, but after that was taken care of, this place just held bad memories, so no one ever comes here."

"Making it the perfect hiding place to hide," Imperialdramon finished. "And keeping a small staff will keep up the abandoned look."

OmniShoutmon nodded again. "The fact that Craniamon was guarding it is proof that someone is here."

"Then shouldn't he have not attacked us?" EmperorGreymon asked. "You know, keep up the illusion that the place was still abandoned."

"Not if we were expected," Ophanimon C told him. "Meaning there could be a trap laid out."

"I agree," said Omnimon. "Keep your eyes peeled."

They continued making their way through the fortress, keeping a careful lookout for traps or an ambush. Yet they found nothing and no one. With the exception of Craniamon, and themselves, the place truly seemed to be abandoned.

"Hold it," Seraphimon said, suddenly as they made their way up a spiral staircase.

The others paused and looked back at him. The angel Digimon was silent for several long moments, holding up a finger to tell the to do the same. Then he glanced at the wall, and suddenly punched a hole through it. When he pulled his hand back. He was gripping a snake Digimon.

"I thought I heard something slithering around," Seraphimon commented.

The others gathered around. "Who's this guy?" Gallantmon asked. "And is there a flash drive at the end of his tail and tongue?"

"Hubmon," OmniShoutmon stated. "A Digimon who spends most of his time gathering information."

Seraphimon brought Hubmon up to his face, keeping a firm grip in case he struck. "Meaning he's probably a spy."

The snake Digimon cringed. "It's just a job. I'm meant to keep an eye on everything in the castle and report to…"

He cut himself off, as if realizing that he had said too much. The DigiDestined had picked up on it though, and Gallantmon pointed his spear at the snake Digimon. "Report to who? Who are you working for?"

Hubmon looked nervous, but then seemed to work up his nerve and hissed at him. "You're all going to die here."

Seraphimon tightened his grip on the snake Digimon threateningly. "You'll be dying first if you don't start talking."

Hubmon hissed again, but appeared to take the threat to heart. "Lord Barbamon. He ordered me to report to him everything that goes on here."

Omnimon sighed. "Makes sense. Barbamon's the one who wants to know whatever AncientWisemon knows."

"Perfect," said Imperialdramon, looking down at Hubmon. "Then you should know where AncientWisemon is."

The snake Digimon's eyes narrowed. "You don't know what you're getting into."

"We'll learn along the way," Ophanimon C replied. "Now tell us."

"And no tricks," Seraphimon warned, once again tightening his hold.

Hubmon gave another annoyed hiss, but reluctantly began to direct them through the fortress. The DigiDestined followed his directions, but did not trust the snake Digimon, so Seraphimon kept a firm grip on him.

Several minutes later, they came to a large door. It was here that Hubmon told them to stop. "This is it. AncientWisemon is being held behind this door. So if you'll be so kind as to let me go-"

"Not so fast," Imperialdramon interrupted. "I think we'll wait and see what's in there first."

Much to their surprise, Hubmon chuckled. "There's no reason for me to lie. You fools are walking into your doom."

"We'll see about that," said EmperorGreymon.

He reached for the door, but the moment he touched it, the door was blown off its hinges by a powerful force. The DigiDestined were knocked off their feet and fell to the floor. Seraphimon accidentally released Hubmon, and the snake Digimon slithered away.

"Serves you right," he called back to them. "I did warn you."

Omnimon sat up. "Little creep. We'll deal with you later."

A sinister laughter drew their attention, and the DigiDestined looked to see none other than Barbamon standing in the doorway. He wasn't alone, as Gallantmon recognized Parallelmon standing next to him. And behind the two of them, chained to the wall and looking thoroughly tortured, was AncientWisemon.

Barbamon grinned at the DigiDestined, exposing his shark-like teeth. "Hello again, humans. Welcome to my little hideaway."

Omnimon looked at AncientWisemon's condition in horror. "What did you do to him?"

Barbamon glanced back at the mutant Digimon. "Nothing he didn't ask for. And he was most definitely asking for it by refusing to cooperate. I'm actually impressed at how long he lasted, especially after I took over his interrogation." He looked back at them. "I'm also impressed you were able to figure out that I was hiding him here."

"Are you also impressed that we destroyed two more of your fellow Demon Lords since we last met?" Imperialdramon snapped.

But Barbamon just laughed. "Is that some sad attempt to intimidate me? All your victories have done is inconvenience us a little. You're still a far cry from being able to defeat us." He stroked his long beard. "Unfortunately, I don't have time to play with you right now. I actually have some pretty big plans, and I think you'll enjoy them, I finally have the information I was looking for. Now is the time to claim my prize. But don't worry, little humans, I'll be seeing you soon."

Parallelmon suddenly opened up a portal. Barbamon uncaringly turned his back on the DigiDestined and stepped towards it.

"Hey, wait!" EmperorGreymon called after him. "You're running away?"

Barbamon chuckled, but didn't bother to look back. "Not at all. Rather, I'm running towards my destiny."

He stepped into the portal, and Parallelmon went in after him. The portal closed, leaving the DigiDestined and the gravely wounded AncientWisemon behind.

Notes:

(A/N: Well, I guess you could say that the rescue mission is going well. If it seemed like they defeated Craniamon a little too easily, that's just meant to be a testament as to how strong they are, especially when fighting as a group. Unfortunately they didn't make it in time to prevent AncientWisemon from giving Barbamon the information he wanted to know. Things are about to come full circle, so I hope your ready next time. See you in two weeks.)

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New Digimon that appear.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Eaglemon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Craniamon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Hubmon

Chapter 154: The Past Circles Back

Notes:

(A/N: Merry Christmas, everyone! Well, almost. Got an early Christmas present for you. That's right, it's a new chapter. But not just any new chapter, a chapter that contains some very loooooooong overdue answers to questions from way back. Hope you're ready for those answers, you've certainly waited long enough for them.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 154: The Past Circles Back

"AncientWisemon!" several of the DigiDestined cried, and rushed over to the mutant Digimon.

Tired eyes looked up at them as AncientWisemon seemed to have trouble maintaining focus. "Greeting, humans. It's been awhile."

"Don't talk," said Seraphimon, looking him over. "What did he do to you? Hold on, I'll heal you."

"No!" AncientWisemon said insistently. "You must not. Save your strength; you will need it. All of it."

"But you-"

"There is no saving me. My body is too damaged. Any healing you attempt will just waste your energy. I've known this was my fate ever since I calculated the future."

Gallantmon then asked the question they had all been wondering "Then why? If you know everything, then you should have known that Barbamon was going to send his men after you. Why didn't you leave? Why did you put yourself in a position to be captured, especially if you knew this would happen?"

A light chuckle escaped AncientWisemon; it sounded painful. "Silly humans, it was for you, of course. In getting captured, Barbamon focused his attention on me instead of you. Had I alluded being captured, then he would have fought alongside Beelzemon in your battle with him, and you would not have survived. Out of all the possible futures where you faced both of them at once, there was not a single scenario where you would have survived. And to answer your unspoken question of why I did not tell you of where I would be held, it's because you would have come here to save me before you were strong enough and so would have perished."

The DigiDestined were stunned into silence. They had assumed that there was a reason why AncientWisemon had done what he did, but they hadn't expected this. AncientWisemon had essentially sacrificed himself for them.

"You went through all of this… for us?" Ophanimon C asked softly.

The mutant Digimon let out another chuckle. "The true burden of possessing absolute knowledge is deciding what to do with it. You need to make hard decisions based on what you know, and sometimes none of the outcomes are ideal."

"Geez," said EmperorGreymon. "You really do know everything, don't you?"

"If there is something I do not know, then I do not know it."

His apparent attempt at humor failed to get a response out of the DigiDestined, but then, he must have known that too, but they also realized that this was his way of telling them that he was content with his fate.

Imperialdramon's shoulders sank. "I'm sorry, AncientWisemon. You were right about me. I should have listened to you when you gave me my reading."

AncientWisemon shook his head. "Do not fret. You found your way back to the light. I was trying to help you avoid a burdensome fate, but hope for the future I have envisioned still remains. Right now though, the biggest threat to that future is Barbamon."

"Right, Barbamon," said OmniShoutmon. "What did you tell him? What did he want to know?"

A deep sigh escaped the mutant Digimon. "I always knew I would succumb to his torturous interrogation, but I hoped that I would be able to resist long enough to give you a chance. That chance still remains, but you must be ready. Humans, do you recall your time with the Ninjamon and Kogamon?"

Omnimon's eyes widened. "The Ninjamon and Kogamon? Boy, that takes me back."

"Listen closely. The two halves of the scroll that they guarded, ShadowSeraphimon-"

He fell into a coughing fit, cutting off his speech. Imperialdramon then responded with, "Yeah, we know, ShadowSeraphimon got them. But it's ok, they were in his castle when it collapsed. They were either torn apart or completely buried. The scrolls are gone."

AncientWisemon got his coughing under control and shook his head. "No, they aren't. They weren't in the castle when it collapsed. ShadowSeraphimon had sent them off to Barbamon the moment he got them. He's had them all this time."

"What!?" Omnimon exclaimed. "Why didn't you tell us that when we first met?" He sighed. "Never mind. The whole changing the future thing if we knew."

Behind her helmet, Ophanimon C's eyes widened as she quickly put the pieces together. "Then Barbamon's goal must be to get the great power."

AncientWisemon gave a weak nod. "That is his aim."

"Damn," EmperorGreymon growled. "I thought we were done with that whole scrolls and great power nonsense."

"It's fine," said Gallantmon. "He still needs to get those keycards, remember?"

"He has them," AncientWisemon replied, and the DigiDeswtined fell into stunned silence. "After you defeated Argomon and his vines vanished, the keycards were found and delivered to Barbamon by an old nemesis of yours. Snatchmon."

"Snatchmon!" Seraphimon exclaimed.

"You mean that Digimon that gets stronger by eating other Digimon?" Omnimon asked.

AncientWisemon gave another nod. "He held a deep grudge against you for attacking him while he was Digivolving and swore to take revenge. Upon learning that you were opposing the Demon Lords and that Barbamon was seeking the keycards, he gathered them up and delivered them to him in exchange for power. Barbamon gave it to him, and now he hunts you."

"Great," OmniShoutmon grumbled. "Now we have him to worry about too. Thanks a lot, Imperialdramon."

The dragon Digimon looked offended. "Hey, I didn't know. No one ever told us that you weren't supposed to attack while someone was Digivolving."

"It was obvious!"

"No, it wasn't!"

"Guys, focus!" Omnimon snapped.

"The keycards that open the door to the great power," AncientWisemon continued, "the two halves of the scroll that explain how to use them, and me, the one with the knowledge of where it's located. Barbamon now has all three of these things."

"Meaning we're in deep trouble," Ophanimon C muttered. "One of the strongest Demon Lords getting their hands on some ancient power does not sound good."

"What is it?" EmperorGreymon demanded. "What is the great power?"

AncientWisemon weakly raised his hand and motioned to the fortress. "The ancient weapon, the one created to in this very fortress to combat the Second Catastrophe. It was sealed away several miles from here. Barbamon plans to awaken it."

OmniShoutmon's eyes widened, and he suddenly seemed to be overcome by pure panic. "Is he mad!? Doesn't he realize what that will do!?"

"Barbamon is too arrogant," AncientWisemon replied. "All the Demon Lords are, but the others never bothered to seek it out due to how well it was hidden. But Barbamon was too greedy to let that stop him."

Seraphimon glanced at OmniShoutmon. "What is it? This weapon of great power? What does it do?"

But the dragon Digimon either didn't register what he said or completely ignored him as he grabbed his head. "This is bad. This is very, very bad. We have to stop him. Where's it hidden. We need to get there before him."

But AncientWisemon simply shook his head. "You're too late. None of your party teleports, and Parallelmon was able to open a portal directly to the entrance. You'll never make it there in time."

OmniShoutmon dropped to his knees in defeat at this, and EmperorGreymon gave AncientWisemon a worried look. "So you're saying it's hopeless?"

The mutant Digimon coughed weakly before speaking again. "Nothing can stop Barbamon from unleashing the weapon, but there is still a chance." He paused, as if considering his next words carefully. "But you must do something that you will find to be extremely difficult. Something your very instincts will tell you not to do."

"What?" Imperialdramon asked. "Whatever it is, we'll do it."

"You must trust Boltboutamon."

Silence greeted this statement, the DigiDestined stunned by his words. It didn't last long though before they all simultaneously cried out "WHAT!?"

"You can't be serious!" Omnimon shouted. "That guy is psychotic! He's pure evil!"

"How can you expect us to trust him of all people?" Gallantmon demanded. "I'd sooner trust Lucemon."

"I know you're supposed to be all-knowing," said Imperialdramon, "and I was wrong to doubt you before, but Boltboutamon simply can't be trusted. He just can't be."

A deep sigh escaped AncientWisemon. "I know how difficult what I'm saying must be, but Boltboutamon is your only chance to stop Barbamon. If you do not get to him as quickly as possible, then he will become too powerful and lay siege to the world. If you cannot trust Boltboutamon, then trust that he will look out for his own best interests. His loyalties to the Demon Lords only runs as deep as his own agendas. Trust that he will put his own amusement above them."

OmniShoutmon's hands clenched. "You're really asking a lot… but if I'm honest, you're right about him, he just does whatever he wants. And if his interests align with ours…"

It was clear that he hated what he was saying, but AncientWisemon seemed to accept his words and nodded. "I have faith in you, and I have done all I can to set the Digital World on its correct path, but the rest is up to you now. This is the last thing I can offer you."

He held out his hand, and his Fractal Code emerged. The DigiDestined gasped and looked at the mutant Digimon in disbelief.

"You can't give us that!" Seraphimon exclaimed.

"No sacrifice is too great to stop the Demon Lords," AncientWisemon told them. He looked directly at Gallantmon and EmperorGreymon pointedly. "No sacrifice."

"But, AncientWisemon-" Ophanimon C began.

"I do not have long to live anyway. A few minutes at most. My data upon death will provide a power boost, but giving you my Fractal Code will give you so much more." He gave them a warning look. "But you must not assimilate it until the end of you next battle, or else you will fall. Do I make myself clear?"

The DigiDestined all looked at OmniShoutmon. He glanced at each of them in turn before letting out a reluctant sigh. "I trust that you know what you are doing. You've put your faith in us, now we'll put our faith in you." He held his hand out and drew AncientWisemon's Fractal Code to himself. "Thank you for all your help."

The last of the Fractal Code left AncientWisemon's hand, and he immediately began to dissolve into data. "No, thank you."

And then he was gone. OmniShoutmon finished absorbing the Fractal Code, but did not assimilate it, just as the mutant Digimon requested. He didn't know why, as having that much power would only be beneficial. In their next battle and all future battles.

"What is it?" Omnimon suddenly asked quietly. He looked at OmniShoutmon. "The great power. AncientWisemon said it's a weapon of some kind. You know what he's talking about, don't you? What is it?"

OmniShoutmon was still staring at his hand that had absorbed the mutant Digimon's Fractal Code. It slowly clenched into a fist, and a deep sigh escaped him. "It's a Digimon, a very powerful Digimon designed to be a living weapon."

"A Digimon?" EmperorGreymon repeated, looking slightly relieved. He held up his sword. "I thought it would be a literal weapon like my sword, one that would give Barbamon a major power boost or some amazing new abilities. But it's just another Digimon?"

OmniShoutmon was shaking his head. "You don't understand, this Digimon was created to be the ultimate weapon. He was born from the data of destroyed Legend-Arms Digimon. They're a unique group of Digimon who carry out transformations into giant, peerless weapons based on the master they choose. According to legend, if held by an angel, will save the world, and if held by a demon, will destroy it."

He motioned around them. "This fortress was built during the Second Catastrophe when Quartzmon was taking over in order to create a weapon meant to defeat him. Data was gathered from destroyed Legend-Arms Digimon and used to create the ultimate weapon, Armamon, the weapon Digimon."

Ophanimon C's eyes narrowed in thought. "But I thought it was the Guardians that defeated Quartzmon. Wasn't their victory over him what established them as, well, the Guardians?"

OmniShoutmon nodded. "Yes, it was. Shortly after Armamon was born, the Guardians defeated Quartzmon. But this left Armamon with no purpose. He was meant to act as a weapon against Quartzmon, but now Quartzmon had been defeated. But Armamon couldn't be turned off, nor could his destructive instincts. He would have run wild with no clear target, attacking anything and anyone in his path. So he was put into a state of hibernation and sealed away. But I never would have thought that he was the great power that's been talked about for thousands of years."

"And Barbamon is going to awaken him?" Gallantmon exclaimed.

"He must think that with his power to manipulate others that he'll be able to control him. But that's foolish. Armamon can't be controlled, he can only have his destructive power directed. Barbamon won't be able to turn him off once he's awakened. And you remember what I just said about what happens if a demon uses the power of a Legend-Arm."

"Well, Barbamon is definitely a demon," Seraphimon stated.

"Why didn't anyone ever use Armamon against the Demon Lords?" Imperialdramon asked.

"Too dangerous," OmniShoutmon replied. "Even if he was used against the Demon Lords and managed to defeat them, there would still be the problem of not being able to turn him off again. Armamon would just turn his attention elsewhere and keep going. Whether for the demonic or the angelic, nothing would be able to stop Armamon's destructive path."

"Then why seal him away?" Gallantmon asked. "Why not simply destroy him?"

"In case he ever was needed one day should an even greater threat than him come along. And that threat did come on the form of the Third Catastrophe. But the Guardians were able to defeat ZeedMillenniummon before Armamon was awoken. Not that even he would have been a match for ZeedMillenniummon." OmniShoutmon ran a hand across his face. "If someone who fought for the light had awakened Armamon, it would be disastrous, but if Barbamon does it, it will be apocalyptic."

His claim successfully unsettled them. Armamon's reputation sounded bad enough, but based on everything OmniShoutmon had said, Armamon was even stronger than the Demon Lords. Or at least Barbamon. And that most definitely did not bode well for them.

"So what now?" Imperialdramon asked.

A frustrated growl escaped Omnimon. "You heard what AncientWisemon said, we've got to… trust Boltboutamon. Trust him for what, I don't know."

"So we have to go find Boltboutamon?" Gallantmon asked. "How are we supposed to do that? It's him who always finds us."

At that moment, there was the familiar sound of a portal opening. The DigiDestined whirled around to see that a portal had indeed appeared.

"I guess that's our cue," said Seraphimon, and they rushed over to the portal, waiting for the demon Digimon to appear.

But it wasn't Boltboutamon. Instead, a large claw suddenly flew out of the portal, slashing at the DigiDestined. They jumped back in surprise as Parallelmon emerged.

"Expecting someone else?" the mutant Digimon asked.

EmperorGreymon glared at him. "We thought you'd stay glued to your master's side."

Parallelmon just chuckled. "I'll return to Lord Barbamon shortly. I just came back to make a special delivery."

Four more figures exited the portal and stood around Parallelmon. One of them was ChaosGallantmon. The DigiDestined weren't all that surprised to see the Chaos General, and were at least relieved to see that Chaosmon wasn't with him. The other three that were with him though, they were surprised to see, as they had thought that they had seen the last of them.

"What are you three doing here?" Ophanimon C demanded.

"Is it not obvious?" Fujinmon asked. "We are here to finish the job."

"I thought Beelzemon called you off," Gallantmon growled.

"Correction," said Suijinmon, "he ordered us to stand down so he could kill you himself. As that did not happen, we have come to finish what we started."

"No one escapes the Machine Mercenaries," Raijinmon concluded. "There's no one and nothing that will save you this time. This will be out final battle."

A chuckle escaped Parallelmon as he began backing away into the portal. "It seems you all have some catching up to do. As for me, I have a duty to attend to. I do not think we will be meeting again. Goodbye, human filth."

He went through the portal, and it closed behind him, leaving the DigiDestined alone with the second strongest Chaos General and three other powerful enemies they had faced several times, but had never managed to defeat.

"We don't have time for this," Imperialdramon growled. "We've got to stop Barbamon."

"Do you think he saw this coming?" EmperorGreymon asked. "AncientWisemon I mean."

"He must have," said Gallantmon. "He knows everything."

"Knew," ChaosGallantmon corrected. "Do you really think that outside his AncientWisemon form that he would be able to retain that vast amount of all-knowing knowledge? He won't be able to help you anymore."

Seraphimon stepped forward. "We won't need any help. AncientWisemon told us that we can stop Barbamon. That means we can go through the four of you and still get to him in time to save the world."

"'Can' is the key word, human," Fujinmon told them. "He foresaw an outcome where you defeated us, but that does not mean that is what will happen. A far more likely scenario is that we will be victorious. So," he slid his blade hands together, "let us begin."

The Machine Mercenaries leapt into the air and became consumed by light. "Fujinmon/Raijinmon/Suijinmon DNA Digivolve to… Raidenmon!"

The entire fortress shook as the weight of the machine Digimon caused it to shake when he came crashing down. Bad memories assaulted the DigiDestined as they recalled how much they struggled against Raidenmon the last time they fought.

"We can do this," Ophanimon C encouraged. "Our team is stronger now."

"Yeah," EmperorGreymon said uneasily before glancing at ChaosGallantmon, "but we didn't have a Chaos General to worry about last time."

A cruel laugh escaped ChaosGallantmon. "I'm afraid the situation is worse than you think. I admit that I underestimated you the last time we fought. That's why I brought a little insurance policy."

He held something up, something familiar, something the DigiDestined had never thought they'd see again.

"Wait a minute!" Gallantmon exclaimed. "Is that-"

"A ChronoCore," ChaosGallantmon finished for him. He let out a mocking chuckle at the looks on their faces. "Did you really think that the Demon Lords wouldn't have had Chronomon under their control for so long and not have had him produce one for them? You're so naïve. The Demon Lords have tricks that you can't even imagine."

"We won't let you use it," said Ophanimon C, producing flames in here hands.

Raidenmon shifted, moving to block ChaosGallantmon. The knight Digimon snickered as he held the ChronoCore close to his chest. "You won't 'let' me? You humans really need to learn that you're not the ones in control of this story." He now looked at Ophanimon C specifically. "You obtained the power of fire from your ChronoCore, now feel the bite of ice."

He crushed the ChronoCore into data and absorbed it. A cry escaped him as his body began to freeze over in ice. Within a few seconds, he was frozen solid. The DigiDestined briefly hoped that something had gone wrong when a flash of light suddenly erupted from ChaosGallantmon, and the ice around him shattered.

"ChaosGallantmon Digivolve to… ChaosGallantmon C!"

It seemed he had been serious about his ice comment, and not because he had initially frozen over. His new form still looked identical to his previous one, but his color scheme had gone from dark gray and dark blue to an icy blue color, only a single eye that glowed red stood out from the rest of him.

"An icy version of ChaosGallantmon," Imperialdramon remarked. "Got anything to add, OmniShoutmon?"

The dragon Digimon shook his head. "No, that pretty much hits the nail on the head. A stronger version of ChaosGallantmon with destructive ice powers."

ChaosGallantmon C let out a visible frozen breath. "And it's time to put you all on ice."

As the DigiDestined wondered how that was a saying in the Digital World, ChaosGallantmon C stomped down. Ice began to spread out across the floor and creep up the walls at a rapid pace, and the DigiDestined took to the air before it reached them.

"He pulled an Elsa," Gallantmon declared.

Raidenmon raised his hand and slammed it down. The frozen floor shattered, and the fortress began to crack apart. He then unleashed his Kirlian Brand, sending bolts of electricity flying everywhere, tearing apart the fortress further. The entire structure began to collapse around them as ChaosGallantmon C laughed and Raidenmon stoically stood by.

"Let's get out of here," said Omnimon, pointing his cannon at a wall. "Supreme Cannon!"

He blasted a way out for them, and they were soon outside as the section of the fortress fell apart. ChaosGallantmon C followed after them, but Raidenmon was buried by the collapsing fortress. They weren't foolish enough to think that that was the end of him though, and were proven right a few seconds later as he came bursting out of the rubble.

"So," said ChaosGallantmon C, "which of you wants to die first?"

Ophanimon C moved forward. "I guess I'll be taking him. Fire versus ice."

"I'll take him too," said OmniShotumon. "My attacks won't be that affective against Raidenmon."

"And me," said Gallantmon. "Might as well face my counterpart. The rest of you should deal with Raidenmon; something tells me he's the bigger threat."

ChaosGallantmon C raised an eyebrow. "Is that what you think? During initial Digivolution, perhaps, but you fail to realize just how much data I've absorbed over the years and how strong it's made me. It's time you realized just why I'm a Chaos General."

"I thought it was for no other reason than because you had 'chaos' in your name," Imperialdramon remarked. "A useless title by default."

Anger flashed in ChaosGallantmon C's eyes, and he pointed his shield at the dragon Digimon. "Crazy Ice Blast!"

A series of ice arrows flew out of his shield and flew at Imperialdramon. Ophanimon C quickly sent up a pillar of fire that rose up in front of the dragon Digimon, dissolving away the arrows. ChaosGallantmon C threw Ophanimon C a dirty look, and she glared right back at him from behind her helmet. "We said you're fighting the three of us."

Raidenmon marched over to them, and ChaosGallantmon C settled down beside him. "Very well," the latter stated. "It does not matter. Soon all of you will meet your doom."

EmperorGreymon held up his sword. "You know something, we've been hearing that ever since we first got to this world, and yet we're still here."

"Then let us rectify that right now," Raidenmon stated. "Once and for all."

Notes:

(A/N: So who's surprised. A lot of things from the past circled back around. The scrolls, the Machine Mercenaries, another ChronoCore. Admit it, you forgot about most of them. But that was the point, you were supposed to with everything else going on, but I was always going to come back to them. And now our heroes know what the great power is, and Barbamon is on his way to obtain it. And what about what AncientWisemon told them about trusting Boltboutamon? Trust him how exactly? But before that, they have to stop Raidenmon, and a now even stronger ChaosGallantmon with ice powers. They may be stronger than they were the last time they faced them, but will it be enough? You'll have to wait and see. Next update in two weeks.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Armamon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/ChaosGallantmon_C

Chapter 155: Ice and Thunder

Notes:

(A/N: Ok, I know it's past the right date but, Happy New Year everyone! 2020 was a pretty rough year for everyone, but hopeful this year will be better. Let's be honest though, that's really not that high of a bar to beat. But let's kick off the new year with a new chapter. Last time, ChaosGallantmon used a ChronoCore to Digivolve and the Machine Mercenaries returned. Time for a big epic battle that I know will please many of you by the end of it.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 155: Ice and Thunder

"Dark Hazard!" ChaosGallantmon C cried, and fired a burst of darkness from his shield.

"That darkness will paralyze you!" OmniShoutmon shouted in warning.

"I got it," Ophanimon C cried, rushing in front of them. "Unicorn Shield!"

The beam of darkness struck her barrier. Ophanimon C grit her teeth as she held the attack back. Gallantmon and OmniShoutmon flew forward, and the dragon Digimon kicked outward with his Doom Drillpress. ChaosGallantmon C blocked with his shield while simultaneously using his lance to catch Gallantmon's Dash Blutgang. He spun around, causing the two of them to crash into each other, then raised his lance and used his Chaos Slash, a trail of chaotic energy following his swipe.

Both OmniShoutmon and Gallantmon were knocked away, but before ChaosGallantmon C could follow up with another attack, he was struck by a fireball that erupted into a pillar of fire. Ophanimon C was flying towards him, repeatedly using her Volcano Napalm. ChaosGallantmon C began knocking the fireballs away with his lance and shield before flying towards her. Ophanimon C flew towards him as well, and they collided together, her javelin striking against his shield and his lance against hers. They simultaneously let out a burst of hot and cold, and the contradicting temperatures meeting caused a burst of pressure that sent them both flying back.

"Air Sefirot Crystal!" Ophanimon C cried as she was knocked back.

ChaosGallantmon C grunted as he was blasted backwards, then unleashed his Crazy Ice Blast. Ophanimon C blocked with her Unicorn Shield, then used her Call Dramon. But as her dragon manifested, ChaosGallantmon C just laughed.

"Nice pet. I have one too. Call Leo!"

Like Ophanimon C's dragon, a giant lion made of ice appeared. The dragon opened its mouth to breath fire, but the lion was faster, slashing at the dragon with its claws. The stream of fire the dragon unleashed went off target, and the lion pounced at it. The two beasts grappled for a few moments before the two opposing temperatures of their bodies caused them to erupt.

Ophanimon C let out an irritable grunt, but was suddenly surprised as Gallantmon came flying at her, using his Invincible Sword. She managed to block the attack in time, but gave the knight Digimon a shocked look. "What are you doing!?"

Gallantmon blinked, looking confused. "I'm attacking… Wait, who am I fighting again?"

"Him!" Ophanimon C cried, motioning to ChaosGallantmon C, who looked on in amusement.

"It's the affects of ChaosGallantmon's Chaos Slash!" OmniShoutmon called from on the ground. "It causes confusion." Crouching on his hands and knees, he slammed his head down on the ground hard enough to crack it. "Clear your head!"

Gallantmon blinked a few more times, still looking confused, then slapped his face a couple times. "My thoughts are all mixed up."

"Look out!" Ophanimon C cried, and shoved him aside.

ChaosGallantmon C had charged forward and attempted to impale Gallantmon from behind. His lance instead hit Ophanimon C's shield, and she let her flame erupt around her. ChaosGallantmon C pulled back from the flames as she glared at him from behind her helmet.

"This icy form of yours may have provided you with a power boost," she told him, "but ice is a major weakness against me."

ChaosGallantmon C chuckled at that. "You think so? Allow me to remedy that. AT Change!"

He briefly glowed in a kaleidoscope of colors. Ophanimon C let out a growl. She knew what that ability did, for she possessed the same one. Typically, all Digimon had their own series of attacks exclusive to them, but it seemed that this one was shared between the two of them, presumably having inherited it from the ChronoCore.

AT Change, she knew, swapped the user's strengths and weaknesses. Meaning that rather than being weak against fire, ChaosGallantmon C was now strong against it. Of course, that now meant that whatever he had been strong against before, he was now weak to, but she didn't know what that was.

OmniShoutmon and Gallantmon flew over to her, now looking more clear-headed. Ophanimon C continued to let her flame burn wildly, but now, knowing that the Chaos General was resistant to fire, that seemed far less intimidating.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" ChaosGallantmon C asked mockingly. "Aren't you going to combine your power and team up against me?"

Gallantmon glared at him. "Mock us all you want, but our teamwork is what brought us this far, including destroying five of you Chaos Generals and four Demon Lords."

The humor visibly left ChaosGallantmon C. "And for that, you will die!"

He flew forward, stabbing with his lance. Gallantmon brought his spears together, catching it, then unleashed a lightning blast with his Royal Saber. ChaosGallantmon C was blown back, and OmniShoutmon flew at him with his Omni Torpedo. ChaosGallantmon C knocked him away with his shield, then flew at Ophanimon C and used his Chaos Slash. She countered with her Holy Slash, a trail of holy energy following her javelin as chaos power followed ChaosGallantmon C's lance. Their weapons collided, and the colliding energy threw them both backwards.

"Crazy Ice Blast!" ChaosGallantmon C cried, firing a series of ice arrows at the angel Digimon.

Gallantmon flew in front of Ophanimon C and began spinning his spear, knocking the ice arrows away. OmniShoutmon then came up behind the Chaos General and fired his Hard Rock Spirit. Ophanimon C fired her Shining Laser III, and the Chaos General was pinned between the two beams.

"Crimson Light!" Gallantmon cried, throwing his spear into the air. A beam of light came down on ChaosGallantmon C, knocking him to the ground, and the three DigiDestined landed at the base of the beam while they waited for the attack to stop.

When it did, a crater was left behind, and ChaosGallantmon C stood up, glaring at the three of them furiously.

"Is that the teamwork you wanted?" Gallantmon asked.

The Chaos General's eyes flashed violently and he fired his Dark Hazard at them. They countered with their Final Justice, Air Sefirot Crystal, and Omni Core Fusion. Their attacks pushed their way through ChaosGallantmon C's and collided with the Chaos General, resulting in a blast. A large cloud of smoke rose up, covering the area.

A second blast followed, only this was an explosion of ice, bursting out from the cloud of smoke. The ice almost appeared sentient, growing outward like tentacles extending and reaching for the DigiDestined. They took to the air again, but the ice continued to grow, branching out to follow after them. Lethal-looking icicles burst out from the ice, nearly impaling them when the ice got too close.

A large pillar of ice rose out of the mass, upon which ChaosGallantmon C was at the top of. He used his Call Leo attack, and the giant ice lion appeared. It leapt at Gallantmon, but he swerved to avoid it. Another ice pillar burst out for the lion to land on, and it jumped back at Gallantmon again. This time, he slashed at it with his Invincible Sword, cutting it in half, and the lion shattered into ice shards.

Turning to ChaosGallantmon C, he changed his sword into a spear and used his Gungir, throwing his spear at ChaosGallantmon C. An ice wall suddenly rose up in front of the Chaos General, shielding him from Gallantmon's attack, which he then leapt over and pointed his shield at the knight Digimon. "Crazy Ice Blast!"

He fired a barrage of ice arrows from his shield. Gallantmon was down a spear, but began batting the ice arrows away. There were far too many of them though, and one of the arrows pierced him. This caused Gallantmon to wince, and he was hit by another, and then another, until he was hit by several dozen. Where each arrow hit, he froze over in ice, until he was completely encased in a block of ice.

Gallantmon's frozen form fell from the sky. OmniShoutmon quickly flew over and caught him. Two more pillars of ice suddenly rose up on either side of them and came together, crushing the dragon and knight Digimon in a sandwich. ChaosGallantmon C laughed and pointed his shield at them. "Dark Hazard!"

The beam flew at the two of them, but Ophanimon C flew in its path. She used her Air Sefirot Crystal to counter ChaosGallantmon C's attack, resulting in an explosion. She then glanced back at the crushed OmniShoutmon and frozen Gallantmon. "Stay very still."

She unleashed her fire with the same intensity that ChaosGallantmon C had unleashed his ice. The fire flowed all around, melting the mass of ice the Chaos General had created, and freeing Gallantmon. ChaosGallantmon C held his ground as his icy fortress melted around him, but was clearly aggravated.

"You may now be resistant to fire," Ophanimon C told him, "but it still doesn't change the fact that your ice will always melt against my fire."

An angry snarl escaped ChaosGallantmon C. But then he glanced over to the other battle with Raidenmon, and a light chuckle escaped him. "Maybe so, but it's enough to prevent you from saving your friends."

And it seemed that indeed they were in need of help. Raidenmon was just as powerful as they remembered, and his defenses were just as impenetrable.

"Imperial Crusher!" Imperialdramon cried, stabbing with his electrified claw.

Raidenmon's hands came up, grabbing the dragon Digimon's wrist, and held it back, avoiding the electric claw. Omnimon flew in while the machine Digimon was preoccupied and slashed with his Dash Grey Sword. It clanged against Raidenmon's hard, armored body, leaving only a scuffmark, while Omnimon was left vibrating.

Spinning around, Raidenmon threw Imperialdramon into Omnimon, then turned to grab EmperorGreymon before the dragon Digimon could slash him with his sword, and slammed him to the ground. He was then hit in the side by Seraphimon's Strike of the Seven Stars. He fired his Big Charge Bomb at the angel Digimon, and Seraphimon sliced it in half with his Excalibur. However, the two halves of the bomb exploded, and Seraphimon went flying backwards.

Still pinned down, EmperorGreymon managed to stab his sword into the ground and used his Pyro Dragons. Raidenmon glanced down as the trails of fire stretched out around him and the streams of fire emerged. They coiled around the machine Digimon, holding him in place, and the ground beneath him and EmperorGreymon exploded, launching them both into the air.

EmperorGreymon broke free of the machine Digimon's hold and used his Soaring Nine Headed Dragon Force. The giant flame dragon spirit appeared and plowed into Raidenmon, bringing him back down to erupt in a fiery explosion.

"Nice one," said Imperialdramon. "I'm glad we have you here this time." He hesitated. "Wait, were you EmperorGreymon the last time we fought Raidenmon, or were you still AncientGreymon? I forget."

"Not important right now," Omnimon told him. "We know that wasn't enough to beat him. Get ready to fire as soon as you see him."

They prepared to attack, waiting for the smoke to die down so they could see their target. But once they could, they noticed that electricity was flowing over his body.

"Oh crap," EmperorGreymon remarked, realizing what was about to happen.

"Kirlian Brand!" Raidenmon cried.

Bolts of electricity began flying from his body, tearing the ground apart as it struck. The DigiDestined scattered, flying about to try and avoid the bolts that seemed to be coming from all different directions.

"Hallowed Ascension!" cried Seraphimon, bringing down lightning.

"Omni Blast!" Omnimon cried, unleashing a blast of lightning from his sword.

Their lightning attacks canceled out the bolts that came for them. Raidenmon noticed this and zoomed forward. He leapt up into the air and tackled Seraphimon. The two crashed to the ground with the angel Digimon on the bottom, and Seraphimon cried out as he was crushed by Raidenmon's weight.

The machine Digimon ignored him though as he took aim with his tail and fired his Big Charge Bomb up at Omnimon. The knight Digimon saw the attack coming and fired his Supreme Cannon. The two attacks met in mid-air and exploded.

"Dragon Kick!" Imperialdramon cried, flying towards Raidenmon and driving his knee into him. The machine Digimon tipped over onto his side, off Seraphimon, and Imperialdramon scooped up the angel Digimon and flew away with him.

Omnimon swooped down, coming to a stop beside Raidenmon as the machine Digimon tried to upright himself, aimed at his underside, and began repeatedly firing his Supreme Cannon. The blasts, at the very least, kept Raidenmon from righting himself, as he was knocked back down every time he tried to get up.

Raising his own cannon arm, Raidenmon blasted Omnimon away. As he began to get up again, EmperorGreymon flew over and began slashing wildly with his Purgatory Sword Dance.

"This guy's defenses are ridiculous!" he shouted as he slashed away, doing little more than creating scratches and dents in his armor. Raidenmon then spun around, backhanding the dragon Digimon and sending him flying.

"He's a literal tank," Imperialdramon stated. "What did you expect?"

"Maybe we just need to hit him in the right spot," Seraphimon suggested.

He flew out of the dragon Digimon's arms and down to Raidenmon. Using his Excalibur, he stabbed into a crease in Raidenmon's armor that looked like it might be a weak spot. In response, Raidenmon's hand shot out, grabbed Seraphimon, held his cannon hand up to him, and blasted him away.

Imperialdramon dropped from the sky with his Dragon Kick, doing a flip and bringing his heel down on Raidenmon's back. The ground cracked apart beneath the machine Digimon, but Raidenmon swung his tail up and fired his Big Charge Bomb, and Imperialdramon went flying.

"Damn this guy," Omnimon growled, and began firing his Supreme Cannon.

Raidenmon turned to the knight Digimon and began slowly heading in his direction. Omnimon kept firing, knowing that the machine Digimon's slow approach was a deliberate scare tactic. He stood his ground and kept firing, knowing that Raidenmon was indeed taking damage, even if his armored body was protecting him.

Raidenmon came to a stop directly in front of him as Omnimon refused to budge. He suddenly unleashed his Kirlian Brand, making the knight Digimon regret putting up a brave front as the electric attack blasted him away.

"Dragon Soul Sword!" EmperorGreymon cried, flying towards Raidenmon.

The machine Digimon's hand shot out, catching the sword. He pulled it out of EmperorGreymon's hand and smacked him away with it. Lightning from Seraphimon's Hallowed Ascension drew his attention to the angel Digimon as Raidenmon was struck. He threw EmperorGreymon's sword, and it flew up towards the angel Digimon at top speed. Seraphimon swerved to avoid it, but the sword sliced one of his wings.

Imperialdramon stumbled back over. "I'm so sick of this guy. These guys. The stupid Machine Mercenaries. Whatever. The guy just better not heal himself."

Almost as if Raidenmon had heard him, the machine Digimon began to use Gilead Plant. Imperialdramon swore as Raidenmon began to glow and fired his Giga Crusher. The attack struck Raidenmon, resulting in an explosion, leaving Imperialdramon hoping that he had interrupted the machine Digimon's healing.

From out of the blast, Raidenmon came charging at Imperialdramon. Based on the dents and scratches still present in his armor it seemed that his healing had indeed been interrupted, but that didn't stop him from plowing into the dragon Digimon, taking him off his feet and pushing him back until he slammed into the fortress. Imperialdramon grunted as Raidenmon pulled back and slid to the ground. Raidenmon pointed his cannon hand at him and prepared to fire, but was suddenly grabbed from behind. EmperorGreymon had a hold of him, and he was lifted onto the air and thrown across the battlefield.

"Happy landings, buddy," the dragon Digimon mocked.

Seraphimon flew down beside him. "I think this is yours."

EmperorGreymon took his sword back from the angel Digimon. "Thanks. Now let's get this guy."

They fired their Dragonfire Crossbow and Strike of the Seven Stars. Raidenmon was just getting up when the attacks hit him. A snarl of aggravation left the machine Digimon, the first sign he gave of showing genuine frustration, and he charged at the two Digimon. They charged him as well, and when they met, Raidenmon's arms shot out. He grabbed hold of EmperorGreymon and jabbed his cannon-hand into Seraphimon, slamming them both into the ground. He kept moving, dragging them along, the angel and dragon Digimon leaving deep grooves in the hard ground as they tore through it.

"Let them go!" Omnimon shouted.

He charged in with his Omega Sword. This at least managed to pierce his armor, but it was still far from the type of damage Omnimon was used to delivering other opponents. It did make Raidenmon stop though. He tossed Seraphimon aside and used EmperorGreymon to knock Omnimon away. The knight Digimon stumbled back, but then raised his arms and fired his Double Shot into Raidenmon's face.

Shaking his head, Raidenmon reached out. His hand grabbed Omnimon's arm and his cannon-hand wrapped around his other arm. Lifting the knight Digimon into the air, he began to pull his arms in opposite directions. Omnimon howled as his limbs were yanked, but couldn't break out of the machine Digimon's hold, and his friends were either still dazed from Raidenmon's assault on them or preoccupied with the fight with ChaosGallanton C.

An agonized scream escaped Omnimon as his arms were suddenly torn out of their sockets. He dropped to the ground as his arms dissolved in Raidenmon's hold, and the machine Digimon rose up and came down on Omnimon, crushing him.

Rising up again, Raidenmon came down on Omnimon again, earning another cry of pain from the knight Digimon. He rose up again and came down, this time only getting a grunt from Omnimon. He did it a fourth time, but this time Omnimon was silent as Raidenmon came down on him.

Raidenmon rose a fifth time, but this time Seraphimon slammed into his underside, pushing him away from Omnimon. Using his Excalibur, he began repeatedly stabbing into the machine Digimon, despite knowing that it was doing little damage against Raidenmon's armor.

The machine Digimon lashed out with his tail. It coiled around Seraphimon, yanking him out from underneath him, and Raidenmon came down, a distance away from Omnimon. Seraphimon used his Justice Genome to amplify his Light attacks, and then proceeded to punch balls of light at the machine Digimon with his Hallowed Knuckle. Raidenmon pointed his cannon at the angel Digimon, but was suddenly hit with and pushed back by EmperorGreymon's Soaring Nine Headed Dragon Force, causing him to drop Seraphimon.

EmperorGreymon flew over to Seraphimon's side. "You ok?"

"I've been better."

EmperorGreymon looked at the motionless, armless knight Digimon on the ground. "Omnimon's in bad shape. He's probably on the verge of reverted back to his human form. You need to heal him now."

Seraphimon nodded. "I'll get right on it."

Before he could make a move though, Raidenmon unleashed his Kirlian Brand, sending bolts of lightning flying everywhere, preventing Seraphimon from getting to Omnimon. One of the bolts got close to the battle with ChaosGallantmon C. It shot past OmniShoutmon, who skidded to a halt in mid-air and looked back at where it came from.

He saw Omnimon damaged on the ground as Seraphimon and EmperorGreymon tried to avoid Raidenmon's attack. He looked around some more and saw Imperialdramon a short distance away, collapsed against the fortress. Looking back to his own battle, he watched as Gallantmon and Ophanimon C continued to fight with ChaosGallantmon C.

A growl escaped him. "No choice. At this rate, we're going to lose." He held out his hand, and AncientWisemon's Fractal Code emerged. "We'll have to use this for a power boost."

"Don't!"

OmniShoutmon's eyes widened in surprise, and he looked down at Imperialdramon. "What?"

Grunting, Imperialdramon sat up. "AncientWisemon said that we must save it for after the battle no matter what."

OmniShoutmon considered this, and looked back at the Fractal Code. "But this could be our only chance to win."

"It doesn't matter," Imperialdramon replied. "AncientWisemon said that we must not use it yet. Last time I ignored his advice, I paid for it big time. I should have known better than to think that I was smarter than someone much older and wiser than me. But I've learned my lesson, and I'm going to take his advice. Advice he spent his last breath giving. Hold onto that data."

Jumping up, he sped back towards Raidemon. The machine Digimon's electric attack had ended at this point, and Imperialdramon used his Splendor Blade on him. It did little more than leave a scratch as Raidenmon turned and drove his fist into the dragon Digimon's gut, knocking him away. EmperorGreymon then came flying in with his Soaring Flame Edge, but Raidenmon fired off his Big Charge Bomb at him. EmperorGreymon attempted to knock it away with his sword, but the bomb exploded upon contact.

Out of the corner of his eye, Raidenmon spotted Seraphimon flying towards Omnimon. Taking aim with his cannon-hand, he fired, blasting the angel Digimon away before he could reach his target.

Hands suddenly grabbed Raidenmon from up above as Imperialdramon seized him, and he began to lift the machine Digimon into the air. Raidenmon unleashed his Kirlian Brand attack, and Imperialdramon cried out as he was electrocuted. Raidenmon then reached back, grabbed the dragon Digimon, and flipped him over his shoulder, throwing him away. Imperialdramon bounced across the ground, sliding into Omnimon. The knight Digimon grunted in pain at the impact.

"Sorry," Imperialdramon told him.

"Not your fault," Omnimon replied, trying and failing to sit up.

Groaning, Imperialdramon forced himself to get up, his body smoking. "You look horrible."

"I hurt all over."

Which only made Imperialdramon feel even worse for crashing into him. "Just hang in there. Seraphimon is trying to get to you to heal you."

A deep sigh escaped Omnimon. "Don't bother, I doubt he has enough energy to heal all this damage. Even if he did, it'll leave him too depleted. No, I think I'm done here."

Imperialdramon didn't like the sound of that. "But we need you. You're one of the strongest of us. We need your power."

Omnimon shook his head. "Sorry, I can't fight anymore, and you know I wouldn't call it quits unless it was true." With great effort, he attempted to sit up, and Imperialdramon moved to support him. "But I can still contribute. Imperialdramon, I'm giving you my power. Everything I have, all my strength, it's yours."

Imperialdramon's eyes widened. "Are you sure you want to give it to me." He looked at their friends. "Seraphimon and EmperorGreymon are stronger than I am. You should give it to them."

A chuckle escaped Omnimon. "Don't worry, I trust you. Make these guys pay."

He closed his eyes and began to glow, much as they would when they reverted to human form. This time though, Omnimon's body shrank into a sword, leaving Tai behind on the ground.

Imperialdramon looked at the sword, then back at Seraphimon and EmperorGreymon as they fought with Raidenmon. Eyes narrowing in determination, he reached out and grabbed hold of the sword.

Power far greater than he had thought possible filled him, and Imperialdramon gasped in astonishment. He looked at Tai in surprise, realizing that this must be the level of power that Omnimon possessed. He embraced it fully, taking it into himself, and he too began to glow brightly.

"Imperialdramon Mode Change to… Imperialdramon Paladin Mode!"

Notes:

(A/N: It's finally happened. You knew it was going to at some point, and it finally has. Imperialdramon Paladin Mode is in the house. I was saving him for this moment, but I won't tell you why. You'll see soon enough though. Our heroes may be down Omnimon, but they now have the strongest for of Imperialdramon. Will it be enough to turn the tides against Raidenmon and ChaosGallantmon C, find out in just two weeks time.)

Imperialdramon Paladin Mode's attacks:

Omni Sword – Cuts or stabs an opponent with the Omni Sword, causing their data resetting and clearing their configuration data.

Hyper Prominence – Fires a ball of black energy from chest, to cause a massive explosion.

Supreme Positron Laser – A stronger version of Positron Laser that fires a beam of positronic energy from the cannon on his arm.

Giga Crusher – Materializes a giant cannon that fires a destructive energy wave.

Splendor Blade – Manifests a sword of light from the gauntlet on his arm and slashes his opponent.

Imperial Claw – Slashes with his claws.

Imperial Kick – Delivers a mid-air kick.

Heaven's Light – Shines light of others to heal them.

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Imperialdramon_Paladin_Mode

Chapter 156: Trust

Notes:

(A/N: I got a really big surprise recently. Apparently one of my DBZ fanfics, The Genus In The Slave Quarters, has actually gotten it's own TV Tropes page. I didn't even know that was possible! It's quite a honor. Maybe it'll even help in getting my original novel published. Recognition is recognition. But I'm sure your more interested in what's going to happen now that Imperialdramon has finally achieved Paladin Mode. Let's take a look.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 156: Trust

"Holy crap!" Imperialdramon exclaimed as he took in his new form.

For the most part, he still looked the same, only now he had turned almost entirely white, and he now held a sword nearly identical to Omnimon's, which was now almost as long as his entire body. And the power he now felt running through himself. He had thought that he had been strong before, but this was something else entirely.

His eyes shifted to the sword he held. Prior to his Digivolution, he had no idea how to wield a sword, outside the use of his Splendor Blade of course, but now he had all the knowledge of being a swordsman. It was like when he had become a Digimon for the first time, where the transformation provided him with the knowledge of how his new body worked and how to use his attacks, despite having no experience. He now knew how to actually use a sword, and what his new power was capable of.

Something out of the corner of his eye drew his attention, and he looked just in time to see the Big Charge Bomb Raidenmon had launched at him. It exploded against him, and Imperialdramon was blasted off his feet. He crashed several feet away, his sword landing point first in the ground just a few inches from his face.

"Well, that was embarrassing," he muttered. Then he gasped in realization. "Tai!"

Much to his relief, he saw that his human look-alike was still lying on the ground where he had been before, Imperialdramon's body having shielded him from the blast. His gaze then shifted back to the battle with Raidenmon, and he saw EmperorGreymon on the machine Digimon's back, repeatedly stabbing his sword into him futilely while Seraphimon circled around, using his Hallowed Knuckle over and over again.

Imperialdramon stood up and pulled his sword out of the ground. He took off as Raidenmon unleashed his Kirlian Brand, blasting Seraphimon and EmperorGreymon away. Imperialdramon flew over and swung his sword, just as Raidenmon turned to him. The blade came down on the machine Digimon's forehead, and they both froze. Raidenmon's eyes crossed as he looked at the blade, then back at Imperialdramon, and his eyes narrowed.

"I was hoping it would be more affective this time," the dragon Digimon muttered.

Raidenmon lashed out at him, and Imperialdramon jumped back. His foot shot out with his Imperial Kick, hitting Raidenmon in the face. He then followed up with his Super Positron Laser, the beam pushing Raidenmon back.

The machine Digimon shook this off and raised his cannon, firing at the dragon Digimon. Imperialdramon leapt up over the blast and raised his sword over his head. "Omni Sword!"

He came down, stabbing downward with his glowing sword as Raidenmon looked up at him. His sword buried into one of Raidenmon's eyes, sinking down nearly to the hilt. Raidenmon howled in pain and pulled back, taking the sword with him as he thrashed about violently.

"Why didn't we think of that?" Seraphimon commented as he and EmperorGreymon rejoined Imperialdramon. "That certainly got around his armor."

"Honestly, it was a lucky shot," Imperialdramon admitted. "I wasn't even aiming there."

"Wait, when did you turn white?" EmperorGreymon asked, taking note of Imperialdramon's new appearance. "Or get a sword like that?"

Before the dragon Digimon could answer, something began to happen to Raidenmon. His body began to glow, not with the light of Digivolution, but with DeDigivolution, and he began to split back into the Machine Mercenaries again, the forms of Fujinmon, Raijinmon, and Suijinmon beginning to appear. It was apparent that the three were trying to remain as one, but they continued to separate, resembling little more than a glowing blob of mass.

"I'll explain later!" said Imperialdramon. "Let's go!"

"But what's happening to them?" Seraphimon wondered.

"Who cares, just blast them!" EmperorGreymon cried. "Soaring None Headed Dragon Force!"

"Strike of the Seven Stars!"

Imperialdramon's chest opened. "Hyper Prominence!"

A large ball of black energy shot out of his chest and flew to join Seraphimon and EmperorGreymon's attacks. The three attacks struck the glowing mass that Raidenmon had become and erupted in a massive explosion. An indistinguishable sound came from it as Fujinmon, Raijinmon, Suijinmon, and what was left of Raidenmon's body burst into data.

The DigiDestined stared at the empty space, hardly able to believe what they saw. All that was left of their long time enemies was their lingering data, and it soon faded away.

"Did we just defeat the Machine Mercenaries?" Imperialdramon asked in amazement.

"I think so," EmperorGreymon replied. Then he considered something. "But did we break one of those unspoken rules like we did with Snatchmon by attacking while they were DeDigivolving? Because it looked like they were DeDigivolving."

"It doesn't matter right now," Seraphimon told them. "We've got a Chaos General to court-martial."

"And I've got the perfect method," said Imperialdramon, swiping his sword. "Time for some capital punishment."

The three of them flew towards ChaosGallantmon C, speeding right past their friends. With a cry of "We're coming", Imperialdramon was in the lead, and he swung his sword. ChaosGallantmon C brought up his shield, and Imperialdramon's sword clanged against it. ChaosGallantmon C made to stab with his lance, only to have Seraphimon grab it and pull it to the side. Imperialdramon pulled back, and ChaosGallantmon C raised his shield to hit Seraphimon, only to have EmperorGreymon grab it and pull it aside, leaving the Chaos General open to Imperialdramon.

"Omni Sword!" the dragon Digimon cried, stabbing forward.

A wall of ice suddenly appeared between ChaosGallantmon C and Imperialdramon, and his sword became embedded in it. The knight Digimon sneered at Imperialdramon before slamming Seraphimon and EmperorGreymon together, then turning back to the dragon Digimon as he tried to pull his sword out of the ice.

Ophanimon C was suddenly by his side, and she placed her hand on the wall of ice. A wall of fire rose up, covering the ice wall, causing it to melt in seconds. Imperialdramon's sword pushed its way through as ChaosGallantmon C pulled back, but it still pierced his stomach.

ChaosGallantmon C cried out as he flew backwards. A band of Fractal Code exited his stomach wound where he had been stabbed as if he were bleeding. As the last of the Fractal Code disconnected from the Chaos General, he began to glow, and when the light faded, he had DeDigivolved down to regular ChaosGallantmon. As for the Fractal Code that had escaped him, it turned into the ChronoCore he had used to Digivolve with.

Imperialdramon reacted immediately, pointing his arm cannon at the ChronoCore. "Super Positron Laser!"

He blasted the ChronoCore, and it burst into data. ChaosGallantmon shouted in protest and reached for the ChronoCore that was no longer there.

"Looks like your big trump card is gone," Ophanimon C told him.

The rest of the DigiDestined gathered around her and Imperialdramon, looking more than ready to keep fighting. ChaosGallantmon glanced at each of them, his only visible eye flashing with hate. His body language indicated that he wanted nothing more than to attack them, and yet he hesitated.

"Ready for round two?" OmniShoutmon challenged.

A growl escaped ChaosGallantmon. "Mark my words, you'll pay for this. Waking Dead!"

He fired lighting from his shield. The DigiDestined recoiled from the lighting as ChaosGallantmon took off.

"Coward!" EmperorGreymon called after him.

"Quick, let's go after him," said Gallantmon.

But OmniShoutmon shook his head. "There's no time. We have to go after Barbamon before it's too late. We've already wasted too much time."

Imperialdramon's eyes widened. "I completely forgot about him in the heat of battle."

"Speaking of which," said Gallantmon, taking in the dragon Digimon's new look, "what's with the color change?"

Imperialdramon spun around, showing himself off. "Pretty cool, right? Omnimon couldn't fight anymore, so he gave me all his power."

"Omnimon!" Ophanimon C exclaimed, and began looking around. "Where's my brother? Tai!"

Imperialdramon held up his hands. "Whoa, calm down. He's ok. He just changed back to his human form. Come on, he's over here."

He flew them over to where he had left Tai. The teen was still lying on his back with his eyes closed, but he opened them when he heard the others land beside him.

"Hey, guys," he said. "Does this mean we won?"

"We won," Seraphimon confirmed. "Raidenmon was destroyed, and ChaosGallantmon flew the coop."

"Yeah, not even a Chaos General can face off against all of us now," Gallantmon said proudly.

EmperorGreymon decided to bring up his previous question. "Speaking of which, how did we beat them? Once Imperialdramon stabbed Raidenmon with his sword, he began to split into the Machine Mercenaries again, and when he stabbed ChaosGallantmon, he DeDigivolved and separated from the ChronoCore. What was up with that? Oh, and is it considered, um, 'illegal' to attack while someone is DeDigivolving?"

OmniShoutmon raised an eyebrow. "Well, first of all, no, attacking a Digimon that's DeDigivolving is a vulnerable state a Digimon is reduced to as a result of battle, so it's considered ok."

He looked at Imperialdramon. "As for why Raidenmon and ChaosGallantmon DeDigivolved, it's the affects of Imperialdramon's Omni Sword attack. The power of his sword causes an opponent's data to reset. The Machine Mercenaries had DNA Digivolved and ChaosGallantmon had Digivolved with a ChronoCore, so when their data reset, it forced them to separate."

"That'll be useful," said Seraphimon. "Now if anyone Digivolves or powers up in ways other than normal Digivolution, we can revert them back to how they were before."

"But what about Tai?" Ophanimon C asked. "If he gave all his power to Imperialdramon, then can he still become Omnimon?"

Gritting his teeth, Tai sat up, his arms aching horribly as a result of the phantom pain from having his limbs ripped out. Taking out his Digivice, he looked at the powered down blank screen. "I don't know. There's no power left, so I can't tell if I still have Omnimon's data. Honestly, I wasn't even thinking about whether or not I'd still be able to become Omnimon or not, or even be able to Spirit Evolve at all. I was just trying to help us win." He tapped the screen of his Digivice. "I guess we'll just have to wait and see when it recharges."

"And right now?" Gallantmon asked. "How are we supposed to stop Barbamon when we're all worn down like this?"

Seraphimon sighed. "I'm just going to have to heal everyone as much as I can. That'll cost me a lot of energy though, so I don't know how much power I'll have left for the fight."

Ophanimon C's shoulders sank. "I'm sorry, I wish I still had a healing ability in this form. I guess I could always DeDigivolve to regular Ophanimon, but then I'll waste even more energy when I Digivolve to Ophanimon C again."

Imperialdramon puffed out his chest. "Hey, don't worry. My Digivolution came with new powers too, including a healing ability. Now I can pick up the slack."

Behind his helmet, Seraphimon beamed. "Then what are we waiting for, let's get to it. Perfect Revival!"

"Heaven's Light!"

Healing light from both Seraphimon and Imperialdramon poured over the group, healing the injuries they all sustained. Even Tai got a dose, and the lingering phantom pain he still had from when he was Omnimon faded as well.

"This is a start," he said, "but we're still at a disadvantage. I still can't fight, and even though all your injuries are healed, you still used up a lot of energy fighting Raidenmon and ChaosGallantmon. Going after Barbamon now would be suicide."

OmniShoutmon's eyes widened. "That's it!" He held out his hand, and AncientWisemon's Fractal Code emerged. "This is why AncientWisemon gave us his Fractal Code. Rather than use it for a power boost, we can use it to replenish ourselves. That's why he told us to wait until after our next battle to use it, because he knew we would need it to fight Barbamon afterwards."

Imperialdramon punched the air. "I knew it! I told you there was a reason."

"And you were right. Come on, gather around, everyone. You too, Tai. We're going to share the data."

They did as he said, and the Fractal Code split into seven separate ribbons, each of them absorbing a portion of it, Tai taking his share into his Digivice. They felt the data replenish their energy, making them feel nearly as energized as if they had just Spirit Evolved. Even Tai's Digivice powered back on, the image of Omnimon present on the screen.

"It worked!" he cried excitedly. "I still have Omnimon's data. Execute! Spirit Evolution… Omnimon!"

Imperialdramon let out a sigh of relief. "Phew. Thank goodness you can still Spirit Evolve. I was afraid you might not be able to."

"I had a feeling he would," said OmniShoutmon. "Your Digivice contains the DigiCore of your Digimon. What Tai did was the equivalent of giving Imperialdramon Omnimon's Fractal Code."

Gallantmon cocked his head to the side. "Then shouldn't Tai have had to start over from scratch at the Baby level?"

OmniShoutmon considered this. "Ordinarily, yes, but your Digivice seem to record and save the data inserted inside them, so you can jump straight to the highest level you were at before rather than having to work to unlock your Digivolutions again, even if you lose or give away the data."

Ophanimon C cleared her voice. "Guys, as great as this news is, we still have Barbamon to worry about. At this point, he might have already awoken Armamon."

EmperorGreymon swore. "You're right. And we still have no way of getting to him. What are we going to do?"

A mocking laughter greeted them, and they began looking around. They pinpointed the source, and looked up to see a certain demon Digimon floating in the air above them. "Yes, what will you do?"

"Volcano Napalm!" Ophanimon C cried, throwing a fireball that erupted into a pillar of fire.

Boltboutamon grinned and used his Curtain Call, snapping his fingers to create a shockwave that countered her attack. "Well, well, I see that Hell truly hath no fury. You can relax, humans, I'm not here to fight you."

"So why are you here?" EmperorGreymon demanded.

The demon Digimon chuckled. "Why, to enjoy the show, of course. Your battle with ChaosGallantmon and Raidenmon was most amusing."

"You were watching that?" snapped Omnimon.

"Indeed. I've been watching you humans for a while; even during certain times when you don't realize that I'm there. You're just so fun to watch. Right now, I'm getting a kick out of watching you desperately try to find a way to stop Barbamon. Feel free to panic. I do enjoy watching a good panic attack."

"Seraphimon glared at him. "We're not going to panic. Even if we don't find a way to prevent Barbamon from releasing Armamon, we'll find a way to defeat them."

Boltboutamon sneered. "Ah, such wishful thinking. I'll enjoy watching it fall to despair."

EmperorGreymon pointed his sword at him. "We don't have time to deal with you. We've got more important things to worry about."

"But of course," Boltboutamon mocked. "You're got to stop Barbamon from awakening Armamon. So, what will you do?"

EmperorGreymon growled, and OmniShoutmon placed a hand on his shoulder. "Ignore him. He's here to mock us and try to make us squirm. Don't give him what he wants. We've got to focus on stopping Barbamon; we don't have the time or energy to waste on anything else."

Ophanimon C gave him a worried look. "He already has a big head start on us. Even if we find a way to get to where he is, it may be too late. OmniShoutmon, will we be able to defeat Armamon if he's unleashed?"

The dragon Digimon hesitated, looking very concerned. "I don't know. I really don't know. Right now, I would say no, but I've said the same thing about the Demon Lords we've beaten. Still, it'll be better if we just avoid that battle entirely and prevent Armamon's awakening."

"Then we need to figure out a way to get to the location," said Seraphimon, "but we don't even know where to go. I wish AncientWisemon would have told us that."

"Even if he did, we still have no way to get there," Gallantmon pointed out, looking frustrated. "Ah, this is hopeless!"

A chuckle came from Boltboutamon. "I suppose I could always take you there."

The DigiDestined looked up at him. "What?" asked Omnimon.

The demon Digimon grinned. "I said that I could take you there. In case you've forgotten, I can create portals to different locations in the Digital World. And since I was listening in on AncientWisemon's torture, I know where Barbamon's gone. I can easily take you there."

EmperorGreymon scoffed. "You expect us to trust you? You'll probably transport us to the other side of the Digital World, or into a pool of lava in a volcano or something."

"Why would we ever think you'd help us?" Ophanimon C demanded.

Boltboutamon came down and landed a short distance away. "Because I'm interested in seeing how this plays out. Whether you'd be able to prevent Barbamon from awakening Armamon, or if you'll be able to stop the two of them if he does. It'll certainly be very amusing to see what happens."

"Bull!" Omnimon snapped. "You'd never help us. This is just some sick game you're playing."

"Correct!" Boltboutamon admitted gleefully. "It's a game, and I want to level the playing field. After all, it won't be as much fun if it's too one-sided." He hesitated. "Ok, it will still be fun watching you get utterly destroyed, but it'll be even more fun if the odds were more even. And besides, why deprive myself of the thrill of watching you race against time."

EmperorGreymon scoffed again. "Yeah, right. You're just trying to trick is. We can't trust you!"

"No," Imperialdramon said quietly. "We have to."

Everyone looked at him. "What?" Omnimon asked.

The dragon Digimon's eyes narrowed. "Believe me, after the way I was tricked by Laylamon, I'm the last one who would ever trust a Demon Lord," he glanced at Boltboutamon, "or one who works for them. But remember what AncientWisemon told us before he died? We have to trust Boltboutamon, even when every fiber of our beings tells us not to."

The demon Digimon's grin widened. "Yes, trust me."

Ignoring Boltboutamon, Omnimon looked at Imperialdramon. "You actually believe him?"

The dragon Digimon stomped his foot. "Of course not. I would never believe Boltboutamon." He sighed in resignation. "But I do believe AncientWisemon. I told OmniShoutmon before, I learned to listen to those older and wiser than me, and not stubbornly think that I know better about things I don't understand. If AncientWisemon thinks we should trust Boltboutamon on this, then no matter how much I think otherwise, I believe him."

The others were silent at this as Boltboutamon looked on in amusement. Gallantmon looked at his friends before stomping throwing up his arms. "Guys, just think about this. Can we really take a chance that Boltboutamon won't try something? AncientWisemon may know everything, but it doesn't mean he's right about everything. If he knows all possible futures, then he must know of futures where Boltboutamon is going to trick us here. What if AncientWisemon' judgment is wrong and this is one of those futures?"

A OmniShoutmon let out a frustrated groan. "No, he's right. We have to trust AncientWisemon. Even in the battle with ChaosGallantmon and Raidenmon, I almost used the Fractal Code he gave me instead of waiting, and if I had, then we would all be in big trouble right now rather than at full power."

A snicker escaped Boltboutamon. "You see. You can trust me. Listen to AncientWisemon."

Omnimon let out an irritated sigh. "We don't have a choice. We have to chance it." He pointed his sword at Boltboutamon. "But if you mess with us, we'll destroy you."

The demon Digimon laughed. "I would certainly like to see you try. But we'll have to save that for another time. If you survive your encounter with Barbamon that is. Battlefield Remover!"

He snapped his fingers and a portal appeared. Flashing a grin at the DigiDestined, he gave them a come hither motion with his finger. "Follow me to the Demon Lord of Greed. This outta be fun."

He backed into the portal. It remained open for them, big enough to fit even Imperialdramon. The DigiDestined stood before it with an ominous feeling.

"I hope we're not making a huge mistake," Omnimon stated.

Taking a deep breath, he charged forward into the portal, and the others followed.

Notes:

(A/N: Dun, dun, dun. What's going to happen? Is Boltboutamon really trustworthy? Like Gallantmon pointed out, AncientWisemon may know everything, but it doesn't mean he's right about everything. And even if he is, it will still be up to our heroes to get to Barbamon in time. If they don't, will they be able to defeat Armamon? So many question. Find out what happens in two weeks.)

Chapter 157: The Awakening

Notes:

(A/N: We're getting down to it. Barbamon is on his way to awaken Armamon, and our heroes are forced to put their trust in Boltboutamon of all people to get them there in time. Have they made the worst mistake of their lives, or is Boltboutamon actually going to be trustworthy for a change. Even if he is, will they still be in time to stop Armamon's awakening. Read on to find out.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 157: The Awakening

Shark-like teeth were visible as Barbamon grinned broadly, making his way down the hall. It was hard to believe that the mighty weapon Digimon had been hidden away down here all this time. He had spent so much time searching, and now his goal was in sight. With Armamon at his command, no one would be able to stop him.

It was ironic that the humans who opposed him and his fellow Demon Lords had indirectly allowed him to find Armamon. Had they not offended Snatchmon, then the alien Digimon might not have found and turned over the keycards. Had they not gotten involved with the Kogamon and Ninjamon, things might have gone wrong with his plan with Asuramon and he might not have gotten hold of the scrolls. And had it not been for AncientWisemon's desire to help them, he might not have captured the mutant Digimon and tortured the location out of him.

Yes, he would have to thank the humans for their help, and he planned to do that by showing them the type of power they had allowed him to get ahold of, and then use it to crush them.

As he walked along, the hall soon opened up to an enormous cavern. Everything in it, from the ceiling to the floor, was made of crystal. And in the center of the cavern, encased inside a giant crystal protruding from the ground, was the weapon Digimon he sought.

"Armamon," he whispered as he approached the giant crystal. "At last we meet."

He held out his staff and tapped it against the crystal. "You've been sealed away for so long. Such a tragic and unforgivable act. If a weapon's not wielded, then it's useless." He chuckled. "But I plan to make very good use of you."

Stepping back, he looked up at the weapon Digimon. He held up his staff, and began to gather his dark power. "Awakened by a demon, and he shall destroy the world. I, Barbamon, the Demon Lord of Greed, call to you now. Armamon, I command you, awaken!"

He stomped his staff on the ground. A wave of dark energy flowed out of it and across the floor. It reached the crystal encasing Armamon and flowed over it. A few seconds after the wave passed, the crystal cracked.

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

Parallelmon whirled around as a portal appeared. His gaze darted over to the doorway Barbamon had gone through, then back to the portal. A few moments later, Boltboutamon stepped through it, and the mutant Digimon's lone eye narrowed.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded.

The demon Digimon's grin spread wider across his face. "Oh, don't worry about me. I'm just here for the show."

Parallelmon cocked his head to the side. "Show?"

A few moments later, the DigiDestined emerged from the portal. They looked around in mild surprise, half expecting Boltboutamon to have created a portal to the bottom of the ocean or something.

Parallelmon took a step back in surprise, then rounded on Boltboutamon furiously. "You brought them here! Traitor!"

One of Boltboutamon's rapiers suddenly appeared and impaled Parallelmon straight through the head, bursting out of the back. The mutant Digimon's body tensed up at the impalement as Boltboutamon sneered at him. "I'm no traitor. I've always been loyal… to myself. The only one I've ever been loyal to."

Incoherent speech escaped Parallelmon before his hand suddenly shot out. It landed on the top of a pedestal protruding from the ground and swiped across the surface. What seemed to be cards went flying from it, and a loud rumbling noise was heard. The large plateau Parallelmon had been standing in front of began to tremble, and a rock wall rose up, sealing off the cave-like entrance to it.

"Long live… the Demon… Lor…"

That was all Parallelmon managed to say before he dissolved into data. An amused chuckle escaped Boltboutamon before he turned to the DigiDestined with a grin. "Well now, that's a bit of a dilemma for you. I took you this far, but you're on your own from here on out. Goodbye for now, little humans. Do give me a good show."

He suddenly placed his gun to his temple and fired. Boltboutamon burst into data, revealing that he had been nothing more than one of his copies. It was an unsettling sight, but the DigiDestined didn't have time to dwell on the demon Digimon's disturbing nature. They looked up at the plateau where the cave entrance had once been before Gallantmon slowly approached.

"That was the entrance to where Armamon is being kept, wasn't it?" Bending down, he picked up one of the cards that had been scattered. "And these must be the keycards that Argomon was initially after."

"Yeah, for Barbamon," EmperorGreymon growled.

Gallantmon turned the card around and raised an eyebrow. "Um, how come there's a picture of a Digimon on here?"

"What?" Seraphimon asked.

The knight Digimon nodded. "Yeah, it's like a trading card of some kind. Though the back looks like the surface of a computer chip or something."

He looked at the pedestal; and walked over to it, the others soon joining. On the surface, there seemed to be nine square spots where the cards could go. The top three spots each had a single star while the second three had two and the last had three. Above the spots with the single star were the images of a lion, a centaur, and a monkey. To the left of the nine spots were three dots arranged in a triangle position, and on the other side was the picture of what seemed to be a ruler and protractor.

"So the keycards must go here," Omnimon noted, pointing at the square spots. "That must open the entrance."

"Quick, everyone, gather the cards," said Ophanimon C.

It didn't take them long to find all nine, as Parallelmon hadn't scattered them that far. When they were all gathered up, they noted that each of the keycards had a different Digimon on them.

"I guess we have to figure out which card goes where," said EmperorGreymon, stating the obvious. "But how do we know which one goes where?"

"The scrolls!" Seraphimon exclaimed. "The Kogamon and Ninjamon scrolls that tell how to use them. Anyone see them anywhere?"

Gallantmon shook his head. "Not me."

OmniShoutmon looked at the plateau. "Barbamon probably took them with him so now one else could follow should Parallelmon need to close the entrance."

"Figures," Imperialdramon grumbled. He looked down at the pedestal. "I guess we'll just have to try a bunch of different combinations until we get the order right."

The others all gave him a peculiar look. "Are you serious?" EmperorGreymon growled. "Do you have any idea just how many combinations can be made with nine cards and nine spots to put them in? We'll be here forever; certainly long enough for Barbamon to awaken Armamon."

Feeling foolish, Imperialdramon held up his hand to the plateau. "Then forget the cards. Let's just blast our way through. Super Positron Laser!"

He fired a beam at the entrance. It blasted against the plateau, and pieces went flying, but much to the dragon Digimon surprise, he hadn't been able to blast open an entrance. Instead, a different type of material seemed to be beneath the rocky outer layer of the plateau.

"Hmm," OmniShoutmon muttered. He flew over to the plateau and scratched off some more of the rock to reveal more of the material beneath it. "It looks like this plateau is actually made of Chrome Digizoid beneath the rocky outer surface. This stuff is so hard and so strong that it's practically indestructible. Only other Chrome Digizoid will be able to scratch it, and there's only one Digimon that possesses Chrome Digizoid."

Imperialdramon shoulders sank. "Well, that sucks."

"Then maybe we should just leave it," Gallantmon suggested. "Let both Barbamon and Armamon rot in there."

"Don't be naïve," OmniShoutmon growled. "There wouldn't be a way in but no way out. That's just stupid."

"Then we need to hurry up and figure out this card combination," said Seraphimon, looking down at the keycards. "Something about the Digimon on these cards must go with the shapes and patterns on the pedestal."

"I agree," Omnimon replied, looking the pedestal over. "Gallantmon, you know a lot about anime and gaming and stuff. Especially Pokemon stuff. If anyone can figure this out, it's you."

Gallantmon blinked. "Me?"

"He's right," Imperialdramon agreed. "Pokemon isn't so different from Digimon. They're both monsters with special attacks that evolve, and each has an element and stuff. Come on, use that gamer knowledge of yours."

Gallantmon was still surprised by the request, but decided to give it a shot. "Um, ok, I'll try. Uh, but first, OmniShoutmon, tell me as much as you can about each of the Digimon on the cards."

For the next several minutes, OmniShoutmon did just that. The Digimon on the cards included Gomamon, Elecmon, Gazimon, Unimon, Drimogemon, Kuwagamon, Andromon, Digitamamon, and ShogunGekomon. OmniShoutmon gave Gallantmon a description on each, including their type, element, level, attribute, species, family, attacks, previous and next Digivolutions, and a brief bio on them in general.

"That's about it," he concluded. "Any more will become a breakdown of the individual Digimon on a personal level rather than a species as a while."

"Hmm," Gallantmon muttered, and began studying the pedestal. After a minute or two, he reached a conclusion. "Ok, I think I have it."

EmperorGreymon looked up from drawing on the ground with his sword. "You got it?"

Gallantmon nodded. "Yeah, I think so. Look here. These marking on the pedestal seem to hint to the Digimon on the cards' level and attribute and type. Using this, we can appropriately place each card in the correct slot."

Omnimon studied the pedestal and the cards. "You really think that's it?"

"Makes sense to me," OmniShoutmon replied. "Only one way to find out."

He arranged all the cards in the spots Gallantmon indicated. Once they were all in place, they took a step back and looked up at the plateau. Several seconds ticked by where nothing happened, and Gallantmon let out a disappointed sigh. "Sorry, guys, I guess I got it wrong."

"Don't worry about it," Ophanimon C told him. "You did better than any of…"

She trailed off as a rumbling began to emit from the plateau. Slowly, the rock wall began to open, revealing the entrance.

"It opened!" Imperialdramon exclaimed. "Gallantmon, you did it!"

"Yeah, way to put that gamer knowledge to use," EmperorGreymon congratulated.

The knight Digimon bashfully rubbed the back of his head. "And my parents said that video games would never help me in real life."

"Come on," said OmniShoutmon. "There may still be time to stop Barbamon."

They charged into the plateau and began running down a long hallway that angled down into the ground. The hallway was big, but Imperialdramon still had to crouch down as they hurried along, and was grateful when the room opened into a much larger cavern that seemed to be made entirely of crystal.

"Whoa," he muttered, looking around. "This place would make quite the tourist attraction."

"And look at the centerpiece," said Seraphimon. "That's got to be Armamon."

They hurried over to the giant crystal and looked up at the weapon Digimon sealed inside. Armamon resembled a giant, powerful-looking robot whose lower body almost looked like a sword. His eyes were closed as he continued to slumber in his crystal prison. A prison that, much to the DigiDestined's alarm, was covered in cracks. Already chunks had broken off and fallen to the floor, and another crack suddenly appeared across it.

"Damn, it looks like we're too late," Omnimon growled. "His prison is breaking apart. Barbamon must have begun the awakening process."

Ophanimon C looked around. "Where is Barbamon anyway?"

"Forget about him for now," said EmperorGreymon. "OmniShoutmon, is there a way to stop the waking process?"

OmniShoutmon considered Armamon's prison. "I don't know. I guess we could try to-"

A stream of fire flew in front of him as he took a step towards Armamon. Barbamon suddenly floated down from up above, having been lurking in the shadows. "You can't stop anything. Armamon will soon be free."

"Oh, great," Imperialdramon grumbled. "I thought you flew the coop."

The Demon Lord took note of Imperialdramon's Paladin Mode form, but didn't seem to be bothered by it. "And I'm surprised you didn't, but you humans are very stubborn. No matter, this will save me the trouble of hunting you down."

"We're not going to let you do this!" Gallantmon declared.

Barbamon threw his head back and laughed. "Oh, it's far too late to stop me. But let's play a little game. Let's see if you can survive long enough against me to see Armamon in all his destructive glory. Pandemonium Lost!"

An explosion of fire straight out of the Dark Area erupted from his body. The DigiDestined leapt away, fleeing from the fiery blast as it covered the area. Barbamon sneered at them as the explosion died down, and Omnimon flew forward. "Supreme Cannon!"

He fired several times, shooting off explosive ice balls. Barbamon used his staff to knock them away, then used his Dark Inferno, shooting dark fire from his staff at the knight Digimon.

"Dragon Soul Sword!" EmperorGreymon cried, flying past Omnimon and cutting through the stream of fire with his sword. He swiped at the Demon Lord, but Barbamon blocked with his staff.

"Staff beats sword," he commented.

"Purgatory Sword Dance!"

EmperorGreymon began rapidly swiping about. Barbamon easily blocked each blow before whacking him with his Greedy Wand. EmperorGreymon went flying backwards, but managed to fire off his Dragonfire Crossbow. Barbamon held up his hand, and the fire arrow exploded against it.

"Impressive," he casually admitted, glancing at his slightly scorched hand. "That packed more power than I thought."

"Then how about this!" Gallantmon shouted. "Crimson Light!"

He threw his spear above Barbamon. A beam came down at the Demon Lord, but Barbamon took off, avoiding it. Seraphimon used his Hallowed Ascension, and lighting began raining down around Barbamon. He laughed as he flew about, dodging the lightning strikes. Ophanimon C surrounded herself with fire and rose up into the air. She cut Barbamon off with a wall of fire, and the Demon Lord pulled back. She fired her Shining Laser III at him, and he countered with his Dark Inferno, shooting dark fire from his staff that collided with her attack, causing an explosion.

Imperialdramon rose up behind him and used his Omni Sword, bringing it down on the Demon Lord. Barbamon whirled around and caught the glowing blade with one hand, much to the dragon Digimon's surprise. "What?"

Barbamon sneered. "This surprises you? Did you really think your Digivolution would make a difference?"

"Hyper Prominence!"

Imperialdramon's chest opened and he blasted Barbamon. The Demon Lord went flying backwards, but stopped his momentum, snarling at the dragon Digimon. "Insolent whelp!"

"Here's more insolence," OmniShoutmon decreed, appearing in front of him. "Twin Fireball Strike!"

Barbamon knocked the fireballs away, then used his staff to block OmniShoutmon's Doom Drillpress. Omnimon came at Barbamon from his other side and used his Transcendent Sword, but Barbamon's hand shot out and caught the blade. With both hands occupied, Ophanimon C used the opportunity to fly over and strike him with her Holy Slash.

Barbamon cried out as she slashed at his back with holy power. His face twisted into an angry sneer and he unleashed his Pandemonium Lost. Ophanimon C and OmniShoutmon used their Unicorn Shield and Heavy Metal Vulcan to defend against the explosion, but Omnimon had no such barrier abilities and instead felt the full force of the attack as all three were blasted back.

"Justice Genome!" Seraphimon cried, amplifying his Light attacks. "Hallowed Knuckle!"

Barbamon looked down as the balls of light came at him. He used his staff to bat them away as Imperialdramon flew above him and brought down his sword. "Omni Sword!"

Barbamon pulled back, but not quite fast enough, while blocking Seraphimon's attacks, and the glowing blade cut his arm. The Demon Lord looked down at the tear in his sleeve and the cut on his arm before glaring at Imperialdramon.

"Ha!" the dragon Digimon declared. "Prepare to have your data reset."

Despite his irritation, Barbamon grinned at his words. "So sorry to disappoint you, but I haven't Digivolved with anyone or anything. Death Lure!"

Imperialdramon's entire body seized up as indescribable pain filled him. Barbamon's grin widened as the dragon Digimon's body vibrated with pain, but had to end his attack to avoid Gallantmon flying up and stabbing at him with his spear of light.

As Imperialdramon fell from the sky, Barbamon swung his staff. Gallantmon's spear burst into light particles upon contact. Gallantmon improvised by using his now free hand to grab Barbamon's beard and pull. The Demon Lord's eyes widened in surprise as he was yanked out of the sky. Gallantmon flew down to the ground and slammed Barbamon down.

"I always question why wizards have such long beards," he commented.

Barbamon picked his head up and thrust his staff out at the knight Digimon, using his Death Lure. Gallantmon's eyes bulged out as pain overwhelmed him, his body so tightly wound up that he couldn't even fall down.

"Strike of the Seven Stars!" Seraphimon cried, blasting Barbamon.

The Demon Lord was blown across the room, his beard ripping free of Gallantmon's clenched, iron grip, his staff skidding away from him. EmperorGreymon flew down towards the fallen Demon Lord, using his Soaring Flame Edge. Barbamon held up his hand, and his staff flew into it. He brought it up to block EmperorGreymon's attack, sneering at the dragon Digimon. "Dark Inferno!"

EmperorGreymon jumped back as a stream of fire shot out of Barbamon's staff. The Demon Lord got to his feet and rose into the air. He shot more fire after EmperorGreymon, who flew along the ground as the stream of fire followed him.

"Omni Core Fusion!" OmniShoutmon cried, firing his attack at the Demon Lord.

Barbamon glanced in his direction and stopped shooting fire to whack the Omnimon shaped aura with his staff, causing it to disperse. OmniShoutmon's Victorize Banking attack was right behind it though, and it blasted against the Demon Lord.

Seraphimon flew in and began slashing at Barbamon with his Excalibur. Ophanimon C joined him, lashing out with her javelin. The three did a type of dance in the air as Barbamon blocked and dodged the attacks before knocking Seraphimon away with his Greedy Wand and turning his full attention to Ophanimon C. "Dark Inferno!"

"Unicorn Shield!

Barbamon's fire pushed Ophanimon C back, her barrier lasting only a few seconds before it shattered. She wrapped her own flames around herself before Barbamon's hit her, resulting in an explosion that sent her flying.

"Omni Torpedo!" OmniShoutmon cried, flying into the Demon Lord. Barbamon caught him though and threw him into the wall.

EmperorGreymon stabbed his sword into the ground and unleashed his Pyro Dragons. The streams of dragon-headed fire flew up towards the Demon Lord. He flew down to meet them, lashing out with his staff and claws to cause them to disperse, then headed for EmperorGreymon.

Improvising, EmperorGreymon leapt up and grabbed Barbamon, surprising the Demon Lord. He turned them around and slammed him down beside his sword, just before the ground exploded. They were both launched into the air, and Barbamon's hand shot out, grasping EmperorGreymon's face.

"Quite resourceful," he commented, before overpowering the dragon Digimon and bringing him crashing to the ground. "But still mediocre."

He kicked EmperorGreymon across the room, grinning at the sound of the dragon Digimon hitting the wall. He pointed his staff at him, preparing to unleash his Dark Inferno, when an explosive ice ball hit his side.

Looking in the direction the attack had come from, he saw Omnimon, still smoking from having been caught in the fiery explosion of his Pandemonium Lost. Scorch marks covered his body, and his cape had been completely burned to ash.

Barbamon grinned. "You're looking a little singed there, my friend. Was the heat too much for you?" He chuckled. "Actually, I'm surprised you're able to stand at all after taking my strongest attack head-on like that."

"He's not the only one standing," said Gallantmon as he and Imperialdramon joined the knight Digimon. Tremors shook their bodies from the still lingering affects of Barbamon's Death Lure. Physically, they hadn't been harmed from the attack, but the level of pain they had experienced was damaging in its own right.

Barbamon laughed. "Standing? More like struggling not to keel over. Just look at your legs shake. Was my Death Lure too much for you?"

"We'll pay that back tenfold," Gallantmon growled. "For everyone you used that attack on. No one should ever experience that level of agony."

The Demon Lord's grin just widened. "Pain is a very good teacher. Especially when trying to make one submit."

"We don't have time for small talk," Omnimon growled. "Just blast him. Double Shot!"

"Super Positron Laser!"

"Final Justice!"

"Dark Inferno!"

Their three attacks flew at Barbamon's, meeting in the middle of the room in a stalemate. The cavern shook from the intensity as bolts of energy flew out of the meeting points. Barbamon laughed and began to expel more power, pushing the others' attacks back. Then Ophanimon C and OmniShoutmon landed beside their friends and added their Shining Laser III and Flame Cannon to the mix, stopping Barbamon's attack from pushing theirs back.

Barbamon growled in irritation, and was suddenly blasted in the back from up above. He looked over his shoulder to see Seraphimon launch his Strike of the Seven Stars over and over again, each blast causing his attack to falter more and more.

Letting out an aggravated cry, he unleashed his Pandemonium Lost, his fiery explosion erupting outward, pushing away the DigiDestined's attacks. Fortunately, the blast radius didn't reach them, but they still recoiled from the shockwave.

Flying out of the explosion, Barbamon went after Seraphimon since the angel Digimon was all alone. Holding out his staff, he tapped him with it and used his Death Lure. Seraphimon's body tensed up in agony, but, fortunately, it didn't last long as Barbamon immediately flew at the others. Using his Greedy Wand, he struck Omnimon, Gallantmon, then OmniShoutmon, jumping from one to the other. He leapt at Ophanimon C next, repeating the attack, but she managed to block it with her Unicorn Shield. Barbamon immediately followed this up with his Dark Inferno, and the stream of fire forced its way through her barrier and pushed her back.

"Imperial Claw!" Imperialdramon cried, slashing at Barbamon.

The Demon Lord leapt out of the way of the attack and flew up at Imperialdramon. A kick to the head knocked the dragon Digimon to the ground, and Barbamon landed on his chest.

"You betrayed your friends before," he stated plainly. "Let's see if you'll do it again. Hypnosis!"

He pointed his staff at the dragon Digimon, and Imperialdramon felt a dark presence begin to invade his mind, forcing its will on him. It didn't take a genius to figure out whose will it was, and Imperialdramon fought back with everything he had.

"Resistance is futile," Barbamon told him. "My Hypnosis allows me to control all evil beings."

Imperialdramon's claws dug at the crystal ground before forming into a fist. "I am… not evil!"

He threw a punch, his fist slamming into the Demon Lord and knocking him away. Barbamon snarled as he stopped his momentum and turned back to Imperialdramon, only to be blasted back by his Super Positron Laser. The beam pushed him back until he hit the wall, and he dropped to the ground when the attack ceased. He barely got to his feet before a fireball from Ophanimon C's Volcano Napalm hit the ground beneath him and erupted into a pillar of fire.

"Nice shot," Imperialdramon commented to Ophanimon C as she and the others regrouped.

"Thanks," she replied and looked around. "Where's Seraphimon?"

"I'm here," her fellow angel Digimon called, crawling over to them as he tried to stop his body from trembling. "I never felt anything so painful in my life. I can't stop shaking."

"You're preaching to the choir, pal," Gallantmon replied. "That Death Lure attack is agonizing. You'll stop shaking in a bit."

"At least it doesn't physically damage us," said Imperialdramon. He looked at Omnimon. "But you're looking a little crispy there, Omnimon. Heaven's Light!"

His healing power flowed over the knight Digimon, healing his burns, and even regenerating his cape. Omnimon let out a sigh of relief as the pain faded. "Thanks for that. Burns are the worst." He looked back at the Demon Lord. "I bet Barbamon feels the same."

The pillar of fire suddenly burst open, and the Demon Lord reappeared, baring his fangs. "You humans are more irritating than I anticipated. I guess I've been going too easy on you."

"Feel free to keep doing that," Gallantmon commented.

This made Barbamon chuckle. "Do you actually think you can win? This isn't even a battle. It's a punishment, and I see I need to make it more severe."

OmniShoutmon took a fighting stance. "Get ready, I think he's about to get serious."

EmperorGreymon gave him an incredulous look. "You mean he wasn't serious before?"

Barbamon laughed mockingly "You ignorant humans continue to underestimate the Demon Lords. I think it's time I show you just what you're up against."

"Bring it on, Gandalf!" Gallantmon cried.

"Yeah, we're gonna Avada Kedavra you, Dumbledore," Imperialdramon added.

EmperorGreymon gave him a look. "Really?"

"What? I wanted to make an old wizard joke too."

Barbamon pointed his staff at them. "Prepare yourselves, humans. Now it's time for you…"

He trailed off as the entire cavern began trembling. The DigiDestined looked around worriedly, afraid that the cavern might be caving in. But nothing happened; the walls and ceiling remained intact and undamaged, aside from what had been sustained during the battle.

A loud crumbling sound was heard, drawing everyone's attention, and they all looked towards Armamon. The crystal surrounding the weapon Digimon was covered in countless cracks and was rapidly crumbling apart as Armamon began to move inside it.

Barbamon's mouth twisted into an enormous grin. "Finally! It's happening! Armamon has awakened!"

Notes:

(A/N: It's happening. Armamon is waking up. But your probably figured out that would happen. Now out heroes have to deal with Barbamon and Armamon. How will they make it out of this one? Find out in two week's time.)

Chapter 158: The Ultimate Weapon

Notes:

(A/N: Alrighty then. So, last time our heroes were caught up in a battle with Barbamon while trying to prevent him from awakening Armamon. They were having a bit of trouble with him, which makes sense since he's the third strongest Demon Lord, and it seems that they ran out of time. Armamon is waking up, and that certainly doesn't bode well for our heroes. Is the legend true? Now that Armamon was awoken be a demon, will he really destroy the world, or is there still hope? Find out... now.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 158: The Ultimate Weapon

The last of the crystal casing fell away, and Armamon's jet-like wings activated, expelling pure energy that kept him afloat. His eyes opened for the first time in countless millennia and began surveying the room.

Next to the DigiDestined, OmniShoutmon began hyperventilating as the weapon Digimon hovered forward. "This is bad. This is so very bad. Now that Armamon is awake, he'll never stop."

"Calm down," Ophanimon C told him. "This doesn't mean we've lost. This was predicted by AncientWisemon, remember? That must mean that we still have a chance."

The dragon Digimon glared at her. "Or we were meant to stop Barbamon before he woke up Armamon, but we screwed that up and now it's too late."

Seraphimon considered this, thinking about his own reading. AncientWisemon had predicted that he would sacrifice himself to save his friends. If that sacrifice was going to happen here, then it still meant that they should be able to defeat Armamon, even if he didn't survive.

"Don't worry," he told OmniShoutmon, "we still have a chance. We can still win."

"I should certainly like to see you try," Barbamon taunted, flying over to Armamon. "You humans have no idea what you're messing with."

"Wouldn't be the first time," Gallantmon called back.

The Demon Lord chuckled. "If held by an angel, will save the world, if held by a demon, will destroy it. So the legend states." He pointed his staff at the DigiDestined. "Begin with them."

Armamon turned to face the DigiDestined as Barbamon hovered by his shoulder. They had to admit, the weapon Digimon was indeed very intimidating, and they took defensive stances as they stood before him.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Gallantmon muttered.

"No time for Star Wars references," Imperialdramon replied. "We've got a difficult battle ahead of us."

Barbamon laughed. "No, you have a difficult death ahead of you. Armamon will completely obliterate you so that there isn't even a trace of you le-"

His words got caught in his throat as the air was squeezed out of him. Armamon's hand had cone up to grasp the Demon Lord's lower body. Scowling, Barbamon pointed his staff at the weapon Digimon.

"Armamon," he snapped, "what do you think you're doing? Release me this instant! I said release meeeeee!"

His command turned into a wail as his entire body pixilated. His cry soon faded out as he began glowing and then suddenly transformed. In place of the Demon Lord, Armamon now held a large sword with a handle shaped like bat-wings.

The DigiDestined gasped in surprise. "He…" Ophanimon C sputtered, "he just… What? He turned Barbamon into a sword?"

"OmniShoutmon, what is this?" Omnimon demanded. "What happened?"

The dragon Digimon's eyes were wide with shock. "I don't believe it. He did a force DigiFuse on Barbamon. I really don't believe it."

"Does that mean Barbamon's dead?" EmperorGreymon asked hopefully.

OmniShoutmon shook his head and pointed. "No, he's still alive, inside the sword. He is the sword. Meaning that sword now has Barbamon's power."

"So we should be extra careful not to get hit by it," said Imperialdramon.

"Rather ironic," Seraphimon muttered. "He intended to use Armamon as a weapon, but instead is getting used as a weapon himself. Maybe the legend got mistranslated or something over the years."

Armamon swiped his new sword, sending out a shockwave that caused the DigiDestined to skid back.

"I'm really not liking our odds," Gallantmon grumbled. "Maybe we should retreat."

"And let Armamon run wild?" Ophanimon C exclaimed. "No way."

OmniShoutmon let out a frustrated groan. "Ordinarily, I'd agree with Gallantmon, but this could be our only chance to defeat Armamon. He's just woken up after being sealed away for thousands of years; he's not going to be in top form."

"That's a good point," EmperorGreymon agreed. "Let's take this guy out."

As if sensing that they were about to charge, Armamon pointed his new sword at them. The DigiDestined flew towards him, Seraphimon taking the lead with an extra burst of speed as he began repeatedly punching out balls of light with his Hallowed Knuckle. Armamon swung his sword at him, and Seraphimon flew straight up to avoid it while blasting him with his Strike of the Seven Stars.

Armamon looked up at him, and Seraphimon unleashed his Hallowed Ascension. Armamon held up an arm to cover his head as lightning rained down on him. A moment later, OmniShoutmon used his Omni Core Fusion attack, knocking Armamon back, followed by the dragon Digimon plowing himself into him with his Omni Torpedo.

Armamon grabbed OmniShoutmon and slammed him to the ground, then was distracted by EmperorGreymon hitting him with his Dragonfire Crossbow. Armamon glanced at the dragon Digimon and swung his sword. EmperorGreymon swung his as well, and the two blades met. The force of the weapons meeting knocked EmperorGreymon's sword right out of his hands, the force sending him crashing into the wall.

"Final Justice!" Gallantmon cried, blasting Armamon's lower body as he flew by close to the ground, followed by Omnimon who used his Supreme Cannon.

"Volcano Napalm!" Ophanimon C cried, throwing a fireball as she passed right behind the other two, and a pillar of fire rose up beneath the weapon Digimon.

Releasing OmniShoutmon, Armamon retreated from the flames. Then Imperialdramon was on him, using his Omni Sword attack. Armamon's own sword came up and blocked the dragon Digimon's swipe, and even though Imperialdramon was nearly twice the size of Armamon, the weapon Digimon held him back almost easily.

"Shining Laser II!" Ophanimon C cried, firing a beam at Armamon.

With a shove, Armamon sent Imperialdramon clear across the cavern, then turned to the angel Digimon, swinging his sword. It cut through Ophanimon C's beam, causing it to disperse. He then swiped at the angel Digimon, and she quickly generated a barrier with her Unicorn Shield. Each impact of the sword caused her barrier to fracture more and more until it finally shattered.

"Rainbow Hand!" Armamon cried, holding up his free hand, and a beam of light flew from it, blasting against Ophanimon C and carrying her across the cavern.

She hit the wall and fell to the floor, groaning in pain. She attempted to get up, but was suddenly hit by an intense wave of drowsiness, and dropped back down, fast asleep.

"Kari!" Omnimon shouted, using her real name. He flew at Armamon. "What did you do to her?"

Armamon turned to him. "Malkhut Crystal!"

A crystal appeared in front of him, and a beam flew out of it. It struck Omnimon, and the knight Digimon cried out. A second beam flew out of the crystal, this one hitting Armamon, but it was clearly not harming him.

"No!" OmniShoutmon exclaimed, forcing himself up. "Omni Torpedo!"

He sped towards Omnimon, crashing into him and knocking him out of the beam's path. Both beams faded and the crystal disappeared, and Armamon turned his attention to Gallantmon as the knight Digimon unleashed his Crimson Light.

"Sorry about that," OmniShoutmon told Omnimon. "His Malkhut Crystal drains energy from an opponent while healing him."

"Where's Kari?" Omnimon demanded, not caring about himself.

He looked down to where he had seen Ophanimon C fall. Seraphimon was beside her, holding her in his arms. Omnimon called her name, but OmniShoutmon held him back. "It's ok, she's fine. Armamon's Rainbow Hand attack has a powerful sleep inducing side affect that puts opponents to sleep."

Armamon suddenly burst free of Gallantmon's beam and flew at the knight Digimon. Gallantmon created and held up his swords of light in an X form in front of him as Armamon brought his sword down. The impact caused both Gallantmon's swords to disperse and sent him crashing into the wall.

"Super Positron Laser!" Imperialdramon cried, blasting the weapon Digimon.

Armamon turned to him and flew in his direction. Imperialdramon used his Splendor Blade, creating a sword of light in his left hand while wielding his Omni Sword in his right. He flew towards Armamon, and their swords clashed. They held each other back for a few moments before breaking out in a vicious sword fight.

Seraphimon turned away from the battle and looked down at Ophanimon C. He shook her, but she didn't wake up. "Come on, Ophanimon, we need you to wake up. Please, we need you."

But she didn't awaken. A groan escaped Seraphimon before he reluctantly raised his hand. He hesitated for a few moments before bringing his hand down and slapping her cheek.

A gasp came from Ophanimon C as she woke up with a start, and Seraphimon sighed in relief. "You're awake. Thank goodness."

She sat up on her own. "What happened?"

"Armamon's attack had a sleep inducing affect."

Her hand came up to touch her stinging cheek. "Did you slap me?"

He winced. "I'm sorry. You know I'd never hit a girl, but you weren't waking up, and I didn't know what else to do."

"You should have slapped me sooner," she said as she stood up, lifting her helmet to rub the sleep from her eyes. "Let's go."

They flew towards Armamon as he fought with Imperialdramon. Despite having two weapons, the dragon Digimon was on the defense. Then Armamon suddenly threw a punch that knocked Imperialdramon back. Holding up his hand, he used his Rage Flame, unleashing a burst of fire that pushed Imperialdramon back into the wall.

"Supreme Cannon!"

"Victorize Banking!"

"Strike of the Seven Stars!"

"Air Sefirot Crystal!"

The four attacks hit Armamon, and he turned to them. Holding up his hand, he fired his Flame Rage attack again. Ophanimon C flew forward, sending her flames out all around. Armamon's attack made contact with them, and the flames seemed to burn each other out.

"Pyro Dragons!" EmperorGreymon cried, stabbing his sword into the ground.

The dragon-headed streams of fire rose up and flew towards Armamon. The weapon Digimon looked around at them. Those that remained latched onto the weapon Digimon, and Ophanimon C used her Call Draman attack. A dragon of fire appeared and breathed a stream of fire on Armamon, covering him with fire.

Ripping his sword-wielding arm free of the dragon-head that held it, Armamon swiped his sword, severing the remaining three. He then turned to the Ophanimon C's dragon and used his Sword Masquerade. Swiping his sword, he sent out a slash of energy that cut straight through the fire dragon, causing it to burn out.

The energy slash kept going, and Ophanimon C used her Unicorn Shield. The barrier shattered almost instantly, and she, Omnimon, Seraphimon, and OmniShoutmon were blasted into the wall.

The ground exploded beneath EmperorGreymon and he was launched into the air. He let out a battle cry as he swiped at Armamon. The weapon Digimon turned to him and blocked with his sword. EmperorGreymon unleashed his Purgatory Sword Dance, but Armamon blocked each and every combo move, and EmperorGreymon pulled back.

"Soaring Nine Headed Dragon Force!" he cried, summoning forth a dragon spirit.

Armamon didn't hesitate, and instead flew directly at the dragon spirit. He stabbed forward, impaling the dragon spirit on his sword, then destroying it completely with his Sword Masquerade.

Turning to EmperorGreymon, he used his Malkhut Crystal. Having seen what this attack had done before, EmperorGreymon countered with his Dragonfire Crossbow, shooting an explosive fire arrow from his sword that destroyed the crystal.

Armamon lunged forward, raising his sword, but was suddenly hit by Imperialdramon's Hyper Prominence, blasting him away. He crashed into the wall and dropped to the floor, and Gallantmon unleashed his Final Justice upon him.

"Hurry, attack while he's down!" Imperialdramon called to his friends.

But Omnimon, Seraphimon, Ophanimon C, and OmniShoutmon were hovering about, looking lost. OmniShoutmon put a hand to his head, seemingly having trouble focusing. "Armamon's… attack. Confuses causing."

Imperialdramon took that to mean that Armamon's Sword Masquerade caused confusion, and this seemed to be supported as he saw Seraphimon punch his own reflection in the crystal wall and Omnimon fire his Supreme Cannon at Ophanimon C, fortunately missing. He swore as he saw the weapon Digimon getting up despite Gallantmon firing his beam at him. EmperorGreymon flew in and began firing his Dragonfire Crossbow. Armamon in return fired his Rage Flame, and both Gallantmon and EmperorGreymon fled as the flames flew at them.

"Giga Crusher!" Imperialdramon cried, firing upon Armamon. The weapon Digimon swiped at the attack with his sword, but this only caused it to blow up in his face.

Imperialdramon didn't wait around, and instead flew up to his confused friends. "We don't have time for this. Snap out of it!"

One by one, he hit each of them over the head with the flat side of his sword. They each cried out in pain and grabbed their heads, but it seemed to clear up their confusion.

"Sorry," he said, "but I had to knock some sense into you guys and didn't have time to be nice about it."

"Everyone is hitting me today," Ophanimon C grumbled. "But it was the right call. I need to stop getting hit by attacks with side effects." She shook her head, clearing away the last traces of the confusion. "Where's Armamon?"

As if to answer, the weapon Digimon suddenly rose up behind Imperialdramon. The dragon Digimon turned around on reflex as Armamon swung his sword, the blade moving to cut him in half.

Just before Imperialdramon would have been sliced in two, he changed back to human form. The massive reduction in size caused the blade to miss him, and Davis fell from the sky. The others simultaneously attacked with their Double Shot, Shining Laser III, Strike of the Seven Stars, and Flame Cannon, the attacks pushing Armamon away.

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Imperialdramon Paladin Mode!" He flew up to rejoin the others. "Great, just wasted a bunch of power Spirit Evolving again."

"Better than getting cut in half," Ophanimon C replied.

Gallantmon and EmperorGreymon came over to join them. "Are we making any progress on this guy?" the former asked.

"Some," OmniShoutmon told him. "We are hurting him. And this would be a lot worse if he were at full power."

Armamon flew towards them, waving his sword. Omnimon glared at him. "It's bad enough as it is. Omega Sword!"

He flew at Armamon, and their swords clashed. The impact sent Omnimon flying into the wall as Ophanimon C flew in. She used her Holy Slash, swiping at Armamon with her javelin, making the weapon Digimon pull back. She followed up with her Holy Light III, and Armamon recoiled before blindly backhanding her.

Seraphimon circled overhead while firing his Hallowed Knuckle, and Armamon turned to him as the balls of light exploded against him. He raised his sword, and Imperialdramon flew forward, grabbing his arm. Armamon's fist began slamming into the dragon Digimon's side, and EmperorGreymon flew in and stabbed his sword into the weapon Digimon's arm. Armamon simply grabbed him and, holding the dragon Digimon in his fist, resumed punching Imperialdramon.

"Royal Saber!" Gallantmon cried, firing a blast of lightning at Armamon. The weapon Digimon stopped punching, and Imperialdramon pushed him back and slammed him into the wall, then delivered an Imperial Kick.

The collision caused Armamon to loosen his grip, and EmperorGreymon squirmed free. Armamon's now free hand came up and pressed against Imperialdramon's torso before he unleashed his Flame Rage. Imperialdramon cried out and released Armamon as the flames pushed him back.

"Malkhut Crystal!" Armamon cried, creating a crystal between him and Imperialdramon.

"Hallowed Ascension!" Seraphimon cried, bringing lightning down on Armamon, one of the bolts destroying the crystal.

Armamon fired his Sword Masquerade up at Seraphimon, but the angel Digimon flew around the blade of energy and sped towards the weapon Digimon. Armamon fired his Rainbow Hand at him, but OmniShoutmon flew in the attack's path and used his Heavy Metal Vulcan to block the attack.

When the firewall died down, he fired his Omni Core Fusion at Armamon as Seraphimon continued towards him, using his Excalibur. Armamon used his sword to cut through OmniShoutmon's attack, then blocked as Seraphimon swiped with his. He threw a punch, knocking the angel Digimon away, and pushed off the wall.

Ophanimon C took his place and threw her flaming javelin at the weapon Digimon. Armamon knocked it away with his sword, but it provided Ophanimon C with the opening she was going for. "Holy Destroy!"

She unleashed a beam of holy light that slammed into Armamon. The weapon Digimon put his hands up to defend himself as she turned to the dazed Seraphimon. "Go heal Imperialdramon. He got burned pretty badly."

Shaking away his daze, Seraphimon went to do just that. He found that the dragon Digimon was indeed badly burned all over from taking on Armamon's Rage Flame at such close range.

"That looks bad," he said. "Hold still. Perfect Revival!"

The tension visibly left Imperialdramon's body as his burns healed. "Thanks. It's a shame I don't have a self-healing ability. I mean, seriously, I can heal others but not myself? What gives?"

Seraphimon looked back at Armamon. "Let's see if we can get that sword away from him; that'll at least deprive him of Barbamon's power."

"I'm down for anything," Imperialdramon replied. "Still hard to believe that that sword is actually Barbamon. What do you think it feels like to be a sentient sword?"

"We'll discuss it later. Let's go."

Ophanimon C was still firing at Armamon, and the others had joined in, firing off their own attacks. Armamon then let out a mechanical sounding roar and lunged forward, slashing wildly. The DigiDestined backed off as Armamon moved away from the wall. He began using his Sword Masquerade while randomly swinging his sword at them.

Seraphimon used his Hallowed Ascension, and Armamon covered his head against the lightning. The angel Digimon flew in and fired his Strike of the Seven Stars. Armamon swiped at him, only to have his blade blocked by Imperialdramon's sword. Armamon pulled back and raised his sword to strike, and the dragon Digimon used his Imperial Kick. His foot hit Armamon's hand as he brought the blade down, and the sword went flying out of his hand.

"Hyper Prominence!" Imperialdramon cried, blasting the weapon Digimon back, and Armamon hit the wall.

"Malkhut Crystal!" Armamon cried.

Imperialdramon immediately retreated as the crystal manifested. It fired a beam, but upon hitting nothing, the crystal disappeared.

"Volcano Napalm!" Ophanimon C cried, throwing a ball of fire beneath Armamon that erupted into a pillar of fire that rose up and consumed him.

"Crimson Light!" Gallantmon cried, throwing a spear into the air that erupted into a beam that came down on Armamon.

Even trapped as he was between the two attacks, Armamon raised his hand at them. "Rainbow Hand!"

"Super Positron Laser!"

"Hard Rock Spirit!"

"Double Shot!"

"Final Justice!"

"Hallowed Knuckle!"

"Holy Destroy!"

"Dragonfire Crossbow!"

The DigiDestined's attacks pushed against Armamon's at a stalemate. The room began to shake, becoming more and more violent as the power intensified. They all knew it was only a matter of time before the power erupted.

Imperialdramon ceased his attack and used his Giga Crusher. The blast flew into the gathering of energy, and it exploded. The DigiDestined were sent flying from the shockwave before the blast reached them, but Armamon, pinned as he was, was consumed by it.

The DigiDestined crashed against the wall and fell to the floor, each of them emitting pained groans.

"Ow, I fell on something," EmperorGreymon muttered. He reached beneath him and pulled out a fragment of Armamon's crystal prison. "Oh."

"That was a pretty intense blast," said Seraphimon. "How much damage did we do?"

They forced themselves to get up and approached the still smoking blast site. The smoke slowly settled down to reveal Armamon on the ground, propped up against the wall.

"We stunned him," said Gallantmon. He glanced at OmniShoutmon. "I guess you were right about him not being in top form after so many years in capacity."

A loud hmph suddenly echoed through the room. "You humans really are nuisances. To think that you could actually damage the strongest of the Legend-Arms."

They all turned to find that the source of the voice was coming from Armamon's sword. Slowly, it rose up in the air.

"Did that sword just talk?" EmperorGreymon asked. "And is it floating?"

"We've seen weirder things," Imperialdramon pointed out.

OmniShoutmon's fist clenched. "It's Barbamon. His consciousness is inside the sword and must have gained control of it."

The sword continued to float in the air. "I miscalculated. All this time I was trying to control the ultimate weapon."

The sword suddenly shot across the room and came down over Armamon. It turned so the end of the blade was pointed at the weapon Digimon. "What I should have done was focus on trying to become the ultimate weapon."

The sword stabbed downward, directly into Armamon's chest. The DigiDestined let out shocked gasps, stunned that Barbamon would simply kill Armamon after all the time he spent looking for him, even if it was just to get his data.

Armamon's hand came up and grasped the handle of the sword. He hesitated though, as if trying to decide what to do with it. Then he began slowly pushing the sword deeper into his chest before, suddenly, he rammed it in to the hilt.

A wave of nausea hit Ophanimon C at the way Armamon had just impaled himself, but she found herself unable to look away. It was in that moment that she realized that the sword hadn't stabbed into him, rather, it had stabbed through him.

"Did he just commit suicide?" Imperialdramon exclaimed.

"Looks like it," Omnimon growled in disgust. "Brace yourselves, Barbamon is probably about to return to normal and absorb Armamon's data."

"Wait," said Ophanimon C. "Something's not right. Look at the stab wound. It's not a wound. The sword hasn't actually penetrated his body."

They looked and saw that she was right. There was no entrance wound, and the length of the sword should have come out his back, but it hadn't. The sword had gone into his body, but had not actually penetrated him. Rather, it was more like the blade had been absorbed into the weapon Digimon.

Bands of Fractal Code suddenly emerged from Armamon's body where the sword was. It began forming a cocoon around both him and the sword until both were obscured, and then it began to glow.

OmniShoutmon's eyes widened in horror. "By the Sovereigns, no!"

"Armamon/Barbamon DNA Digivolve to… OmegaArmamon Burst Mode!"

Notes:

(A/N: And things just got hit a whole new level of bad. Barbamon was bad. Armamon was worse. Now we've got OmegaArmamon, a combination of the two. And he's in Burst Mode. You know what that means. Beyond Mega power. If there's odds were slim before, how helpless are they now? Come back in two weeks to see what happens next.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/OmegaArmamon_Burst_Mode

Chapter 159: A Helpful Handicap

Notes:

(A/N: Not much to say today except hat I've got a bit of surprise for you all this chapter. Hope you like it.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 159: A Helpful Handicap

This had not been what the DigiDestined had been expecting. They'd thought that Barbamon was finished after Armamon had force DigiFused with him, and that once they defeated the weapon Digimon that it would be the end of the Demon Lord as well. But now, any hope of defeating Barbamon or Armamon seemed to be gone.

The Digimon called OmegaArmamon was far more intimidating than either Barbamon or Armamon. He resembled some kind of grand, ancient warrior, covered in ethereal armor and a long robe similar to Barbamon's tied around his waist. He had six arms, five of which wielded swords of different element types, including Fire, Ice, Thunder, Darkness, and a lance of Light that also seemed to double as a sword; his remaining hand containing spiked brace knuckle. Six other swords floated around him in a circle, and the fiery energy of his Burst Mode flowed around him wildly.

A trickling sound broke the DigiDestined's stupor and they looked at OmniShoutmon, then down at the puddle beneath him. EmperorGreymon glanced at the dragon Digimon in astonishment. "Did you just wet yourself?"

"We're doomed!" OmniShoutmon exclaimed, either completely ignoring the question or not hearing it. "It's over, finished! We're completely done for!"

"Calm down, OmniShoutmon," Imperialdramon told him. "Yeah, this is bad, but how bad can it be?"

OmniShoutmon pointed at the new weapon Digimon. "The third strongest Demon Lord and a Digimon so much more powerful than him that he was able to do a force DigiFuse and use him as a weapon just Digivolved together. You do the math!" He grasped his head. "If that wasn't bad enough, he's in Burst Mode, a form that's so rare and so strong that it surpasses the Mega level and is only supposed to last for a few minutes."

"Ok then," said Seraphimon. "We just have to last a few minutes until his Burst Mode runs out and then he'll revert, right?"

OmniShoutmon rapidly shook his head. "No! OmegaArmamon is a unique case! His Burst Mode doesn't have a time limit! He's in Burst Mode indefinitely!"

That was definitely bad news, and the DigiDestined could see why he was getting hysterical. Omnimon shook him to try to bring him back. "OmniShoutmon, get ahold of yourself."

"There's no way we can win," the dragon Digimon continued. "If there was a list of the top ten strongest Digimon, OmegaArmamon would be close to being on it. We can't beat him. We have to leave, now!"

He made a mad dash for the exit. Surprised, the DigiDestined flew after him. OmegaArmamon glanced in their direction and suddenly flew into their path, blocking the exit.

"And where are you going?" he asked almost mockingly. "You came here to stop me, didn't you? So stop me."

The DigiDestined backed up, feeling more than a little intimidated. Then Seraphimon took a chance, firing his Hallowed Knuckle. The ball of light struck OmegaArmamon, but he barely reacted. Seraphimon repeated the attack several more times, only to achieve the same result.

The weapon Digimon cocked his head to the side. "Is that all? Very well. Rage Demon Breath!"

He let out a powerful exhale. The gust of wind he unleashed hit the DigiDestined with such force that they immediately found themselves on the other side of the cavern, flattened against the wall.

"Ow!" Imperialdramon exclaimed. "What was that? Did he hit us with something invisible? No way that was just wind."

OmegaArmamon chuckled as he moved forward, floating through the air in a sitting position with his legs crossed. "Humans, you truly have no idea just how out of your league you are."

"This far!" EmperorGreymon declared. "Dragonfire Crossbow!"

He shot a fire arrow. One of the swords floating beside OmegaArmamon moved in front of him, blocking the attack. EmperorGreymon growled and stabbed his sword into the ground to unleash his Pyro Dragons. The dragon-headed streams of fire flew at OmegaArmamon, but the weapon Digimon lashed out with all his swords, slicing the streams of fire apart and causing them to disperse. The ground still exploded beneath EmperorGreymon launching him towards OmegaArmamon. Two of the swords came at him, forming an X, blocking his sword swipe before pushing the dragon Digimon back.

"Is this the limit of your power?" OmegaArmamon asked. "How very sad. I've wasted more than enough time on you. It's time for you to die."

He began floating towards them. The swords circling around him rose up and pointed at them. The DigiDestined would have backed away further had their backs not already been against the wall.

"OmniShoutmon, what are our chances?" Omnimon asked.

"Zero."

"No, really, what are our chances?" said Gallantmon.

"Zero!"

"But he just Digivolved, so he's not fully acclimated," Seraphimon pointed out. "And Armamon wasn't at full strength either from being sealed away for so long, plus we damaged both him and Barbamon."

"Seraphimon," OmniShoutmon growled, "I appreciate your hopeful attitude, but our chances are ze-ro. We can't win this fight. He's just too strong. Our only chance is to escape."

"There is no escape," OmegaArmamon declared. "Your meddling in our affairs is over. Not even Lucemon can stand against me now. This world is mine. And you are finished."

He raised his swords, and made to stab them, but before he could make a move, a portal opened between him and the DigiDestined. They all looked at it in surprise, wondering where it came from.

"Let's not end the game too early," said Boltboutamon as he stepped out of the portal. "There's still so much more fun to be had."

"You again?" Gallantmon snapped. "Can't you ever butt out?"

Grinning broadly, Boltboutamon twisted his body at an unnatural angle to look back at him. "Someone's being rude. And to think that I came to give you a handicap. This battle is a little too one-sided."

He snapped his fingers, and the portal expanded to a much larger size. Then, much to the astonishment of everyone present, Chronomon in his Holy Mode stepped through the portal.

"Chronomon!" the DigiDestined cried.

The bird Digimon glanced at them and smiled. "It is good to see you again, my friends. Ophanimon, I am glad to see that you have made use of the ChronoCore."

Imperialdramon looked back and forth between Chronomon and the demon Digimon that had brought him here. "Wait, did Boltboutamon just bring Chronomon here to help us?"

The demon Digimon snickered. "I simply leveled the playing field a bit. Like I said, it's no fun if the sides are too uneven. This will make this so much more interesting." He looked at OmegaArmamon and grinned. "Now the big guy here will actually have a challenge."

"Traitor!" OmegaArmamon declared, and swiped at Boltboutamon with a sword. The blade cut the demon Digimon clean in half, but the smile never left his face; it was clearly a copy.

"Fight on," the disappearing copy said. "Provide me a good show. This should be quite amusing."

As the last traces of the Boltboutamon copy dissolved away, OmegaArmamon turned his full attention to Chronomon. The bird Digimon took a step forward, looking ready for battle. OmegaArmamon, who was still floating in the air in a cross-legged position uncrossed his legs so he could now stand. All traces of his earlier mockery were gone, and he now looked serious.

OmniShoutmon dropped to his knees. "We're saved. I don't believe it. We're actually saved."

"Is Chronomon stronger than OmegaArmamon?" Ophanimon C asked hopefully.

"They're both around the same power range," the dragon Digimon replied. "Now we actually stand a chance."

"We'll see about that," OmegaArmamon declared, and lunged at Chronomon, swinging a sword. "Omega Death Blade!"

In a blur of movements, he swiped his swords at Chronomon, his electric sword flashing with an aura of electricity. The grin on OmniShoutmon's face vanished as he witnessed the barrage of sword attack. "That attack, however, can cause instant death if it hits."

There was no need to worry though, as Chronomon swiped his large wing-like hands though the air, knocking aside the initial swords that were swiped at him, but that still left the electrified sword coming down at him. Chronomon, however, showed surprising speed and flexibility, leaning back to allow the sword to pass over him. One of OmegaArmamon's other arms shot out though, but Chronomon whirled around, swinging his wing-like arms to knock the sword out of the way. He then stepped forward, throwing a punch that connected with OmegaArmamon's torso, knocking him back.

"Holy Flare!" Chronomon cried, firing a beam of light.

It slammed against the weapon Digimon, pushing him back. OmegaArmamon's swords came up, blocking the beam. Then he sped towards Chronomon, driving his knee into the bird Digimon's chest. Chronomon skidded backwards, and OmegaArmamon used his Rage Demon Breath, blowing him back even more.

"Infinity Sword Rain!" OmegaArmamon cried, and the six swords floating around him flew at the bird Digimon.

Chronomon did some fancy hand movements, knocking the swords aside. OmegaArmamon then used his Ice and Fire attack, swiping with his swords of Ice and Fire. A blade of subzero energy and one of fire flew out of the swords and at Chronomon. The bird Digimon leapt up and flew towards the weapon Digimon, plowing into him.

OmegaArmamon grabbed hold of Chronomon and threw him back. He used his Hell and Thunder attack, flinging electricity and a blade of darkness from his swords of Thunder and Darkness. Chronomon repeated his Holy Flare, the attacks colliding and exploding.

"Chronomon is awesome," Gallantmon exclaimed. "Good thing he's an Ultra since Burst Mode makes OmegaArmamon stronger than a Mega."

"But who is stronger?" Ophanimon C asked again, recalling that OmniShoutmon hadn't actually answered her question before.

"Chronomon," the dragon Digimon confirmed. "But that's no guarantee that he'll win. Let's give him a hand."

They flew towards the weapon Digimon as he engaged in battle with Chronomon. OmegaArmamon ignored them completely, if he even noticed them at all.

"Supreme Cannon!"

"Hyper Prominence!"

"Final Justice!"

"Soaring Nine-Headed Dragon Force!"

"Holy Destroy!"

"Hallowed Ascension!"

"Omni Core Fusion!"

The series of attacks bombarded against OmegaArmamon. That got a reaction out of the weapon Digimon, and allowed Chronomon to use his Starlight Explosion, breathing a stream of fire that completely covered OmegaArmamon.

The weapon Digimon let out an angry bellow and rose up into the air, out of the path of the flames. He used his Infinity Sword Rain, and the six spinning blades around him shot in different directions at the DigiDestined, who retreated away from them. OmegaArmamon then turned back to Chronomon and used his Heaven and Break attack, stabbing with his Light lance-sword while punching with his spiked knuckle fist, the spikes lancing out from his knuckles on grapples.

With a swipe oh his large hands, Chronomon knocked the spikes away and then the lance-sword before delivering a powerful punch to OmegaArmamon's face that caused him to stumble back. The weapon Digimon let out a frustrated cry and used his Sword of Meteor, slashing repeatedly with his swords as he lunged at Chronomon.

The bird Digimon was knocked backwards as OmegaArmamon tackled him, but somehow managed to catch his attacking arms. He held the weapon Digimon's limbs as OmegaArmamon struggled to break free, but then the weapon Digimon suddenly head-butted him, allowing OmegaArmamon to pull his free his arms holding his Ice and Fire swords and drive them into the bird Digimon's gut.

Chronomon let out an eagle-like screech, but kept hold of OmegaArmamon's arms. The weapon Digimon raised his hands that held the Thunder and Darkness swords, but before he could stab him, six of the DigiDestined grabbed hold of his arms, holding them back. Imperialdramon then wrapped his arms around OmegaArmamon and pulled him off Chronomon. Mimicking a wrestling move he saw on TV, he dropped to his back while tossing the weapon Digimon away.

Doing a flip, OmegaArmamon landed on his feet and charged at the group again. Despite his injuries, Chronomon stepped forward and unleashed his Holy Flare, the attack blasting OmegaArmamon backwards before he could reach them.

Ophanimon C looked at Chronomon in concern. One of his stab wounds was surrounded by frostbite while the area of the other one was badly burned. "Chronomon, you're hurt."

"I can heal it," Seraphimon told him.

Chronomon shook his head. "No need; I can manage it myself. Final Heal!"

He began to glow, and his injuries healed. He flashed them a smile before looking back at OmegaArmamon. The weapon Digimon used his Infinity Sword Rain, launching his flying swords at them. Imperialdramon jumped up beside Chronomon, and the two of them batted the swords away with their sword and bare hands. OmegaArmamon then charged at them and used his Ice and Fire, flinging energy blades of ice and fire.

"Heavy Metal Vulcan!" OmniShoutmon cried, creating a firewall.

The fiery barrier blocked the attacks, but burned out immediately afterwards. OmegaArmamon was right behind it, swinging his swords. Imperialdramon attempted to block with his, but the force of the impact sent the sword flying out of his hands. OmegaArmamon kicked out at Imperialdramon, sending him crashing into Chronomon. EmperorGreymon flew forward and used his Soaring Flame Edge.

"No!" OmniShoutmon cried. "Stay behind Chronomon!"

OmegaArmamon blocked the attack with one of his swords, then threw a punch with his free hand. The spikes just barely missed the dragon Digimon, but his fists still sent him crashing into the wall.

"It doesn't matter who you hide behind," OmegaArmamon told them. "None of you will leave here alive."

"Call Dramon!" Ophanimon C cried, manifesting her fire dragon.

"Hallowed Ascension!" Seraphimon cried, bringing down lightning.

The flames and electricity came down on OmegaArmamon. He ignored the lightning and rushed towards the dragon, slicing it apart with his swords. "Fire and electricity are part of my power. Your skills mean nothing to me. Hell and Thunder!"

He flung energy blades of darkness and electricity at them. Ophanimon C flew over to Seraphimon and used her Unicorn Shield. The barrier was almost useless against the attacks as it instantly shattered, and the two were thrown backwards from the shockwave.

"Final Justice!"

"Supreme Cannon!"

"Omni Core Fusion!"

The attacks blasted against OmegaArmamon, and he turned to them. "The elements of Light and Ice are mine as well. Infinity Sword Rain!"

His swords flew at them. Omnimon used his Sword of Ruin to produce an explosion by cutting the air, and OmniShoutmon used his Heavy Metal Vulcan, disrupting the trajectory of the flying swords.

The explosion and the firewall died down, and they found OmegaArmamon charging at them, swords raised. Gallantmon used his Gungir, throwing a spear of light, but OmegaArmamon destroyed it with a swipe of his sword.

Chronomon suddenly rushed past them and delivered a punch, knocking the weapon Digimon back. He threw several more punches, avoiding the sword swipes OmegaArmamon aimed at him, before unleashing his Starlight Explosion, breathing a stream of fire over the weapon Digimon. OmegaArmamon stumbled back as the flames covered him, and Chronomon followed up with his Holy Flare.

"Just how much can he take?" Gallantmon wondered out loud. "Chronomon's attacks are really powerful. OmniShoutmon, you said that he's stronger than OmegaArmamon, right?"

The dragon Digimon smirked. "The odds are definitely in our favor, especially with us helping him out. At this rate, the battle should be over soon. OmegaArmamon will only be able to take so much. This battle's in the bag." He let out a disbelieving chuckle. "Never would have thought that we'd actually have an advantage over a Demon Lord, especially when he's become so powerful."

"Don't count your blessings just yet," OmegaArmamon declared. "Heaven and Break!"

He lunged at Chronomon. His Light lance-sword glowed with holy power as he threw a punch with the spikes on his fist launching. The grappling spikes struck Chronomon, but he caught the lance-sword with both hands. The cables on the spike retracted, pulling Chronomon forward, allowing OmegaArmamon to drive his fist into the bird Digimon's torso. The force of the blow knocked Chronomon off the spikes and sent him crashing into the wall.

"You can't beat me," the weapon Digimon declared. "Data To D-"

"Omni Core Fusion!" OmniShoutmon cried, his attack interrupting OmegaArmamon. "Whatever you do, don't let him use that move. His Data To Data move not only heals him, it increases his strength."

"Well that's great," Omnimon muttered.

"I know, right," Gallantmon growled. "How many advantages does one someone need?"

OmegaArmamon turned to the three of them. "You will pay for your interference. Hell and Thu-"

"Strike of the Seven Stars!"

"Air Sefirot Crystal!"

"Dragonfire Crossbow!"

"Giga Crusher!"

The four attacks exploded against the weapon Digimon as the rest of the DigiDestined joined their friends.

"Don't forget about us," said Seraphimon. "We're still in it."

Imperialdramon swiped his sword through the air. "I have a plan. If I can hit him with my Omni Sword attack, his data will reset, and he'll split back into Barbamon and Armamon again. Then Chronomon can destroy them both."

OmniShoutmon shook his head. "Don't bother trying. He's too strong. He'll never allow you to land the blow."

"Well, I've got to try. If I make it, it'll win us the battle for sure. Cover me, I'm going in. Omni Sword!"

He flew at OmegaArmamon, his sword glowing. The others began firing their attacks at the weapon Digimon, but OmegaArmamon didn't take his eyes off Imperialdramon. "Infinity Sword Rain!"

His floating swords shot towards the dragon Digimon, and Imperialdramon now found himself on the defense, batting away the swords as they flew at him. OmegaArmamon then leapt at him and kicked out, sending Imperialdramon crashing into the wall.

Turning to the remaining DigiDestined, OmegaArmamon raised his three larger swords. "Time to die."

He brought his swords down. Chronomon suddenly rushed in front of the DigiDestined and caught OmegaArmamon's swords by the blades. They cut into his palms, but the bird Digimon refused to let go. However, this still left OmegaArmamon's two smaller arms free, and in a repeat of earlier, the weapon Digimon drove both his Ice and Fire swords into Chronomon.

The bird Digimon grunted in pain, but still refused to let go. "I've taken your blades before."

"But not like this," OmegaArmamon replied.

"Chronomon, look out!" Gallantmon shouted.

But it was too late. The six swords OmegaArmamon had launched at Imperialdramon earlier came flying through the air and impaled Chronomon from behind. An eagle-screech escaped the bird Digimon as the swords stabbed straight through. His grip on OmegaArmamon's other swords went limp, and the weapon Digimon stabbed those into him as well, followed by his knuckle spikes. He didn't stop there though. Holding the bird Digimon in place with his swords, OmegaArmamon began repeatedly and rapidly stabbing his swords of Fire and Ice into him.

"Hurry, we have to help!" Omnimon shouted, and he and the rest of the DigiDestined flew in.

OmegaArmamon glanced at them. "Be gone!"

He pulled his sword of Thunder out of Chronomon and swiped it at the DigiDestined, flinging a bolt of electricity at them. They were blasted back by it, each of them sent flying across the cavern and crashing into the walls.

Chuckling, OmegaArmamon looked back at Chronomon and grasped his face in his free hand. Using his Omega Death Blade, his Thunder sword flared with an aura of electricity as he swiped it through the air and severed Chronomon's head from shoulders. Then the ten swords still embedded inside the bird Digimon sliced him apart, and the pieces dissolved into data.

The DigiDestined let out horrified gasps as OmegaArmamon laughed, holding up Chronomon's head. "So much for your trump card."

He threw the severed head at them as it slowly dissolved away. But OmegaArmamon wasn't content with just that and flung an energy blade of light at it, and the head burst into data.

"No…" Ophanimon C whispered, having felt especially close to the bird Digimon with the way they had helped each other whens he healed him and he provided her with a ChronoCore.

OmegaArmamon held a hand out to the data and began to draw it in. "You humans had a lucky break, but now your luck has run out."

"Hyper Prominence!" Imperialdramon cried. The attack blasted OmegaArmamon back, away from the data. "You don't get to have his data," he snarled with angry tears in his eyes.

OmegaArmamon stood up and looked towards Chronomon's data as it disappeared. "You'll pay dearly for costing me that data. Not that it matters since there is no longer anyone left who can stop me."

"No!" Seraphimon declared furiously. "We're still here. And we'll stop you. You've taken some pretty substantial damage fighting against Chronomon. Now we'll finish the job."

The weapon Digimon chuckled. "I would certainly like to see you try."

Gallantmon was breathing heavily with suppressed fury and sorrow. "OmniShoutmon, what are out chances now after all the damage he's taken?"

The dragon Digimon seemed just as upset as the rest of them, his teeth clenched together in anger. "Who cares," he snarled, and sped towards the weapon Digimon.

Notes:

(A/N: A short chapter, but a lot happened in it. Who saw Chronomon returning, let alone Boltboutamon being the one to bring him into battle? Like he said, to him this whole thing is just a game for his amusement. But alas, it seems that Chronomon fell to OmegaArmamon. At least he was able to deliver a good amount of damage first. Honestly, it was really the only way our heroes would stand a chance against someone like OmegaArmamon. But now they're on their own. How long will they be able to last against OmegaArmamon? Will they be able to last? Find out in just two weeks time.)

Chapter 160: The Ultimate War God

Notes:

(A/N: Phew, what a crazy 2 weeks it's been. I didn't think I'd get this out in time. But I did. I'm adamant about getting my updates out on time. So without further ado, let's get to it.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 160: The Ultimate War God

OmegaArmamon chuckled as the DigiDestined came at him. Using his Hell and Thunder, he flung energy blades of darkness and electricity at them. They flew around the attacks, and he used his Ice and Fire attacks, this time sending out blades of fire and ice.

The DigiDestined worked together, firing off their own attacks to cancel out OmegaArmamon's. They then used their designated weapons to try and land a blow on the weapon Digimon; Seraphimon and OmniShoutmon using their Excalibur and Doom Drillpress as Gallantmon shifted his spear of light into a sword. OmegaArmamon's own swords and spiked knuckles came up to block each of their attacks.

One of his floating swords had blocked Imperialdramon's, and the dragon Digimon used his Imperial Kick to knock it away before lunging at the weapon Digimon. "Omni Sword!"

OmegaArmamon's spiked knuckles had been blocked Ophanimon C's javelin, but he pushed her away and reached out and grabbed Imperialdramon's glowing sword. "Still trying to split me up? It's not happening."

"Air Sefirot Crustal!" Ophanimon C cried, blasting the weapon Digimon in the face.

The others pulled back, then went on the attack again, but OmegaArmamon's defenses seemed impenetrable. With the six floating swords around him, plus the five elemental swords he held, he had eleven weapons in which to attack and defend with, and he still had a free hand with long, spiked, brace knuckles.

"We're never going to land a blow on him like this," Omnimon growled. "He has too many swords; we'll never get past them. We'll have to rely on our special attacks."

A grunt of frustration escaped EmperorGreymon as he looked at his own sword Most of his attacks relied on the use of his sword, but not all of them included using it in direct combat. "Unless I can create an opening. Pyro Dragons!"

OmegaArmamon glanced in his direction. "These again? Such a futile attack."

A few swipes of his sword dealt with the dragon-headed streams of fire, and as the explosion launched EmperorGreymon towards the weapon Digimon, he easily blocked the sword swipe. His fist flew out, punching the dragon Digimon. One of the spikes on his knuckles impaled EmperorGreymon, and he let out an agonized cry.

"EmperorGreymon!" the others cried.

OmegaArmamon flicked his hand, sending the dragon Digimon flying off his spike. "Another friend down. And now for the rest of you. Infinity Sword Rain!"

His swords flew at the DigiDestined. Most fled from the flying blades, but Imperialdramon used his Splendor Blade, creating a sword of light. Using it and his Omni Sword, he knocked away the sword that had come at him, though his Splendor Blade burst into light particles upon making contact with the weapon Digimon's.

He then charged at OmegaArmamon. With the weapon Digimon having launched six of his swords, that only left him with five left. "Omni Sword!"

OmegaArmamon blocked with his Ice and Fire swords, holding them up in an X to catch Imperialdramon's blade. "Another futile attempt at this? You humans never learn."

Raising his Darkness sword, he brought it down on the flat end of Imperialdramon's blade. The Omni Sword broke, and Imperialdramon let out a shocked gasp. Then OmegaArmamon's hand shot out, grasping Imperialdramon by the face. He slammed him against the wall, keeping a tight grip on his face before pulling him back and smashing him into it over and over again before finally stabbing him in the gut with his Fire and Ice swords.

"That makes three friends down," he mocked, letting Imperialdramon fall to the floor.

"Damn him," Seraphimon growled, having just finished healing EmperorGreymon. "Guys, cover me while I get to Imperialdramon."

He flew towards the dragon Digimon by OmegaArmamon's feet. The others did as he requested and fired upon the weapon Digimon to draw his attention, but OmegaArmamon wasn't fooled. However, instead of attacking with one of his swords, he used his free hand to grab Imperialdramon by his tail and swinging him around. Seraphimon was hit by the dragon Digimon and sent crashing into the wall. OmegaArmamon then leapt at the other DigiDestined and gave them the same treatment, hitting them with Imperialdramon.

"Come now, humans," he mocked, "at least put up some kind of fight. I'm actually finding myself agreeing with Boltboutamon; this is too easy without Chronomon here to fight."

He looked at each of them as they struggled to get to their feet. Nonchalantly, he glanced around the cavern before fixing his gaze on the exit. "I know I said that none of you would be leaving here alive, but on second thought, it's far too cramped in here. Let's take this battle outside. Besides, I want the whole Digital World to see you die."

Keeping hold of Imperialdramon's tail, he headed for the exit, dragging the dragon Digimon behind him. The DigiDestined forced themselves to get up and headed after him.

"We need to get Imperialdramon away from him so I can heal him," said Seraphimon.

The moment they exited the cave and were back outside, they saw Imperialdramon flying towards them, having been thrown. They scattered out of the way as the dragon Digimon crashed where they had been.

"Guess that problem's been solved," Gallantmon commented as Seraphimon flew down to use his Perfect Revival on Imperialdramon.

OmegaArmamon held out his arms, his swords raised. "Now then, come at me, humans, and let the whole world watch as their hope dies."

Omnimon growled. "Little choice in the matter. Get ready, everyone. And remember, maintain your distance and rely on your special attacks."

They headed out, circling around the weapon Digimon. Once he finished healing Imperialdramon, Seraphimon joined them. Omnimon fired his Omni Howling as he circled around the weapon Digimon. OmegaArmamon fired his Hell and Thunder at him, but OmniShoutmon used his Heavy Metal Vulcan to block the attack. Seraphimon brought down lightning with his Hallowed Ascension as Gallantmon used his Crimson Light. Ophanimon C threw fireballs with her Volcano Napalm beneath him, causing pillars of fire to rise up from down below, locking the weapon Digimon in the same combo move that had trapped Armamon.

"Futile!" OmegaArmamon declared, bursting out of the attacks. "Rage Demon Breath!"

He spun around, breathing out a heavy wind. The DigiDestined were all blown back, EmperorGreymon crashing into the plateau while the others went flying in different directions.

Imperialdramon finally got to his feet, lucky to not have gotten caught up in OmegaArmamon's attack. "Giga Crusher!"

OmegaArmamon turned to the incoming attack and cut through it with a sweep of his sword. He then used his Infinity Sword Rain to send his other swords flying at Imperialdramon. It seemed that he was only playing with the dragon Digimon, as the blades themselves didn't pierce Imperialdramon, but the hilts caught hold of his body as they passed by, pulling him back and pinning him to the wall of the plateau.

OmegaArmamon floated over to him as Imperialdramon struggled to get loose. He looked down to where he had stabbed him before, seeing that the wounds were gone. "So your angel friend healed you I see. Good. Now I can take you down all over again. But first."

He stabbed two of his swords into Imperialdramon's wings, making the dragon Digimon cry out. He twisted and wiggled them a few times before pulling them out. Imperialdramon groaned and went limp, his body hanging by the hilts of the swords still embedded into the wall, and OmegaArmamon raised his other swords again, his Thunder sword flaring with an electrical aura.

"Omega Death Bla-"

"Dragonfire Crossbow!"

The attack hit OmegaArmamon in the side of the head. He glanced to his right to see EmperorGreymon standing beside the plateau where he had crashed, his sword held out in front of him. He fired a few more times, and OmegaArmamon finally turned to face him.

"Are you challenge me one-on-one, little dragon?" the weapon Digimon asked.

"Little dragon?" EmperorGreymon repeated. "I'll give you a little dragon. Soaring Nine-Headed Dragon Force!"

His fiery dragon spirit emerged. OmegaArmamon chuckled and used his Hell and Thunder. The darkness and electric blades of energy hit the dragon spirit, resulting in an explosion. EmperorGreymon's eyes widened as he was caught up in the blast and sent flying. He lost his sword and landed painfully on his side several yards away.

"Now then," said OmegaArmamon, turning back to Imperialdramon and raising his swords.

"Transcendent Sword!"

Omnimon flew in, stabbing his sword in the back of OmegaArmamon's head. That got a genuine reaction out of him, and the weapon Digimon roared and pulled away from Imperialdramon. The rest of the DigiDestined flew in and began launching attacks at the weapon Digimon as OmegaArmamon thrashed about. With a burst of strength, Imperialdramon pulled himself free of being pinned by OmegaArmamon's swords and hit the weapon Digimon with his Imperial Kick.

OmegaArmamon stumbled back as the dragon Digimon punched and kicked while the others swooped in and resumed attacking. The weapon Digimon took a deep breath and unleashed his Rage Demon Breath, blowing them all back.

Groaning, EmperorGreymon opened his eyes just in time to see OmegaArmamon reach back and pull Omnimon off him, holding the knight Digimon in his large hand. OmegaArmamon pointed one of his swords at him, but was distracted as he was bombarded by more attacks from the others.

EmperorGreymon tried to get up, but his body didn't seem to want to cooperate. He let out another pained groan before collapsing, unable to do anything more than watch the battle.

His gaze went back to Omnimon, who was struggling in OmegaArmamon's grip. The weapon Digimon could kill him at any moment, and the others seemed to realize this as well, and so were attempting to keep the weapon Digimon's attention on them.

"Too bad that magic ball thing Azulongmon gave him was destroyed," he grumbled, thinking of how Omnimon Zwart Defeat destroyed the DigiCore just as Omnimon had been attempting to use it. "Wonder if that would have made him Digivolve or something, like when he used MetalGarurumon's Fractal Code to become Omni…"

He trailed off as something clicked. Back when they had been fighting alongside the Garuru Trio to defend ElDradimon, MetalGarurumon had given WarGreymon his Fractal Code to boost his power, and later, WarGreymon had been able to assimilate with that Fractal Code, allowing him to Digivolve to Omnimon.

Likewise, back when he was AncientGreymon, he too had been given the Fractal Code of MagnaGarurumon. Had that data become nothing more than a power boost, or could he too use it for something more?

Closing his eyes, he thought back to how he had used the data he had gotten at Cherubimon's castle to Digivolve to EmperorGreymon. It should be something similar. All he had to do was look into his data and find anything that stood out from his own.

It brought on a whole new meaning of looking inward. He could see his data, the very code that made up the form of EmperorGreymon. If he looked deeper into it, he could break it down even further to his previous stages, but that wasn't what he was looking for.

There! That was it. That's what he was looking for. The Fractal Code of MagnaGarurumon, supplying him power, but not used anywhere near to its true potential. EmperorGreymon approached it, almost hesitantly, and the holographic image of MagnaGarurumon manifested in front of him.

"So you've come at last," the cyborg Digimon stated. "It's about time."

EmperorGreymon knew this wasn't really MagnaGarurumon, just a gathering of his data, power, and memories, everything that made up the form of MagnaGarurumon. EmperorGreymon wondered just how much he could communicate with it. "Is there more that can be done? Can your data be used as more than a power boost?"

MagnaGarurumon approached him, stopping right in front of him. "We shall see."

He took another step, walking right into the dragon Digimon. EmperorGreymon's eyes snapped open, glowing with power. His energy skyrocketed, and he leapt to his feet, surging with power. "EmperorGreymon Digivolve to… Susanoomon!"

In the midst of the battle with OmegaArmamon, the weapon Digimon turned to the source of light. He barely caught a glimpse of it before the glowing figure sped towards him and delivered a blow to his face with a cry of "Heavy Tackle!" OmegaArmamon stumbled and fell back in his rear, releasing Omnimon in the process.

"That was close," the knight Digimon remarked. "I thought I was a goner. Thanks EmperorGrey… Whoa."

It was not EmperorGreymon that he was looking at, but a humanoid Digimon that resembled a being that could only be described as divine. Once the others caught sight of him, it was impossible to tear their eyes away.

"I am no longer EmperorGreymon. I am now Susanoomon."

"Where the hell did this come from?" Imperialdramon asked in amazement. "You look awesome. Like some kind of god."

"He is," said OmniShoutmon, staring at Susanoomon. "A god Digimon who holds the title of the Ultimate War God. He's the strongest god of destruction and creation, and the most powerful god Digimon after ZeedMillenniummon, MoonMillenniummon, and the two Chronomon. He has the power to destroy and recreate the whole Digital World if he wanted to."

"That's… good, right?" Gallantmon asked uncertainly.

"Yes, it's good! His power is practically that of the Ultra level. But how? How'd you achieve this form? It would require at least ten specific Digimon coming together."

You're right," said Susanoomon. "And it turns out I had that power the whole time thanks to a friend, I just didn't know it." He pointed at OmegaArmamon as the weapon Digimon stood up. "And now it's time to wipe the floor with this guy."

OmegaArmamon cocked his head to the side, then he slowly began laughing, the volume getting louder and louder as he laughed harder. "You poor naïve fool. You really think that you now hold an advantage over me? Imbecile. While I admit that your new form comes with a drastically massive power boost that would have been problematic for me before, I'm afraid you're too late. My power still greatly exceeds yours. You've missed your chance. And now, just when you've reached the pinnacle of your power, you will fall and lose everything."

Susanoomon seemed to hesitate, but continued to glare at the weapon Digimon. "Even if you are still stronger than me, my friends will make up the difference."

The rest of the DigiDestined gathered around him, showing that they were indeed going to back him up.

OmegaArmamon did not look bothered by this. "You and your friends will not be doing anything other than falling to my blades. Infinity Sword Rain!"

"Magna Thunder!" Susanoomon cried, and OmegaArmamon was suddenly trapped in a cage of lightning. The swords he launched crashed into the electric bars and dropped down.

OmegaArmamon looked down at his swords at the bottom of the cage before looking back at the god Digimon. "You think this pitiful cage can hold me? Your arrogance is astounding. Sword of Meteor!" He swiped his swords at the bars, cutting through them, and the cage of lightning burned out. The weapon Digimon chuckled and pointed his Darkness sword at Susanoomon. "My power is out of your league."

Susanoomon glared. "Then perhaps I should increase it. Gladiator!" He briefly glowed as his power increased, and then he glanced at his friends. "I have another ability that can increase your power as well, but the side affects can make you violent while it's in affect."

"Pass," Imperialdramon said immediately as he thought back to when he was infected with the Dark Spore.

"Me too," Omnimon replied, recalling when he became BlackWarGreymon.

"And me," Ophanimon C added. "Chaos power was hard enough to master. I don't want to give in to a violent nature."

Seraphimon hesitated before taking a deep breath. "You can use your ability on me. I'll do my best to contain any violent impulses."

"I'll do it too," said Gallantmon. "We need all the help we can get."

OmniShoutmon closed his eyes before sighing. "I'll take it as well. If we do get violent, try your best to stay out of our way, or else we might attack you." He let out a light chuckle. "Too bad none of us are machine Digimon, then you could have used your Battle Stamp ability to increase our power without any nasty side affects."

"Yeah, but beggars can't be choosers," Susanoomon replied, and held his hand out to them. "Overdrive!"

Light shined over the three who volunteered, and they felt their power increase. For Seraphimon, it was like when he used his Justice Genome, only it was all his power that rose instead of just his Light attacks. But with it came a sudden savage desire to brutally defeat OmegaArmamon. Not just to destroy him, but to completely annihilate him, and to make him suffer in the process as well. It was very difficult not to give into the temptation to go completely savage.

"How do you feel?" asked Susanoomon worriedly.

A low growl escaped Gallantmon. "Like kicking some Demon Lord ass."

"Yeah," OmniShoutmon replied, sounding equally as hostile. "Let's kill this guy."

The weapon Digimon cocked his head to the side. "Does this mean you're finally ready to resume our battle?"

"Most definitely," Susanoomon declared. "Heaven's Thunder!"

Clouds suddenly filled the sky above OmegaArmamon, and eight streams of lightning rained down, the ends shaping themselves into dragon heads, similar to EmperorGreymon's Pyro Dragons attack. The lightning coiled around the weapon Digimon, and he let out a cry.

"Call Dramon!" Ophanimon C cried, summoning forth her dragon. Gallantmon stayed by her side and fired his Final Justice as the others flew in. Omnimon, Seraphimon, and OmniShoutmon began firing off their Supreme Cannon, Hallowed Knuckle, and Twin Fireball Strike as they circled around while Imperialdramon created a new sword.

"Omni Sword!" he cried, flying in to stab the weapon Digimon.

"Are you still on about that?" OmegaArmamon demanded. "Hell and Thunder!"

Swiping his Darkness and Thunder swords, he cut through the streams of lightning that held him while simultaneously flinging energy blades of darkness and electricity, destroying Ophanimon C's dragon before heading for Imperialdramon. The dragon Digimon swiped at the energy blades, and they erupted in his face, sending them flying.

Omnimon, Seraphimon, and OmniShoutmon flew past OmegaArmamon, slashing at him with their Transcendent Sword, Excalibur, and Doom Drillpress. OmegaArmamon easily blocked the attacks with his multiple swords, and turned around to slash at them as they flew past.

"Flash Punch!" Susanoomon cried, flying at OmegaArmamon and driving his glowing fist into his back. The weapon Digimon grunted and turned to him instead, and Susanoomon rained a flurry of punches against his chest with his Fist of the Gods attack. OmegaArmamon swiped at him with his swords of Fire and Ice, but Susanoomon retreated out of range at the last moment.

Omnimon, Seraphimon, and OmniShoutmon came up behind the weapon Digimon and attacked with their Omni Blast, Strike of the Seven Stars, and Victorize Banking. Without taking his eyes off Susanoomon, he used his Infinity Sword Rain. Swords flew at all four of them. Both Omnimon and Seraphimon tried to block with their swords, but the impact knocked them back. OmniShoutmon defended with his Heavy Metal Vulcan while Susanoomon managed to catch the sword fired at him.

"Holy Slash!" Ophanimon C cried, flying in. She swiped with her javelin, slashing with holy energy, but OmegaArmamon blocked the attack.

"Splendor Blade!" Imperialdramon cried, creating a sword of light and attacking with both weapons. OmegaArmamon blocked these as well, still leaving him with a free hand, the hand that held the Thunder sword, and his smaller swords of Fire and Ice.

"Dash Blutang!" Gallantmon cried, flying in and attacking with a savagery he had never displayed before, swiping away with both swords of light wildly.

"Gallantmon, watch your violent impulses!" Susanoomon warned as he struggled to hold onto the sword OmegaArmamon had launched at him.

"I'll take care of any violent nature he has," OmegaArmamon replied as he raised his sword of Thunder while blocking Gallantmon's attacks with his swords of Fire and Ice. But then OmniShoutmon's Doom Drillpress struck against it, and the weapon Digimon growled as all five of his swords were preoccupied. "Little nuisances. Be gone! Rage Demon Breath!"

He exhaled. The powerful gust of wind blew Imperialdramon, Ophanimon C, and Gallantmon away. OmegaArmamon then turned around and smacked OmniShoutmon away with an open palm.

"Damn you," Susanoomon growled, and with a burst of strength tossed away the sword he was holding. "I'll seal away this power you're so proud of. Texture Blow!"

Pixelated energy appeared around his fist as he flew at OmegaArmamon, punching him in the back of the head. The weapon Digimon's head snapped forward over him, but the affect's of the attack appeared to do nothing.

A light chuckle escaped OmegaArmamon as he turned back to Susanoomon. "You thought you could seal my power when your own is so insignificant compared to my own? You overestimate yourself."

"Overestimate this!" Susanoomon declared. "Glory Thunder!"

A bolt of lightning came crashing down. Without even looking up though, OmegaArmamon raised his Thunder sword, blocking the lightning strike. "Fool. I am the master of the elements, and I've had enough of you. Ice and Fire!"

He flung energy blades of fire and ice at Susanoomon. The god Digimon held up his hands to shield his face, but it did little to help as he was blasted out of the sky. Imperialdramon quickly flew in and caught him as Ophanimon C raced by and fired her Holy Destroy.

Susanoomon groaned in pain as he lay in Imperialdramon's hands, his body covered in horrible frostbite and severe third degree burns. The dragon Digimon winced at the sight of him, glad that he had never felt OmegaArmamon's attack head-on. "Geez, that looks bad. Hold on, I'll heal you."

Susanoomon grunted and forced himself to sit up, despite the pain. "Save your energy. I can handle it myself. Purification!"

His body started glowing, and his burns and frostbite healed. Standing up, he flew out of Imperialdramon's hands and looked on as OmegaArmamon fought their friends.

"You're a healer?" Imperialdramon commented. "That'll be useful. We could always use another white mage."

"Unfortunately, I can only heal myself, not others. But it won't matter if we can't take down OmegaArmamon."

Imperialdramon held up his sword. "Then let's finish this."

"Hold up," the god Digimon replied. "I'm about to break out the big guns, and it'll be better if you're not in my line of fire."

He held his hands out, and a large cannon-like weapon bigger than even Susanoomon himself appeared in his hands. Imperialdramon's eyes widened at the sight of it. "Whoa, that is a big gun."

"It wasn't a gun I had in mind," Susanoomon replied. His helmet lowered down over his eyes, and different parts of his weapon began to glow. He shifted the weapon to the side as a sphere of golden light began to emit from the end of it. "Celestial Blade!"

The glowing sphere at the end of the weapon burst open, and a blade of golden light erupted from it and expanded outward at a rapid pace. It stretched on for miles and miles, disappearing into the distance, clear across the entire Digital World.

"Guys!" Susanoomon shouted to his friends. "Clear out!"

With a loud battle cry, he swung the blade of light through the air at the weapon Digimon. The DigiDestined saw the blade coming and quickly moved away. OmegaArmamon caught sight of it as well and brought up his sword of Darkness. The Celestial Blade crashed against it, the impact shaking the land, and came to a stop.

Susanoomon cried out louder and pushed harder with his attack, but OmegaArmamon held it back as sparks flew from the point of contact. "This is your next trick? Attacking from such a cowardly distance away? You're even more pathetic than I thought."

Ophanimon C stared at the impossibly long blade of light. "OmniShoutmon, what is that?"

"The Ama-no-Habakiri," the dragon Digimon replied. "It's an energy blade of holy power that comes from Susanoomon's Celestial Blade attack that's produced by the ZERO-ARMS: Orochi. It's capable of cutting and stabbing anything in the world."

"For all the good it will do you," OmegaArmamon declared. "I can defeat your sword with only one of mine. Your blade may be longer, but mine is superior."

The muscles in his arm flexed, and he began to push back the Celestial Blade. Susanoomon let out a low growl and pushed with everything he had, but OmegaArmamon slowly pushed his blade back, giving evidence to his claim of only needing one hand.

"He needs help!" Imperialdramon exclaimed. He flew over to OmegaArmamon, stopping behind the Celestial Blade, and taking aim. "Super Positron Laser!"

He fired a beam. It struck the Celestial Blade at the spot where it was pushing against OmegaArmamon's sword. Ophanimon C flew over to join him and fired her Shining Laser III, her attack joining Imperialdramon's to help push Susanoomon's blade against OmegaArmamon's.

"Come on, we gotta help!" Seraphimon cried. "Hallowed Ascension!"

"Final Justice!"

"Double Shot!"

"Flame Cannon!"

Their attacks slammed against the Celestial Blade, pushing it along. A growl escaped OmegaArmamon as he was unable to push back against the combination of attacks. "You humans think your power is a match for mine? No matter how much teamwork you use, my power is still far out of your league."

Susanoomon's eyes narrowed and he let out a loud cry as he pushed with all his might. The rest of the DigiDestined cried out as well as they poured everything they had into their attacks.

OmegaArmamon's arm muscle bulged as he stubbornly continued to hold back the Celestial Blade, displaying his superior strength and arrogance by continuing to only use one hand. "You fools never stood a chance. The time has come to bring this battle to an end. Infinity Sword Ra-"

There was a loud clang as his sword of Darkness broke. The Celestial Blade sliced through the air, cutting straight through OmegaArmamon, severing his limbs and going through his upper body before coming out his other side.

OmegaArmamon froze in shock from both the impact of the attack and the fact that it had been successful. The swords that had been rotating around him in preparation to attack dropped from the sky as his two upper arms fell away, bursting into data along with the swords. Then his body, from his chest down, dropped away from his upper torso, dissolving away, leaving OmegaArmamon as little more than a head, half his upper torso and two severed limbs.

The weapon Digimon let out a roar that echoed across the land as Susanoomon's Celestial Blade retracted back into the ZERO-ARMS: Orochi and disappeared, leaving the god Digimon still holding the weapon.

With a furious snarl, what was left of OmegaArmamon turned to the DigiDestined, and he unleashed his Rage Demon Breath, blowing them away. Only Susanoomon remained, having not been in range of the attack. "Enough of this!"

The ZERO-ARMS: Orochi suddenly fell apart, leaving him with a sword in his hand. He flew towards OmegaArmamon, his other hand closing into a fist as pixelated energy began to emit from it. OmegaArmamon turned to him as he punched. "Texture Blow!"

His glowing fist slammed into the weapon Digimon's face. The pixilation flowed over him, once more, but this time something different happened from the first time he had used this attack. What was left of OmegaArmamon's body began to glow and pixelate, his data scrambling about before reassembling. When the process was done, OmegaArmamon had been reduced to an 8-bit sprite of himself.

"Your power has now been sealed," Susanoomon declared. "Your strength and durability reduced as well. How does it feel to know that all your ambitions have brought you to this?"

"Damn you!" OmegaArmamon raged in his sealed form.

Susanoomon ignored the insult. "And one more thing. I'm the master of the elements. Heavenly Wings Beheading!"

From out of Susanoomon, the transparent form of Agunimon wielding a sword jumped out and slashed at OmegaArmamon. This was followed by another Digimon, and the another, each one the representative of one of the ten elements. With each Digimon that emerged, Susanoomon faded away more and more until he disappeared completely. Then the holograms of the ten Digimon he had split into came together to form Susanoomon once again behind OmegaArmamon.

Pieces fell away from the weapon Digimon, leaving him as little more than a pixelated head. And still he managed to endure, turning back to Susanoomon.

"You're finished," the god Digimon declared, and his sword turned into the ZERO-ARMS: Orochi once more, and he pointed it directly at OmegaArmamon. Like before, the massive weapon lit up, only this time, red and blue spheres of light appeared at the end of it instead of a single gold one.

"You can't do this to me!" the weapon Digimon bellowed. "I'm the Demon Lord of Greed!"

"No!" Susanoomon shouted back. "You're nothing! ZERO-ARMS: Orochi!"

The red and blue spheres came together, and a beam burst forth, consuming OmegaArmamon. The weapon Digimon was carried off by it, and the beam erupted in a massive explosion that drowned out OmegaArmamon's cry before he burst into data and disappeared.

Notes:

(A/N: And boom, that's the end of OmegaArmamon. Villains really are defeated by their arrogance a lot, aren't they? That makes one more Demon Lord down, and one more Digivolution achieved. That's EmperorGreymon has now become Susanoomon. That's seriously going to help our heroes' odds in the upcoming battles. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. It was a long and tough battle, but our heroes have finally triumphed. Stay tuned to see what coms next.)

Susanoomon's attacks:

Celestial Blade – Unleashes the sword hold sword of light, Ama-no-Habakiri, from the ZERO-ARMS: Orochi to slice or stab everything in the world.

Heaven's Thunder – Calls down eight bolts of lighting from the heavens in the shape of dragon heads to attack and ensnarl an opponent.

Fist of the Gods – Unleashes a flurry of punches on an opponent.

ZERO-ARMS: Orochi – Creates two red and blue balls of energy at the end of the ZERO ARMS: Orochi that merge together and fire a beam that creates a massive explosion.

Glory Thunder – Strikes an opponent with bolts of lightning.

Royal Slash – Slashes an opponent with holy fire.

Heavy Tackle – Tackles an opponent.

Battle Stamp – Increases the power of machine Digimon.

Flash Punch – Punches an opponent with a glowing fist.

Purification – Heals himself.

Status Barrier – Cancels out status disorders.

Gladiator – Increases his power.

Overwrite – Increases the power of others, but can cause them to become violent.

Magna Thunder – Traps an opponent in a cage of lightning.

Texture Blow – Delivers a punch that turns an opponent into an 8-bit sprite, sealing their power and reducing their strength and durability.

Heavenly Wings Beheading – Susanoomon splits into the Ten Legendary Warriors, and each of them slashes at an opponent with a sword.

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New Digimon that appear.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Susanoomon

Chapter 161: Plans, Plans, and More Plans

Notes:

(A/N: Well, I was going to pull an April Fool's prank on you guys, but that's tomorrow, so it looks like you lucked out. Haha, just kidding. Last chapter ended with a bang, literally. Now let's get to the aftermath of Barbamon's defeat.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 161: Plans, Plans, and More Plans

The explosion died down, and Susanoomon lowered his weapon. The ZERO-ARMS: Orochi disappeared in his hands, and he turned in the direction his friends had been blown away in by OmegaArmamon's Rage Demon Breath.

"Guys, are you all ok?" he called out worriedly. "Tell me you're ok."

There was no need to worry though, as they were all sitting up and staring at the spot OmegaArmamon had been, seemingly unable to tear their eyes away. They eventually managed to look at the god Digimon with looks of amazement on their faces.

"Are we ok?" Gallantmon asked. "How could we not be after what you just did? You totally annihilated OmegaArmamon."

Susanoomon breathed a sigh of relief, glad that they were indeed all fine. "Don't sell yourselves short. I never would have managed to do it without your help."

"And Chronomon," Ophanimon C stated, bowing her head in respect and sorrow. "Without him, we would have…"

"You got that right," OmniShoutmon said in obvious relief. "I've never seen a battle where the tables have turned so much. I thought we had a chance against Barbamon, then thought we were doomed when Armamon woke, thought we had a chance when he showed he wasn't at full power, then screwed again when he and Barbamon became OmegaArmamon, a chance when Chronomon arrived, then screwed again when he was destroyed, and then…" He sighed deeply. "This was just too much for me."

"I have to admit," said Susanoomon, "I thought we were done for as well. Even after I Digivolved."

"We were," OmniShoutmon replied. "It was OmegaArmamon's arrogance and stubbornness that led to his downfall. Landing that critical blow with your Celestial Blade is what allowed us to win, otherwise we would have been toast."

A sigh escaped Imperialdramon. "So we got lucky again. It seems like we always do. Maybe we'll get lucky with the last two Demon Lords too."

OmniShoutmon turned to him, his eyes shining. "There's no need for luck. Victory is now in our grasp."

Ophanimon C cocked her head to the side. "What do you mean?"

He looked back at the god Digimon. "Susanoomon is the key. I never would have imagined that he would appear. The Digivolution requirements need to be so precise. It takes ten specific Digimon, or at least their Fractal Codes, being brought together in order to result in Susanoomon."

"Ten?" Seraphimon repeated, thinking back to the battle. "You mean those ten that Susanoomon temporarily split into? I recognized a few of them, like Agunimon, Mercurymon, and Grumblemon."

OmniShoutmon nodded. "Yes, those Digimon hold the titles of the Legendary Warriors, each one representing one of the ten elements. All ten of them at their highest level are needed for Susanoomon."

"I was always Agunimon and his Digivolutions," said the god Digimon. "The four I got to become EmperorGreymon were from the data I absorbed at Cherubimon's castle; the same Digimon AncientWisemon had sent there to die so I could get their power. The rest I got when MagnaGarurumon gave me his Fractal Code back when we were defending ElDradimon."

OmniShoutmon was nodding along with this. "Yes, MagnaGarurumon is the equivalent of EmperorGreymon for the other five Legendary Warriors. To have all ten come together is nothing short of a miracle. With Susanoomon's power, not even Lucemon will be able to stop us!"

Omnimon inhaled. "You're saying that Susanoomon is stronger than Lucemon? What about Daemon?"

"Considering that Lucemon is stronger than Daemon, yes, Susanoomon is stronger than him as well."

Gallantmon gave a whoop of glee. "Then the war is pretty much won! If Susanoomon can take down even Lucemon, then with our help, victory is definitely in the bag."

Ophanimon C held up her hand. "Now wait, let's not get ahead of ourselves. Susanoomon being stronger than Lucemon is a great advantage for us, but don't forget that there are still two Demon Lords left. If they work together, will Susanoomon's power be enough to stop them?"

Seraphimon placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, Ophanimon. If they do team up, I'm sure the rest of us will be able to handle Daemon long enough for Susanoomon to take care of Lucemon. Then we can all defeat Daemon together."

His fellow angel Digimon sighed. "Maybe, but it's not just Lucemon and Daemon we need to worry about. There's still Bagramon and Boltboutamon. If all four of them team up against us, or even just three of them, then what are our chances?"

OmniShoutmon scoffed. "Boltboutamon is a wild card. There's no telling what he will do or when. Maybe he'll take part in the final battle, maybe he won't. He might fight for just a little while then split and watch the rest of the battle from the sidelines, or maybe act as a spectator for a while and then join in. Or maybe he'll fight us on his own before then, or after. There's really no knowing what that maniac will do."

Omnimon asked the other obvious question. "Then what about Bagramon? Both he and Susanoomon are stronger than Lucemon, we know that, but is Susanoomon stronger than Bagramon?"

The dragon Digimon didn't reply, but his silence was enough of an answer. Before anyone could say anything more on the subject though, a loud rumble drew their attention, and they looked up to the sky to see heavy clouds appearing, and a familiar distortion beginning to take place.

"Oh, yeah, I forgot about this," said Imperialdramon. "The next Sovereign is coming."

"We'll discuss who is stronger than who later," OmniShoutmon replied, getting down on one knee. "Everybody bow."

They did as he instructed as the next Sovereign appeared. Emerging from the distortion was a giant Digimon that resembled a white tiger with purple stripes. It was surrounded by a pure white aura, and twelve yellow spheres rotating around his mid-section.

"Behold," said OmniShoutmon, "the youngest and most powerful of the four compass Sovereigns, Baihumon, the White Tiger of the West."

Gallantmon looked up at the tiger Digimon, his eyes shining in amazement. "Even knowing what these guys are like, I'm still always awestruck every time I see one."

"They're Sovereigns," OmniShoutmon snapped. "Of course you'll be awestruck."

Four red eyes looked down at the DigiDestined from behind a purple mask, and Baihumon leaned down to them. "Guardians…" He hesitated. "No, you are the humans who have inherited their power."

Imperialdramon swallowed nervously. "Yes, Mr. Sovereign, sir."

"Remove those guises," the Sovereign demanded. "I would see you for who you truly are."

The DigiDestined glanced at each other nervously before looking at OmniShoutmon, but the dragon Digimon kept his head bowed low. Omnimon let out a resigned sigh and became Tai again, and the others followed his lead.

Baihumon studied each of them with interest before rising up to his full height. "Strange. Such weak forms, yet they hold so much power. It's quite baffling."

"Uh…" Takuya muttered. He looked at the others. "Was that an insult or a compliment? It kind of sounded like both."

"I think he was just making an observation and stating a fact," TK replied.

"No offense was intended," Baihumon clarified. "You humans are such an enigma to us. Such fragile creature, yet supplying enough power to take down the Demon Lords." He looked into the distance. "Tell me, which ones remain?"

"Lucemon and Daemon, sir," OmniShoutmon told him immediately. "Bagramon as well."

A resigned look crossed the tiger Digimon's face. "The strongest members of the group. I suppose that was to be expected. There is still much to be done."

"We'll take care of it, Mr. Baihumon, sir," Takato called. "We'll do everything we can to stop the Demon Lords and free the rest of you."

Baihumon looked back down at them, a sorrowful look on his face. "It should not fall onto you to fix what we allowed to happen. There is still a dangerous journey ahead of you."

Davis grinned. "Hey, don't worry, we're getting stronger every day. And you saw that we have Susanoomon on our side now. Not even Lucemon can stop us now."

The Sovereign's eyes hardened, and he stomped his foot. "Do not let your power go to your head. There are forces within this world more powerful than you can imagine, Digimon that are stronger than even the strongest Demon Lords, stronger even than Bagramon. I fear you will run into these forces before you journey is through."

Tai frowned. "Stronger than the Demon Lords. If there are Digimon like that, then why haven't they risen up against them?"

"The Demon Lords learn to control what they cannot surpass, or to use it to their advantage." He looked at the plateau that had led to Armamon's imprisonment. "I see you have come into contact with one already."

"More than one," Takuya replied, thinking of Chronomon when he was in his Destroy Mode.

Baihumon suddenly roared, but it didn't seem to be in response to what Takuya had said, but rather just an expression of frustration. "The forces of darkness are great, but balance must be restored. I am counting on you to restore peace to this world. I too shall do my part."

He let out another roar and suddenly leapt up into the sky, disappearing into the clouds. They faded away a few seconds later, taking all traces of the Sovereign with them.

"And there goes another one," said Kari. "Four Sovereigns down, two more to go. And four more enemies to fight."

"Six," OmniShoutmon replied. "Don't forget about the Chaos Generals. We'll have to defeat them as well."

Takato frowned. "But do we? Once the Demon Lords, Bagramon, and Boltboutamon are defeated, maybe they'll give up."

OmniShoutmon scoffed. "No chance. In fact, we'll more than likely have to fight them before we get to the Demon Lords. But if we did defeat Lucemon and Daemon first, then ChaosGallantmon and Chaosmon will fight to avenge them."

"Damn," Tai swore. "But I guess we should have figured that'd be the case."

"What about Bagramon?" Takuya asked. "Does he have his own Chaos General?"

OmniShoutmon shook his head. "No, he's more of a lone wolf. He'll do anything, betray anyone, use anyone, for his own ambitions. He'll align with others to further his cause and preach to gain support, but you won't find anyone who will hold loyalty to the level of a Chaos General to someone like him. Once he, the Demon Lords, and the Chaos Generals fall, that'll be it. No one else will remain loyal to them once they've been defeated."

"Except Boltboutamon," Davis pointed out.

"Boltboutamon is a mad dog. He's out to cause as much chaos and suffering as he can. Right now, that coincides with what the Demon Lords are doing, but he'll switch sides in a heartbeat, just as we saw him do today."

Tai crossed his arms. "Yeah, bringing us here to fight and then transporting Chronomon here to help us in battle just to make the fight with OmegaArmamon more interesting for him. Sick stuff."

"Chronomon," Kari whispered remorsefully. "I can't believe we lost him like that."

TK put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Don't be sad, Kari. He died fighting for what he believed in. You gave him that chance." He offered her a small smile. "And remember, he's not gone. He'll be back again once he hatches from his egg. And we've got to make sure the world is a better place for him and everyone else for when the time comes for him to leave the safety of File Island."

Takuya looked up at the sky. "Then we better get a move on. I'm sure Lucemon and the others already know that they're down another member and that another Sovereign is free. And something tells me that their retaliation is not going to be pretty."

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The glass of wine shattered in Lucemon's hand. He barely noticed though as he focused on what he was feeling, and he couldn't believe it.

The seal had weakened further, and another Sovereign has slipped free. That meant that another Demon Lord had fallen. As far as he knew, Daemon had not made his move yet and was still making preparations. That meant that it must have been Barbamon who had fallen. Whatever grand scheme the Demon Lord of Greed had been concocting, it had obviously failed. But how could he have possibly been defeated?

"The fool," he growled. "How could he have let those humans get the best of him? How pathetic. He disgraces the name of the Demon Lords; all those who have fallen do."

Laughter greeted him, and Lucemon scowled, not even turning around to acknowledge who was there.

"If only you knew what went down," Boltboutamon told him. "You would probably feel different about it."

Lucemon still didn't look back at him. "I would kill you for disturbing me, but you're most likely just another copy, aren't you?"

The demon Digimon chuckled. "Maybe I am, maybe I'm not. What if I were the real one, and you missed the opportunity to kill me because you just assumed I was a fake?"

Lucemon whirled around and grabbed Boltboutamon around the neck, lifting him off the ground. The demon Digimon just continued to grin, not looking the least bit concerned. "Then again, I could be the real one, and if you kill me for some petty reason like misplaced anger while thinking I was just a copy, then you'll be throwing away a valuable ally. And correct me if I'm wrong, but you're running out of allies that have the power to challenge these humans, aren't you? And just look at your numbers. Only two Demon Lords and two Chaos Generals left. That must be hard for you to accept."

Lucemon stared at him coldly for a few moments before throwing him across the room. Boltboutamon laughed some more before sitting up and looking at the Demon Lord almost mockingly. "Don't let a minor setback deter you, my lord. In fact, you may want to thank the humans for this one. It seems that Barbamon attempted to become the supreme ruler of this world, even over you. He awoke the legendary Armamon and then DNA Digivolved with him to become OmegaArmamon. But the humans eliminated this potential rival before he became a problem. What more, Chronomon fought and fell in the battle as well. So congratulations, your position of power is secure thanks to them."

Lucemon was silent for a few moments as he took in this information. Finally, he looked back at Boltboutamon. "Why are you here?"

The demon Digimon snickered. "Well, now that I've updated you on the situation, I'm curious to see what your next move will be."

A smirk crept up Lucemon's face. "My next move? Why should I bother to do anything? I could kill those humans any time I wish."

"And yet they still live," Boltboutamon pointed out. He rose to his feet and glided over to the Demon Lord. "They live and five of you have fallen. Your allies are defeated, your forces betray you, the public begins to rise up. These humans may not be in your league, but you should consider that it's time to take them," he leaned in close to whisper in the Demon Lord's ear, "seriously."

Lucemon's eyes narrowed. "Take them seriously? Me, the Demon Lord of Pride, take these weak, pathetic humans seriously? As if acknowledging that they pose any sort of threat to me? I would kill anyone who would suggest such a thing."

Boltboutamon backed away. "But of course. I would never suggest that they would be a threat to you personally, but to your hold on this world and those you subjugate, that may be where the threat lies. All you have to do is look at the masses, and you can see the damage these humans are doing."

Lucemon closes his eyes and smirked arrogantly. "A minor setback. These humans are merely a beckon of hope to them. Once they fall, they'll cower before us once more like the worms they are."

Boltboutamon shrugged. "Then why not get rid of the humans now and be done with it? Nip the problem in the bud."

The Demon Lord glared at him. "Was it not you who pointed out that dealing with them ourselves would be the same as acknowledging that we see them as a threat? That we, the Demon Lords, could possibly be vulnerable in some way?"

A cruel mocking chuckle escaped Boltboutamon. "But you are, my lord. Five of you have been defeated by them; one having even surpassed you by becoming OmegaArmamon. True, they had Chronomon to assist them in battle, but it still ended in victory for them. I'm afraid it's no longer a matter of whether the humans may look like a threat. They are a threat. And everyday they're alive, with each victory they gain, it continues to look bad for you. Your pride may tell you not to bother with such insignificant creatures until they're literally knock on your door, but the smart thing to do would be to get rid of them before they become an even bigger problem. Who knows, they may even become a threat to you personally."

Lucemon's eyes flashed angrily. "It will never happen."

"It still doesn't change the fact that the humans need to be dealt with. If not by you, then by other means." He cocked his head so far to the side it was nearly upside-down. "Perhaps by using your little… secret weapon."

Lucemon glanced at him curiously before smirking. "Such overkill. You essentially recommend causing a massive flood to extinguish a mere spark of fire."

Boltboutamon chuckled. "Then consider it a test run. To control something of that magnitude is not something that will happen over night. Use it as a way to destroy the humans. You'll be able to provide the Digital World with a lesson in what happens if they defy you and still chalk it up to a simple test run. Why, I'd even be willing to supervise the whole thing." He clapped his hands together and licked his lips. "I certainly wouldn't want to miss the show."

Lucemon stared at him for several moments, but said nothing. Then he turned away and walked out of the room, leaving Boltboutamon alone.

The demon Digimon was grinning madly, and a light chuckle escaped him. "You're watching me, aren't you? Tell me, are you not amused?"

"You play a dangerous game, Boltboutamon."

Maniacal laughter escaped Boltboutamon. "But that's the point. It's just a game. Games are meant to be fun. Come now, Lord Bagramon, aren't you having fun?"

There was a moment of silence before the voice spoke again. "I do not do this for fun."

"But of course," Boltboutamon replied. "It's all about ambition for you, even if that means siding with those you despise. Well, my ambitions are what drive me as well, and they're all about having a good time. And seeing the way this war plays out between the humans and the Demon Lords is a very good time, no matter who comes out on top."

"Such a claim makes me wonder whose side you're really on."

The demon Digimon laughed. "Come now, Bagramon, you know very well that I'm on the same side I've been on since the beginning. My own. You know that and the Demon Lords know that. Just pray that my interests remain the same."

"I have long since given up on prayer."

Boltboutamon grinned at that. "Ah, yes, ever since you lost faith in the way the Digimon God allowed life to play out and so you betrayed him. Now the only thing you can count on is yourself and what you can take with your own hands. That's your philosophy now, right? Do absolutely whatever it takes to achieve your goals. Take it all, or take nothing, because you either have it all, or you have nothing."

"I do not do it for myself."

A light chuckle slipped past Boltboutamon's lips. "Of course not. That's what you tell yourself anyway. You're doing what you do for everyone else, whether they want it or not, because you know best. That's why free will is wrong to you, right? Because if they're not in absolute agreement with you, then they're wrong, and it will only lead to disaster. So you're doing what's best for everyone since you know better."

He let out a crazed laugh. "One would call that being as egotistical as one can get. This is how you can justify everything that you do, by claiming that it's all for the greater good and that the ends justify the means, no matter what kind of horrible things you need to do. This way you can bring yourself to do anything. Even robbers have their reasons, as the saying goes."

There was a moment of silence before Bagramon spoke again. "And what of you?"

"Me? I do not concern myself with such things. I care not what happens to others. I'm free. Totally and completely free. I do whatever I want, whenever I want, however I want. I serve myself and no other. No cares, no ambitions, no limitations. Just me."

A disapproving grunt came from Bagramon. "With such a lack of drive, you could never understand one such as myself."

Boltboutamon's grin widened. "Oh, I understand perfectly. I simply don't care. So you continue to do what you feel you need to do, and I'll continue to do as I please, and we'll see how long we remain on the same team. For now, I'm eager to see how the humans deal with Lucemon's secret weapon."

"This will not end well."

He felt Bagramon's presence disappear after that, and Boltboutamon licked his lips eagerly. "That's exactly what I'm hoping for."

Notes:

(A/N: Oh boy, a lot is going on right now. Another Sovereign is free, and our heroes now have Susanoomon, who is even stronger than Lucemon. That's good for them, but it doesn't guarantee victory. And what is this secret weapon Lucemon has? And let's not forget that Daemon is planning something as well. And just what is going on with Boltboutamon and Bagramon? So many questions to be had. You'll have to stay tuned to find out. Two weeks until the next chapter.)

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New Digimon that appear.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Baihumon

Chapter 162: The Past Returns Again

Notes:

(A/N: And wend so we enter the arc. Only the top tier Demon Lords remain. But things are now in our heroes' favor. So long as Lucemon and Daemon don't team up, they should have the advantage, at least according to Shoutmon, so let's see how things go. Don;t forget, Lucemon's got his secret weapon and Daemon is planning something big. There's going to be some exciting twists and turns this time around, so I hope you're prepared for them.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 162: The Past Returns Again

Word spread quickly of Barbamon's defeat and Baihumon's return. In fact, the very land itself seemed brighter and more full of life. According to Shoutmon, this was due to Baihumon's holy power returning and Barbamon's evil energy being lifted from the world.

"We'd actually see an even bigger improvement if we weren't in Lucemon's domain," he told them. "And with the four compass Sovereigns now free, the Digital World itself will return to a more harmonious state."

Takato gave him a curious look. "What do you mean by "compass" exactly?"

The dragon Digimon began motioning about with his hands. "Just what it sounds like. It's even in their titles. Ebonwumon is the Sovereign of the North, Zhuqiaomon is the Sovereign of the South, Azulongmon is the Sovereign of the East, and Baihumon is the Sovereign of the West. The four directions."

"Oh, I get it," said Davis. "So what about the last two Sovereigns."

"The two of them watch over the whole Digital World," Shoutmon replied. "One is just of a higher rank than the other, and a little more free ranged."

Takato crossed his arms. "So it's like in Dragon Ball Z with the North, South, East, and West Kais, then there's the Grand Kai and the Supreme Kai. Right?"

Shoutmon gave him a bewildered look. "I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about. All you need to know is that while the Digital World can function without them, it will be better off once all the Sovereigns are all freed."

It wasn't just the land that was affected, the residents were much happier too. Random Digimon they came across would shout greetings to them in passing, and those they interacted with seemed much friendlier and no longer found the teens to be such oddities. In fact, they even heard tales of Digimon who were once loyal to the Demon Lords having turned against them, even Digimon with wicked natures having turned their backs on them.

"Strange how such a drastic change in society can take place once the leaders fall," Davis noted.

TK shook his head. "Not really. Actually, it's not strange at all. We've seen it happen countless times in human history. Once a dictator is taken out of the picture, all of the people under their rule usually do a complete one-eighty and abandon the dictator's cause, or at least divert from them or become less invested. With them gone, their whole agenda almost always goes with them. Like Hitler for example."

Shoutmon lifted his chin. "I don't know who Hitler is, but you're right, it's not surprising at all. The Demon Lords are tyrants, enforcing their will on everyone else. Aside from those who directly benefit from their rule, pretty much everyone else, even evil Digimon, are opposed to their tyranny; they just can't do anything about it because they're so powerful. So they either obey out of fear, because they feel they have no choice in the matter, or because they hope to gain something, or to at least not lose anything. But everyone wants their freedom. With the Demon Lords reduced to only two and Bagramon, it's not surprising that their forces are abandoning them, if not straight up supporting us."

They saw a prime example that proved Shoutmon's words to be true a few days later when they encountered a Devidramon. They'd seen one before, even though that one had been an artificial Control Spire Digimon created by Arukenimon, they knew it to be a species of Devimon with a more savage and aggressive nature. At first it seemed like it was going to go after them, but before they even had a chance to Spirit Evolve, it backed off and left without even attempting to attack them.

"I told you," said Shoutmon after it left, "even evil Digimon are hoping you'll take down the Demon Lords. Not even they want to live under their tyranny anymore."

It did indeed seem that hope was spreading throughout the Digital World. It was present in their group as well. With the inclusion of Susanoomon to their team, their spirits were higher than ever. Shoutmon felt confident that as long as Lucemon and Daemon didn't team up that they would be able to defeat the last two Demon Lords, though he was still uneasy about facing Bagramon and Boltboutamon.

But that was still a ways away, and they tried not to think about it. Instead, they focused on the positives and what they could do with the power they had, and this kept their spirits high.

That is, until they got to the next town. Only it could no longer be called a town. Instead, what the teens had come across were the destroyed remains of what was once a town, and a rather big and active one at that.

No longer though. Everything was destroyed. The scene would have been right at home in a post-apocalyptic dystopia movie. The entire town looked like a warzone, and from the state of the damage, from a pretty recent battle.

"What happened here?" Tai wondered out loud. "Everything's destroyed."

TK looked around in horror. "I don't know, but from the looks of things, whatever happened here happened not too long ago."

A small flickering flame burned a few feet away from whatever had caused the destruction, and Davis stepped on it to put it out. "Is this the result if a battle?"

Shoutmon shook his head. "No, this is just senseless destruction. Whoever did this came here with the intent to destroy everything."

Kari's hand flew to her mouth as she gasped in horror. "Who would do such a thing?"

The dragon Digimon kicked over some rubble. "There are a few Digimon with destructive instincts, like Ordinemon, but I can't say who it actually was that did this. It looks like they're long gone though."

It was a morbid sight to be true, but they made the best of it, going around and salvaging any resources they could. They also found the least destroyed structure that didn't look like it would collapse and spent the night there before heading out the next morning.

A few days later, they came across an equally horrifying sight. Another town in ruins, the entire place destroyed. It gave the teens an uneasy feeling to find two towns that had been completely decimated in a matter of days.

This time, however, they found another Digimon called Ignitemon scavenging through the town. They inquired to him as to what had happened, but the reptile Digimon was immensely unhelpful.

"From what I heard, some Digimon just showed up one day and began destroying everything before leaving. Didn't even attack anyone. Just showed up, blasted everything in sight, then left."

They tried questioning him further, but there was nothing else he could tell them. Shoutmon crossed his arms in thought as he considered this information.

"It just doesn't make sense," he muttered. "It's pure senseless destruction simply for the sake of senseless destruction. If it were a Digimon with a destructive nature, it would have gone after other Digimon, it also wouldn't have enough sense to deliberately target everything in the town. Someone is making a conscious decision to straight up attack the town itself. But why?"

The others thought about this as well, and Kari gave her theory. "Maybe they're doing it for attention, or to provoke someone or something."

"Could it be some extremists?" Davis wondered out loud. "You know, someone who opposes the Demon Lords. You said this is Lucemon's land, and Digimon once loyal to the Demon Lords are turning on them. Maybe they're trying to antagonize Lucemon by destroying his towns."

Shoutmon shook his head. "That doesn't make sense. Lucemon wouldn't care about the land or its residents. When I called it 'Lucemon's land', I meant that it was territory that Lucemon claimed for himself amongst what the Demon Lords as a whole claimed. Lucemon's own domain on the other hand, where he and his forces stay and his castle is located, that's different. I could see getting a reaction out of him if someone attacked him there. But here, no chance. This is something else."

Sadly, there was nothing they could do about the destruction, but they all agreed that if they encountered whoever was causing it that they would stop them. According to Shoutmon, there were several small towns scattered across the land, but they had no way of knowing where the destructive Digimon would head to next.

It wasn't until a few days later that they finally made some progress on finding out who the destroyer was. They had already set up camp and were preparing dinner when a lone Digimon came scampering into their camp, collapsing beside them. The teens were instantly on their feet, startled by the sudden arrival of the Digimon, but relaxed almost instantly when they got a good look at it. Shoutmon further confirmed that they had nothing to worry about.

"It's fine," he said. "This is Morphomon. She's a Rookie level Digimon and is practically harmless."

Breathing heavily, the butterfly Digimon looked up at them, her eyes shining. "You're the humans, right? Thank goodness I found you! I've been searching for you for days?" Lower lip trembling, Morphomon stood up, giving them a pleading look. "Please, you have to save my town, otherwise it'll be destroyed!"

Tai jumped to his feet. "What? Your town is being attacked? Right now?"

The butterfly Digimon shook her head. "No, not yet, but I'm afraid it's going to be soon. We've had refugees coming in from the other towns that have been attacked. So far, eight towns have been destroyed."

"Eight!?" TK exclaimed in horror. "Eight towns have been destroyed?"

Morphomon nodded. "My town is closest to the last one that was destroyed, and I'm afraid it will be next." She looked down and began tracing circles in the dirt with her foot. "A couple days ago, an Ignitemon wandered through our town, bragging at how he met the humans who had been fighting the Demon Lords. I knew you would be able to help us, and I've been looking for you ever since." She fell onto her bottom, looking exhausted. "I haven't eaten or slept in two days. So tired."

"You haven't eaten or slept for two whole days?" Kari asked, and picked up the butterfly Digimon. "You poor thing. You must be exhausted."

Morphomon looked up at her with pleading eyes. "I want to hire you. Please, save my town. I don't now when it'll be attacked, but I just know it's going to be soon."

"Of course we'll save your town," Tai replied immediately. "Everyone, clean up, we're heading out."

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

It was well into the night by the time they reached Morphomon's town. The butterfly Digimon had done their best to direct them, but kept falling asleep in Kari's arms. Fortunately, Shoutmon had an idea which town Morphomon had come from and where it was, and had been able to lead them during the times Morphomon fell asleep. And since they had been in a hurry, he had Digivolved to OmniShoutmon and carried the teens for the journey.

"Glad to see the town's still standing," TK said in relief.

"So am I," Davis mumbled sleepily. "I hope they have a place we can sleep. I'm about to keel over."

Takuya snorted. "Please, this is nothing compared to that time we pulled those all-nighters so we could get through that valley with all those data streams before having to fight Beelzemon."

"And just think how poor Morphomon must feel," Kari added, looking down at the sleeping butterfly Digimon. "The poor thing searched for us non-stop for days."

As if she had heard her name, Morphomon began to stir, and suddenly sprang awake. "Have to find the humans! My town!"

"Hey, hey, easy," Takato soothed. "We're here, you found us. And your town is fine. See."

Morphomon looked at her town in the distance and relaxed. "Thank the Sovereigns."

OmniShoutmon set them all down and DeDigivolved. They began making their way towards the town on foot, but halfway there, Shoutmon came to a stop and began looking around. The teens realized he wasn't following them anymore and looked back at him.

"Everything ok, Shoutmon?" Kari asked as she cradled Morphomon.

The dragon Digimon shook his head. "Sorry, I just realized where we are."

Takato cocked his head to the side. "Um, we're on our way to save Morphomon's town, aren't we?"

Shoutmon shook his head again. "That's not what I meant. I was talking about our location in the Digital World. If we continue on towards Lucemon's castle from here, we'll eventually come across…" He smiled and fell silent. "Never mind, I won't ruin the surprise."

"You want to give us a surprise?" said Takuya. "Give me a comfy bed to sleep in. That'll be a nice surprise. It's been so long since we've slept in a bed."

TK chuckled. "That does always seem to be the case. Come on, the faster we get there, the faster we can get to those nice, comfy beds."

They continued towards the town. There was no sign of any other Digimon anywhere, hostile or otherwise, to suggest that the town was in danger, but they still didn't know what kind of Digimon they would be up against. Which made them realize that perhaps they should inquire about it.

"Hey, Morphomon," said TK, "did any of those refugees say who it was that attacked them? It'd be good to know who we're up against."

Morphomon gave a small nod. "Yes, they said that it's a-"

"Freezing Wave!"

A blast of energy struck the ground in front of the teens, and they jumped back in surprise, pulling out their Digivices. Morphomon, however, jumped out of Kari's hands and held her arms out. "Wait, stop, BioQuetzalmon, it's me, Morphomon!"

There was no follow up attack, and a few seconds later, an armor-clad snake-like Digimon with wings like ears slithered out of the shadows from off the roof of a house. "Morphomon? What are you doing? And where have you been?"

The butterfly Digimon relaxed and put her arms down before looking back at the teens. "It's ok, she's a friend."

"Real friendly," Davis muttered irritably. "Such a warm greeting."

"She was just being cautious because of what was happening to the towns," Morphomon replied. "That was just a warning shot to confirm your identity. If she wanted to hit you, she would have."

Turning back to the mythical beast Digimon, she ran to her. BioQuetzalmon flew over to her as well, and Morphomon latched onto her serpentine body in the form of a hug. The teens hesitated a bit when she glanced at them suspiciously, but relaxed some when she looked back at Morphomon.

"Where did you go?" she asked. "We thought you might have fled in case the town was in danger."

Morphomon nuzzled her. "I didn't run away. I went to get help. Remember that Ignitemon said he saw the humans a few days ago? I thought they might be close by, so I went to find them so they could help us. And look, here they are."

BioQuetzalmon looked at the teens, and they hesitantly waved at her. She cocked her head to the side in interest. "So these are the humans. Kind of funny looking."

"Says the snake with the bird wings for ears and a tube on her head," Takuya grumbled.

Kari nudged him. "Takuya."

"Sorry, just cranky 'cause I'm tired."

"My apologies for attacking you," BioQuetzalmon told them. "I had to make sure you weren't the destroyer."

Davis held his arms out. "Do we look like the destroyer?"

"He's crafty," Morphomon replied. "He likes to get close at a lower level and then suddenly Digivolve and attack. But now that you're here, you can stop him."

BioQuetzalmon moved in closer, examining the teens closely. "Are these truly the humans who have been defeating the Demon Lords? They don't look that strong."

"Not right now," said Shoutmon, "but they've gotten a few surprises."

The mythical beast Digimon turned to him. She studied him for a few moments before her eyes widened and she lowered her head in a bow. "Your majesty."

A grin spread across Shoutmon's face. "So you recognized me, huh?"

"I would recognize the Digimon King anywhere."

Takato sighed and whispered to the others, "How can she tell? Doesn't he look like all the other Shoutmon out there?"

The dragon Digimon apparently heard him and threw him a dirty look. "And you all look the same to me, but not to yourselves apparently. Seriously, the only way I can tell the difference between you is because of your clothes, and also because Kari's a girl and TK's blonde. Other than that, you all pretty much look exactly the same to me. Do we really need to go through this again?"

Tai waved his hands. "Whoa, calm down. You know he didn't mean anything by that. We're all just tired and cranky, not to mention we didn't get dinner, so we're also hungry."

BioQuetzalmon closed her eyes. "I'm afraid you'll find no eating establishments open at this time of night, not with all the precautions the town has undergone since the whole… fiasco with the destroyer started. Many of the residential Digimon have already fled."

"It's fine," TK told her. "We have our own rations. We could just camp out front here and wait for this destroyer Digimon to come."

Morphomon flew up to sit on BioQuetzalmon's head. "Nonsense, you can stay with me. I did hire you after all. Eat up and get some sleep so that when the destroyer does come, you'll be rested and energized for the fight. We'll discuss your payment in the morning."

Kari's eyes widened in surprise. "Wait, payment? We're getting paid?"

Morphomon cocked her head to the side. "Of course, I am hiring you to protect our town."

"If the payment she offers isn't enough," said BioQuetzalmon, "I can offer up more."

TK waved his arms. "Hey, hold up, we don't want your money."

BioQuetzalmon's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Then what form of payment would you like?"

"We're not doing this for payment," Tai insisted. "We're doing it because you need help and it's the right thing to do. You don't always need a reason to help someone, you know. A place to stay at night and a few meals so we don't waste our rations would be appreciated though, and you already offered that."

Morphomon's face lit up. "Oh, thank you, thank you! I know our town is in good hands with you here. Come on, I'll show you to my house. But I have to warn you though, it's a little small for so many of you."

"I shall continue to keep watch," BioQuetzalmon told them. "Should I see anything, I will inform you at once."

"Thanks," said Tai. "And don't worry, you can count on us. We'll keep the town safe."

They followed Morphomon as she led them to her home. With all that had happened since they arrived, they had forgotten to get an answer of who the destroyer was.

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

"Wake up! Wake up!"

The persistent voice stirred Tai from his sleep, and he let out a groan, pulling his pillow over his head. But it wasn't until a small body quite literally jumped on his stomach, knocking the air out of him that he fully snapped awake.

"The hell?" he grunted, looking down at Morphomon, who was now sitting on his stomach with a worried look on her face.

"He's coming, he's coming!" the butterfly Digimon shouted fearfully.

Groaning, Tai rubbed his eyes as the events of last night came back to him. After Morphomon had led them back to her house, a small but cozy place surrounded by a flower garden, she had served them up a quick meal before they had all went to bed. All had been quiet until this rather rude awakening, and it took a few moments for Tai to piece together what Morphomon was saying.

"Who's coming?" he asked sleepily. Then he remembered. "Wait, he's coming? You mean right now?"

"Yes," Morphomon exclaimed, and leapt off him to land on Takato. "Wake up! You need to wake up!"

She jumped off Takato and landed by TK, grabbing his pillow and pulling it out from under his head before going to Kari and ripping off her blanket.

"Wake up, wake up!" she shouted as she rushed over to Davis and began pushing against him. "He'll be here soon."

"Mmm, that's nice," Davis muttered sleepily, and grabbed hold of Morphomon, hugging her to his chest like a stuffed animal, then rolled over with her.

Tai clapped his hands together. "Everyone up, it's time to go. Come on, we've got a job to do."

It took a few seconds to get everyone up and moving, but soon they were scrambling for the front door, tripping over each other in the process. Once outside, they rushed for the town entrance. BioQuetzalmon was up on the roof of a house, but no longer bothered to hide in the shadows as she raised herself up like a snake ready to strike.

"We're here!" TK called up to her. "Where is he?"

BioQuetzalmon didn't bother to even look at them, not taking her eyes off what she was looking at. "Out there. He Digivolved a few minutes ago. He's coming now."

The teens looked out upon the horizon to where the sun was beginning to rise. They had to squint, but they could indeed make out the form of a Digimon flying towards them. As it got closer, they could see that it resembled an enormous, red, mechanical dinosaur with several cannons on its wrists and shoulders.

"Geez, what is that thing?" Davis exclaimed.

Kari quickly checked out her Digivice. "That's Destromon, a very powerful Ultimate level Digimon. He's a literal battleship with several energy cannons, and a primary weapon in his chest that can annihilate an entire city. With his Triple Cannon Shot and his Long-Range Buster Cannon, he can fire explosive shells from his front and back to destroy everything around him."

"Well, his name certainly fits with his description," Takato commented.

"Hold on," said Kari. "I'm getting another reading. There's someone else with him."

"Yes," BioQuetzalmon replied. "The refugees did say that another Digimon was with him who didn't actually take part in the destruction, just observed."

"Oh, great," Davis muttered. "Someone else to fight. Who is it?"

"Juggernaut Blast!" Destromon cried, firing energy beams from the cannons on his chest.

"No time!" Tai shouted. "Spirit Evolve, now! Execute! Spirit Evolution… Omnimon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Imperialdramon Paladin Mode!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Gallantmon Crimson Mode!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Susanoomon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Seraphimon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Ophanimon C!"

"Shoutmon Digivolve to… OmniShoutmon!"

BioQuetzalmon's eyes widened in astonishment at the sight of them. "Incredible."

They sprang into action, flying towards the incoming missiles. Seraphimon used his Hallowed Ascension, bringing down lightning that destroyed them. Destromon came to a stop in mid-air and stared at the seven of them.

"Your destructive rampage is over, Destromon," Imperialdramon declared.

The battleship Digimon continued to study each of them, and then his eyes narrowed. "You. I've found you at last."

The DigiDestined exchanged confused looks. "Um, do we know you?" Gallantmon asked. "OmniShoutmon, do we know him?"

The dragon Digimon glared at Destromon. "Oh yes, we know him alright. I recognize him now that we're closer."

"I think I would have remembered this guy," Imperialdramon commented.

The battleship Digimon's eyes flashed violently as they landed on him. "That's because I was only at the Champion level when we last met. You would have seen me at the Ultimate level back then had you not broken the code and attacked me while I was Digivolving."

That story most definitely sounded familiar to Seraphimon. "Wait, that means you're… Snatchmon!"

Destromon presented himself to them. "So you do remember."

Omnimon pointed his sword at the battleship Digimon. "How could I forget? You turned me into an Oinkmon."

"And your friend attacked while I was Digivolving and trapped me in Argomon's vines."

"Do you remember me as well?" another voice cried out.

From out from behind one of Destromon's cannons came another familiar individual, at least to Ophanimon C and OmniShoutmon. "BlackAgumon!" the former exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"Wait," said Imperialdramon, "who's this now?"

"Someone I had a run in with after we were separated back when we were still dealing with Devimon."

The reptile Digimon's eyes narrowed. "Glad to see you haven't forgotten me. Do you also remember how our battle ended? How you sent me flying out into the ocean on your Rosetta Stone? Tell me, what do you think happened when your attack lost its momentum? Where do you think I ended up?"

Ophanimon C's gut clenched with guilt. In all honesty, she hadn't given a second thought to him after she had launched him out into the sea. In truth, she had completely forgotten him after that with everything that had been going on.

"That's right," BlackAgumon continued, reading her body language. "I ended up stranded in the middle of the ocean. I thought I was a goner, but fortune favored me. A loyalist of Leviamon found me. They were going to simply kill me, but when I told them that I had valuable information, involving humans being in the Digital World, I was spared and brought to dry land, where I was introduced to the Demon Lords themselves."

This was news to the DigiDestined. In all likelihood, it could have been from BlackAgumon that the Demon Lords had first heard of them.

"The Demon Lords may rule through fear and tyranny, but they do reward loyalty," the reptile Digimon continued. "And recently they rewarded me with great power. Power enough to take my revenge on you."

"The two of you need new hobbies," Susanoomon told them. "Living for the sake of revenge is pointless and unhealthy."

"Is that what all this destruction has been about?" Omnimon demanded. "Were you trying to get our attention?"

"We knew it would draw your attention and lure you to us eventually," Destromon replied. "After I delivered the key cards to Barbamon, he granted me power. Power enough to Digivolve so that I may take my revenge."

"And now here we all are." BlackAgumon added.

"All this because I attacked you while you were Digivolving?" Imperialdramon demanded of Destromon. He sighed in aggravation. "Ok, look, I'm sorry, alright! We were still new to this world and didn't know all the rules. Back then I didn't know you weren't supposed to attack when someone else was Digivolving. I'm sorry."

OmniShoutmon pointed at BlackAgumon. "You though, we have nothing to apologize to you about. You tried to kill us and merely lost the battle; so don't be expecting an apology from us."

Destromon snarled. "We are beyond apologies. I've waited months for this, and now I shall have my revenge, and more."

Gallantmon pointed his spear at him. "Fine then, bring it on. You need to pay for destroying all those towns anyway. But there's no way you can beat us. Even if Barbamon did give you enough power to Digivolve, you won't be able to defeat us at the Ultimate level."

Destromon threw his head back and laughed. "It seems you've forgotten. Back when I fought you as Snatchmon, your friend here attacked me when I was in the process of Digivolving to Destromon. That is the form you see me in now. It's true that Barbamon gave me the power I needed to Digivolve as a reward for delivering the key cards, but I had already achieved Ultimate on my own before that. And with the power I've been given, I'm now able to Digivolve to the Mega level."

BlackAgumon leapt off Destromon's shoulder. "Show them what they're up against."

Next to the DigiDestined, OmniShoutmon swore. "Not good, not good, not good."

"Destromon Mega Digivolve to… Galacticmon!"

The DigiDestined were utterly flabbergasted. The Digimon before them was larger than any other Digimon they had ever seen before. If they were at eye level, his head alone towered over Imperialdramon. Resembling a weaponized satellite or spacecraft with two metal, skeletal hands on his left side and a large metal claw pincer on his right side, and at least two giant missiles silos for legs. His tail alone was almost the size of Azulongmon, and was equally as long. It was aligned with solar panels, and even seemed to contain what looked like a second head at the end.

No longer feeling conflicted, Gallantmon felt his stomach drop out from beneath him. "I think I just wet myself."

"Damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it," OmniShoutmon chanted. "This is not good. Galacticmon is an extremely powerful Digimon; so strong that one has never appeared before."

Seraphimon swallowed nervously. "Ok, so he's big and strong. Really, really big. We should still be able to handle him with Susanoomon's power, right?"

The god Digimon in question punched his palm. "Yeah, we can do it. I won't hold anything back."

A fireball suddenly hit him, courtesy of BlackAgumon. It didn't hurt, but it did get Susanoomon's attention. "He may be really big, but he's not the only one you need to worry about. Remember, I got a power boost too."

"Get lost, you salamander," Imperialdramon snapped impatiently. "We've already faced down ChaosBlackWarGreymon, including after he DNA Digivolved and then Digivolved twice more. I'm talking about Omegamon Alter-B. That was his name, right? Yeah, Omegamon Alter-B. And he was a Chaos General too."

BlackAgumon snorted. "So you faced someone extremely powerful and won, but have you won against someone with power beyond Mega?"

His words sent an uneasy feeling through the DigiDestined. "Meaning what exactly?" Ophanimon C demanded.

The reptile Digimon chuckled menacingly. "The Demon Lords gave me the power I needed to reach Mega, but then I got something else, something they didn't offer, from an old friend of yours." He grinned broadly. "It was Boltboutamon. He showed me how to channel my hate into a dark energy to use it to go even beyond Mega."

"Boltboutamon!" Imperialdramon repeated. "Oh crap."

"Beyond Mega," OmniShoutmon whispered. "But that means…"

"BlackAgumon Warp Digivolve to… ShineGreymon Ruin Mode!"

Shocked gasps escaped the DigiDestined at the sight of the dragon Digimon. It was obvious just from looking at him that ShineGreymon Ruin Mode was just a dark, corrupt version of ShineGreymon Burst Mode, and they all knew what the power of Burst Mode was capable of. His appearance was almost identical to ShineGreymon in his Burst Mode, only his armor was black, gray, and dark red, and seemed more skeletal in appearance, and the fiery aura surrounding him was black.

"Damn it!" OmniShoutmon shouted. "Galacticmon and ShineGreymon in Ruin Mode. At this rate I think I might prefer to fight a Demon Lord."

Gallantmon glanced at him. "Wait, seriously?"

ShineGreymon let out a roar and suddenly charged at the DigiDestined like a mad beast. OmniShoutmon yelped and called out Susanoomon's name, and the god Digimon rushed forward, plowing into ShineGreymon with his Heavy Tackle. The dragon Digimon was knocked away, but immediately doubled back and charged at Susanoomon again. The god Digimon charged forward to meet him, and the two engaged in battle, ShineGreymon attacking with a ferocious veracity.

"What the heck got into him?" Imperialdramon remarked.

"Like I said, Ruin Mode," said OmniShoutmon. "It's like Burst Mode, only the user is unable to control their power and loses all reason. I can't believe he would enter that state willingly."

"I can," said Ophanimon C. "He was already bad the first time we met him, and if Boltboutamon of all people corrupted him further…"

"Will Susanoomon be ok?" Omnimon asked worriedly. "Ruin Mode surpasses Mega just like Burst Mode does, right?"

"Susanoomon will be fine," OmniShoutmon replied. "We have bigger problems." He looked up at the giant Galacticmon and gulped. "Much bigger."

Galacticmon looked down at them with a single glowing eye that moved about the black screen that served for his face. "I've waited a long time for this. Soon my dream will be realized."

"This guy can really hold a grudge," Imperialdramon grumbled. "I already apologized. The rest is on you at this point. So if you want to do this, then let's do this. Super Positron Laser!"

"No, wait!" OmniShoutmon shouted.

But it was too late, and Imperialdramon's beam blasted Galacticmon. The attack jolted him back, but he didn't seem too overly bothered by it, and raised his tail. "Galactic Counter!"

A beam fired out of the tip of his tail and headed straight for Imperialdramon. OmniShoutmon flew over and grabbed the dragon Digimon's tail, pulling him out of the way of the attack. "Will you hold on a minute! I was going to tell you that Galacticmon can counter special attacks used against him with an even more powerful counter move than his standard attacks. The stronger the attack used on him, the stronger he can counter it."

"Then we can only use physical attacks?" Gallantmon asked incredulously.

"No," said Seraphimon as he flew up to the satellite Digimon's head, "we just have to be careful not to get hit by his counter attack. Strike of the Seven Stars!"

His attack exploded into Galacticmon's face, and the satellite Digimon's head snapped back. Slowly, he turned back to Seraphimon and held up his hand. "Strike of the Seven Stars!"

Much to Seraphimon's astonishment, he found his own attack fired right back at him, and he was blasted out of the sky. OmniShoutmon winced as he watched the angel Digimon fall and hit the ground. "Careful, that was his ????? attack."

"His what?" Imperialdramon asked. "How do you even spell that?"

"Just be careful when attacking him," OmniShoutmon replied, ignoring the question. "That move let's him analyze and copy the last technique used against him. He can change it at any time, so be careful, because you never know when he's going to copy an attack."

"These things would have been helpful to know in advance!" Omnimon snapped.

"You're basically saying that absolutely any attack we use against him can be used against us in some way?" Ophanimon C asked. "Either by being copied and reflected back at us or by being countered? How are we supposed to fight that?"

"You're not," Galacticmon declared. "You're simply supposed to die. Just like this. Ragnarok Cannon!"

The cannon on his chest began to gather energy. OmniShoutmon's eyes widened and he flew to the ground, dragging Imperialdramon with him. "Hit the deck!"

The DigiDestined did as they were told as Galacticmon fired his cannon. The beam he fired tore through the air and headed straight for the town they had come to defend. A massive explosion went off, completely consuming the town, and everyone and everything within. Within the mighty blast, the town, and everyone and everything within it, was completely obliterated.

Notes:

(A/N: Haha! I bet you never thought you'd see these guys again. Well, you may have suspected Snatchmon after I mentioned how he was the one who gave Barbamon the key cards, but you certainly didn't expect BlackAgumon, did you? Now our heroes are facing two major threats. Galacticmon, who is extremely powerful, and ShineGreymon Ruin Mode, who is basically just a corrupted Burst Mode. They already failed to save the town they had come to protect, now they need to fight for their lives. There's a tough battle ahead, so I hope you're ready for it. Just two weeks 'til next time.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Ignitemon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Morphomon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/BioQuetzalmon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Destromon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Galacticmon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/ShineGreymon_Ruin_Mode

Chapter 163: Saving

Notes:

(A/N: Ok, so before we get started, I'd like to announce that I'm in the process of starting a new story. No, it's not another Digimon story, so sorry if that's what you were hoping to hear. It's actually a Pirates of the Caribbean story that I've been brainstorming for, wow, several years now, and only now has begun to take form. Oh, don't worry, I won't be neglecting this story, the updates will still be regular, I'm just mentioning it now in case anyone is interested. It'll still be a few weeks before I get started on it, but if you're interest, look forward to it, because I got big plans for it. For now, just enjoy the next installment of this story. The chapter title may not make much sense now, but it actually has multiple meanings, which you'll soon get by the end.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 163: Saving

When the blast died down, the entire town and then some was gone. Only a large crater remained, with no trace of life anywhere. The DigiDestined looked on in horror and disbelief at the senseless destruction.

"It's gone…" Ophanimon C whispered. "He completely destroyed everything. All of it." She turned furiously back to Galacticmon. "HOW COULD YOU!? Volcano Napalm!"

She threw fireballs up at the satellite Digimon that exploded into pillars of fire. The pillars were pretty big, but Galacticmon's massive size still dwarfed them. He swiped at her with his metal claws, and she pulled back to avoid the giant hand before firing her Holy Destroy.

"Space Laser!" Galacticmon cried, firing an energy blast from his forehead. It collided with Ophanimon C's attack, pushing it back. When it nearly reached her, she switched to her Unicorn Shield. Galacticmon's attack hit, and her barrier shattered, sending her crashing to the ground.

"Stop it!" OmniShoutmon shouted. "We can't take this guy lightly. Not only is he the largest Digimon after ZeedMillenniummon with power on par with a Demon Lord who specializes in counter attacks, but that Ragnarok Cannon of his is particularly nasty. Not only is it incredibly powerful, but if you're fortunate enough to survive it, it has an energy draining affect that zaps your energy down to the absolute bare minimum until you only have just enough left to live. We can't be careless."

Ophanimon C sat up. "But he just killed everyone. I can't stand to lose anyone else. Recently we've lost AncientWisemon, Chronomon, Morphomon, BioQuetzalmon, and that whole town. We can't let anyone else die!"

"We're going to die if we're not careful," Omnimon told her.

Galacticmon raised his tail. "You will die anyway. Gimlet Gun!"

Lasers fired from the tip of his tail and eye. The DigiDestined scattered as the two lasers flew through the air, slicing through the ground where it touched. Galacticmon's tail and head followed after them, his lasers never ceasing as he attacked the six of them while Susanoomon dealt with ShineGreymon.

The god Digimon, however, couldn't worry about anything else right now. He had his hands full with the dragon Digimon. Not only did Ruin Mode give ShineGreymon a tremendous power boost that surpassed Mega, but the dragon Digimon attacked with such savagery that Susanoomon hadn't seen anything like it other than Omegamon Zwart Defeat. It made it hard to even deliver an attack since he was constantly on the defense.

"Calm down, dude," Susanoomon commented. "This may be a fight, but you're acting crazy."

ShineGreymon just snarled like a madden animal and came at him again. Susanoomon swore and rushed forward, delivering a Flash Punch that sent ShineGreymon spinning backwards. The dragon Digimon recovered quickly though, shaking his head before producing a sword with a flaming blade and flying back towards Susanoomon.

The god Digimon ducked and dodged as ShineGreymon furiously swiped at him. Using his Magna Thunder, he created a cage of lightning around him, but ShineGreymon cut through the electric bars with a swipe of his sword and came at him again.

"Heavenly Wings Beheading!" Susanoomon cried, manifesting his sword and raising it into the air. He brought it down, and his arm split into the holographs of the arms of the Ten Legendary Warriors, each wielding a sword. ShineGreymon's own sword came up, and Susanoomon's ten swords came down one after another as they met ShineGreymon's blade, becoming a single arm again.

ShineGreymon threw a punch and Susanoomon pulled back to avoid it, and the dragon Digimon followed up with his Glorious Burst, absorbing solar energy through his wings from the rising sun that he then fired at Susanoomon in the form of a laser bursting from his chest. The god Digimon was blasted back, dropping his sword in the process, and ShineGreymon followed up with his Torrid White, shooting fire bullets that rained against Susanoomon.

"Fist of the Gods!" he cried, flying through the swarm of bullets and delivering a flurry of punches all over ShineGreymon's body before finishing it off with a Texture Blow. The pixilation flowed over ShineGreymon, but his power remained unsealed and his form intact, causing Susanoomon to sweat-drop. "Ok, that didn't work."

ShineGreymon roared and used his Shining Blast, enveloping himself in his aura and tackling Susanoomon. The god Digimon managed to catch him before he was tackled, and ShineGreymon raised his sword. Susanoomon's hand came up, grabbing the dragon Digimon's wrist before he was cut, still holding him back with his other hand. ShineGreymon unleashed his Torrid White again, and Susanoomon grunted as he was peppered with fire bullets.

"Damn it," he growled, and drove his knee into the dragon Digimon's gut, knocking him away. "Heaven's Thunder!"

Streams of dragon-headed lightning came down, surrounding ShineGreymon. The dragon Digimon roared and began slashing about wildly, cutting down the streams of lightning. Susanoomon growled as he wondered how long Ruin Mode lasted compared to Burst Mode.

He didn't have long to think though as ShineGreymon used his Final Shining Burst, wrapping his aura-wings around himself and firing a blast. Susanoomon held up his hands as the beam slammed against him. He grunted as he attempted to hold his ground against the attack while wondering how his friends were doing against Galacticmon.

Glancing over his shoulder, he gasped in horror as he saw that the town was gone. Only a giant crater with a cloud of smoke rising out of it was in its place. That must have been from the explosion he'd heard, but he had been forced to ignore it since ShineGreymon had been all over him.

Righteous fury filled the god Digimon as he turned back to ShineGreymon. "That does it! Gladiator!"

His power amplified, and he forced his way straight through ShineGreymon's attack. When he reached the dragon Digimon he attacked with his Fist of the Gods, showering ShineGreymon with punches. He then delivered a kick to the hand holding his sword, and it flew out of ShineGreymon's grip. He then followed up with his Heavy Tackle, knocking the dragon Digimon away.

"Celestial Blade!" he cried, manifesting his ZERO-ARMS: Orochi. His blade stretched out from the weapon, and he swung it at ShineGreymon.

The dragon Digimon, in his berserker state, didn't even attempt to avoid the blade, and it cut clean through him. A roar escaped him as his lower body fell away and burst into data.

Susanoomon didn't spare a moment. As the Celestial Blade retracted back into his weapon, he pointed to the sky. "Glory Thunder!"

A bolt of lightning came down, striking what was left of ShineGreymon, and the rest of him burst into data. Susanoomon then turned his weapon upon Galacticmon, taking aim. "ZERO-ARMS: Orochi!"

A beam erupted from his weapon, flying at the satellite Digimon. It was impossible to miss due to Galacticmon's massive size, but it also meant that the giant explosion that followed wasn't as affective as it would have been if he were a smaller opponent. The power of the attack still succeeded in damaging the satellite Digimon, and he turned to Susanoomon.

"He's going to counter!" OmniShoutmon hollered. "Don't let him!"

Susanoomon changed the position of his weapon. "Fine then. Celestial Blade!"

He was very hesitant about using this attack since it stretched clear across the Digital World, and he didn't know who or what else might be in its cutting path, but there were just some things that had to be chanced, and taking down Galacticmon was worth the risk of collateral damage; he just hoped anyone in its path would get out of the way.

The satellite Digimon reached out with his giant hands. They closed on the Celestial Blade as it came at him, and Susanoomon had a flashback to OmegaArmamon as Galacticmon held back the attack.

"Get him while his hands are full!" Seraphimon shouted. "Hallowed Ascension!"

"Supreme Cannon!"

"Hyper Prominence!"

"Final Justice!"

"Holy Destroy!"

"Omni Core Fusion!"

The attacks exploded against Galacticmon, but he refused to let go of the Celestial Blade. Instead, he raised his tail and fired his Gimlet Gun at them while firing a second one from his eye at Susanoomon. The god Digimon cried out as he was knocked back, and Galacticmon snapped the Celestial Blade in his grip, and it dissolved into light particles.

Snarling, Susanoomon pointed his weapon at Galacticmon again, changing up for a new attack. Galacticmon took aim as well, and energy began to gather in his chest.

"No, don't!" Ophanimon C shouted, knowing what was about to happen.

"Stop it!" Gallantmon cried.

"ZERO-ARMS: Orochi!"

"Ragnarok Cannon!"

A ball of energy flew from Susanoomon's weapon as a beam fired from Galacticmon's. The two attacks met, the impact lighting up the land. Galacticmon's attack pushed through the blast though until it collided with the god Digimon. Cries rang out from the DigiDestined as Susanoomon was blown away by the attack.

"Susanoomon!" Imperialdramon shouted, and flew towards the blast zone.

Galacticmon turned to him. "Space Laser!"

He fired an energy blast from his head, and it struck Imperialdramon. The dragon Digimon crashed to the ground as the others desperately stared at the rising smoke coming from where Galacticmon's attack had hit the god Digimon.

"Susanoomon…" Seraphimon whispered. "He's not…"

"Don't panic!" OmniShoutmon shouted, though he sounded very worried. "Susanoomon is extremely powerful. He may have survived."

"But you said that Galacticmon's Ragnarok Cannon is like those attacks in RPG games that automatically bring your HP down to one even if you survive," said Gallantmon.

The dragon Digimon gave him a bewildered look. "What?"

"Look!" Omnimon cried, pointing at the rising cloud of smoke.

Susanoomon came limping out, looking badly damaged. He felt even worse than he knew he looked, feeling his energy draining away. "What's happening to me?"

Galacticmon suddenly lashed out with his tail, and it flew at Susanoomon. The god Digimon's eyes widened, and he had only enough time to hold his hand out to his friends. "Overwrite!"

Galacticmon's tail struck him, and Susanoomon was knocked off his feet. He hit and bounced off the ground, reverting back to human form as his amplifying power flowed over his friends.

"Sorry, guys," he mumbled painfully. "I blew it."

As OmniShoutmon stopped glowing from Susanoomon's Overwrite, he let out a hostile snarl as the violent side effects already began to kick in. "You let your power make you arrogant, idiot!"

"I don't want this power boost," Ophanimon C exclaimed. "I don't want to lose control."

"We'll be fine," Omnimon snapped at her, also feeling the Overwrite's side effects. "We handled the power just fine last time against OmegaArmamon. We didn't go berserk then, we won't go berserk now."

"We better not," Imperialdramon growled. "I don't want to go back to the dark side."

A frustrated sigh escaped OmniShoutmon. "Overwrite doesn't make us evil or go berserk. It just increases our power, but can make us more violent while it's in affect." He looked back at Galacticmon. "We may need that advantage to defeat this guy."

The satellite Digimon turned back to them. "No advantage you get will help you. My goal is within sight, and I will obtain it."

"Yeah, yeah, your revenge," Imperialdramon grumbled impatiently. "You told us already."

"No," Galacticmon replied seriously. "That is not my goal. I intended to take my revenge on you, but that was not what I was ever truly after. My goal was something I set out to do long before I met you. And with the power the Demon Lords have given me, it's only a matter before I achieve it, and become the strongest of all Digimon."

"Join the club," said Omnimon. "That's what every Digimon wants."

"But I can actually do it," Galacticmon told him. "And become unsurpassable. You see, as Vemmon, I possessed the power to fuse with and control machines. That power has only increased every time I've Digivolved. Now that I'm at the Mega level, it's only a matter of time before I become strong enough to be able to fuse with the very planet itself."

"What!?" Ophanimon C exclaimed.

"Yes, the planet itself. And once I assimilate all its data, I will be able to Digivolve to Gaiamon, the most powerful Digimon of all."

"You're mad!" shouted Seraphimon. "You'll kill everyone, and leave them without a world to live on when they're reborn."

"Worse than that," said OmniShoutmon. "Him merging with the planet will essentially be him doing a forced Digi-Fuse with everyone on it. And when he actually Digivolves to Gaiamon, we would Digivolve with him into a single being with his will dominating ours. We'd all be trapped inside him with no control over the Gaiamon body."

"That's ridiculous!" Omnimon declared.

Gallantmon nodded in agreement. "It's like those themes from Code Geass or Neon Genesis Evangelion."

"No one knows what that means!" Imperialdramon shouted at him.

"Why would the Demon Lords grant him power if he was going to do something like that?" Ophanimon C cried.

"I doubt they knew," said OmniShoutmon. "If they did, they were probably planning on using then disposing him, or simply controlling him. In any case, the stakes have just become much higher. We're now fighting not just for our survival, but for the whole Digital World's. We need to stop him before he becomes strong enough to merge with the planet. Victorize Banking!"

Galacticmon's hand came up and swatted away the attack. He then used his copying ability to send the attack back at him. OmniShoutmon used his Heavy Metal Vulcan to block the attack, and Seraphimon used his Hallowed Ascension to bring lightning down on the satellite Digimon.

"Galactic Counter!" Galacticmon cried, firing a beam at the firewall.

"This barrier won't hold!" OmniShoutmon warned, and they all took off before Galacticmon's beam burst through the firewall.

"Sorry," said Seraphimon. "I forgot about his counter attack."

"Forget his countering," Gallantmon snapped aggressively. "Just attack him. Crimson Light!"

He threw his spear into the sky above Galacticmon. The satellite Digimon looked up as a beam of light came down on him. The force of the attack pushed down on Galacticmon, but he still managed to lift his head. "Crimson Light!"

Copying the knight Digimon's attack, he fired a spear of light from the top of his head that flew into the sky and burst into a beam that came down on Gallantmon. The knight Digimon covered his head as the beam came down on him, all but pinning him in place. Galacticmon then fired an energy blast from his forehead with his Space Laser, blasting Gallantmon right out of the beam.

"Giga Crusher!" Imperialdramon cried.

The blast exploded against Galacticmon, and he jolted back. He ended up copying the attack though, firing his own Giga Crusher at the DigiDestined. They flew away from the blast, but was still caught up in the explosion that followed.

"That damn copying ability," Omnimon growled. "Omni Howling!"

He fired homing blasts, even though there was no reason to lock on due to the satellite Digimon's enormous size. Powerful sound waves were unleashed as the blasts exploded against him. Galacticmon fired his Gimlet Gun, shooting lasers from his head and tail. Omnimon held up his arms in front of him as the lasers blasted him back, and he went spinning through the air.

"Call Dramon!" Ophanimon C cried, trying a different tactic by summoning her dragon.

Her dragon appeared and breathed fire at Galacticmon. The satellite Digimon lashed out with his tail, and it coiled around the dragon, pulling it in. Grabbing hold of the dragon's head, he fired his Gimlet Gun, shooting a beam from his eye that burned its way through the dragon's head until it burst into data.

"Hallowed Knuckle!" Seraphimon cried, circling around the satellite Digimon. "Hallowed Knuckle! Hallowed Knuckle! Justice Genome! Hallowed Knuckle!"

Galacticmon turned his attention to the angel Digimon and fired his Gimlet Gun. Seraphimon flew away, avoiding the laser as Ophanimon C began throwing fireballs from her Volcano Napalm at Galacticmon's face. The satellite Digimon stopped firing and began swiping blindly at the pillars of fire around his face.

"Hyper Prominence!" Imperialdramon cried at the same time OmniShoutmon used his Omni Core Fusion.

Both attacks hit Galacticmon. The satellite Digimon retaliated with his Galactic Counter. Both OmniShoutmon and Ophanimon C flew in front of the attack and blocked with their Heavy Metal Vulcan and Unicorn Shield. The others regrouped, and were joined once again by Omnimon and Gallantmon.

"We've never faced an opponent like this before," said the former. "He's not only very strong, but whenever we use a powerful attack against him, he can just copy it or counter it."

"And the stronger the attack we use, the more powerful the counter," Ophanimon C pointed out.

Imperialdramon swiped his sword through the air a few times in frustration. "Then forget attacking like that! Let's just slice him apart!"

"Control your violent impulses," Seraphimon warned, realizes this was a result of Overwrite. "I have something that might work. At least for his copying and countering abilities."

"Satellite Buster!" Galacticmon cried, and began launching attacks from the cannons on his shoulders.

The DigiDestined scrambled about to avoid the incoming attack as they rained down around them, then quickly assembling when the attack ceased. "What's your plan?" Gallantmon asked.

"We all attack with a series of powerful attacks in waves, and the last of us uses a weak attack. This way if he tries to copy or counter, it'll be for the weaker last attack used on him."

Gimlet Gun!"

Lasers fired from Galacticmon's eye and tail. The DigiDestined flew about, avoiding the lasers as Galacticmon moved his head and tail around to try and hit them.

"That'll take care of his counter attack!" OmniShoutmon called as he flew about. "But not his copy ability! He can copy whatever attack he wants, not just the last one used on him!"

"It's better than nothing!" Omnimon shouted. "Let's try it out! I'll go last the first time!"

"Fine with me," said Gallantmon. "I'll go first. Final Justice!"

"Strike of the Seven Stars!"

"Hard Rock Spirit!"

"Super Positron Laser!"

"Holy Destroy!"

"Dash Grey Sword!"

The first five attacks blasted against Galacticmon, but as Omnimon flew in to slash him, the satellite Digimon's hand flew through the air and swatted him away, sending the knight flying without having landed a blow.

"Holy Destroy!" Galacticmon cried, copying Ophanimon C's attack. It flew at Gallantmon, who tried to counter with his Final Justice, but Gallantmon's attack pushed the beam back and struck Gallantmon, blasting him out of the sky.

"Gallantmon, no!" Seraphimon cried.

Ophanimon C came up behind him. "It was a good idea, but it looks like it didn't work."

"Enough of this!" Imperialdramon bellowed. "I'm cutting him down to size!"

He was giving into the violent impulses, and flew at Gallantmon. He attacked with his Omni Sword, but the satellite Digimon fired his Gimlet Gun, and the laser struck Imperialdramon's sword, knocking it out of his hands. The dragon Digimon didn't let this stop him as he began firing his Super Positron Laser.

"Shuttle Scissors!" Galacticmon cried, and lashed out with his pincer, grabbing hold of Imperialdramon.

He held the dragon Digimon tightly before repeating his Gimlet Gun. Imperialdramon cried out as he was held in place, the pincers threatening to slice him apart, as the laser proceeded to burn through him.

"Damn you!" Seraphimon shouted, his own violent nature stirring up, and he began repeatedly firing his Strike of the Seven Stars.

Galacticmon held up his tail and fired Imperialdramon's Super Positron Laser that he copied. Seraphimon was blasted back, and both Ophanimon C and OmniShoutmon flew in, the former firing her Shining Laser III while the latter used his Hard Rock Spirit.

Galacticmon turned his attention to them. "Satellite Buster!"

His cannons started firing, and OmniShoutmon used his Heavy Metal Vulcan, and Ophanimon C increased its power with her own flames. But as they held off his attack, Galacticmon began to charge his cannon to launch his Ragnarok Cannon. Realizing what was coming. Ophanimon C attempted to increase their defenses with her Unicorn Shield. This didn't stop Galacticmon's attack from completely blasting through both barriers and sending them both crashing to the ground. OmniShoutmon ended up in a crater with Kari lying on top of him.

"Hyper Prominence!" Imperialdramon cried, firing up at Galacticmon, despite being in his grip.

The satellite Digimon jolted back from the attack before glancing at him. Before he could attack, however, Gallantmon flew in and threw his spear. His Crimson Light was unleashed upon Galacticmon, and the satellite Digimon lashed out with his tail. It came down on Gallantmon, flattening him against the ground, and Galacticmon followed up with his Galactic Counter, blasting the knight Digimon. Then he turned back to Imperialdramon and fired his Space Laser at near pointblank range.

The attack caused Imperialdramon to revert back to human form. The drastic decrease in size caused Davis to slip out of Galacticmon's pincer-claw, and he fell. The satellite Digimon didn't bother to make a grab for him, knowing the fall would be more than enough to finish him off.

Seraphimon flew in to make a grab for the falling teen as Omnimon began rapidly firing his Supreme Cannon at Galacticmon to draw his attention. He caught Davis and sped away from the satellite Digimon, but Omnimon's attack was not enough to hold Galacticmon's attention. He swung his tail, and it came down on the angel Digimon. Seraphimon hit the ground, but managed to cradle Davis protectively in his arms.

"Gimlet Gun!" Galacticmon cried.

Knowing what was coming, Seraphimon all but threw Davis away from himself, sending out a silent apology for the rough treatment. A moment later, the satellite Digimon's laser struck him in the back and began pushing him along the ground.

Omnimon continued firing, but Galacticmon was straight up ignoring his attacks and any damage they caused. Finally, he stopped shooting as a feeling of utter helplessness hit him. Aside from his battles with the Demon Lords, never had a situation felt so helpless.

His gaze shifted to the crater that was now present where Morphomon's town once was. They had been completely helpless to do anything to stop its destruction when confronting Galacticmon's massive power. And now it seemed that the battle itself was coming to an end, and it most definitely not in their favor.

Was this really how they were going to go out? Defeated by some random Digimon they had encountered by chance who now held a grudge against them? What more, would Galacticmon go on to become stronger and stronger until he eventually had enough power to merge with the planet and become Gaiamon Surely not even the Demon Lords realized what they had unleashed when they gave Snatchmon his power boost. Would this be the inevitable end to the Digital World, and to them?

His eyes darted to his friends. Galacticmon had stopped firing on Seraphimon, who wasn't moving. Both OmniShoutmon and Kari were still lying in the crater, unconscious, but surely down for the count. Gallantmon was trying to get up, but seemed unable to stay on his feet for long. Takuya was up and about, but Omnimon knew his Digivice was out of power.

It looked like he was the only one who was still able to fight, and he didn't think he had it in him to take down the powerhouse that was Galacticmon. No, he knew he didn't. The satellite Digimon had taken damage, sure, but it wasn't enough, and his power was even greater than the Chaos Generals, almost on par with a Demon Lord. And with his copying and countering abilities, not to mention that devastating and unfair Ragnarok Cannon attack, victory seemed impossible.

"Please," he begged to anyone who might be listening as tears began to prick his eyes. "It's not fair. We can't die here."

It truly didn't seem fair. They had come so far, worked so hard to become strong, and Snatchmon simply trumped them because the Demon Lords had given him enough of a power boost to Digivolve to Galacticmon. Where was the justice in that? How could the fates be so cruel?

"It isn't fair," he said again, clenching his eyes shut as his tears ran down his cheeks. "We can't go down like this. It can't end here. It can't." His eyes snapped open, shining furiously. "I won't let it!"

A light began to emit from his chest, and he looked down in surprise. For a second, he thought he was somehow Digivolving, but this was something different. Instead, bits of data began to flow out of his glowing chest, and floated up in front of him. They began coming together, forming into something, something round, something familiar.

He gasped when the object fully manifested, not sure how this was possible. Floating in front of him was the DigiCore that Azulongmon had given him. But how? Omnimon Zwart Defeat had destroyed it. So how was it here before him now?

No, it didn't matter. Azulongmon had given it to him for a reason. Whatever it was going to do, he needed it to happen now.

Reaching out, he grabbed hold of it. He felt the power inside it, and he tapped into it. The sphere suddenly burst open, unleashing a bright blue light that expanded outward. It flowed over the knight Digimon, then contracted around him. Omnimon felt power flow into him, and he let out a loud cry.

"Omnimon Mode Change to… Omnimon Merciful Mode!"

Galacticmon turned towards the source of the light as it began to fade. Omnimon had changed, now resembling both a knight and an angel. His cape had transformed into grand, bluish-white wings, and glowing lines of pale blue, neon light covered several parts of his body. Most of him had turned completely white, and his Grey Sword was now curved to resemble a katana.

Galacticmon didn't bother to minx words. He fired his Satellite Buster, and Omnimon sped out of the attack's path, dodging the cannon fire as he flew through the air. He sped towards Galacticmon and used his Inferno, continuously firing his cannon as he flew up while circling around the satellite Digimon. Galacticmon swiped at him, but his giant size worked against him this time as the much smaller Digimon used his speed to avoid his claws, hiding behind the satellite Digimon's body.

He came to a stop above Galacticmon. The satellite Digimon looked up at him and fired a laser from his eye with his Gimlet Gun. Omnimon raised his arms to block as the laser struck him, knocking him back. He then returned the favor with his Cross-Counter, firing his own countering attack at the satellite Digimon.

"How do you like having your attacks countered?" he demanded, and raised both hands. "Double Torrent!"

He fired a blast of fire from his WarGreymon-head hand and ice from his MetalGarurumon-head hand. The attack exploded in Galacticmon's face, and he jolted backwards. Then he retaliated by copying Omnimon's attack and firing it right back at him. The knight Digimon dove down from the sky to avoid the attack, and Galacticmon pointed his tail at him.

"Gimlet Gun!"

"Fearsome Blade!" Omnimon cried.

His sword began to glow, and he lashed out with it. An energy blade flew from his sword, but remained attached to it, stretching out towards Galacticmon. It cut through the satellite Digimon's laser, and Omnimon swung it around like a whip. It sliced through Galaticmon's tail, severing it clean from his body, and Omnimon lashed out with it again, whipping it about. Both Galacticmon's arms and claws fell away, his severed body parts bursting into data.

"Graceful Cannon!" Omnimon cried, pointing his cannon at the satellite Digimon.

A laser of absolute zero energy flew from his cannon. It struck Galacticmon in his long neck, tunneling through like an energy drill. The satellite Digimon roared and used his Galactic Counter. The beam struck Omnimon, carrying him down to the ground before erupting. Galacticmon, now heavily damaged, but still very much alive, loomed over him.

"Hallowed Ascension!" Seraphimon cried, bringing lightning down on the satellite Digimon.

Galacticmon cried out and rose up higher in the sky. He adjusted the angle of his body so his cannon was pointed at the ground, and energy began to gather in it. It appeared he had decided to simply create a massive blast radius for the DigiDestined to get caught up in. "Ragnarok Cannon!"

"Crimson Light!"

With precise aim, Gallantmon threw his spear. It flew up into Galacticmon's cannon and erupted, just as the satellite Digimon's attack went off.

Galacticmon roared as an internal explosion went off. Smaller explosions began to occur on the outside of his body that began to grow larger as he blew up from the inside. This eventually led up to one final grand explosion as Galacticmon exploded. Burning fragments of his body rained down before slowly dissolving away.

Down on the ground, Gallantmon collapsed in exhaustion. "Thank goodness he won't be countering that."

"I hear you," Seraphimon mumbled. "I don't think I could have handled another one."

Omnimon got to his feet and looked around. "Is everybody ok?"

Gallantmon pointed at him. "Are we ok? Look at you. You have wings now."

Omnimon glanced at his wings. "Yeah, I noticed."

"Hey!" Takuya shouted as he ran over to them, waving. "You guys did it! That was awesome!" He looked up at Omnimon. "And check you out. I saw you Digivolve, but not how you did it. What happened?"

"I'd like to know that myself," said OmniShoutmon as he limped over to them. In his arms, he held an unconscious Kari.

Omnimon rushed over to them. "Kari! Is she ok?"

OmniShoutmon looked down at her. "Don't worry, she'll be ok. She's just been knocked out."

"She's not the only one," said Seraphimon as he flew over with the unconscious Davis.

They set the two unconscious teens down, and OmniShoutmon turned back to Omnimon. "Spill. How'd you achieve Merciful Mode? That's a massive feat. Unless you DNA Digivolve with six specific Digimon, it would have required a tremendous, overwhelming amount of sorrow, determination, and a massive power boost."

Omnimon reverted back to Tai. "Then it seems I had all the requirements. Sorrow for failing to save the town from Galacticmon, determination to save all of you and the rest of the Digital World from his plan." He looked at his Digivice. "And a power boost from Azulongmon."

OmniShoutmon blinked. "What?"

"The DigiCore. The one he gave me. The one that Omnimon Zwart Defeat destroyed, it came back somehow. I don't know how or why, but it suddenly appeared. It was like it was inside me, and it came out when I needed it to." His grip on his Digivice tightened. "Or when I just felt the right amount of sorrow and determination required to achieve Merciful Mode."

Gallantmon and Seraphimon resumed their human forms. "But it was destroyed," the former reminded them. "The DigiCore was destroyed. So how did it come back?"

Tai shook his head. "No clue. OmniShoutmon, any ideas?"

"Hmm." The dragon Digimon crossed his arms. "If I had to wage a guess, I'd say it was because it was initially stored in your Digivice. We already know that they record and save the data that's stored in them. It must have saved the data of the DigiCore as well, even after it was destroyed. It's the only explanation that makes sense."

"Whatever happened," said Takuya, "it looks like it happened just in the knick of time."

"Was it?" Tai asked. He looked at the massive crater left behind by Galacticmon's attack on the town. "Was it in time?"

The others looked as well. The town was completely gone. Only bits and pieces of fried rubble scattered along the rim of the crater were all that remained.

"The whole town," TK whispered. "Morphomon, BioQuetzalmon, all the residents…"

Takato's fist clenched. "That evil murderer. I can't believe he did this, just because he could."

"He was going to do worse," OmniShoutmon replied. "Much worse. We may not have saved everyone today, but we should still consider it a victory."

"We may not have saved everyone?" Tai repeated. "We may have saved everyone!? Just look around, OmniShoutmon! Everyone we came here to save has been killed! Tell me, where's the victory in that!? Who exactly did we save!?"

"The world!" the dragon Digimon snapped back. "We saved the world from Galacticmon. Or did you forget what he was planning to do? I don't know how much stronger he still needed to become before he could merge with the planet, or if the Demon Lords planned to destroy him and take back the power they granted him once he took care of us, all I know is that we prevented the literal end of the world. Losing the town may have been a heavy lose, but we have to focus on the good we do, otherwise the sorrows of our failures will overwhelm us."

Tai lowered his head. "But…"

"No buts," the dragon Digimon interrupted. "We can't save everyone. It's impossible. We just can't. That's why we have to focus on who we do save, and who we can still save. And now, with your Merciful Mode, our chances of defeating the Demon Lords have increased even more. So let's focus on that. Focus on who we will save. Because I believe we can." He looked out upon the horizon, eyes shining with determination. "I truly believe we can."

Notes:

(A/N: Major turning point here. Did you think me having Omegamon Zwart Defeat destroy Azulongmon's DigiCore was just a subvert to expectations? Nope. I'm sneaky that way. I'll mention things early on, wait for you to forget them, then suddenly bring them into the fray. Gotta keep an eye out for that stuff. But yeah, now we've got Omnimon Merciful Mode. And they'll need it. We still got Daemon and Lucemon, the two biggest baddies of the Demon Lords, and Bagramon. Hopefully our heroes can gather some more powerful before the final fight, because they're going to need it. I know this battle didn't exactly end in victory since the entire town was destroyed, but realistically, you're not going to win every battle. But as OmniShoutmon said, you have to focus on who you do/can save, not who you can't. That's an important lesson to keep in minds. Let's hope our heroes remember it n the future. See you in two weeks.)

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Omnimon Merciful Mode's attacks:

Fearsome Blade – Turns his katana-like sword into a long-range energy blade to slice up opponents.

Graceful Cannon – Fires a cold air of laser of absolute zero in the form of a cutting beam.

Double Torrent – A stronger version of Double Shot that shoots fire and ice from his WarGreymon head and MetalGarurumon-head hands.

Cross-Counter – Counters and attack.

Flame Breath – Breathes fire.

Flame Sphere – Shoots fire to form a magic circle that creates huge flames.

Giga Fire – Shoots three fireballs.

Inferno – Continuously fires cannon.

T-Sword – Slashes at an opponent with his sword, causing paralysis.

Storm of Courage – effects unknown.

Galaxy Wind – effects unknown.

Sky Force – effects unknown.

Shuri Shields – effects unknown.

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New Digimon that appear.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Gaiamon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Omnimon_Merciful_Mode

Chapter 164: Guardians of Destiny

Notes:

(A/N: Well, I finally made it to this chapter. I've had it hopping around in my head for literally years now. But now that I think about it, that's been the case for several chapters. Well, without spoiling anything, get ready for the start of a wild ride.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 164: Guardians of Destiny

Boltboutamon laughed uncontrollably as he rode aboard what many would consider to be a blasphemous abomination. That was more than a fair assessment. To Lucemon, it was his secret weapon, but to Boltboutamon, it was just another toy to play with.

"To think he would actually set you loose," he cackled gleefully. "Lucemon, you truly are the Demon Lord of Pride. And I am ever so grateful for such a sin."

If he were honest, he was legitimately surprised that the Demon Lord had been able to bring forth such a monstrosity. It was so outlandish that the odds of it happening naturally, even through manual or unnatural means, was astronomical. It had happened once before though, and thanks to the Demon Lords' meddling, it had now happened a second time. And while it was far from complete, the fact that they had managed to come this far was a miracle in itself.

"Racing towards your own destruction," he chuckled. "Never before have those words been more true. But that's what pride can do to you; it makes you too arrogant for your own good."

He wondered how the humans would react to his new friend. He already knew how Shoutmon would react since he would recognize the threat for what it was. But the humans, in their ignorance, wouldn't understand the true ramifications of the cataclysmic event that was about to befall on them. It was going to be very amusing watching them come to that realization. He so looked forward to seeing it.

Of course, he knew that this was most likely going to bring their involvement in his little game to an end, but it was fun while it lasted. And who knew, maybe they would somehow surprise him again. Those humans had a knack for pulling off miracles.

"But then again," he said with a sneer, "what better way to counter a miracle than with a catastrophe." He patted the head of his ride. "Isn't that right, my friend?"

The Digimon in question roared in response.

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"So," said Shoutmon as they approached the entrance of a canyon, "remember a few days ago when I said that I knew where we were in the Digital World and that I had a surprise for you?"

Takato cocked his head to the side. "You mean before we got to Morphomon's town?"

"Please don't mention that place," Kari begged.

The loss of Morphomon's town had been especially hard on her. As relieved as she had been when she had woken up to find that they had defeated Galacticmon, it didn't bring back all those he had destroyed, and she was still heartbroken for the loss, even after Shoutmon gave her the same speech he had given the others about focusing on who they could save rather than who they couldn't.

The dragon frowned slightly. "Yeah, there." He shook his head. "Anyway, we're coming up on it. Just approach with extreme caution."

Tai raised an eyebrow. "Why? This area isn't dangerous, is it?"

Shoutmon wobbled his head. "Well, yes and no. There shouldn't be any danger as long as we don't cause any problems. You'll see what I mean."

He led them through the canyon, and they continued down it for the next few hours. The teens inquired as to where they were going several times, but he refused to tell them anything.

"It shouldn't be much longer now," he finally said, then tapped his chin. "Actually, I'm surprised we haven't already run into-"

"Halt!" a voice demanded from up above.

Shoutmon stopped and looked up. "Yeah, them."

Two Digimon dropped from the sky. The smaller one landed in front of the teens while the larger one hovered in the air above them. A few of the teens reached for their Digivices, at first thinking that the smaller of the two was Lucemon, but relaxed a bit when they say that it wasn't, despite the similar appearance. Though resembling the Demon Lord, they saw that the Digimon in question almost appeared to be a female version of Lucemon, with her angelic and demonic sides switched.

The other much larger Digimon appeared to be a heavily armored and weaponized battleship crossed with a dragon. It gave them bad memories of Destromon, though there was a clear difference between the two.

"You are not permitted to go any further," the female declared.

"Turn back now," the other one replied, "or be destroyed."

Shoutmon waved to them. "Hey, Mastemon, Ageisdramon, it's me, the Digimon King. Look, don't you recognize me?"

The angel Digimon he referred to as Mastemon bent down to get a better look at him. She studied him for a few moments before standing up and smiling. "So it is you. It's been ages."

Shoutmon chuckled. "Yeah, about 10,000 years. Glad to see you're still taking your duty seriously."

"Always," Ageisdramon replied. "It is far too important of a task to abandon."

Davis checked his Digivice. "Ok now, let's see. Ageisdramon, Mega level, special attack, Shine Breaker. He was born when a Plesiomon fused with Seadramon species data. His armor is made of golden Chrome Digizoid and is capable of purifying evil, and he's packing enough firepower to single-handedly annihilate an entire battalion."

Takuya whistled. "That's a lot of firepower."

"Mastemon," Davis continued, "Mega level, special attack, Chaos Degradation. She has the power to manipulate light and darkness, and even travel through space-time. She was born when the forces of darkness and light came together during a world crisis, and her birth is considered a miracle."

Kari cocked her head to the side. "Why's it considered a miracle?"

Shoutmon smirked at her. "Because it was an Angewomon and a LadyDevimon who DNA Digivolved together to become Mastemon. Would you ever fuse with a LadyDevimon?"

"Never!" Kari automatically cried, thinking of Myotismon's snatcher.

Shoutmon nodded in acknowledgement. "Well, there you go. But the crisis in question was the Third Catastrophe. The threat of ZeedMillenniummon was enough to bring together even the forces of good and evil."

Mastemon crossed her arms. "I am not sure if I should take that as an insult or praise."

The dragon Digimon sweat-dropped. "Um, praise, of course. I was pointing out your prior forms' determination to save the Digital World from destruction."

He laughed nervously as the angel Digimon stared at him. It was hard to tell what she was thinking since a helmet covered half her face, but then she smiled. "You backtrack pretty fast, your majesty."

Shoutmon let out another nervous laugh before sighing in relief. Takato glanced at TK beside him before leaning over to whisper in his ear. "Doesn't Shoutmon seem intimidated by her? By both of them actually."

"I was thinking the same thing," TK whispered back.

Shoutmon apparently heard them since he jumped up and wrapped an arm around both their necks. "That's because she's basically a good version of Lucemon, but still has the same one-track mind. She won't hesitate to destroy anything she considers evil, and she even has the power to destroy a Digimon's DigiCore."

That sounded unpleasant. "What happens if a Digimon's DigiCore is destroyed?" Takato asked.

"Complete reset. When a Digimon whose DigiCore has been destroyed is reborn, they don't retain any of the memories of their previous life. It's like they were born for the first time."

"What are you whispering about?" Ageisdramon demanded, pointing his weapons at them.

Shoutmon yelped. "And Ageisdramon's so strong that he's almost considered an Ultra, and he won't hesitate to turn all that power on us if we come across as a threat." He hopped down. "Nothing to worry about. We're all good here. By the way, where's Dantemon? With as big as that guy is, I would have thought we'd see him first."

"He stands guard," Mastemon replied. "You know that there are to be no trespassers here."

Shoutmon nodded. "Right, of course, but I'm no trespasser. I'm the Digimon King. You know I'm no threat here. I'd never do anything to put the Digital World in danger."

"And them?" Ageisdramon demanded, pointing his weapon at the teens. "They are not permitted here."

The teens took a step back, and Shoutmon waved his arms. "They're good, they're good. They're with me. Surely even out here, isolated as you are, you've heard of the humans who have been taking down the Demon Lords. If that's not enough to let you know that they have the Digital World's best interest at heart, then I can vouch for them."

"But why have you brought them here?"

Shoutmon sighed. "It's not a big deal. We were in the area, sort of, and I thought they would appreciate seeing, um, the goods. Come on, you can show them."

Mastemon and Ageisdramon exchanged uncertain looks. They seemed to hold a silent conversation before coming to a mutual decision. Ageisdramon lowered his weapons and turned away as Mastemon addressed them. "We will permit this. However, you are not to touch the," she glanced at Shoutmon, "the 'goods'. We'll kill you without hesitation if you do."

A forced grin spread across Shoutmon's face. "Great, no problem then." He turned to the teens. "See, we're all good."

Tai crossed his arms. "Is this the 'safe as long we don't cause any trouble' you were talking about?"

Shoutmon tapped his index fingers together uncomfortably. "Well, yeah, but like Mastemon said, just don't touch. So come on, you're going to love this."

The teens weren't so sure, but they followed without complaint, and for the next thirty minutes or so, they continued through the canyon.

Finally, the canyon opened up into a wide-open area that stretched for over a mile. And standing in the middle if it was a giant silver Digimon with a head of green hair. He had a large crystal of a different color on different parts of his body, and what seemed to be a door in his stomach.

Takato's eyes widened. "Whoa, who's that guy?"

"Dantemon," TK replied, looking at his Digivice. "An open app Digimon whose called the Appmon of Miracles. Oh, so he's one of those Appmon Digimon, that's cool. It says he has the power to open the door between the Surface Web and the Deep Web."

The open app Digimon looked down at them as they appeared. He pounded his fists together and then began jogging in place. "Dante, dante, dante! Who is this now? There should not be anyone else here! Mastemon, Ageisdramon, why have you not dealt with these intruders?"

Mastemon smiled and motioned to Shoutmon. "Take a look for yourself."

Dantemon leaned down to get a better look. His eyes widened upon recognizing Shoutmon, and he suddenly dropped to his hands and knees in a bow. "Your majesty!"

Shoutmon chuckled and saluted him. "At ease, soldier. I'm just here to show my friends what you're guarding. Could you show them?"

Dantemon hesitated, then glanced at Mastemon and Ageisdramon, and the two of them nodded. The open app Digimon stood up and gave a small bow. "As you wish, your majesty."

He stepped out of the way to reveal that he had been standing in front of a large rock. At first glance, it looked like an ordinary rock, but then they saw that it had a bluish color to it, and it sparkled like it was covered in glitter. A gold ring with strange symbols was wrapped around it, and it seemed impossible to take it off based in the shape of the rock.

Shoutmon was smiling broadly. "Well, what do you think? Isn't it amazing?"

Takato cocked his head to the side as he stared up at the rock with hooded eyes. "Um… yeah. It's… uh… really sparkly."

"And it's got a nice ring to it," Davis joked. "Get it?"

Tai crossed his arms. "What is it exactly?"

Shoutmon's mouth dropped open; this had obviously not been the reaction he had been expecting. "What is…? Don't you know?"

Kari shrugged. "Should we?"

The dragon Digimon dropped to his hands and knees, and began banging his head on the ground. "Save me from the ignorance of humans." He jumped to his feet and motioned to the rock. "It's only one of the most important things in the entire Digital World."

"That's nice," Takuya replied. "But what is it?"

"By the Sovereigns," Shoutmon muttered to himself. "It's a Destine Stone."

The teens looked back at the rock. "Oh, a Destiny Stone," said Takato. He looked back at Shoutmon. "What's a Destiny Stone?"

Shoutmon slapped his forehead before dragging his hand over his face. He took a calming breath before he began speaking to them like they were little kids. "Ok, look, the entire Digital dimension is made up of layers, and contains countless pocket dimensions and zones, essentially making it a multiverse. As such, it's an unstable place, and that's the purpose of the Destiny Stones." He motioned to it once more. "There are seven Destiny Stones located throughout the Digital World. They act as anchors, keeping the borders intact. Without the Destiny Stones, all the layers of dimensions will collide with each other, and the Digital World will collapse. If that happens, it'll need to reset, and we'll all have to start over from scratch, as will the entire Digital World."

The teens looked up at the Destiny Stone, now seeing it with new eyes. Davis pointed at it in concern. "You mean that if anything happens to this thing that the entire Digital World could be destroyed?"

"Yes," Mastemon replied, "but only if all seven Destiny Stones are destroyed. However, with each Destiny Stone that's lost, the Digital World will become more and more unstable, and the borders separating the layers and dimensions will grow weaker, which can lead to chaos."

"That's why we stand guard over it," Ageisdramon told them. "In case anyone is crazy enough to try and destroy it. Although, I don't know of anyone who would be mad enough to want to. Not even the Demon Lords would be foolish enough for that."

The thought that Mastemon, Ageisdramon, and Dantemon were here to protect the Destiny Stone was a huge relief to the teens. "So each Stone is well protected?" Tai asked.

Shoutmon nodded. "Oh, definitely. Each one is guarded by three super powerful Digimon. These three guard this one. SlashAngemon, Dominimon, and ClavisAngemon guard the second. Magnamon X, Rasielmon, and Ouranosmon guard the third. Valkyrimon, Omegamon Alter-S, and Gaiamon guard the fourth. LovelyAn-"

"Hold up," TK interrupted. "Did you say Gaiamon? As in who Galacticmon was planning to Digivolve into after he merged with the planet?"

Shoutmon blinked. "Oh, no, not that Gaiamon. That Gaiamon has never come into being. There's actually an Appmon version of Gaiamon too. They share the same name, but are completely unrelated. A few other Appmon share the same name as certain Digimon."

He went back to counting. "Now, where was I. Oh, yes. LovelyAngemon, Owryumon, and Jesmon GX guard the fifth. GraceNovamon, Jupitermon, and Junomon guard the sixth. And UlforceVeedramon Future Mode, Goldramon, and RagnaLoardmon guard the seventh. Trust me, the Stones are very well protected, even if someone was crazy enough to try and destroy them."

"I'll say they're well protected," Takato replied, scrolling through the profiles of the Digimon Shoutmon had been naming. "Those guys are major powerhouses. It'd be nice if some of these really powerful guys would help us fight the Demon Lords."

"We've made sacred oaths to protect the Destiny Stones," Mastemon told them. "That is our primary duty. Who rules the Digital World, even if they are evil, takes a backseat to that, regardless of how we feel about the Demon Lords, or what they're doing. As long as they don't come near the Stones, we do not concern ourselves with such matters."

TK sweat-dropped. "Well, I guess there's something to be said for dedication."

Dantemon began pumping his arms up and down. "Keep the bad guys away! Dante, dante, dante!"

Shoutmon looked up at the Destiny Stone, almost fondly. "The Destiny Stones don't just anchor the Digital World, they're also objects of great power." He held his arms out. "Can't you feel it? According to legend, simply touching a Destiny Stone can give you the power to Digivolve for a short while."

Davis' eyes lit up at that. "Ooh, that sounds interesting."

He began to approach the Stone, and Ageisdramon suddenly darted in his path, pointing a gun at him. "Take another step, and it will be your last."

Davis froze. Holding up his hands, he gave the cyborg Digimon a nervous smile and took a step back. "Uh, I was just kidding."

"I wasn't."

Davis gulped and backed the rest of the way over to his friends. Mastemon suddenly approached them, her mouth downturned in a disgusted frown.

Shoutmon began to seat nervously. "W-W-W-Wait! I'm sorry about him! He's an idiot, and very forgetful. He didn't mean to break the no touching rule. And he didn't actually touch it, so he didn't break any rules. Oh, come on, Mastemon, it's me!"

"Holy Desire!" the angel Digimon cried, and fired an arrow from her hand.

Shoutmon recoiled, covering his head. "We're sorry!"

The arrow flew past him ad the teens. At first they thought it had just been a warning shot, but then a hand suddenly shot out of the shadows where it was headed to and snatched the arrow out of the air. A few seconds later, Boltboutamon stepped out of the shadows, grinning broadly as he snapped the arrow in half, and it burst into light particles.

"So you noticed me," he commented, looking amused. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised."

"Boltboutamon," Tai seethed, turning to face the demon Digimon. "What are you doing here?"

Ageisdramon and Dantemon quickly moved in beside Mastemon, looking ready to attack at a moment's notice.

"Be gone," the cyborg Digimon demanded. "You are not welcome here."

"Dante, dante, dante," Dantemon chanted. "Take another step closer and I shall crush, crush, crush you!"

Mastemon pointed at him threateningly. "This is your one and only warning. Leave or be destroyed."

Boltboutamon cackled in amusement. "Relax, I'm not here for you or your precious rock. I'm here for them."

His eyes landed on the teens, gleaming menacingly. Ageisdramon pointed all his weapons at the demon Digimon as he floated closer. "We don't care why you're here. We said you're not welcome. Now leave."

Boltboutamon sighed. "Well, if you're going to be difficult about it…"

He held out his index finger and flew straight up. As he did, his finger cut through the air, creating a tear in the sky. He stopped high up in the air and snapped his fingers, and the tear he had created suddenly tore wide open, creating a giant portal.

"I think you should take it up with my friend here," he finished.

Something large and grotesque stepped out of the portal that had Mastemon, Ageisdramon, and Dantemon gasping in horror. Boltboutamon began laughing as the giant Digimon completely exited the portal, and it closed behind it.

The Digimon resembled an enormous four-armed dinosaur-like creature. It almost seemed to be a mishmash of different species that had evolved into one with two enormous metal cannons that looked similar to those of Machinedramon's growing out of its back. Also emerging from his back was a yellow and blue aura in the shape of a dragon like a ghostly figure that was attached to its body.

"Are you insane!?" Mastemon shouted.

Boltboutamon's laughter became that much more maniacal. "I thought we already established that."

"What is that blasphemous monstrosity doing here?" Ageisdramon demanded. "How is it even in being?"

The demon Digimon licked his lips. "He's the Demon Lord's secret weapon. Isn't he beautiful? And like I said, he's here for the humans."

Davis pointed at him. "If you think we're afraid of that ugly thing, then you're wrong. We can take him, right guys?"

He gave them an encouraging smile, and they nodded in response. The only one who didn't was Shoutmon. He was staring at the mysterious Digimon with eyes so wide that they looked like they couldn't fit in his eye sockets. The look on his face completely unsettled them. Never before had they ever seen the dragon Digimon look so terrified, not even when they had forced off against five Demon Lords at once.

"Shoutmon, what's wrong?" TK asked.

The dragon Digimon's mouth moved, but no sound came out. His body went back and forth between going completely still and shaking in terror. It was as if he were too afraid to speak and completely paralyzed with fear.

"Shoutmon," Takato said loudly. "Hey, Shoutmon. Snap out of it. Shoutmon, what's wrong? Wake up."

He shook the dragon Digimon, and an inaudible sound escaped him.

"What?" Takuya asked, leaning in.

"It can't be," Shoutmon managed to say. "Why is he here? How is he here? This shouldn't be possible. The Digital World is doomed!"

The confidence the teens had felt earlier was quickly fading away. "Why?" Kari asked. "Who is he?"

Shoutmon's lips moved, but no sound came out. He tried again, but still nothing. He swallowed, taking a moment to compose himself, and found his voice again. "Millenniummon. He's Millenniummon."

Tai frowned. "Millenniummon." The name sounded familiar. "Where have I heard that name before?"

Davis snapped his fingers. "Oh, I know. It was from one of those, um… You know, the thing. The, uh…"

"The Third Catastrophe," said Mastemon. "This is how it started. Millenniummon became MoonMillenniummon, who became ZeedMillenniummon, who almost destroyed all dimensions in all timelines. This can't be. How is he here again?"

Boltboutamon threw his head back and laughed. "You can thank the Demon Lords for that. The first time around, ZeedMillenniummon orchestrated his own birth. This time, however, the Demon Lords personally recreated him. It took thousands of years, but they managed to pull it off."

"Are they out of their damned minds!?" Shoutmon bellowed. "Millenniummon is a threat to everyone. Everyone! Did they think that they could control him in some way if they saw to his creation?"

Boltboutamon laughed ecstatically. "I think they were more along the lines intending to direct his destructive power rather than control it, and they don't intend to allow him to go beyond his current form." He chuckled. "As if they can actually do anything to Millenniummon. But then, they always were overly arrogant."

"Arrogant?" Shoutmon exclaimed. "Arrogant!? It's utter insanity!"

"Don't panic," said Takuya, though he too now sounded nervous. "You said he still needs to Digivolve to MoonMillenniummon and then ZeedMillenniummon. That's two Digivolutions away from the Third Catastrophe."

"Millenniummon is already more than enough to be the Third Catastrophe," the dragon Digimon snapped. "He's strong enough to be considered an Ultra. He's more powerful than Baihumon, Azulongmon, Zhuqiaomon, and Ebonwumon put together; they wouldn't even be able to touch him. Even all seven Demon Lords combined can't stand up to him. He could destroy them almost effortlessly. His basic attacks alone are enough to create entire timelines."

Davis' head snapped in his direction. "Are you serious? That's ridiculous."

Takato's face was pale and sweaty as he read Millenniummon's profile on his Digivice. "It's far worse than you think. In addition to having immeasurable and near infinite power, speed, intelligence, and strength, not to mention unlimited stamina, Millenniummon also has numerous other abilities."

"Such as?"

With great reluctance, Takato began listing off Millenniummon's abilities. "Including, but not limited to, cosmic awareness, time travel, battlefield removal abilities, acausality, regeneration, resurrection, cloning, statistics amplification, attack reflection, dimensional travel, matter erasing, precognition, possession, petrification, telekinesis, borderline immortality, power mimicry, sealing, duplication, telepathy, intangibility, creating illusions, teleportation, transmutation, shape shifting, body modification, power nullification, pocket dimension creation and destruction, mind reading, durability, negation, conceptual erasure, non-corporal abilities, non-physical interaction, hacking, reality warping, absorption, power mimicry, reactive evolution, and numerous manipulation abilities."

The teens stared at Takato, completely flabbergasted. Partway through his profile reading, their minds had gone blank, unable to comprehend the amount of power this one Digimon could possess.

Swallowing, Tai somehow managed to find his voice. "What… What kind of manipulation powers does he have?"

"The power to manipulate time, space, data, matter, age, soul, mind, self information, chain, empathy, death, holy power, electricity, poison, ice, heat, air, fire, emotion, element, energy, reality, conceptual, morality, and information. Oh, and he has a resistance to everything I've said about him. I mean, talk about OP."

Takuya's bottom lip trembled slightly as he struggled to find his voice. "And this is still two Digivolutions away from ZeedMillenniummon?"

"Who also had a good portion of his power sealed by the Digimon God," Kari muttered in disbelief.

"I think my pants are wet," said Davis. He slowly turned to the dragon Digimon. "Shoutmon, don't ever let anyone call you a coward for running away from something like that."

Boltboutamon cackled. "So now you know what you are up against. Or rather, I should say, what you will die at the hands of."

"Not if we can help it!" Mastemon declared. "I'll send that beast to oblivion. Chaos Degradation!"

Her left hand glowed red as her left hand glowed blue. Fusing the power of light and darkness together, she fired a beam at Millenniummon. The composition Digimon didn't even bother to move. The beam struck him, and a gateway opened, consuming Millenniummon, and the wicked creature vanished along with all traces of it.

Takuya blinked. "Wait, that's it? After all that build up, that's all it took?"

A grin spread across Boltboutamon's face, and he let out a chuckle. "So naïve."

The sky suddenly shattered like glass as a fist somehow punched through it. Millenniummon forced his way through, and the hole in dimensions closed behind him.

"What the hell!?" Davis exclaimed. "Can he do that?"

Takato looked at him. "Of course he can. Don't you remember what I said his abilities were?"

Boltboutamon licked his lips eagerly. "Smashing through dimensions is but child's play for him. Millenniummon, why don't you show our friends what you're really capable of."

The composition Digimon's gaze shifted to Mastemon. He let out a roar and opened his mouth wide as dark energy began to gather in it. "Time Unlimited!"

He fired a black sphere from his mouth. It flew at Mastemon, and she held up her arms to defend herself. The black sphere erupted and expanded outward, becoming a black hole. Time was compressed around the area as a pocket dimension formed, and Mastemon was drawn into it. She tried to resist, but there was no escaping it, and she was sucked inside, disappearing into the black hole.

"Dimension Destroyer!" Millenniummon cried, destroying the pocket dimension he had created and trapped the angel Digimon in. The black whole rippled, and then imploded before bursting outward as the dimension was destroyed.

The teens stared, completely shocked. That was it, Mastemon was simply gone, and not a trace of her was left. Millenniummon had disposed of her like it was nothing. For as powerful as Shoutmon had made her out to be, the composition Digimon had gotten rid of her so easily.

"Mastemon!" Ageisdramon bellowed.

Boltboutamon laughed uncontrollably. "How is that for impressive? And that's just the tip of the iceberg."

"Damn you!" Dantemon shouted, and charged at Millenniummon, swinging his arms wildly. "Dante, dante, dante!"

Millenniummon's hand shot out, grabbing Dantemon by the face, holding him back effortlessly. Dantemon swiped at him with his fists, but in Millenniummon's grip, he couldn't even budge.

Millenniummon's eyes flashed brightly, and Dantemon wailed. Then, suddenly, from where the composition Digimon was grasping him, Dantemon began to turn to stone. The petrification began at his face, and began spreading down over the rest of his body.

"Dante, dante, dante, dan… te…"

He completely turned to stone, and stopped moving. Ageisdramon let out a furious cry. "Shine Breaker!"

A barrage of shining energy and scorching energy were fired from all the cannons on his body. They exploded against Millenniummon, and the composition Digimon glanced at him, seemingly unfazed by the barrage. He pushed the petrified Dantemon away, and the statue of the open app Digimon fell back, crashing to the ground, causing the ground to shake. Then he charged at Ageisdramon.

The cyborg Digimon continued to fire, but Millenniummon completely ignored the onslaught of attacks. Once he was close enough, he reached out and grabbed hold of Ageisdramon. The cyborg Digimon tried a different tactic, using his Energy Cannon attack, firing blasts of energy from both arms. Millenniummon ignored this as well as he began to squeeze the cyborg Digimon in his powerful grip.

Ageisdramon continued to fire, but soon ceased as his body began to cave in. He cried out as he was crushed like a tin can in Millenniummon's grip, resembling as nothing more than a bundle of crushed metal.

Millenniummon tossed Ageisdramon into the air and used his Mugen Cannon, firing blasts of energy from his cannons, and the crushed form of Ageisdramon burst into data. And just like that, Millenniummon had taken out all three protectors of the Destiny Stone.

This was beyond anything the teens had ever seen before. Defeating Mastemon, Dantemon, and Ageisdramon looked like it hadn't required any effort whatsoever from the composition Digimon, as if he had merely been swatting a fly that had flown in his line of vision. And he then set his sights in the teens as Boltboutamon floated above him.

"Are you beginning to understand?" he asked mockingly. "This is the end for you. You have no hope of winning." His grin widened as he looked at Shoutmon. "Look, even the so-called Digimon King has already given up."

They looked at Shoutmon. The dragon Digimon appeared to be frozen in fear and shock, unable to tear his eyes away from Millenniummon.

"Hang in there, Shoutmon," TK told him. "If Millenniummon is as bad as we think he is, then we need to keep our wits about us."

"Guys, I think we should Spirit Evolve now," said Takuya. "Execute! Spirit Evolution… Susanoomon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Omnimon Merciful Mode!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Imperialdramon Paladin Mode!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Gallantmon Crimson Mode!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Ophanimon C!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Seraphimon!"

Boltboutamon licked his lips. "Yes, there you are. All of you at your strongest. It will be quite enjoyable to watch you all fall after having given it your all. Well," he snickered, "almost all of you."

They looked at Shoutmon again. He hadn't Digivolved. He still seemed frozen in fear, and actual took a step back when he realized they were looking at him.

"Shoutmon, you need to Digivolve," said Omnimon.

The dragon Digimon shook his head. "I can't."

"Shoutmon, don't do this, we need you," Imperialdramon told him.

"I can't," he said again. "Please don't make me."

"He's not ZeedMillenniummon yet," Susanoomon pointed out. "He's still two Digivolutions away from that."

"It doesn't matter! You don't understand how strong he is! I can't fight him! We can't fight him!"

"If we don't fight, we'll die!" Gallantmon shouted.

Boltboutamon laughed with a psychotic delight. "Yes! Yes! I love seeing that look on people's faces! Knowing you're doomed and giving up all hope! I can't wait to see it on each of you! Come, Millenniummon, don't keep me waiting!"

The composition Digimon let out a snarl and took a step towards them. Shoutmon let out a nonsensical sound of fright and stumbled back, falling over before he began crab-walking away, shaking his head rapidly.

Omnimon turned back to Millenniummon. "There's no time. We'll do what we can with our own power. Let's go."

Notes:

(A/N: There's no two ways about it, our heroes are screwed. Millenniummon's power really is off the charts ridiculous. I'll bet when I mentioned Lucemon's secret weapon, none of you expected this. Our heroes are in real trouble now. Be here in two weeks time t find out what happens next.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear or are mentioned.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Mastemon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Ageisdramon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Dantemon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Millenniummon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/MoonMillenniummon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/ZeedMillenniummon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Destiny_Stones

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Plesiomon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Seadramon-species

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/SlashAngemon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Dominimon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/ClavisAngemon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Magnamon_X

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Rasielmon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Ouranosmon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Valkyrimon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Omegamon_Alter-S

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Gaiamon_(Appmon)

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/LovelyAngemon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Owryumon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Jesmon_GX

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/GraceNovamon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Jupitermon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Junomon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/UlforceVeedramon_Future_Mode

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Goldramon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/RagnaLoardmon

Chapter 165: Unstoppable

Notes:

(A/N: Last time, our heroes ended up having to face off against their biggest and strongest baddie yet, possibly ever. Now it's time to see how things are actually going to go down against the overwhelming powerhouse that is Millenniummon. Wish our heroes luck, because they're going to need it... simply to survive.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 165: Unstoppable

They had gone up against tough odds before, many of which seemed impossible, but as they charged towards Millenniummon, they were overcome by a sense of foreboding the likes of which they had never felt before, not even when facing off against the Demon Lords.

Millenniummon, for his part, didn't even react as they came towards him. His eyes shifted from one to the other, but he made no attempt to even move. The DigiDestined circled around him, finding numerous openings, but no sign that the composition Digimon was even going to try to defend himself.

"He doesn't even see us as a threat," Susanoomon remarked.

"Then let's change his mind," said Imperialdramon. "Super Positron Laser!"

His beam blasted against Millenniummon's nose, and the composition Digimon's gaze shifted to him, but otherwise, he made no attempt to even move, making Imperialdramon gulp nervously. "Uh oh. Um… Everyone blast him! Giga Crusher!"

"Giga Fire!"

"Final Justice!"

"Glory Thunder!"

"Air Sefirot Crystal!"

"Hallowed Ascension!"

The attacks blasted against Millenniummon in a series of explosions. The composition Digimon didn't react at all. It was as if the attacks hadn't fazed him in the least.

"That didn't do anything!" Gallantmon exclaimed. "What's this guy made of?"

Boltboutamon threw his head back and laughed. "Far tougher stuff than you."

Omnimon threw a glare at the demon Digimon before returning his attention to the battle. "Ignore him. Everyone, use your strongest attack."

"Should have done that right from the start," Susanoomon grumbled as he produced his giant weapon. "ZERO-ARMS: Orochi!"

"Hyper Prominence!"

"Crimson Light!"

"Holy Destroy!"

"Strike of the Seven Stars!"

"Fearsome Blade!"

Like before, the attacks bombarded against Millenniummon, creating a massive explosion that completely consumed the composition Digimon. Omnimon swung his Fearsome Blade, bringing it down on the cloud of smoke that had engulfed Millenniummon.

A hand shot out of the cloud of smoke, catching the blade and holding it in its grasp. The smoke dissipated, revealing the composition Digimon, seemingly undamaged. Omnimon's energy blade remained trapped in his grasp, and the knight Digimon ceased the flow of energy protruding from his sword. "Damn it. Graceful Cannon!"

He fired a beam. It should have tore straight through Millenniummon, but instead only blasted against him. This attack too didn't seem to harm the composition Digimon, but he let out a roar that seemed to be a battle cry.

"Oh, crap," Imperialdramon muttered.

"Heat Viper!" Millenniummon cried.

A beam fired from his mouth. The DigiDestined in its path flew out of the way, narrowly getting hit. The beam struck the canyon wall, tearing through it as if it wasn't even there. And when the beam died down, the part of the canyon it had collided with had completely disintegrated, leaving a perfect path straight out of the canyon.

"Yikes," said Gallantmon. "Glad we didn't get hit by that."

"Yes, but we hit him with our best attacks," Ophanimon C exclaimed. "And I don't think we hurt him all that much, if at all. How did the Guardians manage to beat him when he was ZeedMillenniummon?"

"By hitting him harder still," said Susanoomon. "Let's see how he handles this. Celestial Blade!"

Holding his ZERO-ARMS: Orochi out to the side, his massively long energy blade emerged from the weapon. With a loud cry, he swung the weapon at Millenniummon. The composition Digimon's gaze shifted to the incoming blade, and at the last second, his two physical arms on his left side came up and grabbed the blade.

Susanoomon grunted as he pushed to no avail. Millenniummon squeezed the blade, and it burst into light particles. Then the ghostly dragon emitting from his back suddenly rose up and stretched out, growing in size as it blanketed the entire area, covering the top of the canyon and keeping the DigiDestined confined in its walls as Millenniummon stretched out his four physical arms.

"What's he doing?" Seraphimon wondered out loud. "Trying to trap us here?"

"Looks like it," Omnimon replied.

"Dark Nail!" Millenniummon cried, and began unleashing blasts of electric energy from his hands.

The DigiDestined scattered as bolts flew all about. They were indeed trapped within the confines of the canyon walls with Millenniummon's ghostly dragon form draped over the top of it, preventing them from flying out.

"You're right, he's trying to close us in," Ophanimon C realized. "Volcano Napalm!"

She threw fireballs beneath Millenniummon, and they erupted into pillars of fire. That got a reaction out of the composition Digimon, but not the kind she expected as he simply stepped on the pillars of fire as if they were nothing more than water leaks he was plugging up with his foot.

"Ultimate Fusion!" he cried, firing a ball of black energy.

Ophanimon C gasped as the attack came at her, thinking she was about to experience the same fate as Mastemon, only noting a moment later that this attack had a different name from his Time Ultimate attack he had used on the angel Digimon. Realizing that it was probably pointless, she used her Unicorn Shield to block the incoming attack, only to have the black sphere explode before it even reached her.

The energy from the blast flowed over her, and suddenly everything around her was moving at several times normal speed. She wasn't aware of it, but it was now she who was moving in slow motion while everything else appeared to be moving in super speed.

Cruel laughter escaped Millenniummon as he directed the electric blasts he was still unleashing towards her. Ophanimon C kept her barrier up as a bolt came at her while she tried to avoid it, but her movements were very slow due to the affects of Millenniummon's Ultimate Fusion attack. There was no way she would be able to avoid it, and with as powerful as the composition Digimon had already proved to be, she didn't think she would be able to deflect the attack.

"Kari!" Omnimon shouted, tackling into her. He managed to push her out of the way of the attack, but the incoming bolt struck one of his wings, and it burst into data. The knight Digimon cried out as he and Ophanimon C crashed to the ground.

"Ooommmnnniiimmmooonnn!" Ophaimon C exclaimed, her voice coming out slowly and drawn out.

Millenniummon sneered as he finally stopped unleashing electricity and took a step towards the fallen Digimon. Seraphimon flew in front of his face to try and get his attention, firing his Hallowed Knuckle at Millenniummon's eye, drawing his gaze.

"If our attacks aren't strong enough to harm him, then we'll just have to make them stronger. Justice Genome! Now try this. Strike of the Seven Stars!"

He repeatedly fired his attack at Millenniummon's face as he flew around his head, keeping the composition Digimon's attention on him. His attacks didn't seem to be doing anything, but they did keep Millenniummon's focus on him rather than Omnimon and Ophanimon C.

"Hang on, you guys, I'm here," said Susanoomon as he landed beside them. "I can fix this. Status Barrier!"

He held his hand over Ophanimon C, pouring his power over her. Her time returned to normal as her status disorders were cured.

"Thanks," she told him appreciatively. "That was weird. Can you help Omnimon too?"

A sigh escaped the god Digimon. "Unfortunately, no. My Purification is a self-healing ability."

"Don't worry about it," the knight Digimon replied. "I can still fly with one wing; don't really need them to fly anyway. Honestly, I'm lucky that that's all I lost." He looked up at Millenniummon as their friends proceeded to fly about while attacking. "Damn him, he's just toying with us."

"Seraphimon had a point though," said Susanoomon. "Let's amplify our attacks' power and see if that does anything. Gladiator! Now, let's see if this does anything."

With his power amplified, he flew at Millenniummon, flying right past Imperialdramon, Gallantmon, and Seraphimon. Using his Texture Blow, he delivered a punch to Millenniummon's nose, hoping to trap him in a pixelated form the same way he had to OmegaArmamon.

Nothing happened. The pixilation traveled over Millenniummon's body, but he remained as he was. Truthfully, Susanoomon wasn't surprised, even after having increased his power. "Yeah, bad idea. Should have known that he was too strong for that to work."

From up above, the ghostly dragon portion of Millenniummon reached down. Swiping at Susanoomon, he sent the god Digimon flying through the air and crashing into the canyon wall so hard that he formed a deep crater, burying into the rock so far that he was no longer visible.

"Enough of this," Imperialdramon shouted. "It's time for some close encounters. Omni Sword!"

His sword glowed with power, and he flew at Millenniummon. The composition Digimon looked up at him as he approached. Gallantmon and Seraphimon assisted, firing their Royal Saber and Strike of the Seven Stars from different sides of Millenniummon. The two attacks collided in front of the composition Digimon's face, the blast obscuring his vision. A few seconds later, Imperialdramon came bursting through the cloud of smoke, stabbing with his sword.

His body froze. He hovered in place in the air, his sword mere inches from Millenniummon's face. The composition Digimon's eyes glowed as he used his telekinesis to hold Imperialdramon in place.

"No," the dragon Digimon growled as he tried and failed to move. "That's not fair."

A cruel, mocking chuckle escaped Millenniummon before he mentally flung Imperialdramon away. Then his ghostly dragon came down from covering the top of the canyon and settled back in place above Millenniummon.

"Cannon Fire!" he cried, angling his body before he began firing a barrage of fireballs from the cannons on his back up into the air.

It was like something out of a video game, where falling fireballs came raining down from up above if the player stood for too long and they had to keep moving their character to avoid them. Only it wasn't a video game. Giant fireballs dropped down from up above, exploding when they hit the ground. Omnimon and Ophanimon C rejoined the others in the air, the former flying a little lopsided as they tried to avoid the fireballs.

"They're everywhere!" Gallantmon exclaimed as he swerved through the air.

"Don't worry about dodging them," Imperialdramon told him as he fired his Super Positron Laser at the falling fireballs. "Just blast them."

Suddenly, moving at speeds too fast to see, Millenniummon suddenly charged at Imperialdramon. It was as if the composition Digimon had teleported, suddenly appearing in front of Imperialdramon at speeds too fast to see, causing the dragon Digimon to pull back in surprise. One of Millenniummon's hands shot out, and Imperialdramon was slammed into the canyon wall. A snarl escaped the composition Digimon as he brought his ugly face close to Imperialdramon.

"Time Warp!" he cried, and tore a hole in reality, ready to send Imperialdramon to another timeline in an alternate dimension.

"Gungnir!" Gallantmon cried, throwing his spear of light.

"Inferno!" Omnimon cried. Continuously firing his cannon.

"Call Dramon!" Ophanimon C cried, summoning forth her dragon, who proceeded to breath fire on Millenniummon.

The portal to the alternate timeline/dimension vanished as the composition Digimon turned around while peeling Imperialdramon off the wall. His ghostly dragon reached out and grabbed hold of Ophanimon C's dragon and lifted it up into the air. Squeezing tightly, he caused the dragon to burst into data, then threw Imperialdramon at the two knight Digimon.

Turning his attention to Ophanimon C, his claws beginning to crackle with electricity. Then Seraphimon landed on his nose and stabbed with his Excalibur. Rather than penetrate through, his sword of light snapped in two, and both halves dissolved into light particles.

"Bad idea," Seraphimon muttered, and glanced at Millenniummon's face, seeing the composition Digimon's large eye settle on him. "Um… Hallowed Knuckle!"

He fired a ball of light directly into Millenniummon's eye. That, finally, seemed to harm the composition Digimon, and Millenniummon roared loudly. Seraphimon quickly put some distance between himself and the composition Digimon as Millenniummon grabbed at his face.

"Was that the first time we actually hurt him?" Ophanimon C asked as Seraphimon came up beside her.

"Looks like it," he replied. "Doesn't matter how big or strong something is, taking a shot in the eye is going to hurt."

"We can't just attack his eyes though," Omnimon told them as he, Gallantmon, and Imperialdramon rejoined them. "We need an actual plan."

Seraphimon went over to examine the knight Digimon's missing wing. "I'm open to suggestions, but he's so strong it's like he's immune to our attacks. Perfect Revival!"

A relieved sigh escaped Omnimon as he sprouted a new wing. "He must have a weakness of some kind."

Gallantmon shook his head. "I really don't think he does. Based on what I saw in his profile, he's all about power, no weaknesses."

"Guys, I think he's mad at us," said Imperialdramon.

Millenniummon stomped towards them, his posture even more hostile than before. Suddenly though, he was encased in a cage of lightning, courtesy of Susanoomon's Magna Thunder as the god Digimon flew out of the tunnel and rejoined his friends.

"Sorry for the delay," he told them. "I was briefly knocked out from that hit."

Gallantmon gave him an appreciative look. "Just glad you're still alive." He looked back at the caged Millenniummon. "I don't think that'll hold him for long though."

And he was right. Millenniummon's hands came up and grasped the electric bars of his prison, easily tearing the cage apart, and the electric cage burned out.

Boltboutamon hovered over beside Millenniummon, sneering at the DigiDestined. "Nothing can hold Millenniummon if he doesn't want it to, especially not some pathetic cage of lightning."

Millenniummon glanced at him before his claw moved in a blur of speed to slice straight through the demon Digimon. The severed pieces of Boltboutamon began dissolving away as he blinked in surprise. "Well, that lasted longer than I expected."

The DigiDestined stared as Boltboutamon's remains burst into data. "What are the odds that that was the real Boltboutamon and not one of his copies?" Imperialdramon asked.

"Non-existent," Ophanimon C replied. "No way was that the real one."

Millenniummon let out a roar and raised all six arms, physical and ghostly. All throughout the clearing, rocks and boulders of all shapes and sizes rose up into the air. He motioned towards the DigiDestined, and the rocks flew at them at top speed. It didn't stop there though as more rocks began chipping off the canyon walls and shot at the DigiDestined like countless bullets.

There was no avoiding the rocks, they came from literally every directions, pelting against the DigiDestined. They couldn't dodge them, so they tried to deflect, only to be overwhelmed by the sheer number of them.

Millenniummon laughed and unleashed his Dark Nail. Electricity flew from his claws, striking the DigiDestined. They cried out, but were then pelleted by thousands of more rocks, bringing them to the ground.

The storm of rock hail finally stopped, leaving the DigiDestined buried. They managed to dig their way out, their bodies smoking from Millenniummon's attack and covered in welts from the rocks, even through their armor.

"This is ridiculous!" Imperialdramon shouted. "How are we supposed to beat this guy?"

Omnimon looked at their only holdout. "Shoutmon, we need your help! He's too strong for us!"

The dragon Digimon, still looking petrified, almost as if he were in a daze, hadn't moved from his spot since the battle began. He seemed to snap out of his stupor at Omnimon's words and began slowly shaking his head. He began backing away until he bumped into the canyon wall, but still seemed to be trying to back away even further, as if he didn't even realize that the wall was behind him.

Omnimon swore. It really looked like Shoutmon was a lost cause in this battle. Not that he blamed him. With as powerful as regular Millenniummon proved to be, whatever trauma or phobia Shoutmon seemed to have developed from his encounter with ZeedMillenniummon seemed completely justified.

"What do we do now?" Ophanimon C asked.

"We can start with this," said Imperialdramon. "Heaven's Light!"

His healing energy flowed over his friends, repairing any damage Millenniummon's attack had done, and it had been a lot. Seraphimon then gave the dragon Digimon the same treatment with his Perfect Revival.

"As much as I appreciate that," said Gallantmon, "we're still pretty much back to square one."

"Then we'll need even more power," Susanoomon told him. "I'll use my Overwrite to make you guys stronger. But, Seraphimon, you already increased your power with your Justice Genome. I don't know how increasing your power even more will affect you. It might make you even more susceptible to the violent impulses my Overwrite might invoke."

Seraphimon looked up at Millenniummon. "I'm going to have to risk it. Besides, some violent impulses may actually help us here."

"If you say so. Overwrite!"

His power flowed over his friends, amplifying their strength. Millenniummon cocked his head to the side with mild interest, letting out a curious growl.

Gallantmon let out a vicious battle cry. "Yeah! Now that's what I'm talking about! Let's get this guy!"

Omnimon gave his own snarl as he glared at the composition Digimon. "Let's attack the same spot together. Everyone, go for the head. See how he likes that. Flame Sphere!"

"Hyper Prominence!"

"Heaven's Thunder!"

"Crimson Light!"

"Holy Destroy!"

"Hallowed Ascension!"

Attacks rained down and came from head-on, blasting Millenniummon in the head. His entire upper body was engulfed by the blast, and Millenniummon seemed to stumble.

"Yeah! I think we hurt him that time!" Imperialdramon cheered.

The smoke cleared to reveal Millenniummon hunched over, both heads hanging down. It looked like the DigiDestined had indeed succeeded in hurting him. But then he suddenly raised his heads, emitting mocking laughter.

"No way!" Gallantmon exclaimed. "He was just messing with us! Even after all that, he's not even hurt!"

Millenniummon laughed, and his eyes flashed. And just like that, the DigiDestined felt their amplified strength vanish as their power returned to normal. Then Millenniummon's eyes flashed again, and the gravity around the DigiDestined suddenly became several times greater, and they all collapsed, nearly getting flattened by the gravity's intensity.

"Cannon Fire!" Millenniummon cried, mocking them further by firing off a single fireball from one of his cannons.

The fireball came down on the DigiDestined and erupted in a fiery blast. Shoutmon looked on in horror as his friends were consumed by the blaze. And when the blast died down, the smoking, burned forms of the DigiDestined were revealed. A few of them pixelated, indicating they were on the verge of losing their Digimon forms. But at least they were alive, for all the good it would do, as they seemed no longer able to fight.

"This is impossible," Shoutmon whispered to himself. "We never stood a chance. He can't be beaten. We have to leave. Run while we still can. Have to go now!"

He turned and ran, his only thought being to put as much distance as he could between himself and the monstrosity that was Millenniummon. Even as he ran, he instinctively feared that he was being chased, and glanced over his shoulder on reflex to see how far away his pursuer was.

Only no one was chasing him. In fact, Millenniummon was ignoring him completely, his whole focus in the fallen DigiDestined as he stalked towards them.

Shoutmon's desperate sprint slowed down to a jog, then a walk, before he stopped completely. Millenniummon was paying him no mind whatsoever. If he left now, he could get away.

"But…" he said quietly, his eyes going to the DigiDestined, "my friends…"

There was no defeating Millenniummon; he knew that. Even if he had fought with them from the beginning, they wouldn't have stood a chance. Staying was suicide, there was no two-ways about it. He could either run away and live, or he could stay with his friends and they could all die together.

Dying was not a foreign concept to Shoutmon. He had died several times before. However, that didn't make the experience any easier, or any less traumatizing. If anything, it was worse each time it happened, the experience even more horrific than he remembered. Not to mention the frustration of having to start over from scratch every time he was reborn and build up his strength all over again.

The logical answer was obvious. If he fled now, at least he would survive. It would be better than all of them dying together. But he had been down that road before, he knew where it led. It was just like when he ran from ZeedMillenniummon while Gumdramon stayed to fighting, facing death. True, Millenniummon was still two Digivolutions away from ZeedMillenniummon, but their odds still weren't any better.

Shoutmon inhaled as AncientWisemon's prophetic words suddenly came to him. "If the situation should arise, will you stay and fight with your friends to the very end? You can either flee alone, or stand by their side. Flee, and there will be a chance that you may survive, however, if you stay, you will almost certainly die, but you will also find that there are those that will be willing to fight for you as long as you are willing to fight for them."

Shoutmon grasped his face in dismay. Was he really contemplating fighting Millenniummon? That was literal suicide. However, he still remembered what he had gone through when he abandoned Gumdramon. That experience hadn't been much fun, nor was the way he had beaten himself up over his cowardliness of thousands of years afterwards. Dying wasn't fun either though. But if he stayed and died, he at least wouldn't lose his friendship, and he wouldn't be burdened with the self-hatred that had plagued him from abandoning Gumdramon before.

"Your past still haunts you, Shoutmon! Even now, thousands of years later, you still wonder 'what if'. It is a question that haunts us all, but you especially, as you wonder what would have happened if you didn't run away that day."

A deep sigh escaped Shoutmon, followed by a frustrated growl. "Ah, what the hell? I've died several times already. Maybe this time I'll get a free gift basket or something. Shoutmon Digivolve to… OmniShoutmon!"

Taking a deep breath, he flew at Millenniummon. Now that he had accepted that he was definitely going to die, this didn't seem quite so scary. True, he wasn't looking forward to the experience, in fact, he would literally rather do anything else, but at least he wouldn't hate himself again for abandoning his friends.

"Twin Fireball Strike!" he cried, throwing fireballs at the composition Digimon. The fireballs exploded against Millenniummon, and the monster turned his attention from the DigiDestined to him. "Yeah, how do you like that, you big ugly git? Victorize Banking!"

He fired a V-shaped bolt at the composition Digimon. The attack flew forward, but before it hit, Millenniummon's eyes flashed, and the attack vanished as it was negated.

OmniShoutmon's shoulders sank. "That is so unfair."

Millenniummon roared loudly, sending out a shockwave. The force of it sent OmniShoutmon flying backwards, but he somehow managed to kick off the wall and launch himself at Millenniummon. "Omni Torpedo!"

Once again, Millenniummon's eyes flashed, and OmniShoutmon suddenly froze in mid-air, unable to move. He didn't let that stop him though as he unleashed his strongest attack. "Omni Core Fusion!"

His Omnimon shaped aura flew at Millenniummon, but for a third time, the composition Digimon's eyes flashed. This time, however, OmniShoutmon's attack suddenly reversed directions, flying back towards its user.

OmniShoutmon shut his eyes, bracing himself for the impact. That didn't make it any less painless as he was hit by his own attack and was blasted back. On the plus side, he regained mobility and managed to halt his momentum as he hovered in the air, breathing heavily.

"Mugen Cannon!" Millenniummon cried, firing a blast of energy from his cannon.

OmniShoutmon's eyes widened as the attack came at him. He used his Heavy Metal Vulcan to defend himself, but knew he wouldn't be able to block the attack.

He was right. As Millenniummon's attack collided with his firewall, he was caught up in the blast that followed. Fortunately, the shockwave of the blast sent him flying out of the explosion before he was too extensively damaged. He crashed and dropped to the ground, letting out a painful groan.

Millenniummon laughed as he stood victoriously over his fallen opponents. The DigiDestined tried to get up, but it took all their strength just to maintain their Digimon forms. OmniShoutmon still possessed a little more strength within him, and somehow managed to lift himself up, a humorless chuckle escaping him.

"Well, I can't say I expected anything less," he grumbled. "I knew how this would end going in. At this point, I'm just seeing how long I can last."

He started to get up, reaching out for support. When his hand came in contact with the rock wall, however, he felt a surge of power that took him by surprise. Looking up, he saw that it had been the Destiny Stone he had crashed into, not the canyon wall.

A moment of panic went through him as he saw the crack that had appeared in it from the impact. Him and his friends dying was bad enough, but if anything happened to the Destiny Stone, it would affect the Digital World itself. What were they thinking having this battle here? Not that Millenniummon cared; he was a relentless force of destruction.

Eyes shining furiously, OmniShoutmon forced himself to stand as he glared at Millenniummon. "You're getting a kick out of this, aren't you?" He received a mocking grunt in reply from the composition Digimon, and narrowed his eyes further. "I know my power is nothing compared to yours. You can crush me as easily as you can a grape between your fingers. But I'm not backing down, not this time. I'm fighting until the very end."

Millenniummon's sneering look became one of irritation, and though OmniShoutmon felt fear race through him, he stood his ground. He knew he was going to die, but he was going to do so on his own two feet, fighting for what he believed in, like the king that he was.

"Being the king of anything is a big responsibility. It means putting your people first, even before yourself, no matter what. It also means fighting to keep them safe, even against certain death. And being the Digimon King means that all the Digimon in the Digital World are your people, and you must be willing to keep them safe."

AncientWisemon's words rang in OmniShoutmon's head, along with the truth of them, and he puffed out his chest and stood as tall as possible. "I'm not afraid anymore. I will face any threat to this world, including you. That is the duty I embrace. This world and its people are mine to protect. I am the Digimon King!"

Behind him, the Destiny Stone began to glow. A bright aura surrounded it and began to expand outward, flowing over OmniShoutmon, and he felt power the likes of which he had never encountered before flow through him.

"If you are willing to fight for your people, they will be willing to fight for you as well. Remember this, Shoutmon. Remember it always, but especially in the times to come."

OmniShoutmon nodded. "I will remember, AncientWisemon. I will fight. And right now, I need everyone to fight with me. Do you hear that, everyone!? Our world is in danger! I need your help to defend it! As you king, I ask you now, lend me your strength! Final Fusion!"

The Destiny Stone flashed with power, unleashing a wave of energy that flowed across the land. Suddenly the sky itself cracked open, and Digimon began raining down. They came down from the cracks in the sky like a heavy downpour of Digimon, flowing down in the hundreds of millions. Digimon of all types and levels, good and evil Digimon alike, even those loyal to the Demon Lords, uniting to fight against a mutual threat to them and their world.

As the Digimon rained down, they suddenly transformed into beams of light and flew at OmniShoutmon. The dragon Digimon began to glow with the light of Digivolution as millions upon millions of beams of light flowed into him.

A distance away, the DigiDestined looked on in wonder and amazement, not sure what was happening, but too weak to offer their assistance.

"OmniShoutmon…?" Ophanimon C whispered.

Finally, the last of the Digimon fell from the sky and united with the dragon Digimon, and the light of Digivolution erupted outward. "OmniShoutmon DigiFuse… Shoutmon X7F Superior Mode!"

The light faded, and a Digimon unlike anything the DigiDestined had ever seen before now stood several stories tall. Resembling a white and gold mechanical dragon knight with massively large pale gold angel-like wings that seemed to be made of light, Shoutmon X7F stood against Millenniummon while wielding a microphone-like staff known as the Zanahoria. He seemed to be made of a hodgepodge of different Digimon parts pieced together to for one mighty being, and rotating around him were two rings made up of countless Digimon, as if the number of Digimon that had merged with him was too great and had instead manifested outside of his body rather than becoming a physical part of him.

Millenniummon glared at him and he let out a roar. Shoutmon X7F pointed his mic-staff at him, returning his glare. "Come on, monster! Let's end this!"

Millenniummon took up that challenge, firing his Mugen Cannon. The rings of Digimon circling around Shoutmon X7F suddenly gathered together in front of him and manifested a barrier of light. Millenniummon's attack struck the barrier, but was held back, and the Digimon once again began rotating around Shoutmon X7F.

"My turn," he declared, and his mic-staff extended into a glowing blade of energy. He charged at Millenniummon, and the composition Digimon swiped at him. Shoutmon X7F ducked beneath Millenniummon's swiping claws and struck. "Final Xros Blade!"

He stabbed forward, plunging his energy blade into Millenniummon's gut. The composition Digimon roared and collapsed to his knees as Shoutmon X7F twisted the blade inside him. "You're done."

He pulled his blade free and jumped back. Millenniummon's hands went to the gaping hole in his torso, a look of disbelief on his face, before he fell forward and collapsed.

A distance away, the DigiDestined stare as well, equally as stunned. "Did he just… win?" Gallantmon asked.

Shoutmon X7F continued to glare at the fallen Millenniummon when the sound of laughter drew his attention, and he glanced to his left to see another Boltboutamon. His eyes narrowed as the demon Digimon, knowing good and well that this was just another copy.

"Incredible!" Boltboutamon declared loudly. "Truly incredible. I did not expect this! I honestly came in here thinking that this would be the end for your little group! Who could have predicted that you would pull off this miracle! Absolutely splendid! You lot truly keep things interesting!"

Shoutmon X7F was in mood for Boltboutamon's derangement, and turned his mic-staff on him the demon Digimon. "Double Flare Buster!"

He fired a beam of energy. It completely consumed Boltboutamon, and he vanished within the beam, laughing all the while as he burst into data. Shoutmon X7F lowered his mic-staff and looked around in case Boltboutamon had any other copies hidden anywhere.

"Shoutmon!" Gallantmon shouted.

He turned around to see Millenniummon getting to his feet. His eyes narrowed, and he pointed his mic-staff at him.

"Heat Viper!" Millenniummon cried.

He fired a beam from his mouth. Shoutmon X7F was ready, but the beam passed right by him. He glanced at it over his shoulder, and his eyes widened in horror. "No…"

Millenniummon's attack struck the Destiny Stone, and it exploded into data. Shocked gasps escaped the DigiDestined as all traces of the Destiny Stone vanished.

Within seconds, the ground began to shake. No, not just the ground, but the Digital World, the very dimension itself, started to tremble. Ripples and pixilations began to appear in the air, and what seemed to be alternate worlds seemed to transition in and out of sight.

Shoutmon X7F turned back to Millenniummon. "ARE YOU MAD!?"

A cruel chuckle escaped the composition Digimon before he collapsed again. He continued to snicker before finally becoming still and exploded into data. But something else happened as well. When Millenniummon burst into data, a cloud of millions of small, black spiky balls flew out of him as well, flying in all directions.

"Dark Spores!" Shoutmon X7F exclaimed.

The DigiDestined gasped in horror. They recalled what they had been told of the Dark Spores, of how they had flown out of ZeedMillenniummon's body when the Guardians had defeated him, and they remembered how Laylamon had mixed her dark power with a Dark Spore's extract to turn Davis against them.

And now, as the Digital World trembled from the loss of the stability the Destiny Stone provided, millions of Dark Spores were now flying towards them, and they were still too weak from the battle to defend against them, or even move for that matter. All they could do was close their eyes and wait for the inevitable.

Notes:

(A/N: Well, who could have seen this coming. Shoutmon managed to pull of the impossible, but at a terrible cost. Millenniummon has destroyed the Destiny Stone, and now a bunch of Dark Spores are on the loose. What are our heroes going to do now? Find out in just two weeks time.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear or are mentioned.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Shoutmon_X7F_Superior_Mode

Chapter 166: Data ex Machina

Notes:

(A/N: I'm not sure what to expect with this one. I imagine that some of you will be disappointed, but others will like it. This was always the plan though, but you decide if you like what I did or not.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 166: Data ex Machina

Omnimon wasn't sure how long he had his eyes shut for, but he slowly came to the realization that everything had gone completely quiet. Slowly, he cracked open one eye, then another, before gasping at what he saw.

Everything was frozen in place. The Dark Spores, which had been just a few feet away from hitting him, were frozen in mid-air along with everything else. It was as if time itself had stopped, freezing everything in place. Even the color and lighting looked strange, giving further evidence to his theory that time had indeed stopped.

"Whoa," came a voice from behind him, "this is weird."

He turned and was surprised once again to see his friends, all in human form, being the only things that hadn't frozen. It took him a moment to realize that he had reverted to his human form as well. No, that wasn't exactly true. It was more like they had completely separated from their Digimon forms. In fact, their Digimon forms were still present, frozen in time with everything else, but they each stood separate from them in their human forms, the only things still moving in this frozen world.

"What happened?" TK asked, his voice sounding echo-y and distorted. "It's like time stopped."

"I think it did," Takato replied. "Did this happen because the Destiny Stone was destroyed?"

"I don't know," said Kari, looking around. "It seems strange that destroying something meant to stabilize a dimension because it has multiple layers would stop time. But then again, I'm not exactly an expert on the subject."

Suddenly, a giant portal appeared in the sky, and three large creatures emerged from it. The first looked like a giant, multi-headed mechanical dragon. The other two looked like they were made of random parts of dozens of Digimon randomly pieced together into messes of creatures, one even more elaborate than the other.

The teens all stared up at the three giant creatures, completely flabbergasted. "I'm going to take a wild guess and say that one of them stopped time," Davis stated.

"Are they Digimon?" Takato asked, looking at his Digivice. "I can't tell, my Digivice isn't working."

"More like they're made up of Digimon," Tai replied. "At least those two are. I'm not sure about that dragon one though. It looks like a dragon crossed with a jet."

As the three creatures hovered in the air, something small leapt off the dragon creature, dropping down to the ground, clearing a path through the cloud of Dark Spores. It landed a few yards away from the teens and glanced at them curiously.

"Hmm, so you weren't affected, huh," it muttered with mild interest. "Guess it's because you're not from this world, and that's what I froze. Whatever."

The creature, which seemed to be male, shrugged uncaringly as the teens stared. They didn't know what the little imp-like creature was, but it seemed to be made of parts of different species mashed together. He gave no further care to them though as he began walking through the cloud of Dark Spores, quickly becoming irritated by them as he shooed them away.

"Geez, these stupid things are annoying," he grumbled. Then he snapped his fingers, and all the Dark Spores simply vanished. "That's better."

The teens weren't sure what to make of the creature, but at the very least he didn't seem to be their enemy. The same could be said for the other three creatures flying above them, though this much smaller one seemed to be the one in charge.

Cautiously, they followed after the creature. He paid them no mind as he made his way over to where the Destiny Stone once stood and threw his hands in the air in frustration.

"Look at this," he growled in annoyance. "Can't believe this little pebble disappearing woke me up."

He waved his hand through the air, and a tear appeared. Within the tear seemed to be nothing but pure data. The creature began humming tunelessly to himself as he reached in and pulled out a data particle, then began examining it.

"Um, excuse me," said TK, "but who are you?"

The creature didn't even look at him as he pulled out another data particle. "The name's NEO, and I'm the closest thing to a god you'll meet in this world."

Davis raised an eyebrow. "NEO? Like from The Matrix?"

The creature, NEO, glanced back at him. "Careful, pal. I could destroy you with a single thought."

Tai quickly waved his hands. "He didn't mean anything by it, Mr. NEO. Um, who are your friends up there?"

"Them?" NEO asked, looking up at the three creatures in the sky. "That's Giga Devast, Tera Devast, and Leviathan. Don't worry about them, they won't do anything without my say so. They're basically my bodyguards." He scoffed. "As if I need anything of the sort, especially since I'm so much stronger than all three of them put together. Heck, I could even destroy ZeedMillenniummon at his strongest if he were here."

The teens' mouths all simultaneously dropped open. NEO may have made his claim nonchalantly, but they got the feeling that he was being quite serious, and was issuing them a warning.

"Wait," said Takato, "you're saying that you're stronger than ZeedMillenniummon?"

NEO made a pfft sound. "Please. After the Digimon God, I'm the most powerful being in this entire dimension. I even have the power to control time and space at will. This, however, is going to take a little extra work to make sure I get it right. So, if you'll excuse me."

He pulled out another data particle and stretched it out into a ribbon of Fractal Code. Then he took the other two data particles he had taken out previously, mashed them together, then tied the Fractal Code around them.

"Um, excuse us again," Tai said carefully, "but what are you doing?"

A deep sigh escaped NEO. "This is why I hate interacting with others," he grumbled to himself, loud enough for them to hear him. "If you must know, I'm trying to get back to sleep. The backlash of the Destiny Stone being destroyed woke me up, so I'm trying to fix it."

Kari blinked curiously. "Back to sleep?"

NEO ran a hand over his face in frustration. "So now I'm sharing my backstory, is that it? Fine. I live in my own private pocket dimension with those three watching over me so I won't be disturbed." He gestured up at Giga Devast, Tera Devast, and Leviathan. "There I spend all my time sleeping, until the dimensional quakes from Millenniummon being destroying the Destiny Stone woke me up. I could always just go back to sleep, but since the Digital World is now down a Destiny Stone, it'll be a little unstable, so it'll experience more dimensional quakes from time to time, and I don't feel like waking up every time another one happens, so I'm fixing the problem. That enough of an explanation for you humans?"

With that, he went back to work, fiddling with the data in his hands. He plucked out more to add to what he already had, and began taking out pieces of data from what he had gathered and throwing it back into the dimensional tear.

"Wait," said Tai, trying to wrap his head around all this information. "You know we're humans?"

NEO scoffed again. "Of course. I know I absolutely everything that goes on in the Digital World. My sleeping basically grants me an omnipresent consciousness. Basically, I dream what happens all throughout the Digital World. I see everything, and know everything that's going on, so of course I would know about you."

The teens exchanged looks. "So then…" Takato began, "you've been watching us since we got here?"

NEO flashed him a smirk. "I've been watching everything that's been going on everywhere. Weren't you listening? But yes, I've been giving special attention to you lot. You're certainly shaking things up in the Digital World. I'm quite curious to see how your war with the Demon Lords turns out."

Kari suddenly realized something and had to hide her outrage. "Wait, you say that you see everything. If you're as powerful as you say you are, then why haven't you done anything about the Demon Lords, or all the other stuff that's been going on?"

NEO shrugged. "Not my problem. Besides, I like to see how things play out. I'm a neutral observer in all this. I don't get involved. Like I said, the only reason I'm here now is because I woke up. Once I finish with this, I'm going back to sleep."

"But that's horrible!" Kari exclaimed. "How can you just do nothing when there are people suffering?"

Not even bothering to look at her, NEO went back to playing with the data. "When you're practically all-powerful and borderline all-knowing, then you'll understand the pointless of getting involved with anything, or even doing anything for that matter. That's the downside to having basically unlimited power that no one ever seems to understand. Once you can do practically anything at will, everything starts to lose its appeal and starts to feel meaningless. That's why I stay asleep and just watch rather than get involved. I guess you can say I'm vicariously living through others since my life can literally be anything I want it to be. It's quite boring having that to be honest. There's never anything fun or exciting."

"But you're still seeing all the suffering going on. How can you just overlook it?"

NEO glared at her. "What happens to the residents of this world is of no concern to me. Do you care about the wellbeing of every insect in your world? How about the little creatures too small for the naked eye to see? Do you worry about how many you step on every time you walk somewhere? What about the countless microscopic creatures covering every bit of surface? Do you even give them a fraction of thought?"

"It's hardly the same thing."

"Why? Because their level of awareness, sentience, or consciousness isn't as high as yours? I could say the same to all the residents of this world when compared to me. Even if they were, do you concern yourself with the wellbeing of each and every human in your world?"

"But you…" Kari began, but fell silent when Tai placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't bother," he told her. "You're not going to be able to sway him. Like he said, he exists on a whole other level than us. We can't hold him to our standards, even if we disagree with him."

"Spoken with the wisdom of a true leader," NEO replied as he went back to work. "But if you're still sore about it, consider this, do you really want me dictating what's right and what's wrong and altering the world and the lives of everyone in it based on my own opinion, and then using my power to control things to take the choices of everyone out of their hands? Because I can do that. I'm so powerful that I can freely manipulate time, space, and matter at will. I just have no interest in doing so. Heck, if I wanted to, I could completely destroy the entire Digital dimension in an instant."

He shrugged as he tied another ribbon of Fractal Code to the bundle of data he was working with. "But like I said, that's the problem with being too powerful. It's boring. There's no excitement or fun when you can make everything go your way all the time. Life loses all meaning. That's why I detached myself from this world and instead spread my consciousness throughout the Digital World through my dreams to experience life through others. Whether the experiences are good or bad, that's life, and it's how I experience it. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to finish up here so I can go back to sleep."

He fell silent as he returned to his work, adding to, taking away from, and manipulating the data he was working with, occasionally muttering to himself. The teens were left feeling rather awkward as they watched this near godly being work.

"Hey, um, NEO," said Takato, "just out of curiosity, if you're as powerful as you say you are and can do the things you say you can do, then are you able to send us back to our world?"

NEO didn't even bother to look back at him. "Oh, sure, that's nothing. Look."

He snapped his fingers and a portal appeared. The teens all gasped as they saw what was indeed their hometown. They didn't get to see it for long though as NEO snapped his fingers again and the portal disappeared.

"Hey!" Takato exclaimed.

NEO snickered. "What? Did you actually think I was going to send you home? I told you, I don't get involved with things, and that includes with you. If you want to get home, then you're just going to have to do it yourselves. What's the saying? Life is about the journey, not the destination. Something like that. And like I said, life would have no meaning if I do everything for you. Besides, I'm interested in seeing how your battle with the Demon Lords goes."

He examined the data he had gathered before rolling it up into a ball and clapping his hands together over it. When he opened his hands again, the data had been mashed together into a smaller ball of data. NEO blew on it, and the ball of data dissolved away, leaving what seemed to be a glowing seed.

NEO smiled, looking proud of himself, and waved his hand, closing the tear in reality he had made before turning back to the teens. "There, all done. It's actually good that you didn't freeze when I stopped time; this way I can just give you this now."

He held out the glowing seed, and it floated out of his hand and over to Tai, who held out his hand as the seed floated into it. The others gathered around to look at it before glancing back at NEO.

"What's this?" TK asked.

"A Seed of Light," the Digital life form replied. "Plant it where the Destiny Stone was. Once it grows, it'll serve the same purpose. Even as a seed, it'll prevent any dimensional quakes from happening."

Davis blinked in confusion, finding NEO's actions contradictory to his earlier words. "Why'd you make this? I thought you said you weren't going to help us."

NEO scoffed. "I'm not. I'm helping myself. Like I said, with one of the Destiny Stones gone, the Digital World will be a little unstable and start to experience dimensional quakes, and I don't want to be woken up every time one happens, so this will fix it so that doesn't happen. Speaking of which, tell the Destiny Stone guards to do a better job with their guarding. I don't want to make a habit out of this, or waking up at all."

He glanced at the hole in the canyon wall that had been made by the first Heat Viper attack Millenniummon had unleashed. Reaching out, he grasped at air and twisted. The hole in the canyon wall twisted shut, as if the hole had never been made at all, and NEO nodded in satisfaction.

"Well, I'm done here," he said, then called up to his three companions. "Come on, you guys, we're going back!"

He waved his hand, and a giant portal appeared. Tera Devast, Giga Devast, and Leviathan flew into it, and the portal closed behind them. Then a second smaller portal appeared, and NEO headed for it.

"Hey, wait!" TK called, making the Digital life form stopped. "Thanks for you help."

NEO glanced back at him, smirking. "No need to thank me. I told you, I didn't do it for you. I did it for me, and no one else. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going back to sleep; I hate waking up. Ever."

He walked through the portal, and it closed behind him. The teens stared after him, not quite sure what to make of him.

"I can't get a reading on that guy," said Takuya.

"I know what you mean," Takato agreed. "He came across as a little immoral, but I at least don't think he's a bad guy."

"And he did give us this," Tai added, looking at the Seed of Light in his hands. "Even if it was for selfish reasons."

Suddenly, his vision began to distort and become blurry to the point where he could no longer see. It returned to normal a few seconds later, and he was suddenly Omnimon again, his friends also having returned to their Digimon bodies.

Time also began moving again, and Shoutmon X7F, having been frozen as well, picked up where things left off. "NOOOO!"

He reached out to his friends, where, a moment ago, they had been about to be hit by a cloud of Dark Spores. Only now all the Dark Spores were gone, and he was left reaching out to his friends for no apparent reason.

Blinking, he looked around, not sure what had happened. "Wait, what's going on?"

Seraphimon sweat-dropped. "That's… kind of hard to explain."

Before Shoutmon X7F could question them further, they were hit by another, what NEO had referred to as, dimensional quake. The DigiDestined stumbled around as more landed masses from other levels of the Digital World transitioned in and out of sight.

"Hold on!" Shoutmon X7F told them loudly. "The Digital World should stabilize in a bit once it gets used to being down a Destiny Stone. I still can't believe Millenniummon destroyed it."

Omnimon looked down at his hands, seeing the Seed of Light floating on the end of his sword. "Why wait? I got this."

He flew over to where the Destiny Stone had been and dropped the Seed of Light. It floated down and seemed to phase through the ground. A few seconds later, the dimensional quakes calmed and then ceased completely, and everything else returned to normal as well.

Shoutmon X7F blinked. "Wait, what was that? What'd you do?" He looked around. "And what happened to all the Dark Spores? What's going on?"

Omnimon turned back to him. "That's a bit of a long story."

"And we have some questions too," said Imperialdramon. "Like how did you defeat Millenniummon? And how did you become… that?"

Shoutmon X7F looked down at himself. "This is the ultimate form of DigiFusion. Using the power of the Destiny Stone, I was able to contact everyone in the Digital World and DigiFuse with them."

Behind her helmet, Ophanimon C's eyes widened. "You mean you fused with everyone in the Digital World?"

Shoutmon X7F wobbled his head. "Practically. Millenniummon was a threat to everyone. Aside from the Demon Lords and their most absolute loyal followers, they all responded. No one wanted Millenniummon to destroy the world."

He began to glow, and countless particles of light flowed out of him. They rose into the sky before becoming individual Digimon again, floating back into the cracks in the sky they had initially emerged from to return from whence they came. And when the last of them vanished, the cracks in the sky closed, as if they had never appeared at all.

Shoutmon X7F had not only unfused from everyone, but had reverted back to his Rookie form as well. Placing his hands on his hips, he gave his friends an expectant look. "Now it's your turn to explain. What happened? One second the whole Digital World is shaking from the Destiny Stone being destroyed and we're about to be hit by a bunch of Dark Spores, the next the Dark Spores are gone and Omnimon has something that completely fixed the Digital World's instability. What did I miss?"

One by one, the DigiDestined resumed their human forms. "Well…" said TK, "like I said, it's a little hard to explain, but…"

He told Shoutmon of what happened from the point where time had frozen, explaining how NEO had appeared, gotten rid of the Dark Spores, and created the Seed of Light for them to take the place of the destroyed Destiny Stone. Shoutmon's mouth had long since fallen open during the explanation and had not yet closed.

"You actually saw NEO!?" he exclaimed when TK finished. "How could you have met NEO? I've never met NEO! I don't even think the Sovereigns have met NEO!"

Kari frowned in disapproval. "Yeah, that's because he spends all his time sleeping instead of using his power to help others. He's not like the Digimon God, who is all about free will and letting everyone live their own lives and make their own choices, he's just indifferent about everything and lazy."

Davis placed a finger to his lips and shushed her. "Careful, he's watching, remember. It's probably not a good idea to bad talk the supremely powerful godly being."

"Actually," said Takato, "I don't think he cares enough about anyone's opinion to do anything about it."

Shoutmon ran a hand along the side of his face. "NEO, wow. I never would have expected that."

Takuya glanced at him curiously. "Speaking of which, is what he said true? Will the Seed of Light he gave us work just as good as the Destiny Stone?"

Shoutmon nodded. "If he said it will, then it will. Besides, the Digital World will remain intact as long as only one Destiny Stone remains; things would just be unstable, and the walls between dimensions would be weak." He turned back to look at the spot where the Seed of Light had been planted. "The problem right now if that there's no one to protect the Seed of Light."

"Never fear, I'm still here!"

They all jumped at the unexpected voice and turned around to see Dantemon. No longer petrified, he was back to normal and seemed to be in good health.

"Dantemon," Kari said happily, "you're alright!"

"Dante, dante, dante, I'm feeling fine. With Millenniummon gone, I have returned to normal. Dante!"

Shoutmon breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm glad you're alright, but it looks like you're the only protector that survived."

Dantemon's shoulders sank. "Yes, this is bad, very bad. Dante, dante. What to do, what to do? Bad enough I lost my friends, but we are down two protectors. There must be three, must be three. Dante!"

Davis glanced at Shoutmon. "What's he mean, there must be three?"

The dragon Digimon rolled his eyes. "It's a divine rule. There must be three Digimon protecting a Destiny Stone at all times. And with Mastemon and Ageisdramon gone, we'll need to find two more to replace them." He rubbed the back of his head. "That could be difficult. We're going to have to-"

At that moment, the sky shattered like glass as something came bursting through dimensions. Everyone's attention shifted to the newcomer, surprised to see none other than Mastemon.

"Where is he!?" she demanded furiously. "Where's Millenniummon!?"

Dantemon's face lit up and he charged at the angel Digimon, pulling her into a hug, which was more like him cuddling her since he was so big in comparison. "Mastemon, you're alive! I'm so happy! Dante, dante!"

The angel Digimon pulled out of his grip. "Now is not the time! Where is Millenniummon?" She looked around and inhaled sharply when she saw that the Destiny Stone was gone. "No! The Destiny Stone! What happened!? Where is it!? And where's Ageisdramon? What did I miss!?"

"Quite a bit actually," Tai replied uneasily. "But how are you even here? We thought Millennummon killed you. Shouldn't you be an egg right now?"

Mastemon scowled. "He almost did. Fortunately, I have the power to travel through dimensions. I was able to escape from the pocket dimension he trapped me in before he destroyed it, and me along with it. It just took me some time to navigate through dimensions to get back here. Now, what happened here?"

Takuya sighed. "Ok, but listen closely, because we already went over this."

And so, once again, they explained their encounter with NEO, and also gave a brief summary of what had happened in the battle with Millenniummon. By the time they were finished, Mastemon had calmed down, and both she and Dantemon looked distraught.

"Dante, dante. We lost Ageisdramon," Dantemon said sadly.

"And worse, we failed in our duty to protect the Destiny Stone," Mastemon added. "We are disgraces to the Protectors of the Stones."

Takato waved his hands. "It's not your fault. You did your best. I mean, who could have predicted that Millenniummon of all people would show up. And now you have the Seed of Light to protect, so you still have a job."

Mastemon glared at him. "All that is irrelevant. If the Destiny Stone was destroyed, we should have been destroyed beforehand. That is our duty, to protect the Destiny Stone from any and all threats at all cost."

Her shoulders slumped and she walked over to where the Seed of Light had been planted. "But you are right about one thing; we have been given another chance to do our job, and so we shall protect this Seed of Light with all of our strength and see that it blooms. However, we have another problem."

"Yes," Dantemon agreed, catching on to what she was talking about. "We need a third protector. Oh, what to do, what to do, what to do? Dante."

The teens exchanged looks. "Well, what would you normally do if you lose a protector?" Kari asked.

Dantemon blinked and tapped his chin. "I'm not sure. It's never happened before. In fact, no one has ever even attacked a Destiny Stony before. Dante."

Mastemon sighed. "Fool. We would either have to contact the Sovereigns or the Digimon King, and they would appoint someone new to join us."

With that, both she and Dantemon looked at Shoutmon expectantly, and soon the teens did too. The dragon Digimon looked at both groups before blinking. "Wait, you want me to appoint some one new right now?"

"Well," said Takato, "you are the Digimon King."

"Dante, dante, it's your duty."

Shoutmon's eye twitched. "Well, yeah, but I'm in no position to do that right now. Technically, I'm only the Digimon King in name only. I'm still trying to regain my position after Lucemon dethroned me."

"There must be three protectors," Mastemon told him. "We can't be lacking in guards for an unspecified number of time, especially since the Seed of Light has not yet bloomed."

"Dante, dante. She's right."

The dragon Digimon rubbed the back of his head uneasily. "Well, yeah, but…"

Mastemon gave him a hard look. "If you cannot provide a suitable replacement, then you know what you must do."

The teens didn't seem to understand what the angel Digimon meant at first, but then Takuya gasped. "Wait, are you saying that you want Shoutmon to stay with you and protect the Seed of Light?"

Mastemon swiped her hand through the air. "It is his duty as the Digimon King to see to the wellbeing of the Digital World. If he cannot provide a replacement for Ageisdramon, then until one can be provided, he must fill that role himself."

The teens all looked at Shoutmon, who looked like a deer caught in headlights. "I… I…"

"Hold it," Davis argued. "We need Shoutmon to stay with us. He's not just part of our team, he's also our guide. We need him to help us stop the Demon Lords."

Mastemon held herself up taller in an intimidating fashion. "Making sure the Digital World remains intact is more important than who is ruling it. If another threat appears to destroy the Seed of Light, we need a complete team to fight it."

"Even though Millenniummon was the first threat we ever faced, dante," Dantemon added.

"Irrelevant!" Mastemon snapped at him.

Takato sweat-dropped. "No offense, but I think you guys would be ok being down a guard for a while. Besides, Millenniummon only came here because we were here; he didn't actually come here to destroy the Destiny Stone, and he only did so because he was dying."

"Besides," Takuya added, "since pretty much everyone fused with Shoutmon to stop Millenniummon, I think that tells us that there isn't anyone crazy enough who would want to destroy the world."

"Except for maybe Boltboutamon," Davis muttered.

TK nudged him and whispered under his breath, "Not the time."

"Irrelevant," Mastemon said again. "We must be ready for any danger at any time, and we need three protectors for that." She pointed at the dragon Digimon. "Shoutmon, as the Digimon King, it is your duty to protect this world and see to its wellbeing, is it not?"

The teens looked back at Shoutmon, unable to even consider the possibility that the dragon Digimon wouldn't be with them anymore. He wouldn't really leave them, would he? How would they get by without him? Would they have to leave him behind while they sought out a replacement for Ageisdramon?

A deep sigh escaped Shoutmon. "She's right. As the Digimon King, I have a duty to uphold. And that duty places seeing to the preservation of the Digital World over who rules it."

Takato rounded on him. "You can't be serious? Shoutmon, we need you with us."

"Can't one of us stay here until you find someone suitable?" Tai suggested.

"No," Mastemon objected. "Currently, you humans play the role of the Guardians. That is your duty. Furthermore, I mean no offense to this, but we cannot have outsiders play such an important role to this world."

Takuya sweat-dropped. "Ok, no offense taken, I guess, but we still need Shoutmon with us. We'd be lost without him. Both literally and figuratively."

The dragon Digimon sighed. "I know, and I'm sorry, but what Mastemon said is true. Three protectors are to be present al all times. And if I don't have anyone to fulfill the role, then I have to do it myself until the Sovereigns can find someone to fulfill the position, and that will probably take a long time since they'll be busy catching up with all their duties they've missed out on during their time sealed away."

"But Shoutmon, we need you!" Kari exclaimed.

The dragon Digimon's fists clenched. "I know, but it can't be helped. I don't have anyone who can fulfill the role."

"But you do have someone."

The unexpected voice startled them. Dantemon let out a surprised cry of "Dante!" while Mastemon fired her Holy Desire attack at the speaker on reflex. They caught a brief glimpse of a small Digimon hidden in the shadows before it leapt out of the way of Mastemon's arrow of light.

"Who is there!?" she demanded. "Show yourself!"

The little Digimon, still in the shadows, held up his hands. "Hold your fire! I'm here to help."

Shoutmon's eyes widened as he recognized the voice. "It can't be…"

Stepping forward out of the shadows came a familiar face, one the teens hadn't seen for a long time, but recognized all the same, and they all cried his name at the same time. "Gumdramon!"

A smile crept up the dragon Digimon's face. "Hello again, humans. It's been awhile." Then he turned his attention to his fellow dragon Digimon and gave a nod of greeting. "Shoutmon."

Shoutmon's eyes were as wide as saucers. "Gumdramon. What? I don't… How are you here?"

Lowering his hands, Gumdramon let out an amused chuckle. "How do you think? I was in the DigiFuse along with everyone else. I just stayed behind while everyone else left. Thought it would be a good time to catch up on things, especially after the way our last reunion went."

"You're trespassing here," Mastemon said aggressively. "Your presence is not permitted."

"Stand down," Shoutmon demanded. "You can trust him. He's my friend." He looked back at Gumdramon. "A much better and more loyal one than I am."

The purple dragon Digimon stared at him seriously for several long moments before his seriousness vanished and he let out a small chuckle. "Well, I don't know about that. I'd say you've redeemed yourself here today."

Shoutmon blinked. "What?"

Gumdramon sighed and shook his head. "You didn't run away this time. You faced absolute certain death and stood your ground for the sake of your friends. Despite knowing that you were going to die, you didn't abandon them. Hmm, I wonder if you like them better than me and that's why you stayed for them."

Shoutmon sputtered. "I didn't say… That's not what I…"

The purple dragon Digimon threw back his head and laughed. "Oh, Shoutmon, you can still crack me up." He gave him a look of fondness. "I missed you, old friend, and I can see that you really have changed. I'm proud of you, and I think I can finally forgive you for abandoning me."

Something seemed to break in Shoutmon, as if a huge burden he had been carrying had finally crumbled to pieces, and the weight was lifted from his shoulders at last. Tears filled his eyes and he fell to his knees, looking, perhaps, more relieved than the teens had ever seen him before. They exchanged smiles with each other as Shoutmon rubbed his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Gumdramon," he said. "I'm so sorry."

The purple dragon Digimon sighed and gave him a smile. "No, I'm sorry. I wasn't very nice when we last met. It's just that seeing you again after so long brought back all those old feelings of resentment I felt from when you abandoned me to ZeedMillenniummon."

Shoutmon shook his head. "No, you had every right to be upset with me. I was still upset with myself."

"No," Gumdramon said seriously. "It had been 10,000 years since we last saw each other. A lot can happen in all that time. I didn't even think about the possibility that you had changed or come to regret what you did during all that time. I was just a jerk holding a grudge, and I thought the worst of you, so I acted out. For that, I apologize."

Shoutmon sniffled. "Gumdramon…"

Mastemon impatiently cleared her throat. "As touching as this is, it's not the place for a reunion. And there is still the matter of a replacement protector that still needs to be addressed."

Gumdramon looked at her. "Yeah, about that, I might have a solution." He looked back at Shoutmon. "I stayed behind after the de-fusion to settle things between us, and couldn't help overhearing your conversation. You need someone to replace Ageisdramon. I think I can help you there."

Kari's face lit up. "You know someone who could take his place?"

"No," Mastemon interrupted. "Not just anyone can become a protector. They must be approved by either the Digimon King or the Sovereigns."

Shoutmon stood up. "If Gumdramon recommends them, then I know they're trustworthy. Be that as it may, I will meet with and judge this candidate to see if they are worthy. So, who did you have in mind?"

Gumdramon looked back at him, looking quite serious. "Me. I'll volunteer."

Shoutmon gasped. "You? But, Gumdramon…?"

"It wasn't my attention to take up this role when I stayed behind to talk to you, but after hearing what I heard, I can't look away or not help."

"But, Gumdramon, are you sure?" Shoutmon asked worriedly. "Being a protector of the Destiny Stones is a very big, very serious job. If the Sovereigns or I can't find someone else to take up the position, then you could be stuck with the job until Ageisdramon fully returns, and that could take thousands of years, or tens of thousands of years, and that considering he doesn't die at all in his attempt to return to full power, if he even wants to retake the position at all. You're absolutely sure this is what you want?"

Gumdramon was silent for several long moments before he gave Shoutmon a serious look. "Shoutmon, do you remember what we both agreed upon when we first started traveling together?"

Shoutmon stared at him for several long moments before sighing. "Yes. We swore that we would do whatever it took to protect this world and make it a better place."

The purple dragon Digimon nodded. "And if this is a role that needs to be fulfilled in order to see to the Digital World's wellbeing, then I will do it."

Silence met this statement. The teens didn't say anything, knowing that this was between Shoutmon and Gumdramon. However, Dantemon felt that he needed to speak up.

"Dante, dante. We appreciate the offer, but we need someone strong. The protectors must be at the Mega level in order to combat another Mega level threat should one show up."

"Indeed," Mastemon agreed. "A Rookie couldn't possible fulfill the role."

A smirk crept up Gumdramon's face. "A Mega, huh? Well then… Gumdramon Warp Digivolve to… XrosUpArresterdramon Superior Mode!" Now at the Mega level, he turned back to Mastemon and Dantemon. "I believe I meet the criteria."

Mastemon didn't say anything, she simply stared hard at the dragon Digimon. Dantemon looked back and forth between the two of them nervously, but didn't speak.

Finally, Mastemon turned to Shoutmon. "What is your judgment?"

The dragon Digimon just looked at XrosUpArresterdramon, not speaking. Then a resigned look appeared on his face and he let out a deep sigh. "Shoutmon Digivolve to… OmniShoutmon!"

Having Digivolved, OmniShoutmon stood before XrosUpArresterdramon, holding himself up as tall as possible and speaking with all the authority of a king. "If he is willing to fulfill the role, then I honestly cannot think of anyone more worthy of the position. I have seen his determination and bravery first hand when he willingly rushed into battle to face ZeedMillenniummon to protect this world, despite knowing what fate would befall upon him. Therefore I, OmniShoutmon, the Digimon King, hereby appoint XrosUpArresterdramon as the new protector to the Destiny… I mean, the Seed of Light!"

XrosUpArresterdramon bowed. "I shall uphold my duty to the best of my abilities. To this I swear." He let out a chuckle and looked up at OmniShoutmon. "I guess this means we'll have to wait a little longer before we completely settle things between us."

A smile crept up OmniShoutmon's face as he nodded at his friends. "I'll look forward to it."

Notes:

(A/N: Ok, so a lot happened. And yes, we did have a literal Deus ex Machina moment, hence the pun for the chapter title. I hesitated in subverting expectations after the way last chapter ended because I wasn't sure how you would feel abut it and might think it was a bit of a cop out. It was supposed to be sort of reminisce as to what happened with BlackWarGreymon, the Destiny Stones, and Azulongmon in Season 2. The main point of these last few chapters was all to lead up to Shoutmon finding his redemption for abandoning Gumdramon in the battle with ZeedMillenniummon and then reconciling with him. And we got to see NEO as well, along with his guards, as if he actually needs any, who gave them a bit of assistance, even if it was for selfish reasons… or so he claims. And with that, Lucemon has lost his secret weapon, because yes, it was Millenniummon. Where things are going to go from here is anyone's guess. Well, I know, but you'll have to wait two weeks to find out. See you then.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear or are mentioned. Replace the DOT in the link(s) with actual periods.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/NEO

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Giga_Devast

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Tera_Devast

wikimon.net/Leviathan

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Gumdramon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/XrosUpArresterdramon_Superior_Mode

Chapter 167: The River

Notes:

(A/N: IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ! Ok, so, bit of bad news. Due to certain reasons that will take too long to explain, I'm going to be taking a bit of a hiatus from writing. I know, I'm sorry, I'm not happy with this either, but it's really unavoidable. If things go well, I should be back to updating regularly by August. Sorry for the inconvenience, but like I said, it can't be helped. And don't worry, everything is fine on my end, it's nothing serious, there's just something going on right now that I hope to resolve. It's a real pain, and I promise to try and get things back to normal as soon as possible. Until then, enjoy the next chapter.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 167: The River

Takato threw his hands up in frustration. "I can't take it anymore! I hereby swear to never take the simple things for granted again."

The others stared at him after his sudden outburst. They couldn't exactly blame him though, as they were all feeling pretty much the same as him. In the days since they had faced off against Millenniummon, it had been non-stop walking through borderline deserted land, and quite frankly, it was beginning to get to them.

"Yeah, I think we all do," Tai replied. "These past few days have been pretty tough."

Shoutmon snorted. "You humans are still so soft. We Digimon are used to roughing it most of the time."

"That may be fine for you," Takato grumbled, "but we humans evolved differently. We're out of our natural environment. It's times like this I really wish we were back home."

"I'd settle for a bath," said Kari. "It's been days since we found a body of water big enough to bathe in. I feel so disgusting."

TK plucked at his shirt. "Yeah, and our clothes could use a good washing too."

"You're telling me," Takuya grumbled. "Before we came to this world, I never wore the same underwear two days in a row, let alone for this long."

Davis gave him a confused look. "What do you mean? You can wear the same underwear for four days. Forward, backwards, inside-out, and flipped around." The others stopped walking. Davis noticed and glanced back at them, taking notice of the shocked and disgusted looks on their faces. "What?"

"That may be the most disgusting thing you've ever said," Takato muttered.

"Seriously, never mention that again," said Tai.

"And please change your laundry habits," Kari added.

Davis cocked his head to the side. "Wait, that's wrong?"

Shoutmon let out a cry of annoyance. "Alright, alright, alright! If I take you somewhere where you guys can clean up, will you please stop talking about it?"

Kari clapped her hands together joyfully. "There's a place we can get cleaned up?"

Shoutmon sighed. "If memory serves me right, there's a river a couple miles from here. It should only take us an hour or two to-"

"Let's go!" the others shouted.

The promise of getting clean spurred the teens on, and they put on an extra burst of speed, making it to the river Shoutmon spoke of in record time. After traveling non-stop for days on end without seeing any body of water, it was the greatest sight they could have hoped for, especially with how hot it had been the past few days.

"It's beautiful!" Takato declared, looking at the clear, sparkling water. "Two weeks without a bath is too long."

Tai looked up and down the riverbank. "We should look around first to make sure there are no hostile Digimon before we-"

"Cannonball!" Takuya shouted before jumping straight in with a splash. He came up a few seconds later, rubbing the water out of his face. "Yeow! It's cold!"

"Good, because I'm hot," Takato replied, pulling his goggles down over his eyes. "Geronimo! Yow! Whoa, you're right, that is cold!"

Tai sighed and shrugged. "Ah, whatever." Then he jumped in as well.

Shoutmon placed his hands on his hips. "I thought you wanted to bathe, not swim."

"I feel we can do both," Davis replied. "Belly flop!"

He jumped in as well, but bailed on the belly flop at the last moment, curling in on himself. Takuya pointed at him and laughed. "Ha! You chickened out. That was no belly flop."

"I didn't chicken out. It was just a reflex. And, geez, this is cold. How can it be this hot out and still be this freezing?"

Kari looked down at the water and slowly reached out to touch it. "Is it really that cold?"

She let out a startled yelp as TK suddenly scooped her up in his arms bridal style. "Let's find out together."

"TK, don't you da-"

He jumped in while still holding her, and the cold wetness engulfed them. Bubbles flew out of Kari's mouth from the sudden temperature change, and she quickly kicked to the surface. TK came up beside her, grinning mischievously, and she gave him a look of mock outrage. "TK, you!"

She splashed him. He laughed and splashed her back, and the two got into a splashing contest, laughing and screaming as they unsuccessfully tried to make the other wetter than they already were.

Shoutmon rolled his and turned his back on them. "Humans."

Davis came up behind him. "Oh, come on, Shoutmon." He grabbed the dragon Digimon's tail. "Learn to have a little fun."

A surprised cry escaped Shoutmon as he was yanked backwards into the water. The others laughed as he came up, spitting out a mouthful of water. "That wasn't funny! Do you know how much water went up my nose?"

Takato splashed him in the face. "More than that?"

The teens laughed some more, and Shoutmon's eye twitched irritably. "Alright, you asked for it. Rock and Roller!"

He produced his mic and leapt up out of the water. He brought his mic down on the river's surface, and a large wall of water rose up from the impact before coming down on the teens.

Smirking, Shoutmon twirled his mic around. "Ha! How'd you like that?"

"Oh, yeah," Takuya remarked, and dove under.

He grabbed hold of Shoutmon and pulled him under as well, then began tickling the dragon Digimon. A swarm of bubbles flew out of Shoutmon's mouth as he laughed uncontrollably while trying to escape from Takuya's grip.

What had started out as a simple desire to bathe turned into a playful day of swimming. They alternated from simply relaxing in the water, whose temperature they had gotten used to, to swimming around or playing water games. At one point, Davis took it to the next level by diving to the bottom of the river, grabbing a handful of mud, and throwing it at Takato, who had been beating him in the splashing match.

"Hey, not cool!" Takato cried, looking down at his muddy shirt.

Davis just grinned. "Aw, don't be such a baby. We're gonna wash all our clothes anyway, so we might as well get dirty."

A moment later, a handful of mud hit him in the face, having been thrown by Shoutmon, who smirked. "You've got a point."

And that was how the mud-throwing contest began, and it ended with them all being soaked and dirtier than ever. And by the time they finished, they were all exhausted. A whole day of traveling had been wasted, but they all unanimously agreed that a day of fun was good for their spirits.

But once the play period was over, they still had the job of cleaning themselves up after their mud fight. They decided that the best course of action would be to just remove all their clothes and wash them and themselves all at once, so Kari swam further down the river to give herself some privacy from the boys.

"No going past this rock," she ordered, slapping one of the large boulders protruding from the water. "And looking over here is forbidden."

Tai waved. "Don't worry, I'll knock out anyone who does… Davis!"

"What?" his look-alike objected. "I'm not a peeper."

Kari chuckled, and felt her gaze drawn to TK. He was looking at her as well. With a knowing smile on his face, he wiggled his eyebrows at her. "That no looking rule goes both ways."

Kari blushed, but was smiling as well, and placed a finger to her lips before turning away and swimming farther down the river, staying close to the riverbank. She too had taken part in the mud fight and was just as dirty as the boys.

Stripping out of her clothes, she began washing the mud out of them. She was glad they had taken some soap and shampoo from when they were at the city, and hoped they would be able to make it last for a while. Today though, she was planning to indulge a bit. Usually they were stuck using the rain or smaller bodies of water they came across in order to get clean, so a nice long river to freely bathe and swim around in was nice.

"I'm surprised our clothes have lasted this long without falling apart," she commented as she laid the last of her freshly scrubbed clothes out on a large rock on the shoreline to dry. "I guess there's no bacteria or anything to really decompose things here like there is in the real world, so they last longer."

But she knew that their clothes would get worn out eventually. Maybe they could get new ones somewhere. Digimon didn't seem to wear clothes other than what was part of their forms, but they had to have fabric available somewhere; after all, the clothes Marcus wore couldn't have been the same ones he arrived in thousands of years ago.

Putting thoughts of their wardrobe aside for now, she went about scrubbing herself clean. This simple act was something else she had taken for granted in the real world. Never again would she underestimate the simply luxury of being clean. In fact, there were many things she would no longer be taking for granted once she got back home, and she suspected that her friends wouldn't either.

Once she finished bathing, she leaned against the rock she had laid her clothes out on to dry and closed her eyes. She knew that now that she wasn't moving around that the temperature of the water would make her cold, but she just wanted to relax for a few minutes.

She could hear the boys talking from where they were, but she was too far away to make out what they were saying. The thought that they were all probably naked as well as they washed their clothes made her blush, and when her thoughts turned to TK in particular, her blush deepened.

She was tempted to break her own rule and sneak a peek, and squeezed her eyes shut tighter as she remembered that all the boys would be naked. And the fact that her brother was among them made her reframe from looking.

Sighing, she sank deeper into the water, up to her ears, and began blowing bubbles. The chill of the water was beginning to get to her, and she wondered if her clothes were dry yet. Even if they were still damp, that wouldn't be too bad since it was so hot out. Her shoes though, that was another matter, There was no way they would be dry for several more hours. In fact, all their shoes were going to be wet since in their excitement to get clean, they had all jumped in with their shoes on. Well, she hadn't jumped in, but it was a moot point.

Stretching, she sat up and turned to gather her clothes. She noticed almost immediately that something was missing. Her panties were gone!

Mouth dropping open in indignation, her first thought was that one of the boys had taken them, and she came out from behind the rock to shout at them. "Hey-"

Her call turned into a gasp, and she quickly retreated behind the rock again, her face beet red. She had seen some of them! She hadn't looked long enough to make out who they were, just that she had seen them.

"I'm a pervert," she squeaked, but was suddenly distracted by something several yards away. There, floating down the river, were her panties! They hadn't been stolen, they had simply fallen off the rock, or were they blown off by the wind? Thank goodness she had noticed before she made a fool of herself.

Only now they were floating away! This realization sprung her into action, and she began swimming after her runaway undergarments. She dove under, able to swim faster underwater, and came up beneath them, snatching them out of the water.

"That was close," she commented as she leaned against a rock.

She suddenly became aware that she was being watched, and looked to her left. Sitting on top of the rock she was leaning against was a small creature. She looked at it, and it looked at her, and then it grinned, revealing a mouth full of rose of teeth that looked like they belonged in the mouth of a shark.

A scream escaped her that was heard down the riverbank by the boys. Thinking that she was in trouble, they immediately took off down the river over to where she was.

"Kari, what happened?" Tai exclaimed as he pushed ahead of the others. "Are you ok?"

Kari turned to them, her face turning a darker shade of red, and another scream escaped her, this one for an entirely different reason. She dropped down in the water up to her chin, her arms crossing over her chest and her eyes squeezing shut. "Don't look at me!"

Tai let out a startled cry of his own as it registered to him that the others could see his sister naked. Acting on reflex, he reached out, grabbing hold of Takato and Shoutmon beside him before shoving their heads underwater so they couldn't see while closing his own eyes. "Sorry, sorry, didn't mean it! We heard you scream and thought you were in trouble! What happened?"

"Something's there!" she cried, pointing in the direction she had seen the creature.

From behind his hands, TK peeked through his fingers at the shore. There, sitting on the riverbank, was a small Digimon that looked like a cross between a pig and a hamster. "Who? You mean that little guy?"

"Why'd he make you scream?" Takuya asked. "He's adorable."

He saw a moment later when the Digimon in question grinned again, once more revealing its mouthful of sharp teeth. "Oh, that's why."

Shoutmon gulped down air as he managed to escape from Tai's hold and break the surface. He coughed and sputtered a few times before looking at the Digimon in question. "That's it? That's the big deal? It's just a Tokomon, an In-Training Digimon. He's practically harmless."

"Tokomon X, thank you very much," the lesser Digimon replied.

Shoutmon scoffed as he noted the differences between Tokomon X and a regular Tokomon. "Yes, yes, Tokomon X. He's still pretty harmless."

"With those teeth?" Davis stammered.

The dragon Digimon waved this off. "Don't worry about them. They're mostly for show."

"Unless I use my Bite attack," Tokomon X replied cheekily. "Nom, nom, nom!"

"He's so cute!" Kari practically squealed, no longer fearful of the lesser Digimon.

Takuya cut his eyes at her. "Then why did you scream?"

She blushed in embarrassment. "Because when I first saw him, he was standing just a few inches away, showing off those teeth. I was just startled."

"What are you doing this far downstream anyway?" Tai demanded.

"I had to go get…" Her blush deepened. "It doesn't matter. More importantly, I think you're drowning Takato."

Tai looked at the teen he had submerged on reflex so he wouldn't see his naked sister and saw that Takato was currently floating facedown as bubbles rose up around his head. Tai gave a startled yelp and lifted him out of the water, and a gurgling sound escaped him. Tai patted him on the back, and a bunch of water came out of Takato's nose and mouth before he began coughing.

"You ok?" Tai asked. "Sorry about that."

Tokomon X began laughing. "You guys are funny."

TK glanced at him. "Tokomon X, huh? That means you have an X-Antibody."

"Wouldn't be an X Digimon without one."

Davis raised an eyebrow. "How's a little guy like you get ahold of an X-Antibody?"

"Picked it up after an X Digimon and a non-X Digimon destroyed each other. Thank you!"

Kari suddenly cleared her throat. "In case you've forgotten, I'm completely naked here! So are all of you. Can we please continue this conversation when we're dressed?"

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Tokomon X jumped up and down happily as he circled around the teens.

"I can't believe I found the humans everyone is talking about! I heard so much about you, but I never thought I'd get to meet you! I'm so happy!"

The teens, now dried and dressed, sweat-dropped as the lesser Digimon fanned over them. Once he had realized who they were, he had been generating buckets of excitement, and had been quite insistent on inviting them to his home for dinner. Having been getting by on rations and what they could salvage in the wild, the teens were happy to accept the offer, and were now following Tokomon X to his home.

"Are we sure this isn't some kind of trap?" Takato whispered to the others. "He could be working for the Demon Lords."

Shoutmon laughed at that. "Please, the Tokomon species is so pure and innocent that they'd only ever attack anyone in self-defense or to protect a friend." He grinned mischievously. "Unless you wiggly your hand around in front of his face and his instincts kick in." He chomped his teeth together to get his point across.

Takato cringed. "Maybe, but what if he's another Digimon in disguise. We've run into a few that can take the form of others."

"We can't live our lives walking on eggshells," Tai told him. "But there is such a thing as being too trusting. We'll stay on our guard."

Tokomon X looked back at them. "What are you guys talking about?"

"Nothing!" they all chimed back.

Tokomon X cocked his head to the side curiously, then smiled. "Home's just over that ridge. We'll be there soon. Oh, look, there's Hackmon!"

The teens looked up at the top of the ridge. There was indeed a Digimon at the top of the ridge. It suddenly came charging down towards the group, its movements hostile.

"Um," said Takato as the dragon Digimon charged at them, "is he attacking us?"

Hackmon leapt at them when he was almost at the bottom of the ridge. He landed between Tokomon X and the teens, brandishing his claws at them. "Not a step closer."

Tai held up his hands. "Whoa, hold up, we're not here to cause trouble. Hackmon was it?"

"Yeah, he's a Rookie Digimon," TK replied, reading the dragon Digimon's profile on his Digivice. "His attacks include Fifth RushTeen Ram, and Baby Flame. He's a very skillful Digimon with a strong sense of justice and righteousness. Wow, it says he possesses such a masterful sense of combat, especially in close combat, that he can actually hold his own against an Ultimate."

Hackmon breathed a cloud of steam from his nose. "And I'll use those skills on you if I have to, so don't test me."

Tokomon X suddenly ran around them, putting himself between Hackmon and the teens. "Hackmon, don't be mean. These are the humans we heard about. The ones that have been fighting the Demon Lords."

The dragon Digimon scoffed. "Oh, I know exactly who they are. I also know that the Demon Lords are after them. I don't want that kind of wrath coming down on our family. It's bad enough that you already have a target on you with that X-Antibody you've got, we don't need the Demon Lords' direct enemies hanging around us t make it worse."

Whipping his head, Tokomon X slapped Hackmon in the face with his antenna. "You're being rude. I invited them for dinner. It's the least we can do after they defeated four of the Demon Lords."

Davis cleared his throat. "Actually, we defeated five of them. We took out Barbamon not too long ago."

Tokomon X turned to them, his eyes wide. "You beat Barbamon too? How? When?"

"A couple weeks ago," Shoutmon replied with a raised eyebrow. "I would have thought that the whole Digital World would have heard about it by now."

"We're pretty isolated out here," Hackmon told him. "News sometimes takes a while to reach us." He pointed a claw at Shoutmon. "And it's my job to protect everyone. If you're going to bring trouble here, just know that I won't stand for it. It'll be better if you just leave."

Tokomon X turned to him. "Oh, please, Hackmon? Just for one night?"

"No."

"One night."

"I said no."

"Just dinner then?"

"No!"

"Hackmon, what is all the commotion about?"

They all looked up to see a humanoid butterfly Digimon floating down to them. She landed beside Hackmon, and the dragon Digimon backed away from the teens. "I was simply trying to keep everyone safe."

Tokomon X began leaping up and down excitedly. "Hudiemon! Hudiemon! Look! Look! It's the humans who kicked the Demon Lords' butts. They beat Barbamon too! Look! Look!"

The butterfly Digimon gave him a kind smile. "Yes, I see that. Did you thank them for their services?"

Tokomon X froze, looking horrified, then turned to the teens and bowed his head. "Thank you very much!"

Takato sweat-dropped, feeling uncomfortable. "Um, yeah, sure, no problem."

Takuya lowered his voice to whisper to Shoutmon. "Hey, I just thought of something. If Digimon who are at the Baby and In-Training level were once Digimon at a higher level who have been reborn, then why do they talk and act like little kids?"

"Aside from the fact that their brains are underdeveloped at those levels," the dragon Digimon whispered back, "a Digimon's personality typically matches the form they're in, even if they were once at a higher level."

Tokomon X looked back up at Hudiemon. "I invited them for dinner and to spend the night. Can they stay? Please, please, please, please."

A giggle escaped the butterfly Digimon. "But of course. They may stay longer if they wish."

Hackmon closed his eyes. "Hudiemon, that is not a good idea. They have a target on their backs. They may bring the Demon Lords' wrath down on us."

In response, she gently caressed his head. "Hush now. We cannot let the Demon Lords dictate our actions. A little kindness goes a long way. Besides," she looked back at the teens, "these brave humans are putting their own lives on the line for all of our sakes. The least we could do is offer them some hospitality."

A low growl escaped Hackmon, and he turned away. "One night."

Tokomon X let out a happy squeal and began excitedly jumping up and down. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Hudiemon chuckled and motioned for the teens to follow. "Come, humans, you're welcome here. Our home is your home."

She and the reluctant Hackmon then began to lead the rest of the way. It wasn't long before the teens were led to their host's home, which ended up being a small farm on the other side of the ridge, just as Tokomon X said.

It was a peaceful looking place with a large garden that grew all kinds of fruits and vegetables. A small farmhouse was present, and Hudiemon led them over to it.

"Everyone, we have guests!" she called. "Come out and say hello."

From out of the house, four more Digimon emerged. Tokomon X let out a delighted squeal and ran over to them. "Hey, guys, guess what, you'll never believe who I found."

Kari clapped her hands together. "They're all so cute."

Hudiemon smiled. "Allow me to make the introductions. This is Copymon, Kudamon, Spadamon, and Bun."

Tai raised an eyebrow at the last one. "Bun? Not Bunmon?"

Shoutmon nudged him. "Bun is a Rookie level glitch Damemon. He's considered defective since he can't Digivolve, but he can get stronger on his own without Digivolving."

"Technically, Bun isn't even my real name," the caper Digimon replied. "I don't have a real name; Bun is just what I go by."

TK's eyebrows rose. "Interesting. That means he has almost unlimited potential."

Bun thumped his chest. "One day, I'll be able to protect everyone."

Beside him, Spadamon placed a hand on his head. "Don't you worry about that, little buddy, keeping you all safe falls to me and Hackmon."

Shoutmon sweat-dropped. "Such irony."

Kari gave him a curious look. "How so?"

"Spadamon is an Ultimate level weapon Digimon. One of the Legend-Arms in fact. Like I said, ironic since we ended up fighting one not to long ago."

Kudamon crawled up Hudiemon's body and draped himself over her shoulders. "We're honored to have you here, humans."

Copymon stepped forward. "Did you really defeat four Demon Lords?"

"Nope," Tokomon X answered for them. "They beat five of them."

Bun's eyes widened. "Five? Really?"

Takato rubbed the back of his head bashfully. "Well, it was a close battle, but-"

"Cool!"

Davis grinned. "You think that's cool? Just wait until we mop the floor with Lucemon. Our team is strong enough that we've surpassed even him."

Hackmon humped at that. "You're rushing to your doom if that's your attitude. Arrogance will get you killed!"

"Hackmon, hush now," Hudiemon told him. She looked back at the teens. "You'll have to forgive him; he's very blunt. That was actually his way of warning you to be careful."

Tai nodded. "Oh, trust us, we know not to underestimate the Demon Lords. But we do stand an actual chance against them now."

"And we'll be rooting for you," Spadamon replied. "We have faith in you. Now, who's hungry?"

Notes:

(A/N: So, this was a nice break from things. I know it may seem like a filler chapter, but sometimes filler is necessary to get from one spot to another. But at least our heroes get a bit of a break from things. But how long will that peace last before they're called back to battle? Stay tuned to find out. And once again, unfortunately, it's going to be a little while, but I promise to end this hiatus as soon as possible.)

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New Digimon that appear or are mentioned.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Tokomon_X

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Hackmon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Hudiemon

wikimon.net/Copymon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Kudamon_(2006_anime)

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Spadamon

wikimon.net/Bun

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Damemon

Chapter 168: The Morning After

Notes:

(A/N: I'm baaaack! Did you miss me? Sorry for the past month. I was hoping I'd be up and updating again by August, and I am. Now things can finally get back to normal. So, here's the next chapter. I really didn't have a good name for it, so I ended up going with something basic and generic. I mean, it works, but I'm not really satisfied with it. Whatever, the chapter itself is what really matters.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 168: The Morning After

Despite losing a day of traveling, the detour the teens had taken was not only worth it, but well earned. Seeing the peaceful, happy little family, their hosts had only helped to motivate the teens further in wanting to free the Digital World from the Demon Lords' tyranny. And they were so close to their goal. Just two more to go, followed by Bagramon and Boltboutamon.

It also made them all feel homesick. Each of them longed to see their families again, which only made seeing the farm family all the harder, strengthening their determination to get back to their world.

"It won't be much longer, guys," Tai told them as they settled in for the night. "It's been a long road, but we're almost there."

A snort left Davis. "You want to know what's really ironic? For as long as we've been gone, it hasn't even been a full day back home. I wonder if our parents even miss us."

"Considering I was supposed to being working in my parents' bakery right now, I won't just be missed, I'll be grounded," Takato replied.

"Grounded?" said Takuya. "That's nothing. I missed my date with my girlfriend, so now I'm going to have to smooth things over with her, 'cause she's gonna be pissed. Trust me, it's much better to have your parents mad at you than your girlfriend."

"I can vouch for that," Tai agreed. "I'll probably have both mad at me."

"I don't care how much trouble I'll be in," said Kari. "I just want to see Mom and Dad again."

TK sighed. "Yeah, me too. And Matt. And all my friends."

A humorless chuckle escaped Takuya. "It's funny how much we take for granted; from people to everyday things. I even miss my annoying little brother, Shinya."

"I don't have any siblings," Takato stated, "but I still really miss my family. Sometimes I complain about having to work in the bakery with them, but right about now, I'd give almost anything to be able to."

"Alright, I get it!" Shoutmon suddenly exclaimed. "You all miss your friends and family and can't wait to go back to them. You've said it enough times already."

Tai sat up in bed and gave him a strange look. "Hey, Shoutmon, are you ok?"

"I'm fine. I'm thrilled that soon you'll be able to leave the Digital World forever and be able to be reunited with your family and friends. I'll be fine too. I'll be the Digimon King again, and I'll hang out with my own friends. We'll be fine and dandy, nothing to worry about."

The others sat up as well and began exchanging looks before glancing back at Shoutmon.

"You sure you're alright?" TK asked worriedly.

"Yeah, I'm great. I think it's wonderful that you'll get to leave and never come back. I'm gonna go to sleep now."

He pulled the covers over his head and curled up into a ball beneath them. The teens exchanged more looks as they began to catch on with what was bothering the dragon Digimon.

"Shoutmon," Takato said softly, "you know we're gonna miss you a lot when we go."

The dragon Digimon refused to come out from under the covers. "Who said anything about missing you? I'm not gonna miss you. I'll be just fine on my own. I'll have so much to do that I won't even have time to miss you."

Kari frowned. "No, really, Shoutmon, we're really going to miss you. You're like family to us. But you know that we have to go back."

Shoutmon finally popped out from under the covers. "Who says you have to go back? You don't have to go back. Marcus never went back. Would it really be so bad if you stayed here indefinitely?"

"Shoutmon…" TK said quietly. "You have to know how much you mean to us, but we have to go back. We all have lives back there."

"And what of it?" the dragon Digimon demanded. "Do you not have lives here? You can have new lives. Much longer lives than you would back in the human world at that. Possibly even better lives."

"It's not just our lives though," Davis told him. "It's the lives of everyone back home that we're a part of. Just think about how it'll affect them if we never go back."

"And what of my life?" Shoutmon asked. "If I lose you guys, I'll… You know what, forget it. I'll be fine. I was fine before you came here, and I'll be fine after you're gone. We had some good times together, but we're all gonna move on. Glad we cleared that up. Good night."

He laid back down and covered his head with the pillow. The teens exchanged more understanding looks before getting up and gathering around Shoutmon's bed. The dragon Digimon heard them approach, but didn't come out.

"Come on, Shoutmon," said Kari. "Don't be that way. We think of you as family too."

"Yeah, we're all like family to each other," Takato replied. "You are too. But you know we can't stay here indefinitely, we just can't."

A few seconds passed where they received no reply, but then a muffled sigh came from beneath the pillow before Shoutmon pulled his head out from under it and sat up on the bed. "Yeah, I know. I know! I've known that since the beginning. I still fully intend to help you get back, but part of me hopes that you will change your minds." His shoulders sank. "And another part of me kind of hopes that… there is no way for you to return home."

He dropped facedown on the bed and pulled the pillow back over his head. "I'm sorry, I know that's horrible to say, but I can't help it. I don't want you guys to go. You guys are my best friends. I haven't been this close to anyone since Gumdramon. I… I love you guys."

The teens stared at the dragon Digimon as he hid under the pillow, touched by his words. Slowly, TK reached out and picked up the pillow, and Shoutmon lifted his eyes up to them sadly.

"Shoutmon, it's ok, we're not mad at you for thinking that way," he told him.

The dragon Digimon frowned. "You're… You're not?"

"Of course not," said Tai. "What you said may sound selfish, but we know it comes from a place of sincerity."

"You don't want to lose your friends," Kari added. "No one ever wants to lose a friend, even if it means that leaving would be better off for them. We don't want to leave you either. In fact, I wish we could take you with us, even though we know you're needed here."

Davis grinned. "Yeah, we love ya, man. The hardest thing about this whole experience is going to say goodbye. Compared to that, defeating the Demon Lords is going to be a piece of cake."

Shoutmon's eyes teared up and he sniffed loudly. "You guys are the be-ee-est!"

He began openly bawling The teens all enveloped him in a group hug as he continued to wail. The moment was ruined, however, as the door burst open and Hackmon appeared in it.

"There are others in this house who are trying to sleep!" he shouted at them. "We have very early mornings around here, so cut the chatter and show some consideration!"

He slammed the door, and embarrassed chuckles escaped the teens.

"Well, that was awkward," said TK. "But he's right though, we were being inconsiderate." He looked back at the dragon Digimon. "Goodbyes are never easy, Shoutmon, but the important things is to enjoy the good times and hang onto the memories you have of each other. And no matter what happens, we'll always be friends forever."

Shoutmon wiped his eyes. "I'm sorry. It's just, seeing how these guys are like family, it just…"

"Made you feel emotional," Tai finished for him. "We never know what tomorrow might bring."

There was a knock from the other side of the wall, presumably Hackmon telling them to be quiet again. Tai chuckled and placed a finger over his lips. "We'll talk about it tomorrow."

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"Up! Get up! Come on, everyone up!"

Groans escaped the teens as Hackmon's demanding voice rang throughout the small room. Davis was the only one who didn't wake up while Takuya pulled the covers over his head. "Too early."

"That's your fault," Hackmon replied. "I told you last night that we have very early mornings around here. If you're going to stay, you're going to take part in things. Now come on, there's lots of work to do."

He left the room and closed the door after that. Yawns and tired mumblings left the teens as they tried to shake off sleep.

"We have to work?" Takato muttered as he rubbed his eyes. "I don't mind contributing, but I thought we were invited for thanks for our services to the Digital World. You don't typically invite someone somewhere and then ask them to work for it."

"Technically, Tokomon invited us, not Hackmon," Tai pointed out. "But we might as well help since we're up. Hey, Davis, wake up."

He threw his pillow, and it bounced off Davis' face. His look-alike sat up, a trail of drool running down his face. "Wha' happenin'?"

"Morning chores." Kari told him. "Come on, let's go."

Davis blinked a few times, still looking half asleep. "Chores. Right. I'll get to that… in the morning."

He toppled over, ending up with his face on the floor, half in and half out of the bed. Shoutmon rolled his eyes and walked over to him. He stared at the once again snoring teen before sighing and shaking his head. Reaching out, he covered Davis' mouth and pinched his nose shut.

A few seconds passed before he snapped awake and pulled away, gasping for breath and then giving the dragon Digimon a dirty look. "What was that for?"

Shoutmon grinned. "For to wake you up. Now let's go."

Once they all got up and got ready, they made their way downstairs. Most of the residential Digimon were already sitting at the table as Hudiemon served them. She looked up as the teens came down and gave them a smile.

"Ah, good morning to you all," she said cheerfully. "I trust that you slept well?"

TK nodded. "Yes, we slept great, thanks."

"We just didn't get enough of it," Davis mumbled.

Copymon chuckled. "Yeah, Hackmon was complaining about how you kept talking last night."

The dragon Digimon humphed. "They're undisciplined. If they want to defeat the rest of the Demon Lords, then they're going to need to shape up."

Takato sweat-dropped. "I guess that's your way of saying you care."

"Hackmon's a big fan of tough love," Spadamon replied with a smirk, making the dragon Digimon grumble.

Takuya laughed nervously. "We appreciate the concern. But don't worry about us. We've got the Demon Lords situation under control. We were actually on our way to deal with Lucemon before we met Tokomon."

Copymon pouted. "You mean you're not staying?"

"Please," said Hudiemon, motioning to the table, "at least join us for breakfast. You should at least have full bellies before you head out."

Takato cocked his head to the side. "But I thought we were going to help with the chores around here."

Hudiemon stared at him for a few moments before rounding on Hackmon. "Hackmon, what did you tell them?"

He snorted. "It's a rule. If you stay here, you've gotta work."

"Not if they're guests."

"It'll be good for them. Work builds character."

"It's rude to make such a request."

TK raised his hand. "Um, we don't mind helping out."

"Nonsense," Hudiemon told him. "What you've done for the Digital World is more than we could ever repay."

"Indeed," Kudamon replied, who was once again draped over her shoulders. "We expect nothing in return for our hospitality."

"Just having you here is payment enough!" Bun declared, and Copymon nodded in agreement.

Kari looked around the table, noticing that someone was missing. "Hey, where's Tokomon?"

Spadamon laughed. "That ball of energy? He was so excited to have you here that he got up extra early and went to get a head start on his chores. Last I saw him, he was watering the vegetable garden. Now sit down and eat before Bun devours everything."

"Hey, I resent that!"

Hudiemon smiled. "Don't worry, there's plenty more where that came from."

Hackmon pushed his empty plate away. "Not for me. I'm full. Going to go get started on my chores."

Without another word, he left the room. His departure left an awkward silence behind as the teens slid into the empty spots at the table.

"So…" Takuya muttered uncomfortably, "what kind of chores do you guys have to do?"

Copymon let out a small chuckle. "Farm chores. What else?"

Takuya sweat-dropped. "Oh, yeah, I guess that makes sense."

"We'd still be happy to help you out," Kari added.

Takato beamed. "Yeah, I help my parents out with their bakery all the time, so I know all about hard work."

Hudiemon gave them an appreciative smile. "That's very nice of you, but not necessary; this is our daily routine. Besides, we don't want you to be tired for when you face the Demon Lords."

Shoutmon scoffed. "We're still weeks away from reaching Lucemon's castle."

The butterfly Digimon nodded in acknowledgement. "That may be, but you could still run into their servants."

Davis grinned. "Ah, don't worry, we've even been able to send the Chaos Generals running for the hills. We can handle anything that comes our way."

At that moment, there was an explosion from the outside that shook the house. All occupants jumped in surprise and quickly rushed to the front door as Davis muttered, "Me and my big mouth."

Upon bursting outside, they caught sight of Tokomon X running fearfully through the garden. A Digimon was pursuing him, and the teens gasped as they recognized who it was.

"Hey," said Kari, "isn't that…?"

"It is," Takuya replied. "AxeKnightmon. What's he doing here?"

"Did he track us here?" asked Davis.

Shoutmon's eyes narrowed. "Unlikely. He wouldn't comer after us alone. It looks like he's after Tokomon. He must be after his X-Antibody."

Tokomon X continued to run, but suddenly tripped. AxeKnightmon stood over him and raised his spear, ready to bring it down.

Before the teens could act, Hackmon suddenly came charging in. Leaping up, he slammed into AxeKnightmon's spear, and it stabbed into the ground beside Tokomon X, just missing the lesser Digimon. AxeKnightmon turned to him as Hackmon jumped up again and used his Fifth Rush, slashing at the knight Digimon with his claws while spinning around in the air, following up with his Baby Flame, spewing a burst of fire in his face.

AxeKnightmon stumbled back, waving the smoke out of his face, but seemed unfazed otherwise. Hackmon landed in front of Tokomon X protectively and growled at the knight Digimon.

"I'll handle this," said Tai. "Execute! Spirit Evolution… Omnimon Merciful Mode!"

"So cool!" Copymon and Bun exclaimed.

Omnimon charged forward as Hackmon and AxeKnightmon leapt at each other. He reached them before they met, slamming into the knight Digimon and knocking him to the ground.

Tokomon X's face went from afraid to awed as he took in Omnimon's presence. "So cool…"

Omnimon pointed his sword at AxeKnightmon. "Hackmon, get Tokomon to safety while I take care of his guy. We've got a score to settle."

The dragon Digimon let out a grunt before grabbing Tokomon X and carrying him back to the house. AxeKnightmon stared up at Omnimon, surprised to see him there, before getting to his feet. "Human."

"Been awhile," Omnimon stated. "What brings you here? Us?"

AxeKnightmon scoffed. "Hardly. This is just an unpleasant coincidence." He glanced at the teens before looking back at Omnimon. "Contrary to what you may think, the Demon Lords have other matters to deal with that don't involve you. I was simply sent here because there were reports of a low level Digimon with an X-Antibody around here. I came to investigate and spotted the little weakling in the garden, so I attempted to retrieve it. I had no idea that you would be here."

"Do you regret coming now?" Omnimon asked, pointing his sword at him. "You came here to bully someone weaker than you, but instead ran into us. So, do you regret it?"

AxeKnightmon let out a chuckle. "On the contrary. I'm glad we ran into each other. Multi-Dimensional Axe!"

Omnimon braced himself for the attack, but AxeKnightmon instead cut a hole between borders. With a sneer, he stepped into it. "There are a few old friends who have been looking for you."

The tear closed, but Omnimon didn't lower his guard. AxeKnightmon's words had been far too vague and ominous. Was he getting the Demon Lords? No, he didn't think either Lucemon or Daemon would go out of their way to come for them. But he had an idea of who would.

"Omnimon!" Davis cried as he and the others rushed over. "That was awesome! You sent AxeKnightmon running without even having to fight him."

Shaking his head, the knight Digimon wished that were the case. "This isn't over. Brace yourselves, I think the Chaos Generals are coming."

"The Chaos Generals!?" Takato exclaimed, and quickly pulled out his Digivice, the others following suit. "Here? Now?"

"It'll be fine," said TK. "We can take them on. We sent ChaosGallantmon running last time, and our team has grown even stronger since then."

Davis nodded in agreement. "Yeah, and after facing guys like Galacticmon and Millenniummon, how much worse could the Demon Lords' baddies get?"

Shoutmon nudged him. "Don't jinx it. You never know when-"

A tear suddenly appeared in the sky, and an attack flew out, apparently being shot at random. The blast hit the ground close to the teens, and the explosion sent them flying a few seconds later. Omnimon's theory proved to be true as both Chaosmon and ChaosGallantmon stepped out of the tear. AxeKnightmon, it seemed, had not joined them, as the tear closed a moment later.

"Looks like I missed," ChaosGallantmon stated as he looked at the teens. "No matter; I would prefer to kill them in combat anyway."

"You already had that chance," Chaosmon stated, "with the aid of a ChronoCore might I had, and you still failed."

"Which is why I'm looking forward to redeeming myself."

Takato got up and dusted the dirt off himself. "The only redemption you should be concerned with is redeeming yourself for your sins."

Chaosmon laughed. "How philosophical."

"Well, you certainly have many of them," Shoutmon growled. "Just imagine how everyone will give you your just desserts after we destroy you and you're reborn at the Baby level and you're too weak to fight back. Then you'll know what it feels like to be at the mercy of others stronger than you as they take their revenge for all the evil you've done. In fact, I bet you'll be too scared to ever come out of your eggs. That is, if they're not repeatedly smashed from now until forever by everyone you've harmed so you never get the chance to hatch."

ChaosGallantmon took a step forward. "That is one possibility. Another is that we destroy you and continue to serve the Demon Lords as they rule this world, just as it has been for thousands of years."

"Big words for the guy who ran away from us the last time we fought," Davis taunted, "and we've gotten even stronger since then."

ChaosGallantmon's eyes narrowed, but he didn't rise to the bait. "You're not the only ones, little humans. Lucemon was quite livid when you destroyed Millenniummon, and decided to pull out all the stops. He provided me with the power I need to truly crush you. Behold. ChaosGallantmon Digivolve to… Gallantmon Chaos Mode!"

The teens were taken aback. ChaosGallantmon's Digivolution was not something they had expected, especially after his more recent one of ChaosGallantmon C, but now they realized that they should have seen it coming. The Chaos Generals were the Demon Lords' biggest supporters; it only made sense that they would focus on keeping them in power.

Like his previous form, Gallantmon Chaos Mode seemed to be a dark blue and gray version of Gallantmon Crimson Mode, with a few small differences. His wings were a light shade of blue, and seemed to be solid, though still transparent, rather than made of white light, and he held a single weapon similar to Gallantmon Crimson Mode's double-end, lance-like spear, only it was much larger, and also appeared to be solid rather than made of light.

"Well, this just got better," TK mumbled. He glanced at Chaosmon. "And what about you?"

The Chaos General cocked his head to the side. "Is that your way of asking if the Demon Lords gave me additional power as well?" He chuckled. "What makes you think I needed a power boost?"

"You're going to be wishing you'd gotten one after you deal with us," Takato told him. "You never did see Takuya's new form, did you?" Gallantmon CM looked at the human in question. "It seems like your friend has other things to worry about."

The teens all turned to Takuya to see him on his hands and knees tossing around clumps of dirt and vegetables that had been uprooted. He seemed to feel everyone's gaze on him, and he slowly looked up before grinning nervously. "Ok, yeah, um, you guys aren't going to like hearing this, but I kind of dropped my Digivice when that explosion sent us flying, and now I can't find it."

Silence greeted this statement as everyone stared at him, slowly digesting his words. Slowly, Shoutmon's eyes closed and he let out a deep breath. "Please tell me you're joking."

He spoke calmly, but there was an edge of seriousness to his words, and Takuya rubbed the back of his head in discomfort. "I really wish I was."

Laughter escaped Chaosmon. "How delicious. We come back stronger, and you lose your trump card!"

"He's not our trump card," Takato snapped. "He's just our… strongest member."

The two Chaos Generals said nothing as they loomed over the teens. A frustrated growl escaped Shoutmon as he pointed at them. "Don't take the rest of us lightly. Our team is still strong. Shoutmon Digivolve to… OmniShoutmon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Imperialdramon Paladin Mode!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Gallantmon Crimson Mode!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Ophanimon C!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Seraphimon"

"So cool," Tokomon X, Copymon, and Bun all commented together.

"Takuya, keep hunting for your Digivice," Omnimon told him, and then turned his attention to their hosts. "We'd appreciate it if the rest of you could look for it as well."

"No problem!" Tokomon X declared.

Bun saluted. "You can count on us!"

Hackmon moved in front of them. "You'll do no such thing. Shadamon and I will look for it. The rest of you are to stay safe."

"Safe?" Gallantmon CM repeated. "I'm afraid none of you are safe any longer."

His fellow Chaos General came up beside him. "You're as far from safe as you could possibly be. This will be our final battle. Either it will end in your victory or ours, but only one group is making it out of here alive."

Notes:

(A/N: I wanted to address some of Shoutmon's thoughts and feelings in regards to his friends leaving. You know something like that is going to be hard, so I needed to bring it up at least once. He got a little closure, but this probably won't be the end of it. In other events, we've come to it, the proclaimed final battle with the Chaos Generals. And it looks like Takuya can't fight. Sorry, I kind of had to do that this round; Susanoomon is just too powerful. So now the others gave to deal with Chaosmon and Gallantmon Chaos Mode without him. By the way, you can probably tell, but in order to avoid confusion, I'll be calling Takato's Digimon form Gallantmon and the Chaos General Gallantmon CM to differentiate the two. Stay tuned to see how this battle plays out.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear or are mentioned.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Gallantmon_Chaos_Mode

Chapter 169: Knights and Dragons

Notes:

(A/N: UPDATING NEWS! I've finally managed to finalize what I'm doing for the rest of this story. That means faster updates. So I will now be updating every week instead of every other week. Hope you're all excited about that. Now you can get excited for the next chapter. Enjoy.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 169: Knights and Dragons

Chaosmon's words were no doubt meant to intimidate, and they did, but the DigiDestined did their best to hide their unease. Omnimon in particular pointed his sword at the Chaos Generals.

"Don't be too confident," he told them. "We've gotten a lot stronger since we last fought."

Chaosmon cocked his head to the side. "Since we last fought? You called that a fight? I would call it humoring you. As for getting stronger, it seems that you've already forgotten my comrade's Digivolution. I, however, see no need to obtain additional power in order to defeat you."

"I'll take you up on that," the knight Digimon retorted. He glanced at his friends. "I'll take on Chaosmon. I've got a score to settle with him anyway. You guys take out evil Gallantmon. He can't possibly take you all on, even if he Digivolved. Mode Changed. Whatever he did."

OmniShoutmon hesitated. "On equal ground, I'd agree with you, but the Chaos Generals have been absorbing great deals of data throughout their time in service to the Demon Lords. Their power is much greater than what should be normal, even for them. Especially these two. Don't underestimate them, even if our group is stronger."

"No one is underestimating anyone," Imperialdramon replied. "Now let's end this already; I'm getting sick of fighting the Chaos General guys. It's time to finish this once and for all."

He charged forward, his sword raised. Gallantmon CM immediately flew past Chaosmon and met with Imperialdramon, his double-ended lance-spear catching the dragon Digimon's sword. He then kicked Imperialdramon back into the other DigiDestined, and they were flattened beneath him.

Gallantmon CM twirled his lance-spear around before flying at them again. Ophanimon C managed to squeeze halfway out from beneath Imperialdramon and used her Call Dramon. Her dragon appeared and breathed fire at Gallantmon CM, but the knight Digimon swerved around the flames. He used his Invincible Sword, easily cutting the dragon's head off with the sword of light that appeared in his hand.

The dragon burst into data as Gallantmon CM flew through it towards the DigiDestined. He raised his lance-spear, but was suddenly met by Imperialdramon's cannon as the dragon Digimon raised his arm. "Super Positron Laser!"

The knight Digimon was blasted at point-blank range, sending him flying backwards. Imperialdramon got off his friends while muttering an apology.

"This happens far too often for you to keep apologizing," OmniShoutmon grumbled. "Just be more careful in the future and let's get back to the fight."

They flew after Gallantmon CM. The Chaos General had already recovered and had taken to the air once more. The DigiDestined chased after him, firing their attacks as he fired his own back at them.

Omnimon and Chaosmon had yet to begin fighting, and were currently staring each other down. Omnimon had to admit that despite his earlier words, and regardless of his Digivolution since they last fought, he was still nervous. Chaosmon was the strongest of the Chaos Generals, and he had dominated their last fight.

Chaosmon cocked his head to the side as he studied the knight Digimon. "You seem uneasy. Don't tell me that you're afraid."

Omnimon pushed down his unease. "We're about to engage in a fight to the death. It's natural to be a little nervous."

A chuckle escaped the Chaos General. "Do you know what the solution is when you're nervous about something?" His sword slid down. "It's to not prolong it. Ban-Tyo Blade!"

He charged forward, swinging his sword. Omnimon's came up, blocking the blade. The two pushed against each other, and Omnimon was able to hold his ground. He pushed Chaosmon back and raised his cannon, firing his Graceful Cannon.

Chaosmon flew straight up, avoiding the beam. Up in the air, he used his Dragon Slash, sending out a blade of energy from his sword. Omnimon swiped his sword at the energy blade and was blasted backwards. His feet skidded across the ground until his momentum stopped, and he glared up at the Chaos General as Chaosmon came at him.

"Fearsome Blade!" he cried, and his sword began glowing. He swiped at Chaosmon, and a whip-like blade of energy flew out from his sword. Chaosmon swung his own sword, knocking the whip-blade aside, and kept coming. Omnimon waved his arm, bringing the whip-blade back at Chaosmon.

The Chaos General pulled back to avoid the cutting energy blade. Omnimon brought it back towards him again, and Chaosmon went back and forth between dodging and deflecting the energy blade. "Congratulations. It seems you're putting your Digivolution's new abilities to good use. I might even need to take you seriously. Dark Prominence!"

He fired his own cells from his cannon. Omnimon ceased using his Fearsome Blade and leap out of the way. Chaosmon came at him again, swiping his sword. Omnimon took flight and began firing his Double Torrent, shooting fire and ice from his WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon hands. Chaosmon flew after him, knocking away the attacks, then fired his End of the World, shooting blasts of darkness and light.

Omnimon did a flip in the air to avoid the blasts and sped back towards Chaosmon. Their swords clanged together as they sped past each other, then circled around to come back again, both firing their cannons. And so their battle unfolded in a constant clash of sword swipes and cannon fire.

The rest of the DigiDestined, minus Takuya as he continued to search for his missing Digivice, were still chasing after Gallantmon CM. The knight Digimon was being very allusive of their attacks, dodging one after the other as he sped along, openly taunting them.

"You're far too uncoordinated!" he called back to them. "What good is all your power if you can't even hit your opponent?"

Seraphimon let out a frustrated growl. "We're not getting anywhere with this. At this rate, we're just wasting energy."

Ophanimon C came to a stop. "That's what he's doing. He's provoking us into attacking and then evading in an attempt to make us waste energy. Once we tire ourselves out, he'll swoop in and take us out one after another."

"Cheap bastard," Imperialdramon grumbled. "What a shallow strategy."

"Or a clever one," Gallantmon reluctantly admitted.

"Then let's stop this charade," said Seraphimon. "Hallowed Ascension!"

Since they had been chasing after the Chaos General before, he had avoided using this attack so his friends wouldn't fly into it. Now that they had stopped the chase, he brought down his lightning on the knight Digimon.

Gallantmon CM came to a stop as he was struck and looked back at the DigiDestined. Imperialdramon pointed his sword at him and said, "Nice try, trying to wear us down by having us waste our energy by attacking while you just fly around, but we're not falling for it."

Gallantmon CM considered him for a few moments before turning around completely to face them. "So you're not. Good. I was hoping this wouldn't be that easy. I just got this new form; I want to actually try it out in battle. Brace yourselves, humans, because I'm coming for you."

He sped towards the DigiDestined. Ophanimon C and Gallantmon flew forward and fired their Shining Laser II and Final Justice. Gallantmon CM swerved beneath the two attacks and engaged them. Using his Invincible Sword, he manifested a sword of light and swiped at the angel Digimon. She held up her shield, but his sword sliced straight through it, cutting it in half. He then spun around, kicking her away, and swung his lance-spear at his counterpart. The knight Digimon blocked the blow, using both spears. With the Chaos General preoccupied, Seraphimon flew in and used his Excalibur. Gallantmon CM brought up his sword to catch the blow, and that's when Imperialdramon moved in, swiping with his Omni Sword.

Gallantmon CM flew straight up, avoiding the giant sword, then plowed directly into the dragon Digimon, knocking him back. He then used his Gungnir, throwing his lance-spear down at Seraphimon. It struck the angel Digimon in the chest, cracking and piercing his armor, and Seraphimon shot to the ground.

The lance-spear returned to Gallantmon CM's hand, and a moment later he was struck from behind. He turned around to see OmniShoutmon flying towards him, throwing fireballs from his Twin Fireball Strike. Gallantmon CM began knocking the fireballs away with his lance-spear, then flew at the dragon Digimon, using his Dash Blutgang. OmniShoutmon used his Doom Drillpress, and his bladed foot met with the knight Digimon's sword of light. A shockwave erupted from the collision. Gallantmon CM's sword burst into light particles, but he seemed otherwise fine. OmniShoutmon, however, was sent flying into the distance from the force of the shockwave.

Gallantmon suddenly grabbed the Chaos General from behind. Gallantmon CM struggled against his counterpart's hold before breaking free. He turned around to face him, but Gallantmon blasted him to the ground with his Final Justice.

The Chaos General hit the ground, landing on his back. Gallantmon flew down, bringing his spears down. His counterpart brought up his much larger lance-spear, locking the blow. He knocked Gallantmon back and rose to his feet before lunging at the knight Digimon. He swung his lance-spear aggressively, his bigger and stronger weapon causing Gallantmon to lose ground as he blocked.

"Air Sefirot Crystal!" Ophanimon C cried, firing her crystals. They struck Gallantmon CM, knocking him off his feet. He got up a moment later, only to have the angel Digimon use her Volcano Napalm, the fireball landing beneath his feet and erupting into a pillar of fire that launched him into the air.

Stopping his momentum, Gallantmon CM glared down at the two of them. "You will pay for that."

"Fine, here's your payment!" Imperialdramon cried. "Giga Crusher!"

Gallantmon CM turned as he saw the attack coming at him. Using his Gungnir, he threw his lance-spear. It collided with Imperialdramon's attack, resulting in a massive explosion that flowed over the Chaos General.

Landing beside Ophanimon C and Gallantmon, Imperialdramon let out a proud hmph. "Sometimes bigger is better," he said, observing the blast.

Gallantmon CM suddenly flew out of the top of the explosion. "But being stronger is even better. Quo Vadis!"

He threw his lance-spear into the air, and it erupted into a beam that came down on the three of them. The Chaos General cackled as they were pinned down by the attack. That's when OmniShoutmon came flying in. Doing a flip, he used his Doom Drillpress, bringing his bladed foot down on Gallantmon CM. The Chaos General turned to him and caught his bladed leg, sneering at the dragon Digimon.

"Victorize Banking!" OmniShoutmon cried, firing a V-shaped bolt.

Gallantmon CM was blasted away, and OmniShoutmon turned to his friends. He flew over to the beam, but wasn't sure how to help them. "Hold on, guys. I'll get you out of there. Just… give me a second."

"Stand back," Seraphimon ordered as he flew over. "I'll handle this. Hallowed Ascension!"

He brought lightning down on the spot where the beam was emitting from the sky. There was a blast of energy, and the beam ceased, allowing the others to get to their feet.

"Geez," Gallantmon grumbled. "Now I almost feel bad for using my Crimson Light on others. Thanks for getting us out of that."

"Don't mention it," Seraphimon replied, his hand over his chest wound.

Ophanimon C took notice of his hand clutching his chest and gave him a worried look. "Are you alright?"

He nodded. "It's not bad. It didn't penetrate my armor too deeply. No need to waste energy healing quite yet."

"You may come to regret that," Gallantmon CM declared as he flew back over to them.

The DigiDestined turned to him, and Imperialdramon pointed his sword at him. "You may come to have some regrets yourself. I can't help but notice that you seem a little frustrated right now. Did your Digivolution not give you the edge you were expecting?"

The Chaos General's eyes narrowed. "If I'm frustrated, it's because you vermin are getting on my nerves with your refusal to die. But I'm through playing games with you. It's time for you to die. Dash Blutgang!"

A sword of light appeared in his hands and he sped towards them. Seraphimon created his own sword of light with his Excalibur and rushed forward to meet him. Their swords crashed together and they pressed against each other before Gallantmon CM swung his lance-spear into Seraohimon's sword, causing it to burst into light particles. The angel Digimon retaliated with his Hallowed Knuckle, repeating the attack several times to knock him back far enough to use his Strike of the Seven Stars on him.

Gallantmon CM recovered quickly and flew through the cloud of smoke, raising his lance-spear and sword of light to strike Seraphimon. Ophanimon C quickly appeared in front of him, blocking with her javelin. Gallantmon CM kicked her back into Seraphimon, but then she fired her Holy Destroy attack at him.

The attack blasted him back and caused his sword of light to disappear. That's when OmniShoutmon and Gallantmon flew in. Using their Doom Drillpresss and Invincible Sword they attacked at the same time. Gallantmon CM held up his lance-spear to block, each end of his weapon catching one of their weapons.

"Hard Rock Spirit!" OmniShoutmon cried, shooting blasts of fire from his hands.

Gallantmon CM was pushed back by the flames, and when they ceased, he saw Imperialdramon coming at him. The dragon Digimon swiped at him with his Imperial Claw, and then again with his Omni Sword. Gallantmon CM dodged both the claw and the sword, but was then sent flying from Imperialdramon's Imperial Kick.

"Hallowed Ascension!" Seraphimon cried.

Lightning came down on Gallantmon CM, stopping his momentum. Raising his lance-spear, he began spinning it around to deflect the lightning. Ophanimon C used the opportunity to fly in and use her Holy Slash, slicing him across the torso with holy power.

"Invincible Sword!" he countered, creating a sword of light and swiping at her. She used her Unicorn Shield, this time managing to deflect the attack, and his sword bounced off her barrier.

"Omni Torpedo!" OmniShoutmon cried, and plowed into Gallantmon CM, knocking him away from Ophanimon C. He carried the Chaos General away until Gallantmon CM grabbed hold of him and drove his knee into the dragon Digimon's chest, causing him to stop.

Raising an arm, Gallantmon CM brought his elbow down on the dragon Digimon, sending him crashing to the ground. Gallantmon flew over and grabbed OmniShoutmon, dragging him out from underneath the Chaos General while throwing his spear straight up. His Crimson Light was unleashed, a beam coming down on Gallantmon CM that brought him crashing to the ground.

"Yeah!" Imperialdramon shouted. "How do you like it? That's how it feels. Now let's hit him hard, Hyper Prominence!"

"Holy Destroy!"

"Strike of the Seven Stars!"

The attacks struck where the beam met the ground, resulting in a massive blast that leveled the land. Off to the side, the residential Digimon continued to watch the battle in either despair or awe.

"Our poor land," Hudiemon lamented. "At this rate, there won't be anything left of it."

"We can clean it up later!" Copymon insisted, unable to take his eyes off the battle. "This fight is amazing!"

"So cool!" Tokomon X and Bun said together.

A sigh escaped Spadamon. "I suppose we should be glad it's just the land that's being destroyed and not us."

Hackmon glared at Takuya, who was still searching for his Digivice. "They'd be doing better if they had their whole team. Hey, human, did you find that thing of yours yet!?"

Covered in dirt, Takuya gave him an annoyed look. "Are you kidding me? Look at this mess!" He motioned to the torn up land. "I'll be lucky if I ever find it!" He glanced back at his friends. "Fortunately, it looks like they're handling things pretty well."

The DigiDestined stared down at the cloud of smoke left behind from the blast as it slowly dissipated. When it faded away, there was a large crater, but no sign of the Chaos General.

"Wait, did we beat him?" Imperialdramon asked hopefully.

Gallantmon CM's arm burst out of the ground. He crawled out of the crater, having been buried under the ground, and shook the dirt off himself.

"Of course not," Seraphimon mumbled. "But at least he's not going to last much longer at this rate."

A frustrated growl escaped Gallantmon CM as his fingers dug into the ground. "This isn't supposed to be happening. I'm a Chaos General. I've Digivolved. I'm stronger than I've ever been. I should be dominating this fight. How am I losing?"

"I can answer that," said Ophanimon C as she and her friends landed nearby. "It's because you fight alone. All you bad guys do. And that's because you're selfish and power hungry. You're all so obsessed with gaining power and promoting yourselves that you fight for yourselves in order to become stronger. Even when more than one of you attack us at once, you're still just fighting for yourselves. But we fight together as a team. We support and look out for each other. Any drawbacks or weaknesses each of us have, the rest of us make up for them. You may be stronger than any of us, but you're not stronger than all of us. That's the power of teamwork."

"Here, here," Imperialdramon replied.

Gallantmon CM stared up at her for several moments before looking at the ground. "Teamwork? You think your little team is worth anything against true, overwhelming power?" He stabbed his lance-spear into the ground, using it to help him get to his feet. "If your precious team is the source of your power, if this is what has allowed you to defeat the Demon Lords and my fellow Chaos General, then I suppose the best course of action will be to break apart your team."

He suddenly sped off, but not towards the DigiDestined. Horrified gasps escaped them as they saw him heading for Takuya as the teen searched for his Digivice, his back turned to the Chaos General.

Calling his name, they sped after Gallantmon CM. They realized that they weren't going to make it in time, nor could they launch any attacks to intercept the Chaos General without risking hitting Takuya.

"Die, human!" Gallantmon CM shouted.

Takuya turned around as Gallantmon CM stabbed forward with his lance-spear. Before he was stabbed though, something came between him and the weapon, knocking him back.

"Spadamon!" came the cries of the residential Digimon.

Takuya looked up to see the weapon Digimon impaled on the end of Gallantmon CM's lance-spear. The Chaos General grumbled angrily before flinging Spadamon off of it. "Out of the way, interloper!"

The weapon Digimon went flying, hitting the ground hard. Hackmon was by his side in an instant, looking down at the hole in Spadamon's chest in horror. "Fool! What did you do?"

Spadamon gave him a weak smile. "It's… supposed to be… our job… to protect this… place…"

The dragon Digimon's grip on Spadamon's arm tightened. "You idiot."

With Spadamon out of the way, Gallantmon CM raised his lance-spear to finish off Takuya, but at this point, the DigiDestined had caught up to him. OmniShoutmon slammed into the Chaos General with his Omni Torpedo, knocking him away from Takuya. Gallantmon CM grabbed him and tossed him aside, only to be blasted by Imperialdramon's Super Positron Laser. He was then pushed back further by Ophanimon C's Shining Laser III, and then by Gallantmon's Final Justice, followed by Seraphimon's Strike of the Seven Stars, each attack pushing the Chaos General further and further away from Takuya and the residential Digimon. Once he was away from them, Seraphimon flew over to heal Spadamon.

"We owe you big tine," the angel Digimon told him as he used his Perfect Revival.

The weapon Digimon chuckled as his injury healed. "Defeat them and we'll call it even."

Beneath his helmet, Seraphimon smiled. "Sounds good to me."

Stabbing his lance-spear into the ground, Gallantmon CM stopped his momentum. He growled furiously and glared at the DigiDestined. They landed a short distance away, standing between him and the others.

"You're going to pay for what you did to Spadamon," Gallantmon seethed.

The Chaos General growled again and pulled his lance-spear out of the ground. He made to move towards them, but stumbled, and had to once again stab his lance-spear into the ground to remain standing.

"Me, pay?" he quietly raged. "I don't think so. It's you who will pay." He pulled his lance-spear out of the ground and stood up straight. "I guess it's actually going to come to this. I'll just have to destroy everything. I hope you're happy, because you've just invited unimaginable damage to this world. Gallantmon Slide Evolution… Megidramon!"

Gallantmon CM had suddenly changed, and the change was extreme. No longer was he a knight, but a horrible, vicious dragon with a serpentine lower body. Megidramon towered over the DigiDestined like a giant, hideous red beast, snarling at them like a rabid animal. Even Chaosmon paused in his battle with Omnimon to glance at the new dragon Digimon.

"So, he resorted to that," he said to himself, before quickly moving to dodge Omnimon's Inferno attack.

"What the hell is that!?" Imperialdramon exclaimed.

OmniShoutmon took a step back. "This isn't good! That's Megidramon. We're all in real trouble now."

Ophanimon C glanced at him in concern. "Why?" How much stronger is he?"

OmniShoutmon shook his head. "Actually, he's not. He's just as strong as he was as ChaosGallantmon, but Megidramon is by far a lot more dangerous."

"How so?" Seraphimon asked as he flew back over to rejoined them.

Megidramon let out a roar, raising his arms and stretching out his wings. On his chest was the same hazard symbol that was found on all of Takato's Digimon forms. It suddenly began flashing, and beams of red began flying out from the triangles of the symbol. They tore through the ground, tearing the land apart, and the ground began splitting apart. The land began splitting in areas and rising up in others, as if the entire crust of the earth was moving, causing a massive earthquake.

"That's why," OmniShoutmon exclaimed as he and the others took to the air. "He has the power to tear apart and destroy the entire Digital World through that hazard sign. He may not be as strong, but his destructive power is vast."

"Then we have to stop him before he does too much damage," said Seraphimon. "Strike of the Seven Stars!"

His attack flew at Megidramon. The dragon Digimon looked at the incoming spheres of energy and used his Dragon Howling. The shockwave he unleashed flowed outward, causing Seraphimon's attack to explode against it. The shockwave kept going, knocking the DigiDestined back.

"Geez, what a singing voice," Imperialdramon muttered. "He should try opera. But first, try this. Super Positron Laser!"

His attack struck Megidramon, knocking the dragon Digimon down. As he fell, one of the beams flying from his chest struck Imperialdramon, making him cry out. Megidramon used the opportunity to suddenly lunge at him. "Megido Bite!"

Gallantmon flew forward, grabbing the dragon Digimon's snapping jaws. Slobber from Megidramon's drooling mouth flew about, flying over the knight Digimon, and he cried out as it burned like acid.

"Watch out for those beams," OmniShoutmon warned as he avoided one himself. "And that drool. Omni Core Fusion!"

His attack blasted Megidramon, knocking him away from Gallantmon. The dragon Digimon spread his wings, stopping his momentum, and used his Megido Flame, breathing a stream of fire. It hit Gallantmon, pushing the knight Digimon back, and Megidramon roared loudly.

Seraphimon maneuvered around the beams as they flew around him. "These beams are going to make it hard to fight. Hallowed Knuckle!"

He began punching out balls of light. They exploded against the dragon Digimon, and Megidramon snarled. He flew at Seraphimon, the beams from his chest tearing the land apart. Seraphimon retreated as the dragon Digimon came at him, and OmniShoutmon plowed into his side with his Omni Torpedo.

Megidramon swiped at him, snatching OmniShoutmon out of the air. He held him up and roared at him before unleashing his Megido Flame on him.

"Holy Destroy!" Ophanimon C cried, blasting Megidramon.

The dragon Digimon dropped a smoking OmniShoutmon as he was knocked back and crashed to the ground. He rose up a moment later, roaring loudly and began breathing fire all around.

"This thing is out of control!" said Seraphimon.

"That's what I've been trying to tell you!" OmniShoutmon exclaimed. "Digimon that possess a Digital Hazard like him are known to cause immense damage to the Digital World when their power is awakened. Megidramon's very existence is a Digital Hazard, plus he holds the title of one of the Four Great Dragons."

"Yeah, the only thing I got out of all that was that we need to stop him," said Imperialdramon. "So let's stop clowning around and do that. Hyper Prominence!"

He fired his attack, but Megidramon unleashed his Dragon Howling, the shockwave causing the attack to explode against it. Then he went right back to breathing fire all about, only to stop and unleash another shockwave, then breathing more fire, all the while firing beams from his chest.

"Damn it, how do we stop this?" Gallantmon snarled as he recoiled from the destructive beams. "We'll never be able to stop him before he tears this whole place apart."

"He's doing this on purpose," Seraphimon realized. "He's not trying to fight, he's just keeping us at bay while he destroys everything. We have to end this now. Hallowed Ascension!"

Lightning came down on Megidramon, but that only seemed to infuriate the dragon Digimon further. Letting out another roar, he suddenly charged at the DigiDestined, still firing beams from his chest, while going back and forth between breathing fire and unleashing shockwaves from his mouth. The DigiDestined retreated, firing attacks off as Megidramon came at them, but the dragon Digimon took whatever hits landed and pressed onward, immediately getting up whenever he was knocked down.

A distance away, Takuya had stopped searching for his Digivice and was currently cringing with the residential Digimon as the ground was torn apart without them. It was like a scene out of a natural disaster movie where land was completely turned over. Hudiemon had Tokomon X, Bun, and Copymon in her arms and was flying in the air while Takuya allowed Hackmon and Spadamon to sit on his shoulders.

"That bastard," Hackmon growled. "He's just causing senseless destruction just to be destructive."

Takuya's eyes narrowed in frustration. "If only I had my Digivice, then I could put a stop to this."

"Is that it?" Bun asked.

Takuya blinked. "Huh? Where?"

"There?" the caper Digimon pointed.

Takuya looked. A large mass of rock had risen out of the ground like an emerging mountain as a result of Megidramon's Digital Hazard tearing the land apart. Sliding down the side of it was a small device, and Takuya's mouth dropped open in shock.

"That is… How did you…? Where did…?"

"It's going to fall down there!" Tokomon X shouted.

Takuya quickly put down Hackmon and Spadamon. "Sorry, guys, gotta go!"

He made a run for it. His Digivice was about to fall down a crevice that had opened up, and he made a mad dash for it. He stumbled as the ground was torn apart, and his Digivice fell into the crevice. He leapt for it, jumping down into the opening. He could see the ground grinding together down below, and he reached out for his Digivice as both he and it fell, his fingers closing around the device.

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Susanoomon!"

At the last possible moment, he pulled out of the fall, actually feeling the ground graze his feet. He let out a sigh of relief as he flew straight up and out of the opening, barely missing being crushed as the two sides of the crevice smashed together.

"I think that was the closest I had ever cut it," he muttered.

"So cool," Tokomon X, Copymon, and Bun awed, once again in fan-mode.

Turning to the battle, Susanoomon watched as his friends fled from the attacking Megidramon, and his eyes narrowed. "Time to put this dragon down. Celestial Blade!"

His ZERO-ARMS: Orochi appeared in his hands, and his bladed emerged. He swung it through the air, swiping at the dragon Digimon. Megidramon paused in his pursuit and turned towards Susanoomon, snarling. The god Digimon pushed onward, his giant blade slicing through the air, regardless of the hazard beams Megidramon was firing off.

The blade cut through Megidramon, and the dragon Digimon roared as he was severed from his lower body. He fell to the ground, his severed lower half bursting into data. Raising his head, Megidramon let out a loud roar, breathing fire all about.

The DigiDestined came to a halt as they all turned to the god Digimon. "Susanoomon, you finally found your Digivice," said Gallantmon.

"Sure did, and not soon enough. Now, I'll finish it up from here." He pointed his weapon at Megidramon. "ZERO-ARMS: Orochi!"

Red and blue spheres appeared at the end of the weapon before coming together and firing at Megidramon. The dragon Digimon roared as the attack hit and erupted in a massive blast. And with that, the Chaos General burst into data and was gone.

Lowering his arms to block out the brightness of the blast, Imperialdramon blinked as he looked at the spot where Megidramon had been. "Holy hell. It's a shame you lost your Digivice earlier; you could have done that right off the bat."

"Well," said Susanoomon, "you guy's did weaken him. Thanks for holding down the fort."

"That just leaves one more Chaos General," Gallantmon pointed out. He looked towards the battle with Omnimon and Chaosmon. "Let's put an end to this once and for all.

Notes:

(A/N: Another Chaos General down, and only one left. And now that the whole team is ready to fight, and fight together, will they be able to take down Chaosmon? And if so, will he stay and fight, or strategically withdraw Tune in next week to find out. Remember, I'm updating this story EVERY WEEK now. So unless I announce that there will be a delay, expect a new chapter every Wednesday.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear or are mentioned.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Megidramon

Chapter 170: The Ultimate Chaos General

Notes:

(A/N: Hey everyone, the next update is here. You do remember I said I'm updating every week now, right? Well, here's the next chapter. When we last left our heroes, they had defeated Megidramon. Only one Chaos General left. Let's go!)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 170: The Ultimate Chaos General

Chaosmon and Omnimon's swords clanged together as the two fought furiously. Each had long since blocked out what was happening with their comrades' battle as they focused on the other. Sparks flew as their blades clashed, and they both pointed their cannons at each other at the same time, their barrels facing their opponent's.

"Dark Prominence!" Chaosmon cried.

"Graceful Cannon!" Omnimon cried at the same time.

Their attacks collided, the explosion knocking them both back. They began flying in a circle, almost as if they were dancing in the air as they stared down their opponent.

"You don't really think you're going to win this, do you?" Chaosmon asked.

"You know, if you had asked me that a few months ago, I would have said no," Omnimon replied. "But now I honestly think we will."

The unique Digimon's eyes narrowed. "Even if you manage to defeat me, you won't be able to defeat the Demon Lords. That is just a plain and simple fact."

Omnimon glared right back at him. "We've been told that time and time again, and yet we've constantly defied the odds and come out on top, and we've defeated five of them already. But even if we do fail, we're willing to go as far as we can. So we'll keep fighting, no matter what."

Chaosmon didn't seem to have a response to that. But before he could retaliate, an attack suddenly flew past him, and both he and Omnimon stopped circling. The rest of the DigiDestined gathered around Omnimon, staring down the last remaining Chaos General.

"Guys, you're here," Omnimon said. "I guess that means you defeated whatever that dragon Digimon was. And Susanoomon, glad you found your Digivice."

"That's right," said Seraphimon. "We're all here, and we're all together. Now we can finally put an end to this."

Imperialdramon pointed his sword at Chaosmon. "What was it you said before? Something like only your group or ours was making it out alive? It looks to me like that's going to be us."

Chaosmon hesitated. "Megidramon has been defeated then, has he?" He closed his eyes and sighed in resignation. "And I guess that means that you think you can defeat me as well."

"The odds aren't exactly looking to be in your favor," Gallantmon told him.

Slowly, Chaosmon's eyes opened. "You may think that, but I'm afraid you're wrong. You asked me before if I had been given a power boost by the Demon Lords, and I told you that I didn't need one. That's because I still have more power. A lot more power."

"Impossible!" OmniShoutmon declared. "I've seen your power. You're at your limit. And your Digivolution line is maxed out."

"Is it?" the Chaos General asked. "Is it really, OmniShoutmon?"

"Yes!" the dragon Digimon insisted. "The only way you can Digivolve further is to DNA Digivolve, but I don't see anyone else here. That or…"

He trailed off, and his eyes suddenly widened. Chaosmon realize that he had figured it out, and gave a slowly nod. "Yes, your majesty. I can't Digivolve further unless I DNA Digivolve with someone… or possess their Fractal Code."

"No…"

"Yes. I've had the Fractal Code I needed to Digivolve all this time. For many years in fact. I just don't use that form often because, as you know good and well, it's so powerful that not even I can control its power. For convenient purposes, I don't Digivolve unless I need to. And it looks like now I need to."

"Attack him, quick!" OmniShoutmon shouted.

Imperialdramon glanced at him. "But I thought we're not allowed to attack while someone is Digivolving."

"He's not Digivolving yet! Attack him before he starts! Twin Fireball Strike!"

Chaosmon knocked the fireball away. "Too late. Chaosmon Digivolve to… UltimateChaosmon!"

The DigiDestined stared at Choasmon's Digivolution completely speechless. There were truly no words to describe the chaotic monstrosity that was UltimateChaosmon. The name perhaps suited him well, as he seemed to simply be a chaotic assortment of unrelated parts shaped into some semblance of a living creature that didn't look like anything.

"What. The. Hell. Is. That!?" Imperialdramon exclaimed. "Seriously, what is that? I can't make sense of it. It doesn't look like anything."

"OmniShoutmon?" Ophanimon C asked, looking at the dragon Digimon for answers.

OmniShoutmon was breathing heavily. "UltimateChaosmon, an abomination of a Digimon born from four incredible powers coming together. He's one of the most powerful Digimon, so strong he's unable to suppress his own power, and it flows out of him uncontrollably. Digimon at the Rookie level and below can't even get close to him because of it."

"Someone so powerful that he can't control his own power and certain Digimon can't even approach him because of it?" Gallantmon said uneasily. "That sounds really bad."

UltimateChaosmon reached out with his arms stretching out from the chaotic mass that was his body. "Your end is at hand, humans. You will not survive this. Now perish. Ultima Burst!"

Upon what served as UltimateChaosmon's shoulders were two large golden spheres that almost resembled eyes. They glowed brightly before firing beams of energy. The DigiDestined dodged the beams, and the ground erupted in a massive explosion where they hit.

Gallantmon's eyes widened at the destruction. "Wow, that's definitely a lot of power."

"S-So what," Imperialdramon muttered. "I can do that too."

"We have to be careful," said OmniShoutmon. "UltimateChaosmon doesn't just have to incredible power, he's also very strong physically. He can crush Digimon much larger than him easily." He grasped his head. "We're at a serious disadvantage here!"

"Calm down," Seraphimon told him. "We'll handle this just like we always have. Together."

Imperialdramon looked the unique Digimon up and down. "But seriously, how do we fight him. I can't tell what's his head, what's his body, what's his… whatever. Like, where should we attack?"

Gallantmon hesitated. "Well… he's got wings, and there's his arms."

"Yeah, but what are they attached to? Is that his head? His body? His tail? His butt? Does he even have one?"

The Chaos General waved his arms, letting his energy flow out, and the DigiDestined were hit by it as if it were something physical, giving them a taste of his incontrollable power.

Imperialdramon let out a frustrated growl. "Ah, screw it."

He flew at the Chaos General, even as OmniShoutmon called him back. Rising up over UltimateChaosmon, he used his Splendor Blade, creating a sword of light, and brought both it and his Omni Sword down on the Chaos General.

UltimateChaosmon's hands came up, catching both blades easily. The hand that caught his Splendor Blade crushed it in his grip, and it burst into light particles. He then pulled the Omni Sword out of Imperialdramon's hands, then whacked him with the hilt of the sword. The blow would have knocked the dragon Digimon off his feet had he been on the ground, causing him to go lopsided in the air instead. With his other hand, he threw a punch. The force of power behind the punch sent Imperialdramon flying before his fist had even completely landed the blow.

"Imperialdramon!" Ophanimon C cried.

"Did you see that!?" Susanoomon exclaimed. "He barely touched him and still he sent him flying!"

"I told you!" said OmniShoutmon.

UltimateChaosmon turned to them, or at least it seemed like he did, then he easily snapped the Omni Sword on half and threw the bladed end at them. Seraphimon and Gallantmon leapt out of the way as the blade stabbed into the ground where they had been standing before bursting into data.

"Inferno!" Omnimon cried, and rapidly fired his cannon.

UltimateChaosmon held up a hand, and the blasts exploded against his palm.

"You have to avoid his arms," OmniShoutmon insisted. "Most of his strength is gathered in them."

"You know, this is the kind of stuff that would be useful to know ahead of time," Susanoomon stated.

"Advanced knowledge will not help you," UltimateChaosmon told them. "Broken Destroy!"

His hands shot out, stretching to cover the distance between him and the DigiDestined. His left hand grabbed hold of Susanoomon and Omnimon, smashing them to the ground, leaving deep grooves that left them both partly buried.

"Invincible Sword!" Gallantmon cried, slashing at the arm that had grabbed Susanoomon.

UltimateChaosmon released both the god Digimon and backhanded Gallantmon away before retracting both arms. Ophanimon C used her Call Dramon, and her dragon appeared, breathing fire on the Chaos General. UltimateChaosmon raised both arms, balling his hands together, and brought them down on the dragon's head. Its skull was completely smashed in, and the dragon dissolved into data.

"Strike of the Seven Stars!"

"Omni Core Fusion!"

The two attacks blasted the unique Digimon. UltimateChaosmon turned to them and used his Broken Destroy, his arm stretching out to smack both Seraphimon and OmniShoutmon away.

Ophanimon C held out her arms, and her flames spread outward, surrounding her in a vortex of fire. "Try and touch me now, if you're not afraid to get burned. Holy Destroy!"

She fired a blast of holy light. It struck UltimateChaosmon, jolting him back. The Chaos General turned to her and the orbs on his shoulders flashed. "Ultima Burst!"

Beams fired from the gold spheres. And Ophanimon C cursed herself for having already forgotten about that attack. She used her Unicorn Shield as the beams tore through her vortex of fire. Her barrier shattered, but managed to hold back a good portion of the blast. Even so, she still went flying backwards and hit the ground hard.

"Well, screw this," Susanoomon grumbled. "I'm gonna end this quickly. Celestial Blade!"

He manifested his ZERO-ARMS: Orochi, and the giant blade emerged. He swung it at UltimateChaosmon, but one of the unique Digimon's hands came up and grabbed hold of the blade. "Bigger is not always better."

With his other hand, he did a karate chop on the blade, and it burst into light particles. Then he suddenly sped forward until he was right in front of Susanoomon. Raising his fist, he brought it down on the ZERO-ARMS: Orochi, breaking it apart. As Susanoomon stared at his broken weapon in disbelief, UltimateChaosmon used his Broken Destroy, clapping his giant hands together on the god Digimon, smashing him between his palms. Then he spun around, chopping outward again, the side of his hand striking Susanoomon and sending him flying.

The DigiDestined who had been knocked away, floated back over. "Ok, he's, like, really strong," Imperialdramon grumbled.

Omnimon pulled himself up from out of the groove he was buried in. "Pretty big understatement."

Ophanimon C landed beside him and helped pull him and OmniShoutmon to their feet. "We can beat him. If we defeated OmegaArmamon, we can beat this guy."

UltimateChaosmon cracked his knuckles. "Don't be so sure. I am among the strongest of all Digimon."

"Yeah, we've heard that before," said Seraphimon. "And yet our teamwork has always prevailed. Hallowed Ascension!"

Lightning came down on the unique Digimon. He cringed beneath it before raising his hands, keeping the lightning at bay. Imperialdramon began firing his Super Positron Laser. It pushed UltimateChaosmon back for a brief period before the unique Digimon lowered one of his arms to block the beam.

"Volcano Napalm!" Ophanimon C cried, throwing a fireball beneath UltimateChaosmon.

A pillar of fire erupted beneath the unique Digimon, blasting him into the air. OmniShoutmon then slammed into him with his Omni Torpedo, and UltimateChaosmon hit the ground. Omnimon and Gallantmon finished up the assault with their Graceful Cannon and Final Justice. The two attacks hit the Chaos General, pushing him back down and sliding him across the ground. UltimateChaosmon then laid motionless on the ground.

"Take that, you freaky hodgepodge!" Imperialdramon shouted. "So much for your amazing power."

The Chaos General continued to lay there, but then, suddenly, he sprang into the air once again. "Ultima Burst!"

His orbs flashed, and bursts of energy were unleashed. OmniShoutmon, managed to hold back the attack with his Heavy Metal Vulcan, but the others were blasted away by the attack.

UltimateChaosmon stopped firing and looked at OmniShoutmon. "You know you're no match for me. My power is too great."

"Maybe so," the dragon Digimon replied, "but you know that your form has a pretty big weakness. Or should I say, two."

UltimateChaosmon did not reply. It seemed OmniShoutmon's comment had gotten to him, and it left the Chaos General silently seething. The two stared each other down for several long moments before UltimateChaosmon suddenly lashed out with his Broken Destroy, his giant hand flying towards OmniShoutmon.

The dragon Digimon dodged the attack and ran down the length of UltimateChaosmon's arm. His legs became blades as he used his Doom Drillpress, and he kicked out at the Chaos General, aiming for one of the orbs on UltimateChaosmon's shoulders. The Chaos General pulled out of the way, but OmniShoutmon kept attacking, trying to strike at the orbs on the unique Digimon's shoulders.

UltimateChaosmon kept dodging, avoiding OmniShoutmon's bladed legs. As the dragon Digimon kicked out again, UltimateChaosmon grabbed his leg. With a flick of his wrist, there was a crack as OmniShoutmon's leg was dislocated, and the dragon Digimon cried out in pain. UltimateChaosmon increased his agony further by throwing him by his dislocated leg.

As OmniShoutmon went spinning through the air, Susanoomon flew over and caught him. "What were you doing fighting him at such close range? You yourself said how strong he is."

"No choice," OmniShoutmon replied. Reaching down, he grasped his dislocated leg, braced himself, then snapped it back into place, letting out a pained groan. "It's really the only way to beat him."

Susanoomon looked back at UltimateChaosmon as the Chaos General floated over to them. "How so?"

OmniShoutmon pointed. "You see those gold orbs on his shoulders that look like eyes. Those are his DigiCores. He's got two of them, and they manifest outside his body. Any damage done to those will greatly affect him."

"Broken Destroy!"

UltimateChaosmon's arms shot out. He grabbed both Susanoomon and OmniShoutmon in his giant hands and lifted them high into the air.

"Oh no," Susanoomon muttered as he realized what was about to happen. His gaze drifted over to his friends as he saw them rejoining the battle as he and OmniShoutmon were lifted down. "Guys, attack his shoulder orbs!"

The ground shook and cracked apart as he and OmniShoutmon were slammed down. It seemed his friends heard him though, as they made an attempt on UltimateChaosmon's orbs. They charged him all at once, and the Chaos General let his power flow outward. It knocked the DigiDestined back as it flowed over them. Omnimon kicked off the ground and launched himself back at UltimateChaosmon while Ophanimon C shot fire beneath her to fly back at the Chaos General like a rocket.

"T-Sword!" Omnimon cried, swiping at one of the orbs.

UltimateChaosmon turned in mid-air, avoiding Omnimon's blade, and then brought his fist down on him before leaning back as Ophanimon C soared over him, her Holy Slash missing her target. She improvised though, firing a Shining Laser III back at him, and he retaliated with a burst of energy from one of his orbs.

Imperialdramon attacked next, materializing a new Omni Sword. His sword was so big though that he didn't even bother to go for UltimateChaosmon's orbs, and instead just swiped at him in general. The Chaos General avoided the swinging blade before reaching up to catch it.

Using his other hand, Imperialdramon used his Splendor Blade, swiping at UltimateChaosmon, this time aiming for his orbs. The unique Digimon pulled back, avoiding the blade of light, then lunged forward, driving his fist into Imperialdramon's gut, sending the dragon Digimon flying backwards.

Then Seraphimon came flying in with his Excalibur and Gallantmon with his Blutgang. They attacked together, trying to strike his orbs. UltimateChaosmon maneuvered around their strikes for a few moments before unleashing his energy to knock them back.

Susanoomon forced himself to his feet. Looking up at the Chaos General, he used his Heaven's Thunder. Streams of dragons made of lightning came down and wrapped around UltimateChaosmon, holding him in place. Susanoomon grabbed hold of OmniShoutmon and threw him at the Chaos General. The dragon Digimon shot blasts of fire from his hands with his Hard Rock Spirit as he flew towards the unique Digimon.

His attack blasted UltimateChaosmon, and the Chaos General let out a surge of power, freeing himself from the lightning dragons, the force of his power knocking OmniShoutmon back.

"Glory Thunder!" Susanoomon cried, striking UltimateChaosmon with a bolt of lightning.

The others had recovered at this point, and they all charged UltimateChaosmon together. The unique Digimon found it rather difficult to hold off the assaults of all seven of them at once as they made an attempt on his orbs, but whenever they didn't have an opening to them, they simply attacked his body.

"Enough of this!" UltimateChaosmon bellowed. "Ultima Burst!"

He unleashed blasts of energy from the very orbs they were trying to attack, and the DigiDestined were blasted away. They each hit the ground hard, tearing it apart with their impacts, and the Chaos General hovered over their fallen forms.

Being the strongest of the group, Susanoomon was the first one to rise. He forced himself to his feet, groaning in pain, and flew up at UltimateChaosmon to resume the battle, and he was soon joined by Omnimon. The others were having a little more trouble recovering though, and when Gallantmon tried to get up, he fell once again.

"This isn't looking very good," he grumbled.

Rolling onto his side, he blinked a few times, and the Digimon who had opened their home to them came into focus. They were standing a distance away, looking rather worried, with the exception of Hackmon, who was glaring up at UltimateChaosmon furiously.

"Oh, right," Gallantmon mumbled. "Them."

He had actually forgotten about them in the heat of battle, but he was glad that they were still ok. He did wonder though why they hadn't fled to safety.

His gaze landed on Tokomon X in particular, the whole reason the Chaos Generals had come here; to kill the lesser Digimon and take his X-Antibody. That little bundle of data really had so much power in it. It was strange how something so small could cause so much trouble.

Something clicked in Gallantmon's head, and his eyes widened in astonishment. Suddenly finding new strength, he jumped to his feet and rushed over to OmniShoutmon, who was down on one knee, breathing heavily. "OmniShoutmon, how do you use an X-Antibody?"

The dragon Digimon looked at him in confusion. "What?"

"An X-Antibody, how do you use one to Digivolve to an X form?"

OmniShoutmon rolled his eyes impatiently. "Seriously? That doesn't matter right now. I'll answer your questions about Digivolution once we're out of danger. Geez, get your priorities in order."

"No, it's not… Look!"

He placed a hand to his chest. It glowed briefly, and when he pulled his hand away, he was holding the X-Antibody he had, up until a few moments ago, completely forgotten he had been carrying.

OmniShoutmon's eyes widened in disbelief. "Where did you get that!?"

"It's the one Beelzemon had," Gallantmon replied. "Marcus found and gave it to me; he said he thought I deserved it."

OmniShoutmon could have kicked himself. "Why didn't you ever tell me? I was looking all over for it after we defeated him."

Gallantmon winced, feeling foolish. "I was going to tell you, but then I was distracted by Zhuqioamon suddenly appearing and forgot about it."

OmniShoutmon resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He supposed he couldn't blame him though; he too had been distracted by the Sovereign's appearance and had ended up forgetting his search for Beelzemon's X-Antibody. Still, having it would have been very beneficial before now.

"So how do I use it?" Gallantmon asked again.

Frustration gripped OmniShoutmon as he tried to figure out the best way to describe it. "I don't know, you just do. It should be no different than the way you used Grani's data to become Crimson Mode."

"OmniShoutmon!" Gallantmon cried, still sensitive to the subject.

"Oh, cry about it later! We're fighting for our lives here. Look, just Digivolve the same way you have before, only pull your power from the X-Antibody instead of from yourself."

Gallantmon tried his best to make sense of that. He looked back at the fight between UltimateChaosmon and his friends, then down at the X-Antibody, and his grip on it tightened.

"Ok," he said determinedly, and held the X-Antibody above him. "Time for some X evolution!"

The X-Antibody began to glow in his hand, then it suddenly burst into data. It rained down over Gallantmon, and flowed into his body. Then he too began glowing.

"Gallantmon Digivolve to… Gallantmon X!"

When the light faded and the new form of Gallantmon was revealed, one might have thought that his Digivolution had taken a step backwards. Aside from being much larger, his appearance was that of the original Gallantmon, complete with cape, lance, and shield. However, the form was clearly a drastic upgrade from the original, far more complex and more powerful in the appearance, and even his form seemed to pop out more, as if he were a CGI figure standing in the real world.

But even if his appearance seemed like a step backwards, Gallantmon could feel that his power had taken a large step forward. Not quite as big a leap as the jump from a lower level to a higher level, but still a massive power boost.

"Whoa," he exclaimed, looking at his lance, which was now made of pure energy. "No wonder they want these X-Antibodies."

"Yeah, no wonder," OmniShoutmon grumbled, unable to hide the twinge of jealousy he felt at not being able to have the X-Antibody for himself. "Now how about you put it to good use."

"You got it," Gallantmon X declared.

He launched himself at UltimateChaosmon. He briefly noticed that unlike his regular Gallantmon form, which could only hover, his X form was actually capable of true flight, just like his Crimson Mode. And so he flew at the Chaos General, thrusting out with his lance.

UltimateChaosmon whirled around, grabbing his arm before Gallantmon X's lance could impale him. He hesitated as he took in Gallantmon X's new appearance, before glancing at Tokomon X, then back at the knight Digimon. "How did you do this?"

"Surrender and I'll tell you," Gallantmon X replied. "Royal Saber!"

Lightning erupted from his lance, flowing into the Chaos General. UltimateChaosmon snarled and threw a punch, knocking Gallantmon X back. OmniShoutmon shot past him and fired his Victorize Banking. Seraphimon came up behind him and began punching out balls of light with his Hallowed Knuckle. UltimateChaosmon turned sideways and used his Broken Destroy, one arm flying out towards OmniShoutmon, the other towards Seraphimon, grabbing both of them.

"He's open!" Imperialdramon exclaimed. "Hyper Prominence!"

"Holy Destroy!"

"ZERO-ARMS: Orochi!"

The combined attacks hit UltimateChaosmon dead center, and he dropped Seraphimon and OmniShoutmon as he was blasted backwards. The DigiDestined regrouped as the Chaos General recovered, and Susanoomon glanced at Gallantmon X. "Where did this come from?"

"Beelzemon's X-Antibody," the knight Digimon replied quickly. "Forgot about it until now. Let's get him. Final Elysion!"

He fired a more powerful version of his Shield of the Just from his shield, and it struck UltimateChaosmon as the Chaos General began to rise. His friends followed suit, launching their own attacks.

"Graceful Cannon!"

"Giga Crusher!"

"Glory Thunder!"

"Volcano Napalm!"

"Strike of the Seven Stars!"

"Victorize Banking!"

The attacks blasted against UltimateChaosmon, creating a large cloud of smoke that rose up into the air. The DigiDestined didn't allow themselves to relax, having gone through this scenario several times before. And so they cautiously approached the cloud of smoke, ready for the Chaos General to leap out at them at any moment.

They were only half right with their concerns. Instead of UltimateChaosmon emerging, his Ultima Burst attack came flying out at them. The DigiDestined were all blasted to the ground as the Chaos General repeated his attack again and again.

When the onslaught of attacks ceased, UltimateChaosmon parted the cloud of smoke with a wave of his hand. He stared down at the fallen DigiDestined, hovering over them. Then his hands shot down, grabbing hold of Gallantmon X. The knight Digimon cried out as UltimateChaosmon squeezed him tightly, crushing him in his grip.

"I came here for a purpose," the Chaos General told him. "The masters sent me here to retrieve an X-Antibody, and now you will give me yours."

Gallantmon X struggled futilely in his powerful grasp as he was squeezed tighter. "You're going… to have to… kill me…"

"My very thoughts exactly."

A distance away, Tokomon X winced, knowing that it was his own X-Antibody the Chaos General had come for, and he felt guilty, as if this were all his fault. "We have to do something."

"How?" asked Copymon. "Rookies can't even approach UltimateChaosmon, and Hudiemon is no match for him."

Hackmon's eyes narrowed. "Then maybe she can at least get me to him."

Hudiemon gave him a startled look. "You'll get yourself killed!"

"We'll all be killed at this rate," the dragon Digimon snapped, and then leapt up onto her back. "Now get me to that monster!"

Hudiemon hesitated for a few moments before taking to the air, Hackmon riding on her back. The dragon Digimon directed her to fly upward, and they soared higher. As they approached, UltimateChaosmon's overwhelming power flowed over them. Hackmon held onto the butterfly Digimon tightly as the Chaos General's power threatened to toss him off her back, as if it were a physical force or a powerful wind pushing him back.

"Come down on top of him," he told her.

She looked back at him over her shoulder. "Are you crazy?"

"Damn right, now just do it!"

Hudiemon bit her bottom lip and complied. Flying up higher, she flew directly over UltimateChaosmon as he continued to crush Gallantmon X. When one of the DigiDestined tried to get back up, the Chaos General would unleash a wave of energy to knock them back down again.

Hackmon didn't think he could withstand UltimateChaosmon's power any longer. "Throw me!"

Hudiemon didn't argue this time. Plucking the dragon Digimon off her back, she flung him with all her might down at UltimateChaosmon. It was the momentum alone that prevented the Chaos General's energy from sending him flying.

"Fifth Rush!" Hackmon cried, swiping with his claws.

He slashed at one of the orbs on UltimateChaosmon's shoulders. The Chaos General howled in pain, and the output of energy he unleashed sent Hackmon flying. One of UltimateChaosmon's hands released Gallantmon X, and the knight Digimon pointed his lance up at the Chaos General.

"Zeig Saber!" he cried, and his energy lance extended like a stabbing beam of light, firing from the hilt. The attack struck UltimateChaosmon and carried him into the sky as the beam pushed him upward.

"Now's our chance!" Seraphimon exclaimed, and flew up after UltimateChaosmon. "Excalibur!"

He stabbed forward, driving his sword into the very orb Hackmon had just slashed. The Chaos General bellowed, and his hand shot out, grabbing the angel Digimon.

"Omni Sword!" Imperialdramon cried, flying up and bringing his sword down on the UltimateChaosmon's other orb.

With his other hand, UltimateChaosmon caught the blade before the sword could reach its target. Removing one hand from the hilt of his sword, Imperialdramon used his Splendor Blade, stabbing into UltimateChaosmon's other orb. Another roar tore out of the unique Digimon as he released Seraphimon, and began flailing about in agony.

"Fearsome Blade!" Omnimon cried, his sword extending into a cutting beam of light.

He whipped it about, slicing UltimateChaosmon's limbs and other appendages from his body, and then Ophanimon C flew in front of him. "Call Dramon!"

Her fire dragon appeared, and UltimateChaosmon, or what was left of him, was set ablaze. An inhuman bellow erupted from him, and he unleashed a wave of energy that sent all those around him flying back.

"Celestial Blade!" Susanoomon cried, sweeping his enormous blade of light through the air. It tore through the sky, cutting straight through the living fireball that UltimateChaosmon had become, slicing him through the middle.

With the last of the Chaos Generals nearly reduced to nothing, OmniShoutmon flew in to finish him off. "Your time of subjugating others is over. And your masters will soon follow."

Amongst the flames and mutilation, UltimateChaosmon somehow maintained coherency enough to look at OmniShoutmon. "Wait…"

"No chance. Omni Core Fusion!"

His attack flew at the unique Digimon. UltimateChaosmon let his energy flow outward to counter it, but the Omnimon-shaped aura plowed onward. The attack struck, and the final Chaos General burst into data.

Notes:

(A/N: And with that, the final Chaos General has been defeated. I bet you weren't expecting him to become UltimateChaosmon. And I bet you didn't expect Gallantmon to Digivolve. Come on, admit it, you forgot that he had Beelzemon's X-Antibody, didn't you? That does go pretty far back, but that was the intent. So now we have Gallantmon X who's joined the team. Woohoo! And with no more Chaos Generals, all that's left are the last two Demon Lords. One thing's for sure, they're not going to be happy about the loss of their most loyal servants. Stay tuned to see where things go from here.)

Gallantmon X's attacks:

Royal Saber – Fires a blast of lightning from his energy-lance.

Final Elysion – A more powerful version of his Shield of the Just that fires a beam of holy energy from his shield that purifies everything it touches.

Zeig Saber – Elongates his energy-lance into a beam of light.

X-Heal – Heals self.

Saint Knuckle – Delivers a punch of holy power.

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New Digimon that appear or are mentioned.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/UltimateChaosmon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Gallantmon_X

Chapter 171: Demons and Goddesses

Notes:

(A/N: I'm heeeere. Hope everyone remembered that I', still updating weekly now. That's a permanent thing for this story until I say otherwise. Honestly, I wasn't sure I was going to get this out in time since I ended up doing a story request for my grandmother, but luckily that one turned out to be short, so I still had time to do this one. Got a few surprises this chapter, so I hope you like it.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 171: Demons and Goddesses

UltimateChaosmon was gone. The last of the Chaos Generals had finally been vanquished. Only his lingering data remained, yet OmniShoutmon made no move to absorb it. He merely stared at the data particles as they floated through the air.

Gallantmon X flew up beside him. "OmniShoutmon, what are you doing? Absorb the data before it disappears."

"We defeated all of the Chaos Generals," OmniShoutmon replied quietly, still sounding shocked.

Gallantmon X blinked. "Um, yeah, it's great. I was actually getting worried there for a while."

"We defeated all of the Chaos Generals," OmniShoutmon repeated.

Gallantmon X nodded. "I know, I was there. The Demon Lords' top agents are history."

OmniShoutmon suddenly grabbed the knight Digimon and began shaking him. "Don't you get it? We defeated all the Chaos Generals!"

Imperialdramon flew over. "Yes, that's awesome, but if you don't grab that data fast, the Digital World is going to recycle it."

That seemed to snap OmniShoutmon out of his daze, and he quickly flew after UltimateChaosmon's data. Imperialdramon shook his head and turned to Gallantmon X.

"Right, now, let me get a look at you," he said, and looked the knight Digimon up and down. He let out a whistle. "Looking sharp there, pal. You look like the original Gallantmon, but really advanced. Kind of like a…"

"Upgrade," Seraphimon offered as he flew over. "That's how Shoutmon explained it."

Imperialdramon nodded in agreement. "Yeah, yeah. It's like your design got a reboot or something. Is this form stronger than your Crimson Mode?"

Gallantmon X looked down at himself. "I certainly feel stronger."

"He is," OmniShoutmon replied as he rejoined them. "The upgraded power of his X form surpasses that of his Crimson Mode."

Susanoomon's eyes lit up. "Hey, is there an X form of his Crimson Mode?"

OmniShoutmon shook his head. "Sorry, but no. Too bad, because you guys probably would have found a way to achieve it."

Ophanimon C chuckled. "We still might. I'm sure not every Digivolution has been discovered yet."

OmniShoutmon hesitated. "That's… a fair point."

Down below, the residential Digimon had gathered around their fallen comrade. Spadamon waved his arms up at the DigiDestined to get their attention. "Hey, down here! We need help!"

The DigiDestined looked down and saw the residential Digimon gathered around Hackmon as he lay motionless on the ground. Shocked gasps escaped them, and they quickly flew to the ground. They had been so caught up in the heat of battle with UltimateChaosmon, followed by the relief and triumph of their victory that they had all but forgotten about the assistance the dragon Digimon had given them.

"Hackmon, are you ok?" Ophanimon C exclaimed worriedly. "Please be alright! You can't die!"

The dragon Digimon's eyes snapped, open and he glared up at her. "I'm not going to die, you idiots! I was just resting. UltimateChoasmon's energy is very overwhelming."

The DigiDestined relaxed, and one by one, they resumed their human forms. Only Seraphimon lingered, offering to heal Hackmon.

The dragon Digimon stubbornly shook his head. "I don't need it. Thanks for the offer though."

Seraphimon seemed unsure, but respected his decision, reverting back to TK. "Well, if you're sure."

Copymon began jumping up and down. "You did it! You beat the Chaos Generals!"

Tokomon X was bouncing around as well. "We knew you could it! No one can beat you!"

Bun suddenly hopped onto Hackmon, making the dragon Digimon groan. "And Hackmon was amazing too!"

"Indeed," Spadamon agreed. "We all know he's just a big softy."

Hackmon just grunted at that, and Kudamon chuckled. The smile didn't last on his face long though, as he looked around at all the damage that had been caused by the battle. Miraculously though, their actual home was still intact. "Look at all this destruction. But then again, considering what went on here, it could have been a lot worse."

Grumbling, Hackmon got to his feet. "And guess who's going to have to clean all this up."

"Hush now," Hudiemon told him. "We'll make do. And also, don't you ever force me to put you in danger like that ever again."

The dragon Digimon scoffed. "Please. You know I've faced down far worse and far more powerful."

"Yes, and you died doing it."

"You know why I did it."

"That doesn't mean I have to like it."

"I did not need your permission."

"No, just my assistance."

The teens looked back and forth between the two questioningly. "Um, did we miss something?" Takato asked.

Spadamon chuckled. "Don't worry, this is an old argument that resurfaces from time to time. They won't even tell us what it's about. When it comes down to it though, Hackmon is just too selfless for his own good."

"Just as you humans seem to be," Kudamon added. However, despite the compliment, he was frowning. "And as grateful as we are to you for stopping those fiends, this puts you in great danger. You've destroyed the last of the Chaos Generals. The Demon Lords won't take this lying down."

Tai crossed his arms and sighed. "Don't worry, we've been on their hit list for a while now. This won't change anything."

But Kudamon just shook his head. "No, you don't understand. This will change things. You've taken out their most loyal and powerful soldiers. They will be coming for you. Not sending servants, but coming for you themselves, and soon."

Hackmon stopped arguing with Hudiemon to look back at the teens. "He's right. They'll be no more pretenses from them. And if they find you here, they'll kill us all. You've placed my family in terrible danger."

Kari winced. "We didn't mean to endanger your family. We'll leave right away."

"Don't be stupid!" Hackmon snapped. "You just fought two Chaos Generals. You don't have the strength to fight anyone should you come across them, let alone a Demon Lord."

The teens didn't respond. They didn't want to admit it, but they were indeed exhausted from the battle, and their Digivices would need recharging.

"It'll take some time before they learn of their losses," the dragon Digimon continued. "Stay here and rest for tonight. Tomorrow, I'll take you to someone who can bring you the rest of the way you're going. Your only hope is to take out one of the last Demon Lords before they team up. I presume you're going after Lucemon first."

Shoutmon reluctantly nodded. "Yes, his castle is the closest."

"I figured as much. It would be smarter to fight him after Daemon since he's the stronger of the two, but it doesn't seem like you have a choice in the matter any longer."

Tai's eyes narrowed. "It's not just them we're going after. Also Bagramon. Boltboutamon too."

Hackmon just snorted. "You humans really do have a death wish."

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Daemon's fist flew forward, smashing through the screen of the Monitamon he had been watching the battle take place on, destroying the braun Digimon instantly. Watching his own Chaos General get defeated had been infuriating enough, but losing UltimateChaosmon too was rage inducing as well, even if he had belonged to Lucemon.

Lucemon. The humans would likely be heading for him first. The Demon Lord of Pride was still a ways away, but he was still closer, and so the humans would be going after him. Unless Lucemon went after them first that is.

That was not something Daemon would allow. He had his own plans, plans he had been putting into motion for a long time now, and he would get the full satisfaction of what it entitled. And he intended to have these humans bear witness to it before he crushed them. Soon they would know the full extent of the Demon Lord of Wrath's power.

Rising from his throne, he began making his way through his castle. Having been observing from the shadows, Boltboutamon emerged with an amused grin on his face.

"No more Chaos Generals," he commented with a chuckle.

Daemon flicked his wrist, using his Slash Nail. Boltboutamon was sliced apart, and dissolved away. A few moments later, another Boltboutamon appeared, grinning merrily.

"How very rude," he said in mock injury. "What if that hadn't been a copy?"

The Demon Lord didn't even look back at him. "Then I'm sure you would have blocked or avoided it."

Boltboutamon raised an interested eyebrow at this before shrugging it off and flew after the Demon Lord. "So, what are you going to do about the humans now? Are you going to take Bagramon's advice?"

Daemon still didn't give him the courtesy of looking at him. "The humans will soon fall. I have my own plan in mind."

Boltboutamon's grin widened. "Involving your little experiment?"

Daemon stopped walking. He stood in place for a few moments before slowly turning to face the demon Digimon. "You know of my plan?"

Boltboutamon laughed. "In full detail. I've actually been eagerly waiting for you to put it into effect. The results are going to be quite interesting."

Daemon's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "And you've said nothing?"

Insanity blazed in Boltboutamon's eyes. "And ruin the possibilities? I wouldn't dream of it. I want to see how this turns out. In fact, I want to help. Come on, let me take part. It's sure to be fun."

The Demon Lord studied him for several long moments. He could read the excitement on Boltboutamon's face. The demon Digimon was truly eager to see Daemon's plan succeed.

Turning his back on him, Daemon humphed. "I suppose you do still have your uses."

Boltboutamon laughed. "Excellent. I can't wait to take part."

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

Tokomon X, Bun, and Copymon had begun weeping when the teens had to head out the next day. Hackmon had merely rolled his eyes and ushered the teens out the door after being repeatedly reassured by Spadamon that he would protect their family.

"So where are we going exactly?" Davis asked.

Hackmon rolled his eyes. "I told you, we're going to meet a friend of mine. She'll be able to take you to Lucemon's castle. Or at least as close as she'll dare to get."

Takato's eyebrows rose, impressed. "She must be really brave to be willing to get that close to Lucemon."

"Or foolish," Shoutmon grumbled. At the looks he received, he added, "And yes, I'm including us in the foolish category."

TK chuckled. "It'll be alright. I'm sure we'll be able to make it out of this. Then we can all… go home."

Hackmon glanced at him, studying the blonde boy curiously. TK caught him looking, but the dragon Digimon didn't turn away. He had actually been doing this quite a bit, and TK wasn't sure why.

When Hackmon finally did look away, TK leaned close to Kari and whispered, "Is there something on my face?"

Kari looked at him, seeing nothing. She was about to tell him so, but then her eyes darted to all their friends walking in front of them, and a mischievous smile crept up her face.

"Actually, you do," she whispered back. "Right here."

She pressed a quick kiss to his cheek, then pulled back. TK's eyes widened and a blush colored his face. Kari giggled at his expression, even as her own cheeks took on a red hue, and she hurried ahead.

Getting over his surprise, TK smiled and sped up to walk beside her once more. Reaching out slightly, he interlocked their pinkie fingers and continued walking next to her. The next time Hackmon glanced back at TK, his gaze drifted down to their interlocked pinkies, and he rolled his eyes once more.

"We're here," he announced, a good half hour later, and the teens came to a stop beside him. There was nothing there however, no sign of life other than some vegetation.

Tai looked around. "Um, this is where your friend lives?" He looked at the large tree a short distance away. "Is she in that tree?"

A frustrated groan escaped Hackmon, and he shook his head. "Humans." Turning to look back at the greenery, he waved a clawed hand and called out. "Hey, Ceresmon, I need a favor!"

Shoutmon inhaled deeply, drawing the teens' attention. At first nothing happened, but then something else drew their attention. The ground began to shift, rising up into the air. Whatever the creature was, it was enormous, and seemed to be made of the ground itself.

The creature turned and looked down at them. Now that it was up and about, and no longer blending in with the ground, the teens got a good look at it. Ceresmon was a giant bird, whose body seemed to be made of rock and dirt with grass growing all over her backside, including the tree Tai had referenced, which was growing out of the Digimon's back, and another one at the end of her tail made of roots.

Ceresmon let out a loud caw, and the teens took a step back. However, Hackmon just waved up at her. "Been awhile, hasn't it? You doing ok?"

Suddenly, from out of the top of Ceresmon's head, a small humanoid figure emerged, as if she had been living inside the creature's head. She leapt off and landed gracefully in front of the group, still towering over the teens with her height.

"Hackmon," she said. "It has indeed been awhile. Who are your friends?"

"More of acquaintances than friends," the dragon Digimon corrected. He glanced at the teens. "Humans, say hi to Ceresmon."

Takuya blinked, then pointed up at the giant bird. "But I thought… Then who's that?"

"Ceresmon," Shoutmon replied. "They're both Ceresmon, each a part of the same being." He motioned towards the humanoid one. "This is Ceresmon Medium. She serves as the true form and avatar of Ceresmon and conveys her will. Be respectful, she's one of the Olympos Twelve."

Tai raised an eyebrow. "Wait, she's based on one of the Olympic gods?"

Kari snapped her fingers. "Oh, like Ceres, the Roman goddess of agriculture."

Takato cocked his head to the side. "Oh, for some reason, I was thinking of Seras from Hellsing."

"You're too young for that show," Tai snapped at him. "And will you please stop thinking about anime."

Ceresmon Medium regarded them curiously. "Your friends are rather interesting, Hackmon."

"Again, more acquaintances than friends," the dragon Digimon repeated. "In any case, I need a favor. I need you to give them a ride."

The smile left Ceresmon's face, and she looked annoyed. "You dare to ask such a thing of me? I am no common Trailmon or Blimpmon. I do not transport others. You have quite some nerve to make such a request!"

The giant bird body took a step forward and screeched, making the teens wince. The last thing they wanted was a giant monstrous bird that was based on a goddess angry with them.

But Hackmon stood his ground, not even the least bit intimidated. In fact, he snapped right back at her. "Don't you get all high and mighty with me! You know I'd never ask something like that of you if it wasn't really important."

Ceresmon humphed and crossed her arms. "And where, pray tell, must these humans go so urgently that it would require me to take them there?"

Hackmon didn't miss a beat. "To Lucemon's castle."

Ceresmon fell silent, and all signs of hostility vanished. It was clear that she had not been expecting him to say that.

Slowly, she looked back at the teens and spoke in a low voice. "If they seek to end their own lives, there are far better, less unpleasant ways of going about it."

Hackmon just smirked. "You've heard the stories. You must have. You know their only chance is to strike first."

"A fool's errand if I ever heard one," the goddess Digimon replied. "It's a quest doomed to fail."

"Then let them fail and meet their horrible ends. I only ask that you take them there before the Demon Lords come for them."

The two stared at each other for several long moments before Ceresmon glanced at the teens. She studied them for a few seconds before looking back at Hackmon.

"When I say I will go no further, then I will go no further," she told him. "Not even for you."

Hackmon nodded. "It will be enough."

Raising her arms, Ceresmon rose into the air. She settled down on top of the giant bird body sinking down into its head up to her waist. "You are most bold to make such a request."

The dragon Digimon closed his eyes. "These are cruel times. We all must adapt."

The teens just stared at the scene, not quite sure what to make of it. "So… um…" Davis muttered. "Do we have a ride, or not?"

"I think so," Kari replied. "At least that's the impression I got."

Ceresmon moved closer and lowered a wing, providing them with a makeshift ramp for them to climb up. "Come, humans. If you wish to run to your deaths, then I would prefer it sooner rather then later."

"That's disheartening," Takato muttered with a nervous chuckle. "But we appreciate the help."

"Yeah, thanks a lot," said Tai. "You too, Hackmon."

The dragon Digimon gave him a serious look. "Don't thank me just yet. You may come to regret this decision."

"I'm already regretting it," Shoutmon grumbled as he began climbing up Ceresmon's wing, followed by the others.

Hackmon stepped forward. "TK, talk with me a moment. In private."

TK paused, surprised by the request, but motioned for his friends to go on without him. "I'll be there in a bit."

He received nods as the others began climbing up onto Ceresmon. Hackmon motioned for TK to follow him, and they put some distance between himself and the others so they wouldn't be overheard.

"Everything ok?" TK asked.

Hackmon was silent for several moments, seeming to try to figure out how best to say what he wanted to say. "You confuse me, TK."

The blonde boy blinked. "Um, how so?"

"You seem contradictory. Based on what I've seen and know of you, you're the most hopeful and optimistic member of your group."

Was that praise, or an insult? TK wasn't sure. It seemed to be praise, but the way Hackmon said it seemed strange.

"I guess I am," he replied awkwardly. "I know it's a long shot, but I really believe we can win."

Hackmon gave him a serious look. "Then why are you resigned to die?"

His words rang around them. TK stared, not quite sure he heard correctly. He was completely caught off guard, and wasn't sure how to respond.

"Um, what?" he finally managed to get out.

Hackmon's brows furrowed. "I can see it in your eyes. I know, because I've seen it before. Those who go through similar experiences can recognize it in others. Your optimism is sincere, but your resignation to death is present. Why?"

TK was silent for several long moments. He glanced back at his friends, before looking back at Hackmon. "You absolutely can't tell anyone, but you're right. I'm resigned to death, because I know I'm going to die. I was basically told that I wasn't going to survive the war with the Demon Lords."

Hackmon's eyes narrowed. "No one knows what the future holds. What fool told you that you were going to die?"

"AncientWisemon," TK replied simply.

Hackmon hesitated. "Alright, he does know what the future holds. But he knows everything, including all possibilities the future holds, and all the possible directions it might go in. What did he tell you exactly?"

TK sighed. "He basically said that we would run into a situation where it will be up to me to save my friends. If I don't, we all will die, but if I do…"

Hackmon nodded in understanding. "Then you will die. But only you."

TK smiled unhappily. "I mean, don't get me wrong, if there's a chance that I can somehow escape such a fate, then I'll take it, but not at the cost of my friends' lives. I don't want to die, but I'm prepared to in order to save my friends. Not just them, but the entire Digital World."

A deep sigh escaped the dragon Digimon. "It is a heavy burden, to embrace death."

TK gave him a strange look, finding Hackmon's words a little too specific. "You've gone through this too?" When Hackmon diverted his eyes, the argument between Hackmon and Hudiemon came back to him, and TK was convinced. "You have, haven't you?"

Hackmon sighed again. "It was a… necessary sacrifice, but it had to be done." He let out a small chuckle. "And who knows, if you really do save the world, you might even get a day named after you too."

TK's brows furrowed. "A day named after…? Wait, you mean Jesmas?"

Hackmon winced, and suddenly looked regretful, as if he had said too much. Pieces to a puzzle he hadn't even been aware of began clicking into place, and TK's eyes widened as he saw the whole picture in his head.

"It's you, isn't it!?" he exclaimed. "You were the Jesmon who lured the D-Reaper away and trapped it indefinitely in the deepest depths of Digimon Hell, but ended up dying because you had cornered yourself after trapping it."

Hackmon jumped up and covered TK's mouth. "You keep that bit of information to yourself! I don't want that information getting around, and I especially don't want my family to know. Only Hudiemon is aware, and she keeps quiet about it too."

TK shook his head, the movement freeing his mouth. "Ok, I won't tell. But why would you keep that a secret? You're a legend."

Hackmon hopped back down. "I didn't do it for the fame. I did it because it was what needed to be done… just as I'm sure you'll do the same."

From behind them, Davis suddenly called out. "Hey, are you two done with your heart-to-heart yet? Plane's leaving."

The giant bird cawed loudly, and Ceresmon Medium glared at the teen. "Do not call me a plane."

Davis winced. "Sorry, ma'am."

Hackmon sighed. "I wish we'd had this conversation sooner. There may have been something I could have done to make things… easier for you."

TK gave him a sad but appreciative smile. "Thanks, but I don't think there's anything that you could say. I'm still hoping for a way out, but over these past few months, I've come to accept my fate. The thought that I'll be dying so my friends will live is what helps me get by."

Hackmon nodded. "Whatever helps you get through it."

Ceresmon began shifting about impatiently. "Are you coming, or what?"

"He's coming!" Hackmon snapped. He looked back at TK and thumped his heart. "Whatever happens, kid, you have my respect. Good luck to you."

TK gave a nod of appreciation and went to join his friends, climbing up on Ceresmon and taking a seat beside Kari.

"What was that about?" she asked.

He reached out and patted her knee reassuringly. "Nothing for you to worry about."

Ceresmon pointed to the sky. "Very well then, enough wasting time. If we're making this journey, I'd prefer to get it over with as fast as possible." She sighed heavily. "Sovereigns help us."

Ceresmon spread her enormous wings and began flapping. Slowly, they rose into the air, and were soon soaring through the sky. Hackmon watched as they disappeared over the horizon before he began making his way back home.

"Poor kids," he muttered. "They really have no idea what they're getting into."

Notes:

(A/N: Well, well, this is a twist. Who would have thought that Hackmon was the one to stop the D-Reaper? Even if you knew that Hackmon was the Rookie level of Jesmon, I bet you didn't think it was him. And it looks like he was able to help our heroes one last time. But now Daemon is on the prowl, and is putting his secret plan into affect. And Boltboutamon is getting involved as well. Will our heroes even make it to Lucemon's castle? Find out next time. Remember, weekly updates now.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear or are mentioned.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Ceresmon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Ceresmon_Medium

Chapter 172: Fall Of A Demon

Notes:

(A/N: The next chapter is here. If you recall from last chapter, Daemon was starting to put his secret plan into affect. You know it's not going to be good, whatever it is. And out poor heroes don't even know he's coming. They think They're on their way to fight Lucemon. But things rarely go as planned. Things are really going t start escalating, so get ready.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 172: Fall Of A Demon

"I'm just saying," Takuya explained, "that if everyone rose up against the Demon Lords together, we should be able to take them down. The Demon Lords may be strong, but they're not strong enough to take on everyone."

Shoutmon let out an impatient sigh. "And I'm telling you that it'll never happened. You're right, the Demon Lords can't stop everyone, but they'll be able to literally wipe out thousands with a single attack. No one wants to willingly charge to their death. Each Demon Lord on their own is like an entire army that would be able to take out millions, literally millions, of Digimon before they fall. Think of it like every ant in your world tries to take down an anteater. Oh sure, I'm sure they'll be able to eventually, but how many millions or billions would die before that happens? No one wants to be one of those poor casualties, especially when they know for sure that they're not strong enough to survive if they face one, so they don't challenge them."

Tai glanced at Takuya. "I guess it's like being on the front line in a war where you're greatly outnumbered and outgunned. Even if your side will eventually win, no one wants to be in that position because they know they're going to die. No one is going to line up to die."

Takuya crossed his arms. "There have been many soldiers who died honorable deaths for their country in the Real World who would beg to differ."

Shoutmon snorted. "That's because they don't know what it's like to die. And death isn't an absolute either the way it is for you. And while pretty much every Digimon in existence has died at least once, and let me tell you, it's not fun. It's a horrific and traumatizing experience that none of us ever wants to go through again. But unlike you humans, we don't get that luxury of finding peace in death. We just start over from scratch. And let me tell you, that is not fun. Especially when we spend decades, centuries, millennia even, to get to the levels we're at."

Takato considered Shoutmon's words. "I guess I see what you're saying. And also, since death doesn't mean the same for Digimon as it does for us, it makes sense that they would have a different perspective of it. For us, death is inevitable, but for Digimon, it doesn't have to be something they experience if they can avoid it."

"I think when it comes down to it, everyone is just scared," Davis said thoughtfully. "They'd rather keep their heads down and avoid getting hurt. It's not too unlike the way a bullied victim would submit to the bully and just come to accept their fate."

"But aren't people rising up now?" Takuya asked.

Shoutmon nodded. "Yeah, against the Demon Lords' servants, not the head honchos themselves. Get rid of the problems they know they can handle to make life easier for themselves, not go charging into certain death."

A scoff escaped Ceresmon Medium as she glanced over her shoulder at them. "Interesting you would say that since you're heading for certain death." She faced forward again. "And I'm the fool who's taking you there."

Takuya threw his hands up in frustration. "All I'm saying is that wouldn't you rather try to take out the Demon Lords, even if it means your deaths, especially since you Digimon don't really die, than live indefinitely under their oppressive tyrannical rule? Ceresmon, you're super strong. Why don't you fight back?"

The goddess Digimon let out a despairing sigh. "You don't understand. It's not really even the Demon Lords' immense power that keeps everyone in check. They used their power to get to the positions they're in, but it's the terror they've unleashed during their rule that truly stops anyone from going against them. Fear is their true weapon, and they make sure everyone stays afraid so they're not challenged. And those who do find the courage to fight back are crushed so completely and so horrifically by their incredible power that everyone else, even those who also possess great power, are too afraid to try anything."

Shoutmon sighed. "She's right, that's how they do things. You humans just have the benefit and naivety to not know the true horror and extent of the Demon Lords. That and you have no choice but to fight if want to get home."

Ceresmon looked at her hands. "What you say is true. I am very strong, possibly strong enough that a single Demon Lord will struggle against me. But fighting by myself would still be suicide. And there won't be anyone who will come to my aid. The few of us who can actually cause the Demon Lords real trouble are extremely few and far between, and so they make sure we never gather together to form a true resistance."

She sounded truly remorseful, and the teens exchanged looks. "Well," said Tai, "how about now? You could help us fight Lucemon."

Ceresmon didn't respond, nor did she look back. She merely continued to stare ahead as they flew along.

"Ceresmon?" Kari asked.

She still didn't turn around, but she did finally answer. "You ask for my help?"

Takato cocked his head to the side. "Well, sure. We're about to face Lucemon. We could use all the help we can get."

Tai nodded in agreement. "What do you say?"

"Yes," an unexpected voice that did not belong to their group spoke out, "what do you say?"

Everyone turned around and looked up. Standing at the top of the tree on Ceresmon's back was the last person any of them wanted to see on their way to Lucemon's castle.

Daemon's red eyes narrowed within the eyeholes of his hood as he stared down at the teens. Then he sank into the shadows and remerged a short distance away from them.

"Isn't this cozy," he mocked. "A pleasant flight to Lucemon's castle. I'm not sure if I should feel honored that you saved me for last, or insulted."

Ceresmon turned to face. "Get off my back, you beast!"

Daemon's eyes darted towards her, and he suddenly sped over to her. His hand wrapped her neck and he lifted her into the air, tearing her Medium form from the bird's head.

"You were right about one thing," he told her, holding out his clawed hand as it began to glow with magic, "fighting me on your own is indeed suicide."

Shoutmon reached out. "Daemon, don't!"

The Demon Lord ignored him. Using his Double Dust, he punched a hole in Ceresmon Medium's stomach. The teens emitted cried of horror as Ceresmon made a pained gargled noise, and then Daemon ripped his claw upward, shredding the goddess Digimon's inside. A moment later, she dissolved away.

The giant bird body of Ceresmon screeched loudly and began to thrash about. Daemon let out a cruel laugh, repeating his attack. This time he drove his fist into the top of the bird's head, punching his way through.

"Evil Flapping!" he cried, manifesting a tornado of dark fire.

The flames consumed the giant bird body. The teens made a run for it, leaping off Ceresmon before the flames reached them.

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Omnimon Merciful Mode!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Imperialdramon Paladin Mode!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Gallantmon X!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Susanoomon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Ophanimon C!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Seraphimon!"

"Shoutmon Digivolve to… OmniShoutmon!"

One by one, they landed safely on the ground. Up above, Ceresmon burned, her giant form falling from the sky like a flaming meteor. And when she hit the ground, she erupted into a fiery explosion, sending the data scattering.

The ground began burning from Daemon's flames, and the Demon Lord responsible for the blaze landed in front of them, truly looking like a demon rising from the depths of Hell.

"You bastard!" Omnimon shouted. "You murdering bastard!"

"You have only yourselves to blame," the Demon Lord replied. "You were the ones who dragged her into this. She was perfectly fine just keeping her head down, but you forced her to rise up. All those who rise must fall."

OmniShoutmon pointed. "You see, this is what Ceresmon was talking about. Even if someone does work up the courage to fight, they make you afraid to involve anyone else."

Seraphimon's hands clenched. "You're going to pay for this! You, Lucemon, and Bagramon. Boltboutamon too."

Daemon's eyes narrowed. "Do not concern yourselves with others while I stand before you. It is a most fatal mistake."

Susanoomon stepped forward. "I think the mistake is yours. I know that I'm stronger than you. Shoutmon said I'm even stronger than Lucemon. With my friends fighting with me, you've got no chance."

Daemon stared at him blankly for several long seconds. Then his shoulders began shaking. A low chuckle began to escape him, which soon erupted into full-blown laughter, and the Demon Lord threw his head back as he laughed madly.

Imperialdramon didn't like the way Daemon was laughing, but did his best to maintain his composure. "What's so funny?"

The Demon Lord managed to get control of himself and looked back at the god Digimon. "Your naivety is utterly astounding! Is that what the so-called Digimon King told you? How nice of him to give you that little bit of information, but neglect to mention the reality of the situation."

"And what is the reality?" Ophanimon C demanded.

Daemon pointed at Suanoomon. "While it's true that at the start your friend there is stronger than either myself or Lucemon, that would be the, shall we say, default settings of our power." His hand curled into a fist. "But Lucemon and I have been absorbing data for countless millennia, growing stronger and stronger over time. The two of us are in fact much more powerful now than we were at the time of our initial Digivolution, the time Susanoomon would have been stronger than us. But now," he chuckled again, "that time has long since passed."

"Oh… crap…" Gallantmon X muttered, catching on to what the Demon Lord's was saying.

Omnimon glanced back at OmniShoutmon. "OmniShoutmon?"

The dragon Digimon hesitated. "There is… a certain level of truth to that."

Daemon laughed again. "I wouldn't want you to have any illusions of your chances, so it's time I showed you my true power. You didn't get to see it the last time we met, but it's time for you to see what you're really dealing with. Daemon Mode Change to… Daemon Beast Mode!"

It was a staggering transformation. Daemon had grown nearly three times in size. His priest robes were gone, and he now stood with the hideous appearance of a demonic ogre. He had been intimidating and unsettling before, but now everything about him screamed savagery and danger.

The DigiDestined all took a step back as they took in Daemon's new form. "Whoa, what is this?" Seraphimon exclaimed. "Was he capable of this the whole time?"

The Demon Lord chuckled. "Since long before you ever came to this world, human. What you've seen of me up until now was my Mantled form. But this is my real, true Beast form. There was simply no need to assume it before. But you see, I don't just like crushing my opponents, I like utterly breaking their spirits. And so, I want you to know the full extent of my power and accept the futility of your misguided quest before I annihilate you."

Imperialdramon pointed his sword at him. "In that case, we have no worries. If you won't kill us until we admit defeat, then we won't ever lose to you, because we'll never give up."

Daemon sneered at him. "So you say now. But you'll break eventually. They always do." He crackled his knuckles as he ran his tongue over his long sharp teeth. "I'm going to enjoy this immensely. Flame Inferno!"

He unleashed a stream of fire at the DigiDestined. The flames completely disintegrated everything in their path, leaving a deep groove behind. The DigiDestined flew up to avoid it, except for Gallantmon X, who pointed his lance at the approaching flames and used his Zeig Saber. His energy lance extended outward into a beam, meeting Daemon's flames. The fire was stopped for a brief moment before Daemon's attack pushed the beam back, forcing Gallantmon X to take to the air as well before he was incinerated.

"You're not the only one with the power of fire," Ophanimon C declared. "Volcano Napalm!"

She threw handfuls of fire that struck the ground beneath Daemon. He looked down, and a moment later, a pillar of fire rose up over him. Ophanimon C gave a small cry of triumph, but the Demon Lord casually stepped out of the flames.

"That is your idea of having control over fire?" he asked mockingly. "Allow me to show you the real thing. Chaos Flare!"

A tower of fire rose up towards Ophanimon C. She pulled back, avoiding the flames, and Daemon was suddenly there. He used his Slash Nail, lashing out with the extra-large claw on his left hand. Ophanimon C used her Unicorn Shield, but his attack shattered her barrier, and his claws shredded into her shield, the impact of the blow sending her crashing to the ground.

Daemon chuckled, but was then struck from behind by OmniShoutmon's Victorize Banking and Omnimon's Giga Fire. Daemon turned to them, and Omnimon followed up with his Fearsome Blade.

Daemon charged at them, swerving about to avoid Omnimon's whipping energy blade as the knight Digimon swung it about. He reached them, and his arm shot out, grabbing Omnimon by the face. OmniShoutmon attempted to use his Hard Rock Spirit, but Daemon reached out and grasped his face as well, then brought them both down, slamming them into the ground.

"Imperial Kick!" Imperialdramon cried, flying at the Demon Lord.

His foot collided with Daemon, sending him flying. Seraphimon flew after him, firing his Strike of the Seven Stars, then followed up by repeatedly using his Hallowed Knuckle. The first attack hit, followed by several hits from the balls of light Seraphimon punched out. Daemon did a flip, landing on his feet in a crouching position, his claws digging into the ground to stop his momentum.

As Seraphimon's balls of light continued to explode against him, Daemon charged forward, laughing. He jumped up, doing a flip in the air over the angel Digimon's head, sneering down at him as he passed over, and lashed out with his Slash Nail, his claws shredding through Seraphimon's helmet, exposing traces of his face beneath it. But Daemon spent no further time on him as he spread his wings and flew at Imperialdramon.

"Hammer Knuckle!" he cried, and brought his balled fists down on the dragon Digimon's head.

Imperialdramon's upper body practically dropped downwards as the blow forced him to do a half flip, his legs shooting straight up into the air, and the dragon Digimon shot to the ground.

Susanoomon hovered in the air a distance away. "I've had enough of Demon Lords. ZERO-ARMS: Orochi!"

His giant sword-cannon appeared, and he aimed it at Daemon. Red and blue spheres of energy appeared at the end and came together as Susanoomon prepared to fire. The Demon Lord turned to him, then quickly flew at the god Digimon, his fist glowing with magic.

"Double Dust!" he cried, punching outward.

His fists slammed into the end of the Orochi, breaking it apart as the Demon Lord punched his way through the length of the weapon, and his fists slammed into Susanoomon's face, knocking him back. Daemon went on a rampage, savagely slashing with his Slash Nail again and again, his claws slicing at Susanoomon all over.

"Texture Blow!" Susanoomon managed to cry, throwing a punch as pixilated data swirled around his fist.

Daemon caught his fist, the pixilation failing, and used his Flame Inferno, the stream of fire he unleashed flowing over Susanoomon and carrying him off. Daemon hovered in the air, laughing, then caught something out of the corner of his eye and pulled back as Gallantmon X's energy lance extended from his Zeig Saber, grazing the side of Daemon's body.

Turning to him, Daemon used his Flame Inferno, shooting more fire. Gallantmon X flew up to avoid it until he was level with Daemon and aimed his shield at him.

"Final Elysion!" the knight Digimon cried, firing a beam from his shield.

Daemon brought up his hands to cover his face as the beam flowed over him. Gallantmon X fired with everything he had, but soon noticed a silhouette moving through his beam towards him. Daemon suddenly burst out of Gallantmon X's beam, right in front of him, and used his Slash Nail. Gallantmon X stopped firing and raised his shield higher to block. Daemon's claws tore clear through the shield before knocking it away. Then Daemon used his Double Dust to knock Gallantmon X away.

Omnimon, Ophanimon C, and OmniShoutmon rose up around Daemon, surrounding him. The Demon Lord considered them for a moment before grinning and spreading his wings. "Evil Flapping!"

A tornado of fire appeared around him and began to flow outward. Ophanimon C launched her own flames at the fiery tornado, but they seemed to be absorbed into it. OmniShoutmon used his Heavy Metal Vulcan, but Daemon's flames went over, around, and under the flaming barrier he created before absorbing them as well.

Omnimon tried a different tactic. Using his Fearsome Blade, he sliced the fiery tornado open. Daemon glanced at him from inside as Omnimon aimed his cannon at him through the opening. Daemon suddenly shot out of the fire tornado and appeared in front of Omnimon, raising his clawed hand to strike.

Omnimon adjusted the position of his cannon slightly and fired. Daemon was blasted back, and Omnimon used his Inferno, firing repeatedly before pointing his sword at him as well and using his Double Torrent, shooting blasts of fire and ice from both hands.

"Omni Core Fusion!" OmniShoutmon cried.

"Shining Laser III!" Ophanimon C cried.

Their attacks hit Daemon as well, and the Demon Lord recoiled. He seemed to be in pain, but then a snicker escaped him, and he rose back up to his full height. "Chaos Flare!"

Towers of fire rose up beneath the three DigiDestined. Omnimon fired his Cross-Counter down into the rising flames, but not even his countering move helped as it merely caused an explosion that sent him flying. Ophanimon C used her Unicorn Shield to defend herself. She deflected a portion of the flames before her barrier shattered and the fire overtook her. OmniShoutmon had been luckier, using his Omni Torpedo for an extra boost in speed to avoid the flames.

Daemon sped after him, and it didn't take him long to catch up. He flew above the dragon Digimon, using his Hammer Knuckle, bringing his balled fists down on OmniShoutmon's back, sending him crashing to the ground. Daemon landed beside him, then reached down and grasped OmniShoutmon by the top of his head, lifting him into the air.

"Would you like to feel what Ceresmon felt before she died?" he asked mockingly.

He held out his other hand, and it began to glow with magic. Daemon sneered and made to attack, but was suddenly struck from behind by Seraphimon's Strike of the Seven Stars. He dropped OmniShoutmon and turned to the angel Digimon, just as Seraphimon brought lightning down on him with his Hallowed Ascension.

"It makes me sick to think my data shares any semblance of your code," Seraphimon growled. "To think that you were once a Seraphimon too."

Daemon was smoking from the angel Digimon's attack, but then he just grinned. "I know, it's hard to imagine that I was ever so weak. Flame Inferno!"

"Strike of the Seven Stars!"

The attacks collided and exploded. Daemon's attack was stronger, and the explosion moved in Seraphimon's direction, blasting him off his feet. Sneering, Daemon turned back to OmniShoutmon. This time though, he lifted his foot and brought it down on the dragon Digimon's back, making him cry out.

"Any time you fools want the pain to end, all you have to do is tell me," he taunted as he dug his heel in. "If you beg for death, I might even make it painless." He hesitated before grinning. "Well, maybe I won't drag it out too long at least."

"Glory Thunder!"

A bolt of lightning struck Daemon, and he stumbled off OmniShoutmon before turning to his attacker. A badly burned Susanoomon was making his way over to them.

"I thought we told you from the beginning," the god Digimon told him. "We won't ever give up. Purification!"

He healed his injuries, then rose to his full height as he stared the Demon Lord down. Daemon turned to face him, holding out his arms welcomingly. "Come then, little human. Show me how long your resolve will last. I do so love breaking my prey."

With a battle cry, Susanoomon charged at him. Using his Fist of the Gods, he began throwing a flurry of punches at the Demon Lord. Daemon backed away, dodging and blocking as the punches came at him, but he was smiling all the while.

"Royal Slash!" Susanoomon cried, slashing at Daemon with holy fire.

The Demon Lord pulled back, avoiding the strike, and took to the air. Susanoomon manifested his sword and flew after him. As he approached, Daemon sent a stream of fire at him. Susanoomon avoided it and swiped his sword at Daemon, who dodged and shot more fire at him as Susanoomon moved to avoid it.

Seraphimon struggled to get to his feet, and his friends came over to help him stand. He took in their battered appearances and reluctantly admitted that this wasn't looking good for them.

"Well, we've looked better," he tried to joke. "Perfect Revival! Final Heal!"

He healed his friends, then himself.

"Thanks for the heal," said Gallantmon X, "but next time don't bother with me; I have my own self-healing ability; should have mentioned that."

They all looked up as Daemon proceeded to shoot streams of fire at Susanoomon while the god Digimon would fly in and attempt to slash or stab the Demon Lord with his sword before putting some distance between the two again.

"Hey, OmniShoutmon," said Gallantmon X, "is what he said really true? You told us that Susanoomon is, by default, even stronger than Lucemon, but have the Demon Lords become too powerful for even him?"

The dragon Digimon closed his eyes and sighed. "Unfortunately, it is. Had both their previous forms Digivolved into Lucemon and Susanoomon at the same time, then yes, Susanoomon would have been stronger, but the Demon Lords have absorbed so much data since they rose to power that they've all greatly surpassed him."

"Then why were you so happy and relieved when Takuya first became Susanoomon?" Imperialdramon demanded. "You almost made it sound like we could win."

OmniShoutmon gave him a serious look. "Because in that moment, I had real hope. I believed that we could win." He looked up at Daemon. "And I still believe that."

Omnimon watched the battle as well. "Then if you have any advice, we'd sure appreciate it."

The dragon Digimon considered this. "Well, this may be helpful. I'm sure you've already figured this out, but Daemon really enjoys breaking his opponents' spirits. He'll try not to kill them if he can help it until he utterly crushes them."

Behind his helmet, Seraphimon's eyes narrowed. "Yeah, I had noticed that."

Imperialdramon swiped his sword through the air. "So basically, we don't need to worry about dying so much because he'll try not to kill us until he breaks us. Good to know. Now let's get him."

He led the charge, and the others followed. Susanoomon was in the process of rushing at Daemon again, swinging his sword. The Demon Lord countered with his Slash Nail. His claw collided with Susanoomon's sword, and the blade shattered. The god Digimon inhaled sharply as shards of his broken sword flew past him. Daemon laughed and moved to strike again, only to be blasted and carried off by Imperialdramon's Super Positron Laser.

He turned around as the beam pushed him along. Resisting the beam, he turned around as the DigiDestined came at him. Omnimon fired his Graceful Cannon, firing a cutting beam. Daemon pulled out of Imperialdramon's attack as Omnimon's came at him, the beam actually managing to cut him.

"Royal Saber!"

"Air Sefirot Crystal!"

"Justice Genome! Hallowed Knuckle!"

"Twin Fireball Strike!"

The attacks struck Daemon one after the other. Daemon was jolted back with each hit, but in the end, he just ended up laughing. He held up a hand, and it began glowing with dark magic, then made to attack the DigiDestined.

He was cut off as a stream of lightning in the shape of a dragon came down from the sky. It was joined by several others as Susanoomon unleashed his Heaven's Thunder, the dragons of electricity coiling around the Demon Lord.

"Double Torrent!"

"Hyper Prominence!"

"Final Elysion!"

"Holy Destroy!"

"Strike of the Seven Stars!"

"Flame Cannon!"

The attacks simultaneously collided with the Demon Lord as he was held in place by the electric dragons, becoming obscured by a cloud of smoke from the blasts.

"I always hate this waiting part," Imperialdramon grumbled. "Wish we could just keep blasting until we were sure he's been defeated."

"No choice if we can't see our target," Omnimon replied. "We don't want to waste energy attacking someone who isn't there, or missing the target because they're hidden by smoke."

Gallantmon X scoffed. "I don't know why we bother. Whenever the smoke clears, whoever we're facing is always still alive."

"Evil Flapping!"

A tornado of fire erupted from the cloud of smoke and flowed outward, causing the electric dragons to disperse as the flames flew towards the DigiDestined. Gallantmon X pulled back. "See, what'd I tell you!"

"Hit the flames!" OmniShoutmon shouted. "Hard Rock Spirit!"

"Cross-Counter!"

"Giga Crusher!"

"Zeig Saber!"

"Glory Thunder!"

"Call Dramon!"

"Strike of the Seven Stars!"

The attacks tore a hole in the vortex of fire coming at them, providing an opening for them to stay in as the attack passed them by. Daemon hovered in the center of the fire tornado, laughing as he looked at the DigiDestined.

"Have you yet realized the folly of your pathetic quest?" the Demon Lord asked. "You must know that you have no chance. It just took all of you to deflect a portion of my attack." He sneered at them. "Tell you what, let's make this interesting. Whichever one of you surrenders to me first, I'll give you the option of either dying last, painlessly, or choosing which one of your friends I will kill last, but you will suffer a most horrible death. If you surrender as a group, then I'll do you the courtesy of letting you all die together. I'll even make it quick."

Despite Daemon's cruel ultimatum, Seraphimon couldn't help but to let out a laugh. This earned him confused looks from his friends and a raised eyebrow from the Demon Lord.

"And what may I ask is so funny?" Daemon asked. "Has the thought of facing your doom addled your brain?"

Seraphimon shook his head. "I don't mean to laugh. And no, it's not funny at all. I just find your antics to be, well, pretty pathetic."

A growl escaped the Demon Lord. "Pathetic? In what way?"

The angel Digimon shook his head again. "It's just like OmniShoutmon said. You don't just want to defeat your opponents; you want to destroy them completely. You can't be satisfied otherwise, can you? It's like some compulsive need to validate yourself. You can't bring yourself to kill us unless you know that you've completely crushed our spirits."

Daemon's eyes narrowed. "You think I can't kill you?"

"Oh, I'm sure you can, it's just that you won't. You want us to admit defeat first."

"Yeah, he's right," Imperialdramon declared. "You want it so much that you'll let this battle drag on until you get what you want. And that's going to give us the chance we need to defeat you."

Daemon stared at them for several long moments. Then he began to emit a chuckle that evolved into full-blown laughter. "You foolish humans. You actually think you have any kind of chance against me? This whole thing has been nothing but a source of entertainment for me. I have yet to truly get serious." He sneered. "But perhaps it's time I stopped fooling around and showed you what I've actually got up my sleeves."

He snapped his fingers, and a large portal opened behind him. From it emerged a large hideous creature that looked like some strange demonic combination between an insect and an alien creature one would expect to see in a Science Fiction movie. Daemon let out a chuckle as OmniShoutmon sputtered at the sight of it.

"Yes," Daemon replied. "You know exactly who this is, don't you, OmniShoutmon? And you know exactly what he's capable of. Why don't you enlighten your ignorant friends."

Ophanimon C glanced at the dragon Digimon, who did indeed look incredibly nervous. "You're about to give us some really bad news, aren't you?"

OmniShoutmon couldn't tear his eyes away from the newcomer. "You have no idea. That's Arcadiamon Ultimate, the Ultimate level of Arcadiamon."

"The Ultimate level?" said Susanoomon. "Does that mean…?"

OmniShoutmon nodded. "His name doesn't change when he Digivolves, possibly because he has no will of his own."

"No will?" Gallantmon X repeated. "Then he can't be that much of a threat."

This time the dragon Digimon shook his head. "You're wrong. Arcadiamon is one of those rare, unique Digimon whose power is massively greater than what it should be for the level he's at. At the In-Training level alone, he's already stronger than Piedmon."

Imperialdramon's eyes widened. "Bull! No one can be that strong that early on!"

Daemon chuckled. "Ah, but he is. And I should know; I was the one who created him."

Omnimon inhaled deeply. "You created…?"

"Indeed. And it took such a long time. His Baby form is standard, but it took over a 1,000 years to get him to Arcadiamon In-Training, so you could imagine how long it took to get him to the Ultimate level."

"With as strong as he is, no kidding," Gallantmon X muttered.

"And getting him to Digivolve was no easy feat either," Daemon continued. "It takes an unbelievably tremendous amount of data for each of his Digivolutions. Fortunately, Arcadiamon has the ability to completely absorb other Digimon and use their power in order to become stronger and Digivolve. A far more effective method than having to constantly destroy other Digimon and gaining the measly amount of strength one would get by absorbing the data they leave behind."

Arcadiamon moved in closer, coming to stand behind Daemon. His claws were twitching, as if eager to bury themselves into something. He looked ready to dive into battle at any moment.

"Even so," said Daemon, "it still took me ages to get him to the level he's at now. But with Arcadiamon, nothing will stand in my way." He raised a hand. "Now, Arcadiamon, give them a taste of you power!"

Arcadiamon turned his attention to the DigiDestined. "Dot Matrix!"

He fired a beam. The DigiDestined scattered, and the beam struck the ground. The energy from the beam spread across the ground, lighting it up, before it suddenly broke down into a puddle of Fractal Code, from which a series of 1s and 0s floated out of and into the air before disappearing. The puddle of Fractal Code faded away soon after, leaving a large crater in its place.

"Yikes, that doesn't look like it will be much fun," Gallantmon X muttered.

Daemon laughed. "This is merely the tip of the iceberg. Arcadiamon, attack!"

The bewitching beast Digimon made a strange sound as several tentacles suddenly protruded from his body. "Freeze Tentacles!"

His tentacles flew out. Omnimon, Gallantmon X, and Susanoomon dodged the ones that came at them while Ophanimon C used her Unicorn Shield. She couldn't get her defenses up fast enough in time, and the tentacles penetrated the barrier that manifested and struck her actual shield. A moment later, her shield turned to ice.

Imperialdramon experienced something similar as he swiped at the tentacle that came at him. He severed it, but upon bringing his sword in contact with the tentacle, a portion of his blade turned to ice. "Don't touch these tentacles!"

"Wasn't planning on it," OmniShoutmon declared. "Heavy Metal Vulcan!"

His wall of fire appeared as a tentacle came at him. Somehow though, the wall of flames that made up his barrier also turned to ice, and then shattered as the tentacle worked its way through, forcing OmniShoutmon to dodge.

"These things can even freeze fire!?" Seraphimon exclaimed. He looked at the tentacle that came at him. "Then let's try lightning. Hallowed Ascension!"

He summoned down lightning that struck the tentacles, and they retracted back to Arcadiamon. Daemon just laughed, apparently pleased with the display he had seen.

"Do you see?" he taunted. "With Arcadiamon by my side, I can't be stopped. You were already doomed to fail when it was just me, but now that I have Arcadiamon you don't stand a chance. However, I'll give you one final chance to-"

"If you're about to tell us to surrender to you, then you can forget it," said Imperialdramon. "It doesn't matter what we're up against, we won't give up. We humans are stubborn that way."

Daemon's grin widened. "Then it's time you saw what Arcadiamon and I are truly capable of." He raised his hand. "Arcadiamon, attack!"

The bewitching beast Digimon's tentacles emerged once more. Using his Tentacle Freeze, he lashed out with them. The DigiDestined got ready for a second assault, but it never came. Instead, Daemon's battle cry turned into a howl of pain as Arcadiamon's tentacle stabbed him in the back.

Shocked gasps escaped the DigiDestined as they watched the Demon Lord begin to freeze. His cried soon died out as he completely iced over and was frozen solid.

"What! The! Hell!?" Gallantmon X exclaimed.

Seraphimon would have rubbed his eyes had they not been behind his helmet. "Did Arcadiamon just attack Daemon?"

"Hell yeah he did," said Imperialdramon. "Attack nothing, he completely put the guy on ice."

"And so easily too," Susanoomon noted uneasily. "After how much we struggled with him, Arcadiamon does it just like that."

Ophanimon C's eyes narrowed behind her helmet. "Well, OmniShoutmon said he had no will of his own. Daemon didn't exactly tell him who to attack, so he just went after the one closest to him."

"So what now?" Omnimon wondered out loud.

Arcadiamon seemed to have an idea about that. Brandishing his claws, he buried them into the ice sculpture he had reduced Daemon to, and lifted the Demon Lord into the air. "Dot Matrix!"

He fired a beam, and Daemon's entire body began to convert into a mass of Fractal Code as a series of 1s and 0s began floating out of him. Instead of disappearing though, the 1s and 0s began floating into Arcadiamon's body, while at the same time, the Fractal Code that Daemon had been converted into began to be drawn into the bewitching beast Digimon's claws.

OmniShoutmon, who had been staring at the scene in open shock, suddenly snapped out of his stupor. "Great Sovereigns, no!"

But it was too late to do anything about it as Arcadiamon absorbed the last of Daemon, and was now coiling in on himself.

"Did he…?" Gallantmon X began. "Did he just absorb Daemon?"

OmniShoutmon's fists clenched. "He… He did. And it wasn't like gaining a mere power boost by absorbing his data. He absorbed Daemon himself. He now has all of his power."

A nervous bead of sweat ran down Susanoomon's head. "And what exactly does that mean?"

In answer to his question, Arcadiamon began to glow. "Arcadiamon Mega Digivolve to… Arcadiamon Mega!"

OmniShoutmon's eyes narrowed as the light began to fade. "That. It means that."

Notes:

(A/N: Ok, so, good news and bad news. Good news is that Daemon is gone. Bad news, his secret weapon that turned against him now has all of his power. I know that may have seemed sudden, but this was always the plan. And if you don't know, I really can't stress enough of ridiculously OP Arcadiamon is. And now our heroes need to face him. This does not bode well for them. Stay tuned to see what happens next.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear or are mentioned.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Daemon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Arcadiamon_(Ultimate)

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Arcadiamon_(Rookie)

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Arcadiamon_(disambiguation)

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Arcadiamon_(In-Training)

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Arcadiamon_(Mega)

Chapter 173: A Digimental Disaster

Notes:

(A/N: Last time on Digimon AU, Daemon unleashed his secret weapon Arcadiamon on our heroes. But after a fierce battle, Arcadiamon suddenly turned on his master, absorbing the Demon Lord. In a devastating twist, Arcadiamon used the new power to Digivolve to the Mega level. Now our heroes face down and even greater threat than ever. Will they survive? Find out now. LOL, sorry, I couldn't resist doing a "professional" recap. Enjoy the next chapter.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 173: A Digimental Disaster

The Mega level form of Arcadiamon was just as monstrous as his Ultimate, only more frightening and fierce looking. The bewitching beast Digimon threw back its head and roared loudly as the DigiDestined looked on in growing horror.

"Ok, so this might actually be a good thing," Imperialdramon tried to reason. "We now have one guy to deal with instead of two."

"Yeah," Gallantmon X grumbled, "only the guy was already strong enough to defeat Daemon, then he absorbed Daemon and gained his power, then he Digivolved."

The dragon Digimon sweat-dropped. "I'm not saying the situation's not bad, but at least now we can gang up on him. And OmniShoutmon, you did say he has no will of his own, right?"

His fellow dragon Digimon nodded. "He doesn't have any actual thoughts. He just runs almost entirely on pure instinct, acting out his programming without thought or conscious."

"Well, that has to be advantageous for us," said Susanoomon. "If he can't really think, then he'll just attack wildly while we can work together and strategize."

"Yeah," OmniShoutmon mumbled sarcastically. "Only it's believed that Arcadiamon at the Mega level is the greatest threat to the Digital World, so he must never be, yet here he is."

Omnimon swiped his sword through the air, getting ready for battle. "Then we'll just have to stop him before that threat occurs."

Arcadiamon turned his attention to them, and Gallantmon X held up his shield. "Heads up, guys, I think he's about to rain something threatening down on us right now."

"Dot Matrix!" Arcadiamon cried.

The attack may have had the same name as his previous one, but it was clearly an upgrade. It was also invisible, as the beam he fired was completely unseen. Fortunately, the DigiDestined had already fled out of the attack's path. The area it struck was reduced to Fractal Code, which then traveled down the length of the invisible beam and into the bewitching beast Digimon.

"Watch out for that," OmniShoutmon told them. "Not only can't you see his attack, it'll take a chunk of your data that Arcadiamon will be able to use to restore himself with."

"Kind of like Leech Seed or Mega Drain," Gallantmon X noted.

"Takato!" Susanoomon snapped, using his real name. "No Pokemon references right now!"

"Exile Spear!" Arcadiamon cried, turning his hand into extendable spears, and the bewitching beast Digimon flung them at the DigiDestined.

"Well, at least we can see those," Ophanimon C exclaimed before batting away the spear that came at her with her javelin.

The spear tentacles were knocked away, but they soon doubled back and came at her again. She used her Unicorn Shield, producing a barrier, and the spears stabbed into it, bouncing right off. They kept coming though, repeatedly stabbing into the barrier in an attempt to break through.

Her gaze shifted to her friends, and she saw them doing their best to avoid getting impaled as well, either by flying all about to avoid them, or batting them away with their weapons. OmniShoutmon used his Doom Drillpress, and began spinning around while kicking out, slicing the spear-tentacles that came at him. Imperialdramon, being so large, was having a particularly hard time as he resorted to swinging his sword at the tentacles. At one point though, they coiled around his sword, attempting to yank it out of his hands, and he was forced to abandon it in order to avoid more that came flying at him.

"Zeig Saber!" Gallantmon X shouted, extending his energy lance. He used it to knock away the tentacles that came for Imperialdramon that he wasn't able to get to in time due to his large size, then had to quickly turn his attack on the ones coming at him.

As Seraphimon and Susanoomon proceeded to avoid the flying spear-tentacles, Omnimon was using both his sword and cannon to keep the ones coming at him away. As he did so, he couldn't help but notice how Ophanimon C's barrier was beginning to crack until, finally, it shattered.

"Ophanimon!" he shouted, and flew towards her.

He pulled back though as he watched her wrap a cocoon of fire around herself, and then sent it flowing outward, incinerating the spear-tentacles about to stab her. He let out a sigh of relief, but it was short-lived as new spears sprouted at the end of the tentacles, just like they had for the ones he and the others had severed.

Turning around, he saw more coming for him, and his eyes narrowed. "Enough of this. Fearsome Blade!"

He lashed out with his energy blade whip, clearing a path as he diced the tentacles to pieces, then flew at Arcadiamon, circling around him and taking aim with his cannon.

"Graceful Cannon!" he cried, firing a cutting energy beam.

The bewitching beast Digimon had been standing with his arms held out, his fingers having extended into the tentacles, attacking everyone. Omnimon's attack had cut both hands clean off, severing them at the wrists, and Arcadiamon's hands and all the tentacles burst into data. The bewitching beast Digimon barely reacted and simply looked at his new stumps, almost curiously.

"Nice one," said Seraphimon, and flew directly at Arcadiamon. Gallantmon did the same beside him, and they both grabbed hold of the bewitching beast Digimon.

"Good job, guys," Susanoomon told them, and produced his ZERO-ARMS: Orochi. "Now hold him there. Celestial Blade!"

The giant sword of light emerged, and Susanoomon swung it, wary of the angel and knight Digimon holding his target. Before he could land a hit, however, Arcadiamon looked at him and used his Dot Matrix. Susanoomon couldn't see the beam coming, but his ZERO-ARMS: Orochi converted into Fractal Code, the giant sword of light disappearing, and it traveled down into Arcadiamon. The bewitching beast Digimon's hands regenerated, and he burst free of Seraphimon and Gallantmon X's hold.

Turning around, he fired his Dot Matrix attack at Seraphimon. Gallantmon X quickly shoved him out of the way, holding up his shield to block the invisible attack. His shield was reduced to Fractal Code, and Arcadiamon absorbed it.

"What are you doing!?" OmniShoutmon bellowed. "Did you not hear what I said Arcadiamon's attack does!?"

"That doesn't make things any easier," Gallantmon X snapped back. "Royal Saber!"

He flung a lightning blast from his lance at Arcadiamon. Seraphimon flew up from behind him and fired his Strike of the Seven Stars. The bewitching beast Digimon stumbled back from the blast, and Susanoomon flew in, delivering a flurry of punches to his back with his Fist of the Gods.

Arcadiamon jolted back as the punches rained against him. Susanoomon kept up the assault, not giving the bewitching beast Digimon a moment to breathe. But then, amongst the onslaught of punches, Arcadiamon used his Exile Spear, and several spears pierced Susanoomon's body. He grunted in pain and stopped punching, looking down at the spears buried in his body.

"Should have seen that coming," he grunted out.

Arcadiamon brought him closer, and Susanoomon knew what was about to happen.

"Dot Mat-"

"Victorize Banking!" OmniShoutmon cried, blasting the bewitching beast Digimon in the face, preventing him from attacking.

"Thanks for that," Susanoomon muttered. "Royal Slash!"

He slashed at his impalements with holy fire, cutting through Arcadiamon's spears, and pulled away. Arcadiamon recovered from OmniShoutmon's attack and began firing his Dot Matrix. Susanoomon flew about wildly as he put distance between himself and Arcadiamon since he couldn't see the bewitching beast Digimon's attacks, and fragments of the land dissolved away where Arcadiamon's invisible beam struck. The DigiDestined rushed to Susanoomon's aid as they helped him get away.

"Those look bad," Gallantmon X noted as he saw the holes in Susanoomon's body from the impalements.

"It's fine," Susanoomon replied. "Just give me a second. Purification!"

Healing light danced over him, and his injuries healed. The DigiDestined emitted sighs of relief, then turned back to Arcadiamon.

"This guy really is a problem," Imperialdramon growled. "Why, out of all the Digimon he could have absorbed, did it have to be Daemon?"

Laughter greeted them, and the DigiDestined looked away from Arcadiamon to find an even less appealing sight. Boltboutamon was hovering upside down in the air as he watched them.

"Well, for one thing," he said with a chuckle, "it certainly makes for good entertainment."

"Oh no," Ophanimon C groaned. "What are you doing here?"

"Come to ambush us while we're engaged in battle?" Omnimon demanded.

Grinning, Boltboutamon rotated so he was right-side up, waving his arms. "Nothing of the sort. I was simply enjoying the show. Like I said, it's good entertainment."

"Bull!" Gallantmon X snapped, pointing his lance at the demon Digimon. "You're up to something. You always are."

Boltboutamon sighed. "Oh, very well, you caught me. I was given a job to do. I was supposed to do it right away, but I got a little distracted by your fight. Guess I should get to it though."

He waved his hand, and an unusual object appeared in it. It seemed that Boltboutamon expected them, or at least OmniShoutmon, to know what it was, as he grinned widely as he held it up.

"You do know what this is, right?" he asked tauntingly.

OmniShoutmon's eyes narrowed. "It's a Digimental. The Digi-Egg of Darkness. What of it? It's useless to you."

The demon Digimon's grin widened. "Correct on all accounts. It is useless to me." He chuckled. "But there's someone it's not useless to."

A portal opened above him, and he tossed the Digimental up into it. A second portal opened above Arcadiamon, and the Digimental fell out of it, and the bewitching beast Digimon snatched it out of the air.

OmniShoutmon looked back and forth between Arcadiamon and Boltboutamon. At first he appeared to be confused, but then his eyes grew wider and wider with each turn of his head. "Are you completely insane!?"

Boltboutamon snickered. "I thought we had established that long ago."

"This isn't funny. Do you have any what you're doing?"

Mockingly, the demon Digimon tapped his chin as he pretended to think. "Well, if I had to wage a guess, I'd say I'm dooming the Digital World. But don't get angry with me. As I said, I'm simply following Daemon's orders, even if I was supposed to act sooner than this."

Arcadiamon held up the Digimental. It glowed with power, and the light erupted from it, flowing cover the bewitching beast Digimon. "Arcadiamon Armor Digivolve to… Arcadiamon Ultra!"

Boltboutamon's grin widened to an impossible length and a chuckle escaped him as he watched the Digivolution. "Yes, truly beautiful."

The DigiDestined, however, looked on in horror. It wasn't the giant dark blue monstrous form that Arcadiamon had taken on that set their nerves on edge, as they had seen countless horrific Digimon thus far. No, what really unnerved them was the level Arcadiamon spoke of when he Digivolved.

"Ultra?" said Seraphimon. "Did he say Ultra? Please tell me I heard that wrong."

"OmniShoutmon," Omnimon practically pleaded, "is he really an Ultra like Chronomon, or just as stronger Mega?"

He didn't know why he was asking, he already knew the truth. But when OmniShoutmon didn't respond, Boltboutamon just laughed. "You're in denial, but deep down, you know the truth. Now, if Arcadiamon at the Mega level was to be the greatest threat to ever befall the Digital World, then I wonder what him at the Ultra level will be like."

OmniShoutmon turned back to him. "Victorize Banking!"

The V-shaped bolt struck Boltboutamon, and he shattered apart, his upper body completely separating from his lower body.

"Oh, who could have seen that coming," the demon Digimon mocked as he dissolved away.

OmniShoutmon turned back to Arcadiamon, who the others had been unable to take their eyes off of. The giant bewitching beast Digimon hovered in the air, looking very much like a parasitic jellyfish monstrosity. It was a rather unsettling sight, but not as unsettling as the tremendous power they knew he possessed.

"What do we do now?" Ophanimon C asked.

"Nothing's changed," said Seraphimon. "We still need to stop him. Justice Genome!"

"Yes," Susanoomon agreed. "He's still an enemy we need to take down, so let's do it. Gladiator!"

Gallantmon X glanced at them. "Why can't we all have an ability that makes us stronger?"

Susanoomon looked at him. "I could use my Overwrite on you."

"I meant in a way that doesn't make us dangerously violent."

"Cry about it later," said Imperialdramon. "We've got more important things to worry about. Giga Crusher!"

The attack exploded against Arcadiamon, and he jolted back, but didn't even go down.

"That can't be good," Ophanimon C muttered.

"God Matrix!" Arcadiamon cried.

He fired beams from his eyes. This time the attack was visible. Imperialdramon held up his arms on reflex, and the beams struck his cannon. The weapon began to glow, then dissolved into a series of 1s and 0s that faded away, not even leaving any traces of data.

"We're losing all our weapons and shields!" Gallantmon X exclaimed. He knew they could always manifest replacements, but that would take energy that they didn't have to spare right now.

"Not all," said Omnimon, pointing his cannon. "Graceful Cannon!"

He fired a cutting beam, dragging it over Arcadiamon's body. A deep gash appeared over the area of Arcadiamon's body where the beam touched, but the wounds soon knitted themselves shut.

"Hey, what's up with that!?" Imperialdramon exclaimed. "How'd he heal like that?"

"When one possesses enough data, they can convert it to heal injuries," OmniShoutmon told them. "And after absorbing Daemon, Arcadiamon has a lot of data to spare."

"Dystopia Lance!"

What served as Arcadiamon's limbs stretched outward, and his countless number of purple tentacles began to wiggle. Then they exploded outward, stretching out in all different directions, and flew at the DigiDestined.

"Heads up!" Seraphimon cried. "Hallowed Ascension!"

Lightning came down, striking the several dozen tentacles that were coming at him. The tentacles writhed about as they were shocked, but then immediately went after him again, stabbing into his armor and bringing him to the ground.

"Seraphimon!" Ophanimon C shouted, but didn't have time to go to him as a number of tentacles also came at her. She retaliated by sending her flames outward and wrapped them around herself protectively. The tentacles burned up upon touching the flames, but new ones grew in their place and tried again the process repeating.

"Zeig Saber!"

"Fearsome Blade!"

Gallantmon X's energy lance extended far outward, and he began waving it about, disintegrating the tentacles coming at him. Next to him, Omnimon whipped about his energy blade, cutting through the serpentine appendages. But new tentacles grew from the ends of the old ones in an unending cycle, preventing either of the knight Digimon from taking action further.

"This is just like before, only worse," Gallantmon X grumbled.

"I'm aware," Omnimon growled back. "Just keep it up."

Not too far off, OmniShoutmon was locked in a kind of dance as he used his Doom Drillpress, cutting away at the tentacles coming at him. But like Omnimon and Gallantmon X, he had the same problem with the tentacles constantly growing back. Imperialdramon was facing the same dilemma as he hacked away with both his Omni Sword and Splendor Blade, but it wasn't long before he was overwhelmed, and several of the tentacles stabbed into him and began coiling around him.

"We can't stop him like this," Susanoomon declared as he flew about, trying to avoid the source. "We'll have to go for the source. Celestial Blade!"

He manifested his ZERO-ARMS: Orochi as he continued to avoid the tentacles. As he spun around, the holy blade burst from his weapon, cutting through the air. The tentacles that had previously been going after him suddenly went after the blade instead. Several were cut off, but enough wrapped around the blade to stop it before it could reach Arcadiamon.

Susanoomon struggled to push the blade, but the tentacles held it firmly as several more flew towards the god Digimon. Seeing them coming, he gave up on his blade. "Alright, plan B. ZERO-ARMS: Orochi!"

The blade vanished, and two spheres of energy appeared at the end of the weapon that came together and fired. Arcadiamon jolted back as an explosion consumed him, causing several tentacles to go off course.

"Heaven's Thunder!" Susanoomon cried, bring down lightning in the streaming forms of dragons that coiled around the bewitching beast Digimon.

It paid off very little, as Arcadiamon broke free of his confines and sent numerous tentacles at Susanoomon, and they coiled around him. They held him in place as several more flew forward to stab him.

"Heavenly Wings Beheading!" Susanoomon cried, and split into the 10 Legendary Warriors to avoid the stabbing tentacles and escape the ones that bound him. Each of the Warriors wielded a sword that they slashed at the tentacles with before they formed Susanoomon.

This had little to no payoff, as the tentacles' severed ends simply grew back and went after Susanoomon again.

"Damn it," the god Digimon growled in frustration, "that did nothing."

Ophanimon C continued to circulate her flames around herself, but couldn't keep it up indefinitely, and her fire barrier began to flicker. Tentacles began to slip through as small openings appeared, only to be burned away as the flames reignited, but it would only be a matter of time.

Down on the ground, pinned down by his impalements, Seraphimon realized this and struggled harder to get free so he could get to Ophanimon C, even as the tentacles impaling him buried in even deeper.

"Damn it, let me go!" he shouted. "Hallowed Ascension!"

He brought the lightning down on himself. The tentacles impaling him wriggled about as electricity flowed through them, and Seraphimon managed to tear his arm free, crying out in pain in the process.

"Excalibur!" he cried, slashing at the tentacles still impaling him with his sword, and the severed ends dissolved into data. "Final Heal!"

His injuries healed as Arcadiamon turned his attention to him and fired his God Matrix. Seraphimon took to the sky as the beams struck the spot he had been standing, and the ground dissolved into 1s and 0s. Several dozen more tentacles flew at him as Seraphimon made his way towards Arcadiamon, and he dodged or hacked through them with his sword.

When he got close, Arcadiamon sent an entire wave of tentacles at him. Seraphimon brought down more lightning, causing the tentacles to spasm, and flew at Arcadiamon's head, stabbing his sword into the bewitching beast Digimon's face.

Arcadiamon roared and pulled back, as did all his tentacles, giving the others a reprieve. But Sereaphimon gave none to Arcadiamon as he sent a Strike of the Seven Stars at his head. He took a moment to assess the damage he had done when Arcadiamon's head snapped in his direction.

"God Matrix!"

Seraphimon recoiled as the beams were fired at him, but suddenly a fiery dragon that he recognized as Ophanimon C's Call Dramon attack flew in front of the beams. As it dissolved into 1s and 0s, Ophanimon flew past Seraphimon, grabbing his hand and pulling him along. Arcadiamon's gaze followed them, and he fired another God Matrix. The attack missed, and another chunk of land dissolved away.

"Why would you get that close?" Ophanimon C demanded. "Do you want to get killed?"

"I was trying to land a critical blow," Seraphimon replied.

OmniShoutmon flew up to them. "You're about to take a critical blow. Heavy Metal Vulcan!"

He unleashed a firewall that the God Matrix that Arcadiamon fired struck, dissolving it away. The bewitching beast hovered closer as the DigiDestined regrouped. They braced themselves as they prepared for more deadly beams or another wave of tentacles to come at them.

But then, much to their surprise, neither happened. Instead, Arcadiamon's hostile stance became relaxed, as if he were no longer going to attack. And then he spoke. The voice did not come from his mouth though, but seemingly from deep within. It also sounded nothing like the voice he spoke in when he declared an attack. And, worst of all, it sounded eerily familiar.

"Yes, most excellent. This has by far exceeded my expectations."

The DigiDestined exchanged uneasy looks, and Gallantmon X nudged the dragon Digimon beside him. "OmniShoutmon, that wasn't Arcadiamon talking, was it?"

The dragon Digimon shook his head. "No, I don't think so; Arcadiamon doesn't have the ability to speak in such a way. Nor did it sound like him. It actually sounded kind of like…"

He trailed off as cracks began to appear all over the bewitching beast Digimon's body. Not normal cracks, but cracks of Fractal Code, and they spread all over Arcadiamon from his head to the ends of his tentacles.

Suddenly, Arcadiamon's body exploded into data, and the DigiDestined recoiled in surprise. The data flowed outward, up for grabs, but before OmniShoutmon could make a move for it, the data began coming back together, forming a mass of data. The mass began glowing, and then started to take shape, but before the DigiDestined could make out what it was, light erupted from it, and from the light came the voice once more.

"Daemon Digivolve to… Daemon Ultra!"

The light stopped shining, and something was now present, something large, almost twice the size of Imperialdramon, and it was a horrific sight to behold.

A large grin spread across the Demon Lord's face as one of the most evil chuckles the DigiDestined had ever heard escaped him. "At last, I have achieved perfection."

Notes:

(A/N: Yes, people, Daemon is back and stronger than ever. Those of you that read the manga probably saw this coming, and some of you even guessed at it in the comments. But come on, Daemon is the top ranking Demon Lord after Lucemon, I couldn't just brush him aside like that. And if our heroes struggled as much as they did against Arcadiamon, how are they going to deal with a Digivolved Daemon who now possesses his power? I'll tell you this much, it's not going to be pretty.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear or are mentioned.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Arcadiamon_(Ultra)

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Daemon_(Ultra)

Chapter 174: Wrath of the Demon

Notes:

(A/N: Sorry this is a little late. I ran into a few complications, but now all's good. So, for this chapter title, we have some play on words. In case you don't get it, Daemon is the Demon Lord of Wrath. Get it? Huh? Huh? Ah, let's just get to the chapter.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 174: Wrath of the Demon

There was a calm, pleased smile present on Daemon's face, but it was chilling in how sinister it was. Daemon slowly raised his hands to his face, gently caressing his cheeks as he closed his eyes in delight. He was clearly relishing in his new form as he ran his claws down his body.

The DigiDestined stared, more horrified than ever at the Demon Lord of Wrath. They had thought they had seen the last of him when Arcadiamon had absorbed him, but now here he stood, more powerful than ever.

"Om-OmniShoutmon," Gallantmon X croaked out, his voice barely above a whisper, "what happened? How did he… he…?"

The dragon Digimon shook his head, looking terrified beyond reason. "I don't… I don't know… This is… This is completely unprecedented…"

"I can hear you whispering," Daemon replied, and opened his eyes, looking down at the DigiDestined. "You're wondering how I pulled off the near impossible, how I managed to Digivolve to the Ultra level." He spread his enormous wings, giving them a small bow. "It's certainly a tale worth telling, one I would be happy to share with you. After all, you've fought so hard, you deserve to know how your end will soon come about."

He opened his hand, and a flame appeared in his palm. He crushed it, and fire shot out of the space between his fingers, making him chuckle. "I knew that my Digivolution line possessed an Ultra level, but I also knew how out of reach it was. I debated for a long while of whether to give up on achieving it and settle for an X Evolution instead, but I just couldn't let it go. The power if the Ultra level was too great to resist, so I committed myself to obtaining it."

He turned to the side and breathed a mouthful of fire. The flames burned a trail as far as the eye could see, disappearing into the distance. Daemon chuckled and looked back to the DigiDestined, his grin widening at the looks on their faces.

"Of course, I knew how near impossible that was. Even for a Demon Lord, gaining that much data was completely outlandish. It could take tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of years. It was truly a fool's dream, but it was one I was determined to fulfill. So I found a way. A way to gather all the data I needed quickly. Or at least at a much faster rate."

OmniShoutmon's hands clenched in an attempt to stop them from shaking. "How? How did you do this?"

Daemon chuckled. "Arcadiamon. He was the key. I told you that it was I who created him, who designed him to be the creature that he was. It took ages, but I finally managed to pull it off. And with his ability to absorb other Digimon, I could get him to Digivolve quickly since he could obtain all their power by absorbing actual Digimon rather than just absorbing the lingering data left behind when a Digimon is destroyed. But even then, it took a very long time to get him to the point I needed him to be at."

He looked down at his hands, seemingly lost in admiring himself once more. "Of course, there was the dilemma of it being Arcadiamon, not me, who gathered all that data and power. If I destroyed him, all the power he gained would have been destroyed with him, and I would have been left with only the bit of data he broke down into rather than all the power he obtained. So I had to get to it a different way. From the inside."

Seraphimon gasped. "You let Arcadiamon absorb you! We thought he turned on you, but you had him do it."

Daemon grinned at him. "Very good, little human. As unpleasant as it was, it was my only way to gain access to Arcadiamon's power. My own strength also allowed him to Digivolve to the Mega level. And for the icing on the cake, I had Boltboutamon use a Digimental to Digivolve him to the Ultra level, bringing Arcadiamon to his final Digivolution."

"Then you planned this?" Imperialdramon exclaimed. "All of this, from the very beginning."

Daemon laughed. "There's a reason Arcadiamon was designed to not have a will of his own. If he could think for himself, I would have been trapped within him, and he would have assimilated my data. But with no will, I was able to survive long enough to dominate him from the inside, to take all his power and data for myself, and it allowed me to Digivolve to the Ultra level. And now you stand before the most powerful Demon Lord of all. Stronger even than Lucemon or Bagramon."

A growl escaped Susanoomon. "So he's basically as strong as the Mega level Daemon, plus Arcadiamon Ultra's power stacked on top of that."

"Stronger," Daemon laughed. "As my power has been amplified even further through Digivolution to my own Ultra level. So unless you humans wish to experience truly horrific deaths, surrender and bow down to me, and I might make your deaths mercifully quick."

Their responses should have been immediate and automatic, but they weren't, as the DigiDestined actually gave pause. Not because they were considering surrendering, but because they knew what not surrendering meant; facing Daemon at the Ultra level.

Eventually though, Imperialdramon pointed his sword at the Demon Lord and mustered up all the courage he had. "That's not going to happen, big guy. So you might as well stop asking."

Daemon raised an eyebrow, curious. "You still seek to defy me? Why?"

"Because we really don't have any other option," Omnimon stated plainly. "And if death is certain either way, then we'll die standing on our feet, fighting for what we believe in."

The Demon Lord considered them for a short while. "How interesting. You have the choice of having a relatively painless death or an excruciating one, and yet you pick the latter out of a sense of stubbornness and pride." He let out a menacing chuckle. "Let's see how long that lasts."

"See this!" Imperialdramon cried. "Hyper Prominence!"

He fired a ball of black electricity from his chest. It exploded against Daemon, and the Demon Lord stumbled back. But then a wicked chuckle escaped him and he stepped forward out of the cloud of smoke, then continued towards the DigiDestined.

"Strike of the seven Stars!"

"Air Sefirot Crystal!"

The angel Digimon's attack blasted against the Demon Lord. He stumbled once more, but continued laughing and made his way towards them again.

"Stay back!" OmniShoutmon shouted. "Heavy Metal Vulcan!"

He brought forth a firewall that separated the DigiDestined from Daemon. The Demon Lord chuckled once more as he carelessly approached it. "Dark Spreader!"

A pixilation appeared around his hand as a dark virus manifested in it, and he reached out towards the firewall. His pixelating hand cut straight through it, and the firewall began to disperse, allowing him to continue on his way.

"Fearsome Blade!" Omnimon cried, and swiped his sword.

A cutting band of energy extended from his sword, and he whipped it at Daemon. The Demon Lord's had shot out, catching the energy blade, and he gave the knight Digimon an arrogant grin. "Now how about that. The blade is actually cutting into my palm."

"Let's see how this cuts you," Susanoomon declared. "Celestial Blade!"

Manifesting his ZERO-ARMS: Orochi, he brought forth his massive blade and swung it at the Demon Lord. Keeping hold of Omnimon's energy blade, Daemon reached out with his other hand and grasped Susanoomon's blade as well.

"Dark Spreader!" he cried.

Both hands pixelated, and the pixilation spread over both blades, causing them to disperse. Daemon let out a chuckle and spread his hands, as if encouraging them.

"ZERO-ARMS: Orochi!" Susanoomon cried, and fired his mighty weapon.

The blast exploded against Daemon, and he was knocked off his feet, crashing to the ground. Susanoomon's weapon powered down, but he kept it at the ready.

"Whoa, you got him," said Imperialdramon.

But Daemon just laughed some more and sat up. "Congratulations. I actually felt that one. Let's see if you can feel this. Dark Spreader!"

Pixilation formed around his hands, and he swiped it through the air. The pixilation flew from his hand and made contact with Susanoomon's ZERO-ARMS: Orochi, which began to pixelate as well. Susanoomon released the weapon and watched as it disassembled into data.

Daemon finally rose to his feet. "Are you beginning to understand the futility of your situation?"

"Here's some futility for you," said Gallantmon X, holding up his shield. "Final Elysion!"

"Holy Destroy!"

"Flame Cannon!"

The three attacks slammed into Daemon, pushing him back slightly. He just took another step forward against the attacks.

"Hallowed Knuckle!" Seraphimon cried, and began punching out balls of light. They exploded against Daemon's chest, but seemed completely ineffective.

"How cute," Daemon commented, and swiped at the attacks, causing them to disperse.

"Is this cute?" Susanoomon asked. "Heaven's Thunder!"

Lighting dragons came down and wrapped around the Demon Lord. Daemon just chuckled against them as Imperialdramon flew forward. "Omni Sword!"

He stabbed with his glowing blade. Daemon swiped with his claw, and the blade shattered like glass. Then his hand shot out and grabbed hold of the dragon Digimon. He broke free of the lightning dragons, then pulled his fist back and delivered a punch that sent Imperialdramon flying backwards so fast that he was a mere blur.

The DigiDestined barely missed being hit by Imperialdramon as he shot past them and crashed to the ground. They looked back at the Demon Lord with growing dread as he stalked towards them.

"How are we going to do this?" Ophanimon C asked. "He's so powerful. An Ultra. How can we beat a level beyond a Mega?"

"We beat OmegaArmamon," Seraphimon pointed out, "and he was in Burst Mode, and that's a power that's beyond a Mega."

"Yeah," said Gallantmon X, "but he still wasn't an Ultra. Plus, that was after Chronomon dealt a bunch of damage to him."

"Not only that," Omnimon reluctantly added, "we've been fighting for awhile, and against pretty powerful opponents too. First Daemon at the Mega level, then Arcadiamon at the Mega, then at the Ultra level, and now Daemon again at the Ultra level." He looked down at himself. "And I'm not sure how much longer our power will last."

Grunting in pain, Imperialdramon hovered back over to them, clutching where he had been punched. "But we have to keep going, there's no other choice."

Daemon stopped walking and laughed. "Actually, you do have another option. You can all burn. Algol's Flame!"

An orb of fire appeared in his mouth, and he spat it at the DigiDestined. They flew out of its path, and the fireball hit the ground. Immediately, the flames erupted outward, spreading in all directions as if the ground were soaked in gasoline, the fire going as far as the eye could see. It only burned for a few seconds, but once the flames flickered out, only a burnt, barren wasteland remained. Everything around had been reduced to black charcoal in seconds, leaving nothing but ashes behind for miles.

Daemon laughed at the destruction as the DigiDestined looked back at him in horror.

"You monster!" Susanoomon shouted. "You burned everything! How could you?"

The Demon Lord just kept laughing. If anything, he laughed louder. "On the contraire, I could argue that since you dodged, you're the ones responsible for everything burning."

"I'll show you burning!" Ophanimon C raged. "Call Dramon!"

Her fire dragon appeared and breathed its flames upon Daemon. The Demon Lord just grinned as the flames washed over him.

"Are these flames meant to be hot?" he taunted. "Perhaps you need another demonstration of what real fire is."

"Here's fire for you!" Omnimon cried. "Flame Sphere!"

He unleashed a huge enchanted flame that struck the Demon Lord. Even with magic added to it, Daemon proceeded to walk through the fire, his seemingly deliberately slow pace meant to intimidate. And it was working.

With a flap of his mighty wings, Daemon sent the flames scattering, then sped over to the dragon, reached out, and clamped his hand around Ophanimon's dragon's neck, cutting off its fire breath. With a flick of his writs, he broke the dragon's neck, and it burst into data. Then he turned back to the DigiDestined and held out his arms, motioning with his hands for them to give him more.

"Oh, I'll come at you," Susanoomon declared, and flew forward "Fist of the Gods!"

He began rapidly raining punches against Daemon's gut. The Demon Lord let out grunts with each hit, but otherwise looked down at the god Digimon in amusement.

"Don't you smile at me!" Susanoomon shouted. "Heavy Tackle!"

He flew straight up, slamming into Daemon's face, causing the Demon Lord's head to snap back, then his fist began glowing as he delivered a Flash Punch to the Demon Lord's face, causing his head to snap to the side.

Slowly, Daemon's head turned back to Susanoomon, and he grinned. Then his hand shot out, and he grabbed hold of the god Digimon, bringing him close to his face. "This is going to hurt. Dark Spreader!"

The hand holding Susanoomon pixelated, and the pixilation spread to the god Digimon. Susanoomon cried out and his body began shifting from static to solid. Daemon laughed and carelessly tossed him aside, then turned back to the DigiDestined.

"Hit him!" OmniShoutmon shouted. "Hit him! Everyone, hit him! Omni Core Fusion!"

"Graceful Cannon!"

"Giga Crusher!"

"Zeig Saber!"

"Volcano Napalm!"

"Strike of the Seven Stars!"

The attacks exploded against Daemon, obscuring him with smoke, but the loud crash of the Demon Lord hitting the ground was heard. The DigiDestined paused in their attacking, though they held no illusions that their assault had taken him down; they could only hope to have caused some damage.

Laughter came from within the smoke, and the DigiDestined panicked.

"Shoot! Shoot!" Omnimon shouted. "Inferno!"

"Super Positron Laser!"

"Royal Saber!"

"Shining Laser III!"

"Hard Rock Spirit!"

As their attacks flew into the cloud of smoke, Daemon suddenly came flying out. His hand shot out, his claws digging into Imperialdramon's chest, and he shoved him to the ground. Keeping a grip on him, Daemon repeatedly slammed the dragon Digimon into the ground, cracking it beneath him.

Ophanimon C and OmniShoutmon fired their Holy Destroy and Victorize Banking at Daemon's back, and he stopped slamming down Imperialdramon. Slowly, he looked back at the two of them, grinning, then swiped at them. OmniShoutmon was knocked aside, but Ophanimon C managed to block with her Unicorn Shield.

Daemon stabbed forward with his claws, but Seraphimon flew into his hand's path and blocked with his Excalibur. Daemon's grin widened, and he used his Dark Spreader, the virus traveling from him, through Seraphimon's sword, and into the angel Digimon.

He cried out as the virus affected him. Ophanimon C grabbed onto him to pull him back, but this proved to be a mistake as the virus infected her too. Daemon sneered before stomping down on Imperialdramon and then taking to the air, smacking both angel Digimon from the sky. He then opened his mouth to launch his Algol's Flame at them, his fireball appearing in his mouth.

"Bastard!" Gallantmon X shouted, flying at him. "Saint Knuckle!"

His blow struck Daemon's jaw, forcing his mouth shut. Streams of fire flew from the space between Daemon's teeth in all different directions, and Gallantmon X pulled back to avoid them.

Daemon's gaze shifted to the knight Digimon. He exhaled, breathing out a trail of smoke, before grinning broadly. He flew over and threw a punch. Gallantmon X raised his shield, and Daemon's giant fist slammed against it. It didn't do much good though, as the Demon Lord's fist dented the shield inward and pushed Gallantmon X down until he was smashed against the ground.

A pained groan left the knight Digimon as Daemon chuckled down at him before suddenly leaping into the air and coming down on Imperialdramon. The dragon Digimon cried out before becoming Davis once more.

Still grinning, Daemon looked up at Omnimon, who was frozen in mid-air, and chuckled. "Does my power have you so stunned that you can't even react?"

That seemed to snap Omnimon out of his stupor, and he let out an animalistic growl at the Demon Lord, who merely sneered in response.

Down on the ground, Susanoomon struggled to bare the agony of Daemon's dark virus as it messed with his data processing. He managed to regain enough awareness to see that Ophanimon C and Seraphimon were suffering the same affects. They, however, were not at his level of power, and soon reverted to their human forms, which, mercifully, seemed to rid them of the virus.

A groan escaped Susanoomon as he forced himself to stand up. "Not like this… We can't lose here… Ah! This better work. Status Barrier!"

His body began glowing, and he felt the virus disappear from his system as his status disorders were canceled out. He breathed heavily as the pain faded, but knew there was no time to waste, and quickly joined Omnimon in the air.

"You ok?" the knight Digimon asked.

Susanoomon felt anything but ok, but he put on a brave front. "If you're asking if I can still fight, then the answer is yes."

Daemon chuckled. "I'll have to fix that. Algol's Flame!"

He spewed out an orb of fire that flew up at them. Omnimon pointed his cannon at it and fired his Graceful Cannon. The cutting energy beam tunneled through the approaching fireball, and it erupted, setting the entire sky ablaze as the fire exploded outward. Both Omnimon and Susanoomon recoiled as the flames swallowed them, and they were lost amongst the blaze. Daemon's grin widened as he looked up at the burning sky and he held out his arms, twirling around as if he found the scene enrapturing.

OmniShoutmon groaned and got to his feet, still feeling dazed from the blow he had taken. Seeing the sky on fire though was enough to return him to his senses, and he let out a horrified cry as he saw Tai ad Takuya fall out of the flames in the sky, their clothes smoking.

Wasting no time, he flew up and caught them, then immediately looked around for the others. He gasped in horror each time he spotted another one of them in human form, and suddenly realized that he was all alone.

"I couldn't have been out of it for more than a minute!" he exclaimed. "How did we lose already?"

In his arms, Tai groaned. "He was too strong, and we've been fighting for too long."

OmniShoutmon landed and set his friends down. "We're going to have to retreat. There's no way we can win at this ra-"

He was suddenly grabbed from behind and lifted into the air. Daemon chuckled as he held the dragon Digimon in his hand, turning him around to face him. The grin on his face was malicious and arrogant as he brought OmniShoutmon in close.

"Is this it?" he asked tauntingly. "Is this really the power that defeated five of the Demon Lords and all seven Chaos Generals? What a joke. You truly must have had luck on your side when you gained those victories. You fools could never be a real threat to us."

"Put him down!" Kari shouted as she got shakily to her feet.

Daemon just sneered, not looking away from the dragon Digimon. "Oh, I'll put him down, but first I want to hear him admit defeat. Come on, your majesty, admit to the futility of your efforts and beg for mercy. I want to hear it."

Groaning in the Demon Lord's tight grip, OmniShoutmon glared at him. "It wasn't futile. Even if we die the most horrible deaths imaginable, we put a major dent in your forces. That alone was more than worth it."

Daemon's other hand came up, wrapping around the one holding OmniShoutmon, and he tightened his grip. "You've changed nothing. Removed a good portion of us from the picture, yes, but in the end, you changed nothing. The Demon Lords still rule, with me stronger than ever, and the darkness shall reign supreme. You failed, my friend. But there never was any alternative. You were fighting a losing battle all this time, and I want to hear you admit that. Come on, say it. Say it!"

Another pained groan escaped the dragon Digimon, but he managed to give the Demon Lord another glare. "Still obsessed with your little fetish. Even with all your power, you still crave to have your ego stoked."

"Heh. Brave words, but let's see if I can squeeze the ones I want to hear out of you."

And he began to do just that, crushing OmniShoutmon in his grasp. OmniShoutmon began to emit a pained yell as Daemon's hold on him tightened, and the Demon Lord chuckled.

"Yes, it's high time you suffered for your defiance. If only you would have subjugated yourself to us sooner, then you wouldn't have to feel this pain. May this be a valuable lesson to you. Now, give me what I want."

He squeezed tighter, and the scream emitting from OmniShoutmon slowly faded out as the Demon Lord's grip got so tight that he could no longer make any noise.

"Stop it!" Takato shouted. "You're killing him!"

Daemon smirked. "That's the idea. Death was always certain. It was simply a matter of how, and he's opted for a difficult end."

Davis grabbed a handful of the charcoal ground and threw it at the Demon Lord; it didn't even reach him. "Because he won't admit defeat? That's because he still believes there's hope. Even if you kill us all, he still believes the light will triumph in the end. So you're just asking him to lie. Is that the satisfaction you want, a lie?"

Much to their surprise, Daemon stopped squeezing OmniShoutmon and actually seemed to consider Davis' words. "Hope, you say. How interesting. It really is rather baffling as to how you can still have any kind of hope."

He opened his hands, letting OmniShoutmon drop to the ground. The dragon Digimon hit with a grunt, and a pained moan escaped him.

Daemon snickered. "Perhaps you need to see the full extent of my plan before the last shreds of your hope breaks."

Takuya's eyes widened. "Full extent? You mean this wasn't it?"

The Demon Lord threw back his head and laughed. "Foolish creatures. This is just the beginning. As a matter of fact, I'm glad I didn't kill any of you just yet. I want you to witness me achieve my ultimate victory before you die. You've managed to buy yourself a little time, for all the good it will do you. Death hangs over you, humans, and it shall claim you whenever I see fit." His grin widened. "And it will be soon."

His wings stretched out and he took to the sky, laughing all the while as he flew off. The teens didn't dare to move until the Demon Lord was completely out of sight, then they rushed over to OmniShoutmon.

"OmniShoutmon, are you ok?" Takuya asked. "Never mind, dumb question, of course you're no ok."

The dragon Digimon groaned and cracked open an eye. "Believe it or not, I've had worse off. I think he might have crushed my ribs though."

Kari frowned. "Better DeDigivolve then. That should fix things, right?"

OmniShoutmon gave a small nod and reverted to Shoutmon, but still let out a moan. "That was unpleasant."

Takato sighed. "I think we should count ourselves lucky considering what went down here."

TK gave Davis a smile. "Yeah, lucky Davis said what he did at the time, otherwise Daemon might have just killed us. Nice job using his ego against him like that."

Looking bashful, Davis rubbed the back of his head. "Thanks, but I actually wasn't planning anything strategic; I was just talking at random, and those words just came out."

Takuya gave him a thumbs-up. "Well, it still worked in our favor, so thanks for that."

"You guys, stop!" Tai snapped suddenly. "We may have dodged a bullet here, but we're still just as screwed as before. An Ultra level Digimon, and it being Daemon at that. And what else could he possibly be planning?"

Shoutmon shook his head. "I haven't the foggiest idea." He looked in the direction the Demon Lord had flown off in. "But whatever it is, it can't be good."

Notes:

(A/N: Well how about that. Our heroes actually lost. I mean, it's not really surprising considering who they were fighting against. Fortunately though, Daemon didn't kill them. He's still planning something else, and he wants them to see it before he kills them. And like Shoutmon said, whatever it is. It isn't going to be good. Stay tuned to see where things go from here.)

Chapter 175: A Demonic Duel

Notes:

(A/N: Yes, finally, I've been looking forward to this chapter for a long time. You'll see why soon enough. No need for delay, let's get right into it.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 175: A Demonic Duel

Lucemon sat on his throne in his castle with a glass of wine in his hand that he gently swirled around. Many thoughts ran through his head as he thought about the direction things had taken.

It would not be an understatement to say that things had gone disastrously wrong. Not that the situation couldn't be salvaged, but he still couldn't figure out how things had come to this. And it was all because of those disgusting humans and their wannabe Digimon King sidekick.

When he and his fellow Demon Lords had first heard of humans being in the Digital World, it had raised their eyebrows, as had learning that they could somehow turn into the Guardians, the actual Guardians. It had piqued his interest, sure, but it hadn't been anything for him or his comrades to worry about. Not even when the humans had started taking out some of their top agents had there been cause for concern. They were but minor nuisances to be dealt with any time they wished.

The next thing he knew, all seven of their Chaos Generals and five of his fellow Demon Lords had been destroyed. How in the name of the Digimon God had that happened? It was completely inconceivable. They had even somehow managed to take out Millenniummon. The very idea of it was so laughable that to admit that it happened was utterly ridiculous, even though it was true!

But Lucemon still wasn't concerned. While it was true that the humans defeating their forces was bothersome, it was still no threat to him. When the time came, he would make them pay. And the best part of it was that he didn't even need to do anything about it; the foolish humans were actually coming to him.

And so was someone else. Lucemon had raised an eyebrow upon realizing who it was, but he let them come all the same, more curious than anything. He was actually rather interested in the situation himself, having initially been completely surprised when he realized what had happened.

They were coming now, and the great doors that led into Lucemon's throne room, which was really more of a massive hall, pushed open. The head Demon Lord looked up as Daemon entered the room, approached Lucemon's throne, and stared down at him.

Lucemon continued swirling around his glass of wine as he stared back at the Demon Lord of Wrath. "Daemon, what a surprise. Usually we extend notice when we're going to visit each other." His eyes ran up and down the demon Digimon's new form. "And I see you've managed to reach the Ultra level too. Most impressive, and usually an impossible feat. Was this the secret plan you mentioned having before? I assume your new powers were enough to dispose of the humans."

"The humans are of no matter," Daemon replied. "I utterly crushed them in battle. They live now only to be killed at my convenience."

Lucemon raised an eyebrow. "You let them live? Might I ask why? Do you have further plans that involve them?"

A chuckle escaped Daemon. "Of sorts. More along the lines of I want them to witness the fruits of my labors before I kill them."

"Oh? And that goes beyond achieving the Ultra level? May I ask what it is?"

Slowly, Daemon raised a clawed finger, pointing at the Demon Lord of Pride. "You, Lucemon. My plan involves you."

Lucemon's face was completely unreadable as he stared at his fellow Demon Lord. "And what, pray tell, do I have to do with your plans?"

Daemon laughed again. "Come now, Lucemon, let's not feign ignorance. We both know that my power now surpasses yours. It's only right that I now take over leadership of the Demon Lords."

Lucemon stopped swirling his wine. He continued to stare at Daemon with the same look on his face as before, only now a cold fury resonated in his eyes.

"You seek to betray me?" he whispered.

The Demon Lord of Wrath grinned. "Oh, Lucemon, I wouldn't go that far. We Demon Lords have always been allies who govern over our own domains. That doesn't need to change. However, when it comes to the final word of who is truly in command of our forces and who truly rules this world, that right will now fall to me."

Lucemon's hand began to tremble in fury, and he crushed the wine glass in his grip. He rose to his feet with barely suppressed rage. "You miserable cur! You really think you can overthrow me? I am the leader and founder of the Demon Lords! We got to where we are because of me! Yet you dare suggest that I now be second to you?"

Daemon's grin spread. "You may have founded us and led us, but the tides of power have now shifted. Things won't change, much. At the end of the day, you shall simply bow down to me. I am now the strongest of the Demon Lords. It's only right that I lead them. Well, what's left of them anyway." He pointed once again. "I want to hear you say it. I know as the Demon Lord of Pride, this will be difficult for you, but not even you can deny my power. Acknowledge my superiority."

Lucemon's teeth were clenched together tightly, his eyes ablaze with anger. "You think yourself my superior? Fool! I still reign supreme, and I always will. You may have Digivolved to the Ultra level, but you're still beneath me. But if you need a reminder of what I'm capable of, I'd be happy to refresh your memory."

Daemon chuckled. "I simply came here seeking your acknowledgement of my power and for you to name me leader. Although I knew it was a possibility, I did not come here looking for a fight."

"Well, you've got one. Paradise Lost Punch!"

He flew at Daemon and threw a punch. The much larger Digimon disappeared before Lucemon could land his attack, and he gasped in surprise at Daemon's speed before Daemon appeared behind him, raised his hand, and, with a big grin on his face, brought his fist down on Lucemon.

The Demon Lord of Pride whirled around and held up his hands, blocking Daemon's giant fist as it came down on him. Using his Blistering Orb, he threw a miniature sun at Daemon, and it exploded against the Demon Lord of Wrath, knocking him back.

"Paradise Lost Punch!" Lucemon cried again.

He flew into Daemon's torso and began throwing countless punches. Despite his much larger size, Daemon's entire body vibrated from the blows, his giant body appearing like a blur. He was pushed back from Lucemon's punches, going right through a wall as his vibrating body shook it apart.

Lucemon stopped punching, then bent over backwards to deliver a kick that sent Daemon flying up to the ceiling. Before he could reach it though, Lucemon was suddenly above him, and he came down, bringing the Demon Lord of Wrath crashing to the ground. They smashed straight through the floor and down to the next level, the impact nearly cracking the entire castle apart.

Smirking, Lucemon stood on Daemon's chest as the Demon Lord of Wrath laid on his back. "Was that a suitable reminder?"

A cruel chuckle escaped Daemon, and his large fist shot out, crashing into Lucemon and sending him flying across the room to slam into the wall. Daemon sat up. You're not nearly as strong as you think you are. At least not compared to me."

Lucemon scowled as he detached himself from the wall. "The refresher course has just begun."

The two Demon Lords flew at each other, each throwing a punch. Lucemon's fist met Daemon's much larger one, and the shockwave from the impact shook the entire castle. Using his other hand, Daemon lashed out with his Dark Spreader. Lucemon pulled back and used his Deadly Roll, the magic in his roundhouse kick countering Daemon's dark virus as his foot met the Demon Lord of Wrath's fist.

Flying forward, Lucemon placed his hand to Daemon's chest and used his Spirit Drain, zapping Daemon of his energy. The Demon Lord of Wrath roared and brought his balled fists down on Lucemon, and the Demon Lord of Pride went crashing to the ground.

"Algol's Flame!" Daemon cried.

He spat a fireball down at Lucemon, and fire erupted in all directions, shooting down the halls of the entire floor, sending streams of fire bursting out the windows. Daemon laughed as the floor burned, until Lucemon came flying out of the flames, his body smoking, and he flew up so he was eye level with his fellow Demon Lord.

"Terrible Dance!" he cried.

Using an elaborate series of dance moves, he delivered powerful kicks, punches, and other blows to Daemon's head, snapping it this way and that. But upon throwing another kick, Daemon chomped down on Lucemon's leg, making the Demon Lord of Pride cry out.

Daemon spun around and opened his mouth, sending Lucemon flying. He fired an Algol's Flame after him, but Lucemon regained control of his momentum and threw a Blistering Orb at the fireball. A wall of flames erupted outward from the two attacks colliding, the flames reaching the ceiling and floor and traveling across them.

The moment the flames burned out, Daemon came charging at Lucemon. He threw a punch, and Lucemon was flattened against his knuckle and carried back until he was crushed against the wall. Daemon laughed as he pulled back his fist and began repeatedly punching Lucemon until the wall broke apart, and Lucemon went flying backwards.

Daemon broke his way through the wall and continued after him. The Demon Lord of Pride halted his momentum and began throwing a series of Blistering Orb attacks at Daemon. They exploded against the Demon Lord of Wrath, causing him to jolt back with each blast until Lucemon flew at him.

Seeing Lucemon right in front of him, Daemon swiped at the Demon Lord of Pride with his Dark Spreader. Lucmeon flew straight up to avoid it, then came down on Daemon's head, just as the Demon Lord of Wrath looked up at him. Using his Paradise Lost Punch, he began pummeling Daemon's forehead with punches, causing the Demon Lord of Wrath's entire body to vibrate. Lucemon ended his assault with a kick that sent Daemon speeding to the ground, but Lucemon caught up with him and brought him crashing to the ground even faster, the impact causing the castle to shake, and one of the towers fell over.

Lucemon flew up into the air again and looked down at the fallen Demon Lord of Wrath. Daemon didn't stay down long though, and quickly sat up, launching an Algol's Flame at Lucemon. The Demon Lord of Pride held up his arms to cover his face as the fireball erupted into a fiery explosion upon collision, and Lucemon was blasted into the ceiling, getting stuck there upon impact. Daemon got to his feet and took to the air, flying up at Lucemon.

Seeing the Demon Lord of Wrath come at him, Lucemon was able to detach himself from the ceiling before Daemon was able to punch a hole in it. He took off flying, and Daemon flew after him, crashing straight through the pillars in his path as he pursued Lucemon. The Demon Lord of Pride turned around, flying backwards as he threw his Blistering Sun attacks back at his pursuer.

Daemon knocked the miniature suns away and withstood the blasts of the ones that hit before firing his Algol's Flame. Lucemon dodged it, ignoring how his castle once again went up in flames as he sped back towards Daemon and used his Deadly Roll to deliver a magic kick to Daemon's head that sent him crashing into the wall.

Lucemon hovered close by as he watched rubble come down on the Demon Lord of Wrath. "It doesn't matter what you throw at me, I shall always prevail."

"Dark Spreader!" Daemon cried, leaping at Lucemon and slashing outward.

The blow landed, and the pixilation that had been surrounding Daemon's claw spread to Lucemon upon contact as the Demon Lord of Pride was sent crashing into a pillar and then fell to the ground.

Daemon grinned as he got to his feet. "How about something I infect you with?"

Lucemon stood up as well, but a pixilation now surrounded his body. He let out a pained scream as his body pixelated and became static-y before he became whole again.

The Demon Lord of Wrath chuckled. "Even you are susceptible to my dark virus."

Lucemon's teeth clenched as he stood slouched over. "There's something you're susceptible to as well. Power of Darkness!"

He whirled around, throwing a ball of dark purple energy. It struck Daemon and instantly consumed him as Lucemon created a glowing white orb in his other hand.

"Power of Light!" he cried, throwing this one at Daemon as well, and it too engulfed him. "Ultimate Sacrifice!"

The purple and white light surrounding Daemon manifested in a magical sphere that swirled around him. The Demon Lord of Wrath bellowed in agony as Lucemon's attack worked its power on him.

An arrogant smile crossed Lucemon's face as he listened to Daemon's roar. "It seems you forgot about my ultimate attack that allows me to destroy anyone instantly."

The magic sphere burst open as the attack completed, and Daemon fell to his hands and knees, his body trembling. Slowly, he looked up at Lucemon and sneered at him. "Unless the odds are in my favor. Fifty-fifty, right? Guess I got lucky."

He lunged at Lucemon, who flew straight up. Daemon jumped up after him, and Lucemon threw a ball of darkness down at him. Not in the mood play against the odds of the Demon Lord of Pride's Ultimate Sacrifice attack a second time, he pulled back, letting the ball of darkness fly past him.

"Algol's Flame!" he cried, launching a fireball straight up.

Lucemon dodged the attack, and the fireball erupted against the ceiling, the flames spreading everywhere above him. Daemon came up beside him and threw a punch as Lucemon retaliated with his Deadly Roll. His foot met Daemon's fist, and the collision sent out a shockwave that knocked them both back. Lucemon kept attacking though, throwing his Blistering Orbs at the Demon Lord of Wrath as he flew through the air.

The miniature suns exploded against Daemon as he flew backwards. Doing a flip in the air, he kicked off the wall, shattering it completely, and shot back towards Lucemon. Using his Dark Spreader, he swiped at the Demon Lord of Pride, but missed as Lucemon maneuvered around his claw and flew past him.

Lucemon spun around, a Blistering Orb in his hand. Before he could throw it, he let out a cry as the virus he had already been infected with caused his body to become static-y before it became solid again it. Daemon was turning around as well, his Algol's Flame in his mouth, and the delay in Lucemon throwing his attack allowed Daemon to launch his first. The fireball hit Lucemon dead on, erupting in a fiery explosion that filled the whole room. Lucemon shot backwards, crashing through a wall and ending up in the next room, where he crashed into another wall and slid to the ground.

Daemon kicked down the wall the rest of the way and entered the room. A sadistic grin crossed his face as he saw Lucemon propped up against the wall, looking like he was hurting, and Daemon stalked towards him.

"Well now," he said mockingly, "have I convinced you yet? My power now outstrips your own."

Lucemon glared up at him, his teeth clenched together furiously. Daemon found his anger amusing and let out a mocking chuckle.

"Our partnership won't change much," he continued. "Like I said, we'll still be allies. It's just that I will have the final word instead of you. Don't let your stubbornness and pride get you killed. I actually think we work very well together. And, truth be told, I'd really rather not destroy you. Not only would I hate to lose such a powerful ally, but I still need your seal on the Sovereigns' prison. All I ask is that you give me what I rightfully deserve."

His body still pixelating, Lucemon continued to glare at him, a low growl emitting from his throat. But then his anger seemed to evaporate as he closed his eyes and hung his head, as if in acceptance of his defeat.

Daemon laughed. "Yes, that's it. You see, isn't it so much simpler when you admit the truth?"

With Lucemon's head bowed, Daemon was unable to see the smile present on the Demon Lord of Pride's face. His shoulders began to shake in silent mirth, and he slowly lifted his head, smirking at Daemon, who scowled in confusion.

"So," Lucemon said slowly, his tone mocking, "you actually think you have me beat. You truly believe that you're stronger than me."

Daemon raised a clenched fist. "I am stronger than you."

Lucemon chuckled as he got to his feet. "Oh, Daemon, my poor dear friend. I know it may seem that way, especially with you at the Ultra level." He stood up fully and cracked his neck. "I'm not sure if all that power is simply going to your head, but you seem to be forgetting something about me, something rather important. It's understandable of course. After all, I possess such an immense power that it's easy to forget that I'm currently only at the Ultimate level."

He smirked at Daemon, and the Demon Lord of Wrath's eyes narrowed. Lucemon's smile grew as Daemon scowled at him, and he held his arms out to present himself.

"It's time to remind you of the full extent of my power. Lucemon Mega Dgivolve to… Lucemon Shadowlord Mode!"

An annoyed growl escaped Daemon as a new Digimon now stood before him, one even larger than his own enormous self. It resembled a giant purple dragon wearing a gold mask. Floating all around it were the crowns of the Seven Deadly Sins, and in its clawed hands, it held a large sphere of darkness.

The dragon roared, breathing a stream of fire in the air, and a menacing voice, completely calm and entirely devoid of any and all emotion, yet still inexplicably evil, spoke out. "Does this do anything to put your claim into question?"

It wasn't actually the dragon that spoke. Rather, the voice came from within the sphere of darkness it held. Daemon's eyes drifted down to it, knowing what dwelled inside. He could just barely make it out in the swirling darkness. A cocoon-like larva creature with blank red eyes stared up at him from within the sphere. Twelve angelic wings protruded from its back, and a halo hung around the end of its stinger.

The dragon roared again, and Daemon's gaze went back to it before going to the larva once more. "So, you've unleashed your true power. As much as I hate to admit it, I confess that I did overlook your Shadowlord Mode. A minor lapse in judgment on my part."

"An immense lapse in judgment on your part," Lucemon agreed in his slow, eerie, unfeeling voice. "You truly made a grave error in challenging me, Daemon, even with your Ultra level power. But now that you have recognized your mistake, I trust that you now also recognize your place."

A single bead of sweat ran down the side of Daemon's head, but he still grinned. "I know my place. It's the same as it was before you Digivolved, as head of the Demon Lords."

The dragon roared, but Lucemon still lacked even the slightest bit emotion when he next spoke, not even a trace of anger. "Ignorant fool. You have truly let your power go to your head after all. I'm afraid your defiance cannot be forgiven."

Daemon took a step forward. "I acknowledge your power, but it is not greater than my own. Algol's Flame!"

He launched a fireball. The dragon raised the sphere of darkness, and it glowed. Daemon's attack was drawn into it, where it was neutralized and disappeared.

"So naïve," Lucemon told him. "Even if you were stronger than me, my abilities still give me the advantage."

Daemon held up his hand, and a pixilation from his dark virus formed around it. "No, Lucemon, your arrogance will prove to be your undoing. Even with your abilities, my power has become so great that I can defeat even you. Dark Spreader!"

He lunged forward, slashing with his other hand. The dragon held up the black sphere to block it, allowing Daemon to slash at an exposed area on the dragon's body with his pixelating hand, delivering his actual attack.

Just like earlier, the pixilation transferred from Daemon's hand to the dragon. It spread all over the Super Demon Lord's body, and the dragon roared. But then the pixilation was drawn away, down into the black sphere it held, and disappeared.

"I'm afraid you're the one who I mistaken, my friend. "Lucemon told him. "There is no defeating me, and there is no one who can lead the Demon Lords but I. There are only two choices available to you, Daemon. You must choose to follow me or be destroyed."

Notes:

(A/N: Well, who saw that coming? With his new power, Daemon turned on Lucemon and challenged him for the right to lead the Demon Lords. That certainly didn't go over well. And now Lucemon has Digivolved to his Shadowlord Mode in order to fight him. Can you see now why I was excited for this chapter. I mean, two Demon Lords duking it out, how awesome is that? Is this the lucky break our heroes needed? What will happen when they get to Lucemon's castle. If there will be anything left of it that is. Find out next time)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear or are mentioned.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Lucemon_Shadowlord_Mode

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Lucemon_Larva

Chapter 176: Pre-Show Entertainment

Notes:

(A/N: Last time, we had a chapter dedicated to Daemon trying to overthrow Lucemon, and the two were engaged in a fierce fight. Today... we will be taking a break from that to see how our heroes are doing after their defeat at Daemon's hand. Sorry, but it was necessary. So let's see how they're doing.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 176: Pre-Show Entertainment

To say that tensions were high would be a massive understatement. After their brutal and crushing defeat at Daemon's hands, where they only survived because he allowed them to live, the teens were feeling rather dispirited.

They tried to look on the bright side. True, they may have lost to Daemon, but this was after they had fought him and then Arcadiamon at the Mega level, and then the latter at the Ultra level, followed by the former once again, now at the Ultra level. That was quite a lot of fighting. Perhaps if they fought just Daemon right off the bat, they would stand a chance. And while this hope was indeed wishful thinking, it was still something they could hold on to so they wouldn't fall into despair.

It was two days later, however, when Lucemon's castle came into view that their anxiety really started to kick in. They were finally here, about to face the leader and founder of the Demon Lords. To say that they were nervous didn't do their feelings justice.

"So, just to be clear," said Takato, "Daemon Ultra is stronger than Lucemon, right?"

Shoutmon shifted uncomfortably. "Well, yeah."

He just barely stopped himself from saying, 'for the most part'. Unlike his friends, Shoutmon did indeed know about Lucemon's Shadowlord Mode, and unlike Daemon, he hadn't overlooked or forgotten about it. But with as dire as things seemed to be right now, he thought it best not to mention it.

"And Daemon's stronger than Bagramon now too, right?" Takato inquired.

"Yes," the dragon Digimon grumbled impatiently. "But we shouldn't think about that right now."

"He's right," Tai agreed. "It's best not to worry about that now. With Daemon being so strong, we should save him for last. We'll deal with Lucemon first, then Bagramon, then we'll focus on Daemon."

"And Boltboutamon," Davis reminded him. "Can't forget about him."

Tai nodded. "By then, we might have gotten even stronger. And in a direct battle with Daemon, we might be able to win."

Davis smirked. "Don't worry. The way I see it, we have a fifty-fifty chance of winning."

Takuya raised an eyebrow at him. "Um, how'd you come to that conclusion?"

"Easy, either we can win or we can't. See, fifty-fifty."

The others just stared. With as bad as Davis was at math, they weren't sure if he was joking or not.

Shoutmon sighed. He didn't want to dash their hopes, but they really were making it sound too easy. Or maybe they really did know the truth and were simply trying to be optimistic.

As Shoutmon pondered this, Kari frowned as she noticed something strange about Lucemon's castle. "Hey, guys, does something seem a bit off to you?"

Takuya glanced at her. "Like what?"

She pointed. "Just look at the castle. It looks rather… beaten up. And what's all that smoke coming out of it?"

Shoutmon looked and saw what she was talking about. "You're right. I wonder what's going on."

Tai took out his Digivice. "No doubt Lucemon is conducting something wicked. I say we fly over there and put an end to it before something else happens. Let's go. Execute! Spirit Evolution… Omnimon Merciful Mode!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Imperialdramon Paladin Mode!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Gallantmon X!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Susanoomon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Seraphimon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Ophanimon C!"

"Shoutmon Digivolve to… OmniShoutmon!"

Omnimon pointed his sword at the castle. "Let's dethrone this Demon Lord."

They took to the air and sped towards the castle. Prior to their fight with Daemon two days ago, they had thought that their fight with Lucemon would be the battle to end all battles. But now, after having faced a Demon Lord at the Ultra level, they were uncertain of their chances, yet each of them silently swore that even if they couldn't defeat Daemon, they would at least see to Lucemon's downfall.

But as they flew along, something suddenly came flying through the air at them. They pulled back as a giant boulder shot past them, and they looked around. "Alright, who threw that?" Susanoomon demanded.

A loud roar greeted him in response as a large green ogre of a Digimon came stalking out into the open. Behind it, it dragged a giant sword the size of its body that seemed to secrete darkness from the blade. The Digimon looked up at the DigiDestined and roared.

OmniShoutmon's eyes narrowed. "Damn, Titamon. That guy's really bad news."

"Great, just what we need," Gallantmon X grumbled. "Bad news how?"

"He was born from the hatred of Digimon defeated by the Olympos Twelve countless years. He's known by the alias of the One-Man Squad since he has the power of an entire legion, and all those skulls he's wearing are the data of the power he's stolen from those he's defeated. Even his sword is carved from SkullGreymon's bones, and he possesses inexhaustible energy from his hatred. There's no two ways about it, this guy is insanely strong."

Gallantmon X sweat-dropped, now having regretted asking. "Ok, that's pretty bad. He sounds like a Digimon version of the Hulk, only running on hatred instead of anger."

"Who's the Hulk?"

"Not important right now," Omnimon growled. "We can't be worrying about another enemy on the loose just before a fight with Lucemon."

Laughter greeted Omnimon's statement, and the DigiDestined turned to see Boltboutamon backstroking through the air, as if he were swimming on his back.

"Don't tell me you're surprised?" he mocked, not even looking at them.
Did you really think that the leader of the Demon Lords wouldn't have his own guards protecting his castle?"

For some reason, Ophanimon C wasn't surprised to see the demon Digimon. "I don't see why he would need them when he's so strong."

Boltboutamon smirked. "To deal with insignificant nuisances, of course. Why bother being all-powerful if you can't have others take care of your problems for you. All the Demon Lords have henchmen to take care of pests like you so they don't need to bother with such simpletons."

"What are you doing here anyway?" Seraphimon demanded. "Come to make things more difficult for us like you did when we fought Arcadiamon?"

Boltboutamon stopped backstroking and rolled over to face them. "Now don't tell me you're still sore about that. I was only following orders after all; it was nothing personal."

"Bastard," Imperialdramon growled.

Boltboutamon just found the insult amusing. "Let me answer your question with another question. What do you think I'm doing here?" He paused for a few seconds before answering his own question. "It's war! And I'm loving every minute of it. But I know you came here with a purpose. Unfortunately though, I'm afraid Lucemon has his hands full right now, so your battle with him is going to have to wait." He licked his lips and smiled excitedly. "But luckily, Lucemon was kind enough to already have these guys patrolling the perimeter for you to play with."

"What guys?" Gallantmon X asked, only seeing Titamon.

Boltboutamon's grinned widened, his eyes flashing maliciously, and he clapped his hands together. Four portals suddenly appeared around Titamon, and four Digimon emerged from them, each one more threatening looking than the last.

A hissing chuckle escaped the demon Digimon. "Beautiful, aren't they? Shall I make the introductions to those who are uninformed? You already know Titamon, so let's give it up for the biggest, baddest, robo-dino around, RustTyranomon!"

The Digimon in question did indeed resemble a rusted, robotic dinosaur with a massive canon on its back. Everything about it was intimidating, and it practically screamed hostility.

"And up next," Boltboutamon continued, as if he were a game show host, "we have the dreaded, the terrible, the ferocious, Rasenmon. But not just any Rasenmon, but Rasenmon Fury Mode!"

His announcement was met by another roar from a hideous, purple creature that couldn't seem to decide if it wanted to be a mammal or a reptile, but was horrifying to behold, especially with all the tentacles protruding from its back.

"But we're not done yet. This next contestant is not only big, but beautiful as well. Say hello to Eosmon! And for any humans in the crowd who don't know any better, Eosmon's name doesn't change after Digivolving past the Rookie level. So what level is she at you ask? Why, what else besides the Mega level?"

Eosmon hovered forward, spreading her arms and wings as if in invitation. She didn't look overly threatening, but she certainly looked powerful.

"And last, but certainly not least, we have this monstrosity. And here's a spoiler alert, he's one of the Digimon needed to create Millenniummon, so you know he's trouble. He may only be an Ultimate, but his power surpasses that of most Megas. Give it up for Kimeramon!"

The last Digimon roared, it's appearance beyond baffling. There was no telling what it was supposed to be, as it seemed to have been a bunch of different body parts taken from random Digimon that had been stuck together to create a Digimon version of the Frankenstein monster.

"Did he say Millenniummon?" Imperialdramon asked uneasily, recalling their near-fatal encounter with Lucemon's former secret weapon. Had he been working on a second one, or was this just an extra, or even a failed attempt to recreate Millenniummon?

"What is wrong with you?" Susanoomon demanded of Boltboutamon. "Do you think that this is some kind of game?"

The demon Digimon licked his lips again, practically salivating. "Of course it is. So let's make it official, just to spice things up a bit. Rather than having this turn into some big brawl, we'll do one-on-one battles. I'll even allow a couple two-on-one battles since you humans have more numbers. That should make things much more interesting."

He shook his finger at them. "But be warned, should any of you attempt to interfere with the battles when you're not supposed to be fighting, then not only will all bets be off, but I too shall step in. But if you follow all the rules, then I will remain just a spectator. What do you think? Sounds like a good deal, no? Or would you prefer that we all go all out?"

The DigiDestined hesitated as they looked at the five powerful Digimon waiting to fight them. Boltboutamon's offer had both pros and cons. If they agreed, then they wouldn't need to worry about fighting him, but then they wouldn't be able to help each other out in battle. And if they all fought together, then they would have to face Boltboutamon as well as the others.

Omnimon glanced at OmniShoutmon. "What do you think? Should we do it?"

"I say we face them all," Imperialdramon growled. "We outnumber them, even if it's only by one. And we plan to face Boltboutamon anyway, so we might as well get it out of the way now."

But OmniShoutmon shook his head. "Too risky. Boltboutamon is too strong. It'll be a team effort, and we'll need to be at full power if we want to take him down, and we can't do that with these other guys in the way."

"Decisions, decisions," Boltboutamon taunted. "Better decide quickly, this offer has an expiration on it. Will it be an all-out free for all, or a one-on-one fight? Hurry up and make your choice. Going once… Going Twice…"

A frustrated growl escaped Omnimon, and he reluctantly glared up at the demon Digimon. "Fine, we'll play your game… For now."

Boltboutamon clapped his hands together. "Splendid! This'll be fun. Let's start on with the two-on-one fights and then get to the solo battles."

Gallantmon X was about to ask what that meant when he saw something far away in the distance that caught his attention. A fireball had flown into the sky before exploding, filling the sky with fie. It reminded him of Daemon's Algol's Flame attack.

"Hey, what's that?" he asked, gesturing with his lance.

Boltboutamon glanced over his shoulder at the burning sky and his grin widened before he looked back at the DigiDestined. "Just something that's been going on for the past couple of days; nothing for you humans to worry about right now. You've got a game to play, and your first opponent is…"

He looked at the Digimon he had brought, placed a hand over his eyes, and then pointed from one to the other while muttering under his breath. As he played what seemed to amount to eenie-meenie-miney-mo, a glint of realization appeared in Imperialdramon's eye. Changing his grip on his sword, he threw it with all his might. His sword flew through the air and hit Boltboutamon, stabbing him in the back. The blade went straight through him, bursting out his front as it buried into him up to the hilt.

"Bull's eye!" Imperialdramon shouted.

Boltboutamon's shocked and pained face suddenly shifted into a sneer before he burst into data, and Imperialdramon's sword dropped from the sky.

"Penalty!" the demon Digimon's voice rang out.

A moment later, a portal appeared beside Imperialdramon's head, and Boltboutamon's hand shot out, his fist slamming into Imperialdramon's face. The dragon Digimon went down, clutching his nose. Boltboutamon's hand retracted back into the portal and it disappeared as another one popped up, and the demon Digimon himself stepped out of it.

Looking down at the collapsed dragon Digimon, he shook his finger at him and tsked. "Naughty, naughty. It's not your turn yet. And besides, I'm not playing right now. However, that can change if you don't follow the rules."

A portal opened beside him and he stuck his arm inside it as a second one opened beside Imperialdramon's sword. He pulled it through the portal, twirled it around, then threw it at Imperialdramon, and it stabbed into the ground right by his head, the blade just barely grazing his neck.

OmniShoutmon didn't show him much pity as he glared down at Imperialdramon. "You idiot. That was bold, but of course it would have been a copy. Now you might have doomed us all."

Imperialdramon stood up and pulled his sword out of the ground. "Well, excuse me for taking an opening when I saw it."

Boltboutamon waved his hands. "Now, now, let's not get so dramatic. Our friend here just got a little too enthusiastic. I can certainly understand that. However, break the rules again and all bets are off. So now that we've got that out of the way, it's time for the pre-show entertainment."

"Pre-show entertainment?" Susanoomon repeated suspiciously.

"Your fights," the demon Digimon clarified. "You're going to need a warm-up before you face Lucemon. So let's get to it. Seraphimon, Ophanimon, come on down."

The two angel Digimon exchanged a look. "Why us first?" Ophanimon C asked suspiciously.

Boltboutamon smirked. "I said we would start with the two-on-one fights since our teams are uneven. And since you two are like two peas in a pod, it only makes sense for you two to go first, don't you think? As for your opponent, I think Eosmon would be rather suitable."

The unidentified Digimon hovered forward, suddenly appearing far more threatening now that she was about to fight. Ophanimon C's hand made contact with Seraphimon's, and he gave it an encouraging squeeze.

"It's fine," he told her. "We can do this."

OmniShoutmon stepped forward. "Just be careful. Eosmon has the ability to steal the minds of others and trap them in their memories. If she does that to you, you'll fall into a coma that won't be easy to get out of since you won't want to leave whatever happy memory you're trapped in. And she's strong. Even at the Ultimate level, she can challenge a Mega."

"So how strong is she at the actual Mega level?" Ophanimon C asked.

Before the dragon Digimon could answer, Eosmon used her Aurora Stream, firing a beam from the jewel on her forehead that emitted a screeching sound that caused those watching to cover their ears. At first Seraphimon and Ophanimon C covered theirs as well, but as the beam came at them, they split apart, one going one way, the other going the other way.

Eosmon turned her head so her beam went in Ophanimon C's direction. The angel Digimon flew along, flying in a circle around Eosmon as the beam closed in behind her. Ophanimon C glanced back at it, then wrapped her flames around herself for cover and expanded them outward. Eosmon's beam tore through the giant fireball, but it was unknown if she hit her target.

While she was turned away, Seraphimon flew into the unidentified Digimon's face and punched her in the side of the head while simultaneously using his Hallowed Knuckle. The ball of light exploded between Eosmon's head and Seraphimon's hand, knocking her off balance.

Ophanimon C burst out of her fireball and turned to the unidentified Digimon. Using her Call Dramon, she brought forth her dragon, and it breathed a stream of fire at Eosmon. The unidentified Digimon suddenly raised her hands, and what seemed to be transparent panels suddenly materialized around her, shielding her from the dragon's flames.

"Hallowed Ascension!" Seraphimon cried, bringing down lightning.

"Cutting Edge!" Eosmon cried.

Before Seraphimon's lightning could strike, Eosmon suddenly teleported away. She reappeared beside Ophanimon C's dragon in mid-slash motion, and sliced the dragon's head clean off. Ophanimon C pulled back in surprise as her dragon disappeared, and Eosmon shifted her body towards her. "Aurora Stream!"

Another piercing screech, another beam fired. Ophanimon C had made to cover her ears, but instead turned the movement into a motion to hold up her shield and use her Unicorn Shield. Eosmon's beam slammed into the barrier that manifested and bounced off it as it was deflected, but the power of the beam pushed her back.

"Strike of the Seven Stars!" Seraphimon cried as he hovered behind Eosmon, firing his attack into her back.

Eosmon jolted forward, then whirled around to face him and fired another beam. As the beam flew at him, it suddenly split apart, branching off into different directions, then circled back and struck the angel Digimon, creating an explosion that sent him flying.

"No!" Ophanimon C shouted. And flew towards the unidentified Digimon. "Shining Laser III!"

She fired beams from her hands as she got as close as she dared, closer than arm-length for Eosmon. The unidentified Digimon tried to turn to her, but she was so big in comparison that Ophanimon C was able to circle around her as she turned while keeping close enough to remain out of Eosmon's sights.

"Cruelty Rain!" the unidentified Digimon cried.

Several dozen more panels suddenly appeared in the air around Ophanimon C as the ones that were already floating around all suddenly came raining down on the angel Digimon. Ophanimon C created another barrier with her Unicorn Shield, but the panels kept coming down on it until the barrier finally shattered. The panels continued coming down, smashing against the angel Digimon, and they were eventually able to bring her to the ground, where they proceeded to come down on her, even when she was half-buried in the ground.

Omnimon made to go to her, but was held back by OmniShoutmon. "Don't," he said, and glanced at Boltboutamon, who was watching them out of the corner of his eye, smirking. "He's watching. Just have faith in them."

That faith paid off as Seraphimon came flying in low, then shot straight up, punching out balls of light with his Hallowed Knuckle that exploded up the length of Eosmon's body upon impact.

Eosmon turned her attention from Ophanimon C to Seraphimon, manifesting several more panels in front of her to block the angel Digimon's attack. Then she fired her Aurora Stream. The beam once again split apart into several dozen smaller ones branching off in different directions, but then they all flew after Seraphimon.

"Crap!" the angel Digimon exclaimed, and flew off as the beams flew after him.

They were faster than he was, and so he was forced to dodge. But even when he did, the beams doubled back and came at him again. When one beam made contact with another, it resulted in an explosion, and so Seraphimon began to punch out balls of light at the beams when he could before using his Hallowed Ascension to bring down lightning on several more.

Eosmon stopped her attack, only to fire another beam, which branched off into several more and went after Seraphimon again. This time, Eosmon began to manifest panels in the angel Digimon's path, making dodging even more difficult, as he now had to maneuver around the panels while dodging the beams.

He was eventually struck by one, and then another, then several more exploded against him. But Seraphimon's distraction had allowed Ophanimon C time to recover, and she was back in the game, though horrified as she watched the beams explode against Seraphimon. And as Eosmon fired another beam, this one remaining a single beam, she flew up into its path and used her Unicorn Shield, deflecting it with her barrier.

Eosmon cocked her head to the side, as if she were curious, and suddenly manifested another panel, this one appearing inside Ophanimon C's barrier. What more, it appeared inside of her shield, slicing it in two. The severed half fell off, bursting into data, and her barrier vanished.

Ophanimon C decided to attack before Eosmon could, and fired her Holy Destroy, but Eosmon manifested a wall of panels in front of her to block the attack, then fired her Aurora Stream, and one beam split into many and flew around her panel wall.

Ophanimon C gasped as the beams came at her. She wrapped her fire around herself, but the beams went straight through, and she was blasted out of her sphere of fire. More beams came at her, but lightning from Seraphimon's Hallowed Ascension came down to stop them, and the angel Digimon came to her side.

"Thanks for the save," she said. "Call Dramon!"

Her dragon appeared once again, behind Eosmon this time, and began breathing fire at her. Eosmon turned around and raised her hand. Several more panels appeared once again, some manifesting within the dragon, their manifestation cutting the dragon clean through. The dragon stopped breathing fire as a panel appeared within its neck, decapitating it, including others that severed a wing, two legs, and even one that nearly cut it in half, and the dragon dissolved away.

Eosmon turned back to the two angel Digimon. They seemed to understand what was about to happen and took off, moments before more panels manifested where they had been that would have cut them apart. Eosmon's gaze followed after them, more panels appearing as they wildly flew about so as not to make their positions predictable.

As he flew along, Seraphimon turned around and began flying backwards so he could fire his Hallowed Knuckle at the unidentified Digimon. The balls of light that didn't hit any of the panels in the air blasted against Eosmon. That is, until Seraphimon punched outward just as a panel manifested. It appeared inside his arm, cutting it clean off, and he cried out in pain.

Ophanimon C came to a stop as she saw what happened. "Seraphi- Ah!"

A panel appeared to her left, slicing off several of her wings. She let out a cry of pain of her own as Seraphimon called out her name, then turned to Eosmon.

"Volcano Napalm!"

She threw fireballs beneath the unidentified Digimon that erupted into pillars of flames up into Eosmon. Despite his severed arm, Seraphimon used his Hallowed Ascension, bringing his lightning down on Eosmon.

A high-pitched screech escaped Eosmon as she was both shocked and burned. Seraphimon and Ophanimon C didn't waste any time as they flew back towards her, and then simultaneously fired their Strike of the Seven Stars and Air Sefirot Crystal. Their attacks hit Eosmon at the same time, and the unidentified Digimon toppled over.

Ophanimon C looked at Seraphimon worriedly, her gaze landing on the place where half his arm used to be. "Seraphimon, your arm…"

He grasped his stump. "It's fine. It's not like I lost my human arm."

"Yeah, but-"

"Cruelty Rain!" Eosmon cried.

All the panels the had manifested thus far that hadn't been destroyed suddenly sprang to life and rose up into the air, filling the sky. Then they suddenly came crashing down on Seraphimon and Ophanimon C in waves. There was no escaping them; they were everywhere. The two angel Digimon were hammered by the panels, getting smashed to the ground, and then hit over and over again. Their friends called out their names, but there was nothing to be done, and the attack continued until the last of the panels smashed against them.

Eosmon slowly sat up and rose into the air once more, hovering over the two angel Digimon. She held up her arms and spread her wings, and the slides on the sphere of her tail began to open. From it, new Digimon emerged, flying into the air and began swirling around the unidentified Digimon who had created them, their number growing by the second.

"Wait, what are those?" Gallantmon X exclaimed.

OmniShoutmon's eyes narrowed. "Eosmon Ultimate. She has the ability to make copies of her Ultimate level."

"She what?"

"You're surprised? She's not the first Digimon we've come across who can create artificial Digimon or copies of themself. Remember Ordinemon, or Diaboromon and all his copies." His gaze shifted to Boltboutamon. "And that evil psycho up there has done it several times."

"I thought this was supposed to be a two-on-one fight," Imperialdramon growled. "This doesn't look like it's two-on-one to me."

Boltboutamon chuckled. "Oh, come now, it's not my fault if Eosmon can create copies of herself. Your friends will just have to deal with it."

Both Seraphimon and Ophanimon C struggled to sit up. They looked up at Eosmon and her swarming Ultimate level copies. Things were most definitely looking grim.

"What are we going to do?" Ophanimon C asked. "She's too strong for us."

Seraphimon forced himself to stand. "We'll keep fighting. We have to. Final Heal!" His severed arm regenerated. "Perfect Revival!"

Ophanimon C's chopped off wings grew back as his healing light flowed over her, and her other injuries healed. She then took hold of Seraphimon's hand, and he pulled her to her feet. She gave him a grateful smile before looking up the unidentified Digimon. "But how are we going to stop her, especially now that she has all those minions?"

Seraphimon looked as well. "If we can get close enough, maybe we can deliver a fatal blow to end things quickly."

Ophanimon C hesitated as she seemed to catch on to his meaning. "Will we be able to get that close? Those panel…"

"I know, but it's our best chance. We'll just have to be careful to avoid them. We can do this. Come on, let's go. Excalibur!"

He manifested his sword, and the two of the flew up towards Esomon. She looked down at them, and all her copies flew down towards the two angel Digimon.

"Hexa-Thunder!" several of the copies cried, unleashing electric attacks from their antenna.

Seraphimon and Ophanimon C continued onward, breaking apart from each other and avoiding the electric attacks as they flew directly into the swarm of Eosmon Ultimate copies. With Seraphimon using his sword and Ophanimon C using her flaming javelin, they began hacking their way through the copies as they approached the real thing. Fortunately, despite being just as powerful as the real versions, the copies were fragile and easily disposed of, their numbers being the biggest threat.

The true Eosmon raised a hand, and panels began manifesting in the two angel Digimon's path, some even hacking apart some of her copies who were unfortunate enough to be in the same spot where panels were manifesting. Seraphimon and Ophanimon C maneuvered around them while simultaneously trying to avoid being cut in half themselves as they plowed through the swarm of copies while avoiding their attacks.

"Aurora Stream!" Eosmon cried.

Seraphimon and Ophanimon C readied themselves, having known that this would be coming. As the screeching beam burst forth and broke off into many, some of the beams even hitting a few of the Eosmon copies, the two angel Digimon did their best to avoid them as they continued to fly around the panels that appeared in their paths, threatening to cut them apart, while attacking the copies and avoiding their electric attacks.

The beams and Eosmon copies they flew past came back around to follow them, but the two angel Digimon managed to stay ahead of them. It was still too much though. Too much was happening all at once around them, and a few of the beams managed to explode against them, which, consequently, caused them to fall prey to the copies' Hexa-Thunder attacks. They pushed onward though, closing the distance between them and their target.

When they were within striking distance, Eosmon manifested a wall of panels in front of her, cutting off the two angel Digimon while providing her a wall of protection. Seraphimon flew to the left and Ophanimon C flew to the right, several dozen beams following after them as the copies closed in. They circled around the panel wall and came together with Eosmon in between them. Seraphimon thrust forward with his sword the same time Ophanimon C thrust with her javelin, and both their weapons stabbed into Eosmon's head on opposite sides.

Abandoning their weapons, the two angel Digimon flew straight up, and the numerous beams that had been following them began flying into Eosmon, exploding against her, and a high-pitched cry escaped the unidentified Digimon.

"Hallowed Ascension!"

"Holy Destroy!"

Their attacks came down on Eosmon in addition to the barrage of beams blasting against her. Slowly, the unidentified Digimon began to topple over, her body breaking down into data until she fully disappeared before she even hit the ground. The panels and the Eosmon copies dissolved away as well, leaving only the two angel Digimon behind.

The DigiDestined stared at their comrades, and then Gallantmon X let out a cheer of victory. The others soon followed as they cheered for their friends while the remaining enemy Digimon roared and snarled. The only one who wasn't making any noise was Boltboutamon, who was staring at the battlefield in bewilderment, as if he couldn't believe the outcome of the battle. But then a grin spread across his face, and he began clapping, bringing his hands together harder and harder before letting out a hearty laugh.

"Marvelous! Simply marvelous!" he appraised, still clapping. "I never would have thought the battle would end in such a way."

No longer cheering, Omnimon turned to the demon Digimon, now looking furious. "You bastard! I knew it. This whole individual battles thing is a shame; you don't expect us to survive our opponents."

Boltboutamon let out another laugh. "Oh my, do you really think I could plan something so manipulative? I'm being completely legit here."

"We don't believe you," Gallantmon X shouted, now sounding outraged, and he held up his lance. "Zeig Saber!"

His energy lance extended, shooting up towards the demon Digimon. Boltboutamon just grinned and smacked away the stabbing beam with one hand, then flew down the length of it until he was right in front of the knight Digimon. Reaching out, he grasped Gallantmon X by the face and threw him onto the battlefield.

"Since you're so eager to fight, you can go next. And you…"

He stuck his hand into a portal. A second one appeared behind Imperialdramon and grabbed the dragon Digimon by the back of his head, pulling him back and into the portal. A third one appeared beside Gallantmon X, and Imperialdramon was tossed out of it.

"You can join him since you want to fight so badly too," Boltboutamon told him. He let out a chuckle as he looked at the two of them in anticipation. "After all, our game has only just begun."

Notes:

(A/N: Ok, so things aren't exactly going as planned for our heroes, as Boltboutamon has roped them into his twisted game. Fortunately, Seraphimn and Ophanimon C were able to defeat their opponent, and now it's Imperialdramon and Gallantmon X's turn to fight. Who will their opponent be? Any guesses. And let's not forget about the battle between Lucemon and Daemon that's still going on. How exactly is that going to end. Find out next time.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear or are mentioned.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Titamon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/RustTyranomon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Rasenmon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Rasenmon_Fury_Mode

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Eosmon_(disambiguation)

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Eosmon_(Mega)

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Eosmon_(Ultimate)

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Kimeramon

Chapter 177: Rust and Fury

Notes:

(A/N: Ok, I know this chapter title sounds like it doesn't make much sense, but you'll understand what it's referring to when you read the chapter. So without further ado, let's get to it.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 177: Rust and Fury

Imperialdramon stood up and dusted himself off, then reached down and helped Gallantmon X to his feet before turning to Boltboutamon. "Anyone ever tell you that your games really suck?"

Boltboutamon snickered. "Sounds to me like you're getting antsy. Nervous about your battle?"

"You can do it!" Seraphimon shouted to his friends as he rejoined the others.

"Yeah, we believe in you!" Ophanimon C called as she landed beside them.

A mocking grin spread across the demon Digimon's face. "You humans need some new material. Your faith in each other is so old it's beginning to rust. Speaking of which…" He hovered over to RustTyranomon. Floating by the dragon Digimon's head, he reached out and stroked his cheek. "Go have some fun."

RustTyranomon roared and stomped onto the battlefield. Gallantmon X and Imperialdramon braced themselves for battle as they prepared to face off against what was essentially a dinosaur crossed with a tank.

"It's like we're fighting against a Power Ranger's dinozord," Gallantmon X commented.

"It's fine, we got this," Imperialdramon told him.

From the sidelines, OmniShoutmon called down to them. "Be careful! RustTyranomon is strong enough to destroy the world!"

Imperialdramon cut his eyes at him. "Thanks for that. So very reassuring."

"Rust Breath!" RustTyranomon cried.

Opening his mouth, he breathed a massive stream of fire. Gallantmon X and Imperialdramon took to the air, avoiding the flames as they flew above the attacking dragon Digimon.

"How is breathing fire 'Rust Breath'?" Gallantmon X exclaimed.

"His flames also induce rusting!" OmniShoutmon called from the ground.

"Again, thanks for that," Imperialdramon muttered sarcastically. "Any other ways you want to make this battle more nerve-wracking for us?"

"Terrors Cluster!" RustTyranomon cried.

The inside of the cannon on his back started to glow before launching an electromagnetic beam up at the two Digimon. Gallantmon X went one way and Imperialdramon went another. The beam lit up the sky behind them as it erupted, giving the two of them a general idea of just how RustTyranomon could indeed destroy the world.

"Yeah, let's avoid that attack," Gallantmon X suggested.

"Let's avoid all his attacks," said Imperialdramon, "and hit him with our own. Super Positron Laser!"

He fired a beam down at RustTyranomon. The dragon Digimon roared as it pushed against him, and raised a hand to shield his face. Gallantmon X took the opportunity to fly in and punch him with his Saint Knuckle.

RustTyranomon stumbled, then turned around and swiped his tail. It crashed into Gallantmon X, sending him spinning away. Then looked up at Imperialdramon and unleashed his Rust Breath. Imperialdramon stopped firing and dodged the flames as Gallantmon X flew back over and used his Zeig Saber.

RustTyranomon roared again as the stabbing beam slammed into him. He turned his flames on the knight Digimon, who retracted his energy-lance and held up his shield. RustTyranomon's flames flowed over the shield, but it succeeded in holding back the attack. That is, until the shield began to rust and began crumbling apart.

"Oh, right, the rusting," Gallantmon X muttered.

RustTyranomon kept breathing fire as he stalked forward, and Gallantmon X's shield rusted and crumbled apart all the more. But as he closed in on the knight Digimon, he was suddenly hit from up above by Imperialdramon's Giga Crusher. The attack knocked the dragon Digimon down, and Imperialdramon flew in. On the ground, RustTyranomon looked up at him and roared before Imperialdramon slashed at him with his Imperial Claw.

RustTyranomon snarled as the dragon Digimon's claws slashed at him, then lunged at him, trying to bite. Imperialdramon pulled back to avoid the snapping jaws, then hit him with his Imperial Kick, knocking RustTyranomon's head to the side, then blasted him back with his Hyper Prominence.

"Time to slay this dragon," Imperialdramon declared. "Omni Sword!"

He flew at RustTyranomon as the dragon Digimon got to his feet. RustTyranomon turned to him and unleashed his Rust Breath. Imperialdramon swiped his sword through the flames, cutting through them, and brought his sword down on RustTyranomon's head.

The rusted sword broke upon making contact with the dragon Digimon's head, having completely rusted through. Imperialdramon gasped and pulled back, looking at his broken sword.

"Were you not listening when I said that his fire induces rusting!?" OmniShoutmon shouted.

"I thought it'd be fine since I cut through the flames!" Imperialdramon objected. He then looked up as RustTyranomon pointed his cannon at him, and Imperialdramon's eyes widened. "Oh, son of a-"

"Terrors Cluster!" RustTyranomon cried.

Imperialdramon just barely managed to hold up his cannon and fire his Super Positron Laser. The resounding blast of the two attacks colliding right in front of him sent him flying through the air, crashing to the ground and skidding across it.

"Darn you!" Gallantmon X shouted.

Despite his shield being reduced to a rusted clump of metal, he flew at RustTyranomon and blasted him with lightning from his Royal Saber attack. RustTyranomon immediately turned to him, snapping his jaws. Gallantmon X pulled back and circled to the other side of his head, firing his Final Elysion. His shield was so heavily damaged though and so much of had rusted away that the attack only unleashed a fraction of its power.

Shaking off the beam, RustTyranomon breathed more fire at Gallantmon X. The knight Digimon maneuvered around the stream of fire before tossing his useless shield away and flew along the underside of the fire, coming up right beneath RustTyranomon's under-jaw. "Zeig Saber!"

His energy-lance grew and extended outward, colliding with RustTyranomon's bottom jaw and forcing his mouth shut, cutting off the flames. RustTyranomon stumbled back as the energy-lance continued to extend, and Gallantmon X gave a hard shove. The dragon Digimon tumbled over, firing his cannon, and his Terrors Cluster attack fired into the sky.

Retracting his lance, Gallantmon X flew over to Imperialdramon, who had not yet moved from where he fell. Gallantmon X lifted his head, which came across as rather awkward since Imperialdramon was so much bigger than him.

"Imperialdramon, you ok, pal? Come on, wake up."

An irritated groan escaped the dragon Digimon. "Can't a guy get a moment's peace?"

"No time for that," Gallantmon X told him. "We're in the middle of a battle."

Imperialdramon groaned again. "Right, I'm getting up. Oof. That hurts. Can't believe I went down with just a single attack like that. How embarrassing."

"It was a pretty hard hit. And at pretty close range. You're lucky you didn't take the full blast of it."

"Still embarrassing."

RustTyranomon roared, drawing their attention. The dragon Digimon was back on his feet, stalking towards them, flames flickering in his mouth.

Imperialdramon sat up. "Wish I could heal myself, but I can only heal others."

Gallantmon X scoffed. "Ironic, I can only heal myself, but you're the one who needs it."

Imperialdramon brushed him off as he got to his feet. "What we need is to take this guy out A.S.A.P. I doubt I'll survive another blast of that cannon. Any ideas?"

Gallantmon X looked back at RustTyranomon. "Well, one. How's your aim right now?"

RustTyranomon roared and unleashed his Rust Breath. His opponents flew up into the air to avoid the flames, with Gallantmon X practically carrying his comrade.

"As good as it needs to be," Imperialdramon replied.

That was good enough for Gallantmon X, who nodded. "Right, then I'll set things up for you, and hopefully we can end this quickly. Wait for the money shot."

"I'll keep an eye out for it."

Gallantmon X nodded, then released Imperialdramon and flew towards RustTyranomon. "Hey, you big rust bucket, you've got something on your face! Royal Saber!"

He flung lightning at RustTyranomon. The dragon Digimon roared and fired his Rust Breath up at him. Gallantmon somersaulted through the air to avoid it, then fired his Zeig Saber. His lancebeam extended, striking RustTyranomon, and the dragon Digimon snarled, trying to bat it away. Gallantmon X continued to fire, dragging the beam over his body. When RustTyranomon opened his mouth to breathe more fire, making the dragon Digimon recoil.

"Come on," he said quietly to himself. "You know you want to. Show me the big guns."

RustTyranomon continued to thrash about, breathing fire in frustration as Gallantmon X's lance-beam proceeded to blast against him. With a snarl, he regained his footing and aimed his cannon up at the knight Digimon, and that's when Imperialdramon made his move.

"Giga Crusher!"

"Terrors Cluster!"

Imperialdramon had been at the ready, and so had gotten his shot off first, firing his attack into RustTyranomon's cannon. The dragon Digimon seemed to have realized what the ploy had been, turning to look up at his cannon before his attack collided with Imperialdramon's, creating an internal explosion that tore its way through his body, sending fragments of it flying. The explosion expanded outward, the blast throwing back both Gallantmon X and Imperialdramon, and even the onlookers recoiled from the explosion, the only exception being Boltboutamon, who hadn't taken his eyes off the battle.

"Beautiful," he whispered with a cruel sneer.

The explosion soon died down, revealing a massive crater where RustTyranomon had been, with only bits of data remaining of him. Nearby, Gallantmon X sat up, pushing debris from the blown apart land off him before spotting Imperialdramon a distance away and fixing him with a glare.

"What was that!?" he demanded furiously. "That wasn't what I meant! I was just trying to create an opening for you! We almost got caught in that blast!"

Imperialdramon gave him a bewildered look. "But you said to wait for the money shot. I thought you meant for that since you were provoking him like that. You didn't exactly specify…"

He trailed off as Gallantmon X's angry look slipped away and he began laughing. "Of course that's what I meant, you big idiot. You did it perfectly. We totally smoked that guy!"

Imperialdramon blinked before he began laughing as well. Their mirth was interrupted though by a much crueler laughter that succeeded in killing the relief they felt, and the two of them glanced at Boltboutamon.

The demon Digimon was laughing hysterically, finding a whole different kind of joy from Imperialdramon and Gallantmon X over their victory. "What a beautiful friendship. Such trust, such understanding. It's going to be so delicious to see your hearts break when you begin to lose those you care for."

"That won't happen!" Omnimon declared. "We're not going to let it."

Boltboutamon suddenly bent over backwards in the air, his back arching as he leaned back to look down at the knight Digimon with wide mad eyes. "Oh? Such confidence. But can you back it up? Because the two-on-one battles are now over. And since you felt the need to open your mouth, you can go next. And I think Rasenmon would like to get in on the action. I don't think she can hold herself back any longer."

Omnimon looked at the bewitching beast Digimon and saw that she did indeed seem to be vey agitated and eager for battle, almost as if an invisible force was the only thing holding her back from going on a rampage.

Taking a deep breath, Omnimon nodded. "Fine then, let's get this over with."

He flew forward, giving Imperialdramon and Gallantmon X nods as he passed them.

"Good luck," Gallantmon X whispered as he flew by.

Omnimon didn't reply as he settled on the battlefield. He glanced at his friends before looking up at Boltboutamon. "Alright, I'm read-"

Boltboutamon snapped his fingers and Rasenmon charged forward to attack like a rabid animal let off its leash. Omnimon was taken aback at the sudden ferocity, but recovered quickly and held up his sword and cannon. "Let's go."

Rasenmon leapt at him. "Desperato Vortex!"

Her spiral-shaped tails extended outward and flew at Omnimon to stab him. He jumped backwards to avoid the first one, then began dancing back as the others stabbed at him. Rasenmon pounced, and Omnimon took to the air to dodge her. She roared up at him and sent all her tails up at him. Omnimon looked back at them, seeing the tails coming at him, and pointed both hands at them.

"Double Torrent!" he cried, firing blasts of fire and ice that exploded against the tails.

Rasenmon roared and retracted her tails, then lashed out with them again. This time, she stabbed them into the ground, and Omnimon watched her warily. His attention was drawn elsewhere though as one of the tails burst up from underground and shot up to strike him. Omnimon pulled back, avoiding the tail, and several others shot up at him. Omnimon jolted about in the air to avoid them before lashing out with his sword, slicing off the end of one of the tails.

A pained howl escaped Rasenmon and she retracted her tails. Omnimon turned to her and used his Fearsome Blade. His sword turned into a blade of energy, and he swiped at Rasenmon, the blade extending like a whip as it flew at the bewitching beast Digimon.

"Spiral Hell!" Rasenmon cried, and the blades on her wrists began spinning, creating a cutting vortex around her hands.

She lashed out at Omnimon's attack, and his blade was knocked away as it made contact with her hand vortex. He swiped at her several more times, but each time she successfully deflected his attack.

"Graceful Cannon!" Omnimon cried, and fired a cutting beam from his cannon.

Rasenmon leapt up into the air, jumping over the beam, and lashed out at Omnimon again. This time, a tearing tornado flew out of the vortex around her hand. Omnimon held his arms up in front of him and wrapped his wings around himself protectively as the tornado flowed over him. He cried out as the attack shredded his wings, sending feathers flying everywhere.

Rasenmon landed and then jumped up again, pouncing at Omnimon. She tackled him out of the air and they crashed to the ground with her on top of him, and she snarled in his face. "Predator's Bite!"

Her fangs began glowing and she made a move to bite him. Omnimon barely managed to bring his arm up in time to have her bite down on his sword, allowing him to hold her at bay.

"Omnimon, beware!" OmniShoutmon called to him. "That attack allows her to devour your DigiCode!"

Susanoomon glanced at him. "But we're human, we don't have a DigiCore. Wait, do you mean she'll devour our soul? They're essentially the same thing, right?"

"No!" Ophanimon C shouted, and made to go help her brother. "We have to help him!"

Boltboutamon suddenly moved into her path. "Ah, ah, ah Remember, this is still part of the game. If you interfere, then the game is over, and we go into a free for all war. And I'll be joining in as well."

"Bastard," Imperialdramon growled. "We don't care about your games. If you want a war, then we'll give you a war."

"Stay back!" Omnimon called to them as he continued to hold Rasenmon back. "Don't get involved. I can handle this. Flame Breath!"

He breathed a stream of fire into the bewitching beast Digimon's face. She recoiled from the flames, allowing Omnimon to stick his cannon up against her torso and use his Inferno attack. He began repeatedly firing, knocking Rasenmon back more and more with each blast, allowing him to get to his feet.

Rasenmon snarled and lunged forward. She lashed out with her vortex claw, and he countered out with his sword, knocking her hand away. She struck her other hand, but he knocked this one away too. She kept swiping at him, and Omnimon began backing away as he tried to use his single sword to block both of her hands.

An opening presented itself, and he pointed his cannon at her. She reacted before he could fire though, knocking his arm out of the way, and his shot missed. She lashed out again, and this time dug her bladed vortex into his chest. Omnimon pulled back, and she used her Spiral Hell to send another cutting tornado at Omnimon. It flowed over him, slicing up his body, and the knight Digimon grunted in pain with every cut.

"T-Sword!" he cried, swiping his sword to send out a wave of energy. It flowed over Rasenmon and she froze, the blades on her wrists stopping as she was immobilized. She attempted to break free, but she was completely paralyzed, unable to move. "Fearsome Blade!"

He lashed out with his long-range energy blade. One after the other, he sliced off Rasenmon's tails, and each one burst into data every time he cut one off.

Rasenmon suddenly broke her paralysis and lunged at Omnimon, covering the distance between them in no time, and her fangs began glowing. "Predator's Bite!"

Omnimon's other hand came up as she pounced, and her glowing jaws bit down on his cannon, the barrel nearly reaching the back of her throat. Their gazes locked on each other, neither of them moving, but both knowing what was going to happen at the slightest movement.

Rasenmon went for it, thrusting a clawed hand at Omnimon as the blades on her wrist began spinning. Omnimon responded by firing his Graceful Cannon. The cutting beam tore through Rasenmon, bursting out of the back if her head, leaving a large gaping hole. The bewitching beast Digimon went limp, then slowly slid off Omnimon's cannon and began to dissolve away.

Omnimon lowered his cannon, breathing out a sigh of relief. He looked down at his cut up and punctured body, not to mention his shredded wings, and he winced in pain. Rasenmon had been savage. Fury Mode had definitely been a suitable title. He was just glad it was over as he made his way back over to his friends.

"Omnimon!" Ophanimon C shouted, rushing over to him and began fussing over his injuries. "You're hurt."

He chuckled. "Aw, come on, you know I've been worse off than this."

"Doesn't make it any easier to see. Someone heal him."

"I got him," said Susanoomon, holding out his hand. "I'm still at full power."

Seraphimon grabbed his wrist. "You haven't fought yet. You might need your strength. I'll do it. Perfect Revival!"

Imperialdramon internally pouted. "I fought already too. I could have healed him."

Seraphimon glanced at the dragon Digimon, looking him up and down. "Actually, you look like you could use some healing too. You took a pretty hard hit from RustTyranomon. Perfect Revival!"

As Imperialdramon was healed, Boltboutamon floated over, hovering upside-down in the air. "It's so sweet the way you look out for each other. And as much as I hate to tear apart your little group, it's time for the next battle."

Susanoomon sighed and looked at their last two opponents. "Fine, I guess I'm up."

Boltboutamon was suddenly in front of him, his face less than an inch from the god Digimon's, his wide, crazed eyes, boring into Susanoomon's. "I'm the one in charge of this game. I say whose turn it is." His hand shot out, grabbing OmniShoutmon around the neck and shoving him to the battlefield. "And I say it's your turn, your majesty."

OmniShoutmon got up and dusted himself off. "You're full of crap, Boltboutamon. I know exactly what you're doing, and why you're choosing who you are to face off against who."

The demon Digimon grinned broadly. "Then you must know who you're going to face off against. You seek to be the king of all Digimon, so let's see you face one who's made of many. Kimeramon!"

The composition Digimon roared and rose up into the air, coming down in front of OmniShoutmon, absolutely dwarfing him. The dragon Digimon took a nervous step back as Kimeramon growled menacingly.

Grinning broadly, Boltboutamon glanced back at the DigiDestined. "He's right about one thing. This game did allow me to achieve something." He looked back at the battlefield, his eyes shining. "The death of OmniShoutmon."

Notes:

(A/N: Ok, so we have some good news. Imperialdramon, Gallantmon X, and Omnimon were all able to defeat their opponents. But now it's OmniShoutmon's turn, and he's facing off against Kimeramon. Boltboutamon seems pretty confident that he won't be able to win. So what's going to happen? Stay tuned to find out.)

Chapter 178: Free For All

Notes:

(A/N: Uch, I've been sick. Don't worry, it's not THAT, it's just a cold. Doing better now though, so let's get to it. Not much else to say, so let's get to it. We're continuing the fight from last week. Let's see how OmniShoutmon fairs against Kimeramon of all Digimon.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 178: Free For All

"Heat Viper!" Kimeramon cried, firing a heat ray from his mouth.

OmniShoutmon swore and flew straight up. Kimeramon's gaze followed him and he fired another heat ray. OmniShoutmon dodged it and then launched himself at the composition Digimon with his Omni Torpedo, slamming into his head. Kimeramon stumbled back, but looked more irritated than harmed, and all four of his arms rose into the air.

"Scissor Claw!" he cried, and began rapidly slashing about with his arms.

OmniShoutmon swerved about in the air as Kimeramon's arms flew about. He wasn't able to avoid them for long though before he was struck and sent crashing to the ground. He let out a groan and then gasped as he saw Kimeramon's giant form coming down at him. He used his Omni Torpedo as a quick getaway to launch himself from under Kimeramon just before he would have been flattened by the composition Digimon's rear end.

"Yikes," Imperialdramon muttered. "OmniShoutmon almost faced 'the end'."

Susanoomon groaned. "Please, just don't…"

"Flame Cannon!" OmniShoutmon cried, firing a stream of flaming bolts from his chest. They blasted up against Kimeramon, who growled in response and rose to his feet before raising his arms again.

"Sizzling Viper!" he cried, firing four different heat waves from his hands.

OmniShoutmon flew straight up as the beams struck where he had been, unleashing a powerful shockwave. He attacked back with his Twin Fireball Strike, but the fireballs that exploded against Kimeramon barely seemed to bother him. He looked up at OmniShoutmon and fired his Heat Viper again. OmniShoutmon unleashed his Heavy Metal Vulcan, forming a wall of flames to protect himself. Kimeramon's attack blasted against it, and when the wall came down, the composition Digimon was flying up towards OmniShoutmon.

"Whoa!" the dragon Digimon exclaimed, flying backwards while firing his Hard Rock Spirit.

Kimeramon ignored the blasts of fire and lashed out with his Death Claw, his Devimon arms filling with dark energy before stretching out to slash at the dragon Digimon. OmniShoutmon used his Doom Drillpress and began doing spin-kicks, knocking away the hands as they made to grab him. Kimeramon snarled and used his Heat Viper, blasting OmniShoutmon out of the sky.

From the sidelines, the DigiDestined looked on in horror as they watched their friend fight futilely against the composition Digimon.

"This is hopeless," Gallantmon X exclaimed. "His attacks are barely fazing that thing."

"I know," Omnimon growled, and glared up at Boltboutamon. "I don't even think this so-called game was meant to kill us at all, just to get rid of."

Boltboutamon's head turned nearly 180 degrees as he looked at the knight Digimon and grinned. "You give me too much credit. I gave each of you powerful opponents with the same rules to follow. Why would I only target OmniShoutmon?"

"Because he's the Digimon King!" Ophanimon C shouted.

"And you said it yourself," Seraphimon added accusingly. "You said that this will allow you to achieve the death of OmniShoutmon."

The demon Digimon chuckled. "Because it will. But just because your friend isn't strong enough to defeat his opponent means that I targeted him specifically. Eosmon was stronger than you and Ophanimon as well, it doesn't mean I targeted the two of you. Honestly, if I just wanted to get rid of OmniShoutmon, I would have done it myself."

"Then why didn't you?" Imperialdramon demanded.

Boltboutamon smiled widely, as if he knew something they didn't, and looked back at the battle. "Because that's not part of the game."

"Sizzling Viper!" Kimeramon cried, firing heat rays from his hands.

OmniShoutmon flew low to the ground as the heat rays followed after him. He maneuvered around them when they got too close as Kimeramon flew after him at a slower pace. Soaring straight up, the dragon Digimon flew into the sky as Kimeramon directed his heat rays upward, and OmniShoutmon did a flip in the air to avoid them.

"Victorize Banking!"

The flaming V-shaped bolt exploded against Kimeramon's head, and the composition Digimon jolted back. He stopped firing and lashed out with his Death Claw attack. His Devimon arms stretched far up into the sky on either side of OmniShoutmon. They filled with dark energy and he clapped them together on the dragon Digimon.

OmniShoutmon held out his own hands, catching both of Kimeramon's so he wouldn't be crushed. He struggled against his opponent's strength, crying out as the dark energy began to flow over him.

Still pushing his hands together, Kimeramon came up level to OmniShoutmon and fired his Heat Viper. OmniShoutmon countered with his Omni Core Fusion, and the attacks exploded against each other. Kimeramon threw a punch with one of his other hands, punching OmniShoutmon out from between his other two. The dragon Digimon went spinning through the air, and Kimeramon fired his Sizzling Viper. OmniShoutmon managed to block with his Heavy Metal Vulcan, but the shockwave Kimeramon's attack unleashed knocked him back.

"Scissor Claw!" Kimeramon cried, flying at OmniShoutmon while he was dazed and slashing about wildly.

The dragon Digimon cried out as he was struck again and again, the final blow knocking him to the ground. Kimeramon came down right next to him and pinned him down with his SkullGreymon arm. The composition Digimon growled down at him as OmniShoutmon tried in vain to get up.

Gallantmon X's fists clenched as he watched OmniShoutmon be pinned down by Kimeramon. His eyes darted over to Boltboutamon, and then to Titamon before going back to the battle. They had already defeated Eosmon, RustTyranomon, and Rasenmon. With just these last few left, wouldn't they have the advantage with their numbers?

"The heck with this," he growled, and manifested a new shield before leaping into battle.

He flew up to Kimeramon and delivered a Saint Knuckle to the side of his head. The composition Digimon grunted and turned to him as Gallantmon X raised his shield and blasted him in the face with his Final Elysion, and Kimeramon stumbled away.

Gallantmon X landed beside OmniShoutmon. "You ok, pal?"

The dragon Digimon looked up at him. "What are you doing?"

Gallantmon X blinked. "Um, saving you. What do you think?"

"Yeah, I appreciate that, but you just-"

Boltboutamon was suddenly there, backhanding Gallantmon X so hard he knocked him off his feet. "Penalty. You broke the rules, Gallantmon. Naughty, naughty. That means the game is over," he licked his lips in anticipation, "and the brawl begins."

The other DigiDestined quickly landed beside Gallantmon X and OmniShoutmon. Kimeramon stalked back over to stand beside Boltboutamon as the demon Digimon grinned broadly.

"Why'd you interfere?" OmniShoutmon demanded, not taking his eyes off their enemies. "Now we have to fight them all at once."

"You needed help," Gallantmon X told him. "I wasn't about to let you die. Besides, we beat three of them already. I figured we could handle what was left of them if we fought together."

Boltboutamon threw his head back and laughed. "Such a foolish human. So ignorant and naïve. You really don't know what you're up against. Titamon!"

The shaman Digimon leapt over, landing beside him and Kimeramon with a mighty thud, and turned to the DigiDestined. He raised his arms, and the eye sockets in the skulls on his arms began to glow. "Dark Army Pact!"

Beams of light began shooting out of the skulls' eyes sockets. Each one manifested a shade, creating an entire army of undead phantom warriors that now stood between him and the DigiDestined.

Boltboutamon grinned at the looks on their faces as they stared at the phantom army. "Are the odds not quite as in your favor as you thought they'd be?"

"Drop dead," Gallantmon X snapped. He looked back at his friends. "We can take these things."

But OmniShoutmon shook his head. "No, we can't. These warriors can't be destroyed, they're immortal."

Imperialdramon's eyes widened as he looked at the phantom army. "Then how do we beat them?"

OmniShoutmon looked at the shaman Digimon that had created the army. "We have to defeat Titamon. It's the only way to get rid of them."

"Not a problem," Susanoomon replied, and manifested his ZERO-ARMS: Orochi. "We'll cut straight through that army. Celestial Blade!"

His massive blade burst from his weapon, and he swung it through the air. He began cutting through the phantom warriors, even as they charged at the blade. Titamon glanced at the blade coming at him, and his grip on his giant sword tightened. He dug his feet into the ground and let out a loud battle cry, raising his sword over his head. "Soul Core Attack!"

He brought the blade down on Susanoomon's Celestial Blade. His sword cut straight through it, and the Celestial Blade disappeared.

Susanoomon gasped. "He cut through my attack!"

"That's nothing," OmniShoutmon replied. "His Zanjinto… um, that's his sword's name, can cut through one's being, straight to their DigiCore."

"Well, that's just great," Seraphimon muttered. He looked at the phantom warriors Susanoomon had cut down. "And look, those guys are reviving."

Indeed, the phantom warriors were indeed pulling themselves back together, despite being cut in half, even regenerating the parts that had been disintegrated by Susanoomon's attack.

"Looks like they really are immortal," Ophanimon C noted.

"Then our goal will be to take out Titamon," said Omnimon. He looked at his friends and nodded. "Right then. Seraphimon, Ophanimon, you guys keep the army busy. You got the fire and lightning, use it to keep them down and away from Titamon. Imperialdramon, you got the sword and the size to challenge the big guy himself, you take him on. OmniShoutmon, you help him."

Imperialdramon raised his hand. "Just to be clear, the 'big guy' is Titamon, right? Because Kimeramon is big too."

Omnimon nodded. "Yes, him. He's the number one priority. We get rid of him, we get rid of his army. Susanoomon, you're the strongest of us, you keep Kimeramon busy. Gallantmon X, you and I will deal with Boltboutamon. Once we take care of him, we'll help fight Titamon. Get him out if the way, then it's just Kimeramon."

Boltboutamon laughed as he gave the knight Digimon a round of applause. "Well, well, it certainly seems like you've got this planned out. But do you really think it'll go as smoothly as that?"

Omnimon glared at him. "One way to find out."

He charged forward. Titamon's army rushed to meet him, but Seraphimon brought lightning down on them with his Hallowed Ascension. Omnimon flew over to them, maneuvering around the bolts of lightning as he went straight for Boltboutamon. The demon Digimon grinned as Omnimon came at him, side-stepping out of the way when Omnimon stabbed at him with his sword. Before he flew past, however, Boltboutamon brought up his hand and used his Curtain Call, snapping his fingers to create a shockwave that sent Omnimon flying.

The demon Digimon smirked, then jumped up at the last second, allowing Gallantmon X's beam from his Zeig Saber to pass by underneath him. The beam retracted into Gallantmon X's lance as he flew at Boltboutamon. The demon Digimon leapt up over him while pulling out his guns and pointing them at the knight Digimon. "Baleful Draw!"

He began firing. Gallantmon X lifted his shield to block, and the bullets left large dents in it, the impacts so strong that they actually bent the shield out if shape.

"Final Elysion!" Gallantmon X cried, firing a beam from his misshapen shield.

Before the beam hit, Boltboutamon used his Battlefield Remover to create a portal that he backed into, allowing him to avoid the attack. He appeared in the air behind Gallantmon X, using his Dark Rostrum to fire a bullet into the ground beneath the knight Digimon's feet, creating a magic circle that conjured up a tornado that surrounded Gallantmon X.

As Boltboutamon grinned, he was suddenly blasted from behind by Omnimon's Double Torrent. The knight Digimon lowered his arms as he waited for Boltboutamon to disappear. "One more copy down, and good riddance."

A light chuckle escaped the demon Digimon before he began laughing in amusement as he turned around to grin at Omnimon. "Who said I was just a copy?"

Omnimon's eyes widened. "Oh, shi-"

Boltboutamon pointed at him, and one of his rapiers shot at Omnimon, stabbing into his chest. The demon Digimon snickered at the look of pain and surprise on his face. "So you thought I was just another copy that you could quickly dispose of with one hit, allowing you to go help your friends. Does this throw off your little battle plan?"

Omnimon took a few deep breaths before glaring at Boltboutamon. "Not really."

He swung his sword, cutting through the rapier buried in his chest. Then he used his Fearsome Blade, whipping his energy blade at the demon Digimon. Boltboutamon hummed pleasantly as he danced around the whipping blade as if it were a simple game.

"Zeig Saber!" Gallantmon X cried, firing a beam from his lance that tore straight through the tornado he was trapped in.

Boltboutamon glanced at the incoming attack in surprise, pulling back while also trying to avoid Omnimon's energy blade. Gallantmon X's attack grazed him and he hissed, but he sounded more annoyed than hurt.

"Graceful Cannon!" Omnimon cried, raising his cannon and firing.

Boltboutamon turned back to him, but not soon enough to avoid the freezing, cutting beam that pushed him to the ground. Omnimon followed up with his Flame Sphere, sending flames at the demon Digimon that formed a magic circle around him, the huge flames rising up to consume him.

Gallantmon X used the opening his attack had created in the tornado to fly free before retracting his energy lance and flying over to Omnimon. "May he burn. You think he's down for good?"

Omnimon narrowed his eyes. "He never is."

From out of the flames, Boltboutamon casually walked out. He stopped a distance away from the two knight Digimon and grinned up at them. "You know, I realized something. Two against one isn't exactly a fair fight. So… Duplication!"

A second Boltboutamon suddenly stepped out from behind him, as if they had been playing mirror twins. They both chuckled at the guarded look on the two knight Digimon's faces.

"Now then," they said together, "where were we?"

Elsewhere on the battlefield, Susanoomon was managing to hold his own against Kimeramon. The composition Digimon was indeed incredibly powerful though, and Susanoomon almost swore at the injustice that he was only an Ultimate and still had this much power.

"I guess I can see why Millenniummon is so strong if he comes from you," he growled out. "Heaven's Thunder!"

Kimeramon looked up as clouds appeared over him and streams of lightning in the form of dragons came down and grabbed hold of him. Kimeramon roared and began thrashing about to try and get free. Susanoomon manifested his ZERO-ARMS: Orochi and unleashed his Celestial Blade, but as he swung it through the air, Kimeramon blasted him with his Heat Viper.

The giant golden blade of light vanished as Susanoomon went spinning backwards, and Kimeramon broke free of the lightning dragons. He flew at the god Digimon, firing his Sizzling Viper, and Susanoomon cried out as the four heat rays struck him and unleashed a shockwave that sent him crashing to the ground.

Roaring, Kimeramon came down right next to the god Digimon. Using his Death Claw, he raised his Devimon hand and brought it down. Susanoomon flew up as Kimeramon's claw shattered the ground, and his eyes followed after the god Digimon.

"Let me show you a real hit," Susanoomon told him. "Fist of the Gods!"

He began raining a rapid series of punches against Kimeramon's armored head. The composition Digimon roared and swiped at him, but Susanoomon pulled back. He struck again with his Texture Blow, punching Kimeramon in the nose, but it soon faded out. Kimeramon roared again and fired his Heat Viper.

Susanoomon countered with his Royal Slash attack, cutting through the heat ray with holy fire. Then he used his Heavy Tackle, slamming into the composition Digimon. Kimeramon jolted back, but then lunged at Susanoomon. The god Digimon used his Magna Thunder, caging Kimeramon in a prison of lightning, of which he bounced off of, and snarled angrily.

"Sizzling Viper!" he cried, firing heat rays from his hands at the cage of electricity, causing it to disperse.

He lunged at Susanoomon again, who struck him with a bolt of lightning from his Glory Thunder. Kimeramon forced his way through the attack and opened his mouth to fire his Heat Viper.

"Flash Punch!" Susanoomon cried, flying forward to deliver a glowing punch that knocked Kimeramon's head to the side, sending his Heat Viper firing off course.

Kimeramon went down and Susanoomon flew over, seizing the composition Digimon by his Monochromon tail. Despite Kimeramon's immensely larger size, Susanoomon swung him around and then threw him through the air.

He came down on a cluster of phantom warriors that Seraphimon had been about to blast. The angel Digimon blinked behind his helmet before glancing at Susanoomon and giving him an appreciative wave. "Thanks for that."

Kimeramon got to his feet again, roaring angrily, and flew back to Susanoomon. Seraphimon turned his attention back to the immortal army as Ophanimon C flew over them, throwing down her Volcano Napalm into the crowd, the fireballs erupting into pillars of fire that sent the warriors flying, if not reducing them to ash.

"Hallowed Ascension!" Seraphimon cried, bringing lightning down on the warriors, trying to cover as much ground as possible. The attack was affective, but the soldiers just got right back up again, regenerating any damage they obtained, and even the ones who had been reduced to ashes reformed. They charged at Seraphimon, and he began punching out balls of light with his Hallowed Knuckle, blasting them to bits, but they just pulled themselves together and kept coming.

Ophanimon C landed behind him so they were back-to-back and fired her Shining Laser II into the crowd. "How you holding up?"

Seraphimon continued punching out balls of light. "This is never-ending. These guys really are immortal; they recover from anything. Strike of the Seven Stars!"

Ophanimon C nodded in agreement as her fellow angel Digimon's attack tore its way through the crowd. "I know, it doesn't matter how much we attack them if they can't be destroyed and just come back good as new. We're essentially just wasting energy."

She used her Holy Slash, blasting away a group of warriors who had gotten too close. Seraphimon glanced back at her. "We could use some help. See if your dragon can assist us."

A smile spread across her face. "You just read my mind. Call Dramon!"

Her dragon manifested. It immediately went on the attack, breathing fire upon the phantom warriors. A portion of them turned their attention to the dragon and went on the attack, heedless of the flames it breathed.

Ophanimon C nodded. "That'll slow them down a little. Hopefully Imperialdramon and OmniShoutmon are making progress with Titamon."

The two dragon Digimon were in fact at a bit of a stalemate with the shaman Digimon. OmniShoutmon was flying about, firing attacks at Titamon, wary of Imperialdramon, who was engaged with the shaman Digimon in a clash of swords.

Imperialdramon was really struggling against Titanmon. The shaman Digimon's swipes were slow due to the massive size and weight of his sword, but his blows were so powerful that even though Imperialdramon was faster, the impact of their swords always knocked his to the side, and by the time he recovered from the hit, Titamon's giant blade was coming at him again.

"How about giving me an opening!" he shouted impatiently to OmniShoutmon.

A growl escaped his fellow dragon Digimon as he proceeded to blast their opponent with fireballs. "I'm trying, but he's not rising to the bait. Maybe a physical attack. Doom Drillpress!"

His legs turned into blades and he kicked at Titamon. The shaman Digimon raised a hand, blocking OmniShoutmon's attack with his gauntlet, then shoving him away. It gave Imperialdramon the opening he had been looking for though, and he lunged at Titamon, stabbing forward.

The shaman Digimon side-stepped him, avoiding the blade. His hand came up, striking Imperialdramon beneath his chin, knocking him off his feet, and the dragon Digimon went down.

"Soul Core Attack!" Titamon cried, raising his sword high over his head.

Imperialdramon's hands came up to shield himself, even though he knew it was futile. But as Titamon's blade came down, OmniShoutmon flew in front of him and used his Heavy Metal Vulcan. Titanmon's sword was deflected by the firewall, allowing Imperialdramon to get to his feet.

As the firewall burned out, Titamon's hand shot out, grabbing hold of OmniShoutmon. He threw the dragon Digimon to the ground, and OmniShoutmon got the wind knocked out of him as he landed on his stomach. Titamon then brought his large foot down on OmniShoutmon's lower body, making him cry out and pinning him there, then raised his sword to stab into him.

"No you don't!" Imperialdramon cried, lunging forward and swiping his sword.

His blade struck Titamon's, and it buried into the ground beside OmniShoutmon rather than into him. Imperialdramon then struck Titamon with an Imperial Claw, knocking him back off OmniShoutmon, then jumped up and hit him with an Imperial Kick, sending the shaman Digimon stumbling back further.

"Let's try two swords," Imperialdramon declared. "Splendor Blade!"

A blade of light appeared in his other hand and he charged at Titamon. He swiped his Splendor Blade, and Titamon swung his sword. It easily cut through the blade of light, but Imperialdramon was successful in his objective.

"Got you!" he declared, and swung his Omni Sword.

Titamon's hand came up, grabbing Imperialdramon's wrist, stopping his swing. He twisted, and Imperialdramon cried out and dropped his sword as he felt something in his wrist snap. Titamon then kicked out, his foot hitting Imperialdramon in the gut, knocking him back. He then picked up his sword, aiming to stab, and charged forward.

"Phantom Blade!" he cried, stabbing forward.

"No!" OmniShoutmon shouted. "Omni Core Fusion!"

His attack struck Titamon in the head, and he snarled, but kept charging forward. The attack did throw off his balance, causing him to stumble, and Imperialdramon attempted to dodge. A portion of the blade still cut into the dragon Digimon's side, making him cry out in pain, and OmniShoutmon gasped in horror.

Titamon glanced over his shoulder at Imperialdramon and grinned. "I got you."

The dragon Digimon in question narrowed his eyes. "Big deal. It's only a flesh wound. I've taken much worse."

Chuckling, Titamon turned back to him. "Just wait for it."

Imperialdramon retrieved his sword and pointed it at Titamon. "The only thing I'm waiting for is… is…"

He trailed off as his eyes glazed over. Suddenly, he saw countless Titamon all around him. They charged forward all at once, swords raised. Imperialdramon swung his own sword, but much to his surprise, it passed right through his target. The Titamon he had been aiming for stabbed forward with his own sword, stabbing it into Imperialdramon.

The dragon howled in pain as another Titamon moved in, stabbing him again. More followed, and the numerous Titamon proceeded to stab him over and over again as Imperialdramon cried out.

OmniShoutmon looked on helplessly as Imperialdramon fell prey to the hallucination, knowing there was nothing he could do. He flew over and shouted as loudly as he could in the hopes of getting through to him in some way at least a little bit.

"It's not real!" he exclaimed. "Titamon's Phantom Blade attack causes hallucinations of you being endlessly stabbed, but they're not real!"

Titamon chuckled as he approached. "Don't bother. You can tell him what he sees and what he feels all you want, it won't make a difference, not even if he believes you. He'll still see and feel everything as if it were real. He'll be plagued by these visions until his death."

"No!" OmniShoutmon cried.

"Yes," Titamon replied, standing before Imperialdramon and raising his sword. "Might as well put him out of his misery."

"Victorize Banking!"

OmniShoutmon's attack did nothing to slow down the descent of Titamon's sword. But then at the last possible moment, Imperialdramon's chest opened and he fired his Hyper Prominence. Titamon was blown off his feet and sent flying. Imperialdramon was blasted back by the shockwave as well, but he didn't even seem to notice as visions and sensations of numerous Titamon driving their swords into him repeatedly continued to plague him.

OmniShoutmon's sympathies went to the dragon Digimon. The hallucinations didn't harm him physically since they weren't real, but the pain he felt from them was. It seemed that he was still able to attack though, having gotten off that fortunate shot that had struck Titamon. However, the shaman Digimon was on his feet again and making his way over to Imperialdramon once more, the dragon Digimon's death in his eyes.

Flying over to Imperialdramon, OmniShoutmon landed by his head. "Listen, pal. I hope my words are getting through to you somehow. I know what you're going through must be horrible, but if you don't do what I say, you're going to die. My attacks aren't as strong enough to do any extensive damage to him, so I'm counting on you. Of you don't listen to me, you'll be a goner."

Imperialdramon gave no indication that he heard him as he continued to cry out as imaginary swords continued to stab him. Meanwhile, the real Titamon now stood over him, sword raised to make the killing blow.

"Time to die. Soul Core Attack!"

"Imperialdramon, if you can hear me, attack now!" OmniShoutmon bellowed.

Titamon brought his sword down. At that same moment, Imperialdramon sat up, stabbing out with his sword. The hilt of Titamon's sword struck the dragon Digimon's shoulder, but the blade itself went over him. As for Imperialdramon's own sword, it had stabbed directly into Titamon's face, the length of the blade going through the back of his head.

Imperialdramon collapsed once more, still caught up in his hallucination. Titamon remained standing for a few moments longer, emitting unpleasant grumbling noises, before he collapsed forward on top of Imperialdramon, and his body broke down into data.

A distance away, the phantom warriors that Seraphimon and Ophanimon C were fighting suddenly faded away, vanishing like a bad dream. The two angel Digimon looked around, finding no trace left of the immortal army.

"They're gone," said Seraphimon. "Imperialdramon and OmniShoutmon must have defeated Titamon."

"Look, there they are!" Ophanimon C exclaimed, pointing to the two dragon Digimon. "Let's go!"

They flew over, and OmniShoutmon looked up at them. "We have to help him."

Ophanimon C looked Imperialdramon over, not seeing any major or life-threatening injuries. "What's wrong with him?"

"Hurts…" Imperialdramon moaned. "Make them stop. It hurts…"

Seraphimon wasn't sure what he meant by 'them' since there was no one else around. "Hold on, buddy. I'll heal you right up. Perfect-"

"That won't work," OmniShoutmon interrupted. "He's caught in a hallucination. We need to get him to Susanoomon; he can cure status ailments.

Ophanimon C began to lift Imperialdramon, draping his enormous arm over her shoulder. "Then let's hurry."

Seraphimon helped support Imperialdramon as they flew over to the battle between Susanoomon and Kimeramon. OmniShoutmon flew ahead of them, whizzing past the god Digimon as he called out, "I'll keep him busy. Help them."

Susanoomon blinked at the interference and glanced over his shoulder, seeing Seraphimon and Ophanimon C dragging Imperialdramon, and he flew over to then. "What happened?"

"Something about being stuck in a hallucination," Seraphimon replied.

"OmniShoutmon said you can help him," Ophanimon C added. "With your status healing ability."

The god Digimon looked at Imperialdramon. "I'll give it a shot. Status Barrier!"

A flash of light flowed over the dragon Digimon, and he seemed to become encased in an outer layer multi-colored exoskeleton. It began cracking apart seconds later before shattering and disappearing.

Imperialdramon blinked, his eyes clearing up, and he looked around in confusion. Looking down at himself, he pulled his arms away from the two angel Digimon and began feeling himself all over before relaxing. "That may have been the most horrific experience of my entire life."

"What happened?" Susanoomon asked.

Imperialdramon looked up at him. "I was suddenly surrounded by an army of Titamon. My attacks didn't affect them at all. Then they started stabbing and slashing me with their swords over and over again, and I was helpless to stop them. I could actually feel the swords stabbing into me. But I didn't die. They just kept stabbing…"

Seraphimon shuddered. "That does sound bad."

"I don't think we have time to worry about that right now," Ophanimon C told them as she watched OmniShoutmon throw fireballs at Kimeramon as the composition Digimon swiped at him.

Susanoomon turned back to the battle. "Yes, good call. Can you guys get him to keep still?" If you can get him to stay in one place long enough, I can finish him off."

"Consider it done," Imperialdramon told him, and made to fly, but only ended up stumbling. He made an embarrassed noise before taking to the air with the two angel Digimon behind him.

"Heat Viper!" Kimeramon cried, firing a beam at OmniShoutmon.

The dragon Digimon pulled back, the beam passing by him just inches away. Suddenly, Imperialdramon came flying past him, followed shortly by Seraphimon and Ophanimon C as they sped towards Kimeramon.

"Hyper Prominence!" Imperialdramon cried, firing upon the composition Digimon.

Kimeramon was blasted back by the attack, but was then struck by Seraphimon and Ophanimon C's Strike of the Seven Stars and Air Sefirot Crystal, followed shortly by OmniShoutmon's Victorize Banking.

"Celestial Blade!" Susanoomon, swinging his ZERO-ARMS: Orcohi.

The enormous blade of light sliced through the air as it headed towards Kimeramon. The composition Digimon roared at it and fired his Sizzling Viper at Susanoomon, but his attack went off course as the blade sliced him in two.

As Kimeramon's roar echoed across the land, his lower body bursting into data, Susanoomon retracted his blade and pointed the weapon at him. "ZERO-ARMS: Orochi!"

His weapon fired, the purple ball of light flying into what was left of Kimeramon. He let out one final roar as the blast consumed him, and then he was gone.

"Take that, you Frankenstein chimera thing!" Imperialdramon shouted, punching the air. "Teach you to mess with us." His gaze shifted to Omnimon and Gallantmon X as they did battle with the two Boltboutamon. "Now let's finish this."

He sped towards the closest demon Digimon, his sword raised. He brought it down, but Boltboutamon's bladed tail came up and blocked Imperialdramon's much larger sword. His head turned completely around and he grinned at the dragon Digimon. "Helloooooo."

Imperialdramon's eyes narrowed as he pushed harder against Boltboutamon's tail, gaining no ground. "Hello nothing. You're going down. You and your copy are all that's left."

"Are we now?" the supposed copy in question asked, hovering over. "What are the odds of that?"

"Not in your favor," Susanoomon declared as the DigiDestined all surrounded the two demon Digimon.

With a shove of his tail, Boltboutamon pushed Imperialdramon away, then went to hover beside his duplicate. "Is that a fact?" they said together.

Exchanging a look, their grins widened, and suddenly each of them split into two more. The DigiDestined jolted back in surprise as they now stared at the six demon Digimon.

"How about now?" the six Boltboutamon asked together. "No? How about now?"

They split again, and there were now 12 of them. They chuckled in unison, setting the DigiDestined on edge. Then all the copies let out a simultaneous "Ha!" and split again into 24.

Seraphimon took a moment to compose himself, hoping his voice didn't tremble. "W-We can do this, guys. Remember, the copies go down with one hit."

The Boltboutamon all sneered. "I would certainly like to see that." Suddenly, one of them clapped, and all the others disappeared. "But a deal's a deal. You won the game."

Gallantmon X blinked. "Game? What?

Boltboutamon laughed. "I said this was a game, didn't I? You needed to defeat all your opponents. I only said that I'd step in and turn this into a free for all if you tried to help each other, I never said you had to defeat me."

Despite the relief he felt at not having to fight the demon Digimon anymore, Omnimon still glared at him. "You're despicable."

Boltboutamon sneered mockingly at him. "Now, now. Don't be such a wet blanket. After all, since you won our little game, you're getting a prize."

"We don't want anything from you!" Ophanimon C snapped.

"Trust me, you'll like this one," Boltboutamon assured her. "But I'm afraid I don't have it with me. You're going to have to pick it up yourselves… At Lucemon's castle."

As if having been timed, a loud roar came from in the distance from whatever commotion had been going on in the background as they had fought. Fire flowed across the sky, setting it ablaze. Boltboutamon just laughed as the sky burned, stepping into the portal that opened up behind him.

"I'll see you there!"

Notes:

(A/N: Phew, that was close, but it looks like our heroes pulled it off. Or are they playing directly into Boltboutamon's hands? And what's this prize that's waiting for them at Lucemon's castle. And will there even be anything left to find after Lucemon and Daemon finish their battle? Speaking of which, what is going to happen between the two Demon Lords? Find out next time.)

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New Digimon that appear or are mentioned.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Monochromon

Chapter 179: Power Source

Notes:

(A/N: Alright, here we go, I've been waiting for this chapter. Got quite a lot going on here. Things are really going to escalate. Our heroes are almost at Lucemon's castle, where Boltboutamon claims he has a prize waiting for them. Meanwhile, Lucemon and Daemon are still fighting it out. What's going to happen? Read on to find out.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 179: Power Source

Tai let out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding as he stared up at Lucemon's castle; if castle was even the right word for it. It was so large, it was bigger than an entire estate, and that wasn't even counting how high it rose into the sky. But the size wasn't what had him forgetting to breathe. It was what being here meant.

This was it, after all this time, they were finally going to face off against Lucemon, leader and strongest member of the Demon Lords. It was not something any of them were looking forward to doing, but it was something they had come to terms with. But now that they were here, Tai wasn't exactly sure how his friends felt about it, but he didn't feel ready.

"Well, here we are," said Davis. "Lucemon's castle."

"The last place we want to be," Takato chimed in. "And it also just happens to be the place where we need to be."

Shoutmon swallowed, looking like he might faint. "W-We don't have to do this, you know. We can still turn around."

Kari's eyes narrowed in determination. "No way. We've come too far to turn back now."

In the distance, a stream of fire flew through the air, but they didn't see the source of it. It was something they had been seeing for some time now, since before their fight with Boltboutamon and the Digimon he had brought along. They still didn't know what the commotion was all about, but whatever was causing it seemed to be avoiding the castle, because the teens had yet to catch a glimpse of it.

"What is that?" Takato asked uneasily.

"As long as it continuous happening way over there, who cares," said Takuya.

Takato shook his head. "No, we should care. This is Lucemon we're about to face. What if whatever that is makes its way over here while we're fighting him?"

TK looked at the shooting flames. "That seems unlikely. It's been avoiding coming anywhere near the castle. It's probably afraid of Lucemon."

Kari nodded in agreement. "And if it were an actual problem, Lucemon probably would have taken care of it himself."

Tai sighed. "Let's not worry about it right now. We've got to focus on Lucemon. The leader of the Demon Lords is no joke."

Davis gave an encouraging smile. "Yeah, but after him, all that's left is Daemon and Bagramon, then we're home free."

"And Boltboutamon," Kari added. "Don't forget about him."

Suddenly, a miniature portal appeared, and the Digimon in question's head popper out. "Did someone say my name?"

The teens all jumped away from the sight of Boltboutamon's floating head, and Tai glared at him. "Great, just what we need."

"What are you doing here?" Takuya demanded.

Chuckling, Boltboutamon expanded the portal so he could step out if it. "Have you forgotten already? Did I not say that I had a prize waiting for you at Lucemon's castle?"

"The only prize we want is getting rid of Lucemon!" Davis growled.

Boltboutamon clapped his hands together, making a show of pretending to look remorseful. "Oh, I'm so sorry, but I'm afraid Lucemon isn't in right now. He's got his hands full at the moment."

Takuya's shoulders sank. "What? You're kidding, right? After we came all this way, he's not even here?"

"Where is he?" Shoutmon demanded.

A cruel and amused grin spread across the demon Digimon's face. Slowly, he raised his hand, pointing to the commotion happening a distance away. "Right there."

The teens all turned, watching as several beams flew through the air from far away. "What?" Tai asked. "That's Lucemon? That's been him this whole time?"

Boltboutamon chuckled. "He's been fighting Daemon for two days straight."

Everyone turned back to him, surprised. "He's fighting Daemon!?" Takato exclaimed.

Boltboutamon looked amused. "But of course. With his new power, Daemon believed he should be the leader of the Demon Lords. That's why he spared you. He wanted you to witness him becoming the supreme ruler of this world, where even Lucemon would bow to him. Of course, Lucemon isn't one to bow down to anyone. He met Daemon's challenge, and they've been going at it ever since."

TK looked back at what he now knew to be the battle between Lucemon and Daemon. "So that's why their fight hasn't come near the castle. Lucemon didn't want his home to be destroyed in the battle."

Takuya looked up at the castle. "Actually, it looks like some of the battle did take place here. Some parts have been pretty damaged."

Boltboutamon laughed. "Fortunately, your prize wasn't damaged in their fight. In fact, it's the real reason why they moved their battle away from the castle."

Tai gave him a suspicious look. "What prize? What is Lucemon hiding?"

The demon Digimon's grin widened. "The Demon Lords' greatest source of power."

His words hung heavy in the air, leaving the teens speechless. They had assumed that this 'prize' Boltboutamon had spoken of was nothing more than another one of his games. But the source of the Demon Lords' power…

Tai's eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about? They have no source of power, they're just incredibly strong, so they oppress others."

Boltboutamon chuckled. "Indeed, yes. But what of their forces? It's no secret that they attract those who seek power. But does it not seem strange that they have so many powerful minions, yet there are so few strong Digimon who stand against them? At least in comparison."

Takuya's brow furrowed in thought. "I just assumed that they personally wiped out anyone strong enough to oppose them long ago, and then had their servants stop anyone from challenging them so no one could get strong enough to fight them while they let their own men continue to get stronger."

The demon Digimon wobbled his head in acknowledgement. "Well, that does have something to do with it. But there's another reason too. For example, aren't you curious how Devimon and VenomMyotismon came back as so quickly, and as NeoMyotismon and MaloMyotismon no less? Or how about how Lucemon was able to remake Millenniummon, something that is borderline impossible to achieve? Don't you want to know their secret?"

He received no response. In truth, no, they hadn't really considered it. They'd known that the Demon Lords had given them power, but they never actually stopped to ask how.

TK's fists clenched. He knew Boltboutamon was playing them, but the question just begged to be asked. "Fine, how did they do it?"

Boltboutamon turned his back to them. "I'm not going to tell you. But if you really want to know, the answer lies there, in that tower."

He pointed up at one of the castle's towers. There was nothing special about it, it was just a plain ordinary tower, no different from the others.

"Well fine," said Takato. "We'll just have to make our way there and see what they've got."

The demon Digimon turned back to them and spoke in a singsong voice. "I wouldn't recommend it. Security is pretty tight, and the castle is very big. It'll be rather difficult to get in there. Better to make your way there from the outside."

Takuya pulled out his Digivice. "Then we'll just fly up there and-"

"Set off the alarm," Boltboutamon interrupted. "And both Lucemon and Daemon will come running. No, I'm afraid there's only one-way to get up there undetected and unnoticed, as long as you can avoid being seen."

"So what then?" Davis demanded, unable to believe that they were pretty much having a casual conversation with Boltboutamon of all people. "You expect us to climb up the side of the castle in our human forms?"

Boltboutamon's eyes danced merrily. "That should work. You'll be able to get in and out without setting off any alarms."

Shoutmon threw him a dirty look. "Why should we believe anything you tell us?"

Suddenly, the demon Digimon's grinning face was right in front of his. "You shouldn't. You should believe whatever you want. Believe what I say and go claim your prize, or don't. I really couldn't care less."

Snickering, he stepped away from the dragon Digimon. A portal opened beneath him, and he began sinking into it.

"Wait!" Kari called after him. "Why are you helping us like this?"

"Yeah," Tai agreed. "Why would you of all people go behind the Demon Lords' backs to help us?"

Boltboutamon continued to slowly sink into the portal. "You haven't figured it out yet? Because it's fun!"

He sank completely into the portal and it disappeared, leaving the teens alone to think about what he said. They looked up at the tower in question, and then, as if they had one mind, they all looked at to Tai for an answer.

The eldest of the teens let out an audible sigh. "Let's start climbing."

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The battle had been raging for days. Any Digimon in or near the premises had long since fled the area. Not that there had been many to begin with since Lucemon's castle was nearby. But as Lucemon and Daemon continued to do battle, every Digimon, even those loyal to the Demon Lords, had made a quick getaway.

"Algol's Flame!" Daemon cried, spitting a fireball at Lucemon. The giant dragon swerved around the fireball, and it erupted in the sky, setting it ablaze.

"Tide of Despair!" Lucemon Larva cried in an emotionless voice.

The dragon opened its mouth and breathed a stream of fire. Daemon flew directly at the flames, wrapping his wings around himself, and drilled straight through the stream of fire. He unwrapped his wings when he reached the dragon's face.

"I'll reduce you to an egg," Lucemon Larva told him, making the dragon raise its claw. "Dimensional Slasher!"

The dragon swiped at Daemon, its claws tearing through dimensional borders in the process. Daemon's hand came up, catching the claw, then turned his eyes to the large black sphere the dragon held.

"Dark Spreader!" he cried, lashing out at it.

His claw shot forward, forcing its way through the black sphere. He felt the effects of his attack become neutralized, but he proceeded to reach for the larva inside.

"You'll never reach me," Lucemon Larva declared without a hint of emotion. "Ensure!"

The halo around his pointed tail-like tip began glowing, and he started firing energy stingers. Daemon's hand recoiled each time it was struck, but he pushed onward.

"You're not as strong as you think," he declared, and his hand closed over the larva.

With a burst of strength, he yanked his hand free, pulling the larva out of the black sphere. The dragon immediately went ballistic without Lucemon Larva to control it. It roared loudly and began breathing fire everywhere. Daemon snarled as a stream of fire flowed over him, raising a wing to block it.

"Unhand me," Lucemon Larva demanded as he squirmed in Daemon's grip. "Protect!"

He fired a blast of dark energy, and Daemon ended up releasing him. Lucemon Larva proceeded to fire energy stingers at Daemon as he flew back towards Gehenna as the dragon raged. Upon flying back into the black sphere though, he regained control of the dragon, and had it lunge forward to sink its teeth into Daemon's shoulder.

"You'll pay for that," Lucemon Larva told him. "Nihilism Maelstrom!"

The Crowns of the Seven Deadly Sins floating around him began to swirl with pink fire. Then they let out a destructive light that consumed the land, completely obliterating everything for miles. Daemon roared as he was caught up in the attack, taking heavy damage, but glared at Lucemon against the pain. "Algol's Flame!"

He spat a ball of fire. It struck the dragon in the chest, interrupting his attack as the fireball erupted into a massive blast of fire. The dragon roared as Lucemon Larva cried out in frustration as they went flying backwards, his attack dying down as the flames consumed him.

Daemon flew above him and brought his balled fists down, sending the dragon crashing to the ground. "Algol's Flame!"

He spat another fireball down at Lucemon. The larva looked up as it came at him and commanded the dragon to raise the black sphere. "Gehenna!"

The black sphere glowed with purple energy and absorbed Daemon's attack into it, where it was neutralized. Then the Crowns of the Seven Deadly Sins all pointed at Daemon and began glowing. "Divine Atonement!"

All seven crowns fired a beam at Daemon. He wrapped his wings around himself for protection, but it did little as the seven beams struck him. As he fired his attack, Lucemon Larva had the dragon fly up to the Demon Lord of Wrath, spin around, and whack him with his tail. Daemon went flying backwards, but opened his wings and stopped his momentum.

"Purgatorial Flame!" Lucemon Larva cried.

The black sphere the dragon held suddenly became engulfed in flames. Those same flames shot at Daemon as if from a flamethrower. The Demon Lord of Wrath sneered as he approached and brandished his claws.

"Dark Spreader!" he cried, flying forward towards the flames. He swiped at them, cutting his way through until he reached Lucemon, then repeated his attack.

His claw slashed at the dragon, leaving deep gashes that left him infected with a dark virus. The dragon roared and held up the black sphere as Lucemon Larva had the dragon unleash his Wrath of Darkness attack, firing a ray of destruction from Gehenna. Daemon was pushed back by the attack, and Lucemon Larva neutralized the dark virus by absorbing it into Gehenna, allowing the gashes on the dragon to heal.

"You cannot win," Lucemon Larva told him. "You'll never be a match for me. After two days of battle, you should have realized that by now."

Recovering from the Demon Lord of Pride's attack, Daemon sneered at him. "So you believe, but I almost killed you not too long ago. Next time I get my hands on you, you won't be so lucky."

"Luck has nothing to do with it," Lucemon Larva insisted. "I'd sooner destroy this whole world than bow down to another."

Daemon chuckled. "And you may very well have had I not interrupted your Nihilism Maelstrom. You won't have much of a world to rule if you destroy everything."

"I'll settle for destroying you. Destruction Field!"

The Crowns of the Seven Deadly Sins turned a bright blue. Suddenly, they began rapidly firing beams in all different directions. The dragon roared and flew after Daemon, his seven crowns repeatedly firing destructive beams. Daemon took off as the dragon flew after him, leaving a trail of destruction behind that leveled the land.

"Is this what you've resorted to?" Daemon asked as he flew around, dodging the beams. "Simply destroying everything in your path in the hopes of hitting me?"

"You have no right to criticize anyone's methods after resorting to such desperate attempts to gain enough power just so you could have a hope to stand against me. You should have remembered your place and ruled by my side along with the others. But instead you chose to challenge me. And for that, you will die."

"We shall see. Algol's Flame!"

"Gehenna!"

Daemon's attack was absorbed and neutralized. The Demon Lord of Wrath snarled and flew directly at Lucemon, grunting as the beams struck him. He and the dragon met, and Daemon threw a punch, his fist slamming into the dragon's jaw. He then hit him with an uppercut, knocking the dragon Digimon up into the air, and Lucemon stooped firing. Daemon then grabbed him by the tail and swung him down, and the dragon crashed to the ground.

It recovered quickly though, snarling up at Daemon, and the larva in the black sphere let out an emotionless growl. "You're quite the nuisance."

"You don't intimidate me, Lucemon," Daemon told him. "I know your weakness. This may be your strongest form, but it's also when you're most vulnerable. You completely lack any consciousness. And once I destroy the manifestation of your will that is your little larva body, your Shadowlord dragon will be little more than a mindless, destructive beast."

The dragon roared again, slowly floating up to join Daemon in the air again. "You're insolence truly knows no bounds. Only the risk of losing another one of the Sovereigns has prevented me from taking you down until now. But now I think that luxury is no longer so important."

Daemon sneered. "Funny, I was going to say the same thing. And you're one to talk. I look forward to silencing you, after I force you to admit which of us is superior. And once I prove which of us is greater, then you and the rest of the world will bow down to me."

"We shall see. Tide of Despair!"

"Algol's Flame!"

The dragon breathed a stream of fire as Daemon spat a fireball. The two attacks collided, erupting into a massive fiery blast that filled the sky, the force of the blast knocking both Lucemon and Daemon back. They recovered quickly though and flew at each other again, both of them roaring furiously.

"ENOUGH!"

The loud booming voice echoed across the land as the sky tore open. A giant demonic, wooden arm burst from the rip, stretching down and crashing into the ground between the two Demon Lords. Both Lucemon and Daemon came to a stop, staring at the arm, and then looked up.

Bagramon descended from the sky, his right arm having grown to a gargantuan size. He pulled it out of the ground and shrank back down to its normal size as he settled down between Lucemon and Daemon.

"You two are an utter disgrace," he told them. "You place your petty squabbles over what truly matters. It's no wonder so many of you have fallen."

"This does not concern you," Lucemon Larva told him. "This is a matter between us."

Bagramon turned to him. "But it does concern me. We hold an alliance, everything you do when it comes to our mutual goal concerns me. And you have let things fall to ruin."

Daemon bared his fangs at him. "We have done no such thing. We are stronger than ever."

"And have lost more in this past year than you have gained in the several few thousand," Bagramon scolded. He swiped his hand through the air. "Just look around. You just about had the world in the palm of your hands, and had it all taken away from you by a group of puny, insignificant humans."

"The humans are of no concern," Lucemon Larva replied uncaringly. "We can destroy them at any time."

Bagramon's eyes narrowed. "Can you? Can you really? From what I recall, all seven of you have been making that claim for months, and yet the humans live, taking more and more of this world from you with each passing day. Your failure to act is the result of this."

Daemon gave him a condescending look. "And what of you? Why have you not acted until now?"

Bagramon turned to him. "Because I shouldn't have to. Is it not you who desires to rule? Should you not be able to have proper command of your own domain? I seek to take this world from its former sovereignty, to change it so that there is everlasting peace, and I am willing to do whatever it takes to achieve that goal. If that means destroying all life, or taking away free will, or even becoming the epitome of evil, then I will do it."

He pointed at Daemon. "But you seek to rule it, and your takeover coincides with my own goals. It's why I allied with you to help overthrow the Sovereigns. But it's still the two of you who wish to rule. And with your supposed unstoppable power, you should have been able to see to that."

He held out his arms. "But just look at what you've done. Look at what you've allowed to happen. In your arrogance and incompetence, you've lost several powerful subordinates, including all of your Chaos Generals, five of you have been destroyed, and four of the Sovereigns have escaped. Once loyal subjects have betrayed you, hope and opposition has surfaced in ways that haven't been seen in several millennia. And at the core of it all are the humans who you have allowed to continue to do this while you revel in how much stronger you are than them, yet doing nothing to stop them yourselves."

He lowered his arms and looked back at them in disdain. "Not only have they grown vastly more powerful than even the original Guardians, but you have allowed them to destroy almost all of you. And rather than dealing with a problem that you should have taken care of ages ago, you are here fighting for your petty reasons, doing their job for them. You've left me with no choice but to step in before you actually kill each other and throw away everything we've worked for, and giving the humans victory by default."

He looked from one to the other, but neither Demon Lord objected to what he said. Bagramon snorted in disgust, expressing his disapproval. "If the two of you wish to kill each other, then I will be happy to let you. But do it after you take care of the real problem before you relinquish everything you've strived for. If you can't even figure out that much on your own, then it's more than obvious that your ambitions and ideals are worth nothing compared to my own. Do what needs to be done before I make fools of you myself by taking care of a simply matter that you let grow out of hand because of your arrogance and pride."

He turned his back to them. "And if it's really your reputations you're worried about of lowering yourself to personally face the humans, then consider this. At this point, others might be wondering that the real reason you're not facing them yourselves is because you're afraid of them."

With nothing more to say, he used his right arm to tear a hole in dimensions and step through it, leaving the two Demon Lords behind to think on his words.

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"This is crazy!" Takuya shouted for the hundredth time. "This is completely crazy! I don't even know how we made it this far!"

Takato couldn't help but agree with that as he looked down at the great drop beneath them. He gulped nervously while gripping his hold on the crevice of the castle wall he was clinging to. "Well, the good news is that if we fall from this height, we should have plenty of time to Spirit Evolve before we hit the ground."

"That's not exactly reassuring," Takuya shot back.

Davis paused to shake out his hand. "Well, Boltboutamon was right about one thing; we haven't set off any alarms while scaling the castle wall."

Kari's brow furrowed. "How do we even know Boltboutamon wasn't just messing with us about the security? It's exactly the kind of thing he would do."

Unlike the teens, Shoutmon was having a much easier time with the climbing, and he looked down at them. "Ordinarily, I would agree with you, but if this is where the Demon Lords' source of power is, then it would have heavy security, so I doubt he's lying about that."

TK, however, felt that Kari may have a good point. "I don't know. Even if their source of power is here, how do we know this really is the right spot? It would be just like him to be waiting at the top and be like 'Oh, shoot, I made a mistake; it was actually that tower you were supposed to go to', or something."

But Tai, surprisingly, found himself believing the demon Digimon. "For some reason, I doubt it. Remember, this whole thing is a game to him. He's playing with us and the Demon Lords. Right now, he's just getting all the pieces into place, and having a blast while doing it too."

"Maybe," TK reluctantly agreed, "but I wouldn't put it past him to make things difficult for us just for a laugh."

Shoutmon let out a low grunt, finding he agreed with both of them. Looking up, he saw that they were nearing the top, and so called down to them. "I'm going to go take a look ahead. I'll let you know what I see."

With an ease that made the teens envious, he quickly climbed up the castle wall the rest of the way until he reached the window at the top. He wasn't surprised to find it barred off with Chrome Digizoid bars, but what he saw inside caused his mouth to drop open.

"You guys have got to see this," he said quietly.

"What?" Kari called up to him, not being able to hear what he said.

"I said get up here, quick!"

A few of the teens grumbled as they continued their ascent. Eventually, they managed to make it up to the window ledge that Shoutmon was on, which, fortunately, was big enough for them all to sit on, giving them another much needed reprieve from the last spot they had been able to take a rest on.

"What's so pressing?" Tai asked as he struggled to catch his breath.

Rubbing the sweat from his brow, Davis held up his hands and wiggled his fingers. "Ow, my fingers killing me."

"Forget your fingers," Shoutmon snapped impatiently. "Look."

He pointed through the bars into the tower, which seemed to consist of a single large room. Inside was a giant crystal that seemed to be attached to an elaborate machine, as if the entire room were mechanical. And sitting inside the crystal, looking very unhappy, was a small white Digimon.

Kari gripped the bars. "Aww, the poor thing. Who is it?"

TK took out his Digivice. "Calumon, an In-Training holy beast Digimon. He's an extremely rare and unique Digimon. It says… wow. It says he has the power to make other Digimon Digivolve."

Shoutmon's grip on the bars tightened. "This explains so much. The Demon Lords must have been forcing Calumon to use his power to Digivolve their servants. That's what Boltboutamon was talking about."

Tai's eyes narrowed. "So that's how NeoMyotismon and MaloMyotismon got their power. The Demon Lords used Calumon to make them Digivolve."

Shoutmon crossed his arms in thought. "But it still doesn't make sense. It's true that Calumon can make other Digimon Digivolve, but that power doesn't last. Digivolving with Calumon's power isn't the same as unlocking a Digivolution. Once the Digivolved Digimon burns off their energy, they'll DeDigivolve again. So the Demon Lords can Digivolve their men for short periods of time, but the enemies we've faced have had full access to their forms. Calumon couldn't have given them full access to their Digivolutions."

"Huh," Davis muttered thoughtfully. "Couldn't they have just used Calumon's power to temporarily Digivolve their men in order to defeat strong opponents so they could absorb their data until their men were strong enough to naturally be able to unlock their Digivolutions on their own."

Shoutmon considered this. "That may have been the case for some, but with the number of powerful servants the Demon Lords have, it's highly unlikely. There must be something more to this."

Takato pointed. "Maybe it has something to do with that."

The others looked to where he was pointing, gazing up at the ceiling of the tower. A large device, about the size of a car, was suspended from the ceiling by numerous cables. Others ran down from the mechanical interior if the room to attach to the device, and several more hung down from the device to the crystal containing Calumon. But despite the size and different appearance of the device, there was no mistaking what it was.

"Is that… a Digivice?" Davis asked in astonishment. "How did the Demon Lords get ahold of a Digivice?"

TK's eyes narrowed in thought as he studied the device. "I don't think they did. It looks like something they built. It's like some giant, primitive version of ours."

"So they've been using that thing, along with Calumon's power, to not just Digivolve their forces, but to unlock their Digivolved forms without having to absorb enough data," Takuya theorized. "But if they had that, then why didn't Daemon just use it to Digivolve to Ultra? Why that whole thing with Arcadiamon?"

"Maybe it has limits to what it can do," Kari suggested. Then she frowned. "But wait, I thought our Digivices used the power they drew from us, and that's what allowed for Digivolution."

Shoutmon humphed. "I guess they found an alternate power source. Whatever that is combined with Calumon's power, and they can not only replenish their forces, but make them even stronger."

Takato's heart began racing with fear. "Guys, this is bad. If they can use that thing to bring back guys like Devimon and VenomMyotismon, and make them stronger, then they can do the same for others, like the Chaos Generals, or even the Demon Lords we've defeated already."

"So why haven't they?" Kari asked worriedly.

A growl escaped Shoutmon. "The Demon Lords don't accept failure. If they failed once, they'll fail again; that's their philosophy. Plus, all those Digimon we defeated have also likely been absorbing data and getting stronger even after having Digivolved for many years. Calumon may be able to make someone Digivolve, and the Demon Lords may have found a way to make their Digivolutions stick, but he can't increase their power the way absorbing data does, and the Demon Lords aren't likely to share their own power with them."

TK grabbed the bars and attempted to shake them. "In any case, we can't leave him in there. We need to rescue the little guy and destroy that Digivice copy."

"I hear that," Davis agreed, and pressed his face against the bars. "Hey, Calumon! Can you hear us, little guy?"

The holy beast Digimon slowly looked up. His big green eyes widened and he jumped to his feet. What the teens had thought were ears on his head suddenly stretched out to reveal that they were actually wings as he bounced on his feet. "Hello! Hello! Hello! Hello!"

Davis grinned. "Hey, hang in there, buddy! We're coming for you!"

Takato smacked his arm. "Will you quit yelling! We climbed this tower so we wouldn't alert anyone of our presence, and now you're just going to start screaming."

"Relax, I'm just giving the little guy some encouragement," Davis shot back, and waved down to the holy beast Digimon. "Don't worry, we'll get you out of there in no time!"

Calumon patted his cheeks joyfully. "Oh happy day!"

Davis chuckled. "My sister would cuddle him to pieces. Come on, let's blast our way through then blast our way out."

"I think not."

The teens froze at the sound of the eerie emotionless voice. It was somewhat familiar, but also different. Slowly, they turned around to see a giant purple dragon clutching a large black sphere coming in to land on a nearby tower. And right by its side was Daemon.

Shoutmon let out a cry and jumped back. He pressed against the bars, but his feet kept skidding against the windowsill as he tried to back up further. "L-L-Lucemon and Daemon!"

The teens were instantly on their guard. They saw Daemon, clear as day, but they didn't see Lucemon anywhere, only the dragon accompanying the Demon Lord of Wrath.

"Where's Lucemon?" Takato asked. "And who's this dragon?"

Shoutmon pointed with a trembling hand. "That is Lucemon. He's in his Shadowlord Mode. He must have Digivolved to his Mega level to fight Daemon."

"Mega!?" Davis exclaimed. "That's right, I forgot he wasn't a Mega before since he's so strong."

Lucemon Larva let out an emotionless laugh. "You humans never fail to show your ignorance."

The teens turned their direction to where the voice was coming from, realizing that it came from the larva inside the black ball.

"Hey, what is that thing?" Takuya asked. "It looks like some kind of angel insect."

"That's Lucemon Larva," Shoutmon replied, still looking horrified. "The manifestation of Lucemon's consciousness who controls the main dragon body, and it too is as strong as a Mega. In this form, he's a Super Demon Lord who wears all the Crowns of the Seven Deadly Sins."

Takato winced. "Super Demon Lord Lucemon and Ultra level Daemon. Guys, I have a really bad feeling about this."

Daemon chuckled. "Foolish boy, you have no idea what's in store for you. We let you get away with too much for too long, but no more. The gloves are coming completely off now." He flew up and landed on the dragon's back as it held the black sphere above its head. "Prepare to face the true power of the Demon Lords!"

Bands of Fractal Code emerged from both Lucemon and Daemon. They coiled together, wrapping around the two Demon Lords, forming an egg shape, and then it began glowing.

"Lucemon/Daemon! DNA Digivolve to… Ogudomon!"

Notes:

(A/N: Ok, so a lot has happened. Boktboutamon was telling the truth about a prize waiting for them at Lucemon's castle, and it turned out to be Calumon, whom the Demon Lords have been using as a source of power, and an artificial Digivice to make the Digivolutions they've been forcing Calumon to perform permanent. But before our heroes can even worry about that, they have a much bigger problem to worry about. Bagramon has stopped Lucemon and Daemon's fighting, and now they've Digivolved together to become Ogudomon. And if you don't know, let me tell you, that is very bad news. It's a worst-case scenario. How will our heroes deal with this? Stay tuned to find out.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear or are mentioned.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Calumon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Ogudomon

Chapter 180: Sin Manifested

Notes:

(A/N: Been looking forward to this battle. It was certainly interesting to write, and it's going to make for an interesting fight. Sorry, was trying to do some wordplay there. Leeeet's just get started.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 180: Sin Manifested

The creature that appeared was possibly the most hideous thing the teens had ever seen. Giant in size, it resembled a scaly spider-like beast crossed with a dragon with numerous eyes. Lethal talons were at the ends of each of its abnormally large legs that stretched up high, almost making it resemble a UFO. At the top of the knee on each of its legs, a sword seemed to be protruding from it, upon which one of the Crowns of the Seven Deadly Sins floated just above the hilt of each sword.

All seven of its eyes, all located beneath a thigh, darted all around as an eighth eye on its face became fixated on the teens. It opened its mouth, exposing shark-like teeth, and let out a horrendous roar that shook the land. The teens stared at the monstrous creature in absolute shock, their stupor broken when a horrified sputtering sound escaped Shoutmon.

TK looked back at the dragon Digimon. "Shoutmon, what is that thing?"

Shoutmon just shook his head, unable to form actual words as he trembled and sputtered fearfully. "O-O-O-Ogudomon!"

The incarnation Digimon roared again and leapt off the tower it had been standing on. It landed on top of a section of the castle and made its way over to the tower the teens were at the top of, and then began climbing like a spider.

Tai pulled out his Digivice. "Get ready, guys. This battle just got a lot more complicated."

"We have to retreat," Shoutmon told them. "We can't win. Ogudomon can't be defeated."

"Yeah, yeah," Davis grumbled, taking out his Digivice as well. "You've been saying that from the beginning about all the Demon Lords."

"No, you don't understand-"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Omnimon Merciful Mode!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Imperialdramon Paladin Mode!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Gallantmon X!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Susanoomon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Seraphimon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Ophanimon C!"

Shoutmon, however, did not Digivolve, and only proceeded to wave his arms around. "No, stop you fools! I'm telling you, we literally can't beat him!"

"Watch us," said Susanoomon.

"Yeah, show some optimism," Omnimon agreed, taking aim with his cannon. "Graceful Cannon!"

He fired a freezing, cutting beam. Ogudomon didn't even slow his ascension, or look the least bit bothered by the incoming attack. And just before the beam would have hit, coming so close it looked as if it had actually made contact, it vanished, leaving Ogudomon completely unharmed.

"What the hell!?" Omnimon gasped.

"Let me try," said Seraphimon. "Hallowed Ascension!"

Lightning came down, but just like before, it disappeared a second before it would have hit the Super Demon Lord. Ogudomon let out a cruel laugh as he neared the top of the tower.

"It's no good," Shoutmon insisted. "Ogudomon is pure evil incarnate. He's a manifestation of all the sins of the Digital World."

"Good to know," Imperialdramon told him uncaringly. "Then it's a good thing we're taking him down. Hyper Prominence!"

He fired a ball of black electricity as Ogudomon closed the distance between them. But instead of erupting into a powerful blast like the dragon Digimon had been expecting, it too vanished a moment before impact.

Ogudomon laughed as he came to a stop and swiped at the DigiDestined with a giant claw. Seraphimon snatched up Shoutmon as he and the others scattered a moment before Ogudomon's claw tore through the tower wall.

"What's going on?" Susanoomon exclaimed. "Why aren't our attacks working?"

"I told you," Shoutmon shouted. "He's made up of all the Digital World's sins."

"So what?" Gallantmon X demanded. "What's that have to do with anything?"

"It gives him the power to atone for those sins. This lets him negate attacks."

"It what!?" Ophanimon C gasped.

"Yes! Any attack used against him that contains even a hint of malice will be offset."

"B-But… But every attack contains some trace of malice," Omnimon exclaimed, shocked to hear his own voice tremble. "That's the whole point of attacks, to attack, to cause harm. Of course they contain malice. They can't not contain malice. You're telling me he can negate them all?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying. That's why I said that he can't be defeated. We have to retreat. Shoutmon Digivolve to… OmniShoutmon!"

A sneer spread across Ogudomon's face as he hopped from the side of the tower he was on to the top of another, heedless of the damage he was doing to the castle.

Imperialdramon tried desperately to come up with a solution. "W-Well… maybe we can still take him. He must be extremely weakened. After all, Lucemon and Daemon had been fighting for, what was it, two days? Longer?"

OmniShoutmon glared at him. "It doesn't matter. If we can't damage him, it doesn't matter how weak or low on power he is, we simply can't win."

"That's bull crap!" Gallantmon X shouted. "How is anyone supposed to fight something like that?"

"They're not. And even if he didn't have that ability, he's even more powerful than Chronomon."

Imperialdramon's eyes widened. "Stronger than-"

"Catedral!" Ogudomon cried, opening his mouth and firing a burst of dark energy. It flew at the DigiDestined, and they moved to avoid it. Even so, the blast exploded into a powerful shockwave that completely decimated everything in its path, reducing a section of the castle to rubble. The DigiDestined were blasted backwards as the shockwave flowed over them.

"The hell…" Susanoomon grumbled as he shakily tried to rise. "I feel like I was just hit by a train and then run over by it, and the actual attack didn't even hit us."

"Gradus!" Ogudomon cried, and his claws started to glow.

He leapt off the castle to land on the DigiDestined. Ignoring the pain they were in, they scattered, and Ogudomon's glowing claws stomped down on the ground, shattering the landscape. He roared and turned to the nearest DigiDestined, raising a claw.

"Gradus!" he cried again, his glowing claw shooting out.

"Unicorn Shield!" Ophanimon C cried.

Her barrier did nothing to help as Ogudomon's claw shattered it instantly and easily, the force of the impact sending her spinning through the air.

Gallantmon X flew up behind the Super Demon Lord, keeping his distance. "Final Elysion!"

His beam flew at Ogudomon, hitting him in the back. Or at least it would have if the beam hadn't disappeared a moment before making contact. The Super Demon Lord turned to him and roared before grabbing a large piece of the castle and throwing it at the knight Digimon.

"Darn," Gallantmon X grumbled, dodging the debris. "Even attacks he doesn't see coming are neutralized. I hoped they wouldn't be if he didn't know he was being attacked."

Ogudomon reached out with multiple legs and scooped up several more pieces of the castle and threw them at the knight Digimon. Before Gallantmon X could react, Imperialdramon flew in front of him and sliced apart the rubble with his sword.

"Maybe a more physical attack will work," he wondered out loud, swiping his sword through the air. "And if this one does, it'll split him back into Lucemon and Daemon again. Omni Sword!"

He flew forward, his sword glowing. Ogudomon did nothing as he let the dragon Digimon approach. Imperialdramon stabbed forward, and for a moment he thought it worked. But then his sword bounced off, as if an invisible barrier were surrounding Ogudomon just above his skin.

Imperialdramon let out a growl and began rapidly swiping at the Super Demon Lord, to no avail. Ogudomon just laughed as he allowed Imperialdramon to futilely attack. Finally though, Imperialdramon gave up. "Ok, maybe another kind of physical attack. Imperial Kick!"

He delivered a kick to Ogudomon's head, only to feel his foot bounce off the barrier, and the dragon Digimon growled in frustration. "Fine then, just a regular punch."

He did just that, delivering a regular punch that was not one of his attacks, but his fist just bounced off Ogudomon. The Super Demon Lord raised a leg and brought his balled claw down on Imperialdramon, knocking him to the ground.

"Gradus!" he cried, moving to stomp down on the dragon Digimon.

Imperialdramon flew out from underneath him, and Ogudomon's claw smashed into the ground.

"What if it's not actually us attacking?" Ophanimon C suggested.

"What, you mean by getting him to attack himself somehow?" OmniShoutmon asked, then shook his head. "That won't work either. Ogudomon's attacks contain malice as well."

"No, I meant like this. Call Dramon!"

Her fire dragon appeared. Ogudomon turned to it and snarled. The dragon breathed fire at him, but its flames vanished before they made contact. Ogudomon then pounced on the dragon, his claws digging in, and he tore the dragon to pieces.

Ophanimon C grit her teeth, not for the first time being grateful that her dragon resurrected every time she summoned it. "That didn't work either. Nothing does."

"I told you," OmniShoutmon scolded. "It's impossible to defeat him."

"Hold on," Susanoomon declared, flying up with a large section of a collapsed tower held above his head. "I've got one more idea. Take this!

He threw the rubble, but alas, it shattered apart before making contact, the pieces bouncing off Ogudomon's neutralizing barrier. The Super Demon Lord just sneered.

"Seriously!?" Imperialdramon exclaimed. "There's really no way to hurt him? That's the cheapest load of crap ever!"

"And this may have been our only chance to defeat him," said Gallantmon X. "He's tired and weak from Lucemon and Daemon fighting each other for days. We may never get an opportunity like this again."

"It's not an opportunity," OmniShoutmon insisted. "There is no opportunity to defeat Ogudomon. None. This isn't like with the other battles where it's been 'impossible' to defeat them because they're so far out of our league. It's literally impossible to defeat him. He's invincible."

Ogudomon raised two of his claws and roared to the sky. "Oratio Grandiloqua!"

He suddenly charged forward, each leg moving in a way that also allowed him to slash with his claws as he ran around lustfully. For being so large, he moved incredibly fast, rushing at the DigiDestined.

He went after Susanoomon first, lashing out at him as a carnivorous insect would its prey, and the god Digimon was knocked out of the sky, his armor shredded. Then he went after Gallantmon X, who raised his shield, but was also knocked away, his shield splitting in two.

One after another he went at, attacking each of them in the span of a few seconds. Ophanimon C and OmniShoutmon's Unicorn Shield and Heavy Metal Vulcan did nothing to protect them. Imperialdramon tried futilely to hit him with his Giga Crusher, only to have his attack neutralized, and then get trampled on. Seraphimon brought down lightning with his Hallowed Ascension, surrounding himself with lightning as Ogudomon came at him, but the Super Demon Lord charged straight through it, unharmed, and struck him as well.

Omnimon stood his ground, trying a new tactic as Ogudomon turned his attack on him. He attempted to use his Cross-Counter to counter Ogudomon's Oratio Grandiloqua, but it too proved to be useless, and he also ended up flattened on the ground.

Ogudomon finally came to a stop, ending his assault, and roared loudly. He turned to the DigiDestined as they laid on the ground, sneering at them.

"Geez, what was that?" Imperialdramon grumbled. "He having some kind of frenzy freak out?"

"No," OmniShoutmon groaned. "That was his Oratio Grandiloqua attack, where he runs wildly after his own lust."

"I'm not even sure what that means," Gallantmon X muttered as he forced himself up, "but it really hurt."

Ogudomon roared again, raising his claws to the sky. Lightning suddenly started raining down all around. The DigiDestined took off, avoiding the bolts of lightning as it came down around them. Ogudomon waved his claws, and the lightning heeded his command, flying after the them.

"Great, he can control electricity too," Omnimon complained.

"Electricity fire, water, earth, darkness, gravity," OmniShoutmon rattled off. "You have no idea how strong he is."

"Well, we can at least stop this," Seraphimon replied. "Hallowed Ascension!"

He called down his own lightning to counteract Ogudomon's, but the Super Demon Lord seized control of his attack and redirected it at him and his friends. They cried out as they were struck by both Seraphimon's attack and the lightning Ogudomon had called down, dropping from the sky.

Laughing, Ogudomon gathered up a handful of rubble from the castle and tossed it at them. They took to the air, avoiding the pile of rubble from crushing them. Ogudomon proceeded to snatch up pieces of the castle and throw them at the DigiDestined at speeds so fast they were almost invisible.

"He's playing with us," said Ophanimon C as a chunk of rubble whizzed by her.

"Of course he is," Omnimon growled. "Why wouldn't he? Fearsome Blade!"

His sword became a long-range energy blade that he began swiping through the air like a whip, cutting apart the pieces of rubble Ogudomon was throwing at them. The Super Demon Lord just kept laughing as he began throwing the pieces faster, using more claws so Omnimon couldn't keep up.

And that's when it happened. As Ogudomon threw another chunk of the castle and Omnimon swiped at it, his long whip-like energy blade reached Ogudomon, striking him, making contact. The Super Demon Lord cried out and stumbled back, tripping over his own feet and falling down.

Omnimon blinked, so caught off guard that he stopped attacking. "What?"

Imperialdramon flew over. "Dude, did you just hit him?"

OmniShoutmon shook his head. "Can't be. It's impossible to harm him. He must have just tripped."

"No," Ophanimon C objected. "I saw it. Omnimon's attack hit. Ogudomon recoiled from it and that's when he tripped."

The Super Demon Lord got to his feet, roaring at the DigiDestined. However, there was indeed a cut where Omnimon's attack had hit. OmniShoutmon's eyes were wide as he stared at it in disbelief.

"Do it again," Seraphimon insisted. "Use the same attack. See what happens."

Omnimon nodded. "Right. Fearsome Blade!"

He swung his whipping energy blade at Ogudomon as the others watched in anticipation. Much to their dismay, his attack bounced right off Ogudomon, just like before.

"It didn't work," said Ophanimon C. "Why not?"

"Catedral!"

A burst of darkness flew out of his mouth and erupted. The DigiDestined retreated from it as the shockwave emerged from the blast. OmniShoutmon attempted to block it with his Heavy Metal Vulcan, somehow managing to create a small safe space for them as the shockwave passed by them.

"I told you attacks won't work," he reprimanded.

"But it did," Gallantmon X insisted. "We saw that it did. Something must have happened for Omnimon's attack to work."

"I say we all use a bunch of different attacks and see what happens," Susanoomon suggested.

"We've got nothing to lose," Imperialdramon agreed.

OmniShoutmon looked at each of his friends, noting their hopeful looks, and sighed. "Ok, fine, I guess it's worth a shot."

Omnimon nodded. "Right, follow my lead. Graceful Cannon!"

"Super Positron Laser!"

"Zeig Saber!"

"Celestial Blade!"

"Holy Destroy!"

"Strike of the seven Stars!"

"Omni Core Fusion!"

Their series of attacks flew at Ogudomon, but one after another, they were neutralized. As the DigiDestined looked on in dismay, Ogudomon roared at them.

"Keep going!" Imperialdramon cried. "Use every kind of attack you have! See if anything works!"

They all began firing, using every kind of attack they had. Ogudomon just stood there, letting them attack, taking everything they threw at him, not harmed in the least. Finally, when their last attack was used, and Ogudomon still stood unharmed, not having been hit once, despair began to set in.

"Nothing," Omnimon said in disbelief. "Not a single attack landed."

Susanoomon's fists clenched. "No long-range attack. Let's see how he likes this. Texture Blow!"

He flew at Ogudomon, a pixilation forming around his fist. He punched the Super Demon Lord, going for his pointy nose, but to no avail. His attack was neutralized and his punch was deflected, just like all the others.

One of Ogudomon's legs came up, knocking Susanoomon away. The god Digimon went flying through the air before stopping his momentum. Before he could recover though, Ogudomon opened his mouth and breathed a massive stream of fire.

Seraphimon quickly flew in front of Susanoomon and fired his Strike of the Seven Stars at the incoming flames, hoping to buy a few seconds. His attack collided with the flames, pushing them back for a brief moment, just long enough for the angel and god Digimon to get out of the way before the fire pushed onward.

However, Seraphimon's full attack had not hit Ogudomon's flames head on. And while six of the seven balls of light had collided with the flames, one of them had flown down the side of the stream of fire to collide with Ogudomon's face, exploding against him. The Super Demon Lord stepped back in surprise, then roared furiously.

"Look!" Imperialdramon cried pointing. "Did you see that?" He glanced at OmniShoutmon. "You had to have seen that one. His attack hit."

Floating nearby, OmniShoutmon gave a small nod. "Yes. Yes, I saw it. The attack hit. But how? That shouldn't be possible."

"He used the same attack before, but it didn't work then," Ophanimon C recalled. "Something must have been different this time to allow it to hit."

The gears in Gallantmon X's head were turning as he tried to make sense of this. He thought back to what he just saw and then to when Omnimon's attack had hit, and suddenly it clicked.

"That's it!" he shouted. "I've got it!"

The others looked at him. "What is?" Susanoomon asked.

"Don't you see? It's so simple. Ogudomon's power neutralizes any attack that had any maliciousness in them, right?"

Seraphimon nodded. "Yes, we saw that first hand."

Gallantmon X pointed at him. "But that's not what you were doing. Yes, you used an attack, but you weren't trying to attack or hurt anyone, you were just trying to hold back Ogudomon's flames; that one ball of light that hit him was just an accident. But there was no maliciousness in it because you were using it for defense, not harm."

He turned to Omnimon. "And you. You weren't trying to hit him before either. You were just cutting up the debris he was throwing, and he got caught in the crossfire. There was no intent to harm in it, no maliciousness to neutralize. That's why it worked."

The others exchanged bewildered looks. It was crazy, but what he said made sense. It offered a loophole to Ogudomon's invincibility. But it still left them with a major dilemma.

"So the only way we can actually hurt him is if we do it by accident?" Susanoomon exclaimed in disbelief. "That's crazy! How are we supposed to pull that off?"

"It beats not being able to hurt him at all," Seraphimon pointed out.

"Oratio Grandiloqua!"

The Super Demon Lord charged at them wildly. The DigiDestined rose into the air, out of his range, but Ogudomon leapt up after them, swiping at them with his claws. They attempted to dodge, as blocking would have been pointless with the amount of power the incarnation Digimon possessed.

"Catedral!" Ogudomon cried, opening his mouth and firing a blast of darkness.

They were too close, there would be no avoiding the attack this time, so instead they fired their own attacks at the incoming blast. The impact caused the darkness to exploded prematurely, the darkness erupting outward. OmniShoutmon used his Heavy Metal Vulcan, but it was unable to hold back the blast, and all seven of them were sent crashing to the ground.

Ogudomon roared loudly, looking down at them, his body posed to charge. He raised his claws, and they began glowing in preparation to attack. Susanoomon forced himself to sit up and used his Magna Thunder, surrounding the Super Demon Lord in a cage of light while Ophanimon C used her Volcano Napalm to create pillars of fire in from of the electric cage. Ogudomon just snarled and charged forward, bursting straight through the cage of lightning and pillars of fire.

The brief second it had taken to break through the fire and electric barriers had been the time the DigiDestined needed to take to the air again as Ogudomon used his Gradus attack, his claws just missing them as they smashed the ground where they had been lying. He turned as they flew past him and opened his mouth, breathing out a massive stream of fire. The DigiDestined swerved to avoid it, and Ogudomon raised his claws, calling down more lightning that they maneuvered around.

"Ok, I have an idea," Imperialdramon declared. "Half of us will pick up pieces of Lucemon's castle and randomly throw them in the air. The other half will blast the pieces with our strongest attacks."

Omnimon gave him a bewildered look. "How will that help?"

"Because we'll have one of us lure Ogudomon in front of the attacks. That way we won't have been attacking him, we'll just be destroying the pieces of the castle being thrown in the air, and he'll accidentally get caught in the crossfire."

Ophanimon C shook her head. "That's a creative idea, but it wouldn't work. We might not be attacking him like you say, but we'll still be hoping or planning to have our attacks hit him. That's an intent to harm, so our attacks will still have maliciousness in them and be neutralized."

"So what can we do?" Susanoomon cried.

"Catedral!"

Ogudomon fired a blast of darkness. They were far enough away that it exploded before reaching them, but they were still caught up in the shockwave that flowed over them, hitting them with the force of a thousand wrecking balls, nearly knocking them out of the sky.

Omnimon groaned and looked back at Ogudomon. "I think OmniShoutmon is right. We can't win this one. Even those shockwaves will take us down eventually. We'll have to retreat and wait for Lucemon and Daemon to separate, then fight them individually."

Seraphimon looked at the Super Demon Lord as well. Even with his optimism, he too had to admit that this was an impossible battle. They would indeed be better off cutting their losses and running. Live to fight another day, or so the saying went. However, there was something he had to do first before he could leave.

"Hold up a minute, guys," he said with determination. "I'll be right back."

"Seraphimon, no!" Ophanimon C cried.

He ignored her and flew back at Ogudomon. He punched out several balls of light with his Hallowed Knuckle that were neutralized, but they had just been a distraction. He flew past Ogudomon, who turned to him as he shot past, and sped towards Lucemon's castle. Ogudomon used his Oratio Grandiloqua and charged after him. Seraphimon heard him coming up behind him, closing the distance, but he continued onward, not looking back.

Bracing himself, he slammed into the towers he and his friends had been climbing before, breaking through the wall. Calumon jumped from within his crystal prison, looking up at the angel Digimon. Seraphimon glanced at the giant Digivice hanging from the ceiling and used his Hallowed Knuckle. The ball of light struck the giant Digivice, and it exploded. The machine interior of the tower began to go haywire, sending bolts of electricity flowing and flying everywhere as small explosions went off against the walls.

Seraphimon flew over to Calumon, breaking through his crystal prison. Outside, he heard Ogudomon roar furiously as the Super Demon Lord began tearing down the tower. It began to collapse as Seraphimon scooped up Calumon. A moment later, the entire tower came down on top of the two of them.

Ogudomon moved back as the tower came down. He let out a roar before he used his Catedral, blasting the collapsing tower and reducing it to rubble.

Notes:

(A/N: Ok, so good news and bad news. Bad news, Ogudomon is basically invincible. Good news, our heroes found a small loophole to get around his invincibility. More bad news, the loophole is basically impossible to exploit and won't really help them. So they've opted for retreat, but first Seraphimon has attempted to rescue Calumon. But Ogudomon wasn't going to let that happen. Will Seraphimon and Calumon be alright? And how are our heroes going to deal with Ogudomon. More to come soon.)

Chapter 181: Making The Impossible Possible

Notes:

(A/N: Alrighty then. We had a cliffhanger ending after our heroes began facing off against impossible odds. Originally, this chapter and last were going to be a single chapter, but seeing how long it was turning out to be, I decided to split it up into two, and where I ended it last time seemed the best place to do so, so I ended it there. Now then, let's get back to it.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 181: Making The Impossible Possible

"TK!" the others cried, and Ogudomon turned to them, roaring loudly.

"Damn you!" Gallantmon X shouted, and used his Royal Saber attack, despite knowing it was useless.

The others seemed to be of the same mind, firing their own attacks, each one being neutralized. Ogudomon just roared and went after them, swiping wildly with his claws.

Beneath the rubble, debris shifted around before Seraphimon burst out of it, breathing heavily. He may have been a powerful Mega, but having an entire structure collapse on top of him and then blasted to pieces was not fun. His real concern though was for the small Digimon in his hands.

"Calumon?" he asked worriedly.

He looked down. Calumon was still in his hands, but his eyes were closed, and he didn't look good. His small body had become static-y and then solidified before becoming static-y again. Fear gripped Seraphimon as he realized the holy beast Digimon was close to death.

"Don't you dare die," he told him. "We said we were going to get you out, and that's what we're going to do. Perfect Revival!"

It may not have been the best decision to waste energy with such a powerful opponent present, but he couldn't let the little guy die, therefore it was not a waste. His healing light flowed over the holy beast Digimon, and Calumon slowly opened his eyes.

"Hi, hello there," he said weakly.

Seraphimon let out a sigh of relief, knowing he would be ok. "You're ok, I'm glad."

Calumon gave him a small smile. "You saved me. Thank you. But even if I died, I would have been happy, because I would no longer have been a prisoner."

His words broke Seraphimon's heart, and he glared furiously at Ogudomon from behind his helmet as the incarnation Digimon fought his friends. Seeing the grotesque monstrosity that was Ogudomon absolutely sickened him. The beast's outer truly reflected his inner, and it was completely baffling to the angel Digimon. How could someone, something, possibly be so horrible, so completely evil? It was unthinkable that anyone could fall so low.

He suddenly found himself remembering the first time he and his friends had seen Lucemon, I his Rookie form. He had looked so kind, so friendly, an angel Digimon like himself. True, it had all been an act to deceive his friends, but that hadn't always been the case. Lucemon had once been kind. He recalled the story they had been told of how Lucemon had ended the war between the Humanoid and Beast type Digimon, and had then gone on to peacefully govern the Digital World.

That is, until his paranoia and lust for power began to take hold, causing Lucemon to fall further and further into darkness, corrupting him from the inside out, until he was no longer recognizable, going from the peaceful ruler to the tyrant who believed the only way to maintain order was to completely dominate and subjugate everyone and everything.

Now that Seraphimon really thought about it, the level Lucemon had fallen to was actually rather sad. What would the old Lucemon think if himself now? And not just him, but Daemon as well. Cherubimon had claimed that Daemon had once been a Seraphimon, just like him, but had fallen prey to the Dark Ocean and become Daemon. And now here they were, two once great beings, now Demon Lords, having merged together to become the ultimate evil beast that was Ogudomon. It was really sad to see how low the mighty could fall.

Suddenly, something seemed to snap in Seraphimon, and his shoulders slumped as all the anger and hate drained out of him, leaving him feeling mentally exhausted. This was… truly a tragedy. Not any of the evil deeds Lucemon and Daemon had done, but the two of them. They were the real tragedy, having fallen prey to the darkness and their own greed and lust for power. They had allowed themselves to be twisted into these horrible evil monsters. Truly, nothing could possibly be sadder. Seraphimon would much rather die a horrible, painful death a thousand times over than end up like them.

And possibly the worst part was that they liked who they were now. They enjoyed being agents of darkness, relishing in the forces of evil that they were. Thinking about who they once were and who they were now, Seraphimon found that he actually pitied them. What more, he found that he wanted to help them. Not who they were now, for there was truly no helping who they now were, but who they used to be.

But perhaps, somehow, there was a way to help who they used to be. From what he knew of who Lucemon and Daemon used to be, their old selves would never have wanted to become what they were now. They would have rather died than fall so far from grace. Seraphimon truly believed that because… it was what he would have wanted for himself as well.

Calumon blinked up at him as a drop of wetness landed on him. "Hey, are you ok? I think your eyes are leaking."

Seraphimon looked down at him and realized he was right. Tears were running down his cheeks, dripping from the bottom of his helmet. He was actually crying, crying for Lucemon and Daemon, or for who they used to be anyway.

Sniffing, he gave Calumon a smile, even though his helmet obscured it. "Don't worry, it'll be ok. You just get to someplace safe."

He set the holy beast Digimon down and then took to the air. He flew at full speed towards Ogudomon, full of determination. Ogudomon didn't even notice him as he focused on the others.

"That's enough out of you!" Seraphimon shouted as he came up behind the Super Demon Lord. "Strike of the Seven Stars!"

Ogudomon barely glanced at him as Seraphimon fired his attack. Ogudomon was actually starting to look away from him again when the seven balls of light slammed into the side of his head and exploded. Ogudomon roared as he stumbled in surprise, letting out a second roar as he regained his footing.

Shocked gasps escaped the DigiDestined and they froze in mid-air as they witnessed the attack hit dead-on.

"It hit," Omnimon gasped.

Ogudomon turned to Seraphimon and snarled as the angel Digimon flew at him, punching out balls of light with his Hallowed Knuckle. Like before, the attacks landed, blasting against the incarnation Digimon to the full affect.

Ogudomon opened his mouth and breathed a stream of fire. Seraphimon swerved to avoid it, flying along its length and up to Ogudomon's head. Using his Excalibur, he slashed at the Super Demon Lord with his sword of light, and a cut appeared on Ogudomon's face.

"It hit again!" the DigiDestined chorused.

Turning around, Seraphimon increased the power of his Light attacks with his Justice Genome, then brought lightning down with his Hallowed Ascension. The Super Demon Lord roared furiously as the bolts of lightning rained down on him.

"His neutralization must be off!" Imperialdramon declared. "Let's blast him! Super Positron Laser!"

"You idiot, it doesn't turn off!" OmniShoutmon snapped.

Imperialdramon ignored him and fired a beam that flew at Ogudomon, but unlike Seraphimon's attacks, it was neutralized, leaving the dragon Digimon baffled. "What the hell!?"

The others looked to Seraphimon as he flew over. "You hit him," said Gallantmon X in amazement. "Several times. Not by accident, but full-on, and your attacks weren't neutralized. How? Why?"

Seraphimon was quiet for a moment before he looked back at Ogudomon. "I'm really not sure."

The Super Demon Lord was seething as he glared at them. Raising two of his claws into the air, he brought down lightning around him. He motioned towards the DigiDestined, and the lightning made a near 90 degree turn to fly at them. They fled from the bolts while trying to stay close to Seraphimon to hear his explanation.

"What do you mean, you don't know?" OmniShoutmon demanded incredulously. "Any attack used on Ogudomon containing even a hint of malice gets neutralized. Those attacks you used didn't hit him by accident; you hit him on purpose. How?"

"I don't know!" Seraphimon insisted.

"You have to figure it out," Susanoomon insisted. "This could be the break we need. He's still tired and low on energy, and wounded from Lucemon and Daemon's fight with each other. This might be our only chance to beat him. You have to figure out how you hit him."

Seraphimon glanced back at Ogudomon as the incarnation Digimon proceeded to direct lightning at them. "Maybe… because my attacks had no malice in them, that's why they were able to hit."

Gallantmon X pulled back as a bolt of lightning cut him off. "How'd that happen? This is a fight to the death. Any attack we use against him is intended to cause harm, so they have malice by default. How can yours not contain any malice?"

A deep sigh escaped Seraphimon. "I know it may sound strange, but somehow I just can't bring myself to hate him anymore."

Imperialdramon's eyes practically popped out of his head. "Not hate him anymore? Dude, what?"

Seraphimon nodded. "I don't really know how to explain it, but I don't. Honestly, I actually feel bad for him."

OmniShoutmon's mouth dropped open. "You feel bad for him? You feel bad for him!? Seraphimon, how can you say that? You know who he is, what he's done. No, wait, you don't. Not really. You've only seen the bare minimum. But even that should be more than enough. He tried to kill you, tried to kill all of us. He's caused so much suffering! How could you possibly feel bad for him!?"

"I feel bad for who he, who they, used to be," Seraphimon declared, trying to put what he now felt into words.

The others were silent for a few moments. "What?" Omnimon finally asked.

The angel Digimon nodded. "They weren't always bad. And I couldn't help thinking of how their old selves would feel about what they've become, and I can't help but pity them becoming this. So yeah, I feel bad for them."

"That's crazy!" Imperialdramon declared. "They don't deserve the slightest amount of pity or sympathy."

Seraphimon gave him a hard look that went by unseen from behind his helmet. "And what about you? What about when you got infected by the Dark Spores and went bad?" He looked at Omnimon. "Or when you became BlackWarGreymon? And OmniShoutmon, what about when Cherubimon got taken over by the black gear?"

OmniShoutmon shook his head. "That's completely different. Lucemon and Daemon chose to be evil."

"Yes," Seraphimon agreed. "But there was a time where they never would have considered such a thing. Events and circumstances change us over time, and they chose to walk down a dark path. But that wasn't always the case. And when I think about how they used to be, but over time became reduced to this," he looked back at Ogudomon, "I can only feel pity for them for ending up this way. Just as I did you for guys, even if your corruption wasn't by choice the way theirs was."

Ogudomon roared again. He raised his claws, but this time did not bring down lightning. Instead, a massive chunk of land rose up into the air, and he sent it flying at the DigiDestined. Omnimon used his Fearsome Blade, splitting the near mountain-sized section of land in half, the two halves crashing down on either side of them.

"Ok," he admitted, "I guess I can see where you're coming if you put it that way."

Ophanimon C gave a small nod. "Yeah, me too. When I think about who they were and what they are now, it's really sad."

"But what's that have to do with getting around his hack?" Gallantmon X asked. "We can feel sorry for them all we want, but at the end of the day, we're still attacking with the intent to harm."

Seraphimon sighed. "Maybe so, but that wasn't why I attacked. It wasn't out of some desire to harm or destroy, nor was it because I wanted to fight. Quite frankly, I'd rather not have to harm someone even as evil as Ogudomon when I think back to who he once was. It's more like… I attacked in order to help them. To save whatever's left of who they once were. Not because I wanted to, but because I had to, because there's no other choice, because it's the only thing I can do for them, and it's the only way to help them." He hesitated. "And maybe, when they start over after they're reborn, there's a chance that they may choose a different path this time, a better path."

The others looked back at Ogudomon as he approached, somehow seeing him with new eyes.

"I think I get it," Susanoomon replied, now sounding sad. "It's like a mercy killing. Or disciplining a misbehaving child so they won't keep doing bad things. It's not because you want to harm them, but because you have to, for their own good."

"In that context, I think I can see it too," Ophanimon C said as Ogudomon closed in. "From that perspective, I do feel bad. Sorry even. He's like a rabid dog, and the only way to help him, or who he once was, is to put him down. If that's the case, then this is the only thing I can do. Air Sefirot Crystal!"

She launched her crystals as a powerful gust of holy air pushed them along. Ogudomon charged forward uncaringly, but then the crystals struck him right in the face and exploded. The Super Demon Lord roared and stumbled back, shaking his head, then snarled at her.

"You hit him!" Omnimon exclaimed. "So that's the key to getting around his invincibility. Attacking out of a sense of kindness. We have to view him not as an enemy to defeat, but a victim we can only help by taking him down. Graceful Cannon!"

He fired his freezing cutting beam. Ogudomon froze as the beam came at him, as if he too wanted to see what would happen. The attack, however, was neutralized. Ogudomon sneered at him before letting out another roar and charging forward again.

Omnimon stared as the Super Demon Lord charged at him and his friends. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly as Ogudomon closed the distance between them, then tried to imagine the incarnation Digimon back to how he was when he was still the kind-hearted Lucemon and Seraphimon before they became the corrupted monstrosities they were now, and he realized that it was true, it was really sad to think of what had become of them. And if this was the only way to help them…

"Graceful Cannon!"

He fired again. His beam flew forward, into Ogudomon's snarling open mouth, and straight out the back of his head. The Super Demon Lord skidded to a halt and began sputtering and shaking his head.

"Well, I'll be damned," Susanoomon awed quietly. "I guess we're killing him with kindness. ZERO-ARMS: Orcohi!"

He manifested his giant weapon and fired a ball of energy. Ogudomon looked up from his sputtering and raised a claw, catching the attack. It erupted in his hand, blasting him back, and he tripped over his many legs.

"My turn," said Gallantmon X, pointing his lance at him. "Zeig Saber!"

His energy lance extended into a beam. It stuck Ogudomon, but was neutralized, the beam shrinking back into his lance. A low growl escaped Gallantmon X and he tried again with his Royal Saber, only to have this attack neutralized too. He then shook his head, reminding himself that Ogudomon being what he was, what he Lucemon and Daemon had allowed themselves to become, was a tragedy. Something to be pitied, not despised.

"This is for your own good," he said quietly, "even if you don't know it. If the old yous were anything like us, then you would have wanted us to do this rather than let you go on committing such evil deeds. And when you're reborn, I truly hope you'll take a more peaceful path. But even if you don't, anything is better than letting you remain the monster that you are now. This is for your own good! Final Elysion!"

He fired a beam from his shield. This time, the attack really did hit, pushing Ogudomon back.

Imperialdramon watched as his friends fought. He glanced at OmniShoutmon, but could see the outrage in the dragon Digimon's eyes. Imperialdramon could most definitely relate. He too held great hatred in his heart for the Demon Lords after the way they made him betray his friends, even if it had been Laylamon specifically. He didn't think he could forgive them for that. He did want to forgive them, or feel any kind of sympathy, sorrow, or remorse of any kind.

But the old Lucemon and the Seraphimon that Daemon had once been… Maybe he couldn't forgive them either since they were the ones who had allowed themselves to become corrupted, but he could pity them, or who they had been. He tried to compare them to himself. They hadn't been tricked and infected with darkness the way he had, but they had still been victims, victims of their own dark desires that had led them to make bad decision after bad decision, eventually leading them here. And that was sad. He felt bad for them for that. How horrible it must be to be so weak, to be such a slave to your own greed and lust for power that you change so much that you no longer recognize yourself.

"The old yous would want this," he said as he manifested his cannon and took aim. "I know you would, because it's what I would have wanted had I known I was going to betray my friends and go bad. So I'll give you what you would have wanted. Giga Crusher!"

He fired an energy wave. It hit Ogudomon, resulting in a massive explosion, drowning out the incarnation Digimon's roar.

Regrouping, the DigiDestined watched as the blast died down. Ogudomon was still there, rising to his feet. He may have been injured and weak from Lucemon and Daemon's battle, but he was still a Super Demon Lord, and he roared at those who dared to defy him.

"This is it, guys," Seraphimon told them. "Our one and only chance to stop him. Not just for our sake, or for the Digital World's, but for his as well. Keep that in mind."

Ogudomon took a step towards them, and then spoke for the first time in something other than declaring an attack. "My own good? Foolish humans, you know nothing!"

"Whoa, he has intelligence," said Gallantmon X. "I thought he was a mindless beast."

"You're wrong," Omnimon told Ogudomon. "It's you who knows nothing. You're too blinded by hate and greed to see what you've become. You've become so corrupt that you've allowed yourself to become a manifestation of pure evil, and you actually enjoy it."

"You can't see it, but we do," said Ophanimon C. "And the Lucemon and Seraphimon you used to be would agree. For your own sake, we'll stop you here and now. Shining Laser III!"

"Double Torrent!"

"Hyper Prominence!"

"Heaven's Thunder!"

"Hallowed Ascension!"

OmniShoutmon watched as his friends did battle with Ogudomon, their attacks successfully landing. The Super Demon Lord may have been unimaginably powerful, but there was no doubt that he was also very weary; Lucemon and Daemon must have done a real number on each other.

He wanted to fight with his friends, but he knew there was no point. Regardless of what his friends said, there was just too much hate in his heart for the Demon Lords, even for the ones who weren't always evil. He wouldn't be able to attack without malicious intent, so his attacks would be ineffective, and he'd only get in the way, or get himself killed. He couldn't forgive them for all their evil deeds, he just couldn't!

Ogudomon raged as he lashed out at the DigiDestined. For a fraction of a second, the Super Demon Lord felt just a sliver of doubt. If he were at full power, he would be able to decimate these humans with the greatest of ease, even with them finding a way past his invincibility. But after fighting for two days straight as Lucemon and Daemon, no food, no water, no rest, both substantially damaging the other, he was almost out of steam.

These humans had somehow miraculously managed to destroy other Demon Lords. And now they had managed to find a way around his invincibility. And for a moment, the briefest moment, the thought that they somehow might just be able to defeat him crossed his mind.

The thought passed quickly as he dismissed it as utterly ludicrous. But still, the thought had occurred to him, and it infuriated him. To think that these humans had somehow managed to make him doubt himself for even a millisecond was inexcusable, and it sent him into a murderous rage.

Letting out a roar, Ogudomon seized control of the gravity around them and greatly amplified it. The DigiDestined immediately dropped like rocks from the sky, smashing into the ground hard enough to crack it.

"What… the hell… is happening…?" Imperialdramon grunted, not even able to lift his head.

"I feel like… my body weighs a ton…" Ophanimon C muttered.

"It must be… the gravity…" Gallantmon X replied. "OmniShoutmon said… he could… manipulate it…"

Ogudomon roared as he stalked over to them. Lifting one leg after another, he brought them down on each DigiDestined, pinning them to the ground. Not that it was necessary since the immense gravity kept them pinned, and Ogudomon seemed completely unfazed by it.

"No!" OmniShoutmon gasped quietly as he realized that the Super Demon Lord had them. The incarnation Digimon sneered victoriously as he looked down at them, pressing them even harder into the ground than what the crushing gravity was already doing.

OmniShoutmon shook, helpless, as he realized his friends were about to die. He wanted to help, but how could he? He hated Ogudomon too much to be able to fight without malice. Could he somehow convince his conscience to attack without any hate or intent to harm? It seemed so impossible. They very idea of it seemed incomprehensible.

He could still remember the first time he died, how Lucemon laughed as he killed him, and then went on to commit evil deed after evil deed until there wasn't a trace of the original kind-hearted Lucemon left. And Daemon, OmniShoutmon had known him as well, back when he was a Seraphimon, from before he lost his faith in the Light and opened himself up to the Darkness, falling prey to the Dark Ocean.

His fists shook as he dug his fingers into his palms. Tears had begun running down his cheeks in streams as he thought of all the atrocities the Demon Lords had committed. He'd heard his friends' words of feeling sorry for them, and had to admit that he'd never looked at things that way before. He could admit that it was indeed tragically sad that they had ended up like this when they could have been something so much more, something good. And the funny thing was, he did find himself feeling sorry for the old Lucemon and Seraphimon. But it wasn't enough for him to be able to let go of his hate. It was what was preventing him from attacking the way he needed to in order to stop the monstrosity that was Ogudomon.

A wave of nausea hit him as he compared the old Lucemon and Seraphimon to their current state. It completely sickened him, and a surge of hate that he couldn't control flowed through him, along with a dose of fury. That any good Digimon could fall so low to generate this much hate in anyone was unimaginable. He simply couldn't take it.

"How…?" he seethed quietly, his body shaking with rage. "How could you…? HOW COULD YOU LET THIS HAPPEN!?"

He suddenly shot forward at top speed as Ogudomon was raising Susanoomon to his massive jaws. Using all his strength, he unleashed his Omni Core Fusion. The Omnimon-shaped aura flew into the side of Ogudomon's head.

And struck.

Ogudomon roared and turned to OmniShoutmon, only to have the dragon Digimon slash the side of his face with his Doom Drillpress. The Super Demon Lord snarled and looked up at OmniShoutmon hovering in the air above him, the gravity having returned to normal.

"Impossible," Ogudomon seethed. "How could you, you, of all people manage to touch me? You should hate me more than anyone."

OmniShoutmon's eyes shined with fury. "Oh, I do. Sovereigns, I do. More than words can describe. But I didn't always. There was a time where I would have thought of you, of both of you, as my friends. I hate seeing what you've become. And had you still been who you used to be, you would hate it as well. For their sake alone, I'm setting everything else aside. Yes, I want justice, I want revenge, I want to make you pay for all the horrible things you've done."

He closed his eyes for a few moments as the tears flowed. "But I'm going to let all that go. All the anger, all the hate, all of it, I'm setting it aside and fighting for a new sake. For your own. For who you used to be, for the kind-hearted individuals you once were, for their sake, I will stop you. Victorize Banking!"

He fired a V-shaped bolt from his head. It struck the claw holding Susanoomon, and Ogudomon released him, more out of surprise than pain.

The god Digimon put some distance between himself and the Super Demon Lord. Now that he was free, his first agenda was freeing his friends, and so he manifested his ZERO-ARMS: Orochi.

"Those big feet of yours are a real nuisance," he said as he activated his weapon. "Celestial Blade!"

He swung the weapon through the air, and the giant blade of light cut through everything in its path. It sliced through one leg after another midway up Ogudomon's limbs. The incarnation Digimon roared and toppled over as his seven legs were. Each of the claws pinning down a DigiDestined burst into data, and the DigiDestined quickly joined OmniShoutmon and Susanoomon in the sky.

"That was a close one," Imperialdramon commented. He glanced at his fellow dragon Digimon. "Glad to see you could let things go long enough to attack him affectively."

But OmniShoutmon didn't even glance at him. Truthfully, he didn't know how long he could hold onto the sorrow he felt for the old Lucemon and Seraphimon before his hate for the Demon Lord Lucemon and Daemon surpassed it. "Let's just do this while my resolve lasts."

Omnimon nodded. "Right, then listen up, I want to try something. You see those seven swords in his legs?"

Gallantmon X nodded as he looked at the swords protruding from each of Ogudomon's knees, above which one of the Crowns of the Seven Deadly Sins floated. "Yeah, what about them?"

"Seven of us, seven of them. Let's attack there together, see if it'll take him down."

Imperialdramon shrugged. "Hell, better than anything I have in mind."

"Right then," Seraphimon agreed. "Let's go."

They flew up high over Ogudomon as the Super Demon Lord attempted to stand on the stumps where his claws had once been. Together, they dropped down, each of them heading for a different sword. At the same time, they each burst through one of the Crowns of the Seven Deadly Sins and struck the hilt of the sword with all their might.

Ogudomon roared, and a massive stream of fire flew out of his mouth. He shook his head about, sending fire flying everywhere, but the DigiDestined had already regrouped, having pulled out of their dives and retreating after having attacked. Ogudomon continued to breathe fire as he stumbled around, but then his knees buckled and he fell in a heap.

"Now!" Omnimon shouted. "Hit him hard! Double Torrent!"

"Hyper Prominence!"

"Final Elysion!"

"ZERO-ARMS: Orochi!"

"Holy Destroy!"

"Strike of the Seven Stars!"

"Omni Core Fusion!"

Ogudomon looked up and roared as the attacks came at him and exploded, engulfing him in the blast. They kept on firing, giving it everything they had, stirring up a large cloud of smoke that obscured everything, even the blasts. They kept attacking until the strain of it became too much and they were forced to rest. Breathing heavily, they waited in silence for the smoke to clear, hoping against hope.

When the smoke finally cleared, Ogudomon was still there, hunched over, motionless, the one eye they could see closed. The DigiDestined stared, unable to believe what they were seeing, but it looked like Ogudomon was down.

"I don't believe it," Susanoomon X whispered. "Did we actually defeat him?"

Omnimon pointed his cannon at him. "Not yet. No more loose ends."

A humorless chuckle escaped Imperialdramon. "Yeah, I guess we learned our lesson from Laylamon."

Suddenly, Ogudomon's eye snapped open and he raised his head, turning to them and opening his mouth. "Catedral!"

A burst of darkness flew out of his mouth. The DigiDestined jolted back as the attack came at them, having foolishly lowered their guard when they saw the Super Demon Lord down. The attack seemed to move in slow motion, all sound silencing as they too seemed to move in slow motion in their attempt to flee. Only OmniShoutmon held his ground, opting to put up his firewall between his friends and Ogudomon's attack, but even his cry of Heavy Metal Vulcan went by unheard.

The psychological silence was broken by the sound of Ogudomon's attack erupting in the sky above them, sending out a blast of darkness accompanied by a shockwave that tore the land apart. The darkness easily burst through OmniShoutmon's barrier and flowed over the DigiDestined, sending them all crashing to the ground.

Ogudomon rose onto the stumps of his legs and leapt through the air, coming down on top of the DigiDestined, caging them with his legs as he loomed over them. The seven eyes on the underside of each of his thighs looked down on them with pure hate.

"I'LL KILL YOU!" the Super Demon Lord thundered.

Each of the DigiDestined were pixelating. This had actually been the only time one of Ogudomon's actual attacks had hit them, and they were already on the verge of losing their Digimon forms. Except for OmniShoutmon. His own pixilation signified something else; that he was close to death. Even so, he somehow managed to find the strength to stand.

"Can't stop now," he grunted. "We'll never get a chance like this again."

Seraphimon forced himself to his feet as well, stumbling over to him. "Then we'll give it everything we have. All of our strength, all of our power. One last attack."

The others joined as well, coming together, holding onto each other for support. OmniShoutmon looked at each of them and then up at Ogudomon, and his eyes narrowed. "Yes, one last attack."

He began glowing as he summoned up all his energy, and a golden aura surrounded him. The DigiDestined began glowing as well, feeling his strength flow into them, and they shared theirs as well, forming a chain of all their power flowing into each other.

From a distance away, Calumon looked on from his hiding place, as he watched the caged DigiDestined glow brightly. "Maybe this will help. Calumon Prayer!"

A beam of light flew from the marking on his forehead. It flew over to the DigiDestined, striking the group. They felt new energy flow into them as their status was restored and their resistance increased, and they began to glow even brighter, the light's intensity shining brighter than the sun.

Ogudomon's eyes widened at the sight of them. "What is this!?"

As one, the DigiDestined launched into the air, flying up to Ogudomon's center like a golden missile of light as Ogudomon's eyes followed them.

"Omni Torpedo!" OmniShoutmon cried.

They slammed into Ogudomon's underside. The incarnation Digimon roared loudly as they drove into him as cracks began to appear all across his torso. Suddenly, a beam of light burst through the top of him, completely disintegrating his head as the beam flew into the air, rising higher and higher. It slowly dimmed out and faded away as the DigiDestined emerged and came to a stop in the air, looking down at Ogudomon.

The Super Demon Lord was still standing, however, his head was completely gone, and only a large gaping hole from where the DigiDestined had burst through was in its place. Ogudomon's legs began to buckle and stumble, as if even now he were trying to remain standing. Above each of the swords in his knees, the Crowns of the Seven Deadly Sins flickered for a few moments before fading away. And then, much to the amazement of the DigiDestined, Ogudomon's body began to dissolve into data.

A deep inhalation came from Gallantmon X as he watched Ogudomon's body break down. "Guys, are you seeing what I'm seeing?"

Sections of Ogudmon's legs began to dissolve away, causing the incarnation Digimon to topple over. He still seemed to be trying to get up again as more and more of him broke down.

"Yes," said Ophanimon C. "We're seeing it too. We beat Ogudomon."

"That means we beat Lucemon and Daemon as well," said Susanoomon. "We defeated all seven Demon Lords."

What was left of Ogudomon made one last futile effort to rise, only to collapse once more and completely dissolve into data. OmniShoutmon, however, made no attempt whatsoever to absorb it as he simply looked on with eyes wet with tears of relief and joy.

"I've dreamed of this day…" he whispered in a voice that displayed nothing but shock and amazement. "Can this truly be real?"

Lifting his hand, he slapped himself across the face so hard his friends winced.

"What'd you do that for?" Imperialdramon asked.

But OmniShoutmon didn't even look at him as the dam burst and his tears proceeded to pour down his cheeks. "This isn't a dream. This is really real." He began wiping his eyes, but his tears kept flowing. "This is just… I mean… I can't…"

Seraphimon floated over and placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's ok, buddy, we got you. It's all over now."

"Yup," Imperialdramon agreed. "No more Demon Lords. Which means another Sovereign should be appearing soon. Might want to make yourself presentable."

No sooner had the words escaped his mouth did a loud bang occur. The DigiDestined all looked up as clouds began to fill the sky as it began to ripple and distort. OmniShoutmon sniffed loudly and wiped his eyes furiously, trying to dry his tears. "Get ready, he's coming."

Something large began to descend from the sky, something far larger than even Azulongmon. It was a giant golden dragon, as intimidating as it was amazing. It was entirely made of gold, its body covered in numerous scales, and six large, lethal tusks protruded from its back as twelve pinkish-reddish orbs floated in a circle between them. It had eight red eyes, three on each side of its head and two in the front. Truly, it was a sight to behold.

"Whoa," Gallantmon X muttered. "And I thought the other Sovereigns were big and intimidating."

But OmniShoutmon paid him no mind. "Behold, Huanglongmon, the Yellow Dragon of the Center. He's more powerful than the other four combined."

Ophanimon C nodded. "Yeah, I believe that."

In a display of his standard behavior, Imperialdramon waved at the giant dragon Digimon. "Hey, your honor, over here! We're so glad you're free."

OmniShoutmon groaned as Huanglongmon turned his attention to them. Bowing as best as he could in the air, OmniShoutmon humbled himself before the Sovereign. "My Lord Huanglongmon, it's so good to see you again. It is I, the Digimon King. I am pleased to inform you that all seven Demon Lords have been vanquished, and with your release, only one Sovereign remains to be freed. And we shall do so as soon as we take down Bagramon."

Huanglongmon stared at him for a few seconds before his eyes narrowed and a low growl escaped him. He bared his fangs as embers began slipping past his lips.

"Um, OmniShoutmon?" Omnimon muttered uncertainly.

OmniShoutmon looked up at the Sovereign. "My lord?"

Huanglongmon roared loudly as he opened his mouth and breathed a stream of fire at the DigiDestined.

Notes:

(A/N: And behold, a miracle has occurred. Our heroes have managed to defeat Ogudomon, thus taking out both Lucemon and Daemon in the process. With a little help from Calumon of course. And now Huanglongmon has been freed. But what is this? Why is he attacking the DigiDestined? It looks like our heroes' struggles aren't over yet. Just what is going on? Stay tuned to find out what happens next.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear or are mentioned.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Huanglongmon

Chapter 182: Murder

Notes:

(A/N: Alrighty then, last time we ended on a cliffhanger with Huanglongmon attacking our heroes just after he was freed. And they had just defeated Ogudomon. Why is a Sovereign attacking them, and can they fight back against one? Prepare to have a lot of questions answered.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 182: Murder

"What the hell!?" Susanoomon exclaimed as he and the others quickly flew out of the way of Huanglongmon's flames. The dragon Digimon's eight eyes followed them as he opened his mouth and breathed more fire.

"Why the hell is he attacking us?" Imperialdramon demanded. "Some gratitude."

Susanoomon shoved him as they flew along. "Maybe it's because you didn't treat him with proper respect."

"Oh, come on, that's crap!"

"Maybe he knows we're humans and sees us as intruders," Gallantmon X suggested. "Zhuqiaomon wasn't exactly fond of us being here either."

"Then why's he attacking OmniShoutmon?" Seraphimon asked. "He's not human."

"Guilty by association?"

OmniShoutmon shook his head. "Huanglongmon can be ruthless and merciless, but he wouldn't be so without cause."

"Well, something is definitely causing this," Omnimon commented.

Huanglongmon breathed more fire. Ophanimon C turned to the fire and summoned up her own flames, causing them to expand outward and completely fill the area. Huanglongmon's flames and hers burned each other out, and the dragon Digimon roared at her.

"Huanglongmon, we are not your enemies!" she shouted to the Sovereign. "Please, listen to us!"

"Emperor's Mace!" Huanglongmon cried, lashing out with his tail. It flew at Ophanimon C, and she quickly used her barrier. His tail broke right through it as if it wasn't even there, and she was sent crashing to the ground.

"That's it!" Omnimon shouted angrily as his older brother protective instincts kicked in. "Sovereign or not, we can't just let him attack us like this and do nothing."

He flew up above Huanglongmon and raised his cannon, firing his Graceful Cannon!

"Yellow Circle!" Huanglongmon cried.

The ground began to shake, the quaking happening for miles. And suddenly, what could only be described as a typhoon of earthflow rose up in front of Huanglongmon, shielding him from Omnimon's attack.

"Stop it!" OmniShoutmon shouted. "You can't attack him!"

Omnimon glared at him. "We don't have a choice. I know he's a Sovereign, but we have to defend ourselves."

OmniShoutmon shook his head. "No, it's not that. I mean attacking him will do more harm than good. His Yellow Circle creates a barrier that doubles as an attack since it generates a massive typhoon on the scale of a natural disaster. You'll just cause a bunch of destruction whenever he blocks your attacks."

Imperialdramon looked at him. "And this guy is a Sovereign? Doesn't sound so great if he's willing to do that."

"Huanglongmon is different from the others. He's good, but he also has evil in him. He's a being of light and darkness who maintains order and balance."

Gallantmon X pointed with his lance. "Looks like he's about to maintain that order now."

Huanglongmon was slowly opening his mouth. As he did so, energy began to gather within his jaws. OmniShoutmon's eyes widened as he recognized the attack. "Oh no! Omni Torpedo!"

"Taiji!" Huanglongmon cried, firing a beam from his mouth up at Omnimon. Just before the attack hit, OmniShoutmon crashed into him, pushing him out of the way of the attack as the beam just missed grazing their feet. The beam flew past them, disappearing into space.

"Get down here," OmniShoutmon snapped, dragging the knight Digimon back down to the others. "You must not let that attack hit you, so don't give him the chance. Stay close to the ground; he won't use it if there's a chance it will hit the planet."

"Why not?" Susanoomon asked, suspecting that he already knew the answer.

"His Taiji continuously disassembles whatever it hits throughout eternity into the two extremes of light and darkness until there's nothing left. He could easily destroy the whole Digital World with it, the whole universe even. There's no way any of us would survive it."

"I don't even think it'll take that much," Gallantmon X reluctantly admitted. "Not after our battle with Ogudomon."

"What!?" a furious voice demanded. "You defeated Ogudomon? Impossible!"

The voice seemed to be coming from Huanglongmon, but it didn't appear to be him who was speaking. And a few moments later, they saw who it really was.

Something suddenly emerged from Huanglongmon's back. It appeared to be a large, dark red, humanoid dragon. Almost making Huanglongmon look like the lower half of a centaur. The creature that appeared was attached to the Sovereign's back by the waist, the twelve orbs floating its midsection.

The newcomer bared its fangs at the DigiDestined, pointing an accusing finger at them. "You lie! It's hard enough to believe that you defeated a Demon Lord, yet my being here proves it. But to destroy Ogudomon? Impossible!"

Imperialdramon shook his fist at him. "Yeah, well, hate to break it to you, pal, but we did… And who the hell are you anyway?"

The newcomer held out his arms. "I am Dorbickmon." He chuckled. "Actually, I am Dorbickmon Darkness Mode thanks to some DigiFusion, courtesy of the Demon Lords."

"Dorbickmon?" Seraphimon repeated. "DigiFusion?"

"Huanglongmon would never DigiFuse with a servant of the Demon Lords," OmniShoutmon declared.

Dorbickmon grinned. "Correct. Which is why it was a forced DigiFuse. Just an extra precaution on the off chance that Huanglongmon escaped. As a loyal servant to the Demon Lords, I humbly volunteered and was sealed away along with him after we fused. I see those precautions were necessary after all."

OmniShoutmon's eyes narrowed. "Huanglongmon is one of the most powerful of all Digimon. There's no way you could have did a forced DigiFuse with him."

Dorbickmon laughed. "You truly underestimate the Demon Lords, and now you will pay for it."

Huanglongmon leapt at the DigiDestined. "Fang of the Emperor!"

His mouth opened wide as he chomped at them. They all flew in different directions, leaving him unable to decide who to attack, and so he only ended up chomping down on air.

"Super Positron Laser!" Imperialdramon cried, firing a beam at Dorbickmon.

Huanglongmon's tail came up, blocking the attack, and then his long neck twisted around as the DigiDestined flew behind him and he breathed fire. The DigiDestined flew along as the stream of fire flowed after them.

"Attacking him is useless," OmniShoutmon told him. "Huanglongmon's whole body is covered entirely in Huanglong Ore. It's the hardest substance in the Digital World that's literally impossible to measure the hardness of it and can only be scratched by other Huanglong Ore, so inflicting even a single wound on him is impossible."

"Then why's he even need that Yellow Circle shield or attack or whatever it is?" Imperialdramon demanded. "Seems almost pointless if he can't even be scratched by any attack."

Omnimon resisted the urge to growl. "So in other words, we're up a creek."

"Without a paddle," OmniShoutmon confirmed.

"We've got to separate them somehow," said Seraphimon.

Susanoomon glanced back at Dorbickmon and Huanglongmon as they stalked after them. His gaze lowered to Dorbickmon's waist, which looked very much like it was growing out of the Sovereign's back. "I don't think they're gonna give us the chance."

"Dragon Infernal Fire!" Dorbickmon cried, breathing his own stream of fire.

Ophanimon C paused and manipulated the flames he breathed, sending them right back at the dragon Digimon. The flames flowed harmlessly over Huanglongmon, not even reaching Dorbickmon, as they charged forward.

"Hey!" a small voice called, drawing Ophanimon C's attention. "Over here!"

She turned to the voice, spotting Calumon by Lucemon's partially destroyed castle, waving them over. She turned to her friends, calling them over. "Everyone, follow me!"

They hesitated for a moment before flying after the angel Digimon. Calumon waited for them to get close before flying through a window. Most of the others got through fine, but Imperialdramon had to bust through due to his size.

"Why did we just come in here?" Gallantmon X asked. "He'll just destroy the whole place with us inside it."

Calumon just beamed and shook his head. "Oh no he won't. He'll be really super careful when coming after us, if he does."

Susanoomon gave the holy beast Digimon a curious look. "Why?"

The holy beast Digimon didn't answer, but it seemed that he was right, as Huanglongmon skidded to a stop outside the castle, looking through the hole Imperialdramon had made.

"Come out here!" Dorbickmon demanded. "Come out and face me!"

Calumon just responded by sticking his tongue out at him, then smiled at the DigiDestined. "Come on, I'll show you Lucemon's super-duper big secret."

Imperialdramon blinked. "Big secret?"

"Don't you dare!" Dorbickmon thundered. "Don't you dare, you little whelp!"

Ignoring him, Calumon motioned for them to follow. "Come on, it's this way."

As the DigiDestined hesitantly turned away from Huanglongmon and Dorbickmon, the latter continued to rage. "You little brat! You'll pay for this! You'll pay!"

Reaching out, Huanglongmon began to dig his way through the castle, but it was obvious that he was trying not to be that destruction. Calumon just ushered them along and into the next room, closing the large double-doors behind them.

"Don't worry," he said cheerfully. "He won't risk destroying the castle, because he might end up destroying the Demon Lords' biggest secret of all."

Susanoomon raised an eyebrow. "Wasn't that you and that big Digivice?"

Calumon shook his head. "That was just part of it. I'll show you the big, super, best part."

As Calumon led them along, Huanglongmon and Dorbickmon crouched down and began carefully digging their way through the castle, trying to be as least destructive as possible. The entire castle shook as the giant dragon Digimon slowly dug their way through, and the DigiDestined quickly picked up their pace.

The castle was completely empty of any other residents, indicating what Boltboutamon had said was true; everyone had fled in the face of Lucemon and Daemon's battle. For several minutes they walked along, the only sounds being their footsteps, Calumon's humming, and Huanglongmon tearing his way further into the castle.

Soon it became apparent that they were making their way underground to the more sub areas of the castle, away from Huanglongmon and Dorbickmon. And as they walked along, the walls and ceiling began to reveal itself to be part of a machine, much like Calumon's prison room.

"This place was connected to where I was being kept," the holy beast Digimon told them. "This is where the Demon Lords kept their real secret weapon, the one that made that big thing on the ceiling that used my power work."

OmniShoutmon's eyes narrowed. "What secret weapon?"

Calumon placed a finger to his lips. "Wait and see."

He opened a large pair of double-doors, revealing a massive room that looked like it was the laboratory of a mad scientist. Everything inside the room, even the room itself, was mechanical, as if they were actually inside a machine.

Calumon pointed at something in the middle of the room. "There, that's it. The Demon Lords' secret weapon."

He was pointing at what appeared to be a large mass of flesh. It looked like a giant tumor. Numerous tubes and cables were attached to it, seemingly fused to the flesh itself.

OmniShoutmon made a disgusted face. "What is that thing?"

Imperialdramon looked equally as disturbed. "Looks like a nasty growth you would get cut off, like a cancerous tumor or something.

Calumon frowned. "That's the thing that was powering that big device that sucked out my power and then made the Demon Lords' men Digivolve."

Seraphimon gave him a bewildered look. "You mean that is what powered that giant Digivice? What even is it?"

Omnimon remained on guard. "I don't know, but let's take a closer look."

They slowly moved closer, but as they approached, what seemed to be a giant mechanical hand suddenly slammed down in front of them, cutting them off. It moved aside a moment later, and the mass of flesh began to move.

"Who dares to enter my chambers?" it said.

Gallantmon X's eyes widened. "That thing is alive!?"

The flesh of the tumor began to shift, and, much to the DigiDestined's astonishment, a face appeared on it, nearly taking up the entire side of the tumor facing them. "Yes, I am alive. I can't say the same for you though. Not for long anyway."

Omnimon held up his cannon. "What the heck are you? You're not a Digimon, are you?"

The face twisted with disgust. "A Digimon? Do not lump me in with those wretched creatures. I am far superior to any Digimon. I am Kurata, the ultimate being!"

The face's words echoed throughout the room. It was one word in particular that that actually gripped the DigiDestined. No, not a word, a name.

"Kurata?" Seraphimon repeated. "But… that's a human name."

The face's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "You know human names? How?"

Ophanimon C suddenly inhaled deeply. "That name, Kurata. Wasn't that…? You were the guy who was transported here with Marcus thousands of years ago!"

The others gasped in surprise. The face also looked caught off guard, but then suddenly became angry. "Marcus? Marcus Damon? You know that little brat? But he should be dead!"

Gallantmon X shook his head, getting over his surprise. "You mean after you left him to die when you fled."

"Cowardly bastard," Imperialdramon growled.

"Silence!" Kurata bellowed. "I will not have such lowly life forms speak to me as such. I possess more power than any of you, for I am human!"

"Hardly," Susanoomon muttered, looking him up and down. "What the hell happened to you? How did you become… this?"

A mad grin spread across Kurata's face. "I simply did what I had to do. Lost and alone in an unknown world, I aligned myself with the most powerful beings around. As a human, I held a great power, one the Demon Lords found to be quite useful. And so I utilized it, bringing out my fullest potential. With my help and my power, I could Digivolve the Demon Lords' servants."

Ophanimon C's grip on her lance tightened. "That artificial Digivice, he was combining his human energy and Calumon's power with it to Digivolve the Demon Lords' men without the need for them to absorb data."

Kurata sneered. "Ah, so you saw my creation, did you? Yes, I suppose you would have if you managed to rescue Calumon there." His eyes darted around the room. "I built everything you see here, using my great ingenuity to bring out my full potential and evolve myself beyond anything imaginable."

Behind his helmet, Seraphimon raised an eyebrow. "I would hardly call what you are now an evolution. You can't even move."

"Bah! What would inferior creatures like you know about true evolution? I have cast off all unnecessary useless bits and kept only the essential and greatest parts of myself and brought them to their highest potential."

"I seriously think that that's up for debate," Omnimon muttered. "And for your information, we're humans too."

That wiped the smirk right off Kurata's face. At first he looked surprised, but then he scowled at them. "What nonsense are you speaking? It's more than obvious that you're Digimon. I have extensive knowledge of all Digimon, so don't think you can fool me!"

Imperialdramon humphed. "I guess that's something you didn't consider in your calculations when turning yourself into this so-called 'perfect' being. You're stuck in here like this, so you only know what others tell you. We've been in the Digital World for over a year. We inherited the power of Digimon and also learned how to use our power to Digivolve. And we didn't have to turn ourselves into disgusting blobs like you did."

Kurata's eyes were wide with disbelief as he stared at them, but his shock soon gave way to a mixture of anger, fear, and disgust. "And so you became Digimon? You utter fools! Why would you become such vile, loathsome, horrendous creatures for any reason? You'd be better off dead."

"Says the giant cancer tumor," Susanoomon shot back. "And we can change back to human form anytime we want."

"Blasphemy!" Kurata thundered. "To even think of touching such a pathetic, disgusting creature, let alone becoming one for any period of time."

Omnimon glared. "Ok, racist, then how exactly do you justify becoming a pawn for the Demon Lords if that's how you view Digimon?"

A sliver of flesh above Kurata's eye shifted in what seemed to be the equivalent of him raising an eyebrow. "A pawn? Incompetent fool! It is I who is using the Demon Lords. I supply them with power for their armies, yes, but it has enabled me to get anything I want and need from them, and provide me with the ultimate protection."

"I really think you need to reevaluate who is using who," Ophanimon C told him. "The Demon Lords only give you what you need to get what they need from you. It's more convenient to have your cooperation, but if you don't give it to them, they'll take what they want from you by force. You're a prisoner and you don't even know it."

They expected some kind of negative reaction from him, but instead Kurata just grinned. "You think so, do you? Well then, allow me to let you in on a little secret since you won't be leaving here alive anyway. Oh, I have so been longing to share this with someone."

His eyes darted to the side, and a section of the wall opened to reveal shelf upon shelf of what seemed to be black collars and black spiral shaped bracelets. Kurata's eyes shined with excitement at the sight of them.

"Behold," he declared proudly, "my dark rings and dark spirals. With these little devices, I'll be able to make any Digimon I put them on completely subservient to me. I'm close to perfecting them, but once I do, I shall begin mass-producing them. The Demon Lords think I'm making these for them to use, and while it's true that the Digimon ensnared by them will obey their commands, it's my orders that are final and which rank above all others. Soon even the Demon Lords will obey my command."

OmniShoutmon stared at the dark rings and spirals in disbelief before looking back at Kurata in horror. "You would actually rob everyone of free will?"

"Doesn't surprise me," said Imperialdramon. "It's what Bagramon wants after all."

"So you plan to take over the whole Digital World?" Ophanimon C asked. "Is that your grand plan?"

Kurata's eyes were crazy as he snickered with a madness that reminded them of Boltboutamon. "Such a limited imagination you have. Controlling every last Digimon is only the start. Once I take over this world, I'll find a way to return to the real world. With my army of Digimon, I'll take over the human world as well. Then I'll rule both worlds. Oh, but why stop there. I'm sure there are other worlds out there as well. I'll find them all and take over them as well. Oh, but that's just the beginning. Once I take over everything, I'll find a way to eliminate every last Digimon. Not one will be left alive, not one."

"You can't," Seraphimon interrupted. "Digimon that are killed will just be reborn. You can't 'eliminate' them."

Kurata's grin widened. "Do not underestimate me. I was able to do a forced DigiFuse of Dorbickmon and Huanglongmon. If I can overpower a Sovereign in such a way, there's nothing I can't do. And I won't be satisfied with anything less than the complete, and total, and absolute genocide of the entire Digimon species! Of course, as you said, there's that whole pesky coming back to life thing they do after they die problem, but I'll find a way to prevent them from coming back somehow, and then I'll wipe out every last one of them! I won't have these disgusting vermin inhabiting my worlds, not a single one of them!"

He laughed maniacally. It was truly an unsettling sight, and not just because of his horrendously grotesque appearance. The man, if he could still be called a man, was beyond crazed, and he relished every moment of it.

"This guy is totally bonkers," Imperialdramon muttered. "What possessed him to set such insane goals?"

"Fear," Omnimon replied. "Fear and greed. Marcus said something about how Kurata seemed to have some kind of Digimon-phobia. He's probably some kind of racist with xenophobia, and couldn't help feeling powerless amongst such powerful creatures. His fear of them and superiority complex probably manifested into a desire to dominate and destroy, and his greed grew from there into a god complex where he feels like he should rule everything."

Gallantmon X looked at Kurata in pity and disgust. "Makes sense. I heard before that when someone is truly afraid of something or someone that they'll have no choice but to either avoid it, dominate it, destroy it, or become subservient to it. Seeing as he couldn't avoid things, he opted to do the other three; be subservient to the Demon Lords for his goal to dominate and destroy."

"It won't happen," Seraphimon declared. "We won't let you just do whatever you want. We'll, put a stop to you, even if you are human."

Kurata stopped laughing and glared at the angel Digimon. "You think you can stop me, you race traitor? You'll be the first of my slaves!"

From off the shelves, several dark rings and spirals suddenly flew at the DigiDestined. Ophanimon C spotted them out of her peripheral vision and turned to them. "Watch out! Holy Light II!"

Light shined brightly from her body, and the dark rings and spirals shattered to pieces as the light flowed over them. Gallantmon X then acted next, firing a blast of lightning at the rest of the ones on the shelves with his Royal Saber.

Kurata's face twisted with fury. "Damn you!"

The mechanical arm from before suddenly flew at them. Omnimon acted quickly, using his Fearsome Blade to slice the giant arm in half, and Kurata's eyes flashed violently.

"I'll kill you!" he bellowed, and suddenly, there was movement all around. Wires and cables came down from the ceiling and walls. Several more mechanical arms came moving in, along with cranes, claws, drills, blowtorches, buzz saws, and several other mechanical parts coming out of the walls that Kurata seemed to be controlling. "Die!

The numerous mechanical appendages all flew at the DigiDestined. Fortunately, the room was more than large enough for them to freely fly around, and so they maneuvered around Kurata's attacks. But while Kurata would have easily been able to tear them apart if they were in their human forms, possibly even in their Champion level forms, they mechanical appendages were useless against the DigiDestined's current power.

Despite being able to be used as weapons, the mechanical appendages were meant for building and disassembling, not attacking. And so the DigiDestined flew about, tearing their way through whatever Kurata threw at them. Kurata's face twisted further and further with rage and hate before he finally let out an angry bellow and an alarm suddenly sounded.

Imperialdramon pointed his arm cannon at the blaring alarm and flashing red light and fired his Super Positron Laser at it. "No one's coming for you. Not even the Demon Lords. We defeated them. All of them, along with their Chaos Generals too."

Kurata's eyes flashed violently. "You lie!" he shouted, although he was now visibly sweating. "No one can beat the Demon Lords! And no one can beat me!"

He lashed out with whatever he had left. The DigiDestined proceeded to hack, blast, and smash their way through everything he sent their way, all the while Kurata visibly became more and more nervous as he lost more limbs, if that was indeed what they could be called.

Finally, the last moving part fell broken to the floor. The entire laboratory was in ruins, smoke and fire filling the room. Kurata's eyes flew here and there, looking for something he might use to attack with.

When he came up with nothing, his gaze returned to the DigiDestined and he let out a bellow of rage. "You miserable bastards! How dare you do this to me! Do you honestly think you've won? That you've somehow managed to stop me? Fools! I'll never stop! I'll rebuild, starting over from scratch if I need to! I'll make you pay for this! Mark my words, I'll make you pay! I'll hunt you down wherever you go and make you suffer! And not just you! When I get back to the human world, I'll seek out your families too and kill them all for your defiance! You'll never stop me! I'll take over both worlds no matter what it costs, I swear it! Nothing can stop me! Nothing!"

The DigiDestined were silent as they watched Kurata rage, nothing but a harmless, shapeless mound of flesh with a face. They exchanged uncertain looks, each of them wondering what they should do with the fleshy monstrosity who had made some truly horrible threats. The only one who didn't join in on their silent communication was Omnimon, who stood motionless, facing Kurata with his eyes downcast.

"I had a feeling you'd say that," he said quietly. "And I'm very sorry you did," he raised his head, eyes hard, "because you now leave me with no choice."

Slowly, he raised his cannon, pointing it at Kurata, and he began walking towards him. The look in Kurata's eyes changed as he watched the knight Digimon approach, seemingly realizing for the first time just how helpless and vulnerable he was.

"W-Wait, what are you doing!?" he exclaimed, fear evident in his voice.

Omnimon continued walking towards him determinedly. "You have horrible agendas, Kurata, and you've made it abundantly clear that you have no intention of changing. Like I said, you leave me no choice, I have to destroy you."

Shocked gasps escaped the DigiDestined. "Tai!" Ophanimon C cried.

"Be quiet, Kari. This is my burden. As the leader of the team, this is my responsibility."

Nervous sweat poured down Kurata's face in abundance as his bravado disappeared entirely, leaving him utterly fearful. "Y-You can't be serious! You can't kill me, we're both humans!"

"Yes," Omnimon agreed. "We're human, and that's why it will be me and me alone who bears this burden. I won't let the others have blood on our hands."

"No!" Kurata shouted. "St-Stop! You can't do this! Killing Digimon is one thing, but I'm human! I won't come back! Once you kill me, I stay dead!"

Omnimon came to a stop, keeping his cannon pointed at the giant blob of flesh. "I'm well aware, but it's what needs to be done."

"You can't! This is murder! Cold-blooded murder! Once you do this, there's no going back! Do you really want that hanging over your head forever!?"

Omnimon's raised arm was shaking as he tried in vain to keep it steady. Tears were in his eyes, but they held the same hardness. "I know what this is, but this is on you, not me! I can't let you go through with your plans! The only world a monster like you should be in is Hell! For the sake of everyone and everything, you must be stopped!"

Kurata looked at the others. "You've got to stop him! You can't let him do this to me! It's accessory to murder! Aren't you going to do anything?"

The DigiDestined stared at Kurata, looking torn. But then, one by one, they all looked away.

Now Kurata had tears in his own eyes as he did his best to shake his head as nothing more than a giant face on a large blob of flesh. "Please, don't! You can't do this! I'll die, I'll really die for good! You can't do this! If not for me, then for your own sake! Don't kill me! You don't want to be a murderer! Please!"

Omnimon shut his eyes, his whole body shaking now. He let out an agonized cry and dropped to his knees, his cannon arm falling beside him. Tears poured down his cheeks as he cursed his weakness.

"I'm sorry," he whispered to both himself and his friends. "I can't do it."

Kurata stared down at Omnimon, still looking fearful. But as he watched the knight Digimon weep, his fear slowly dissipated. He finally let out a relieved sigh, and then broke out into a grin as he pulled himself together, and then began laughing.

"So that's it then!" he declared mockingly. "You can't bring yourself to do it. I should have known. You who had to rely on becoming Digimon to get by, of course you'd be too weak. I'm glad you've learned your place."

If Omnimon had had actual hands, he would have clenched them. Kurata's cruel mocking laughter echoed around him, but Omnimon couldn't rise against it. After all, he was right, he couldn't bring himself to take a human life. Digimon, technically, never really died, but for a human, death was permanent, and Omnimon just didn't have it in himself to end a human life, not even an evil person like Kurata who was planning on doing horrible things.

Someone came up beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder, and Omnimon looked up to see OmniShoutmon standing beside him.

"It's ok," the dragon Digimon told him. "You've done more than enough. There's nothing wrong with admitting when a burden is too great for you."

"OmniShoutmon…" Omnimon whispered.

"Besides," the dragon Digimon continued, "you're wrong about something. You may be the leader of this group, but this isn't your responsibility." He looked up at Kurata. "It's mine."

Omnimon's eyes widened. "What?"

"What?" Kurata exclaimed.

OmniShoutmon moved to stand in front of Omnimon, facing Kurata. "Being king isn't just about ruling, it's about serving, serving your people, and serving your world. It's not always easy to be king. Sometimes you have to make very different decisions, decisions you don't always want to make, but have to, even at your own expense. That's what it truly means to be king. This is my responsibility. I'll do it."

The fear returned to Kurata's face, and he began to panic. "No, you can't! You're bluffing! You have to be!"

OmniShoutmon punched his fists together. "It's my duty as the Digimon King to rid this world of all threats to it. No matter what."

An aura of energy appeared around him in preparation of his attack. Kurata's face seemed to shrink in on itself as he realized that this was really about to be it for him.

"Stop," he said his voice low. "Stop!" His voice rose higher, his eyes wide and crazed with fear. "STOP IT!"

"Omni Core Fusion!"

OmniShoutmon's aura took form and flew at that mass of flesh. Kurata's cry echoed through the room as it flew at him, and the blast completely obliterated him into nothing.

Notes:

(A/N: So, a lot of surprising revelations happened this chapter. Not only is Huanglongmon being controlled by Dorbickmon through a forced DigiFuse, but Kurata, who was mentioned in passing several chapters ago, is not only alive, but has been helping the Demon Lords all this time by using Calumon's power and his own human energy to Digivolve the Demon Lords' forces the same way our heroes have been Digivolving with their Digivices. It looks like that's it for Kurata. But what are our heroes going to do about Huanglongmon and Dorbickmon? Stay tuned to find out.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear or are mentioned.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Dorbickmon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Dorbickmon_Darkness_Mode_One

Chapter 183: The Final Leg Begins

Notes:

(A/N: Alrighty then, we had a pretty intense last chapter. Not only did we learn of the Demon Lords' secret weapon, but it turned out to be Kurata, who was just blown away by OmniShoutmon. But we still have Huanglongmmon and Dorbickmon to worry about. Time to see how that goes.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 183: The Final Leg Begins

For some reason, the sound of the explosion seemed so much louder than any other one the DigiDestined had heard before, the blast echoing through their very souls. Perhaps it was due to the death that had come with it. A human death.

There was no two ways about it. A life had been taken here. Arguments could be made that when that when they destroyed enemy Digimon, no one had actually been killed; their data had simply been reconfigured. Not this time though, this had been true death, and there was no coming back from it.

Of course, the DigiDestined had seen the logic and justification behind it. A terrible threat had been neutralized, but it hadn't made things any easier. And even to OmniShoutmon, to whom the idea of actually dying without the opportunity to come back was a foreign concept, seemed greatly affected and was visibly shaken. And now that Kurata was gone, the steely determination he had summoned forth in himself was gone, and the true impact of what he had done began to settle in.

Slowly, OmniShoutmon looked at his hands, staring at them with new eyes. He said nothing, he didn't even move, as he slowly came to terms with what he had done. On the ground next to him, Omnimon slowly got to his feet. He wiped his eyes and went to stand beside the dragon Digimon.

"OmniShoutmon…" he began, not sure what to say.

The dragon Digimon clenched his fists and took a deep breath. "It's fine. Like I said, it's the duty of a king to do what's necessary to keep his people and his kingdom safe, even if he doesn't want to."

The others didn't respond, finding the dragon Digimon's determination greatly admirable. The silence was broken though as Imperialdramon added his two cents. "If it's any consolation, I don't think there was much human left in him anyway. To be honest, he's probably better off dead."

OmniShoutmon let out a deep sigh and turned back to them. "There's no time to dwell on it. We have more important things to worry ab-"

The wall suddenly broke open, startling the DigiDestined. Leaping away, they turned to the cause, seeing Huanglongmon's face in the place where the wall once was.

"Found you," they heard Dorbickmon declare.

Gallantmon X scooped up Calumon. "Darn, I actually forgot about him."

Huanglongmon roared as he tore down more of the walls, and Dorbickmon stuck his face through the opening, sneering down at the DigiDestined. "You're not getting away from me. I'll make sure that you…"

His eyes widened as he looked around the burning, destroyed lab before his gaze settled on the spot where Kurata had once been. He let out a loud bellow, grasping his head while looking just as angry as he was worried.

"No! What have you done!?" he shouted. "You've destroyed the Demon Lords most valuable asset! And after I was so careful not to destroy the castle too much!"

Susanoomon raised an eyebrow at all the destruction Huanglongmon had done simply trying to make his way through the castle. "I think the ship has sailed on that one."

A menacing growl escaped Dorbickmon, and Huanglongmon began to rise to his full height, cracking apart the castle more and more, no longer caring about not being destructive.

"Is that right?" he growled in a low voice. "If that's the case, then I suppose there's no reason for me to hold back any longer."

Behind his helmet, Seraphimon's eyes widened as he realized just how vulnerable they were trapped underground in a collapsing castle. "Guys, we have to get out now!"

"Yellow Circle!" Huanglongmon cried.

The already badly damaged castle began to rumble and crack apart. A moment later, it began to collapse inward. The DigiDestined were already on the move, blasting their way up and out of the collapsing castle until they burst outside. They looked down to see the land rumbling and shaking apart as a result of Huanglongmon's attack. More sections of the castle broke down, burying everything inside before everything finally went still.

"Ha, good riddance," Imperialdramon grunted. "Moron went and buried himself."

OmniShoutmon brought his fist down on the dragon Digimon's head. "You're the moron. Did you forget that that's a Sovereign? We can't have anything happen to him."

Imperialdramon rubbed his head. "Oh, right, I forgot."

OmniShoutmon sighed. "In any case, something like that wouldn't even faze Huanglongmon. He'll be back at any moment."

No sooner had the words left his mouth had the ground exploded, and both Huanglongmon and Dorbickmon emerged, unharmed.

"I told you."

Omnimon's eyes narrowed as Huanglongmon and Dorbickmon crawled out of the destroyed castle. "We've got to find a way to separate them. Damn Kurata for doing this. Is there anyway to undo a forced DigiFuse?"

OmniShoutmon shook his head. "Not one that's within our power. Unless the dominate one in the DigiFuse releases the ones they're fused with, they won't be separated. But how did Kuarat manage to make it so Huanglongmon, who is so much more powerful than Dorbickmon, be the one who was dominated? Maybe something with that big Digivice he created?"

Ophanimon C glanced at the dragon Digimon. "What do you mean 'not one that's within our power'?"

OmniShoutmon sighed. "There are a few ways to separate a DigiFusion. We could destroy them, but we're not strong enough to defeat Huanglongmon, let alone while he's fused with Dorbickmon. Plus, we can't afford to destroy him; the Digital World needs him. We could fight until they take so much damage or lose so much energy that they can't hold the fusion, but again, he has too much power. We'd be defeated long before that, or use up all our own power first."

In Gallantmon X's arms, Calumon perked up. "I could restore your power, just like I did when you fought Ogudomon."

Susanoomon glanced at the holy beast Digimon. "Wait, restore our power? I thought I felt my strength come back. That was you?"

OmniShoutmon gave Calumon a small smile. "That'd be helpful, but you'd use up all your power constantly restoring ours, and then we'd still use up all of ours before Huanglongmon even comes close to losing his."

Calumon's ear-wings retracted. "Oooooh."

Down below, Huanglongmon was tearing through the remains of the castle trying to find them, and OmniShoutmon gave the Sovereign a regretful look. "The only other option would be to enter his code ourselves and forcibly separate them."

Seraphimon gave the dragon Digimon an astounded look. "You can do that?"

"Those who have spiritual powers can, but it's incredibly dangerous, as doing so can result in you becoming DigiFused with them as well; although there's a slim chance that you would be able to absorb him instead. But it's a moot point since none of us have that kind of spiritual power. Barely any Digimon do."

A frustrated growl escaped Imperialdramon as he looked down at Huanglongmon. But as he did so, his sword fell into his line of vision. He stared at it for a few moments before glancing at OmniShoutmon. "Hey, my sword can reset an opponent's data. That can force DNA Digivolved Digimon to separate. Will it work on a DigiFusion?"

OmniShoutmon stared at him for several long moments, looking confused at first. Then, slowly, his eyes began to widen before he let out a cry of, "That's it!"

Down below, OmniShoutmon's cry drew Dorbickmon's attention. Huanglongmon raised his head and roared up at them. Energy began to gather in his mouth as he powered up his attack. "Taiji!"

He fired a beam. The DigiDestined flew out of its path, and Huanglongmon fired again.

"Imperialdramon, you're a genius!" OmniShoutmon exclaimed. "If you can hit him with your Omni Sword attack, it will force Huanglongmon and Dorbickmon to separate.'

"That's great," said Susanoomon as they dodged another beam. "Just one problem. No attacks can penetrate Huanglongmon's armored body, remember? You told us so yourself."

Ophanimon C looked down as the Sovereign fired another beam at them, her gaze shifting to the dragon Digimon growing out of his back. "That may be the case for Huanglongmon, but is it the same for Dorbickmon?"

A smirk crossed OmniShoutmon's face. "No."

Omnimon nodded. "Ok then, here's the plan. Gallantmon, you've got Calumon, so you stay here and keep him safe. The rest of us will distract Huanglongmon. Imperialdramon, you stick the bastard the first chance you get."

Imperialdramon swiped his sword through the air. "With pleasure."

"Alright, let's move!"

They went into a nosedive, flying straight for Huanglongmon as he proceeded to fire up at them. As they descended, Omnimon used his Fearsome Blade, and began whipping it at Huanglongmon. OmniShoutmon's words proved to be true as his energy blade bounce harmlessly off Huanglongmon's body without so much as leaving a single mark.

"Dragon Inferno Fire!" Dorickmon cried, breathing a stream of fire at them.

Ophanimon C flew down beside Omnimon and seized control if the flames, parting them around them. Then she used her Volcano Napalm, throwing the fireballs around Dorbickmon, and they erupted into pillars of fire. Huanglongmon appeared unaffected, but Dorbickmon recoiled from the flames.

As Omnimon and Ophanimon C pulled out of their dive, with Huanglongmon snapping at them with his Fang of the Emperor, narrowly missing them, Susanoomon flew in, delivering a punch to Dorbickmon's nose with his Flash Punch, causing the dragon Digimon to cry out. Seraphimon was right behind him, and brought down lightning with his Hallowed Ascension, and Dorbickmon covered his head to shield himself from the bolts.

"Heavy Metal Vulcan!" OmniShoutmon cried, firing bolts of fire from his chest to create a firewall above Dorbickmon, blocking his view of what was coming. He then glanced at Imperialdramon as the dragon Digimon flew down. "Go!"

"I'm on it!" Imperialdramon declared, raising his sword. "Omni Sword!"

At the last moment, OmniShoutmon let his firewall drop, allowing Imperialdramon to fly by. With a loud cry, the dragon Digimon brought his glowing sword down on Dorbickmon.

Huanglongmon's tail shot through the air, coming between Dorbickmon and Imperialdramon. The latter's sword clanged against it, and the blade broke. Imperialdramon let out a gasp as the broken end flew past him, his eyes following it as if in slow motion before slowly returning to Dorbickmon.

Dorbickmon chuckled as he opened his mouth, flames flickering within his jaws as he prepared to unleash his Dragon Infernal Fire upon Imperialdramon and OmniShoutmon. But just as he breathed out a stream of fire, he was struck by a blast of lightning from up above by Gallantmon X firing his Royal Saber.

With a burst of speed, Imperialdramon flew through the air. His hand shot out, grabbing the end of his broken blade as it flew through the air before turning back to Dorbickmon and throwing it like a spear.

It struck Dorbickmon in the chest, burying deep. A pained roar escaped him as he grasped at the protruding blade. Then Huanglongmon roared as well, and they both started glowing.

The DigiDestined watched as the glowing Dorbickmon rose up out of Hunaglongmon's body, his lower half emerging from the Sovereign's back. Once he was completely detached, he suddenly shrank in size, until he was no bigger than most of the DigiDestined. Then both he and Huanglongmon stopped glowing, the DigiFuse having been broken.

Dorbickmon fell from the air, falling past Huanglongmon. As he dropped, the Sovereign's neck turned to look at him, his eyes burning with fury, energy gathering in his mouth. Dorbickmon's own eyes widened as he realized what was about to happen. "Oh no. Oh nooooooo!"

"Taiji!" Huanglongmon cried, firing a massive beam.

The beam flowed over Dorbickmon, and he was lost in its light. When Huanglongmon's attack ended, there wasn't a trace left of the dragon Digimon; even his lingering data had been destroyed. The DigiDestined winced at the sight, glad they had managed to avoid being on the receiving end of that attack. Huanglongmon roared, looking just as ferocious as he did when he was DigiFused with Dorbickmon. The DigiDestined hesitated, not feeling entirely safe in the presence of this particular Sovereign. OmniShoutmon had said that he had evil in him as well as good.

Slowly floating over, OmniShoutmon hesitantly addressed the Sovereign. "Lord Huanglongmon?"

The giant dragon Digimon turned to him. Still looking angry. That may have just been how he always looked though, but it still made the DigiDestined nervous. OmniShoutmon seemed to trust him though, and so they did their best to stay calm.

"OmniShoutmon," Huanglongmon replied. "You did well." His numerous eyes shifted to the others. "As have your companions."

Gallantmon X sweat-dropped. "Uh, thanks, Mr. Sovereign. We're just glad you're ok."

"You really gave us a scare when Dorbickmon had you attack us," Imperialdramon added. He received a nudge from Susanoomon at that. "Ow. What?"

But Huanglongmon did not appear to be bothered be his words. "I offer my apologies. It's insulting to think that I was able to be overtaken like that, even if it was because of that wretched human. All these years, I was a prison trapped in my own body in addition to being sealed away. Had you not destroyed the human responsible, I would have killed him myself."

All the DigiDestined sweat-dropped at that. "Yes, well, happy to be of assistance," Omnimon replied.

Huanglongmon's expression softened, but only slightly. "It's disgraceful to think that we Sovereigns were sealed away at all, even by the Demon Lords. This should not be a burden that should befall upon you. Be that as it may, it was necessary, and I thank you for all that you've done. Thanks to you, the Digital World is finally free of the Demon Lords. This alone will ensure a new age of light will begin unlike the world has ever known before."

"It's more than we could have ever hoped for," OmniShoutmon agreed. His gaze darkened slightly. "But we're still not done yet."

Huanglongmon's eyes narrowed. "Yes, the traitor. He's been content to let the Demon Lords take over, but now that they're gone, he'll have no choice but to come out of hiding."

Imperialdramon thumped his chest. "Don't worry. We'll take care of Bagramon. We beat the other Demon Lords, we can beat him too."

Huanglongmon glanced at him with what almost seemed to be pity. "You're naïve optimism is refreshing. But perhaps not knowing the true extent of what you're up against is actually what you need. I wish I could take Bagramon down with you, but I have my own duties to return to, so I cannot help you. But I can at least aid you in getting there."

He turned away, looking out into the distance. Letting out a lord roar, he stomped down, and then dug his claw into the ground and scrapped backwards. The ground suddenly started moving as if it had turned into a rapidly moving conveyer belt. The DigiDestined watched in bewilderment as the ground kept moving, wondering what Huanglongmon was doing.

In the distance, something appeared, getting carried over to them by the moving ground. When it got close enough, they saw that it was another Digimon, one that looked quite confused as to what was happening. It appeared to be a strange cross between a dog and a train, or maybe a bus, and when it looked up and saw Huanglongmon, it let out a surprised yelp.

"Who's that?" Ophanimon C asked.

"Komondomon," OmniShoutmon replied. "A Champion level vehicle Digimon who's good for getting around on."

Huanglongmon looked over the vehicle Digimon. "I have a job for you. You are to transport these humans to their destination and see to it that they get there quickly and safely."

At his command, Komondomon seemed to snap out of his stupor at seeing a Sovereign and let out a series of barks and yelps.

"Komondomon can't speak the common language," OmniShoutmon explained at the others' confused looks.

Huanglongmon, however, seemed to have no issue understanding the vehicle Digimon. "Yes, they are humans, and yes, they are the ones who have been fighting the Demon Lords. All seven have fallen, be sure to make that known on your travels. Only Bagramon remains. You are to take them to his castle."

Komondomon's mouth dropped open and he looked frightened. He let out a series of barks, and Huanglongmon growled, letting out a mouthful of steam.

"This is an order!" he said with finality. "You may leave once you deliver them, but you will deliver them. Do I make myself clear?"

Komondomon stiffed, but let out a small whimper and lowered his head in submission before emitting a small yip. Huanglongmon seemed satisfied and turned back to the DigiDestined.

Susanoomon let out a nervous laugh. "I guess when a Sovereign gives an order, it's best to follow it."

"Humans," Huanglongmon told them, "the final leg of your journey is upon you. I wish you all the best of luck on your quest. And now I must return to my duties."

Gallantmon X gulped, glad that the Sovereign was leaving. "Well, we wish you luck."

Huanglongmon's eyes drifted downward to the holy beast Digimon in Gallantmon X's arms. "Calumon, if you would accompany me, your power could be of use."

"Me?" Calumon asked, flying out of the knight Digimon's arms.

Huanglongmon nodded. "There is much work to be done, and you could prove to be rather useful, if you are willing."

Calumon clapped his hands together. "Oh, yes, yes! Those mean old Demon Lords have been using my power to do bad things for so long. It'll be nice to use my power to do good."

He flew forward and landed on Huanglongmon, a mere speck on his forehead. Once he was settled, Huanglongmon looked back at the DigiDestined. "Best of luck, humans. Do not let us down."

Then, like all the others, he rose up, taking Calumon with him, and disappeared into the clouds that soon faded away after his departure. The DigiDestined exchanged looks with each other before looking down at Komondomon, and the vehicle Digimon grinned nervously.

At that moment, the same thought was going through each of their minds. The final leg of their journey had begun.

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Bagramon sat on his throne in silence, a million and one thoughts running through his mind. He gave no indication of displaying a sign of making any movement, so focused he was with making plans for the future that he could pass as a statue.

Both Lucemon and Daemon had fallen. What more, Huanglongmon had been freed, and released from the DigiFusion with Dorbickmon. If that weren't enough, the Demon Lords' secret human weapon, Kurata, had been destroyed. That was it then, the reign of the Demon Lords was finally over.

Bagramon resisted the urge to let out a sigh. He had no sympathy or care for the Demon Lords, even though he was an unofficial member. True, he had allied himself with them, but they had been a means to an end, just as he had been to them. They were using each other, they all knew that, and had been fine with their arrangement. Bagramon had been perfectly content to let them do his work for him in subjugating the residents of this world.

But it seemed that time was over. He would have to do things himself from here on out. But perhaps that was for the best. They had been convenient tools, but they had also been a problem. Pros and cons he supposed. But now that they were gone, he not only had to go it alone, he also had to clean up their mess. It was no matter though; it was nothing he couldn't handle. It would take time and effort, but he could still achieve his goals.

But first thing's first, he had to get rid of those humans who were causing all this trouble. The Demon Lords should have been able to easily take care of them, but they had underestimated them, and their overconfidence and stubbornness had been their downfall. That was not a mistake Bagramon was not willing to make. He would deal with the humans swiftly and immediately, then he would see to his agendas once the obstacles that stood in his path were removed.

Finally shifting in his seat for the first time in hours, he turned his attention to the shadows. "How long are you going to hide in the darkness?"

A chuckle followed his question as Boltboutamon emerged. "This just in. The Demon Lords have been defeated. Only Bagramon remains. Quite the unexpected turnout, no?"

Bagramon just looked away. "I am not going to play your games, Boltboutamon. Leave my presence."

The demon Digimon just laughed and flew right up to Bagramon's throne. "But we're entering the final round. Don't you want to see how it will turn out?"

Bagramon didn't even look at him. "There is only one way this will turn out, because there is only one outcome I will allow."

Boltboutamon scoffed. "You're nowhere near as fun as the Demon Lords. You're far too serious all the time."

"This is not a game, Boltboutamon, even if you see it as one."

Grinning, Boltboutamon shook his finger at him. "I'm afraid I have to disagree. There are many kinds of games; we just don't always realize that we're playing. And I'm just itching to know, what's your game plan? What brilliant strategy do you have to defeat the humans?"

Bagramon just shook his head. "No strategy, no games. I'll just go to the humans and kill them, plain and simple."

A disappointed pout crossed Boltboutamon's face. "You really are no fun." He sighed. "If that's the case, I have my own little plan I'd like to give a try, if you don't mind."

The unofficial Demon Lord was silent for a moment, as if Boltboutamon wasn't even worth answering, but then finally grunted out, "Do as you please."

Boltboutamon grinned eagerly. "I intended to anyway, but I guess you knew that since I always do what I want." He casually began walking away. "Be sure to call me if you need me. You could probably use more allies right now. You are the great traitor after all. And with the Demon Lords gone and their forces disassembled, you don't have many friends left. Ta-ta."

Another figure, this one much larger, approached from the darkness as Boltboutamon disappeared into it. "Forgive my intrusion, master, but I could not remain silent as that wretch belittled you. There are still those loyal to you; none more so than me."

Of course, Bagramon knew that. But it was also true that now that the Demon Lords had been defeated, along with their most powerful servants, and their forces were being defeated all across the Digital World, he now found himself almost entirely alone. He supposed it served him right for relying on the Demon Lords too much.

"It doesn't matter," he said dismissively. "I plan to finish the humans off myself, and then finish what the Demon Lords started."

The person in question humphed. "My lord, do not waste your time with the humans; they are not worth it. I shall take the remnants of your forces and deal with them for you. I'll show the world that even with the Demon Lords gone, they are to still answer to you."

Bagramon considered this and admitted that he had a good point. Boltboutamon may have been playing mind games with the Demon Lords when he told them that acting as if the humans were an actual threat would show weakness and vulnerability, but he was also right. And if it came to it, he could always be rid of them in an instant.

"Very well," he relented. "Deal with them however you see fit. But there is one who I insist will go with you. AxeKnightmon!"

A tear in reality appeared, and the knight Digimon emerged, bowing down to the Demon Lord. "You summoned me, Lord Bagramon?"

"Indeed," Bagramon replied, leaning back on his throne. "You've fought these humans before, have you not?"

"You know that I have, my lord."

"Yes," the demon Digimon agreed. "And I also know that you fled from them in the middle of the battle."

AxeKnightmon lowered his head slightly. "I regret to admit that I did, but it was a strategic withdraw, not a flee from the fight. I always put my all into battle, but I knew when I was outmatched. I chose to live to fight another day so that I may continue to fight for you."

A light chuckle escaped Bagramon. "What a reasonable explanation. But it is not one I will accept a second time. If you cannot do the job you are assigned, then there is no use for you, and it would not matter if you live to fight another day." He closed his eyes. "Be that as it may, I too acknowledge your limitations when up against their whole team on your own." He opened his eyes again. "Therefore, I shall level the playing field a bit."

Reaching out with his demonic wooden arm, he placed it on AxeKnightmon's head. His palm glowed brightly as he filled the knight Digimon with power, then removed his hand.

"I have granted you some of my own power. With this, I trust you will be able to deal with the humans along with the rest of your team." His eyes narrowed slightly. "But if you do not make good use of that power, then I will put it, along with the rest of yours, to far better use. Remember that."

AxeKnightmon bowed even lower. "Yes, sir, I will not let you down. I hereby swear that I shall not rest until they have been defeated."

Bagramon gave a small nod of acknowledgement. "See that you do." He looked back to the other occupant of the room. "Do not show even a hint of mercy. Let them know why you have been given the honor of being my Chaos General."

The person gave a small bow. "It will be my pleasure."

Notes:

(A/N: Ok, so, all that happened. Our heroes have managed to free Huanglongmon from Dorbickmon's control, and now he's helped them out a bit by giving them a ride to Bagramon's castle But with the Demon Lords gone and just Bagramon remaining, he's about to pull all the stops. Just who is this loyal servant of his that he's sending after them along with AxeKnightmon? And what exactly is Boltboutamon planning? Things are about to get serious, so be ready for it.)

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New Digimon that appear or are mentioned.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Komondomon

Chapter 184: Ambush

Notes:

(A/N: New story alert! New story alert! I mentioned this some time back, but I'm starting a Pirates of the Caribbean story. I'll be posting the first chapter this time next week, so if you're interested, take a look. Don't worry though, I'll still be posting new chapters for this story weekly like I have been, so there will be no change in updates. Until then, enjoy the next chapter.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 184: Ambush

Komondomon let out a series of yips and barks as he raced along. The teens rode the vehicle Digimon while Shoutmon sat on his head, responding to Komondomon's barking with his own, seemingly holding a whole conversation in the vehicle Digimon's language.

"How can Shoutmon understand him?" Davis wondered out loud. "He's just making a bunch of weird noises."

"All language is just a bunch of weird noise, Davis," Kari pointed out. "Words are just sounds we make that we give meaning to."

Davis crossed his arms. "It all sounds the same to me."

"I don't care what language he speaks as long as he gets us to where we need to go," Takuya replied, closing his eyes as he turned his face into the wind. "Speaking of which, why didn't we take a Komondomon before now? They're even more convenient than taking a Trailmon."

Shoutmon looked back at him. "Do you remember seeing any Komondomon anywhere else on our journey?"

Takuya hesitated for a moment, trying to remember if they had seen a Komondomon before, before grinning sheepishly. "Yeah, I guess that's a good point."

Shoutmon smiled. "In any case, it shouldn't take us more than a few weeks to reach Bagramon's castle at the rate we're going."

Takato's face lit up. "That's right! Guys, do you know what this means? We could be home in just a few weeks!"

The others cheered loudly, rejoicing at the idea that finally, finally, they could go back to their world, see their families and friends again, and return to their normal lives that they had taken for granted.

"It'll be so good to be home again," said TK. "I can't wait to see everyone."

"How long have we been gone anyway?" Davis wondered out loud.

"Fourteen months," Tai replied, having kept track of the days."

Takuya's eyes widened. "Has it really only been that long? It feels like it's been more like 14 years. And how long has it been in Real World time?"

Kari began calculating in her head. "Let's see, if a whole day here is only one minute in the Real World, fourteen months is about… 425 days; so that many minutes. Meaning we've been gone for about seven hours."

"So it'll be between 10:00 and 10:30 back home," TK concluded for her. He gave a nervous chuckle. "Boy, our parents are going to be pissed at us for staying out so late. Especially since it's a school night."

"Zoe will be pissed I didn't show up for our date," Takuya mumbled.

"So you've said several times," Takato teased. "Guess that means when she gets mad at you, she really gets mad."

The others laughed, thinking about the trouble they would all be in when they finally got back home. To be honest, they would welcome something as normal as getting grounded after everything they had gone through.

Up on Komondomon's head, Shoutmon smiled, but it was a sad smile. He turned away and lowered his head, letting his smile become a frown. He was happy for them, and he was happy for himself. They would finally get to go home, the Digital World would finally know peace, and he would become the Digimon King once more, and be an even better one than he had been before.

But the end of their journey also meant saying goodbye. And he didn't think he could handle saying goodbye to them forever; not after everything they had been through. The very thought of never seeing them again was almost too much to bear.

Komondomon suddenly let out a yelp and skidded to a halt. Shoutmon cried out in surprise and tumbled off the vehicle Digimon's head. He sat up, groaning in pain, and rubbed his own head.

"What's with the sudden stop?" he grumbled. "At least give us some kind of warning before you-"

"U-Uh, Shoutmon…" Takato muttered.

The dragon Digimon glanced at him then looked to where he was pointing. In the distance in front of them was a giant black serpentine dragon Digimon. It rose up, its gaze fixated on them, and let out a roar.

"Oh, crap," Shoutmon muttered.

Komondomon suddenly leaned down and picked Shoutmon up in his mouth. With a flick of his head, he tossed the dragon Digimon onto his back, then turned and began to hightail it out of there. In the distance, the giant dragon Digimon roared and began to make its way after them.

"Shoutmon, what is that thing?" TK cried.

"Nidhoggmon," the dragon Digimon replied. "A real nasty guy. Best to avoid a fight with him."

"I heard that," Takuya agreed.

They raced back the way they came, but after a few seconds, a great shadow was cast over them. They looked up, and Komondomon skidded to a halt as another giant Digimon came crashing down in front of them, cutting off their path. This Digimon resembled a reptilian spider crossed with a dragon.

"Ahh!" Shoutmon screamed. "Armageddemon!"

"Is this a standoff between them and we're caught in the middle?" Davis wondered out loud.

The spider Digimon roared and Komondomon backed away. He looked back at the approaching Nidhoggmon before taking off in a different direction. But as he raced along, two more similar, but still highly intimidating Digimon appeared in their path, and Komondomon came to a stop once again.

"Oh, great," Davis exclaimed. "It's not a standoff, it's a freakin' ambush. Who are these guys now? And doesn't that one look like Leomon?"

Shoutmon glanced at the Digimon Davis had pointed out. "That's because he is. Well, a Mega Digivolution of Leomon anyway. That's Regulumon, and he's very powerful. As for the other one," he gulped, "that's Deusmon, the strongest of all Appmon."

Tai's eyes narrowed. "This has Bagramon's name written all over it."

"Or Boltboutamon's," Kari added.

Komondomon let out a bark and turned around, racing in the other direction as Nidhoggmon and Armageddemon closed in on them. The teens had a feeling they knew what was going to happen before it did. A tear suddenly appeared in the air, and two more creatures emerged. One of them they recognized, and they all let out a collective gasp of, "AxeKnightmon!"

The knight Digimon looked down at them. "It's been awhile, humans. You've certainly been busy."

"Should have known we'd run into him again at some point," said TK. His gaze went to the robotic dragon-like creature beside him. "Who's his friend?"

Shoutmon's eyes were wide with shock and confusion. "I… I have no idea. I have no information on him."

Tai gave him a confused looked. "But I thought you knew about all Digimon."

"Well, sort of. We can read the data of others to learn about them. Hold on, I'm reading his now. Give me a minute."

A mocking chuckle escaped the mechanical dragon. "Allow me to save you the trouble. I am no Digimon. I'm a Digital life form Lord Bagramon created to be his Chaos General."

"Chaos General!?" Takuya exclaimed. He looked at Shoutmon. "You told us he doesn't have a Chaos General."

Shoutmon nodded. "He doesn't. Not one I've ever heard of."

"That was the point," the Digital dragon replied. "But I have been behind the scenes, carrying out my master's orders for some time." He thumped his chest. "My master created me from the data of Chaosdramon, ChaosMetalSeadramon, ChaosBlackWarGreymon, and ChaosPiedmon. You can call me NeoCrimson."

"NeoCrimson," Takato repeated. "I guess he's not a Digimon since he doesn't have a 'mon' in his name."

"So he sent you here to kill us," Tai snapped. He glanced at the other Digimon that had surrounded them. "Along with your friends here, right?"

NeoCrimson chuckled. "Foolish, human. I volunteered. The master was going to finish you off himself, but you're not worth his time. That is why we're here."

"So it's the same old story," said Davis. He glanced at AxeKnightmon. "And what about you? Come to get your butt kicked again? Running away with your tail between your legs once wasn't enough for you?"

AxeKnightmon's eyes narrowed. "As I told Lord Bagramon, it was a strategic withdraw, and it enabled me to be here today to do what I couldn't do then."

Davis held up his hands. "Hey, if you want another beat down, we'd be happy to give it to you."

AxeKnightmon pointed his lance at him. "This will not be like the last time. Lord Bagramon has granted me the power I need to defeat you. AxeKnightmon Mega Digivolve to… MegaDarkKnightmon!"

AxeKnightmon, who had already been powerful enough to fight against a Mega level Digimon in his Ultimate form, now stood in his Mega form. For all intents and purposes, his appearance hadn't changed, though his color scheme was darker, and he had grown much larger, and his double-ended lance and axe were bigger as well.

Kari cut her eyes at Davis. "You had to open your mouth."

"This was inevitable," Tai told her. "He would have Digivolved whether Davis said anything or not. Let's follow his lead. Execute! Spirit Evolution… Omnimon Merciful Mode!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Imperialdramon Paladin Mode!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Gallantmon X!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Susanoomon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Seraphimon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Ophanimon C!"

"Shoutmon Digivolve to… OmniShoutmon!"

NeoCrimson sneered. "Yes, there they are. I've been looking forward to this."

"We're glad we could meet your expectations," Ophanimon C replied.

"Too bad you couldn't meet ours," Imperialdramon mocked. "We've got the numbers advantage."

"Yes," said MegaDarkKnightmon, "about that."

He swiped his axe through the air, cutting a tear in the sky. Something fell out of it, landing in front of the DigiDestined. It was a hideous demonic looking creature who looked like it should be standing on two legs, but was instead on all fours. It raised its head, a psychotic grin on its face and a glint of madness in its eyes.

OmniShoutmon gasped. "DanDevimon!"

A laughter of insanity erupted from the fallen angel Digimon as he charged forward on all fours. Seraphimon acted on reflex, instinctually going after his rival species. He flew into DanDevimon's path, grabbing him and holding him away from his friends. DanDevimon let out a sinister laugh, and two streams of purple aura emerged from his back, rising high up into the sky and manifesting into hands. They stretched out over Seraphimon, formed into fists, and began pounding down where the others were. The DigiDestined leapt away as DanDevimon's limbs pounded the ground flat.

Seraphimon let go with one hand and delivered a punch to the fallen angel Digimon's face while using his Hallowed Knuckle. DanDevimon let out a rather cartoonish cry and skidded back, but then let out more of his deranged laughter and charged at Seraphimon.

"I'll take this guy," the angel Digimon declared, and rushed forward to meet him.

"You do that," Imperialdramon replied, eyeing Armageddemon. "I got a really big bug to squash."

"And I have a knight to slay," said Omnimon, not taking his eyes off MegaDarkKnightmon.

As the two of them took off, Susanoomon fixed his gaze on the Chaos General. "NeoCrimson is mine."

Suddenly, Regulumon charged forward. He threw a punch at OmniShoutmon, but the dragon Digimon stepped back, avoiding it, then flew away as the beast man Digimon swiped at him with his sword. "Guess I'm taking this guy."

"I'll take the big dragon then," Ophanimon C stated, looking at Nidhoggmon.

Gallantmon X looked up at Deusmon. "The strongest Appmon, huh? I can handle that. Komondomon, you get somewhere safe."

The vehicle Digimon let out a yelp and ran for cover as those who were not already engaged in battle went to meet their opponents. Imperialdramon flew towards the giant Armageddemon, who was so big he could swallow him whole. Brandishing his sword, he put on a burst of speed as the spider Digimon roared at him.

"Omni Sword!" he cried, stabbing forward.

His glowing blade buried to the hilt in Armageddemon's nose. The spider Digimon snarled and began rapidly shaking his head, flinging Imperialdramon loose. He halted his momentum and looked hopefully at his opponent. Armageddemon's form flickered for a moment as he rubbed at his nose with a claw then roared at Imperialdramon.

"So you're just you, huh?" the dragon Digimon remarked. "You're not made up of other Digimon." He pointed his sword at him again. "Well, it was worth a shot."

He flew at the spider Digimon. Armageddemon bared his teeth at him before opening his mouth wide. "Destiny Destroyer!"

He fired a massive destructive beam from his mouth, and Imperialdramon pulled to a stop. "What the!?"

He made to pull up, but couldn't do it in time, and was hit by the beam dead on. He cried out as he went flying through the air, landing hard on the ground.

"Clumsy," he grumbled to himself.

Up above, OmniShoutmon was engaged with Regulumon as they crossed blades in the air, the former with his Doom Drillpress and the latter with his sword. "You sure you can handle him?" OmniShoutmon called down to him.

Imperialdramon grunted as he sat up. "You want to fight him?"

"No thanks, I'm a little busy."

"Then get off my back."

"Full Scale Attack!" Armageddemon cried.

His back began to swell, then it suddenly fired off several energy shells. They came down from up above like bomber planes dropping their loads. Imperialdramon forced himself to his feet and took off before one exploded where he had been lying. Several more came down around the area, and one landed between Seraphimon and DanDevimon as they charged at each other, the blast sending them both flying.

DanDevimon's energy arms shot out, doing a strange kind of handstand that left the fallen angel Digimon upside-down. He charged at Seraphimon, using his energy hands to run while upside-down, and once the angel Digimon regained his bearings, he flew at DanDevimon too.

"Hallowed Knuckle!" Seraphimon cried, aiming for a repeat of what he had done before. DanDevimon's actual flesh arms came up, both blocking the ball of light Seraphimon had punched out and catching his fist. The fallen angel Digimon let out a crazed chuckle and turned his body right-side up.

"Ultimate Flare!" he cried, firing a beam from his mouth.

Seraphimon was pushed back by the beam, shooting past Omnimon as he swiped at MegaDarkKnightmon with his sword. His opponent swiped at him with his axe and stabbed at him with his lance-spear, and Omnimon blocked and evaded.

"Inferno!" Omnimon cried.

MegaDarkKnightmon held his giant axe up in front of him, which was big enough to shield his whole body as Omnimon repeatedly fired upon him.

"Super Dimensional Axe!" MegaDarkKnightmon cried once Omnimon stopped firing, and swiped his giant axe through the air. It left a tear in dimensional walls before it clanged against Omnimon's sword, and he struggled to hold the giant axe back.

"You know," Omnimon grunted, "for your Mega form, I'm not that impressed. You may be bigger and darker, but otherwise you look almost exactly the same. You basically just got a growth spurt and a tan."

"It's the power that truly matters," MegaDarkKnightmon replied. "And once I kill you and your friends, I'll use this new power to begin my path to becoming a new Demon Lord."

Omnimon scoffed. "Yeah, like that's going to happen. Flame Sphere!"

He pointed his cannon at the knight Digimon feet and shot a stream of fire that circled around MegaDarkKnightmon, forming a magic circle. Omnimon leapt back as the flames rose up, engulfing MegaDarkKnightmon.

Using his axe, MegaDarkKnightmon cut through dimensions and leapt through the opening, escaping the flames. Another tear appeared, and he reemerged above Omnimon, swiping at him with his axe. Omnimon took to the air and MegaDarkKnightmon flew after him, the two of them flying past Gallantmon X and Deusmon. The omnipotent app Digimon was quick, and easily avoided the knight Digimon's attacks, opting to have Gallantmon X attack him and then dodge.

"Zeig Saber!" Gallantmon X cried, and his energy lance shot out. Deusmon avoided it, and Gallantmon X growled in frustration as he retracted his lance. "Don't you have any attacks of your own?"

Deusmon rose to that challenge, holding out his hands, and energy began to gather in them. "Initial Zero!"

He threw a ball of energy. Gallantmon X raised his shield, and the ball of energy exploded against it. The blast was so large and so powerful that his shield instantly burst into data, and Gallantmon X went flying backwards, greatly regretting challenging the omnipotent app Digimon.

He crashed into the ground beside Nidhoggmon, and the dragon Digimon glanced down at him as Deusmon flew over. Gallantmon X forced himself to his feet and gave himself a quick much needed healing with his X-Heal, then flew back up at Deusmon. Nidhoggmon watched as he flew past and opened his mouth, flames flickering in his jaws.

"Air Sefirot Crystal!" Ophanimon C cried, blasting him in the side of the face. "Your fight is with me. Leave him alone! Volcano Napalm!"

She threw fireballs at his enormous body, and they erupted into pillars of fire against him. Nidhoggmon roared, and countless yellow eyes all over his body snapped open and began glowing. "Annihilention!"

Each of his eyes fired a red-hot beam. Ophanimon C used her Unicorn Shield to deflect a beam coming at her. The other beams flew in all different directions. Some of them flew towards the fight between Susanoomon and NeoCrimson. The latter knocked the beams away as he charged at the god Digimon, who maneuvered around the beams as he flew towards the Chaos General. He delivered a Flash Punch to NeoCrimson's face, then another one. He brought down a bolt of lightning on him with his Glory Thunder, then did a backflip to gain speed before using his Heavy Tackle.

NeoCrimson's hands came up, blocking the blow. Susanoomon pulled back and attempted to land another Flash Punch, but NeoCrimson held up his arm, blocking this one as well. Susanoomon threw another, but this time used his Texture Blow. Even though NeoCrimson blocked again, the pixilation flowed over his body. It, unsurprisingly, didn't take affect though, and the two broke apart.

"Giga Scissor Claw!" NeoCrimson cried.

Based on the attack's name, Susanoomon's eyes darted to NeoCrimson's claws. Instead, the Chaos General fired an electric bolt from his cannons. The god Digimon gasped in surprise and pain as he was blasted.

"Deceptive attack name," he grunted.

"Blind Attack!" NeoCrimson cried, and began wildly slashing about.

Susanoomon's eyes narrowed as the Chaos General came at him. "This attack should have been called Giga Scissor ClawMagna Thunder!"

A cage of lightning formed around NeoCrimson, cutting him off. The Chaos General stopped slashing and roared. Lifting his large foot, he slammed it against the cage of lightning until it dispersed.

"Fungus Cruncher!" he cried, and began launching mushroom bombs. They exploded into poisonous clouds. Susanoomon coughed as he breathed in the toxic fumes, feeling himself get poisoned. A quick use of his Status Barrier fixed that though, and then he was on the attack again.

The rest of NeoCrimson's mushroom bombs flew through the air. One came near OmniShoutmon and his eyes caught it. With a quick kick, he sent it flying at Regulumon. The beast man Digimon used his sword to cut it in half, and both halves of the mushroom bob exploded into toxic clouds on either side of him.

He charged at OmniShoutmon with a cry of, "Regulus Cutter!" He flung a blade of energy at him from his sword, and OmniShoutmon countered with his Victorize Banking, the two attacks exploding against each other.

Regulumon emerged from the cloud of smoke, swiping his sword at the dragon Digimon. OmniShoutmon caught the blade by the tip and near the hilt. Regulumon pushed against him, inching the side of the blade closer to OmniShoutmon's face.

Taking a risk, OmniShoutmon pulled the sword down to the side of his throat, allowing him to head-butt over it, slamming his forehead into the beast man Digimon's face. Regulumon snarled and pulled back, and OmniShoutmon fired his Flame Cannon, the flaming bolts he shot from his chest pushing Regulumon back.

The beast man Digimon cried out and then used his Jūouha, firing a beam from his hand. OmniShoutmon dodged it, and the beam struck the ground a distance away, leaving a smoking hole behind. It was snuffed out a moment later as DanDevimon stomped on it while racing towards Seraphimon, who was flying towards him with his Excalibur. He swung his sword of light, but DanDevimon caught it, along with Seraphimon's arms, in his energy hand.

Laughing like a maniac, DanDevimon swung Seraphimon through the air and slammed him down. Releasing him, he lifted both giant arms into the air as the negative energy they were made of danced around wildly. "Mias-spew!"

DanDevimon's arms began rapidly beating down on Seraphimon. Pained grunts escaped the angel Digimon every time DanDevimon's fists came down on him. The fallen angel Digimon continued to laugh like crazy, not giving Seraphimon a moment to breathe.

"Hallowed Ascension!" Seraphimon cried, more out of instinct than thought.

Lightning came down on DanDevimon, finally ending his laughter and beating. A noise of frustration escaped him as Seraphimon got wobblingly to his feet. He quickly healed himself with his Final Heal, the cracks in his armor from DanDevimon's attack repairing, then fired his Strike of the Seven Stars. It blasted against DanDevimon, and the fallen angel Digimon cried out. He shook it off a moment later and began laughing again. Seraphimon flew straight at him, punching out balls of light with his Hallowed Knuckle as he approached, DanDevimon laughing all the while.

"Excalibur!" Seraphimon cried, manifesting a sword and bringing it down.

DanDevimon lunged forward chomping down on the blade of light. It dispersed in his jaws, and DanDevimon fired his Ultimate Flare, the beam disintegrating one of Seraphimon's wings from his body. The beam continued onward, striking the giant body of Armageddemon. The spider Digimon roared, and Imperialdramon used the distraction to his advantage. "Hyper Prominence!"

Armageddemon was engulfed by the blast. Imperialdramon aimed his cannon at the cloud of smoke, waiting for the spider Digimon to emerge, but instead Armageddemon's giant tail came swinging out. It struck Imperialdramon, sending him flying and crashing to the ground. Then Armageddemon came leaping out, landing just above Imperialdramon, causing the ground to shake as he came down.

Looking down at the dragon Digimon, Armageddemon opened his mouth. "Destiny Destroyer!"

Imperialdramon leapt up and used his Imperial Kick, knocking Armageddemon's head to the side, and his attack flew into the distance, lighting up the sky. The blast made Gallantmon X and Deusmon appear like nothing more than mere silhouettes as they did battle. Gallantmon X had to admit, Deusmon had earned his reputation of being the strongest Appmon, as he was really struggling against him.

"Initial Zero!" the omnipotent app Digimon cried, throwing a ball of energy.

Having experienced that attack already, Gallantmon X used his energy lance to knock away the attack, and the ball of energy flew into the sky, the explosion of its eruption completely filling the sky. Gallantmon X flew at him and delivered his Saint Knuckle, but Deusmon caught his fist.

Reaching out, Deusmon placed his hand on Gallantmon X's head. The knight Digimon began to feel something start to invade his mind. He let out a cry and stabbed forward with his lance. Deusmon released him and somehow caught the energy weapon.

"Zeig Saber!" Gallantmon X cried, extending his energy-lance, Deusmon still holding on, was pushed back. "Royal Saber!"

A burst of lightning traveled down his lance and exploded against the omnipotent app Digimon. Gallantmon X retracted his energy-lance and waited for the smoke to clear. When it did, Gallantmon X was shocked to see three Deusmon instead of just one.

"He can copy himself!?" Gallantmon X exclaimed.

The three Deusmon flew forward one after the other. At the last moment, the first turned to the right, the second to the left, and the third one stopped right in front of him. "Initial Zero!"

Gallantmon X's eyes widened. Using his attack at this close range would be suicide for Deusmon with how powerful the blast would be. Meaning this one had to be a copy, and it was attempting to take Gallantmon X out with him. As the ball of energy formed in Deusmon's hand, Gallantmon X stabbed forward with his energy-lance, piercing through the copy's torso. And it was indeed a copy, as it disappeared a moment later, taking its attack with it, but the other two remained in the air above him.

"Code Origin!" they cried, and meteors suddenly started raining down from the sky. Gallantmon X growled and used his Zeig Saber, extending it high into the air and began disintegrating the meteors before they could hit. He took notice of Omnimon and MegaDarkKnightmon flying through the air, their flight leading them through the falling meteors, and he maneuvered his energy-lance to clear a path for them, or at least for Omnimon.

Omnimon sent a silent thank you to Gallantmon X as his fellow knight Digimon removed the meteors in his way. But this cleared the path for MegaDarkKnightmon as well, and he stabbed forward with his Spinning Spear attack. Omnimon's sword clanged against it, and MegaDarkKnightmon swung his axe, tearing a rip in dimensions. Omnimon pulled back and pointed his cannon at him, firing his Graceful Cannon.

Holding out his spear-lance, MegaDarkKnightmon began spinning the weapon, deflecting Omnimon's beam. Then he threw his axe at the knight Digimon, leaving a streak of torn dimensional wall in its wake. Omnimon used his Cross-Counter, countering the axe as it came at him and deflecting it.

MegaDarkKnightmon flew at him, holding out his hand to have his giant axe return to him, and clashed with Omnimon once more. The rips in dimensions his axe left behind lingered for a short while before sealing shut. A short distance away, OmniShoutmon eyed them thoughtfully as he did battle with Regulumon, formulating a plan in his head.

"Jūouha!" the beast man Digimon cried, punching out a beam at him.

OmniShoutmon did a backflip in the air, avoiding the beam, and then launched himself forward with his Omni Torpedo, slamming into Regulumon and pushing him back. The beast man Digimon growled and held up his sword, switching his hold on it to stab.

"Omni Core Fusion!" Omnimon cried.

He released Regulumon, allowing his aura to carry the beast man Digimon away, narrowly avoiding getting stabbed. His aim proved to be true, and Regulumon bellowed furiously as OmniShoutmon's attack pushed him back further and into one of MegaDarkKnightmon's dimensional tears, the rip sealing shut behind him.

OmniShoutmon breathed a sigh of relief. He had no idea where Regulumon had ended up, but it would probably take him awhile to return. Hopefully long enough to turn this battle in their favor.

He looked to his friends to decide who to help, and saw that Gallantmon X was facing off against two Deusmon. He knew of the omnipotent app Digimon's ability to copy himself, a skill far too many of their enemies possessed in his opinion, and decided to go even the odds.

"Doom Drillpress!" he cried, kicking a bladed leg out at one of the Deusmon.

The omnipotent app Digimon turned around and caught his leg before he landed the blow and threw him at Gallantmon X. It wasn't a collision as much as it was them bumping into each other, and the knight Digimon glanced back at him.

"Hey," he said, returning his gaze to Deusmon. "Finished with your guy?"

"More or less," OmniShoutmon replied. "Any idea which one of these is the real one?"

"No clue."

"Well, just be careful. At full power, Deusmon's Initial Zero attack is powerful enough to destroy an entire continent."

Gallantmon C sweat-dropped. "Thanks, now I feel a lot better. It's not like I wasn't already intimidated."

The dragon Digimon's words did give him an idea though, a crazy borderline suicidal idea, but the most important thing was to end this battle quickly.

"Is there a way to find out which one is the copy?" he asked.

"Not without destroying it, and that will just get rid of the copy anyway."

The two Deusmon chuckled as they regrouped, facing off against the dragon and knight Digimon. Then, as if to mock them, two more Deusmon jumped out of the other two for a total of six. Gallantmon X's eyes narrowed as he focused on the original two, knowing that one of them was the original. It didn't change his plan though, and he prayed he wasn't about to do something incredibly stupid.

"Come on then!" he shouted. "Prove that you're the strongest Appmon, because right now I don't believe it!"

OmniShoutmon gave him a flabbergasted look. "What are you doing? Did you not hear what I said?"

"He's too strong," Gallantmon X replied. "We'll never beat him ourselves if he can duplicate like this. We need something else."

OmniShoutmon's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What are you playing at?"

The six Deusmon stared at them for a few moments, then began chuckling, and each held up their hand. "Initial Zero!" they said together.

Balls of energy appeared in their hands. As OmniShoutmon braced himself for the attack, Gallantmon X's eyes darted between the two Deusmon he knew that the real one had to be amongst. "Eenie, meenie, miney…"

The six Deusmon pulled back their hands to throw their attack, and Gallantmon X made his decision.

"Mo!" he cried, and flew towards the one he picked. The Deusmon he had chosen was already in the process of throwing his attack. Gallantmon X came to a stop directly in front of him, and at the last possible second, he manifested a new shield between him and Deusmon.

Deusmon's eyes dropped down to his attack just as the ball of energy erupted as it made contact with Gallantmon X's shield, having barely left the omnipotent app Digimon's hand. The blast radius expanded outward, consuming all six Deusmon, and even OmniShoutmon had to use his Heavy Metal Vulcan to block against the attack.

"Gallantmon!" he shouted.

The blast died down, and Gallantmon X fell from the sky. He was in bad shape. His newly formed shield had been completely obliterated, and his cape had been reduced to ash. The rest of him was heavily damaged as well, and he dropped to the ground.

Deusmon wasn't in the best shape either. His copies were gone, and the real one, the one Gallantmon X had confronted, was in bad condition, having felt the full force of his own attack. OmniShoutmon quickly took the opportunity provided to him. "Doom Drillpress!"

He flew at Deusmon and kicked outward. His bladed leg stabbed into the omnipotent app Digimon's chest, making him grunt in pain. Deusmon slowly looked from the blade buried in his chest to OmniShoutmon. Then he held out his hand, gathering energy in it. "Initial-"

OmniShoutmon pulled his leg free and did a spin-kick, cutting off the omnipotent app Digimon as his bladed leg sliced across his throat. OmniShoutmon didn't stop there though, doing a flip in the air, and bringing his bladed leg down on top of Deusmon's head. He cut clean through, slicing Deusmon in half right down the middle, and the omnipotent app Digimon fell apart and dissolved away.

Taking a moment to absorb Deusmon's data, OmniShoutmon quickly flew down to Gallantmon X. The knight Digimon was in very bad form, his body pixelating. OmniShoutmon lifted him up slightly and gently slapped his face to rouse him.

Gallantmon X grumbled, semi-conscious. "Leave me alone, I hurt all over."

The dragon Digimon almost laughed. "No kidding, you idiot, taking on Deusmon's attack like that. If it wasn't for your shield, you would have died. Heck, you still almost died. And while I'd love to let you take a break, I'm afraid we still need your strength. Come on, you've got to heal yourself."

A deep sigh escaped Gallantmon X. "Alright, alright, just give me a second." He took a long deep breath. "X-Heal!"

OmniShoutmon watched as Gallantmon X's injuries healed, and there were many. But by the end of it, the knight Digimon was on his feet again with his injuries healed, and a new shield, though he did look rather weary.

"That took too much energy," he mumbled.

"Deal with it," OmniShoutmon told him. "We've got to help the others. Who should we help first?"

With his colossal size, Nidhoggmon was the first one Gallantmon X spotted, and he motioned to the angel Digimon fighting him. "How about her?"

OmniShoutmon looked over to Ophanimon C. "Works for me. Come on."

Ophanimon C was swerving about in the air as Nidhoggmon struck at her like a snake. She threw a Volcano Napalm backat it, and the dragon Digimon roared, lunging at her again. She swerved to the side and he shot past her and began glowing. Ophanimon C realized what was about to happen and used her Unicorn Shield as Nidhoggmon unleashed his Annihilention, deflecting the beams that came at her.

"Twin Fireball Strike!"

"Royal Saber!"

Nidhoggmon roared as Gallantmon X and OmniShoutmon's attacks struck him as they came to Ophanimon C's side.

"Yeah, well, take a look at this with all those eyes," OmniShoutmon shouted. Victorize Banking!"

He powered up his attack, shining brighter than the sun, but didn't fire it. Nidhoggmon's countless eyes squinted as he tried to look at the dragon Digimon, hissing angrily.

"I take it this means you two won your fights," said Ophanimon C.

"Go with that," Gallantmon X replied. "Now let's finish this thing and go help our friends."

Nidhoggmon snarled at them, and then his entire body expanded, almost as if he were holding his breath, and OmniShoutmon went on his guard. "Get ready, I know this attack. He's condensing all the energy in his body for a single attack."

Gallantmon X held up his shield. "Then let's do the same."

Energy gathered in Nighoggmon's mouth, and he unleashed it all in the form of a powerful beam. "Rudiment!"

"Final Elysion!"

"Flame Cannon!"

"Holy Destroy!"

All four of them fired beams, Nidhoggmon's much larger beam flying up towards his opponents'. Their three smaller ones slammed into his bigger one, the attacks pushing against each other.

"Give it all you got!" OmniShoutmon cried. "Annihilate this beast!"

The three of them shouted loudly, pouring out their power. They began pushing back Nidhoggmon's attack. The dragon Digimon roared as he tried in vain to push back their attacks as they got closer and closer, and then they hit.

A massive explosion filled the sky, blinding them with its blast. And when it died down, Nidhoggmon was still standing… only he no longer had a head. His large serpentine body remained upright for a few moments longer before toppling over, and then it began to dissolve away.

"That's another one down," said Gallantmon X. "We really are strongest together."

"Yes," Ophanimon C agreed. "We always have been."

"Then let's get our team back together," OmniShoutmon replied. "We'll finish off these guys, then take down Bagramon." His gaze landed on NeoCrimson and his eyes narrowed. "After we beat his Chaos General."

Notes:

(A/N: Ok, so, a few interesting things happened. After getting ambushed, our heroes met Bagramon's Chaos General, and it's not even a Digimon. Not really. Fortunately, it looks like they're handling themselves pretty well, having banished Regulumon and destroyed Nighoggmon and Deusmon. But the battle isn't over yet, even if things are going in their favor. Next chapter is going to be a real doozy, so stayed tuned for it.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear or are mentioned.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Nidhoggmon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Armageddemon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Regulumon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Deusmon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/NeoCrimson

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/MegaDarkKnightmon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/DanDevimon

Chapter 185: Crimson Chaos

Notes:

(A/N: Alrighty then, last time our heroes ran into the unpleasant surprise of Bagramon's Chaos General. And he wasn't there alone, he had his own gang of baddies, but it seems our heroes are handling the situation alright. They certainly have enough experience in this. But will they be able to defeat the strongest of the Chaos Generals? Read on to find out. Also, if anyone is interested, I posted the first chapter of my Pirates of the Caribbean story, so don't forget to take a look.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 185: Crimson Chaos

A low, disappointed grumble escaped Bagramon as he watched the battle. Unlike the Demon Lords, he did not require the use of a Monitamon or one of its subspecies to see what went on in the Digital World. His ruby eye was all he needed to see whatever he needed to anywhere in the Digital World. And currently, it was glowing red in his eye socket as he observed the fight with his Invisible Snake-Eyes, witnessing both Deusmon and Nidhoggmon get destroyed and Regulumon cast into a dimensional rip.

"Mediocre," he mumbled, realizing that the advantage had been lost.

At this rate, there was a good chance that the humans would succeed in defeating their opponents. And one of those opponents included NeoCrimson, who he himself had created from the data of four of the other Chaos Generals to be his own.

Losing him would be a great inconvenience, and Bagramon didn't feel like waiting however many thousands of years it would take for him to hatch from his egg before he had his strongest and most loyal servant returned to him. Not to mention the other few servants he had left.

"Must I do everything myself?" he grumbled. "Savage Cyclone!"

Shifting on his throne, he reached up with his demonic wooden arm. It stretched up into the air and disappeared, reaching through dimensional plains.

"If you humans so wish to save this world, then you shall become a part of it."

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OmniShoutmon, Gallantmon X, and Ophanimon C had been in the process of flying towards Imperialdramon to assist him in his fight with Armageddemon when something unusual began to happen. Ripples began to appear in the sky like on the surface of water, and they came to a stop as they stared at the distorting sky.

Then something large suddenly emerged. It looked like a giant, monstrous hand, large enough to even pick up Armageddemon, and it seemed to be made of wood. It looked like it was Imperialdramon it was reaching for, and the dragon Digimon didn't even seem to notice it.

"What the hell is that!?" Gallantmon X shouted.

OmniShoutmon's eyes widened. "Bagramon! It's Bagramon! Imperialdramon, look out!"

"Huh?" Imperialdramon muttered, glancing back at them. A shadow fell over him then from the giant hand, and he looked up. "What the heck!?"

The hand suddenly became surrounded by a dark aura as it hovered above the dragon Digimon. A moment later, Imperialdramon turned to stone.

Ophanimon C, Gallantmon X, and OmniShoutmon all gasped in horror as the Imperialdramon statue fell from the sky. Armageddemon's claw flew outward and caught it. Then he glanced at the three of them, sneered, and threw Imperialdramon at them.

Fearful of their friend breaking, the three of them somehow managed to catch the giant dragon statue. But now Bagramon's hand was on the move, still glowing with the dark aura. And it was heading straight for them.

"You guys hold him," Ophanimon C told them, and released her hold on Imperialdramon.

She flew up above them and used her Unicorn Shield, spreading her barrier as far as she could. Bagramon's hand passed over them, leaving them unaffected thanks to Ophanimon C's barrier.

His hand kept moving though, making its way over to NeoCrimson and Susanoomon. The Chaos General sneered and stepped back. Susanoomon's eyes narrowed suspiciously and he glanced over his shoulder, seeing the giant hand coming for him.

"The hell? Celestial Blade!"

He manifested his ZERO-ARMS: Orochi and swung it as his blade of light emerged. It struck the hand, but upon making contact with the aura surrounding it, the blade dissolved away. Susanoomon gasped as the hand passed over him, and both he and his weapon turned to stone.

He dropped from the sky, falling forward, and hit the ground front first. Fortunately, his petrified ZERO-ARMS: Orochi hit first, breaking it in half, but leaving Susanoomon intact.

Omnimon was still battling MegaDarkKnightmon. The latter saw the hand coming their way and swiped his axe through the air, cutting a tear in dimensions, and he flew into it. Omnimon looked around, expecting to see the knight Digimon to reemerge somewhere, and instead saw Bagramon's hand coming at him.

Omnimon pointed his cannon at the approaching hand. "Inferno!"

He fired upon the hand, but it kept coming, eventually passing over him and turning him to stone as well. He fell from the sky, and would have smashed against the ground, but Komondomon, who had been hiding nearby, quickly raced out. The Omnimon statue landed on his back and the vehicle Digimon let out a pained yelp, but he successfully prevented Omnimon from being shattered.

Seraphimon had become aware of the petrifying hand. It came at him, and he made to get out of its way, but he was suddenly grabbed from behind by DanDevimon. He looked back at the fallen angel Digimon who laughed maniacally, holding Seraphimon in place for the approaching hand.

Seraphimon struggled to get free, to no avail, and the giant hand was nearly upon him. It was too late to escape from it.

"Fine then," he declared, and then surprised DanDevimon by flying towards him instead of trying to fly away.

He latched onto the fallen angel Digimon, and DanDevimon made a noise that sounded like something between a cry and a laugh. Bagramon's hand passed over them, and they both turned to stone.

Bagramon's hand finally came to a stop. The aura around it faded, and it rose up into the sky, disappearing from whence it came. Only Ophanimon C, Gallantmon X, OmniShoutmon, Armageddemon, and NeoCrimson remained; all the others had been turned to stone.

"This can't be!" Ophanimon C cried in horror, shaking her head in disbelief. "No, it can't be! Tai! TK! Everyone!"

"Worry about them later!" OmniShoutmon told her as he and Gallantmon X set down Imperialdramon.

"No," said NeoCrimson, marching over to the petrified Susanoomon. "Worry about them now."

He lifted his foot to stomp down on him. OmniShoutmon gasped and used his Omni Torpedo, launching himself over and plowing into the Chaos General.

NeoCrimson stumbled back away from Susanoomon. He snarled at OmniShoutmon and raised his claw too strike him, buut was suddenly blasted by Gallantmon X's Final Elysion. The knight Digimon came to OmniShoutmon's side, the two of them standing between NeoCrimson and Susanoomon. The Chaos General looked from one to the other, then grinned.

"You want to protect your friend?" he asked mockingly. "It's cute that you think you can."

As he charged at them, Ophanimon C looked from her friends to Armageddemon, to the nearby petrified Imperialdramon. She glanced at the statues of Omnimon and Seraphimon, which were a much safer distance away, before flying towards Armageddemon, moving protectively in front of Imperialdramon. She threw a Volcano Napalm at his face, and it erupted into a pillar of fire against his cheek. Armageddemon lunged forward and tried to bite her, but she flew past his jaws, escaping just before they chomped down on her.

"Volcano Napalm!" she cried again, flying down the length of his back, throwing fireballs as she went along.

Armageddemon roared as pillars of fire erupted across his back. He thrashed around and tried to turn to get Ophanimon C in his line of vision, but she made sure to stay over his back. And with as large as he was, it wasn't hard.

"Full Scale Attack!" Armageddemon cried.

Ophanimon C gasped as the spider Digimon somewhat inflated before launching a series of energy shells from his back. She used her Unicorn Shield as the shells came flying up at her, and they began exploding against her barrier. She grunted at every hit, the barrier cracking more and more.

Armageddemon looked back at her and opened his mouth. "Destiny Destroyer!"

She couldn't escape it, not while she was blocking his previous attack. The beam, he fired crashed into her barrier. It deflected his attack for a few moments before shattering, and she was carried away by the beam.

Somehow she managed to stay up in the air when the attack died down, her body smoking. Armageddemon turned to her and roared, and she grit her teeth in frustration. This was not going to be an easy fight. Not only was he stronger than her, he was several thousand times bigger.

But that size did provide him with a disadvantage. He was slower, and it would be hard for him to maneuver around. It also made him a very big target for her own attacks. She would have to use her speed to stay away from his attacks while hitting him repeatedly until he eventually went down. It would be hard, but she could do it.

Letting out a determine breath of air, she put on a burst of speed and flew towards the spider Digimon. Armageddemon turned to her completely and snarled, as if trying to intimidate her.

"Burn," she said, and unleashed her flames. They expanded outward, and she sent them flying in all directions, setting the ground ablaze in front of Armageddemon. The spider Digimon roared and began stomping around as Ophanimon C flew right up to him, leaving a trail of fire in her wake. "Call Dramon!"

Her dragon materialized, nowhere near Armageddemon's size, yet it fearlessly breathed a stream of fire into the spider Digimon's face. Ophanimon C flew over his head, sending flames flying as she flew down his back.

"Destiny Destroyer!" Armageddemon cried, obliterating her dragon. "Full Scale Attack!"

Ophanimon C had been prepared for the attack this time, flying to Armageddemon's side and zooming underneath him. She put on a burst of speed in case he got the idea to simply drop down and flatten her while sending her flames all across the ground, setting it ablaze beneath the spider Digimon, before flying out from underneath him.

Roaring, Armageddemon rose onto his hind legs to avoid the flames, his claws swiping at the air in front of him. Ophanimon C pulled back to avoid his swiping claws and fired her Air Sefirot Crystal into his belly. Armageddemon stumbled backwards from the attack, falling onto his back. Ophanimon C hovered in the air in front of him as his legs kicked about like a flipped over turtle.

"Holy Destroy!" she cried, sending a blast of holy light down at him.

Armageddemon roared and swiped his giant tail through the air. Ophanimon C saw it coming, but couldn't get out of the way in time before she was struck and sent crashing to the ground. Armageddemon used the opportunity to flip over and turn to her.

"Destiny Destroyer!" he cried, firing a beam at her.

Ophanimon C had barely gotten up before she quickly had to use her Unicorn Shield, somehow managing to deflect his attack. She let her barrier drop, breathing heavily as Armageddemon stalked over to her, and she glanced at her friends.

"Better be quick, guys," she breathed. "I don't know how long I can last."

Both OmniShoutmon and Gallantmon X were thinking the same thing as she was as they did battle with NeoCrimson. To make matters worse, it was obvious that the Chaos General was toying with them.

"Really wish the others could help us right now," said Gallantmon X as he glanced at their petrified friends.

"Unless you're planning on using them to hit him with, I don't think they'll be that helpful," OmniShoutmon replied. "Just be glad that MegaDarkKnightmon didn't come back, and hope that he doesn't. Same with Regulumon. It's going to take all we have to beat this guy. He's stronger than all the other Chaos Generals."

"Blind Attack!" NeoCrimson cried, slashing about wildly with his Dramon destroyer claws.

Gallantmon X dodged and blocked the swipes. "How can you tell? I thought this guy was a brand new species you haven't seen before."

"He is, but I read his code. He's even more powerful than Chaosmon."

"Is he stronger than UltimateChaosmon?"

"No, but the odds are not looking good for us."

"They're about to get even worse," NeoCrimson declared. "Fungus Cruncher!"

He launched his mushroom bombs. They exploded in the air around the dragon and knight Digimon, unleashing clouds of poisonous spores.

"Crap!" OmniShoutmon exclaimed, covering his mouth. "Poison gas! Don't breathe it!"

Gallantmon X stuck his mouth into his arm, but already felt the poison affecting him. "Too late for that."

"Giga Scissor Claw!" NeoCrimson cried, firing an electric bolt from his cannon.

With the poison settling in and taking affect, neither OmniShoutmon nor Gallantmon X blocked or dodged, and the two of them were blasted out of the sky. They hit the ground with painful grunts, and NeoCrimson leapt through the air, coming down on them both, crushing them beneath his feet.

They both cried out as he sneered down at them. Gallantmon X groaned, already feeling his strength beginning to weaken from the poison. He glanced up at NeoCrimson, seeing the Chaos General generate sparks as he ran his claws against each other.

Stabbing his energy-lance into the ground, Gallantmon X used his Zeig Saber. His lance extending pushed him, and by extension, NeoCrimson's leg up, causing the Chaos General to stumble back and off Gallantmon X and OmniShoutmon. In the air once more, Gallantmon X used his X-Heal, curing himself of the poison and healing his injuries.

OmniShoutmon though, was not so fortunate. Without a healing ability, he had no way of curing himself of the poison in his system or healing his injuries, yet he joined Gallantmon X in the air all the same, and the knight Digimon glanced at him worriedly.

"OmniShoutmon?" he asked.

The dragon Digimon coughed. "I'll be fine. Let's just do this while my strength lasts."

"Fungus Cruncher!" NeoCrimson cried, firing more mushroom bombs.

"Royal Saber!" Gallantmon X cried, firing blasts of lightning that destroyed the bombs. "We'll have no more of that, thanks. Final Elysion!"

He fired a beam from his shield that struck NeoCrimson, and he skidded back. He roared at the two of them and charged forward. OmniShoutmon used his Heavy Metal Vulcan to cut the Chaos General off. NeoCrimson used his Blind Attack, slicing his way through the firewall as he stormed towards them.

"Royal Saber!"

"Hard Rock Spirit!"

NeoCrimson charged straight through their attacks and swiped at them. Both OmniShoutmon and Gallantmon X flew up into the air to avoid his attack. NeoCrimson looked up at them and fired his Giga Scissor Claw. The knight and dragon Digimon swerved around in the air, avoiding the attack, though OmniShoutmon's movements were slow and sluggish.

"Final Elysion!" Gallantmon X cried, firing down at the Chaos General.

Moving surprisingly fast for one so big, NeoCrimson hopped backwards, avoiding the beam. He used his Fungus Cruncher attack again, this time launching far more mushroom bombs than before. OmniShoutmon used his Heavy Metal Vulcan, and the mushroom bombs exploded, the spores burning up from the flames.

From behind the firewall, OmniShoutmon came zooming down with his Omni Torpedo. He plowed into NeoCrimson's face, making the Chaos General grunt and take a step back, then doubled back and hit him again.

When he came in for a third time though, NeoCrimson backhanded him, and OmniShoutmon tore through the ground, shredding it beneath him. NeoCrimson fired his Giga Scissor Claw, and Gallantmon X quickly flew down and landed in front of Omnimon, holding up his shield to block the attack. And though he managed to shield OmniShoutmon, he had taken a portion of the hit.

"Zeig Saber!" he cried, sending his energy-lance extending to strike NeoCrimson, making him stumble back. As Gallantmon X dragged his energy-lance over NeoCrimson's body, he glanced back at OmniShoutmon. "How you holding up?"

The dragon Digimon forced himself up. "This poison is killing me. Literally."

Gallantmon X winced. "Sorry. I wish my healing ability could work on others."

"Blind Attack!" NeoCrimson cried, and unleashed a fury of swipes as he charged towards the two of them, slicing his way down the length of Gallantmon X's energy-lance.

"Damn it," the knight Digimon swore and retracted his lance as he took to the sky. "Royal Saber!"

NeoCrimson charged straight through his attack and head-butted him. Gallantmon X went down, but before he even hit the ground, NeoCrimson kicked him up into the air and blasted him with his Giga Scissor Claw.

As Gallantmon X hit the ground, several mushroom bombs from NeoCrimson's Fungus Cruncher dropped down around him and exploded, poisoning him once more.

OmniShoutmon forced himself to sit up, the poison coursing through his veins weakening him more and more by the second. "Gallantmon…"

The knight Digimon groaned as he lay in a heap on the ground. He heard NeoCrimson approaching and turned onto his back. Raising his energy-lance, he unleashed his Zeig Saber. NeoCrimson just smacked the extending beam aside before it even hit him. Then he took a big step forward and stomped on the knight Digimon's legs.

Gallantmon X cried out. That had been twice that he had been stepped on by the Chaos General. And poisoned by him. Whatever kind of poison was in his Fungus Cruncher attack, it was strong stuff. He needed to purge it from his system before it weakened him any further. "X-Hea-ahh!"

NeoCrimson put down more pressure while scrapping his foot, crushing Gallantmon X's legs further. "None of that. You humans have already proven yourselves to be real pests." He removed his foot and reached down, picking up the knight Digimon. "Time to exterminate. Blind Attack!"

He tossed Gallantmon X up into the air and released a savage series of swipes. The knight Digimon cried out as NeoCrimson's Dramon destroyer claws cut straight through his armor. Then NeoCrimson spun around, smacking Gallantmon X with his tail, sending him crashing to the ground so hard he left a skid mark that turned into an entire trench.

NeoCrimson chuckled as he stalked towards Gallantmon X. "You humans are pathetic. I can't believe the Demon Lords lost to you. I guess you really are only strong as a group. On your own, you're all weak. Giga Scissor Claw!"

Just as he fired his attack, he was struck in the head by OmniShoutmon's Omni Core Fusion, causing the Chaos General to stumble, and his attack missed. The dragon Digimon flew between him and Gallantmon X. "He's not on his own."

NeoCrimson sneered as he watched OmniShoutmon shake. It was obvious that the poison was greatly affecting him. "Oh, but he is on his own. Or he will be once I kill you!"

He lashed out at the dragon Digimon. OmniShoutmon pulled back to avoid the swipe, then used his Doom Drillpress, turning his legs into blades. As NeoCrimson swiped at him again, he kicked out, his bladed legs clashing with the Chaos General's claws. He attempted to keep NeoCrimson at bay while occasionally firing attacks when he saw an opening, but NeoCrimson kept coming, and OmniShoutmon's strength kept fading more and more as the poison affected him.

Gallantmon X struggled to lift his head, his whole body hurting. He'd taken some pretty hard hits, and the poison was working its nasty effects. He knew he needed to heal himself, but with the amount of damage he sustained, he wondered if he would just end up using so much energy that he would revert back to human form if he tried.

He looked up, seeing OmniShoutmon battle with NeoCrimson. It was obvious that the dragon Digimon was struggling while it looked as if the Chaos General was enjoying himself. Gallantmon X tried to rise, but only ended up dropping back down.

"Damn it," he growled in frustration. "How can I help? Need something. Got to find a way to…"

He trailed off as he looked down at his cut up body. Then he looked up at OmniShoutmon, then back down at himself, and wondered.

Placing his hand on his chest, he pulled a glowing object out of his being. He looked up at OmniShoutmon, holding the object tightly.

"This better work," he whispered. "OmniShoutmon, here!"

He threw the object, and it soared through the air like a shooting star towards the battle. OmniShoutmon was still fending off NeoCrimson's attacks, but still somehow managed to catch the object, and then pull back to avoid another swipe, firing a Victorize Banking at the Chaos General for good measure.

Putting some distance between NeoCrimson and himself, OmniShoutmon looked down at the object in his hand, and his eyes widened in shock. "This is…"

"Use it!" Gallantmon X shouted, feeling his power ebbing away as a result of his actions.

"Use what?" NeoCrimson demanded, his eyes narrowing. "What are you planning?"

In response, OmniShoutmon help up the X-Antibody. "A little X-Evolution!" The X-Antibody flashed brightly and unleashed a sphere of light that consumed the dragon Digimon. "OmniShoutmon Digivolve to… OmniShoutmon X!"

The light faded and OmniShoutmon now hovered in the air in his new form. His appearance was mostly the same, only more advanced and elaborate, and he now had red marking covering his body. His appearance may not have changed that much, but his level of power certainly did. With the exception of becoming Shoutmon X7F Superior Mode, he never felt stronger in his entire life, and even the poison had been purged from his system during Digivolution.

Fists clenching in determination, he turned to the stunned Chaos General. "Alright, NeoCrimson, let's do this."

Notes:

(A/N: Well, this is a surprise. OmniShoutmon has finally Digivolved again. You didn't think he was going to, did you? Well, it's all up to him now to stop NeoCrimson. Ophanimon C is bus with Armageddemon, Gallantmon X seems to be down for the count, and the rest of their friends have been turned to stone. At least Seraphimon managed to take DanDevimon out with him, otherwise they would really be in trouble. But will OmniShoutmon X's new Digivolution be enough to take down NeoCrimson? Find out next time. And don't forget to check out my Pirates of the Caribbean story.)

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OmniShoutmon X's attacks:

Flare Rock Spirit – Gains crystal claws that he uses to slash with.

Heavy Heat Vulcan – Rapidly shoots fireballs from his hands.

Zeal Magnum – Fires hot energy from his hands.

Omega the Fusion – A stronger version of his Omni Core Fusion where he channels the power of the Omega inForce in his body to produce an aura in the shape of Omnimon X, then shoots it at his opponents.

Beat Slash – A stronger version of Doom Drillpress where he changes his feet into blades and spins around to cut up his opponents, and now also sends out cutting shockwaves.

Omega Glide Force Drive – A stronger version of Omni Torpedo where he surrounds himself with the aura of his Omega the Fusion, then tackles an opponent.

Hard Rock Soul – A stronger version of Hard Rock Spirit where he shoots blasts of fire from his hands.

Heavy Metal Vulcan – Fires a hail of flaming bolts from his chest to create an impenetrable wall.

Victorize Banking – Fires a flaming V-shaped bolt from the crest on his forehead that's brighter than the sun.

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New Digimon that appear or are mentioned.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/OmniShoutmon_X

Chapter 186: Getting Medieval

Notes:

(A/N: Aaaand we're moving onto the next chapter. Before we get started, I just want to say that I know that our heroes having to face off against these randos is becoming kind of… redundant, but they're primarily there to give our heroes someone to fight against in order to Digivolve so they can face the real villains. Having them be agents of the Demon Lords is better than having them constantly face the same individuals again and again, kind of like what's been happening with Boltboutamon. But don't worry, we're just about done with the whole rinse and repeat thing though. The final battles with the remaining baddies are coming soon, so be prepared for it.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 186: Getting Medieval

NeoCrimson stood flabbergasted at the newly Digivolved OmniShoutmon X. But as the dragon Digimon hovered in the air in an attack position, the Chaos General slowly began to chuckle, and soon erupted into laughter.

"You've got to be kidding me," he thundered. "Is this all? Even in your X form, you're no match for me. Or did you forget that I possess the power of ChaosPiedmon, Chaosdramon, ChaosMetalSeadramon, and ChaosBlackWarGreymon. I'm more powerful than all four of them put together. You still don't stand a chance against me."

OmniShoutmon X didn't so much as blink. "So it would seem, but my friends and I seem to be especially good at pulling off miracles. And I'm feeling particularly lucky right now. Flare Rock Spirit!"

He suddenly gained crystal claws. Brandishing them at NeoCrimson, he flew forward, and the Chaos General swiped at him. OmniShoutmon X maneuvered around his claw and slashed at NeoCrimson's face, his crystal claws leaving a gash.

NeoCrimson's head snapped to the side, and he raised a hand, touching the gash. He let out a growl before lunging at the dragon Digimon with his Blind Attack. OmniShoutmon X used his Beat Slash, turning his legs into blades as he would have with his Doom Drillpress. But as he dodged NeoCrimson's swipe, he kicked out, sending out a cutting shockwave.

The Chaos General grunted as the cutting shockwave struck him and lunged for OmniShoutmon X again. The dragon Digimon flew backwards while proceeding to kick out more cutting shockwaves. NeoCrimson swiped at them, canceling them out with his own attacks, but OmniShoutmon X was getting away from him.

"Fungus Cruncher!" he cried, firing toxic mushroom bombs.

OmniShoutmon X held up his hands as the bombs came at him. "Heavy Heat Vulcan!"

He began rapidly shooting fireballs from his hand in a continuous stream, destroying the mushroom bombs and incinerating the poisonous clouds before they reached him. Then he turned his attack on the Chaos General, and the fireballs exploded against him.

NeoCrimson roared and charged at him, straight through the barrage of fireballs. He raised his claw to strike, and OmniShoutmon X used his Heavy Metal Vulcan. NeoCrimson's claw, however, cut straight through the firewall, and he found the dragon Digimon behind it with his hands raised.

"Zeal Magnum!" he cried, firing energy beams from his hands.

A growl escaped NeoCrimson as the beams pushed against him, and he raised an arm to block. "You're Digivolution will not change the outcome of this fight. I took one of you down already, I'll take you down next. Giga Scissor Claw!"

His cannons fired, blasting through OmniShoutmon X's attack. The dragon Digimon stopped firing and brought his hands up to block just before he was blasted backwards. He bounced across the ground, his body smoking, but somehow managed to turn his crash into a flip and land on his feet.

NeoCrimson was coming at him again, and brought his claw down. OmniShoutmon X leapt into the air as the Chaos General's claw shattered the ground and kicked out a cutting shockwave with his Beat Slash before firing his Hard Rock Soul at him, hitting him with a blast of fire.

NeoCrimson suddenly backhanded him, knocking the dragon Digimon back. As OmniShoutmon X flew through the air, he fired his Victorize Banking at him. NeoCrimson slashed at the attack, causing it to disperse, and then charged after him. OmniShoutmon X kicked out with his Beat Slash, but NeoCrimson slashed away the cutting shockwave. He fired his Fungus Cruncher into the air, and OmniShoutmon X flew down low to avoid the clouds of poison the mushroom bombs exploded into.

Raising his claw, NeoCrimson brought it down. There was no time to dodge, and OmniShoutmon X caught the Chaos General's claw with his own crystal ones. He somehow managed to hold it back, but the ground began to crack and cave beneath his feet. His body began to fold as the Chaos General pushed down on him.

"Hard Rock Soul!" he cried, shooting blasts of fire from his hands against NeoCrimson's claw. The Chaos General snarled and pulled his hand back, and OmniShoutmon X flew up into the air.

"Omega the Fusion!" he cried, unleashing a more powerful version of his Omni Core Fusion. His aura took the shape of Omnimon X rather than Omnimon and flew into NeoCrimson, blasting against him.

The Chaos General roared and went down. A low growl escaped him and he glared up at OmniShoutmon X, who floated above him, breathing heavily.

"A little more troublesome than you thought?" OmniShoutmon X asked.

NeoCrimson growled again and got to his feet. "Still only a nuisance all the same. But perhaps I should permanently rid my master of his other nuisances before I deal with you."

He turned and began stomping away. OmniShoutmon X watched warily, wondering what he was up to, but then gasped as he saw him heading for the petrified Susanoomon.

"No!" he cried as NeoCrimson raised his foot to stomp down on the statue.

He raced over as the Chaos General stomped down, flying beneath his foot. He pushed up against it as NeoCrimson brought his foot down, and the ground rushed up to meet him. The Susanoomon statue was beneath him as well, and OmniShoutmon X spread his legs, his feet coming down on the ground on either side of the petrified god Digimon.

A loud grunt escaped OmniShoutmon X as NeoCrimson's foot pushed against him. He did his best to hold the large foot up, lest it crush both him and Susanoomon. It wouldn't be pleasant to be crushed, but at least he would survive. Susanoomon though was another story; he'd be smashed to dust.

A mocking chuckle escaped NeoCrimson. "I had a feeling you would try and stop me from doing that. Let's see how long you'll last."

He pushed down harder. OmniShoutmon X groaned as his legs threatened to buckle as he struggled to hold the Chaos General up. He couldn't afford to let go though or else Susanoomon was doomed. But at this rate, he wouldn't last much longer.

NeoCrimson laughed as he put down more weight, feeling OmniShoutmon X's strength begin to give. But as he pushed down, something caught his eye. On the ground was his shadow, and second one was coming at him.

Dynas!" a voice cried out.

NeoCrimson heard the battle cry, but before he could react, an axe buried itself in the back of his head. His eyes bulged out as the axe cut in deep, nearly splitting his head in half, and the Chaos General stumbled, removing his foot from OmniShoutmon X and Susanoomon. The dragon Digimon sighed in relief and looked up to see what had happened.

What he saw shocked him. NeoCrimson was standing there with his head practically split in two by an axe that doubled as a lance. And floating in the air at the other end of the axe was a new Digimon that looked like a variation of Gallantmon.

"But that's…" he whispered.

Before he could complete his thought, he was drawn out of his thoughts by a cry of, "Destiny Destroyer!" Looking at the source, he saw that the fight between Ophanimon C and Armageddemon had come closer to them, and he saw the spider Digimon fire a beam at his opponent, and she used her Unicorn Shield to defend against it.

Returning his attention back to NeoCrimson, he flew back up into the air. "MedievalGallantmon, get clear!"

The new Digimon nodded and ripped his axe free from NeoCrimson's head. The Chaos General let out a strange gurgling sound and stumbled about as OmniShoutmon X got into position. "Omega Force Glide Drive!"

Like with his Omni Torpedo, he surrounded himself with his aura and launched himself at NeoCrimson. He plowed into the Chaos General, nearly taking him off his feet as he was pushed back.

"Ophanimon, move!" he shouted.

The angel Digimon glanced over her shoulder, seeing NeoCrimson stumble towards her. A smile grazed her face as she moved out of Armageddemon's attack's path, and OmniShoutmon X pushed the Chaos General right into it.

A roar escaped NeoCrimson as Armageddemmon's attack broke through the damaged stupor state MedievalGallantmon's axe had left him in. OmniShoutmon X pulled away and summoned up his aura.

"Now, blast him!" he shouted to the others. "Omega the Fusion!"

"Holy Destroy!" Ophanimon C cried.

"Rage of Wyvern!" MedievalGallantmon cried, pointing the bottom end of his axe at the Chaos General and firing a mass of energy that shaped itself into a dragon that flew at NeoCrimson.

The three attacks came at the Chaos General, sandwiching him against Armageddemon's attack. NeoCrimson let out one last roar and then burst into data.

"Yes, we got him!" MedievalGallantmon cheered.

Ophanimon C nodded. "Nice work there. Um…" She looked at the two of them in their new forms. "What happened to you two?"

MedievalGallantmon looked down at himself. "I actually have no idea."

Armageddemon suddenly let out a furious roar as he realized what had just happened, and all attention returned to him.

"Long story," OmniShoutmon X replied. "I'll explain everything after we take this guy."

"Destiny Destroyer!" Armageddemon cried.

"Heavy Metal Vulcan!"

"Unicorn Shield!"

As OmniShoutmon X and Ophanimon C held back his attack, MedievalGallantmon flew up over it, the crest on his chest beginning to glow. "Final Crest!"

He fired a stream of wind from his chest, so think and powerful that it could visibly be seen, forming a knife-like shape. It struck Armageddemon right between the eyes, and the spider Digimon stopped firing as he roared in pain. The others joined the knight Digimon up in the air as Armageddemon shook his head before snarling up at them.

Suddenly, Armageddemon began to expand, and OmniShoutmon X recognized the incoming attack. "That's Full Scale Attack. Don't let him launch. Heavy Heat Vulcan!"

"Volcano Napalm!"

"Rage of Wyvern!"

The three unleashed their attacks as Armageddemon fired his Full Scale Attack. Ophanimon C's fireballs erupted into pillars of fire on the spider Digimon's back. The energy shells began launching exploded against the fire pillars, and OmniShoutmon X's rapid series of fireballs struck the ones that got past Ophanimon C's attack. Then MedievalGallantmon's energy dragon came down on Armageddemon. The spider Digimon roared and collapsed from the series of explosions that occurred on his back.

"Nicely done," OmniShoutmon X congratulated, "but we're not finished yet. We need to put him down for good."

Ophanimon C looked on as Armageddemon started to get up. "I have an idea."

"We're listening," MedievalGallantmon replied.

"Remember how we beat Nidhoggmon?"

A smile grazed OmniShoutmon X's face. "I like your thought process."

The three of them came down as Armageddemon rose to his full height. He roared at them and began to gather energy in his mouth.

"Now," said OmniShoutmon X. "Omega the Fusion!"

"Air Sefirot Crystal!"

As OmniShoutmon X and Ophanimon C attacked, MedievalGallantmon threw his axe like a spear. The Omnimon X-shaped aura of OmniShoutmon X's attack flew towards Armageddemon with Ophanimon C's crystals surrounding it. MedievalGallantmon's axe joined them to form a deadly missile as Armageddemon unleashed his Destiny Destroyer.

As the beam of energy began to pour out of Armageddemon's mouth, the artificial missile collided with it. It forced its way through the attack and into the spider Digimon's mouth.

Armageddemon's jaws snapped shut, and he appeared confused at first as a grumble escaped him. Then his body expanded, as if he were going to unleash his Full Scale Attack again, only he kept expanding until he exploded in a blast of fire and data.

That was it then, the battle was over, and the remaining DigiDestined let out sighs of relief. It had been a tough fight, not to mention an unexpected one with the surprise appearance of a formerly unknown Chaos General.

"I guess Bagramon has a few surprises for us as well," MedievalGallantmon stated.

Ophanimon C glanced at him. "Speaking of surprises, did you both Digivolved? How did that happen?"

The knight Digimon examined himself once more. "I didn't Digivolve. I just… suddenly became this. I don't know how or why."

"It's because you gave me your X-Antibody," OmniShoutmon X explained. "Thanks for that by the way. I was able to Digivolve to OmniShoutmon X with it."

MedievalGallantmon nodded. "That's great for you, but what happened to me? I was DeDigivolving, but instead of reverting to regular Gallantmon or Gallantmon Crimson Mode, I became this. Why?"

"The X-Antibody," OmniShoutmon X told him. "I completely forgot. The Gallantmon species is unique when it comes to X-Antibodies. When a Digimon loses or gives away their Antibody, they simply change back to a regular Digimon. But the Gallantmon species still retains some of the X-Antibody's power even when it's given away or taken, resulting in a new form. Not as strong as Gallantmon X, but stronger than regular Gallantmon."

MedievalGallantmon looked back down at himself. "That a fact? I don't feel as strong as before, but I do feel stronger than I did as regular Gallantmon."

A deep sigh escaped OmniShoutmon X, and a regretful look crossed his face. "Here, I should give this back to you; it's rightfully yours."

He placed his hand to his chest to extract the X-Antibody, but MedievalGallantmon held up a hand to stop them. "No, it's yours."

OmniShoutmon X shook his head. "No, you earned it in the fight with Beelzemon. It's yours."

"Then I'm free to give it to whoever I want, and I want you to have it."

The dragon Digimon gave him a confused look. "But you won't be as strong as you were before."

MedievalGallantmon placed his hands on OmniShoutmon X's shoulders. "But I'll be stronger than regular Gallantmon, and you'll be stronger than regular OmniShoutmon. I think this is the best option. Sure, I'll be a little weaker, but you'll be a lot stronger. It'll compensate. The increase in power you get will be worth it."

OmniShoutmon X stared at him in disbelief. Slowly, his hand fell away from his chest as he gave the knight Digimon a look of the utmost gratitude. "Thank you…"

Ophanimon C smiled. "Well, you do look pretty cool. I bet the others will…" She trailed off, her eyes widening behind her helmet as she remembered. "The others!"

Having been caught up in the heat of the battle, they had all forgotten what had happened to their friends, and they quickly rushed over to them. Komondomon had come out of hiding and had brought the four statues of their friends together. Ophanimon C immediately began to fuss over them.

"What do we do?" she cried in panic, unable to believe she had actually forgotten about them, even though the distraction had been a life or death battle. "What do we do?"

"Calm down," OmniShoutmon X told her. "They're not dead. They're just in a kind of limbo. As long as they don't break apart, they'll survive."

MedievalGallantmon looked the statues over to make sure they were indeed all intact. "Ok, so how do we change them back?"

OmniShoutmon X frowned. "We'll need someone to heal them. Unfortunately, none of us have that ability, so we'll need to transport them and find someone who can. That'll be hard for Imperialdramon since he's so big."

Ophanimon C's hands clenched. Out of all of them, why did their healers have to be the ones who had been petrified? Seraphimon, Susanoomon, and Imperialdramon all had healing abilities. Why couldn't one of them been spared in her place, or OmniShoutmon X, or MedievalGallantmon's? Not that she wished such a horrible fate on any of them, but at least then one of them could heal everyone.

Her gaze went to Seraphimon. He had almost gotten away, but had been stopped by DanDevimon. At least he had been brave enough to make sure the fallen angel Digimon had been turned to stone along with him. Thank goodness for that. NeoCrimson and Armageddemon had been hard enough to beat. If DanDevimon had fought with them, Ophanimon C suspected that the outcome of the battle would have been very different.

Her fists clenched in frustration. She wished she still had her healing ability, but ever since she Digivolved, her move set had sacrificed it in favor of more power. And as useful as the power boost had been, right now she wished she could go back and…

Her eyes widened behind her helmet. Taking a deep breath, she began to glow, and then DeDigivolved to regular Ophanimon. Truth be told, she had forgotten that they still had access to their previous forms. After all, why put yourself at risk by turning into a weaker form when a much stronger one was available?

"Stand back, boys," she told then, holding out her hand. "I'm bringing our friends back."

"Wait," said OmniShoutmon X.

He went over to the statues of Seraphimon and DanDevimon. He carefully separated the angel Digimon from the latter, then he blasted the DanDevimon statue into data with his Zeal Magnum.

After absorbing the data, he turned back to Ophanimon. "Ok, go ahead."

MedievalGallantmon cut his eyes at him. "That was dark."

Ophanimon just sighed and turned her attention back to their petrified friends. "Final Aura!"

Her healing light flowed over the four statues. One after another, they changed back to normal. Omnimon, who had been in the process if attacking when he had been petrified, resumed firing his cannon, and the others ducked for cover.

"Omnimon! Omnimon!" MedievalGallantmon cried. "It's ok, stop, it's over! We won!"

The knight Digimon stopped firing. He blinked in confusion and looked around, seeing no trace of the enemy Digimon. "It's over? But wait, what happened? There was that giant hand in the sky, and then…"

Susanoomon nodded. "Yes, I remember that too."

Ophanimon let out a relieved laugh, glad that her friends were ok." "You guys missed quite a bit."

"I'll say," Imperialdramon replied, looking at Ophanimon and the two new Digimon. "So why are you regular Ophanimon, and what happened to you two? Are you still OmniShoutmon and Gallantmon?"

MedievalGallantmon sighed. "Long story short, OmniShoutmon Digivolved, X-Evolution, and I sort of went backwards a bit. And Ophanimon here DeDigivolved to turn you back to normal."

The others blinked, trying to wrap their heads around that oversimplified explanation. Susanoomon shook his head and said, "Ok, explain from the beginning, because the last thing I remember, I was trying to cut down that giant hand."

Seraphimon nodded. "Yes, it was turning everyone to stone. What was that?"

Komondomon gave a bark, and OmniShoutmon X glanced at him before looking back at his friends. "Let's just get going, I'll explain on the way, I don't feel like getting into another fight if MegaDarkKnightmon returns or Regulumon finds his way back."

The others wholeheartedly agreed.

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MegaDarkKnightmon was not a fool. He knew why he was being summoned. His misjudgment of what had occurred on the battlefield would not have sat well with Bagramon. The consequences of that misjudgment though, that was what remained to be seen.

Twice now, it would seem as if he had fled from battle. That was not the case though. MegaDarkKnightmon was no coward, but he knew when he was out of his league. If withdrawing from battle for the chance to come back even stronger to achieve victory was the best course of action, then that's what he would do. It was a logical and strategic move, and it was what he had done the first time he had exited the battlefield when he found himself facing the humans.

This second more recent time though, that had not been him fleeing. He had simply misunderstood Bagramon's intentions. When the Demon Lord had begun turning the humans to stone, he had assumed that after the loss of Regulumon and the defeat of Deusmon and Nidhoggmon that Bagramon had decided to get rid of the humans himself rather letting NeoCrimson deal with them as the Chaos General had requested. Therefore, instead of returning to the battlefield and risk getting turned to stone, he had decided to stay out of Bagramon's way and had gone to find Regulumon, wherever the beast man Digimon had ended up.

How was he to know that Bagramon wouldn't finish off all the humans? He had initially said that he was going to. MegaDarkKnightmon had thought the humans were being taken care of, and so had went to find his lost comrade. But not only had the humans survived, they had defeated NeoCrimson and the others. And Bagramon was very likely not happy about losing his Chaos General and the others. And to make matters worse, MegaDarkKnightmon hadn't been able to find Regulumon.

But he was no coward. He had misinterpreted a situation, but he was not a coward. That was why he was heading for Bagramon's chambers with his head held high after having been summoned to explain his actions and accept his punishment. But he would make up for it. He would prove himself to Bagramon once again.

Entering the throne room, he saw that there were three occupants. One was Bagramon, naturally, and to his right was Regulumon. So the beast man Digimon had managed to return on his own, that was good. But the one to Bagramon's left, a Mega level Digimon called Puppetmon, had MegaDarkKnightmon narrowing his eyes in displeasure. What was that despicable cretin doing here? He knew the puppet Digimon sucked up to anyone powerful in the hopes of sharing in their power. He was shady and untrustworthy, and MegaDarkKnightmon despised him.

But that did not matter right now, so he turned his attention to the Demon Lord and bowed to him. "You summoned me, my lord?"

Bagramon's expression was completely unreadable as he stared at the knight Digimon. "MegaDarkKnightmon, you disappoint me. That's twice now you've fled from the humans. I never would have expected this of you. It's completely unacceptable."

The knight Digimon winced. "My lord, you're mistaken. I did not flee from battle. If you knew what happened-"

"I saw what happened," Bagramon replied, and his ruby eye glowed. "You know that nothing escapes my sight."

Yes, MegaDarkKnightmon did know that. With his Invisible Snake-Eyes, Bagramon could use his ruby eye to see anything, anywhere in the Digital World.

"I misjudged the situation," he explained. "You had said before that you intended to kill the humans yourself. After we lost three of our numbers and I saw you reaching for them, I was under the impression that you had changed your mind and decided to get rid of the humans yourself after all, so I opted to stay out of your way and seek out Regulumon instead, who I am glad to see made it back on his own."

The beast man Digimon's face was stoic while Puppetmon had a mocking grin on his face, but it was Bagramon who MegaDarkKnightmon kept his attention on.

"So what you are saying is that you made an incorrect assumption," said Bagramon. "And as a result, I lost my Chaos General and five of my few remaining subordinates."

MegaDarkKnightmon was tempted to point out that three of them had already been destroyed by that point, but held his tongue. "I make no excuses, my lord, but if you give me the chance, I will make it up to you. If you ask it of me, I will take a new team and go kill the humans right now."

Bagramon studied him for several long moments while beside him Puppetmon silently snickered. Slowly, he got to his feet and made his way over to MegaDarkKnightmon. "So you say, but I am one who believes that actions speak louder than words."

MegaDarkKnightmon looked up at him. "Then let my actions speak for themselves."

"They already have," Bagramon told him coldly. "And now my actions shall match my words." He brought up his wooden, demon arm, clenching and unclenching his hand. "I believe I told you that if you did not put the power I gave you to use that I would take it back."

"Lord Bagra-"

"Astral Snatcher!"

His wooden hand glowed with red light as he thrust it forward. It penetrated MegaDarkKnightmon, not damaging his body, but reaching inside it like a ghost, into his code, his very being. He pulled his hand back just as suddenly, only now he was holding a shining, glowing object in his grip. Bands of Fractal Code were attached to it, but they detached and retracted back into the knight Digimon's body, leaving the glowing object in his grasp.

The light faded from MegaDarkKnightmon's eyes and he collapsed, falling flat on the floor in an unmoving pile. Bagramon looked down at his still form before glancing at the shining object in his hand. He held it out as if to drop it, and a fiery red portal appeared on the ground. Bagramon dropped the shining object, and it fell into and disappeared through the portal, which closed a moment later.

"Such a disappointment," the Demon Lord commented as he headed back to his throne. "But I'm not one to waste a valuable resource." He sat down and motioned to MegaDarkKnightmon's body. "Don't let it go to waste."

A large grin spread across Puppetmon's face and he leapt forward. He swiped his hands through the air, and suddenly threads were attached to the ends of his fingers. They attached to MegaDarkKnightmon's body, and the knight Digimon jerked. Puppetmon moved his hands, and MegaDarkKnightmon rose mechanically to his feet. Puppetmon moved his hands, and the knight Digimon lashed out with his axe and lance.

"I won't, sir," the puppet Digimon promised. "I'll put his power to even better use than he did."

As Puppetmon played with his new toy, Regulumon glanced at the Demon Lord. "What of the humans, my lord? Shall we finish them off, or would you prefer to do it yourself?"

Bagramon waved a dismissive hand. "Not quite yet. There's something I'm curious about that I wish to see."

"Oh?" Puppetmon asked, still fooling around with MegaDarkKnightmon's body. "What's that, my lord?"

Bagramon rested his chin on his knuckle. "Boltboutamon said that he had a plan to deal with them. I want to see what he's up to."

Regulumon cocked his head to the side curiously. "And if he fails?"

Bagramon was silent for a moment before speaking. "Then I will deal with them myself."

Notes:

(A/N: Haha, I bet you didn't see that coming. You thought the Digivolving was over with, didn't you? Nope, now we've got MedievalGallantmon. Not as strong as Gallantmon X, but still very powerful. And low and behold, they managed to defeat NeoCrimson, and Armageddemon along with him thanks to some quick thinking. What more, Bagramon himself was taken care of MegaDarkKnightmon. But now someone else is in control of him. And just what is Boltboutamon's plan that Bagramon wants to see play out? There's more to come, so stay tuned for the next update, same time, same place.)

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MedievalGallantmon's attacks:

Rage of Wyvern – Fires a blast of energy from the end of his axe that takes the shape of a dragon.

Final Crest – Fires a knife-like cutting gust of wind from the crest on his chest.

Dynas – Strikes with his magic lance-axe.

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New Digimon that appear or are mentioned.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/MedievalGallantmon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Puppetmon

Chapter 187: Prophecies and Rituals

Notes:

(A/N: Happy holidays everyone. Wasn't sure I'd get this out in time since I've been busy getting ready for Christmas, but I managed. So, here's your present, the next installment. Hope you enjoy it.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 187: Prophecies and Rituals

TK hoped. He dared to hope. It may have sounded strange since everyone always told him that he was the most hopeful and optimistic person they knew, but he had actually been without hope for a long time now when it came to himself, ever since he'd had his reading with AncientWisemon.

He still remembered what the mutant Digimon had told him back then, that he and his friends would find themselves in a situation where either he would die for his friends, or they would all die together. TK had thought he had known what AncientWisemon had been talking about, and had been readying himself for it ever since, waiting for the time to come.

But now he wondered if he had gotten it wrong. Maybe he had been looking at the situation in a different way than it was meant to play out. AncientWisemon had more or less said that he was going to die, but he had been incredibly vague about it, claiming that to truly know what was going to happen would alter the course of events that would lead to the best possible future out of the many he had foreseen. Or something along those lines.

It had been the same for his friends too. They had known what was coming, but they had only been told just enough, only what they had needed to know, only recognizing their prophecies after they had come to pass, or at the exact moment they were occurring.

Had his come and gone as well? He didn't know, but he thought that it might have. The thought had occurred to him after their last battle when he had thrown himself at DanDevimon, causing both of them to become petrified. True, he hadn't died, more like had become cast into a type of limbo, but it had been pretty close. And for all he had known, being turned to stone would have meant death; during the heat of battle, he had completely forgotten about how Dantemon had been turned to stone by Millenniummon and then later restored.

Truth be told, he hadn't even been thinking about his prophecy when he had thrown himself at DanDevimon. He had just realized that he wasn't going to be able to escape Bagramon's reaching hand. And after seeing what it had done to his friends, knowing that the same fate awaited him, he had opted to take the fallen angel Digimon down with him to give his friends a better chance.

Had that been the moment AncientWisemon's prophecy had been about? According to his friends who had been fortunate enough to avoid getting turned to stone, they had barely managed to defeat their opponents. If TK hadn't done what he did, if DanDevimon had been fighting as well, would the battle have ended in defeat rather than victory? It was a very high probability.

It made sense. The evidence added up. AncientWisemon had basically said that there would be a scenario where either he would have to die or him and all of his friends would. Death would be certain for him, that's what the mutant Digimon had said, and he had asked if TK would die for them. And was that not what had happened? If he hadn't caused DanDevimon to get petrified as well, his friends would have had an extra enemy to face, and they would have been defeated.

The circumstances had been different than what he had thought they would be, but thinking back on it, there had never been any hint or indication that his prophecy would be even remotely similar to what he had been thinking. He'd had nothing to go on to judge his prophecy the way he had assumed it would play out. And wasn't that the point? If he had known exactly what was coming, he might have done things differently, thus throwing off the course of events AncientWisemon had been hoping for.

In fact, now that he thought about it, AncientWisemon had never actually said that he would die, he had only asked if TK was willing to die when the time came. He had been the one to assume that he would, and imagine how that death would come about. But that hadn't been what AncientWisemon had said. After TK confirmed that he was willing to die for his friends, AncientWisemon had told him to remember how he felt in that moment while making such a claim, for he would need it before the war with the Demon Lords was over. And it seemed that it was true, for TK truly had been willing to make that sacrifice.

The more he thought about it, the more he realized it made sense, and the more relieved he felt. Taking a deep breath, he let it out, feeling as if a massive weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

"That was quite a sigh."

Jumping slightly, TK turned around to see Kari coming up behind him. He had thought she was asleep along with everyone else. He personally had been too wound up to sleep.

"Just feeling the relief of a heavy burden lifted," he told her.

She sat down next to him. Seeing as they were both sitting on Komondomon's read end, watching as passing by objects got smaller and smaller the further away they went, it wasn't the most romantic setting.

"Which burden would that be?" she asked curiously. "We're all carrying many."

He internally winced at the thought of having kept her in the dark about his prophecy; he hated lying to her. Well, he hadn't really lied, he had simply not told her. But he hated keeping secrets from her as well. And he knew she was going to be furious when she found out, but he didn't want to carry this guilt around anymore. And now that his prophecy had come to pass, there was no reason to keep it a secret any longer.

"The burden of my prophecy," he replied, unable to look at her as he said it.

Her eyes widened in surprise. "Then it happened?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure. It was just… different than what I expected."

A small smile spread across her face. "Is that why you looked like you were deep in thought all day? I was waiting until the others were asleep so I could ask you what was on your mind." She grasped his sleeve and eagerly shook his arm. "Well, what was it? Tell me already."

TK sweat-dropped uneasily. This was not going to go over well. "It was… ah… DanDevimon."

He glanced at her nervously, watching as the smile slowly slipped from her face to be replaced by confusion. "Huh?"

Rubbing the back of his head, he forced himself to grin. "Yeah, that whole thing with me throwing myself at DanDevimon so he would get petrified as well. Can you imagine how tough that fight would have been if he had been involved too?"

He'd planned to play it off as casual, like it was no big deal, but he saw that that wasn't going to work. She stared at him for a few moments before her hand released his sleeve. She sat up a little straighter and turned towards him more. "TK, what did AncientWisemon tell you? No more dodging the question. What was your reading about?"

Well, now was as good a time as any. He told her everything AncientWisemon had said, about being asked if he would die for his friends, of how if he didn't that they would all die, and of how it applied to the situation regarding DanDevimon and Bagramon petrifying them both, and even going into detail of what he had thought the prophecy was going to be. He talked non-stop without pausing, unable to meet her eyes the entire time.

When he finally finished, he glanced at her hesitantly. Her expression was mostly unreadable. Well, no that wasn't true she looked horrified, and there were traces of anger. Now there were more traces. She was getting angrier, angrier than he had ever seen her before.

Getting to her feet, she glared down at him. "AncientWisemon told you that you were going to die, and you didn't say anything!? Why didn't you say anything!?"

He winced at her fury, though he knew he deserved it. He'd be just as furious with her if their positions were reversed, so he could understand her anger. Instead of answering her though, he just pressed a finger to his lips. "Kari, shh, you'll wake the others."

"I don't care!" she practically shouted, stomping her foot furiously. "And don't change the subject! Why didn't you say something!?"

He sighed. "You know why."

She shook her head. "No, I don't! You were given a reading of your death, TK! How could you not tell us!? How could you not tell me!?"

He threw his hands up. "What would be the point? I was going to end up dead either way. I didn't want that hanging over our heads, having everyone worry about it all the time, always keeping an eye out for it. That could have gotten us all killed."

She gave him a look of disbelief. "What would have been the point!? We could have found a way to save you!"

He stood up as well, standing in front of her. "That is the biggest reason why I didn't tell you. I knew you guys would try and find a way to save me, and you would have ended up dead as a result. AncientWisemon specifically told me that death was certain, and I had to choose between sacrificing myself or all of us dying. I wasn't going to let you all die for me, especially when I would have just ended up dead as well. Don't you see? I was trying to save you guys. Had I not thrown myself at DanDevimon, he would have ganged up on you with the others and you all would have died. You barely managed to survive without him fighting."

She just shook her head in denial, but he saw the anger rapidly draining out of her. "You lied to me. You lied about your reading."

His shoulders slumped, and he looked at her sadly. "I never lied, Kari. I said that if I told you that it wouldn't happen. And you know that's true. You guys never would have let me give up my life to save you. But if I didn't, then we'd all be dead right now." He closed his eyes. "I couldn't let that happen, not even if I alone wouldn't have survived."

There were tears in her eyes now, but she also looked angry again. "Did you ever think that maybe I'd rather be dead than be without you?"

His eyes snapped open, and now they had anger in them now as well. He reached out and grasped her upper-arms. "Don't say that, Kari. Don't ever say that! I won't have you dying for me!"

"But you can die for me?" she threw back at him challengingly. "You don't get to be all noble and selfless like that and then criticize someone else for the same thing. That's hypocrisy."

He winced, knowing she was right, and diverted his eyes. "I just… wanted you to be safe."

"I want that too," she shot back. Suddenly, she threw herself against him, burying her face in his chest as she hugged him tightly. "I don't want to lose you. I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have you in my life, Takeru Takaishi."

She hugged him tighter, as if she were afraid he would disappear if she let go, her nails digging into his skin through his shirt. Slowly, his hands came up as he hugged her back, sparing her the death grip she had him in. "I feel the same way, Kari. But don't you see, that's why I couldn't tell you? If not me, then all of us. So I had to keep it a secret. I'm so sorry."

He felt her nails dig deeper into his skin as she gripped him tighter and nuzzled into his chest. They stayed like that for several long moments in each other's embrace. Eventually though, she loosened her grip on him and turned her face so she could rest her ear against his chest, listening to his heartbeat.

"So this has been hanging over your head ever since your meeting with AncientWisemon?" she asked. After a few moments, she felt him nod, and she had to hold back more tears. "All this time, you thought you were going to die. I'm so sorry you had to go through that alone."

He gently stroked her hair. "I've had a lot of time to come to be at peace with it. I tried to take solace in the thought that if I died, the rest of you would live." He let out a humorless chuckle. "You know, I had this whole idea of how it would go down, but it turns out that I was wrong. I guess it just goes you show you that AncientWisemon was right. Knowing what the future holds will affect the outcome of things. Who knows what I would have done when fighting against DanDevimon prior to when Bagramon interfered. That's why he only told me just enough. Heck, if you guys knew too, you probably wouldn't have let me fight him at all, and then who knows how the battle would have gone. No, we do know. Had I not sacrificed myself, we would have all died. It really is for the best that no one knows what the future holds."

Kari shifted in his hold and looked up at him. Reaching up, she cupped his cheeks, looking deeply into his eyes. "Promise me that you'll never sacrifice yourself for me again. Nor for any of us."

He gave her a smile, reaching up to place his hands over her own and bring them down so he could claps them in his. "Don't worry, now that I know there's no me or all of us fate waiting for us, I don't plan on dying any time soon."

She shook her head. "Not good enough!" She pulled her hands out of his and took fistfuls of his shirt. "You have to promise me that you'll never sacrifice yourself, no matter what some prophecy says."

His smile became a frown, his eyes serious. "And if I asked you to make that same promise, would you be able to make it? Can you promise me that if we were ever in a situation where you could save us, but at the cost of your own life, that you wouldn't sacrifice yourself?"

His tone wasn't harsh, but it was serious. He also knew that no matter how much he wished for it that she wouldn't be able to make that promise, just like he couldn't. He saw her come to that realization, and a few tears slipped from her eyes. He reached up and gently wiped them away with his thumbs, then cupped her cheeks just as she did to him.

"We both know that neither of us can make that promise, Kari, no matter how much we both wish otherwise. But I will promise this, I plan to do everything I can to make sure we all get home safely."

"TK…" she whispered softly.

He leaned forward, resting his forehead against hers. "That I do promise."

"TK," she said again. "Kiss me."

Giving her a smile, he closed the distance between them and pressed his lips to hers. This time, kissing her felt different. Without his prophecy of his imminent death hanging over him, he now had real hope for them, for many things.

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"Wake up. Wake up. I said wake up."

TK groaned as he felt a foot in his side. Lifting his hat from covering his eyes, he saw Shoutmon standing beside him with a scowl on his face. He looked around for the others, finding them still asleep, Kari curled up next to him, holding a handful of his shirt in her hand.

"What's going on?" he asked sleepily.

"We're at the next town," Shoutmon replied. "Time to restock. I woke up first, and Komondomon had something interesting to say. We need to talk."

Yawning, TK rubbed the sleep from his eyes. "Ok, let's wake up the others."

But Shoutmon shook his head. "No, I don't want them to hear this. This is just between you and me."

TK blinked, confused. "What do you mean?"

"Why didn't you tell us what your prophecy was about?"

He blinked a few more times, the last traces of sleep fading away. And then Shoutmon's words registered and his eyes snapped completely open. "Wait, what? How did you…?"

The dragon Digimon scoffed. "I told you, Komondomon. He heard you and Kari talking last night. He may only speak in his own language, but he understands ours just fine. He told me what you two talked about."

TK's eyes narrowed. "He had no right to tell you. That was a private conversation."

"Then next time don't have it on his butt. He told me because he was worried about you. Sovereigns, TK, AncientWisemon told you that you either had to sacrifice yourself or we were all going to die. How could you keep that a secret?"

"Keep your voice down!" TK hissed. He glanced down at Kari, who snuggled against him, but kept sleeping. "I already had this conversation last night, I don't plan to have it again."

"Were you ever going to tell us?" the dragon Digimon demanded. He immediately shook his head and waved his hand. "No, you know what, never mind. I know you weren't going to. You're such an idiot taking this all on yourself."

TK glared at him. "And what good would telling you guys have done? Either burden you all with my upcoming death, or you would have tried to find a way to save me, in which case we all would have died."

Shoutmon crossed his arms. "So you were just going to remain silent and die when the time came?"

TK sighed. "You told us yourself that AncientWisemon knows absolutely everything, including all possible futures. What else could I do? Ignore what he said? Davis tried that, and you remember what happened to him. Takato tried to avoid his, but it happened anyway. And as for everyone else, all their prophecies came true too. You even got your redemption with Millenniummon." He sighed again, this time in resignation. "Look, I don't want to have this conversation again. All of us are still alive, and that's all that matters, so don't tell anyone, there's no need to cause anymore drama."

Shoutmon threw his hands into the air. "Fine, fine! I was only concerned for your wellbeing, but I guess that's not important. So I'll just wake everyone up and we'll head out. Hey, wake up. I said wake up!"

TK groaned as the dragon Digimon started waking up the others. He knew Shoutmon's frustration was born out of concern for him, but he had just gone through all this last night with Kari, and he didn't want all his friends to harp on him about it. He was alive and they were alive, that was the important thing, the rest was in the past and couldn't be changed, so there was no reason to dwell on it.

"Now be a good boy and wait here," Kari told Komondomon as she pet the large vehicle Digimon.

Komondomon gave a yelp and a bark in response, making her chuckle. She headed over to the others as they waited by the town's entrance.

"Hold up," Shoutmon told them before they entered. "There's something you need to know about this place before we enter it."

Takuya raised an eyebrow. "What is it? Are we in danger?"

The dragon Digimon shook his head. "No, nothing like that. It's just… How do I put this? I guess you can say this is a very… orthodox town."

"Orthodox how?" Takato repeated. "Are they really dedicated to the Digimon God or the Sovereigns or something?"

Shoutmon rubbed the back of his head. "Well, yes and no. They are very big on worship, just with… Look, it doesn't matter, let's just get in and get out."

The others exchanged looks and shrugged, not sure what Shoutmon was getting at, and he didn't specify. However, as they walked through the town, they didn't find anything too out of the ordinary. The town seemed to be based on ancient Rome, with many structures of the culture, or close to it. For some reason though, the town seemed to be divided into two, with the left side of the town centering around fire and the right side on crystal.

Tai looked from one side of the town to the other. "Um, Shoutmon, there's not a feud going on, is there?"

The dragon Digimon raised an eyebrow as he looked back at them. "A feud? No, of course not. The Digimon are just- oof! I'm sorry."

Shoutmon, having been looking back at the teens as he walked, had bumped into another Digimon, who simply gave him a smile. "Not to worry. May the light and fire of the dragons guide you."

Shoutmon sweat-dropped and forced a grin. "Um, right, you too." He looked back at the teens as the Digimon walked off. "See what I'm talking about. These guys are practically a… What was the word you used for those groups of people in your world? A clout? A clot?"

"A cult?" TK asked.

Shoutmon snapped his fingers. "That's the word! A cult. They're like a cult. They basically worship these two dragon Digimon."

Tai frowned. "They're not going to try to recruit or sacrifice us, are they?"

Shoutmon shook his head. "No, but unless you want to waste your day getting sucked into all their rituals, it's best to get in and get out fast. Now, where's that list of supplies we need?"

He led them through town at a quick pace. They tried questioning him about the town, but he would just shake his head and tell them he would let them know later.

"If I start talking about it and they overhear, the next thing you know we'll be surrounded and end up getting lectured and preached to about the dragons of fire and light, or get stuck listening to their praise."

"Who are the-" Kari began, but Shoutmon interrupted her.

"I said I'll tell you later."

But it was as they were replenishing their supplies and went to pay that the teens ended up getting a few of their questions answered. A Digimon known as Solarmon owned the shop, and the machine Digimon gave them a warm smile in greeting.

"Good afternoon!" he declared cheerfully. "I hope the fire and light of the dragons finds you well!"

Shoutmon rolled his eyes and waved his hand dismissively as he placed their purchases on the counter. "Yeah, yeah, fire and light and dragons. How much?"

The machine Digimon just continued to smile as he casually began going through their purchases. Shoutmon stood with his arms crossed, tapping his foot impatiently. Tai raised an eyebrow at his behavior. "Hey, why are you so on edge?"

"I'm not on edge," the dragon Digimon grumbled. "I just wish this guy would hurry up."

Kari frowned. "Why, what's the problem?"

"No problem. I just want to get out of her before-"

He was interrupted by the tolling of a bell. Shoutmon groaned upon hearing it while Solarmon's face lit up. "It's noon!"

Shoutmon sighed. "Before that."

The machine Digimon was practically bouncing with giddiness. "Time to show gratitude!"

Shoutmon frowned and motioned to their purchases. "Oh, come on! Can't you just finish with us first?"

But Solarmon was practically already out the door. "And lose my place in line? No chance."

And then he was gone, leaving the shop completely unattended, and apparently with no concern of possibly being robbed. Shoutmon looked annoyed, then sighed heavily. "Well, I guess we're going to have to sit through the ritual. I just hope it doesn't take too long."

Takuya cocked his head to the side. "What ritual?"

"The Ritual of Light and Fire." He rubbed the back of his head in frustration. "I was going to tell you about it later, since us being strangers here and simply being overheard discussing it could get us roped into listening to an entire history lesson with these people, and then who knows when we'd get out of here since we wouldn't be able to leave without it being disrespectful. But since we now have time to kill, I might as well tell you."

Grumbling, Shoutmon led them out of the shop and through town. It seemed that all the residents were making their way to the same location, and it soon became apparent that they were all carrying a data pack.

"Ok," said Shoutmon, "remember how I said that the Digimon here are really big on worship? Well, the ones they worship are these two powerful dragon Digimon called Volcanicdramon and Metallicdramon. They're the dragons of fire and light, or so they call them here. I'm sure you can figure out which is which based on their names."

TK nodded. "I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Volcanicdramon is the dragon of fire and Metallicdramon is the dragon of light."

"We have a genius on our hands. Ok, so listen up. Metallicdramon is an extremely powerful sky dragon Digimon who flies at the highest altitude of the Digital World at the speed of light. It's said that if Metallicdramon flaps his wings from high in the sky that mysterious data particles will be scattered that preserve the harmony of the Digital World. His Laser Cannon attack fires a powerful beam whose light can be seen from 10 miles away, and anyone in close range will be blinded by it. He moves so fast that other Digimon can't even see him, and it's said that if he ever reduces his altitude so that he's visible that it's a sign that something is about to happen."

Davis blinked. "Wow, that's quite the profile."

Takato nodded in agreement. "Yeah, he kind of reminds me of a combination of Ho-Oh, Lugia, and Rayquaze."

Shoutmon waved this off dismissively. "I don't know who they are. Anyway, Volcanicdramon is, I guess you can say, his opposite. He's a very powerful earth dragon Digimon who swims through magma so deep underground that not even other Digimon who move about there can reach him. His Volcanic Flare attack unleashes flames that can incinerate whole landscapes, and the areas that are burned never return to the way they were before and become uninhabited wastelands forever. It's said that he's actually supported the Digital World ever since its creation, and if he ever rises to the surface that it could mean that some kind of crisis is happening in the Digital World."

Takuya whistled. "These guys practically sound like gods."

Shoutmon wobbled his head. "Close enough. Apparently, Metallicdramon spends a lot of time flying over this area, and there's a pit here that leads down to where Volcanicdramon dwells. So everyday at noon, the residents here provide them with tribute. If you want to watch the ritual, I suppose we could-"

"Yeah, let's go see," said Kari eagerly. "I'm curious."

"Yeah, me too," TK agreed.

"So am I," Takato added, and the teens began to follow the resident Digimon, much to Shoutmon's annoyance.

"I'm telling you," he called after them, "it's nothing but a major snooze-fest!"

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Shoutmon was right, it was a very boring ritual. All the town's residents stood before a giant alter as an enormous and elaborate Digimon known as Sakkakumon, whose body was that of a sefirot, held the ceremony.

"And as Metallicdramon provides us with peace and harmony from up above, Volcanicdramon provides us with support from below," the mutant Digimon declared. "Let us give thanks to the dragons of light and fire."

"Thank you, great dragons!" the residential Digimon chorused.

Davis yawned. "Now I know why Shoutmon wanted to leave before this started. It's taking forever."

Takuya appeared to be nodding off as well. "Yeah, and it's really boring too." He glanced at the residential Digimon. "Although these guys seem rather enthusiastic about it."

"And now," Sakkakumon announced loudly, "let us show our appreciation to the great dragons by providing them our offerings!"

The residential Digimon quickly separated into two sides. Then they began making their way up to the alter. The teens approached, and as they did so, they caught sight of something they hadn't seen from so far back. To Sakkakumon's right, there was a hole in the ground, so deep the bottom could not be seen. To his left, barely visible, was a swirling gust of wind that went straight up like a tornado, disappearing into the sky.

As each of their turns came, the residential Digimon on the left threw the data packs they held into the pit, and the ones on the right tossed theirs into the swirling wind, where they were blown straight up into the sky, disappearing from sight.

"So we're at the offering part."

The teens turned around to see Shoutmon standing behind them. He had opted not to join them earlier, but it seemed he changed his mind.

"So they're giving Metallicdramon and Volcanicdramon data packs?" asked Takato.

"I'm surprised they're willing to part with data," said Davis. "Considering Digimon literally kill each other to get it."

Shoutmon just snorted. "Those data portions barely have enough data to make a meal. They're really not losing anything, nor are Metallicdramon or Volcanicdramon gaining anything."

"And where's your offering?" a nearby Digimon asked Shoutmon.

The dragon Digimon turned around to find several other Digimon looking at him expectantly. "I don't need to give any offerings. I'm the Digimon King. You may not recognize me, but I am."

"So what?" another Digimon asked. "You don't stabilize the Digital World or maintain its harmony the way Volcanicdramon and Metallicdramon do."

"Yeah," said another. "You should show your gratitude."

Kari chuckled. "They got you there."

Shoutmon glared at her. "Don't encourage them."

"Come on, make an offering," another Digimon shouted. "Show your gratitude and appreciation."

"Offering! Offering! Offering!" other Digimon began to chant cheerfully.

Shoutmon swiped his hands through the air. "Forget it. I'm not indulging in your obsessions."

"Offering! Offering!"

Under different circumstances, the display may have come across as intimidating, but instead it was rather comedic. The pleasant cheeriness of the residential Digimon was amusing as they tried to get Shoutmon to show his gratitude, sounding very much like a group of children attempting to get a grumpy adult to play with them. The teens chuckled as they watched Shoutmon grow more and more irritated under the playful peer pressure.

It was suddenly interrupted by the sound of a gun being fired, and everyone fell silent. "I'd like to make an offering," a familiar yet unwelcome voice spoke out. Several Digimon cried out, and the crowd began to scatter, revealing Boltboutamon walking towards the teens with a large grin on his face. "How about your heads on a plate?"

"Boltboutamon," Tai growled, instantly on guard. "What are you doing here?"

The demon Digimon snickered. "Who? Me? I'm simply here for the daily ritual."

"You are not welcome here," Sakkakumon roared. "Be gone from this place!"

Boltboutamon shook his finger at him, not the least bit intimidated by the mutant Digimon's enormous size. "Tssk, tssk. That's not very nice. I just want to pay my respects to the great dragons."

TK glared at him. "I find that hard to believe."

Letting out a sigh, Boltboutamon gave a dramatic shrug. "Fine, you caught me. I do have an alternative motive. Bagramon wants to just get rid of you, but I have my own plan to make things a little interesting. So, let's raise the stakes a bit."

"We're not interested in whatever you're planning," Takuya snapped.

The demon Digimon pouted dramatically. "But I've been waiting for you to get here, and now that you are, you don't want to see what I have planned?"

Suspicion ran through Takato at his words. "Why, what are you planning?"

Boltboutamon tapped his fingers together and licked his licks in anticipation. "Oh, nothing much." He stepped backwards through a portal that appeared behind him. A second one appeared on the alter that he stepped out of. "Just a little something involving Metallicdramon and Volcanicdramon."

A look of concern flashed across Shoutmon's face. "What do you want with them?"

"Relax," Boltboutamon told him, and glanced down the pit that led to Volcanicdramon. "I'm simply going to bring them both to the planet's surface and force them to fight each other to the death. It'd make quite the entertaining show, don't you think? Care to place a bet on who would win?"

"Are you mad!?" Sakkakumon thundered. "You seek to have the two of them clash? They would destroy the Digital World with their battle."

Boltboutamon's grin widened and he sneered at the mutant Digimon. "That's the idea."

Takuya shook his head. "Not happening, ugly. We didn't go through all this to save the Digital World just to have it destroyed in some twisted game of yours."

Boltboutamon's head turned almost mechanically to look back at him. "Oh? Then I guess you're just going to have to stop me then."

"Gladly!" Davis cried. "Execute! Spirit Evolution… Imperialdramon Paladin Mode!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Omnimon Merciful Mode!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… MedievalGallantmon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Susanoomon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Seraphimon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Ophanimon C!"

"Shoutmon Warp Digivolve to… OmniShoutmon X!"

Boltboutamon regarded the group with interest. "Ooh, a few of you have gained some new attire since our last meeting. How fun. I can't wait to try them out."

"Enough!" Sakkakumon declared furiously. "You shall not defile this sacred place any further with your conflict!"

The star-shaped mark on what seemed to serve as the mutant Digimon's stomach began to glow. Suddenly, it shined a light on Boltboutamon and the DigiDestined. The latter group cried out as they vanished while Boltboutamon just continued to grin.

Notes:

(A/N: And Boltboutamon has crashed the party yet again, with a rather drastic plan in mind. But our heroes are stronger than ever, and they're not about to let him have his way. And now that Sakkakumon has teleported them… somewhere, could this be their final battle with him? And what about TK's prophecy? Was it what you were expecting? If you think about it, AncientWisemon never did actually say that TK would die, he just asked if he would be willing to die for his friends, which seemed to have been the case. There's more action and surprises to come, so stay tuned.)

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New Digimon that appear or are mentioned.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Solarmon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Volcanicdramon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Metallicdramon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Sakkakumon

Chapter 188: All Or Nothing

Notes:

(A/N: Hello, everyone. Hope you all had a happy holiday, and we still got New year's coming up. Fingers crossed that this next year will be better than the last few. But let's not dwell on morbid things, it's time for our next chapter. Our heroes have been trapped with Boltboutamon inside Sakkakumon. Could this actually be their final battle with their long time enemy? Read on to find out.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 188: All Or Nothing

The DigiDestined blinked as they looked around their new surroundings. No longer were they in the town, but instead found themselves in a rocky barren landscape. There was something strangely… off about the place though, as if it didn't feel natural. And up in the sky was the star shaped symbol that had been on Sakkakumon's center sphere.

"What happened?" Susanoomon asked. "Where are we?"

"We're inside Sakkakumon," OmniShoutmon X replied. "Each of the spheres of his body contains a pocket dimension he can trap his enemies in."

"Well, that's just great," Imperialdramon grumbled. "So how do we get out of here?"

"Without the ability to teleport, unless Sakkakumon lets us out himself, we'd have to go through each of the trials in each of his spheres. But that's not important right now." He looked at Boltboutamon. "We've got bigger problems."

The demon Digimon just chuckled. "Well, I hadn't expected this. I planned on coaxing both Metallicdramon and Volcanicdramon into battle and have them fight it out while I fought against you, but it seems that Sakkakumon had other plans." He brought his gun up to his mouth and dragged his tongue over the barrel in a rather perverse manner. "Of course, I could just create a portal out of here and do just that while leaving you trapped in here, but maybe this is for the best. I can now fight you with us going all out. No tricks, no distractions, no copies, no retreating. Just you and me. Yes, I think this will be very entertaining. And I can always make Metallicdramon and Volcanicdramon fight it out later. Keep that in mind for when you perish."

MedievalGallantmon held up his axe. "So this is it then? Our final battle with you where we get serious and pull out all the stops."

"Bingo!" the demon Digimon replied. "Not really much of a choice. I'm afraid we're out of time. Aside from me, there's really nothing else standing between you and Bagramon. So it looks like it's now or never. If we don't have it out now, we probably won't get the chance later."

Imperialdramon humphed. "So it's the mini-boss before the final boss scenario."

Boltboutamon cocked his gun. "I take offense to that." He pointed it at them. "I'm the final boss. Dark Rostrum!"

He fired. The DigiDestined scattered and the bullet hit the ground, creating a magic circle from which a tornado emerged. The DigiDestined fled as the vortex rose up into the air, and the wind began violently whipping around them.

"Crap," Susanoomon growled. "I forgot how many tricks this guy has up his sleeve."

Boltboutamon came flying past him. "You would do well to remember. Baleful Draw!"

He began rapidly firing his guns. Susanoomon held up his arms to block his face as the bullets struck him, and he grunted with each hit. Boltboutamon flew at him, delivering a kick that sent the god Digimon flying into the tornado. Omnimon intercepted him, grabbing Susanoomon and pulling him to the ground as the tornado swirled nearby. Boltboutamon grinned and fired his Quartzione, and his deadly bullet flew down at Omnimon and Susanoomon. The former slashed at the bullet with his sword, knocking it away, but the bullet kept coming, and the approaching tornado was making him lose ground.

"Somebody get rid of that tornado!" he shouted.

"I got it," Imperialdramon declared, flying towards the tornado. "Omni Sword!"

He cut through the tornado as if it were something solid, disrupting the wind current, but not for long. As the tornado began to reform, he fired his Giga Crusher into it, and the blast that followed succeeded in permanently dispersing the vortex.

With the wind current gone, Omnimon was able to anchor himself and attack properly. With a swipe of his Fearsome Blade, he sent out an energy blade that cut Boltboutamon's bullet in two. The demon Digimon merely chuckled though and used his Pernicious Waltz, sending numerous swords flying at Omnimon and Susanoomon from all different directions. MedievalGallantmon landed beside them and began to aid his fellow knight Digimon in batting them away.

As Boltboutamon proceeded to chuckle, Ophanimon C came at him, striking with her Holy Slash. The demon Digimon glanced at her and dodged at the last second. She flew forward and stabbed at him with her lance, but he flew off, avoiding the jab. She turned to him and held out her hand, launching fireballs at him with her Volcano Napalm. He flew along, laughing as the fireballs exploded around him, then suddenly shot off in a different direction as OmniShoutmon X appeared in his path and fired his Zeal Magnum at him.

Boltboutamon flew up and away from the attack, only to have Seraphimon come down at him from up above, bringing down his Excalibur. Boltboutamon's bladed tail came up, catching the blade, and he sneered at the angel Digimon.

Holding up his gun, he fired. Seraphimon pulled back, and the bullet whizzed past him. Boltboutamon then fired his Dark Spirit, blasting him away with a ball of darkness. Imperialdramon came at him then, swiping with his Omni Sword. The demon Digimon's hand came up, catching the blade without even looking at him. He twisted the sword out of Imperialdramon's hands, then whacked him with the hilt with such force that he sent the dragon Digimon crashing to the ground.

"Victorize Banking!"

"Shining Laser II!"

OmniShoutmon X and Ophanimon C's attacks came at him from below. Boltboutamon just smiled and used his Curtain Call, snapping his fingers to send out a shockwave that canceled out their attacks.

"Electric Cloud!" he cried, and storm clouds appeared in the sky that suddenly sent down bolts of lightning.

OmniShoutmon X and Ophanimon C cried out as they were struck. Boltboutamon chuckled and tossed Imperialdramon's sword aside, then used his Final Act attack. Two portals appeared on either side of him, and he stuck his hands through them. Two more larger portals appeared, one behind OmniShoutmon X and one behind Ophanimon C, and giant version of his hands came out of them, plowing into the two Digimon and clapping his hands together, with the dragon and angel Digimon sandwiched between them.

Omnimon came up behind him and swiped with his sword. Boltboutamon's tail came up, the blade at the end of it catching the knight Digimon's swipe. Looking amused, Boltboutamon glanced at him over his shoulder.

"Nice try, attacking me from behind while two of my hands are occupied," he commented. "And a rather dirty move on your part."

"I've got your dirty move, right here!" MedievalGallantmon cried, popping up in front of him.

He stabbed forward with his axe, using the pointed bottom end of it instead of the top with the blade. Boltboutamon's hand shot out, grabbing the end of the axe. The knight Digimon suddenly unleashed his Rage of Wyvern, and a mass of energy in the shape of a dragon burst from the end of his axe where Boltboutamon was holding it, and Omnimon pulled back as the attack flowed over the demon Digimon.

Boltboutamon was blasted back, his hands retracting from within the portals. Neither Omnimon nor MedievalGallantmon hesitated, firing their Double Torrent and Final Crest, while down on the ground, Susanoomon had his holy weapon at the ready, and fired his ZERO-ARMS: Orcohi up at the demon Digimon, which exploded against him shortly after the two knight Digimon's attacks landed.

"Nice hits," Omnimon complemented.

Boltboutamon drifted out of the cloud, his body smoking. MedievalGallantmon didn't hesitate and flew at him, raising his axe over his head. Using his Dynas attack, he brought it down, but at the last second, Boltboutamon clapped his hands together, catching the axe. His eyes opened and he smirked mockingly at the knight Digimon.

"That was clever," he stated. "You actually got the jump on me there."

"Fearsome Blade!"

Omnimon's bladed energy whip came at him. Boltboutamon simply used his Battlefield Remover, and a portal opened up beneath him that he sank into, avoiding the attack. He reappeared behind Susanoomon, who glanced over his shoulder at him, then whirled around with his weapon pointed at the demon Digimon.

"Celestial Blade!"

Boltboutamon sidestepped the attack, avoiding the golden blade of light as it burst from the weapon. Susanoomon merely swiped towards him, but the demon Digimon almost casually hopped over it, doing a flip in the air. He lashed out with his bladed tail, slicing Susanoomon's weapon in half, and the blade of light faded out as the weapon split in two.

The god Digimon improvised. The rest of his weapon fell apart, leaving him holding a sword, and he lunged at Boltboutamon. The demon Digimon easily caught his sword swipe with his bladed tail, holding it back. One of his hands then shot out, grabbing Susanoomon and pressing a clawed finger into a bullet wound, making the god Digimon cry out.

"I bet that hurts," he mocked.

Susanoomon pulled away from him and jumped back. "Heavenly Wing Beheading!"

One by one, a Legendary Warrior jumped out of him, his form fading more and more with each one. They each swiped at Boltboutamon with a sword, but the demon Digimon casually deflected each one with his bladed tail, humming all the while. And when the last of the Legendary Warriors struck, the 10 of them formed into Susanoomon again.

"Coming at me with 10 blades at once, that's cheating," Boltboutmon stated mockingly. "I suppose I should return the favor. Pernicious Waltz!"

Numerous swords appeared in the air around Susanoomon. Boltboutamon then used his Root Bind, and several vines burst out of the ground and coiled around the god Digimon. A moment later, the swords all shot forward, and Susanoomon cried out as he was impaled by them.

Grinning, Boltboutamon pointed his gun at the god Digimon. "Bang."

He fired his Baleful Draw. At the last moment, Seraphimon swooped in and knocked the bullet away with his Excalibur, then flew at Boltboutamon. The demon Digimon hopped back and reached out, grabbing hold of Seraphimon's blade of light with his bare hand. His bladed tail came up and slashed at the angel Digimon, but Seraphimon's own hand shot out and grasped his tail right beneath the blade. Boltboutamon chuckled and held out his hand, and a rapier appeared in it. He stabbed at Seraphimon with his Chaos Gaieties attack, who pulled back, narrowly missing getting stabbed.

"Strike of the Seven Stars!" he cried, firing his seven balls of light.

Boltboutamon was hit by the attack, and skidded back. Then Imperialdramon came flying in. He lashed out with his Imperial Claw, but Boltboutamon flipped over it, driving his rapier into the dragon Digimon's arm in the process, making him cry out.

"Inferno!" Omnimon cried, and began repeatedly firing from his cannon.

A blast struck Boltboutamon, and he turned to the knight Digimon. Using his Curtain Call, he countered the other blasts that came at him. Then OmniShoutmon X was there, flying in with his Omega Force Glide. His glowing form slammed into the demon Digimon, then he kicked out with his Beat Slash. Boltboutamon grabbed his bladed leg before the cutting shockwave was sent out, then swung him over his shoulder and slammed the dragon Digimon to the ground.

"Call Dramon!" Ophanimon C cried, and her dragon manifested.

Boltboutamon turned to it as the dragon opened its mouth and breathed fire at him. Using his Tailwind, he moved at rapid speeds, and was suddenly hovering beside the dragon's head. With a swipe of his bladed tail, he decapitated it, then used his enhanced speed once more to appear beside Ophanimon C. A rapier appeared in his hand, and he stabbed forward. The angel Digimon just barely managed to raise her shield, but the sword still punctured it, the blade nearly stabbing her in the head as it shot past her face.

Using the fact that his rapier was now buried in her shield, Ophanimon C thrust it to the side, pulling it out of his hand and giving her a clear opening. "Holy Destroy!"

She blasted him with a beam of holy light at pointblank range, and Boltboutamon was pushed back. When her attack finished, she followed up with her Air Sefirot Crystal, but he had recovered quickly and used his Forcefield Creation, conjuring up a barrier that blocked her attack.

Then his hand shot out and grabbed her, and he used his Absorption to begin sucking her energy. Ophanimon C cried out and lashed out at him with her Holy Slash. He released her to avoid the attack, and she drifted away from him.

"Let's turn up the heat," he said with an arrogant grin. "Hellfire Manipulation!"

He sent fire reigning down, and the flames quickly spread across the ground. Seraphimon had been in the process of pulling the rapiers out of Susanoomon when the flames came at them.

"Go!" the god Digimon snapped.

"I can't leave you here!" Seraphimon told him.

"Just go, I can make it from here!"

The angel Digimon hesitated, but decided to trust him, and flew into the air. Susanoomon braced himself, taking a deep breath, and then flexed his whole body. The lengths of the remaining rapiers still buried in his body broke, leaving segments of the swords inside him. It was unimaginably painful, but Susanoomon bared it.

He then attempted to fly into the air, but the vines binding him kept him in place. It was actually infuriating to think that mere vines could actually hold him when he was powerful enough to destroy an entire planet, but then again, they weren't normal vines. But when Boltboutamon's flames reached him, they actually aided him in tearing free, and he only got a little singed.

OmniShoutmon X flew over to the wounded god Digimon. "You ok?"

"I got careless," Susanoomon grumbled. "Right off the bat, I goofed. Purification!"

His injuries healed, and the broken rapiers that were still inside him dissolved away in the process.

"He went after you first because you're the strongest of us," OmniShoutmon X told him.

"Regardless, I can't make that mistake again."

Boltboutamon turned to the newly healed god Digimon and cocked his head so far to the side that he actually leaned over. "No fair healing all that beautiful damage I caused. But if you get a clean slate, then I deserve one as well. Healing!"

His own damage he had sustained healed, leaving the demon Digimon fresh and new, and MedievalGallantmon swiped his axe through the air in frustration. "This guy has too many abilities. How is this fair?"

"It could be worse," Omnimon replied. "Remember all of Millenniummon's powers?"

"That was bull crap too!"

"At least we know it's the real Boltboutamon and not a copy," Seraphimon pointed out. "Otherwise he would have disappeared when we damaged him. Meaning if we can beat him, then he's gone for good."

Boltboutamon laughed. "That's assuming you can beat me. It's very cute that you think you can. Honestly though, your chances aren't looking very good."

"Then let's improve them," Susanoomon declared. "Magna Thunder!"

A cage of lightning suddenly appeared around Boltboutamon, and the demon Digimon raised an eyebrow as he was trapped inside it. The others instantly attacked.

"Hyper Prominence!"

"Graceful Cannon!"

"Final Crest!"

"Shining Laser III!"

"Hallowed Ascension!"

"Omega the Fusion!"

The attacks came at Boltboutamon and erupted into a mighty blast. The DigiDestined waited for the smoke to clear so they could attack again, but when it did, there was no trace of the demon Digimon.

OmniShoutmon X looked around. "Where is he?"

He suddenly felt something press against his back, and he looked over his shoulder to see Boltboutamon hovering behind him, the demon Digimon's gun pressed into his back.

"You should know that no prison can hold me," he told the dragon Digimon in a serious voice. "Quartzione!"

He fired, and the bullet blasted into OmniShoutmon X's back. That wasn't the end of it though, and OmniShoutmon X knew it. The bullet didn't go all the way through, nor did it simply embed itself in him. Rather, it began moving of its own accord, digging its way through his body, tearing him apart from the inside.

As Boltboutamon began laughing, OmniShoutmon X began screaming in pain. Both MedievalGallantmon and Seraphimon flew at the demon Digimon and lashed out with their Excalibur and Dynas. Boltboutamon dodged one, then the other before flying off, and MedievalGallantmon gave chase. Seraphimon stayed behind and grabbed OmniShoutmon X as the dragon Digimon thrashed about in agony.

"Hold on," he told him. "I'll help."

Boltboutamon's Quartzione attack seemed especially and unnecessarily cruel, but there was no doubt how lethal and affective it was, so Seraphimon gave up the energy necessary to use his Perfect Revival to heal his friend, and OmniShoutmon X stopped screaming.

Boltboutamon laughed gleefully as he flew along with MedievalGallantmon, Susanoomon, and Omnimon right behind him. Ophanimon C and Imperialdramon suddenly flew into his path and attacked with their Volcano Napalm and Super Positron Laser. Boltboutamon maneuvered around one attack, then the other, and the unleashed his Venom Disaster, breathing a poisonous fog at the dragon and angel Digimon as he passed by, leaving them coughing and sputtering. He then turned around as he flew along, breathing more poisonous gas at his pursuers. The DigiDestined were forced to divert their pursuit to avoid the gas. They flew straight up, and Boltboutamon began shooting at them with his Baleful Draw.

"Darn him," Ophanimon C growled, and sent her flames outward, then wrapped them around herself and her friends so Boltboutamon couldn't see them to shoot at them.

"Nice going, Ophanimon," MedievalGallantmon told her.

"This will only buy us some time," she said. "He's going to be on us the moment I let my flames drop."

Omnimon held up his sword. "Then let's be ready for him."

The others all prepared to attack. Ophanimon C suddenly dropped her flames and got ready to attack as well, but they all froze. Surrounding them were several dozen Boltboutamon copies, having surrounded the ball of fire, and all their guns were pointed at the DigiDestined.

"Baleful Draw!" they all cried, and began shooting.

"Damn him!" Omnimon snarled.

"Heaven's Thunder!" Susanoomon cried, calling down streams of lightning in the shape of dragons. Instead of using them to attack, however, he had them rotate around their group to block the incoming barrage of bullets.

"Fearsome Blade!" Omnimon cried, whipping out his energy blade.

It flew at a Boltboutamon, who didn't even bother trying to dodge it, and burst into data. Omnimon began swinging his energy blade, destroying one after another. When he came upon one in particular, however, its bladed tail came up, blocking the attack. This caused all the other Boltboutamon to burst into data, but the original one was still grinning.

"You found me," he said mockingly, "congratulations."

"Then give me a prize by keeping still," Omnimon told him, raising his cannon. "Graceful Cannon!"

Boltboutamon actually remained where he was and simply held up his hand and the knight Digimon's attack hit his palm. It didn't cut through like it was supposed to though as Boltboutamon held the attack back. And when it stopped, his hand was frozen in a block of ice that the demon Digimon looked at curiously.

"Cool," remarked in a joking manner.

Imperialdramon flew at him. Using his Splendor Blade, he swiped at Boltboutamon with both swords. The demon Digimon did a twisting flip in the air, avoiding the blade of light while knocking away the Omni Sword with his bladed tail. He swung his frozen hand, shattering the ice surrounding it as he slammed it into Imperialdramon's head, the blow sending the giant dragon Digimon flying.

Susanoomon had been directly behind him, and he struck Boltboutamon square in the jaw with his Flash Punch. He then followed up with his Fist of the Gods, rapidly raining punches over the demon Digimon, then using his Flash Punch again, knocking him away before sending a bolt of lightning at him with his Glory Thunder.

Boltboutamon halted his momentum, then reached up and wiped at his mouth before grinning. He turned back to the DigiDestined, and Ophanimon C suddenly flew up to him. He sneered at her and held out his hand, a rapier appearing in it. As he made to stab at her though, she used her Holy Light III, emitting a radiant light. Boltboutamon hissed and recoiled from it as Ophanimon C held up her hands and fired her Shining Laser III, pushing him back.

"Omega Force Glide!" OmniShoutmon X cried. He flew forward, surrounded by an aura, and plowed into Boltboutamon's back as Ophanimon C's attack pushed him back.

Boltboutamon grunted and glanced back at OmniShoutmon X. One of his hands shot out, seizing the dragon Digimon by the neck, and then snapped his fingers to unleash his Curtain Call, dispersing Ophanimon C's attack. "Paralysis!"

OmniShoutmon X felt a jolt go through his body, and he suddenly couldn't move. Boltboutamon grinned and held out his rapier, stabbing forward to impale the dragon Digimon. That's when MedievalGallantmon came dropping down, using his Dynas, and his axe cut Boltboutamon's rapier in half just before it could stab OmniShoutmon X. He then fired his Final Crest, and Boltboutamon dropped the dragon Digimon as the attack struck him.

Seraphimon flew up, catching OmniShoutmon X, then unleashed his Hallowed Ascension on Boltboutamon. Lightning came down on him, and the demon Digimon grit his teeth. Then both Imperialdramon and Omnimon flew at Boltboutamon from different sides, Imperialdramon manifesting his cannons and Omnimon holding out both arms. As they passed by on either side of the demon Digimon, they fired their Giga Crusher and Double Torrent. The two attacks met with Boltboutamon in the middle, and an explosion erupted outward, the force of the blast sending both Omnimon and Imperialdramon spinning through the air, even as they flew away from it.

"Let's see how he likes all that," Susanoomon said.

From out of the cloud of smoke, Boltboutamon fell to the ground. The DigiDestined thought he was going to crash, but then he did a flip at the last moment and landed in a crouched down position. Slowly, he rose to his feet, his head down, and the DigiDestined landed a distance away. For a few moments, they all stood motionless, then Boltboutamon's shoulders began shaking, and then he raised his head and began openly laughing.

"That was some good teamwork," he told them. "I think I actually felt that one."

MedievalGallantmon growled. "You've got to be kidding me. That barely even fazed him."

"He's got to be bluffing," Imperialdramon insisted. "All those hits would even hurt a Demon Lord."

Boltboutamon raised an eyebrow. "Bluffing, you say? I have no reason to bluff. Tell me, does this look like I'm bluffing. Pernicious Waltz!"

Dozens of swords appeared in the air around them. Boltboutamon grinned and flicked his finger, and the swords began flying at them. They flew down and then pulled up at the last second so they wouldn't bury in the ground, then did a large somersault in the air and flew at the DigiDestined again. Any they dodged or batted away simply doubled back and came at them again.

"Damn this guy," Omnimon growled. "Ophanimon, obscure us."

The angel Digimon nodded and wrapped them all in a dome of fire. The swords kept coming though, only now their paths were more random since Boltboutamon could no longer see them to direct his swords at them.

"Nicely done," OmniShoutmon X said. "Now listen, we need to hit Boltboutamon with one powerful hit. Hopefully, that will do some heavy damage."

"So a combo move then," MedievalGallantmon suggested as he knocked away one sword and dodged another.

The dragon Digimon nodded. "My thoughts exactly. Ophanimon, keep the fire burning. Seraphimon, MedievalGallantmon, cover us, keep these swords away. Everyone else, to me."

The others nodded, and Omnimon, Imperialdramon, and Susanoomon gathered around OmniShoutmon X. Seraphimon flew around Ophanimon C, knocking away any swords that came at her as she kept up the fiery dome, and MedievalGallantmon did the same for the others.

"Don't hold back," OmniShoutmon X told them. "Hit him with everything you've got. On the count of three. One, two, three! Omega the Fusion!"

"Graceful Cannon!"

"Hyper Prominence!

"ZERO-ARMS: Orochi!"

As his swords continued to fly into the fiery dome, Boltboutamon approached with a large grin on his face. "Come out, come out, little humans. The fun isn't over yet."

He stopped right in front of the flames and snickered. That's when he noticed a light that seemed to be penetrating through the flames, and he cocked his head to the side curiously. A moment later, the combination of attacks tore through the fire in a massive beam and struck him. He cried out as the beam carried him away and slammed him into a rock wall. The attack kept pushing, burrowing deeply into the rock wall for several hundred meters, with Boltboutamon at the end of it, before finally erupting.

Ophanimon C finally let the fire dome drop, and the DigiDestined looked at the large, mushroom shaped cloud in the distance. There was no sign of Boltboutamon.

"Whoa, we got him, "Imperialdramon commented.

"I figured that when all his swords disappeared," said MedievalGallantmon.

But now the question remained, how much damage did they deliver? They watched and waited, and suddenly Boltboutamon came leaping out of the cave. He stood up straight, grinning at them broadly, and a chuckle escaped him.

"Little, little humans, don't realize that they're dead," he said in a sing-song voice. "Guess I'm gonna have to pound the thought in their head."

Omnimon took a startled step back. "This is impossible. He just keeps bouncing back."

"How are we supposed to stop him?" Ophanimon C exclaimed.

Seraphimon's fists clenched. "We have no choice. If we can't overpower him, then our only option is to hit him with a lethal physical strike."

"That's fine with me," said Susanoomon, and his ZERO-ARMS: Orochi fell apart, leaving him with a sword. "Let's rush him. All or nothing."

From a distance away, Boltboutamon seemed to realize they were about to try something desperate and licked his lips in anticipation. "How delightful."

"I'm all for this," said Imperialdramon. "Who wants to lead the charge?"

"I'll do it," MedievalGallantmon volunteered, swiping his axe through the air.

"I just hope this works," said Ophanimon C. "Let's go."

They charged forward, MedievalGallantmon in the lead. Boltboutamon's grin widened as they came at him.

"Yes, that's it," he said. "Come to die! Final Act!"

Portals appeared around him, and he stuck all four of his hands into them. All across the distance separating him and the DigiDestined, several dozen other portals appeared. As they charged forward, one of Boltboutamon's now giant hands emerged and reached for MedievalGallantmon. He jumped over the hand as it smashed against the ground, and then swiped his axe at another that came out of a different portal. A third came at him from another, and he leapt back to avoid it, allowing Omnimon to take the lead, who ducked under another reaching hand.

More giant hands began emerging, reaching for the DigiDestined as they flew towards the demon Digimon. They mostly went for whoever was in the lead as the others followed close behind, maneuvering around Boltboutamon's arms. The leader of the charge changed frequently as they dodged the reaching hands, but Imperialdramon, as the largest, always remained in the back. But even as the distance closed between them and their enemy, Boltboutamon continued to grin.

When they were almost upon him, Imperialdramon suddenly pulled forward, and the others let him pass, causing Boltboutamon to chuckle. "Hiding behind the big guy," he mocked. "How very predictable."

A portal opened above Imperialdramon, and one of his giant hands shot out, reaching for the dragon Digimon. Imperialdramon kept charging forward and used his Splendor Blade, slashing at the reaching hand.

Suddenly, OmniShoutmon X flipped over Imperialdramon's shoulder and kicked off him, launching himself at Boltboutamon. "Beat Slash!"

His legs turned into blades and he kicked forward, burying his bladed leg into the demon Digimon's chest nearly up to his knee. Boltboutamon's eyes bulged out in shock, and a pained gasp escaped him. "What?"

No time was wasted as Imperialdramon abandoned his Splendor Blade to the giant hand and stabbed forward with his Omni Sword. It stabbed into Boltboutamon's torso, nearly splitting him in two due to its size, bursting out his back and pushing him back until his hands exited the portals.

Ophanimon C came flying around Imperialdramon, and she drove her flaming lance into Boltboutamon. Seraphimon came around from the other side, stabbing him with his Excalibur as well. Then both Susanoomon and Omnimon flew over Imperialdramon's shoulders and came down at him, both of them driving their own swords into him, leaving the demon Digimon impaled by numerous blades and weapons.

Finally, in came MedievalGallantmon. He used his axe to pole vault over Imperialdramon's head, twisting and flipping in the air. "Dynas!"

Raising his weapon high, he brought it down on the demon Digimon's head as he landed behind Boltboutamon, the blade splitting him down the middle and slamming into the ground.

Notes:

(A/N: Oh snap! Boltboutamon just took some pretty heavy hits. Numerous impalements and an axe splitting him in two. Did they do it, did they finally defat Boltboutamon once and for all? You'll have to wait until next chapter to find out, so I'll see you then.)

Chapter 189: Flight To The Finish

Notes:

(A/N: I did have someone point out that after being struck by Imperialdramon's sword that Boltboutamon should have split into Myotismon and Piedmon. Well, yes and know. It's true that the power of his sword rests an opponent's data, which would have split him apart, however, that's only under the affects of his Omni Sword attack where he fuels it with power that causes the reset, it's not a default power of the sword. Kind of like the difference between Agumon using his Claw Attack over simply scratching with his claws, or Angewoman using her Holy Slap as opposed to simply slapping someone. Get it? They need to empower the blow. Imperialdramon didn't use his actual attack at the end of the last chapter, he simply stabbed Boltboutamon, so that's why there was no split. Hope that clears things up. Also, if anyone is interested, I posted a one-shot story for a new series I just finished called Centaurworld. It's an interesting and amusing show, but pretty trippy. Check it out if you're interested. So, now let's get on to the next chapter.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 189: Flight To The Finish

Boltboutamon stood in shock, several blades buried inside him. His mouth dropped open to release a grumble, and then he began to split in half right down the middle. OmniShoutmon X didn't leave it at that though. Keeping his bladed leg still buried in Boltboutamon, he jumped up and kicked out with his other leg, cutting clean through the demon Digimon's neck.

Boltboutamon's head came right off his shoulders, the two halves separating as they flew through the air and then bursting into data. The other two halves of his body began to slide apart, and then began dissolving away as well.

The DigiDestined stared, scarcely able to believe it. They half expected this to be another trick on the demon Digimon's part, but it wasn't. The foe who had tormented them for so long, who was arguably even worse than the Demon Lords, had finally been vanquished.

"Boltboutamon's gone," Susanoomon awed. "He's really gone."

"I wasn't sure we'd ever be able to defeat him," MedievalGallantmon confessed. "The Demon Lords, maybe, but him, I wasn't sure."

Seraphimon gave a reluctant nod. "He's been a part of our journey for so long, it felt like we'd never be rid of him."

"Of course we would," Imperialdramon replied. "It was only a matter of time."

A soft chuckle escaped OmniShoutmon X. "It almost seems fitting that we would have our final confrontation with him just before we face Bagramon. That had been my biggest concern, that the two of them would fight together. I doubt we could have won if they did."

Ophanimon C found she had nothing to say as she took it all in. But then a gasp escaped her as she realized something. "Quick, OmniShoutmon, absorb his data before it disappears."

The dragon Digimon hesitated for a moment before shaking his head. "No, I think it's best if I don't."

Imperialdramon gave him a look of disbelief. "What? Why? With as strong as Boltboutamon was, you'll get a nice power boost, and we'll need all the power we can get when we face Bagramon."

Sighing, OmniShoutmon X shook his head again. "It might be too risky. Boltboutamon was the only one of his kind to ever appear. And he first manifested as the Malevolent Fist from pure evil straight from the Dark Area itself. He was a data parasite that was pure entity who possessed a Piedmon and a Myotismon and then merged with them to form his body, and I can't help but remember how Millenniummon broke down into Dark Spores when he was destroyed. I don't want to take the chance of becoming corrupted by his evil if I absorb his data."

Seraphimon stared at him for a few moments before looking back at Boltboutamon's data as it faded away, unclaimed. "Yeah, I guess I can see your point. It's just a shame to let all that data go to waste when we could put it to good use."

Susanoomon glanced at him. "Well, it's not really going to waste. The Digital World recycles any data that doesn't get absorbed and uses it that way."

Ophanimon C shook her head. "Not evil data, that gets deleted to the Dark Area."

The god Digimon's eyes widened as he remembered. "Oh, right, I forgot. Well, it's probably for the best. It would probably pollute the Digital World or something."

MedievalGallantmon sighed. "So, what now?"

"It is done!" a loud voice boomed, making them all jump. They were each suddenly surrounded by a bright light, and a feeling of them being yanked fell over them. And when the light faded, they found themselves back in the ancient town, surrounded by its residential Digimon, with Sakkakumon looming over them.

"The humans are victorious!" the mutant Digimon declared. "The defiler of the Dragons of Light and Fire has been vanquished."

Cheers erupted from the crowd, and Imperialdramon sweat-dropped. "Oh, right, I forgot we were fighting inside Sakkakumon."

Suddenly, the mutant Digimon's body reshaped itself into a serpentine form, and he leaned down, bringing his face by them. "Thou hast done us all a great service. By the grace of the great dragons, they have shown you the path to victory. You have served them well."

Susanoomon shifted uneasily. "Um, you're welcome?"

Sakkakumon laughed. "There be no need to be modest. Bask in the glory of your victory." He reformed into his natural sefirot shape. Let us all celebrate our heroes' triumph and give praise to the great dragons for guiding them to victory."

More cheers followed, and Imperialdramon perked up. "Sweet, we get a party."

OmniShoutmon X, however, just groaned. "No, not with these guys, they're insufferable."

Seraphimon reverted back to TK. "Come on, OmniShoutmon, it would be rude not to."

"And we'll get a free meal with it too," Susanoomon pointed out as he resumed human form as well.

One by one, they all changed back to normal and began giving the dragon Digimon pleading looks. Finally, OmniShoutmon X DeDigivolved and crossed his arms. "The things I do for you humans."

They let out small cheers of their own, then began making their way into the ecstatic crowd. The next thing they knew, they were lifted into the air as the residential Digimon began carrying them on their shoulders.

"Whoa!" Davis cried with a chuckle as he found his balance. "I could get used to this."

The others laughed as they were carried through the town. Shoutmon let out a loud sigh. "This is going to be a long day."

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

It had been a long day. At least as far as Shoutmon had been concerned. The party that had been thrown for them had been pleasant enough, and the residential Digimon seemed determine to stuff the teens until they were fit to burst. And while it hadn't been as bad as Shoutmon had thought it would be, if one more person gave praise to the Dragons of Light and Fire again, he thought he would go crazy.

So it was with great relief when they finally went to bed, but, unfortunately, it was very short-lived, as the moment the light of dawn appeared, they received a rude awakening that came in the form of a Digimon called Meteormon, who quite literally kicked down the door to their room at the inn they were staying at.

"Hurry, get up!" he shouted at them. "You've got to come right away!"

Tai startled awake, falling out of the bed with the sheets tangled around him. "What's going on!?"

Shoutmon sat up straight as well, looking around the room as he tried to remember where he was. "Where are we? What happened? Who is it?"

Meteormon was bouncing on the balls of his feet in excitement. "You've got to come quick! You've got to see… You won't believe… The Dragon of Light… Come now!"

Shoutmon blinked the sleep out of his eyes before it all suddenly came back to him. "Oh, right, we're here. I knew we should have just slept on Komondomon." He dropped back down, pulling the covers over his head. "Beat it, Shiny, we're sleeping in today."

Meteormon looked dismayed. "But… but…"

He seemed at a loss for words, and just kept pointing out the door. Shoutmon just growled. "I don't care about all your rituals. I wanna go to sleep."

Takuya yawned. "Yeah, with all due respect, yesterday was a big day for us, and then the celebrating ran late. We're still tired. So if you don't mind us…"

He laid back down. After a moment, Tai gave the ore Digimon an apologetic look and laid down as well; the others just continued to sleep. Meteormon looked around desperately, then ran out of the room. A few minutes later, he returned, and he wasn't alone. A Digimon that resembled a wooden cowboy doll was with him.

"Alright, ya'll," the new Digimon told them, "I need you up and at 'em. Don't make me drag yer keesters out of bed, 'cause I will. I'll rope 'n' hogtie each 'n' every one o' ya if I have ta."

Shoutmon just grumbled and pulled the blanket over his head. "Just try it, partner. I'll Digivolve and kick your keester."

The doll Digimon cracked his knuckles. "Alrighty then, you asked for it, compadre."

He marched over to the bed, and when he got there, he grabbed the blanket and scooped Shoutmon up in it as if it were a sack and threw it over his shoulder. The dragon Digimon began thrashing and swearing from within the blanket as his captor glanced at the teens.

"I'd be happy ta carry ya'll as well," he said cockily, "or you can walk on yer own two legs."

Meteormon smiled smugly. "You heard WoodWoodymon. Now, everyone get up."

Davis raised an eyebrow as he got out of bed. "WoodWoodymon? What is this, Toy Story?"

"Remember, Petermon and Tinkermon?" Takato asked.

"Fair point."

With great reluctance, the teens followed the doll and ore Digimon through the town as Shoutmon continued to thrash about in the blanket. They were led back to the alter, where all the residential Digimon were gathered around, bowing and chanting.

When WoodWoodymon stepped up to the alter, he dumped Shoutmon down onto it, and the dragon Digimon grumbled in annoyance. "These darn orthodox townies."

"Um, Shoutmon…" TK muttered.

The dragon Digimon glanced at him and the blonde boy nodded behind him. Slowly, Shoutmon turned around, and then looked up and up. Standing on the alter was a large silvery dragon Digimon that looked very much like one of the dragon statues.

"Wait," said Davis, his eyes wide, "is that Metallicdramon or Volcanicdramon?"

"I think it's safe to say it's Metallicdramon," Takato replied.

Sakkakumon brought his face down. "Thou fools! Of course it's Metallicdramon! Have you not eyes?"

The dragon Digimon in question snarled at him. "You will not speak down to these brave heroes!"

The mutant Digimon winced. "O-Of course, great one. Forgive me… I just wanted to make sure you were receiving the proper respect."

Metallicdramon humphed. "It is these humans who deserve the respect. They have done more for this world in the short time they have been here than I have in my entire lifetime. That is why I am here now, to change that."

His words suddenly reminded Takuya. "Didn't his profile say that he only comes down from the sky when something's about to happen?"

The dragon Digimon looked at him. "Something is about to happen. I witnessed your battle with Boltboutamon from within Sakkakumon."

TK's eyebrows rose as he wondered how that worked. "You saw our battle?"

"All here witnessed it," Sakkakumon told them. "I projected it for all to see."

Takato sweat-dropped. "Great, so everyone saw us get beaten up by Boltboutamon for most of the time."

Metallicdramon gave the teens a serious look. "Do not sell yourselves short, humans. Defeating Boltboutamon is an incredible feat, even if he did hold the advantage for the entire battle."

Now Kari sweat-dropped as well. "No offense, but you're not exactly making us feel any better."

"Humans," the dragon Digimon thunder impatiently, "I am saying that the time has come for you to face Bagramon." He spread his wings. "And I shall take you there myself."

The teens all gasped. Metallicdramon was volunteering to bring them to Bagramon's castle? That was unexpected. And apparently they weren't the only ones who thought so.

"Great one," Sakkakumon objected, "surely you can't mean to reduce yourself to a mere transport. It is unbecoming for you to-"

"Heed me!" Metallicdramon roared, and the mutant Digimon immediately fell silent. "I can fly at the speed of light. I will be able to bring the humans to his castle in no time."

Tai inhaled deeply. Metallicdramon was willing to bring them to their final destination? That meant their final battle could be just a few minutes away. And if they were victorious, they could be back home today. Was this really it? Could their long, difficult journey finally be at its end at last?

"Hey, um, Metallicdramon," said Davis. "We appreciate the help, but lightspeed is a little too fast for us. That speed would literally peel the flesh off our bones."

Tai's mood instantly shifted, and he slapped his forehead. "Davis, for the love of…"

Metallicdramon raised an eyebrow. "I can fly at a slower speed to accommodate you so you won't be damaged. In any case, I can bring you to your destination right now."

"Right now?" Takuya asked.

"Right now."

"As in now, now?"

"That's what 'now' means," Shoutmon snapped at him.

Takuya held up his hands. "Hey, I'm just trying to take this in; it's a little sudden."

"I'll say," TK agreed. "We thought we still had a couple more weeks of traveling to do."

"What about Komondomon?" Takato asked, looking back at the vehicle Digimon.

"Your friend is welcome to stay as long as he wishes, and to move along at any time," Sakkakumon told them.

Shoutmon waved off Takato's concern. "Komondomon will be fine. This is what he does; transport passengers, then move on. Come on, it's time to upgrade our ride."

Kari cut her eyes at him. "That was rude."

The dragon Digimon shrugged. "I'm not trying to be rude, but it's true. Going from traveling on the ground to traveling through the air up to lightspeed; there's really no comparison."

Davis beamed. "Well then, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" A moment later, his stomach growled. "But can we eat first?"

Groaning, Tai placed his hands on his hips and turned to his look-alike. "How can you be so hungry after pigging out so much last night?"

Davis just grinned broadly. "Hey, it's a new day, and I'm a growing boy. Besides, if we're going to face Bagramon, we'll need our energy."

Shoutmon inclined his head. "He has a point."

"I've got some food!" a Digimon declared.

"So do I!"

"Me too!"

"Take mine as well!"

The residential Digimon began piling up food in front of the teens, resulting in a large pile that was too big for them to take with them, let alone eat. Davis, however, dove right in and began stuffing his face.

Metallicdramon let out an impatient growl. "I am not waiting for you to eat. Take what you need and let us depart."

"You heard the great one," Sakkakumon instantly spoke up. "Do as he says!"

The teens sweat-dropped and picked what they wanted from the pile, and then approached Metallicdramon. The dragon Digimon bent down for them to climb onto his back, and they got as comfortable as they could on top of him.

Kari waved to the residential Digimon. "Thank you, everyone! Wish us luck! And thank you, Komondomon, for bring us this far!"

The vehicle Digimon barked happily in reply as the other Digimon called out to them. Then Metallicdramon began to rise up into the air with the teens on his back.

"Brace yourself," the dragon Digimon told them. "We're off."

Then he all but vanished from sight as he moved at speeds too fast to see, the teens screams lost amongst the sound of the wind whooshing past them.

There was one person, however, who could still see the teens, courtesy of his ruby eye.

Letting out a sigh, Bagramon got up from his throne. "And so the time has come."

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Time held no meaning. All the teens knew were the blurs of colors speeding past them and the rush of the wind on their faces. Faces that were currently pushed back by the windspeed, exposing their teeth and holding open their long since dried out eyes. Metallicdramon wasn't going anywhere near the speed of light, but even the smallest fraction of his top speed nearly caused the teens to pass out.

"'Ake 'im s'op!" Takuya tried to shout as his lips flopped about in the wind, but his voice was lost over the sound of the wind.

Even moving at all required the greatest effort, as the air pressure practically flattened them. TK somehow managed to twist himself around so he was facing backwards, and it was a great relief for his face. He nudged Kari and directed her to turn around as well, then the two of them helped out the others.

Davis was green in the face, looking like he was going to be sick. He covered his mouth, but was unable to hold back, and vomited, his puke flying past everyone, and, thankfully, missing them.

"Gross," Takato muttered.

"That's what you get for stuffing yourself before getting on the ride," said Shoutmon, both their words going by unheard.

They weren't sure how long they rode upon Metallicdramon. It couldn't have been more than a few minutes though before the dragon Digimon pulled to a stop, doing a flip in the air to slow his momentum so his stop wouldn't be so sudden.

"What happened?" Tai asked, feeling dizzy and nauseous. "Are we there?"

"Nearly," Metallicdramon replied as he landed on the ground, "but there's no need to go any further. Look at what has appeared in our path."

The teens turned to see what looked to be a massive tree. It had grown down from a portal high in the sky. The bottom of it, though, almost seemed to be shaped like a hand.

"Did that just drop down from the sky?" TK asked.

Metallicdramon nodded. "It did. It cut me off."

Kari looked it up and down. "Hey, guys, doesn't something look familiar about it?"

Still green in the face, Davis glanced at her. "What do you mean?"

Suddenly, close to the top of the tree, it split in two, and the broken end shaped itself into the shape of a hand and retreated into the portal, which closed soon afterwards.

"This is not good," Metallicdramon muttered as he came down for a landing. "I did not anticipate meeting him myself."

The teens began sliding off his back. "What do you mean?" Tai asked. "Meet who?"

"The one you seek," a mysterious voice answered.

Another portal opened, and a humanoid Digimon with a disproportional body stepped out of it. He stared down stoically at the teens, who stared back uneasily.

"Who is that?" Davis asked.

The demon Digimon's expression didn't change as he simply replied with, "You know who I am." His gaze shifted to Metallicdramon. "Be gone."

The dragon Digimon winced and began backing away. "I am sorry, humans. I think I made a mistake."

He spread his wings and shot up into the sky, disappearing in an instant. Takuya felt a nervous sweat begin to break out over him as he glanced at the remaining dragon Digimon. "Shoutmon?"

The dragon Digimon was trembling in apparent fear, but his eyes burned with anger. "It's him. The great betrayer himself. Traitor!"

"Bagramon…" Kari whispered.

The unofficial Demon Lord raised an eyebrow. "Traitor? That old accusation? I thought we had moved beyond that."

"We can never move beyond it," Shoutmon seethed, even as he continued to shake. "You committed the highest form of treason possible."

Bagramon closed his eyes. "I would argue that I did what I had to for this world, but there is no point in bringing up that ancient argument."

"You betrayed the Digimon God and seek to take away free will in the name of your idea of peace! One that no one agrees with, might I add."

Bagramon just shook his head. "I'm afraid we'll never see eye-to-eye on this, and that is what has led us here."

Takuya took a step forward. "We're here because you've done unforgivable evil things, and intend to do more. You even joined forces with the Demon Lords, the most evil of all Digimon."

Opening his eyes, Bagramon regarded the teen. "I have done what is necessary to achieve my goal, and I will accept any consequences that go with it."

"Like losing half your body?" Shoutmon taunted. "How's that permanent reminder of your betrayal serving you?"

"I repeat, I have accepted the consequences that have come and will come from my actions, just as I'm sure you have."

Shoutmon growled and Tai placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't bother talking to him. Bad guys who have deluded themselves into thinking that what they're doing is right just might be the most dangerous of all."

Bagramon cocked his head to the side. "I could say the same for you. I too know how it feels to believe that you're right when everyone else thinks that you're wrong."

Takato glanced at him. "That may be true, Thanos, but the difference between us is that you choose to be evil for your goals. We don't."

"I chose to do what is necessary."

"And who gave you the right?" Tai bellowed. "You just decided on your own what the fate of everyone should be!"

A deep sigh escaped Bagramon, and he almost looked resigned. "You don't understand. But I do. I know more than you could ever hope to. My choice is the only right choice."

"Says who?" TK demanded, taking up Tai's argument. "Who says you get to decide what's best for everyone? You? Well, who says you're right? You again? You're just deciding everything because you think you know best."

"I do know best."

"You think you know best," Kari countered. "But everyone except for those most loyal to you think you're wrong. Even those loyal to you probably think you're wrong, but are either too scared to oppose you or they want the power that comes with serving you. You don't get to decide what's best for everyone else based on your subjective opinion."

Bagramon's eyes narrowed challengingly. "I'm actually aware of how things work in the human world. Do you not have parents or people of authority who know better? Do they not decide what is best for children, who often think their parents or authoritative figures are wrong? Are these people not actually right and acting in the best interest of others, even when their children do not agree?"

Tai's fists clenched. "Not all the time. Parents may think they're acting in their best interest, but that's not always the case. It's true that adults have been around longer and know more than kids, so we should probably listen to them because they're probably right, but even they make wrong decisions sometimes and the kids can be right over them. And Bagramon, I can safely say that you're in the wrong here."

The Demon Lord just sighed again. "Such ignorance. Your naivety just proves that I know what I'm doing. And if what you say about your world is true, then perhaps I should deal with things there when I finish with this world."

Davis scoffed. "Why are we even talking with this guy?" He pulled out his Digivice. "Let's just put an end to this once and for all."

Bagramon seemed to find this amusing and let out a chuckle. "That won't be necessary. I have no intention of fighting you."

Davis shrugged. "Makes our job easier."

An uneasy feeling coiled in TK's gut. "What do you mean, you have no intention of fighting us?"

"Just what I said," Bagramon replied simply. "I don't intend to fight you, I never wanted to. See, regardless of what you believe, I'm not a monster."

Shoutmon snorted. "So you say, but actions speak louder than words, and yours have been roaring."

Bagramon let out a sigh and shook his head. "You poor humans. You're innocent bystanders in all this; drawn into this world against your will to fight a conflict that's not your own. You're just another victim of this flawed world that I need to correct."

Tai's fists clenched. "Nothing is perfect, Bagramon. In fact, imperfection is perfection, because it allows us to constantly better ourselves and move forward so we're not just stuck in place like rocks." He hesitated for a moment. "And if I'm honest, I'm glad I was brought to this world. I'm glad I was able to help make this world a better place. It wasn't easy, but I really am glad I came here."

"Yes, so am I," Kari agreed.

"I am too."

"And me."

"Same here."

"That makes six of us."

Shoutmon looked up at them with watery eyes. "You guys…"

Bagramon sighed again. "It seems your views and your world is just as flawed at the Digital World. I guess your God failed it just as ours failed this one. I suppose I really will have to go to your world and take care of things there once I finish with this one."

Takuya pointed at him. "Dream on, pal! We'll never let that happen! You'll have to go through us!"

The Demon Lord gave him a pitiful look. "I already said that I have no intention of fighting you. If I wanted to kill you, I would have struck you down by now, or simply let you run into what's waiting for you at my castle."

Takato didn't like the sound of that, and gave Bagramon a suspicious look. "Why? What's waiting at your castle?"

"It doesn't matter," Bagramon replied, and reached up, his wooden demon arm casting a shadow over the teens. "It's all over now. Consider this an act of mercy. Or maybe you'll view it as an act of cruelty. In the end, it comes down to your point of view."

Shoutmon was watching Bagramon suspiciously. He suddenly realized what was about to happen and leapt at the teens to push them away. "Get back!"

But it was too late. The shadow of Bagramon's hand was over the teens, almost as if he were holding them in his shadow's palm. Suddenly, a glowing red portal opened beneath them, and all seven of them were falling through it.

The teens cried out as they fell. It only lasted a few seconds though before they fell out the other end, landing in a heap on top of each other.

"Ouch!" Davis cried. "He calls that mercy? What did he even do?"

"We should have Spirit Evolved right away," said Kari as she disentangled herself from the others.

Shoutmon stood up. "It wouldn't have mattered; we still would have ended up here."

The teens looked around and gasped. They were in a place unlike anything they had ever seen, and for having traveled through the Digital World, that was really saying something.

"What happened?" Tai exclaimed. "Where are we?"

Shoutmon sighed. "Brace yourselves, guys, because you're not going to like this. This is the Digital underworld. Welcome to Digimon Hell."

Notes:

(A/N: Well, that certainly didn't go as planned. Our heroes finally meet Bagramon, and he instantly sends them to Digimon Hell. That's not going to go over well. What are our heroes going to do now? Will they be able to escape? And if they do, can they beat someone who is capable of banishing them like that? Stay tuned to see where things go from here.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear or are mentioned.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Meteormon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/WoodWoodymon

Chapter 190: Banishment

Notes:

(A/N: Alright, everyone, it's Wednesday, and you know what that means... That's right, the week is half over. Happy Hump Day. And for making it to the top of the hump, your reward is the next chapter. We left off on a pretty big cliffhanger last time. So lets see how things go from here.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 190: Banishment

When one imagined Hell, most people normally thought of a realm of fire, some of ice, others of pure darkness, and yet others of some godless realm of chaos and disorder. Digimon Hell, however, seemed to opt for all of the above. From where they stood, the teens could see countless honeycomb-shaped islands floating around for as far as the eye could see.

Each island seemed to be made up of a different element. The area these islands floated in was a dark, cloudy space that seemed to be filled with a toxic smog. They could see an island of fire, one of ice, one of volcanoes and lava, one of a rocky covered wasteland with what seemed to be a giant lake of tar. Countless islands, most of fire, and all unpleasant to look at. Overall, it did not seem to be an appealing place.

"Digimon Hell?" Takato repeated, the color draining out of his face. "Are we dead?"

Shoutmon gave him an aggravated look. "Of course not. If we were dead, I'd be inside an egg right now. Digimon Hell isn't like the Hell of your world. It's not a place for the souls of the wicked, it's just another layer of the Digital World; the lowest layer. I told you about it before, remember?"

Takuya let out a deep sigh. "You tell us a lot of things about this world, Shoutmon; it's kind of hard to remember it all."

The dragon Digimon just snorted. "How do you humans function with such limited brains?"

"Ok," Tai said loudly, "we're not dead; at least there's that. How did we get here though? I'm guessing this was Bagramon's doing."

Shoutmon nodded. "Yes, using his holy arm, he can rip out an opponent's DigiCore, or in your case, their soul, and send it to Digimon Hell or Digimon Heaven as he pleases."

Davis' eyes widened, and he began patting his body. "What!? He ripped out our souls!?"

"Of course not. We still have our bodies, don't we? It seems he skipped that part and just sent us intact to Digimon Hell all at once. Be glad about it. He could have messed with us further. He can also take the ripped-out souls and put them in someone else's body. Instead, it looks like he decided to just banish us as we are."

Takato sweat-dropped. "Is this what he meant by merciful?"

TK let out a resigned sigh. "If we're still alive, then I guess we should be grateful for small favors."

Shoutmon snorted again. "Don't be too grateful. Digimon Hell is inhabited almost exclusively by demon and fallen angel Digimon. What more, evil Digimon have their power amplified here while good Digimon are weakened."

Tai's eyes narrowed. "He trapped us here and called it mercy? How is this merciful?"

"Like TK said, we're still alive," Kari reminded him. "So there's that."

"Yeah, but for how much longer?" Takato asked. "I doubt we'll last long in such a hostile environment. We have to get out of here."

Shoutmon crossed his arms and closed his eyes. "That won't be easy. It's practically impossible to get out of here."

"But how do we get out of here?" Tai asked.

The dragon Digimon hesitated for a few moments before sighing. "I don't know. I've never been here before."

"You don't know!?" Davis shouted. "Are you saying there's no way out and that we're stuck here forever!?"

Shoutmon bit his bottom lip uneasily. "Well, no, not exactly. Certain Digimon that can move through dimensions can come in and out, and I'm sure there's some way for other Digimon to come and go, but I don't know it."

Davis dropped to his knees. "Then we really are stuck here. Even if someone here knows a way out, since they're all evil Digimon, they're not going to help us."

"Guys," said Takato, "I think we have another problem. Shoutmon, isn't this the layer where the D-Reaper is trapped."

The dragon Digimon just waved this off. "You don't have to worry about that thing. It's stuck in the lowest point of this realm and can't get out." He shrugged. "I mean, sure you can go down to where it is, but it'll just kill you on sight. But we don't want to go to where it is, we want to get out."

"You will find that to be more difficult than you think," a new voice suddenly spoke, making the teens jump.

They immediately huddled together and began looking around, but saw no one. There was something oddly familiar about the voice though, but none of them could quite place it.

"Who's there?" Tai demanded. "Show yourself."

Takato nudged him. "Maybe that's not such a good idea. Everyone down here is evil, remember?"

"That may be a matter of perspective," the voice replied, "and perspectives are known to change."

The teens continued to look around. The floating island that they were currently on seemed to be made entirely of lava rock with steaming pools of either boiling water or acid. There were few places to hide other than behind rock formations, and there weren't many of those around their area.

"There!" Shoutmon exclaimed, pointing at a large lava rock. "Come out, whoever you are!"

"Shoutmon…" Takato muttered uneasily.

From out from behind the rock, a glowing sphere appeared. It seemed to be a ball made of a transparent golden light with even brighter sparks dancing around within it. Black zeroes and ones ran all across the surface of the sphere in seemingly random directions as it emitted a bright light. Slowly, it hovered over to them, no bigger than a soccer ball.

"What is that?" Karo asked in amazement.

"A DigiCore," Shoutmon replied, also looking awed. "Must be another one of Bagramon's victims."

"TK's eyes widened. "So you're basically saying that that's a Digimon's soul?"

The dragon Digimon nodded. "That would be the equivalent of it, yes."

Davis took a step forward. "That is so cool."

He reached out to touch it, but when he did, his hand went through it, and he let out a yelp and pulled his hand back as he received an electric shock.

"Ow!" he cried, shaking his hand. "Hey, what was that for? My hand is now all numb!"

He kicked out at the DigiCore, but his foot went right through it as if it were a ghost, and he got the same treatment as his hand.

Shoutmon snorted. "You can't touch it, not without spiritual powers; it has no physical form."

"No thanks to you," the voice spoke again, coming from the DigiCore. "I had a feeling you would end up here, that's why I waited around the area."

Tai's eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about? Who are you?"

"So you don't know me? Of course not; you wouldn't without my body. Perhaps this will answer your question."

A body suddenly manifested around the DigiCore. It was transparent and static-filled though, as if it were only a hologram, and the DigiCore was still visible within it. But the teens barely noticed as they recognized the projection.

"AxeKnightmon!" they exclaimed.

The knight Digimon's eyes narrowed. "Not necessarily. I do not possess a body, so I am not actually AxeKnightmon. But seeing as AxeKnightmon is part of my code, I can display it and any of my stages."

He suddenly became MegaDarkKnightmon, making the teens jump back in surprise. But then the knight Digimon hologram disappeared entirely, leaving only the DigiCore behind once again.

"For all the good it does me. Without a body, I can't interact with anything."

Takuya had been on the verge of reaching for his Digivice, but then hesitated. "So he can't hurt us?"

Shoutmon shook his head. "He has no body to attack with. He can't harm anyone."

"My tingling hand and foot says otherwise," Davis mumbled irritably.

The dragon Digimon ignored him as he gave the DigiCore a mocking smirk. "It wouldn't even do to call him AxeKnightmon or MegaDarkKnightmon with the way he is now. Right now, he's no one."

TKL sweat-dropped. "Yeah, but let's call him AxeKnightmon anyway, just so we have something to call him to avoid confusion."

Tai placed his hands on his hips. "I'm more curious to know how you ended up here. The last time we saw you, you were at the Mega level trying to kill us, but fled after Bagramon started turning everyone to stone."

The sparks inside the DigiCore danced around aggressively. "I misread the situation, and I was punished for it. Bagramon saw fit to banish me here for what he deemed to be me fleeing from battle."

Shoutmon pointed at him. "Serves you right! You threw your lot in with the ultimate traitor. Did you really think that he wouldn't turn on you as well? What would you expect from the ultimate traitor other than betrayal?"

"Shoutmon," said Kari.

"No, I will not feel sorry for someone who's tried repeatedly to kill us for his master's evil ambitions."

"Ambitions I would have seen to fruition," AxeKnighmon's DigiCore declared, "had Bagramon not gotten fed up with me. I had the potential to be great. I could have become another Demon Lord. But because I know when to cut my loses and run so I could fight another day where I can achieve victory, this was seen as cowardness and incompetence, so Bagramon decided to put my power to other use."

The DigiCore hovered forward. "I would have followed Bagramon to the end, but he turned his back on me. Worse, he reduced me to this. Well, I am not so easily dispatched, not when there is still something I can do. That is why I waited around for you humans. I figured that when you arrived at his castle that he would send you here, and based on your location when he banished you, that would be relatively around the same area. And I see I was right."

Takato let out a growl, instantly on guard. "So you get rid of us to prove yourself to Bagramon and he lets you back into his good graces, is that it?"

"Ha, good luck doing that without a body," Davis told him.

The silver sparks in the DigiCore swirled around, almost giving the impression that if he had a body that Axeknightmon would have been rolling his eyes. "Hardly. Even if I could do anything to you as just a DigiCore, what would Bagramon care? He already banished you here. As far as he's concerned, you've been dealt with. No, I intend to show Bagramon that I am still a force to be reckoned with, by turning that reckoning on him."

Silence met his claim, and the teens stared. Was AxeKnightmon saying what they thought he was saying, or was this some kind of trick?"

"You're willing to betray Bagramon?" Takuya asked suspiciously.

The sparks flared, giving the impression of anger. 'He betrayed me first when he cast me out. So what need do I have to remain loyal to him? All that is left between us is animosity, and it is of his own making. So I will make him pay the only way I can, by having you humans take him down."

Tai's eyes widened. "You're going to help us?"

"Why?" Shoutmon demanded immediately. "I can see why you would now deem Bagramon your enemy, everyone should, but we're your enemies too."

"But it was never personal between us," AxeKnightmon replied. "We were nothing more than opponents on opposite sides of a war. That naturally pitted us against each other by default, but there was never any outright desire for your demise on my part other than it being a necessity. Bagramon, however, he made things personal between us, and I now seek to see him fall."

For several long moments, no one said anything as they considered his proposal. To have an enemy, a once close ally to Bagramon at that, being willing to aid them would be greatly beneficial. His reason for aiding was not only believable, but made sense as well.

"Ok," said TK, "assuming you're telling the truth and that we believe you, how can you help us, and what else do you want in return? Something tells me you want more than just to get back at Bagramon."

"Hmm, very perceptive, human," AxeKnightmon replied. "What I want is my body back. Trapped in this realm as a mere DigiCore, I can do nothing, I can't even die. My body can still be destroyed, but it's nothing more than an empty shell. Even when its reborn, it'll still be just an empty vessel. It'll remain so until I can return to it. But with my DigiCore trapped here, I can't get back to it."

Takuya raised an eyebrow. "So, you want us to reunite your body and soul?"

"That's a very big request," Shoutmon told him. "We would have to find your body, wherever it is, and send it down here somehow. I don't know if we'll be able to do that."

For a few moments, AxeKnightmon didn't say anything, but then he said, "I'm aware of how difficult it will be, which is why I'm not making it a condition, more of a request I hope you will be able to fulfill if given the chance. Accomplish this, and I'll help you fight against Bagramon myself. But what I do want in exchange for assisting you now is your promise that you will, by any means necessary, see to Bagramon's destruction."

Tai's eyes narrowed in determination. "That we can promise. We'll have no choice anyway. It'll be either him or us, and we don't intend for it to be us."

"And although we can't promise it," Kari added, "if we do find a way to get your body back to you, we'll do our best to return it."

It was hard to get a read on AxeKnightmon since he was just a DigiCore, but the teens got the impression that he would have nodded if he could. "That is good enough for me. Now come, let's get you out of here."

He hovered past them, and the teens stared after him. "Wait, you know a way out?" Davis asked.

"Not I," AxeKnightmon replied. "If I had my body, I could just use my axe to cut a hole in dimensions for you to go through. Seeing as that's not the case, we'll have to find someone else to get you out. And who better than the Unholy Trinity?"

Shoutmon inhaled deeply. "You know the Unholy Trinity?"

"I know where to find them," AxeKnightmon clarified. "I've been to Digimon Hell before, when I had my body and could come and go at will, so I know how to navigate Hell's Field. I can take you to their castle."

Not liking being left in the dark, Tai cleared his throat. "Um, who are the Unholy Trinity?"

"They rule Digimon Hell," Shoutmon told him. "Just how Goldramon X, Magnadramon X, and Cherubimon X rule Digimon Heaven as the Heavenly Trinity."

Takato looked uncomfortable. "I don't mean to be a drag, but do we really want to go see those who are called the Unholy Trinity?"

Shoutmon smirked at him. "It's just a title. Since Digimon Hell is pretty much overrun by evil Digimon, it needs someone to keep things in order so things don't fall into complete chaos. Don't let the name fool you, they're really not that bad. They're here to rule over and control the evil Digimon here, it doesn't mean that they themselves are evil. Just… don't tick them off."

"If you are done whining," AxeKnightmon interrupted, "then perhaps one of you who can fly can get us to where we need to go."

Shoutmon nodded. "Yes, yes, I'm on it. Shoutmon Warp Digivolve to… OmniShoutmon X!"

It was strange allying themselves with AxeKnightmon when every time they met in the past, he had tried to kill them, but they were left with few options. And so they allowed OmniShoutmon X to gather them up and follow after AxeKnightmon as they flew along. Numerous floating islands passed them by, not one of them looking like an appealing place to be. They did come across a few flying Digimon, but seeing as OmniShoutmon X was a Mega, they chose to ignore him and the teens. At one point, a group of Devidramon approached, but a single blast from OmniShoutmon's Victorize Banking destroyed one of them and sent the rest fleeing.

"There it is," AxeKnightmon finally said after they had been flying for some time. "The castle of the Unholy Trinity."

Floating in front of them was an island over three times the size of the others. Starting from the left side, it was covered in snow and ice, and starting from the right, it was fire and brimstone, the two elements meeting in the middle to form a rocky wasteland. Most of the island, however, was covered by an enormous castle that went from nearly one end of the island to the other.

"That's it, huh," Takato muttered miserably. "Great. We're not intimidated at all."

AxeKnightmon brought them in for a landing, and OmniShoutmon X followed. But as they descended, a stream of fire suddenly flew at them. While the flames flew harmless through AxeKnightmon, OmniShoutmon X turned his back to protect his friends, crying out as the stream of fire flowed over him.

"OmniShoutmon!" Kari screamed.

"I knew it!" Takuya exclaimed. "This was a trap!"

"No," AxeKnightmon declared, the hologram of his body briefly appeared around him and he pointed. "Look there!"

OmniShoutmon X fired a Victorize Banking in the direction where AxeKnightmon was pointing, destroying a large rock formation. With its hiding place revealed, the attacker came out into the open, and the teens saw a familiar sight.

"Is that VenomMyotismon?" Davis asked.

"A VenomMyotismon," Takuya clarified. "It can't be the same one we fought before. Twice."

"It's not," OmniShoutmon X replied. "And that's not VenomMyotismon, it's VenomMyotismon Undead, an alternate Digivolution from MaloMyotismon, but not as strong."

As they got closer, they could make out the distinctions between VenomMyotismon and VenomMyotismon Undead. Not only was he larger, he was darker in color, and had a far more savage appearance. He also seemed to be decaying and degenerating, giving him a zombie-like look, with glowing red eyes, and he was surrounded by a black aura.

"I'm so sick of all versions of Myotismon," Tai growled. "OmniShoutmon, let us go."

The dragon Digimon released them, and they fell towards the demon Digimon.

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Omnimon Merciful Mode!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Imperialdramon Paladin Mode!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… MedievalGallantmon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Susanoomon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Ophanimon C!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Seraphimon!"

They turned their fall into a descent. Susanoomon zoomed ahead of the others and delivered a Flash Punch to the demon Digimon's forehead. VenomMyotismon Undead let out a loud grunt and fell to his knees, his hands going to his forehead. Imperialdramon then pulled out of his dive and delivered an Imperial Kick, knocking the demon Digimon onto his back. He lifted himself up and roared loudly, breathing out a stream of fire.

Ophanimon C flew in front of the flames and used her Unicorn Shield, deflecting the attack. As VenomMyotismon Undead got to his feet, Seraphimon came down beside Ophanimon C, and they fired their Strike of the Seven Stars and Air Sefirot Crystal, the attacks blasting against the demon Digimon and making him stumble back.

"Out of the way!" OmniShoutmon X cried as he came flying in. "Omega Force Glide Drive!"

He flew past the others, surrounded by an aura, and slammed into VenomMyotismon Undead, pushing the demon Digimon all the way to the edge of the island. VenomMyotismon Undead spread his wings, pushing back against the dragon Digimon, stopping himself from going over the edge. One of his hands came up, and he smacked OmniShoutmon X away.

"Fearsome Blade!" Omnimon cried, and swiped his energy sword whip, cutting off one of VenomMyotismon Undead's wings, then raised his cannon. "Graceful Cannon!"

His cutting beam sliced off the demon Digimon's other wing, and VenomMyotismon Undead roared loudly. MedievalGallantmon then flew in, pointing the bottom of his axe at him. "Rage of Wyvern!"

A dragon of energy emerged from the end of his axe and flew into VenomMyotismon Undead. The demon Digimon roared again, a stream of fire flying from his mouth. The energy dragon pushed him back further, and he went toppling over the edge. His cries rang out as he fell from the floating island, slowly fading out more and more until they could no longer be heard.

Imperialdramon punched the air. "And that's the power of teamwork!"

Susanoomon glanced at his friends. "Should we go after him?"

OmniShoutmon X shook his head. "This place is full of evil Digimon. We can't fight to the finish every single time one of them attacks us."

AxeKnightmon hovered down to them. "You hopefully won't have to. The castle is here. Let's go to it."

Fortunately, the entrance to the castle was in the center part of the island, meaning it fell into the rocky area and not the fire or ice portion. Unfortunately, it was guarded by several giant Digimon that looked like the skeletons of mammoths.

"SkullMammothmon," said OmniShoutmon X. "Be careful, these guys are Megas, and there's a lot of them."

"They guard the castle," AxeKnightmon told them. "Turn back to your human forms. Show that we're not here to fight."

The DigiDestined exchanged uncertain glanced, but at OmniShoutmon X's nod, they resumed their human forms, and even he DeDigivolved. This made it all the more intimidating as they approached the castle.

One of the SkullMammothmon stepped forward as they approached and made a noise similar to that of an elephant while raising its trunk threateningly.

"Bow down and tell them your title," AxeKnightmon told them.

The teens all dropped to their knees. "Oh, great SkullMammothmon," said Tai, "I am the human, Taichi Kamiya, and we-"

"Not you," AxeKnightmon snapped impatiently. "Shoutmon. Tell them why you're here."

Tai fell silent and looked at the dragon Digimon, who let out a sigh and raised his head. "I am the Digimon King. I am here under urgent business. I request to speak to the Unholy Trinity. Please hurry, the future of the Digital World is at stake."

The SkullMammothmon didn't reply, but it didn't move to attack them either. They supposed that was good news. It glanced back at its fellow ghost Digimon, all who seemed to be regarding them curiously.

Before any of the SkullMammothmon even came to a decision, the large double doors they were guarding suddenly opened, and a voice spoke out from within. "Don't be rude. Show them inside."

That seemed to be enough for the SkullMammothmon, and they parted to make way for the teens. They exchanged uncertain looks before glancing at Shoutmon, who got to his feet.

"Well, you heard them," he said. "Let's go."

And so, they all hesitantly got up and followed the dragon Digimon inside, and the doors slammed shut behind them.

Notes:

(A/N: Well, this is an unexpected turn of events. Just when it looked like our heroes were stuck, they found an unexpected ally in AxeKnightmon. Well, his DigiCore anyway. And yes, this was planned from the beginning. It looks like Bagramon made a mistake in not simply killing him, and our heroes for that matter. But now they need to face the Unholy Trinity. Are they not really as bad as Shoutmon thinks, or are they getting themselves into big trouble? Find out next time.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear or are mentioned.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Goldramon_X

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Magnadramon_X

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Cherubimon_(Good)_X

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/VenomMyotismon_Undead

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/SkullMammothmon

Chapter 191: The Unholy Trinity

Notes:

(A/N: Hey, everyone. Some crazy weather we've been having where I'm at. Kept me stuck indoors. But hey, it gave me time for this next chapter. Ah, who am I kidding, I would have had it ready for you guys regardless.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 191: The Unholy Trinity

The inside of the castle for the rulers of what was essentially the Digimon version of Hell was, for all intents and purposes, not that bad. It did have a macabre design, and somehow made use of bones as decorations. How that was possible since Digimon broke down into data upon death, the teens had no idea; they had to be fake.

They hadn't wandered too far in before they came upon a dark gray humanoid Digimon waiting for them with his arms crossed. The teens walked up to him, wondering if this was one of the Unholy Trinity.

Their unspoken question was answered as the Digimon addressed them. "Greetings to you, humans. I am Loweemon. Come, I shall take you to the masters."

He turned and began leading them through the castle. The teens expected it to take awhile since the castle was so massive, but as they walked along, the floor suddenly rose up, taking them up higher like a moving platform. The ceiling opened up for them, and they began going through floor after floor as they made their way up.

The platform finally stopped, and Loweemon stepped off of it, motioning for the teens to follow. They did so, hesitantly, and the warrior Digimon led them down to a long hall that led to a large pair of double doors.

"So, Shoutmon," Takato whispered, "is there anything we should know about these guys?"

The dragon Digimon gave a shrug. "I've never met them, but I know of them. They're very powerful god Digimon with the power over life and death, who act as judges for both good and bad Digimon."

Takato sweat-dropped. "That's… pretty intimidating."

Shoutmon humphed. "Don't worry, they're not evil. In fact, they have a very low tolerance for evil, and punish it accordingly; that's one of the reasons why they live here. Just be respectful to them and we should be fine."

They came up to the double doors, and Loweemon stepped to the side and crossed his arms once more. The teens glanced at him, but he simply nodded to the doors, and so they approached them.

The doors opened of their own accord, leading into a large room. At the back of it were three pillars that rose high into the air, and upon each rested a throne. And sitting on each throne was a Digimon, each one displaying a great deal power and authority simply by sitting idly.

The middle one spoke, holding out his hands, revealing himself to having been the one to admit them entrance to the castle as the teens recognized his voice. "The famous humans. We meet at last. And Shoutmon, the Digimon King. I didn't know if we would ever get to meet you."

Shoutmon didn't quite bow, but he did lower his head respectfully. "I never expected to meet you either, Lord Anubismon." He nodded to the Digimon on the left, "Lord Hadesmon," and the right, "Lord Plutomon."

The Digimon on the right waved his hand dismissively. "Let's not stand on ceremony."

Anubismon nodded in agreement. "Plutomon is right. There's no need for formalities."

The teens relaxed some, and Davis grinned broadly. "Well, that's good to know. Thanks for putting us at ease, big guy."

Takuya nudged him. "He said forget the formalities, not to forget the respect."

"I am being respectful. This is me being friendly."

A low growl escaped Plutomon, and his claws dug into the rest of his throne. "This one has committed great sin. He should be punished."

Davis blinked. "Me?"

Anubismon waved this off. "Do not be so harsh. You know his sins were under the influence of Laylamon."

"And he has punished himself quite enough," Hadesmon added. "Regardless, the humans are not of our world. Their sins are not ours to judge."

Plutomon growled again, but didn't contradict his fellow god Digimon. Anubismon just smiled and leaned back on his throne. "You'll have to forgive Plutomon. His judgement of sins is rather… strict."

The teens sweat-dropped. While they got the impression that Anubismon was the most powerful of the three, and with the most authority, he also seemed to be the most rational. Plutomon seemed the more intense of them with an intolerant and less merciful nature. Hadesmon felt like a wild card, able to swing one way or another. The three of them seemed to balance out each other rather well.

AxeKnightmon hovered forward. "Great Unholy Trinity, I have brought these humans here because they are in need of assistance."

The smile left Anubismon's face, and he regarded the DigiCore coldly. "You are certainly a bold one. Your sins are great and numerous. Having your DigiCore ripped out and sent here is well-deserved."

Plutomon humphed. "Barely a fitting punishment. His sins are so great that such a punishment hardly seems suitable."

The sparks inside the DigiCore danced around. In fear perhaps? Anger? But when AxeKnightmon spoke next, his voice was calm and steady. "I brought the humans to you so that they may save this world by stopping Bagramon."

Anubismon angrily rose to his feet. "Do not think to deceive us. We can read the code of any Digimon in full. We know all there is to know about you. Every last detail."

Beside him, Hadesmon growled. "You are not doing this for the Digital World's sake. This is nothing more than petty revenge on Bagramon. Your actions are far from noble."

The DigiCore rose up into the air slightly, the sparks within it swirling around. "Our goals still go hand in hand. As for my actions, I make no excuses for them. They are mine and mine alone, and I will not apologize for them."

"Such insolence!" Plutomon snarled. "Had you a body, I would strike you down myself right now."

Anubismon sat back down. "There are Digimon with wicked natures, that is an absolute. But a conscious decision and a desire to be evil, that is another matter entirely, and one we do not tolerate."

"Do not think that just because you don't have a body right now and therefore can't be killed means that you are safe from us," Hadesmon told him. "There are other methods that can be used."

"Amemit!" Anubismon cried, and a demon beast suddenly appeared before AxeKnightmon. "A single word from me and I can have your DigiCore devoured and trapped in darkness, and I have half a mind to do it."

While it was hard to tell if AxeKnightmon was actually displaying any kind of fear or not without a body to show it, for his part, he didn't cower away. "As I said, I make no apologies. I never have. What I do, I own. If your subjective opinions of me deem my sins suitable for punishment, then you may pass judgement, and I will do what I must to avoid it."

"Such insolence," Plutomon repeated furiously.

"But I think we all know that you're not planning on placing any such judgment right now, not with more important matters to deal with, so save your threats for when you intend to go through with them and let's deal with the issue at hand."

The three god Digimon were silent in the face of AxeKnightmon's little speech. The teens were all sweating nervously, not sure what kind of turn things were going to take after this.

Finally, Anubismon spoke. "Your boldness knows no bounds, but I do acknowledge your ownership of your misdeeds." He waved his hand, and the creature he summoned disappeared. "In any case, you're right; there are other matters to deal with."

"Bagramon is making plans to take over," Hadesmon said. "He had been letting the Demon Lords do things before, but now that they're gone, he's going to move forward with his own plans."

Shoutmon nodded. "Yes, and we intend to stop him. But… we can't exactly do that from here."

"Indeed," Anubismon agreed. "That does pose a problem."

"We had been hoping you would take out Bagramon and that that sinner would finally pay for his sins," Plutomon added.

Shoutmon kept nodding. "We will, I promise, we just need help getting back. That's why AxeKnightmon brought us to you, so you can help us get back."

"Don't call him AxeKnightmon," Plutomon growled. "He's not AxeKnightmon right now, he's a mere DigiCore. He does not deserve to be referred to by a name that holds power. Right now, he's nothing and no one."

Takuya sweat-dropped. "We… just call him that so we have something to call him, and that's how we knew him the longest."

"It doesn't matter," Hadesmon replied. "I'm sorry to say that you've made this journey in vain. I'm afraid we cannot send you back."

Tai gasped. "But why? Is there some kind of rule? Can't you bend the rules just this once for the greater good?"

Plutomon sighed and shook his head. "It's not a matter of bending the rules or not. We simply don't have the power to send you back."

"B-But," Takuya stammered, "you guys are the rulers of Digimon Hell."

"That has no bearings on anything," Hadesmon told them. "It is not in our power to do what you ask. Our power centers around life and death, not teleporting or crossing dimensions."

Takato's shoulders slumped. "Then that's it then. We're really stuck here. If you guys can't send us back, then there's really no way for us to get out."

"That is the case," Plutomon acknowledged. "I am sorry."

Shoutmon sank to the ground, a defeated look on his face. "No, it can't be. We came so close, came so far. Could this really be the end?"

TK shook his head. "No way, I'm not giving up. I won't. If you guys can't help us, then we'll just have to find another way. We can't quit now."

Tai nodded in agreement. "TK's right. If there's a way in, there has to be a way out. We just need to find it."

As the teens talked amongst themselves, Anubismon tapped his chin thoughtfully. He studied the group with interest, then leaned forward in his seat. "Perhaps there is a way we can help."

All heads turned to the god Digimon. "How?" Kari asked desperately.

"I am wondering that myself," said Hadesmon, giving his fellow ruler a curious look.

Anubismon gave him a smile. "You said it yourself, my friend. We possess power over life and death. We don't have the ability to breach dimensions, but perhaps we can use our power on one who can."

The teens were at a loss as to what the god Digimon was talking about, but it slowly seemed to register to Plutomon and Hadesmon, and the Unholy Trinity turned to look at AxeKnightmon.

"Are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?" Hadesmon asked.

Anubismon motioned to the DigiCore. "AxeKnightmon's data is part of this DigiCore's data, and he possesses the power to cut through dimensions. He could provide the humans with a way out of here."

Plutomon's eyes narrowed. "You are suggesting we provide him with a new body? Why would we reward a sinner?"

"A temporary one, my friend," Anubismon clarified. "We create a new one for him just long enough for him to open a way for the humans."

The sparkles within the DigiCore danced around excitedly. "If it will allow the humans to strike back against Bagramon, then I will assist."

Takato gave the god Digimon a hopeful look. "Please. Will you help us?"

Anubismon glanced at Hadesmon, and then they both looked over at Plutomon. The god Digimon looked back at them for a few moments before letting out a sigh and standing up. "Oh, very well. As long as it's only temporary."

Anubismon smiled. "Excellent," he said, clapping his hands together and getting to his feet. "Let's begin, shall we?"

He leapt off his throne and flew over to the DigiCore. Hadesmon and Plutomon joined him, the three of them forming a triangle around AxeKnightmon, the DigiCore in the middle.

"Present your data for AxeKnightmon," Anubismon told him.

The DigiCore flared for a moment, and then the transparent hologram of AxeKnightmon appeared around it, just as it had to the teens before. Each of the god Digimon held up their hand, and a beam fired from each of them, hitting the DigiCore. AxeKnightmon inhaled loudly, and his form flickered for a few moments before solidifying, and the knight Digimon stood in the flesh once more.

The teens gasped as they witnessed AxeKnightmon's rebirth. The Unholy Trinity had actually done it, they had resurrected AxeKnightmon and provided him with a new body.

Turning to the teens, AxeKnightmon reached back and took up his axe. He raised the weapon high over his head, and a moment of fear ran through the teens as they realized that if he wanted to, he could actually cut them all down in an instant. There was no time to dwell on it though as he swung the weapon at them.

"Super-Dimensional Axe!" he cried, swiping his axe through the air.

The teens winced as the axe came at them, its sharp edge cutting through dimensions. A tear appeared in the air, through which they could see a different location in the Digital World from where they were.

AxeKnightmon returned his axe to his back. "The way is open. I got you as close to Bagramon's castle as I could. Go now before it closes."

The Unholy Trinity stopped unleashing their power and lowered their hands. Anubismon turned to the teens. "You have a way out, now go make that sinner pay."

Tai beamed at the god Digimon. "Thank you! Thank you so much! Let's go, guys!"

The teens quickly rushed through the tear in dimensions while back in Digimon Hell, without the Unholy Trinity's power, AxeKnightmon's body dissolved into data, leaving only the hologram of him behind, and then this too faded away. The DigiCore that remained headed for the dimensional rip, but was suddenly cut off by Plutomon.

"Not you," the god Digimon snarled. "You have reaped what you have sown. You will be left to your fate."

The sparkles in the DigiCore flared up, but he did not try to get passed the god Digimon as the dimensional rip began to close. "Remember your promise!" he called to the teens. "Make that traitor pay for what he's done! Make him sorry he ever crossed our paths! Make him pay, even if it costs you your lives!"

The rift closed completely, and vanished, leaving nothing but air. The teens were left alone, free from Digimon Hell, and closer than ever to their destination.

"I can't believe we got out of there," said Davis. "I actually thought we were done for."

Shoutmon nodded. "We almost were. Had it not been for AxeKnightmon, there's a good chance we could have been wandering around Digimon Hell for the rest of your lives."

Takato sweat-dropped. "That would have been unpleasant."

"It looks like Bagramon's traitorous ways have turned against him again," said Tai. "By abandoning AxeKnighytmon, he actually provided us with the means to escape."

"Hey, guys, speaking of Bagramon…" Kari called to them from a short distance away. "Look."

She pointed into the distance. The others hurried over and saw what she was pointing at. There, less than a day's walk away, was a giant castle. And there was no doubt as to who it belonged to.

"Is that…?" Takuya asked.

Shoutmon nodded. "Castle Bagra. We're finally here."

"Then AxeKnightmon really did bring us the rest of the way," said TK.

Takato looked at them. "Guys, do you know what this means? We're about to have our final battle."

"We can do it," Tai insisted. "If we beat Ogudomon, we can beat Bagramon." When Shoutmon opened his mouth to speak, Tai held up his hand to silence him. "Don't. I know what you're going to say. Our victory over Ogudomon was lucky and circumstantial because he was already very weak from Lucemon and Daemon's fight. Just… let us have our moment."

The dragon Digimon closed his mouth and gave a small shrug. "I just want you guys to acknowledge the reality of our situation."

TK gave a nod. "We know, Shoutmon. Trust us, we know. But this is the moment everything has been leading up to. It's do or die time."

Shoutmon let out a sigh and looked at the castle of their final enemy, their final destination. "Yes, it certainly is."

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

Bagramon froze, a surprised look on his face. He whirled around, and his ruby eye began glowing. He couldn't believe what he was seeing, and his fists clenched in frustration.

The humans had returned. Somehow, they had made it back to this layer of the Digital World. But how? Escaping Digimon Hell was practically impossible. Even with the Guardians' power and Shoutmon's guidance, they shouldn't have been able to escape. Not even the Unholy Trinity could have gotten them out. So how, how had they escaped?

Perhaps he shouldn't have taken his all-seeing eye off them. But no, he couldn't just keep watching them indefinitely, he had other things he needed to worry about, other things he needed to observe. His real mistake had been simply banishing them. He should have ripped their souls out of their bodies before banishing them, and then destroyed their bodies afterwards. That way, even if they did find a way to escape, they would have been nothing more than wandering spirits; they wouldn't have been able to cause any more trouble as harmless ghosts.

He had been too merciful, that's what it had come down to. He'd sympathized with them for their ignorance in becoming tools of the Sovereigns, and so he had shown them mercy by both sparring their lives and letting them keep their bodies. And now they were back to pester him further.

Well, no more. There would be no more mercy. They had thrown that chance away. Now the only thing that they would have waiting for them when they got here would be death.

Resolved in his decision, he went and sat down on his throne. "Puppetmon, Regulumon, come to me."

A few moments later, a tear in dimensions appeared, and the beast man and puppet Digimon emerged from it, the latter puppeteering MegaDarkKnightmon's body, having ripped open the dimensional walls with the knight Digimon's power.

Regulumon bowed to him. "You summoned us, my lord?"

Bagramon sat back. "The humans are nearly at our gate. They have come to fight."

Puppetmon smirked. "They'll never get past your guards, my lord. They quite literally have no other purpose than to kill all living things in their presence."

Bagramon's eyes narrowed. "Be that as it may, I will be tying up all loose ends. I want you two there as well."

That wiped the smirk off Puppetmon's face. "What!? You want us there too?"

"There will be more cracks for the humans to slip through. That was the mistake the Demon Lords kept making, and I will not be repeating it. Not again. I don't care if it's overkill, I will make sure the humans never make it into my castle alive."

Regulumon lowered his head. "It will be done, my lord."

Puppetmon, however, seemed less inclined. "But what about your guards? They don't distinguish between friend and foe. If we're there, they'll attack us too."

"So stay out of their way," Bagramon replied simply. He leaned forward. "You were quite happy to declare MegaDarkKightmon to be a coward and see him punished accordingly. Do you wish to put on a cowardly display as well? I will see to it that you're punished as well."

Puppetmon swallowed and shrank down at the Demon Lord's threat. "As you wish, my lord."

"That's better," the Demon Lord replied, and sat back once more. "By now you both know that I do not and will not tolerate failure. That is why I know that you will not let me down. If need be, you will fight to the death, because if you don't," his eyes narrowed threateningly, "then death awaits you."

Notes:

(A/N: Well, that was an interesting little side-quest. Fortunately, our heroes were able to get out of there thanks to the Unholy Trinity and AxeKnightmon. But now they're back, and they're at their finally destination. And from the looks of it there's one more battle to take place before their final showdown with Bagramon. But even Puppetmon seems nervous about being around Bagramon's guards. Just what is it that's waiting for our heroes? You'll have to stay tuned to find out.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear or are mentioned.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Loweemon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Anubismon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Hadesmon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Plutomon

Chapter 192: Zombies

Notes:

(A/N: Ok, well, this made for a fairly interesting chapter to write. The name may seem a little strange, but there's a reason for it. You'll see why in a bit, so let's get to it.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 192: Zombies

The castle was just as large as the other Demon Lords', and just as intimidating, but nowhere near as intimidating as the one who dwelled within. This was the home of Bagramon, their final enemy, and quite possibly to be their toughest fight.

True, they had faced opponents stronger than him, but circumstances had been in their favor during those battles, sometimes largely so. But not this time though. This time it would just be him and them. And the last time they had met him, he had literally sent them to Hell.

"I'm so ready for this to be over with," said Davis. "Final baddie, final battle. Let's do this."

He started forward, but Tai grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him back. "Hold up there, Mr. Eager. I'm ready to wrap this up too, but let's not forget what happened the last time."

TK nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that arm of his. That thing is dangerous."

Davis just smiled and shrugged. "Hey, it's no problem. We just don't let it touch us."

Shoutmon snorted. "That will be easier said than done, but he's right; avoid that arm of his. He can destroy Digimon with it with just a touch."

Takuya cleared his throat. "We might have another problem. Check it out."

He pointed to the entrance of the castle. At first the teens didn't notice anything, but then a few of them saw what he was pointing at.

"Whoa, I hadn't even noticed them," said Kari.

"What, what is it?" Takato asked, looking at the front gate, and suddenly saw it.

It looked as if there were… pieces of a Digimon floating in the air, as if sections of its body were missing or invisible. It had allowed him to overlook the whole. Now that he saw them though, he couldn't unsee them. There looked like there were pieces of a winged torso, along with claws and heads floating in the air, along with a few other body parts. And from the looks of it, there were three of them.

"Wait, are those things Digimon?" he asked in bewilderment.

Shoutmon's eyes narrowed. "Damn, Dexmon. Why'd it have to be Dexmon?"

"Dexmon?" TK repeated and took out his Digivice. The image of Dexmon appeared, lined grids appearing over the invisible parts of its body, outlining them. "A Mega level ghost type Digimon. They stay in a form of stasis until they sense the presence of another Digimon nearby, then they attack and attempt to absorb the DigiCores of others, where they're repeatedly disassembled and reassembled from within them."

Davis frowned. "Ok, I'm not sure what that means, but it sounds unpleasant."

"Dexmon themselves are unpleasant," Shoutmon told them. "Some don't even consider them to actually be Digimon, just animated corpses with no will of their own."

Kari gave him a confused look. "What's that mean?"

The dragon Digimon sighed. "Dexmon don't come about through ordinary means, and are extremely rare. They're stages technically can't even be reached by anyone. You see, there are these powerful Mega level Digimon called DexDorugoramon. When they die, they revert to Digi-Eggs just like anyone else, but their bodies don't break down into data. Rather, they go through a process called Death-X Evolution, where their data Digivolves within its corpse, becoming Dexmon."

Takato made a disgusted face. "Yeah, I remember you mentioning Death-X Evolution before. So Dexmon are the result of it?"

Shoutmon nodded. "They stay dormant until someone enters their proximity, then they relentlessly attack them until they destroy their prey or are destroyed themselves. They really make the perfect guards. They can't be talked to or reasoned with; they can't even think. Technically, they're not even alive; they don't even possess DigiCores themselves. They're just unfeeling, emotionless killers."

Tai's stomach clenched unpleasantly. "So you're basically saying that they're soulless, mindless zombies."

Shoutmon nodded. "It would be best to avoid them. One Dexmon is bad enough, but three." He shivered. "But then again, we wouldn't want them to join the battle with Bagramon."

"Could we maybe use them somehow?" Kari asked. "If they're really mindless and just attack anyone with a DigiCore, could we get them to fight Bagramon."

The dragon Digimon gave her an admiring smile. "A good idea, but with one of him, three of them, and seven of us, more likely than not, they'll come after us since our numbers are greater."

Takato gave him a curious look. "But would they come after us? We have souls, not DigiCores. I know they're basically the same thing, but is there a chance they'll overlook us and not attack us?"

Tai shook his head. "We do have DigiCores." He held up his Digivice. "We're carrying the DigiCores of the Guardians in our Digivices; that's what's allowing us to Spirit Evolve."

"I agree," Shoutmon replied. He thought for a few moments. "But maybe if we keep our distance and remain undetected, we can destroy them out of their proximity range. They'll try to seek us out once they're attacked, but if we can conceal our presence and keep attacking, we might be able to take them down without actually having to fight them, though it will take a while."

"That's a great idea," a new voice from behind them spoke. "I'll be sure to tell Lord Bagramon of your strategy."

The teens whirled around to find Regulumon standing behind them with his arms crossed. They jumped back in surprise as the beast man Digimon towered over them.

"Regulumon," Takato gasped. "I thought you got lost between dimensions."

The beast man Digimon raised an eyebrow. "And you thought that would get rid of e for good?"

A childish laughter was heard, once again from behind the teens, and they turned to find Puppetmon behind them. "Foolish humans, you should know that there's always a way back."

Davis glared. "Who's this now?"

The puppet Digimon smiled. "I'm Puppetmon, and I believe you know my friend here."

He held up his hands and wiggled his fingers. There was a heavy thud as the large form of MegaDarkKnightmon landed next to him. The teens gasped and Puppetmon chuckled, making the knight Digimon move with his finger movements.

"Or what's left of him I should say," the puppet Digimon clarified.

TK glared as Puppetmon made MegaDarkKnightmon swipe his lance-spear. "I guess we now know what happened to AxeKnightmon's body."

"Worse, MegaDarkKnightmon's body," Shoutmon specified.

Regulumon cracked his knuckles. "Enough talk. You humans made a fool of me the last time we fought. I look forward to paying you back."

Takato held up his Digivice. "Just try it, pal. Execute! Spirit Evolution… MedievalGallantmon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Omnimon Merciful Mode!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Imperialdramon Paladin Mode!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Susanoomon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Seraphimon!"

"Execute! Spirit Evolution… Ophanimon C!"

"Shoutmon Warp Digivolve to… OmniShoutmon X!"

The DigiDestined now stood fully transformed between the other two Digimon, three including MegaDarkKnightmon. Neither the puppet or beast man Digimon looked concerned though, despite being outnumbered.

Ophanimon C pointed her flaming javelin at the smirking Puppetmon. "What are you smiling about?"

The puppet Digimon chuckled. "I bet you think you have the advantage because there's more of you, but how quickly you forget."

He flicked his hand, and strings flew from his fingers. They attached to the Dexmon from where they stood, and he gave them a yank. The three ghost Digimon were pulled through the air and over to them. Instantly, the three Dexmon animated and began moving. As they moved, the invisible portions of their body became somewhat visible, appearing as clear transparent blurs. They roared one after the other, and immediately went on the attack, lashing out at the person closest to them, one of their targets even being Regulumon. They all took to the air to avoid their swiping claws, and the three Dexmon roared up at them.

"Well, geez, these guys don't waste any time," MedievalGallantmon commented.

"It's like OmniShoutmon said," Seraphimon told them, "they're essentially golems. Just empty shells that indiscriminately attack anything in their path."

One of the Dexmon held up its hands, and they began glowing with power. "Process F!"

It slammed its glowing hands into the ground, and the area around it surrounded with energy. That power suddenly erupted outward, and pillars of energy burst from underground to impale anyone in their path. The DigiDestined swerved out of the path of the energy pillars as they came up all around them.

"Talk about overkill," Imperialdramon remarked.

OmniShoutmon X flew out of the path of another pillar. "Dexmon don't understand the concept of overkill. They only understand whether their prey is alive or not, and if it is, they do what they can to kill it."

Another Dexmon suddenly leapt into the air behind him, its hands glowing with more power.

"OmniShoutmon, look out!" Omnimon shouted.

"Process Zero!" the Dexmon cried.

The dragon Digimon turned around as the ghost Digimon swiped at him. Ophanimon C flew in front of him, using her Unicorn Shield. Dexmon's glowing claw struck the barrier, and the backlash of energy bouncing off it knocked the ghost Digimon back. Ophanimon C dropped her barrier and held up her hand, pushing the ghost Digimon back with a beam from her Shining Laser II.

"Be careful of that attack," OmniShoutmon X told them. "It can disassemble your data and allow him to tear out your DigiCore."

Susanoomon humped. "Guess I can see why Bagramon keeps these guys around."

Regulumon suddenly appeared behind him. "Be more concerned with the here and now Jūouha!"

He fired a beam of energy from his hand that struck the god Digimon in the back. As he turned around, the beast man Digimon flew forward and drove his knee into Susanoomon's face, knocking him back further, then took up his sword.

He brought the sword down, but it clanged against OmniShoutmon X's bladed leg as the dragon Digimon blocked the swipe. "I'll take care of this guy. The Dexmon are the most dangerous. Take care of them."

He began kicking out at the beast man Digimon, who engaged with him with his sword. Susanoomon turned away, and he and the others flew towards the three Dexmon, but were suddenly cut off as a swipe from MegaDarkKnightmon's axe sliced a tear in dimensions.

Puppetmon chuckled as he controlled the knight Digimon with a few wiggling movements of his fingers. "Don't forget about us."

MedievalGallantmon twirled around his axe. "I'll take MegaDarkKnightmon, one axe wielding knight to another."

Imperialdramon turned his attention to Puppetmon. "Fine the little imp is mine."

Puppetmon's eyes narrowed. "Do I look like an Impmon to you?"

Imperialdramon raised his sword. "It was an insult, you moron!"

He swiped at the puppet Digimon, who hopped back and directed MegaDarkKnightmon to fly at Imperialdramon, swinging his axe. MedievalGallantmon flew forward and blocked MegaDarkKnightmon's axe swipe with his own axe. MegaDarkKnightmon swiped at him with his spear-lance at Puppetmon's command. MedievalGallantmon shifted his axe, blocking the spear-lance with its length while simultaneously pointing the end of it at the knight Digimon.

"Rage of Wyvern!" he cried, and energy in the form of a dragon flew out of the tip. It blasted MegaDarkKnightmon back, but there was no reaction from the knight Digimon. Despite the damage he sustained, there was no indication that he was hurt or felt any pain at all. It did make sense, MedievalGallantmon supposed; MegaDarkKnightmon was currently just an empty vessel under Puppetmon's control.

Omnimon, Susanoomon, and the two angel Digimon were finding a similar problem with the three Dexmon. They too were just empty vessels, acting on a killing instinct, and they showed no sign of pain when struck by an attack; they barely even acknowledged it. Omnimon lashed out with his Fearsome Blade, shaving off nearly half of his Dexmon's wing, but the ghost Digimon didn't so much as flinch.

"Nothing fazes these guys," he muttered irritably.

"Of course not," said Susanoomon as he dodged swipes of his Dexmon's Process F. "There's nothing inside to feel anything. They're essentially just zombies; they're not even alive."

His Dexmon roared and drove its hands into the ground as it unleashed its Process Zero. Pillars of energy erupted from underground, surrounding the god Digimon on all sides and began closing in on him. Susanoomon used his Heavy Tackle, forcing his way through the pillars of energy to slam into the ghost Digimon, knocking it back.

Seraphimon and Ophanimon C were putting their teamwork to use against their Dexmon to the test, but they too were running into the same problem. Even when they had attacked enemies in the past where their attacks didn't do much damage, those attacks would still hurt and serve to slow them down and get sone kind of reaction, even against the Demon Lords. But with Dexmon, there was nothing, no reaction of any kind, not even when they took damage; they just kept coming.

"Strike of the Seven Stars!" Seraphimon cried, blasting the ghost Digimon with his attack.

The seven spheres of light erupted in Dexmon's face, but he pushed through the attack, unfazed, and lashed out with his Process Zero. His glowing claw shot at the angel Digimon, and Ophanimon C flew in and struck it with her Holy Slash. Her flames swirled around her, and she sent them at Dexmon. The ghost Digimon kept coming though, even though it was engulfed in flames.

"This thing just won't stop," Seraphimon growled. "Excalibur!"

He flew at the ghost Digimon with his sword of light and began slashing at him while avoiding Dexmon's swiping claws. He swung the blade, slicing a groove in Dexmon's armored body. The ghost Digimon roared and lashed out with a glowing claw. Seraphimon attempted to block with his sword, and it burst into particles of light.

Seraphimon was seized and then driven into the ground, and Dexmon unleashed its Process F. The energy erupted outward, bursting up in piercing pillars, and Seraphimon cried out.

"Air Sefirot Crystal!" Ophanimon C cried, blasting the ghost Digimon from behind.

Dexmon didn't even react, keeping its back to her. She tried a new tactic, using her Call Dramon. Her dragon appeared, and it reared up, coming down on Dexmon's back, pinning the ghost Digimon to the ground. Seraphimon was released as Dexmon lost its grip and took to the air as the dragon breathed fire on the ghost Digimon.

"Seraphimon, are you ok?" Ophanimon C asked as she flew over to him.

Her fellow angel Digimon's entire body was pixelating. "To be honest, no. Do not get caught by that attack. Final Heal!"

His body stopped pixelating as he healed himself. In the meantime, Dexmon had reached back and thrown Ophanimon C's dragon over its shoulder, and then savagely slashed it to data. It let out a roar as the dragon disappeared, and then turned its attention to the two angel Digimon and went on the attack again.

Susanoomon was having equal difficulty with his own Dexmon, despite being the strongest member of their group. The ghost Digimon was rapidly swiping its glowing claws through the air as it unleashed its Process Zero. The rapid slashing made it difficult for the god Digimon to get a hit in, especially when he spent most of his time avoiding Dexmon's claws.

"Dang it, stop swiping at me," he growled in frustration. "Magna Thunder!"

A cage of lightning formed around Dexmon, cutting off its attacks. The ghost Digimon roared and slashed its claws outward, destroying the lightning cage. But it gave Susanoomon the opening he needed to fly in and deliver a Flash Punch to the ghost Digimon's face. Dexmon stumbled back, but Susanoomon didn't let up, and began unleashing a flurry of punches with his Fist of the Gods.

Aside from the jolts the impacts from the punches caused, Dexmon didn't even appeared to be bothered by the attack, and unleashed its Process F, driving its claws into the ground. Pillars of energy erupted all around, and Susanoomon was impaled. He cried out, but hardly had time to process the hit before Dexmon struck him with his Process Zero. Susanoomon went spinning through the air his, body pixelating, but stopped his momentum. He stopped his data's disassembling with his Status Barrier, but Dexmon was already coming at him again.

"You're really dangerous," Susanoomon commented. "Heaven's Thunder!"

Streams of lightning in the shape of dragons came down from the sky as Dexmon came at him. They coiled around the ghost Digimon, holding it back, and Dexmon roared.

"Celestial Blade!" Susanoomon cried, and his massive weapon appeared. The blade of light emerged from it, and Susanoomon swung it through the air, just as Dexmon unleashed his Process F. The pillars of energy that burst up from around the ghost Digimon set it free, and it lunged at Susanoomon with its Process Zero. Its glowing claw struck the god Digimon's weapon before the blade of light could land. The weapon was knocked aside, the front shattered, and the blade of light disappeared. Dexmon didn't get away unscathed though as it lost its arm, and the dismembered limb dissolved into data.

"Fine, I can work with this," Susanoomon replied, and the rest of his ZERO-ARMS: Orochi fell apart to reveal his sword. "Take this!"

As the one-armed Dexmon came at him, seemingly not even bothered by the loss of its arm, Susanoomon flew forward and drove the sword down to its hilt into Dexmon's head. The ghost Digimon roared and came to a stop in from of him before slumping over and going still.

Susanoomon humphed. "I guess going for the brain stops Digimon zombies as well as movie zombies." He turned to his friends to see who needed the most help. "Now, who's next?"

Before he could decide though, a shadow fell over him, and he turned around to find his Dexmon coming down on top of him, his sword still buried in its forehead.

"Takuya, you fool," he growled to himself as he was tackled to the ground.

Dexmon lifted its claw to strike with its Process Zero, but Susanoomon was faster, striking the ghost Digimon with a bolt of lightning with his Glory Thunder, causing its strike to go off target, and its claw buried in the ground instead.

Dexmon unleashed its Process F instead. As the energy surrounded it, Susanoomon used his Heavenly Wings Beheading, and split into the 10 Legendary Warriors, avoiding the pillar of energy that would have come up from underneath him. Each of the Warriors slashed at Dexmon, fracturing its armor and cutting off some of its feathers. Then the 10 of them formed Susanoomon again as Dexmon turned to him and roared.

Susanoomon pointed his sword at the ghost Digimon. "Roar at this. ZERO-ARMS: Orochi!"

His sword became the holy weapon once more as red and blue spheres of energy formed at the end of it and came together. Dexmon reached for the god Digimon with a glowing claw as Susanoomon fired at point blank range.

The explosion that followed engulfed both Dexmon and Susanoomon. A few of the combatants paused in their fighting to glance at the blast that covered the field. And when the explosion died down, only fragments of Dexmon's armor remained, the pieces bursting into data a few moments later.

Susanoomon was gone as well, and only Takuya remained. He lay in the crater left behind from the blast, rolling onto his back with a groan. Even so, he had a grin on his face for his victory.

"One down…" he muttered. Cracking open an eye, he glanced at his friends. "Sorry, guys, but you're on your own from here."

MedievalGallantmon silently swore. It had taken Susanoomon, their strongest member, taking himself out of the battle in order to put an end to just one of the Dexmon, but he was determined to not let their numbers drop any further. But fighting against MegaDarkKnightmon, or at least his body, was proving to be rather difficult. With Puppetmon in control of him, the knight Digimon was able to move and attack in ways that wouldn't be possible had the actual MegaDarkKnightmon been in control of himself.

MedievalGallantmon had been hoping that Imperialdramon would be able to make quick work of the puppet Digimon, but Puppetmon was proving to be very elusive, opting to flee rather than fight, all while controlling MegaDarkKnightmon. Imperialdramon's large size worked against him as the much smaller puppet Digimon maneuvered around him, much to the larger dragon Digimon's frustration.

"Hold still, you Toy Story reject!" Imperialdramon snapped as he slashed at the puppet Digimon with his Imperial Claw.

Puppetmon hopped over the claw and ran up the length of his arm. "Reject this. Puppet Pummel!"

He brought his giant sledge hammer packed with gunpowder down on Imperialdramon's head, setting off an explosion that had the dragon Digimon stumble back. Smirking, Puppetmon pulled on the invisible strings controlling MegaDarkKnightmon, and the knight Digimon lunged at MedievalGallantmon. He swung his giant axe, but MedievalGallantmon blocked with his own. MegaDarkKnightmon then swiped his lance spear at him, and MedievalGallantmon jumped back to avoid it.

"Final Crest!" he cried, firing a beam from his crest.

MegaDarkKnightmon began spinning his lance-spear around, deflecting the beam, then threw his weapon at the knight Digimon. MedievalGallantmon charged forward, dropping down to skid beneath the spinning lance-spear as it whizzed over him, then leapt at MegaDarkKnightmon. He brought down his axe, and MegaDarkKnightmon caught it with his own.

Pulling back, MedievalGallantmon spun around and swung his axe, only to have it caught in MegaDarkKnightmon's hand. He then swiped at MedievalGallantmon with his own axe, and the knight Digimon stepped to the side as the giant axe came down where he had been. A helicopter-like sound reached his ears, and he jumped up on reflex, just as MegaDarkKnightmon's lance-spear came flying back.

MegaDarkKnightmon let go of MedievalGallantmon's axe and caught his weapon. Then he lunged at the knight Digimon, swinging his giant weapon as Puppetmon had him unleash his Super-Dimensional Axe attack.

Tears in dimensions formed as MegaDarkKnightmon's axe cut through the air. Really missing his shield, MedievalGallantmon brought up his axe to block. MegaDarkKnightmon's axe slammed against his own, shaking the knight Digimon to his core. MegaDarkKnightmon didn't let up, repeatedly striking over and over. It was all MedievalGallantmon could do just to block.

"Damn it," he growled. "Rage of Wyvern!"

An energy dragon burst from the bottom of his axe, launching MedievalGallantmon into the air. MegaDarkKnightmon's axe came down, slicing through the energy dragon, but MedievalGallantmon was already coming back down, raising his axe. He brought it down, but MegaDarkKnightmon stepped to the side. Even so, MedievalGallantmon felt the blade of his axe cut through something, something invisible.

MegaDarkKnightmon stumbled, and part of his body seemed to go limp. MedievalGallantmon's eyes narrowed suspiciously as he glanced at Puppetmon, then back at the knight Digimon.

"So that's how it is," he muttered. "I should have known."

MegaDarkKnightmon lunged at him again, swinging his axe, but MedievalGallantmon jumped back to avoid it. He fired his Rage of Wyvern, knocking the knight Digimon back, then he was the one lunging forward. He didn't target MegaDarkKnightmon though. Rather, he swiped his axe around the knight Digimon, feeling it cut through more unseen objects. And finally, MegaDarkKnightmon went completely limp and toppled over.

Puppetmon fell over as well as the last of his threads were cut, severing his connection to MegaDarkKnightmon. He looked over at the knight Digimon as he fell over, and a scowl crossed his face. "Are you kidding me!? He cut all my threads!"

"And now I'm cutting you!" Imperialdramon cried. "Omni Sword!"

Puppetmon jumped back as the dragon Digimon swiped at him. He wasn't quite fast enough though as the large blade cut through the ropes tying his arms to his feet. The severed connection between his limbs threw off Puppetmon's balance, and he stumbled about. Imperialdramon seized the opportunity and lunged forward with his sword raised.

Puppetmon held out his hands. "Wires Choking!"

Wires flew out of his fingers and coiled around Imperialdramon, halting the dragon Digimon in his path. He attempted to move, but the wires held him in place.

"Hey, what did you do to me?" he demanded.

Puppetmon laughed. "I got a new puppet. And now I need to break it in. Flying Cross Cutter!"

He grabbed the large wooden cross on his back and threw it like a boomerang. It flew at Imperialdramon's face, but before it could hit, it was struck by MedievalGallantmon's Final Crest, causing it to burst into data. Another beam struck the ground in front of Puppetmon, sending him flying backwards. MedievalGallantmon used the borrowed time to fly over to Imperialdramon and cut him free of the wires holding him.

"You ok, pal?" he asked.

Imperialdramon shook himself free. "Yeah, I'm good. And now to get even with the misfit toy."

He lunged at Puppetmon, swinging his sword. The puppet Digimon yelped and jumped up, avoiding the blade as it stabbed into the ground. Puppetmon let out a chuckle, but then Imperialdramon's hand shot out, and he caught Puppetmon in his grasp.

"Gotcha now," Imperialdramon told him, bringing then puppet Digimon up to his face. "Not so tough when you can't jump around, are you, Pinocchio?"

"Lie!" Puppetmon cried, and his nose grew in length, stretching out far and poking Imperialdramon in the eye.

The dragon Digimon cried out in pain and began rubbing his eye with his other hand. "You little sneak! I wasn't be serious with the Pinocchio comment."

"Drill Nose!" Puppetmon cried.

His nose retracted, but then began spinning like a drill. He slammed his head down onto Imperialdramon's hand, and his drilling nose drilled into it. The dragon Digimon yelped and dropped him, and Puppetmon hopped away, going after MedievalGallantmon.

"Puppet Pummel!" he cried, swinging his hammer.

MedievalGallantmon brought up his axe, catching the hammer before it could land its blow. With a flick of his axe, he sent the hammer flying out of Puppetmon's hands, and it went spinning through the air.

With one eye cracked open, Imperialdramon raised his arm cannon. "Super Positron Laser!"

He fired a beam, and it struck and exploded against the hammer, destroying it. Puppetmon let out a growl and took a step back as Imperialdramon and MedievalGallantmon closed in on him.

"Out of weapons and out of puppets," the latter told him.

"I suggest you surrender," said Imperialdramon.

Puppetmon let out an annoyed growl, but then he grinned. "Not quite yet. I got one last trick. Giant Wooden Man!"

The ground began shaking, and suddenly, a giant man made of wood burst up from underground. Puppetmon stood on its shoulder, looking very confident as the wooden man stood just as tall as Imperialdramon.

"Didn't know I could do this, did you?" he taunted. "This big puppet of mine is as powerful as a Mega. You had no idea I had it up my sleeves. That's just one more weakness you humans have due to your ignorance. You don't know what we Digimon are capable of. You'll never be able to-"

"Hyper Prominence!"

The ball of energy Imperialdramon fired struck the wooden man. It was blasted apart by the explosion, and Puppetmon went flying. He landed hard on the ground with a grunt as Imperialdramon and MedievalGallantmon once again stood over him.

"This is your second chance to surrender," MedievalGallantmon told him.

"There will not be a third," Imperialdramon added.

Puppetmon growled and jumped to his feet. "You're no fun. I'll never surrender, but I'm done playing with you!"

He held out his hand and threads flew out of them. They latched onto MegaDarkKnightmon, and he yanked the knight Digimon over to him. Before MedievalGallantmon or Imperialdramon could react, he had MegaDarkKnightmon tear a hole in dimensions, and he disappeared into it with the knight Digimon.

Notes:

(A/N: Yeah, so, like I said, an interesting fight. Three zombies in the form of Dexmon, MegaDarkKnighton used as a puppet by Puppetmon, and Regulumon working together. It was awkward to write, but I think I pulled it together. They managed to get rid of one of the Dexmon, even if it took Susanoomon being benched, and Puppetmon has fled with MegaDarkKnightmon's body. But there's still Regulumon and two Dexmon left. Let's hope our heroes can handle it.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear or are mentioned.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Dexmon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/DexDorugoramon

Chapter 193: Sentience

Notes:

(A/N: Ok, well, this made for a fairly interesting chapter to write. The name may seem a little strange, but there's a reason for it. You'll see why in a bit, so let's get to it.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 193: Sentience

"Coward!" Imperialdramon shouted as the dimensional tear Puppetmon had disappeared through closed.

"Never mind him," said MedievalGallantmon. "Let's help the others."

The dragon Digimon growled and looked at his friends. OmniShoutmon X was holding his own against Regulumon while Takuya was seemingly unconscious in a crater. Seraphimon and Ophanimon C were double-teaming one of the Dexmon, but Omnimon was fighting the other one by himself.

"OmniShoutmon's doing fine for now," he said, hating to have to choose which friend to help over another. "We'll take care of the Dexmon, then help him. Omnimon's first."

MedievalGallantmon nodded in agreement, and they rushed to Omnimon's aid. Imperialdramon made it there first, delivering an Imperial Kick to Dexmon's head, knocking the ghost Digimon back.

"Don't worry, we're here," said MedievalGallantmon.

"I can see that, but thanks," Omnimon replied. "Have Puppetmon and MegaDarkKnightmon been dealt with?"

"More or less," his fellow knight Digimon told him. "They fled the coop."

Omnimon growled as he realized that meant that they would probably need to face them again sometime in the future. "Well, just be careful of this guy. We've never faced anyone like him before."

Imperialdramon scoffed. "After the monsters we've faced, this guy should be a pushover."

"Process Zero!" Dexmon cried, lashing out with a glowing claw.

Imperialdramon caught it before it could hit, but then Dexmon lashed out with his other claw, slashing at the dragon Digimon's side. Imperialdramon cried out and released him, and Dexmon struck again. He was blasted back, however, by MedievalGallantmon's Rage of Wyvern, followed by Omnimon's Giga Fire, who followed up with his Flame Sphere, the flames cutting off Dexmon from them.

"Idiot!" he scolded. "Don't be careless because we outnumber him."

"I wasn't," Imperialdramon objected as he began to pixelate. "I just didn't expect him to… Geez, what did he do to me? My body…"

Dexmon slashed its way through the flames and roared at them. Omnimon used his Fearsome Blade, slashing at the ghost Digimon. Dexmon countered with its Process Zero, knocking away the whipping energy blade with its glowing claws. Omnimon kept whipping it, but Dexmon kept deflecting, then slammed its claws into the ground and unleashed its Process F. Pillars of energy began bursting up around it, and the three DigiDestined put some distance between themselves and the ghost Digimon.

"Final Crest!" MedievalGallantmon cried, firing a beam at Dexmon.

The ghost Digimon roared and began slashing about wildly with its Process Zero. Imperialdramon attempted to hold his pixelating form together as he manifested his cannon and took aim. "Giga Crusher!"

The energy wave struck Dexmon, and the ghost Digimon went down. Omnimon flew over and came down on top of him. He used his T-Sword attack, but Dexmon's claw began glowing, and it slashed at him.

MedievalGallantmon flew in, blocking Dexmon's attack with his axe, and the two knight Digimon held back its claws. That's when Imperialdramon dropped down from the sky, burying his Omni Sword down to the hilt into Demon's chest.

The ghost Digimon roared, pulling back its claws. It suddenly slammed them into the ground, and Imperialdramon gasped. Letting go of his sword, he reached out and pushed Omnimon and MedievalGallantmon away as pillars of energy erupted all around. The dragon Digimon cried out as he was impaled, getting pushed off Dexmon. The ghost Digimon got back up, its claws glowing, and then slashed at Imperialdramon with its Process Zero.

Omnimon and MedievalGallantmon called out their comrade's name as Imperialdramon began pixelating even more, and then suddenly shrank down as he reverted to Davis, the sword buried in Dexmon's chest disappearing. The ghost Digimon roared and raised its claws to finish off Davis, but MedievalGallantmon suddenly threw his axe. It buried into Dexmon's head, and the ghost Digimon stumbled back. Omnimon then flew over and raised both arms, firing his Double Torrent into the ghost Digimon's stomach, blasting Dexmon away from Davis.

MedievalGallantmon flew in and scooped Davis up, getting him away from Dexmon. The teen groaned in pain and looked up at the knight Digimon that carried him. "Something's not right. That thing's attacks, they…"

"Disassemble one's data," MedievalGallantmon told him. "OmniShoutmon said so."

"Don't let him touch you," Davis warned. "Not while his claws are glowing. Take him down as fast as possible."

The knight Digimon set him down. "That's always the case."

He flew back over to the battle as Omnimon deflected Dexmon's glowing claws with his sword. He fired his Final Crest, and Dexmon roared. Omnimon then used his Flame Breath, breathing a stream of fire at the ghost Digimon, and MedievalGallantmon flew in and tore his axe out of Dexmon's head. He pointed the end of his axe at the ghost Digimon and unleashed his Rage of Wyvern.

The energy dragon that emerged slammed into Dexmon. The ghost Digimon ignored him completely as it tried to reach the two knight Digimon, but was held back by the energy dragon. Dexmon then slammed both claws into the ground, unleashing its Process F. Pillars of energy erupted, impaling the energy dragon, and it disappeared.

With a loud roar, Dexmon lunged at MedievalGallantmon, both its claws glowing. Before it could strike though, it was struck by Omnimon's Graceful Cannon hitting it in the chest, the cutting beam pushing the ghost Digimon back as it tunneled through, and Dexmon's claws just barely missed slashing MedievalGallantmon.

After the close call, MedievalGallantmon flew in, spinning his axe above him. Dexmon roared as the knight Digimon swiped at him, cutting the ghost Digimon's head clean off. He didn't stop there as he then raised his axe high and brought it down, cutting down Dexmon's center. Taking no chances, Omnimon flew in and began rapidly firing his cannon with his Inferno attack, not stopping until all traces of Dexmon were gone.

Heaving a sigh of relief, MedievalGallantmon flew over to Omnimon. "Nicely done, that's two down."

His fellow knight Digimon glanced at Davis, who was currently supporting the still unconscious Takuya. "Yeah, but we're down by two too."

"But we also get rid of Puppetmon and MegaDarkKnightmon."

"True," Omnimon agreed, and looked at his sister and Seraphimon as they fought the last remaining Dexmon. "Ophanimon and Seraphimon have each other, but OmniShoutmon's still fighting alone. We'll take care of Regulumon, then get the last Dexmon."

"Fine with me."

They flew over to the fight between the dragon and beast man Digimon. Regulumon fired his Jūouha at OmniShoutmon X, who blocked with Heavy Metal Vulcan, then countered with his Victorize Banking. Regulumon used his Regulu Cutter to fling an energy blade from his sword at the V-shaped bolt, causing the two attacks to explode upon impact. The two flew at each other, and OmniShoutmon X used his Flare Rock Spirit to slash at him with his crystal claws that manifested, but the beast man Digimon grabbed him by the wrist, then kneed him in the chest, knocking him back.

As Regulumon raised his sword to strike, his blade made contact with Omnimon's, and the beast man Digimon glanced at him. "You humans are a major thorn in my side."

"Yeah, we do that!" MedievalGallantmon declared as he flew in and swiped with his axe.

Regulumon pulled back to avoid the swipe, and Omnimon raised his cannon and fired his Giga Fire. Regulumon was blasted back, and OmniShoutmon X flew in, slashing and kicking with his crystal claws and bladed legs. Regulumon was still recovering from Omnimon's attack, but managed to block a few of the dragon Digimon's hits before one particular kick knocked the sword out of his hand.

"Zeal Magnum!" OmniShoutmon X cried, firing beams from his hands.

Regulumon skidded backwards as the beams pushed him back, but managed to remain on his feet. Then Omnimon came flying in, slashing with his T-Sword. Regulumon snarled as the sword cut across his chest, and he blasted Omnimon away with his Jūouha attack, and that's when MedievalGallantmon came down, swinging his axe. It buried deeply into the beast man Digimon's shoulder, causing him to cry out, but he somehow managed to remain standing.

Reaching up, he ripped the axe out of his shoulder, then made to attack again, but his body stopped cooperating with him as the paralyzing effect of Omnimon's T-Sword attack began to overtake him. He growled deeply as the three DigiDestined closed in on him.

"No," he snarled. "No, I will not fall here. I will keep fighting for my master."

"Give it up, you're done for," MedievalGallantmon told him.

Regulumon bared his fangs at him, then threw his head back and called out. "Lord Bagramon, I still have more in me! Do not let me fall here, and I shall fight for you until the end!"

OmniShoutmon X glared at him. "You can't expect anything from him. He's the ultimate betrayer, and you're just a disposable pawn in his eyes."

But just as he said this, Bagramon's arm came bursting through time and space. It stretched out across the battlefield, coming to a stop between them.

"Maybe not entirely," Omnimon muttered to OmniShoutmon X.

But as Regulumon grinned, Bagramon's arm suddenly shot over to him, sinking into the beast man Digimon's chest. Regulumon's eyes bulged out and he howled in pain as Bagramon invaded his very being.

"Or maybe he is," Omnimon corrected himself.

"I told you," OmniShoutmon X growled.

But even with Bagramon's arm penetrating him, a look of resolve spread across Regulumon's face, and he relaxed his body, completely surrendering himself over to Bagramon's will. "I put my faith in you, my master."

Bagramon retracted his arm, and the light left Regulumon's eyes before he collapsed. Bagramon now held a glowing object in his hand, and it didn't take much for the DigiDestined to realize that the Demon Lord had just torn out the beast man Digimon's DigiCore.

"Why'd he do that?" MedievalGallantmon asked in bewilderment.

Suddenly, Bagramon's arm shot across the battlefield, and it suddenly entered the last remaining Dexmon. The ghost Digimon froze as the arm entered its being, and when it emerged, Bagramon's hand was shown to be empty before it retracted and disappeared.

Dexmon remained frozen for a few moments, but then a loud inhalation was heard, and the ghost Digimon threw back its head and roared.

"I'm guessing that's why?" Omnimon answered MedievalGallantmon's question.

Dexmon suddenly began moving with an awareness it hadn't shown before. It looked down at itself and began examining its body, as if it had never seen or noticed it before.

"Did Bagramon just put Regulumon's DigiCore inside Dexmon?" Davis asked, recalling that Shoutmon had said that he could do such things.

Seraphimon and Ophanimon C glanced at each other, not sure what to now make of the Dexmon they had been facing. "Regulumon?" the former asked.

The ghost Digimon looked at him with its new awareness. "Not anymore."

"Oh, crap," OmniShoutmon X muttered.

"Process F!" Dexmon cried, driving his claws into the ground.

The two angel Digimon pulled back as pillars of energy burst from the ground with far more target accuracy than before. They actually had to avoid the attack rather than just dodge as the pillars of energy came up after them.

"Regulumon's now controlling Dexmon, isn't he?" Omnimon asked. "He just gave him sentience."

"This is bad," OmniShoutmon X exclaimed. "It's completely unprecedented. As far as I know, nothing like this has ever been done before. Dexmon were already incredibly dangerous without the ability to think. But with full awareness…"

The ghost Digimon suddenly rushed over to their group. With a malicious laugh, he lashed out with his Process Zero. OmniShoutmon X attempted to block with his Heavy Metal Vulcan, but Dexmon's glowing claw cut straight through the fire wall, disrupting its data. Dexmon swiped at them again, and they took off.

"Don't let him touch you!" the dragon shouted as they fled. "He's now conscious of everything, even of his attack's affects."

"You mean of how I can disassemble your data?" Dexmon asked tauntingly. "I fully plan to do just that."

"Strike of the Seven Stars!" Seraphimon cried, firing his attack into Dexmon. The ghost Digimon turned to him and lashed out with a glowing claw, and it disassembled the lightning's data.

"This guy…" Omnimon growled. "Inferno!"

He began rapidly firing his cannon. Dexmon swiped away a few of the blasts, but then they began finding their mark, and he jolted back with each blast.

"Process F!" he cried, stabbing his claws into the ground.

He took control of his attack though, directing it where he wanted, and the pillars of energy erupted in a circle around Omnimon, closing him in and leaving him no way to dodge, and the pillars of energy came up beneath him, impaling the knight Digimon.

"Omnimon!" Ophanimon C shouted.

MedievalGallantmon's grip on his axe tightened. "He can direct his attacks now. He's even more dangerous than before."

"Worse," OmniShoutmon X growled. "With his awareness, he now has self-preservation, and will consciously defend himself and try to survive."

The knight Digimon glanced at him. "But he'll be aware of pain and damage now though, won't he?"

OmniShoutmon X nodded. "Yes, but his body is still an animated corpse, so he'll be just as hard to destroy. No, even harder now." He grasped his head. "I can't believe this is happening. It's never occurred before, ever. I never even considered this possibility."

Omnimon hovered over to them, his body pixelating. "He can disassemble our attacks, and disassemble our own data. We need an effective way to get around that."

Seraphimon flew over and used his Perfect Revival, healing Omnimon and causing his data to settle. OmniShoutmon X looked on with a forlorn expression. "Healing techniques can stop the disassembling, but they can't fix the damage. We need a status repair technique like Susanoomon's Status Barrier." He glanced at Takuya. "But it doesn't look like that's an option."

Dexmon suddenly lunged at them, lashing out wildly with his Process Zero. The DigiDestined scattered, but Dexmon went after them with a purpose coherency he didn't have before.

"We need to do something!" Ophanimon C cried. "OmniShoutmon, what would work?"

"I'm thinking!" the dragon Digimon snapped, and began wracking his brain for an effective strategy. And then his eyes landed on something, and an idea occurred to him. "That'll work."

Dexmon was flying after Omnimon, Seraphimon, and Ophanimon C. MedievalGallantmon was trying to maintain a distance while following behind them, but the ghost Digimon was currently ignoring him. He drove his claws into the ground, using his Process F, and pillars of energy burst up in front of those he was pursuing, cutting them off. Dexmon laughed, but it was soon overwhelmed by MedievalGallantmon's battle cry as he flew in and swung his axe. Dexmon's claw came up though, catching the weapon, and he sneered up at the knight Digimon.

"Your resistance is futile," he said, holding up a glowing claw. "Prepare to have your data disassembled."

"Stop!" OmniShoutmon X shouted. "Don't make another move!"

Dexmon turned to him and saw the dragon Digimon holding up his Regulumon body in a headlock. A low growl escaped the ghost Digimon as he let go of MedievalGallantmon's axe and headed over to OmniShoutmon X. "Just what do you think you're doing?"

The dragon Digimon gripped Regulumon's head tightly in his crystal claws. "That's close enough. It won't take much for me to destroy an empty shell."

"Are you making a threat to me?" Dexmon demanded.

"You bet I am. Surrender, or I'll destroy your body. You do know what that means for you, right? You'll body will reconfigure into a Digi-Egg without your DigiCore as nothing more than an empty vessel while your DigiCore remains inside that body. And since that body is a corpse, you'll be stuck as Dexmon, no Digivolving or DeDigivolving for you. And though you may be in control of that body now, if it ever gets destroyed, you'll be stuck as a wandering ghost until you can reunite with your real body again, and who knows how long that will take. Heck, maybe another Digimon will already be using it for something."

"Wow, nice plan," Ophanimon C whispered.

His claws dug deeper into Regulumon's face. "Don't make me do it."

Dexmon growled, looking like he wanted nothing more than to tear the dragon Digimon to pieces. "You're clever, I'll give you that, but you underestimate my loyalty to Lord Bagramon. Let me show you how deep it goes. Process F!"

He stabbed his glowing claws into the ground, and energy began bursting up in pillars towards OmniShoutmon X. The dragon Digimon waited until the last possible second before Dexmon's attack would have landed. A pillar of energy burst up from underground, impaling Regulumon's body. It pixelated for a few moments before bursting into data, and Dexmon let out a bellow of rage at the sacrifice he had made.

"He just destroyed his own real body!" Seraphimon exclaimed.

"This guy is crazy," said MedievalGallantmon.

OmniShoutmon X flew over to them. "Sorry, guys, I thought I could get him to surrender."

"It's fine," Omnimon replied. "It was a good strategy. Who would have thought he'd go this far?"

Dexmon turned to them, let out an enraged cry, and charged forward. The DigiDestined scattered as he slashed at them with his Process Zero. The ghost Digimon went after OmniShoutmon X for obvious reasons, and Ophanimon C fired her Air Sefirot Crystal at him. Dexmon was knocked over from the attack, but immediately went after the dragon Digimon again.

"It's like he's not even bothered by our attacks even when they hit," she said.

"A living zombie," MedievalGallantmon muttered. "How do you beat someone like that? Why couldn't he just stay sealed in that dimensional rift he was knocked into."

At the knight Digimon's words, a lightbulb suddenly went off in Seraphimon's head. "Sealed. That's it. It might be our best chance, but I'll need your guys' help."

"With what?" Omnimon asked.

Seraphimon didn't answer. Instead, he flew after Dexmon. OmniShoutmon X moved to flee, but Dexmon cut him off with his Process F, the pillars of energy coming up in the dragon Digimon's path.

As Dexmon pulled his still glowing claws free, Seraphimon came up behind him and suddenly DeDigivolved to MagnaAngemon. Wasting no time, he used his sword of light to draw a circle in the air. "Gate of Destiny!"

Dexmon lunged at OmniShoutmon X, and very nearly struck him with his Process Zero when a suction pulled him back, and he just missed slashing the dragon Digimon. "What is this?"

He turned around to see the Golden Gate with the water-like surface as it drew him in. Snarling, Dexmon stabbed his claws into the ground, not to attack, but to anchor himself.

"You think you can seal me away?" he seethed. "I won't allow it!"

"Omega Force Glide Drive!"

OmniShoutmon X slammed into him from behind, pushing the ghost Digimon closer to the portal. Dexmon snarled and turned around, lashing out at him with his Process Zero. OmniShoutmon X pulled back to avoid the swipe, and Dexmon raised his other claw to strike him, but was suddenly hit in the face by Omnimon's Inferno. He was struck several more times, skidding back further, before he drove his claws into the ground again, unleashing his Process F.

The pillars of light came up beneath Omnimon as the knight Digimon kept firing, and he was impaled by an energy pillar. The attack died down and Omnimon fell to the ground, his body pixelating, and held his wound.

MagnaAngemon flew in front of Dexmon and pointed his sword at him, concentrating the suction of his Gate of Destiny, and its pull increased. Dexmon's claws left grooves in the ground as he was pulled back, but then he began crawling forward towards the angel Digimon.

Ophanimon C came down beside MagnaAngemon and used her Call Dramon. Her dragon appeared and began breathing fire at the ghost Digimon. Dexmon recoiled from the flames, but kept a firm grip on the ground before suddenly lunging forward and wrapping his arms around the dragon, making quick work of it as he tore it apart. The effort cost him some more distance as he was pulled closer to the Gate.

A blast of aura struck him from OmniShoutmon X's Omega the Fusion. The dragon Digimon then came flying in again with his Omega Force Glide Drive, but this time Dexmon reached out and managed to grab the dragon Digimon by the leg. Before he could do anything more though, Ophanimon C flew in and delivered a Holy Slash across his chest. Dexmon growled and tossed OmniShoutmon X aside, then raised a claw to strike her with his Process Zero. She attempted to block with her Unicorn Shield, but his attack disassembled her barrier and his claw struck her shield, shattering it in her hands.

He raised his glowing claws to strike again, but was struck by MedievalGallantmon's Rage of Wyvern, knocking him back further, and the knight Digimon flew in. Dexmon slashed down at him, and MedievalGallantmon held out his axe, catching Dexmon's claws on either end of his axe. The two struggled to push the other back as the Gate continued to suck.

"Get him in there!" MagnaAngemon cried.

MedievalGallantmon strained against Dexmon's strength. "I'm… trying…"

The Gate was only a few yards away, and MedievalGallantmon knew no one else would attack while he was this close out of fear of knocking him into the Gate as well. But even with the Gate's suction, Dexmon was starting to overpower him.

"Can't… push back…" he growled, tapping into whatever reserves he had. "Need more… power… Have… to…" His eyes snapped open, glowing with power and suddenly he was as well. "MedievalGallantmon Digivolve to… Gallantmon X!"

His axe disappeared in Dexmon's hands, and the knight Digimon flew up into the ghost Digimon's surprised face. "What!?"

"Saint Knuckle!" Gallantmon X cried, delivering a punch to his face with his shield. He struck him a second time, and a third, before pointing his lance at him. "Zeig Saber!"

His energy lance extended into a beam, pushing Dexmon the rest of the way to the Gate. He caught himself though, even as the Gate began to swallow him up, and dispersed the beam with a glowing claw.

Ophanimon C came up beside the newly Digivolved knight Digimon. "Gallantmon X? How?"

"Don't know. Figure it out later. Attack. Final Elysion!"

"Shining Laser III!"

The beams struck Dexmon in the chest, pushing him further into the Gate. He let out a snarl and pushed himself forward, stabbing his claws into the ground. Pillars of energy came up beneath the beams, dispersing them, but OmniShoutmon X came flying in with his Omega Force Glide Drive, plowing into Dexmon's chest and pushing him more into the portal. He began firing his Heavy Heat Vulcan into the ghost Digimon, and Dexmon slashed at him with his Process Zero, knocking him away, and OmniShoutmon X hit the ground, his body starting to pixelate.

Omnimon suddenly appeared, his own body pixelating even worse than before, and raised both hands. He fired his Double Torrent at close range, and Dexmon was blasted back further. Most of him was now inside the Gate, with only his upper body still sticking out as he held onto the rim. He lunged forward, stabbing his glowing claw into the ground, and Omnimon was hit once more by his Process F.

It was too much for Omnimon, and he reverted back to Tai and dropped to the ground. He was too close to the Gate, and started to get sucked in as well. Ophanimon C flew forward and grabbed hold of her brother. Dexmon used the opportunity to haul himself forward and strike with his Process Zero.

Gallantmon X rushed in front of her, holding up his shield. Dexmon's glowing claw struck it, and the knight Digimon abandoned his shield as it burst into data. Dexmon released the sides of the Gate and wrapped his arms around the knight Digimon, fully intending on bringing him into the Gate with him.

"Volcano Napalm!" Ophanimon C cried, throwing a fireball directly beneath the portal, and a pillar of fire rose up around it and a portion of Dexmon's body. He cried out, and Gallantmon X broke free, holding up his lance.

"Royal Saber!" he cried, firing a blast of lightning from his lance.

Dexmon was blasted back, but just managed to hold on. Only his claws gripping the edge of the Gate and his head stuck out of its water-like surface. The ghost Digimon snarled furiously and used his Process F. Rather than unleashing his attack through the ground, his energy was unleashed outward in a burst. Both Gallantmon X and Ophanimon C were in close enough range for the energy to flow over them, the latter turning her back to shield her brother, and they both began pixelating.

Dexmon began pulling himself out of the portal when MagnaAngemon rushed in, slamming into the ghost Digimon's face and pushing him nearly all the way through. Dexmon managed to hold onto the edge though, and with MagnaAngemon right there in front of him, let go with one hand to strike with his Process Zero.

"Beat Slash!" OmniShoutmon X cried, jumping up and striking with a bladed leg.

The fingers on Dexmon's claw holding onto the Gate were severed, and the ghost Digimon bellowed as he completely fell through the portal. The doors of the Gate closed behind him, and then the Gate itself dissolved into particles of light and disappeared, sealing Dexmon away.

OmniShoutmon X landed on his back with a painful "oof", his body pixelating horribly. Recognizing the danger he was in, MagnaAngemon landed beside him. "Hang on, this should help. Magna Antidote!"

His healing light fell upon him, and the dragon Digimon stopped pixelating and relaxed. "Oh, thank the Sovereigns. I didn't think I could hold myself together for much longer."

"I think we still have that problem," said Gallantmon X.

MagnaAngemon turned to them. "Become human again, that should fix it."

The angel and knight Digimon did as they were told and became Kari and Takato again, and no longer felt like they were being torn apart. MagnaAngemon gave a relieved smile and began looking around.

"Is everyone else ok?"

"We're fine!" Davis called, no longer supporting Takuya. "And look who's awake."

"Hey," Takuya objected. "I got caught in my strongest attack at point blank range."

OmniShoutmon X sat up. "You all did good. Dexmon are bad enough, but no one would have anticipated Bagramon putting Regulumon's DigiCore in one of them." He let out a small chuckle as he looked at MagnaAngemon. "Never would have expected I'd see a day where an Ultimate saved us over a Mega."

The angel Digimon reverted back to TK. "That was just strategy on my part, but I think we all know who the real V.I.P. of the day is."

All heads turned to Takato. The teen blinked as he looked at each of them, then pointed at himself. "Who? Me?"

"Of course you," Tai replied. "You Digivolved to Gallantmon X again. How'd you do that? I thought it was impossible without an X-Antibody."

He looked at OmniShoutmon X questioningly, and the dragon Digimon DeDigivolved to Shoutmon. "It is impossible. An X form can't be reached without an X-Antibody."

Tai nodded. "Yeah, that's what I figured. So, how'd you do it?"

Takato just shook his head. "I was just pushing back with all my strength. I was tapping into whatever power reserves I still had, and suddenly I found that within me and it came out. That's really all I know."

"Hmm," Shoutmon mumbled, closing his eyes in thought. "I had an idea about this, I just didn't think it would apply to a scenario like this."

"Like what?" Davis asked.

The dragon Digimon pointed at them. "Your Digivices rely on the inner strength you possess to fuel your Digimon forms, that's how you were able to Digivolve so quickly. But they also seem to save and record the data of your forms as well. It seems that when Takato initially became Gallantmon X that that data was still recorded and saved in his Digivice even after he gave away his X-Antibody. So for all intents and purposes, you've still had the data of an X-Antibody, even without actually possessing one. In fact, in all likelihood, you probably manifested another one with the recorded data and didn't even know it."

Takato looked at his Digivice. "So you're saying that I could have become Gallantmon X instead of MedievalGallantmon all this time and just didn't realize it?"

Shoutmon nodded. "That does seem to be the case."

Takuya let out a deep sigh. "I wish we had known that sooner, it would have made our last few fights easier. Heck, he could have given you the X-Antibody sooner."

TK smiled. "Hey, it's fine. We're learning as we go along. And look, here at the end, we've reached our full potential."

Kari nodded in agreement. "Yeah, on the eve of our final battle. Full team, full power."

Shoutmon looked up at Bagramon's castle. "Yeah, our final battle. We'll have to hold off on it. There's no way we can challenge Bagramon right now."

Tai sighed. "We probably should have seen that coming; it does always seem to be the case. But at least tomorrow we'll have a clear path to Bagramon."

Takato shifted uncomfortably. "Well, not quite. Puppetmon got away; we may run into him."

A scoff escaped Davis. "Puppetmon is a pushover compared to the guys we've faced. He even spent our whole fight dodging me, and then fled like a coward. If we run into him, we can take him easily, even if he uses MegaDarkKnightmon's body. But if he's smart, he'll stay away."

"I suppose so," Kari agreed. "And who knows, maybe we'll be able to recover MegaDarkKnightmon's body for him."

Shoutmon snorted. "Don't hold your breath. We'll be facing Bagramon tomorrow. Getting MegaDarkKnightmon's body back will be the least of our concerns."

Notes:

(A/N: Phew, tough battle. And an interesting strategy on Bagramon's part to bring Dexmon to life using Regulumon's DigiCore. I must admit, for the part where they sealed him in the Gate of Destiny, I took inspiration from the movie Justice League: War where the JL forced Darkseid through a boomtube; I wanted to recapture that scene. And how about that, we've got Gallantmon X back. Now our team is maxed out in power. Well, individual power. And they're going to need it, because they'll be facing Bagramon. So I hope you're ready, because next chapter we'll finally get the final confrontation between our heroes and the last big bad, for real this time.)

Chapter 194: The Emperor of Evil

Notes:

(A/N: We're finally getting down to it. Bagramon is just about out of allies; at least those that we know of. Does he have something hidden up his sleeves, or will our heroes finally get to have their final confrontation with him? Let's get to it, because it's a long one.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 194: The Emperor of Evil

"Darn it!" Puppetmon seethed as he slammed his fist against the ground in frustration. "Darn it, darn it, darn it! Those stupid humans, making a fool out of me like that!"

He glanced over at MegaDarkKnightmon's body propped up against the wall. Letting out an angry growl, he yanked on the strings attached to it, and the knight Digimon fell forward.

"It's your fault!" he snapped. "You're such useless as a puppet!"

Predictably, MegaDarkKnightmon didn't say anything, and for some reason, that just made Puppetmon angrier. But he had another problem other than his wounded pride. He had failed Bagramon, and the Demon Lord did not tolerate failure. What he had done to MegaDarkKnightmon was evidence enough of that.

"It wasn't my fault," the puppet Digimon mumbled to himself. "It's that Regulumon who was useless. His and those brainless Dexmon. Yeah, I'll tell him that they're the reason I lost the fight. If they hadn't screwed everything up, I would have won. But I'm strong, and I can still be useful to Lord Bagramon." He stood up, feeling more confident. "Yeah, I'm the best he has! In fact, I'm all he has! Bagramon wouldn't get rid of me! He needs me!"

"Is that what you think?" a cold voice asked. "What use would I have for a failure?"

Puppetmon turned around to find the Demon Lord in question descending from up above, and looking none-to-pleased. "L-L-Lord Bagramon! What are you doing here?"

The Demon Lord's eyes narrowed. "Excluding the fact that this is my own castle, I go where I please. The real question is, why are you here? Did I not send you to destroy the humans?"

Puppetmon unconsciously took a step backwards. "There… There was a problem I ran into. Regulumon and the Dexmon were-"

"Save your lies," Bagramon told him, and his ruby eye glowed. "I know what happened on the battlefield. I saw it all."

A bead of nervous sweat ran down Puppetmon's head. "My lord, I can explain."

Bagramon raised an eyebrow. "Explain what? You failed. That is the only truth there is. No, not only did you fail, you fled from battle."

"But, my lord-"

"You were so quick to condemn MegaDarkKnightmon for his retreat from battle, yet you flee in even greater disgrace than he did. What use do I have for a servant who not only can't do what I command, but who also turns his back on my orders." He took a menacing step forward. "You should have fought to your last breath, but you couldn't bring yourself to do that. How useless you are."

The puppet Digimon's fists clenched. "You need me! I'm all you have left!"

"I ask again," Bagramon replied. "What use do I have for a servant who can't follow my commands? If you can't do as you're told, then you're useless to me in that area." He took another step forward. "I might as well put you to another use."

Puppetmon had to struggle to keep his legs from shaking. His eyes began darting around the room for a way out, and they settled on MegaDarkKnightmon. The knight Digimon was laying on the ground right behind Bagramon.

A cunning grin spread across Puppetmon's face, and he gave the invisible threads connecting them a yank. MegaDarkKnightmon lunged at Bagramon, swinging the axe.

"I'm the master now, you fool!" Puppetmon declared.

MegaDarkKnightmon brought his axe down. In a flash, Bagramon's normal arm came up and caught the blade between his thumb and index finger. Puppetmon gasped loudly as the Demon Lord held back the axe.

"You think you can rule over me?" Bagramon asked calmly, not taking his eyes off Puppetmon as he barely acknowledged the knight Digimon. "You aren't even fit to stand in my presence."

He swiped his wooden demon hand through the air, severing the invisible threads, and Puppetmon fell over. MegaDarkKnightmon went limp, and Bagramon caught him with his demon hand and held him up over his head.

"So many disappointments," he lamented. "If you're not valuable in one way, then you'll be valuable in another."

His fingers buried into MegaDarkKnightmon. The knight Digimon's Fractal Code appeared, and Bagramon absorbed it, reducing the knight Digimon to an egg that floated off. Puppetmon crawled backwards fearfully as the Demon Lord stepped towards him, knowing that a similar fate now awaited him.

But as Bagramon stepped towards him, a bright light suddenly emitted from him, and a maniacal laugh escaped the Demon Lord as he was consumed by light, Puppetmon watching fearfully.

A few moments later, the puppet Digimon's cries echoed through the halls of the castle before they were suddenly cut off, and then all was silent.

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

A loud gasp escaped Shoutmon and he woke with a start, breathing heavily. It was the middle of the night, and everyone was asleep, except for Takuya, who was taking his shift for lookout duty.

He glanced at the dragon Digimon curiously. "Whoa, Shoutmon, you ok? Did you have a nightmare?"

"A nightmare?" Shoutmon repeated, still breathing heavily. "Yeah, I guess I did. Just a nightmare."

He looked up at Bagramon's castle worriedly. That had been a lie. He'd actually been having a dreamless sleep. It hadn't been a nightmare that had woken him. It was a presence; one so inexplicably evil he could only compare it to the likes of Ogudomon and Boltboutamon.

It was gone now though, as if he had only sensed its initial coming. That had been what had awoken him. He hugged himself to try and get rid of the uncomfortable feelings as he laid back down.

Something had happened. He didn't know what, but he didn't like it. And it wasn't just nerves; he'd had his nerves on edge more than enough times since he started this journey with the teens. There was something else at work here, and whatever it was, he didn't like it.

"Sovereigns help us," he whispered as he closed his eyes and tried to go back to sleep.

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

Morning didn't bring any reprieve from the uneasy feeling that had been burdening Shoutmon from the night before. He'd felt uneasy since they first approached Bagramon's castle, prior to their fight with the Demon Lord's guards. And now, with the return of Gallantmon X to their party, their team was stronger than ever, yet Shoutmon was even more on edge.

"So, this is it," said Tai. "It's time to end things once and for all."

"I'm more than ready," Davis declared. "It's high time we finished this and returned home."

Takato glanced at Shoutmon with mild suspicion. "And this is the last battle, right? Once we defeat Bagramon, the final Sovereign will be freed, and we'll be able to go back home?"

The dragon Digimon was so lost in his thoughts that it took a moment for him to register the teen's words, but then he nodded. "Yes, Bagramon powers the final seal on the last Sovereign's prison. Once he's defeated, they'll all be free. And seeing as they brought you here, they'll be able to send you back."

Tai took out his Digivice. "Then let's finish this; I'm feeling rather homesick." He hesitated as he looked at his Digivice, and a sad smile spread across his face. "This will probably be the last time we do this. Execute! Spirit Evolution… Omnimon Merciful Mode!"

Davis looked at this own Digivice. "I guess You're right. We won't be able to become Digimon anymore once we go home. Better savor this while it lasts. Execute! Spirit Evolution… Imperialdramon Paladin Mode!"

Takato let out a sigh. "It was fun while it lasted, but here we go. Execute! Spirit Evolution… Gallantmon X!"

A light chuckle escaped Takuya. "I'm going to miss basically being a superhero. Execute! Spirit Evolution… Susanoomon!"

TK affectionately stroked his Digivice. "Thanks for all your help, my friend. Execute! Spirit Evolution… Seraphimon!"

With a sad smile on her face, Kari closed her eyes and pressed her Digivice to her forehead. "I'll miss you, Ophanimon. Thank you for everything. Execute! Spirit Evolution… Ophanimon C!"

Shoutmon stared at his friends in their Digimon forms. Taking a deep breath, he steeled his nerves and faced the castle. "Shoutmon Warp Digivolve to… OmniShoutmon X!"

They were ready. The final battle was about to begin, and they were all eager to see its end. There was no standing on ceremony, they simply charged through the front doors. They found no opposition waiting for them, nor did they find any sign of life.

"Towards the top," Gallantmon X surmised. "The masters are always up high so they can look down on everyone."

"Sounds about right," Imperialdramon agreed. "I'll pave the way."

He flew straight up, bursting through ceilings and floors as he made his way up the castle with his friends following behind. He kept going until he reached the final layer, bursting out of the top of the castle and ending up on the roof, the others coming out behind him.

"That was kind of pointless," Susanoomon grumbled before cupping his hands around his mouth area. "Hey, Bagramon, come out, you coward!"

"There's no need to shout, humans," the Demon Lord's voice echoed around them. "I'm already here."

The DigiDestined began looking around, but saw no sign of their adversary. "Where are you?" Omnimon demanded. "Face us like the big boss that you are instead of just trying to send us away!"

Amused laughter was heard. "That was an attempt to be merciful. I could have just killed you."

"Merciful!?" Imperialdramon exclaimed. "You sent us to Hell! Digimon Hell maybe, but Hell all the same! That's not very merciful!"

"You opposed me; I couldn't let that go unpunished. But now I see that there's no helping it. You must be eliminated. Take solace in the knowledge that when I find a way to get to your world that I'll give your fellow humans merciful deaths."

Behind his helmet, Seraphimon's eyes narrowed. "Even if that were possible, we wouldn't let it happen. We're putting an end to your reign of terror."

"Terror? You think you know what terror is? You have no idea what true terror is. If you did, then you might not be so opposed to what I'm trying to do."

Gallantmon X scoffed. "Save your nonsensical speeches on philosophy, we're not interested. Come on, Bagramon, stop hiding and face us."

More laughter, only now it sounded closer, and they were able to pinpoint its location, turning their attention to one of the higher towers as a dark figure rose up to stand on the roof.

"Bagramon?" the Demon Lord repeated. "Your information is a little out of date. I'm afraid there's been a bit of a change."

He leapt off the town, landing on the roof, and a gasp escaped the DigiDestined. The Digimon that now stood before them did indeed resemble Bagramon, but he had undergone a drastic change. His torso was now covered in an armor similar to that of MegaDarkKnightmon, but it seemed to form a skull-like face, complete with a pair of large yellow eyes on his chest, and MegaDarkKnightmon's axe now seemingly haven become a shoulder pad.

His wooden arm and leg had become even more demonic and deadly looking, and his trench coat had become a cape that dissolved into a dark aura towards the ends, and even his hair glowed with a red aura. His small burnt wings had grown bigger, including the growth of two much larger ones, black ones that stood out proudly from his back, making him appear even more intimidating than before.

"Tremble in fear, humans," he declared, holding out his arms to present himself. "You now look upon DarknessBagramon, the supreme emperor of this world."

Susanoomon took a surprised step back. "Whoa, what happened to him?"

Beside him, OmniShoutmon X's fists clenched as he realized that this what he had sensed last night. "He must have taken MegaDarkKnightmon's Fractal Code. His power is now off the charts. He's now become the greatest emperor of evil. Any traces of goodness left in Bagramon, no matter how warped or misguided, are long gone in this form."

Behind his helmet, Seraphimon's eyes narrowed. "So much for his desire to save everyone."

DarknessBagramon chuckled. "Oh, I will save them, in a manner of speaking. Once I destroy all that is good completely fill this world with evil."

"How will that save anyone?" Ophanimon C demanded.

OmniShoutmon X growled. "DarknessBagramon has a power known as Imperium Vicious. It's an evil power that spills out of his body. Any kind of weaker evil who's exposed to it will become subservient to him. If he fills the world with evil, he'll be able to control everyone and everything in it."

"That is twisted," Imperialdramon muttered in disgust. "I swear I'm going to poke out those eyes on his chest."

"Don't look at them!" OmniShoutmon X snapped him. "They'll cause you to lose your senses. And try not to think bad thoughts; the darkness in the hearts of others only serves to make him stronger."

Ophanimon C inhaled. "Was this his plan all along? Seal away the Sovereigns and have the Demon Lords take over and spread their evil everywhere, then become DarknessBagramon and take control of everyone to eliminate free will."

The Demon Lord chuckled. "You're rather astute, human. Why else would I join forces with those seven?"

Omnimon pointed his sword at him. "You're full of crap. You claimed that the world was flawed and corrupt, and that the only way to free it from evil was to take away free will. So you planned to spread evil everywhere and then take control of it. Not only is that hypocritical, but it's far more evil than anything the world could possibly have been like. Your entire plan is literally evil itself. All your claims of righteousness are just lies you tell yourself in order to justify your actions in some pathetic attempt to refuse to accept the fact that you're evil and are doing this simply because you just want to rule over everything."

DarknessBagramon held his chin up high. "You're mistaken, child. I told you, I would do whatever it took to achieve my goals. Evil is the result of free will. Thus, it needs to be eliminated to put an end to suffering. By filling this world with evil and taking control of it, I can do that, and so put an end to suffering."

"You're crazy," Gallantmon X told him. "You're completely crazy."

The Demon Lord glanced at him. "Your opinion is irrelevant. And if you find the idea of being a slave to my will so unappealing, then you need not worry, for you will be dead soon. That is the fate that awaits all the humans in your world too. I'll see an end to their suffering by putting an end to their lives. Rejoice in the knowledge that they too won't be slaves to my will."

"Never!" Omnimon shouted. "We'll never allow it!"

DarknessBagramon grinned. "Then let us see whose ideals will endure. I wish I could say that I wasn't going to enjoy this, but that will be a lie."

Imperialdramon swiped his sword through the air. "Enough of this, we're just stalling. It's time to end this war."

"Agreed," DarknessBagramon declared, and raised his wooden demon arm. "Hand of Doom!"

He brought his arm down, and as he did, it massively grew in size and length. He then swiped it across the ground, and the surface layer of what he touched was deleted. The DigiDestined took to the air and his arm swiped beneath them. Seraphimon fired his Strike of the Seven Stars at the Demon Lord, and DarknessBagramon jumped back, his arm shrinking back to its normal size. OmniShoutmon X flew in, letting out a furious battle cry, and used his Heavy Metal Vulcan. DarknessBagramon rapidly leapt about, avoiding the fireballs, but then Omnimon circled around from behind and began firing his Inferno.

The cannon blasts began exploding against the Demon Lord's backside, and OmniShoutmon X's fireballs began blasting against his front. He raised his arms to block against the attacks, and both Ophanimon C and Imperialdramon flew in, firing their Holy Destroy and Super Positron Laser.

"Eternal Darkmare!" DarknessBagramon cried, and flapped his wings. A wave of dark energy flew outward, knocking away the attacks coming at him and blasting away the four attackers.

"Gladiator!" Susanoomon cried, increasing his power. "Heavy Tackle!"

He slammed into the Demon Lord's chest, and DarknessBagramon skidded backwards, but managed to remain standing. He sneered down at the god Digimon, and Susanoomon threw a Flash Punch at his face. The Demon Lord's left hand came up, catching the punch and bending Susanoomon's arm the wrong way. The god Digimon cried out as DarknessBagramon's other hand grabbed him around the waist and lifted him into the air.

"Bale-Fire Eyes!" he cried, firing beams from the eyes in his chest.

He released Susanoomon, letting his attack carry the god Digimon away. Gallantmon X grounded himself and raised his shield, firing his Final Elysion. DarknessBagramon raised his demon arm, catching the beam that came at him, and the attack was deleted in his palm. Then his arm stretched out, his palm swallowing up the whole beam, and his hand closed on the knight Digimon's shield. It was deleted in his grip as DarknessBagramon closed his fist before driving it into Gallantmon X, the punch sending him flying.

Lightning came down as Seraphimon increased his strength with his Justice Genome and then unleashed his Hallowed Ascension. DarknessBagramon turned to him as the bolts struck him and swiped his demon arm through the air, disbursing the lightning. He fired his Bale-Fire Eyes up at the angel Digimon, who swerved to avoid it.

DarknessBagramon kept firing as Seraphimon flew towards him, dodging the beams as he punched out balls if light at the Demon Lord with his Hallowed Knuckle. DarknessBagramon took the hits and kept firing, but once Seraphimon got close enough, he used his Eternal Darkmare to send out a wave of darkness that sent the angel Digimon crashing into a tower.

A pained cry suddenly reached DarknessBagramon's ears, and he grinned and turned to Susanoomon. The god Digimon's body was visibly decaying at a rapid pace, and the Demon Lord chuckled as he made his way over to him.

"A useful side effect, don't you agree?" he taunted. "My Bale-Fire Eyes attack will cause anything to rot."

Susanoomon glared at him through his pain. "Good to know. Purification!"

He healed himself and then took on a fighting stance. DarknessBagramon just kept grinning as he walked towards him. But then Omnimon flew in, swiping his sword. DarknessBagramon turned his body, the axe on his shoulder pad catching Omnimon's sword.

"God of Death Snatcher!" he cried, and thrust his demon arm forward.

His now glowing arm passed right through Omnimon's body as if it were a ghost, coming out his back. And along with it came the transparent form of Tai, getting pushed out of the knight Digimon's body by the Demon Lord's glowing hand. Omnimon went limp, sliding off DarknessBagramon's arm as the ghostly form of Tai blinked down at him. The Demon Lord chuckled, but then stumbled back as Susanoomon lunged at him and successfully landed a Flash Punch, this time to DarknessBagramon's face, before unleashing his Fist of the Gods on him.

The ghostly form of Tai flapped his arms and kicked his legs, affectively swimming back down into Omnimon's body. The knight Digimon jolted upright, his eyes wide with shock. "Did… Did I just die!?"

"Close enough," OmniShoutmon X told him as he flew over. "That attack can snatch out a Digimon's DigiCore, or in your case, your soul."

The color drained from Ophanimon C's face. "Then he basically killed my brother for a moment there." Anger twisted her features. "I'll make him pay!"

As DarknessBagramon held up his arms to block Susanoomon's flurry of punches, Ophanimon C flew in. She wrapped her flames around herself and came in from up above like a flaming meteor. DarknessBagramon jumped back at the last second, and she slammed down on the castle roof, leaving a large hole. She rose up and pointed her lance at him, but DarknessBagramon fired his Bale-Fire Eyes, and her lance burst into data as the beams struck it. He followed up with his Eternal Darkmare, and both she and Susanoomon were blasted away. She managed to use her Unicorn Shield, but the burst of energy still sent her flying.

DarknessBagramon leapt up after her and spun around while swinging his demon arm. He used his Hand of Doom attack, his arm growing in size, and it deleted straight through the barrier and struck her actual shield. It burst into data, the impact sending her flying backwards into a tower that toppled over.

"Kari!" Omnimon shouted. He glared at the Demon Lord. "Damn him. He's so strong. This isn't going to be easy."

Imperialdramon growled. "Who was the last Demon Lord we defeated? I mean on our own, like with no help and no circumstances in our favor like they were with Ogudomon."

OmniShoutmon X gave a grunt. "That would be Laylamon, if we don't count what happened with Magnadramon after she became EvilbeastLaylamon."

"We've all gotten stronger since then," Seraphimon reminded them. He looked down at his hand. "Even me, even though I haven't Digivolved since becoming Seraphimon."

Gallantmon X glanced at OmniShoutmon X. "Hey, OmniShoutmon, does Seraphimon or any of us also have X forms?"

"Some of you do," the dragon Digimon replied, "but the forms you're currently in for those of you that do have them are superior. And we don't have the luxury of swapping around X-Antibodies and hoping to unlock alternate forms anyway."

"It wouldn't have helped you anyway," DarknessBagramon declared. "It doesn't matter what forms you take; I can't be defeated."

Imperialdramon pointed his sword at him. "Then maybe I should just reset your data and revert you back to regular Bagramon. Omni Sword!"

He flew at the Demon Lord, his sword glowing. DarknessBagramon stood his ground and raised his demon arm as Imperialdramon's sword came down. The blade snapped in two as it collided with the Demon Lord's arm, and DarknessBagramon sneered at him. "Bale-Fire Eyes!"

Imperialdramon was blasted away by the beams fired from the eyes on DarknessBagramon's chest. The Demon Lord turned his attack on the others as he fired more beams. The DigiDestined scattered, dodging the beams, and the parts of the castle they struck began to rot away. Imperialdramon was suffering from the rot as well, and Seraphimon flew over to heal him as the others went to attack.

OmniShoutmon X fired his Omega the Fusion. DarknessBagramon caught it and crushed the aura shaped like Omnimon X into nothing, then did a backflip to avoid the Double Torrent Omnimon fired at him. He unleashed his Eternal Darkmare at his attackers, and they retreated from the wave of dark energy he released. But then he was struck by Gallantmon X's Zeig Saber, and the extended lance of energy pushed him back.

Raising his demon arm, DarknessBagramon brought it down on the beam, splitting the attack, and Gallantmon X's energy lance retracted. Susanoomon at this point had manifested his ZERO-ARMS: Orochi and unleashed the attack named after it. The massive blast struck, and DarknessBagramon was blasted backwards. He recovered quickly though, doing a flip and landing hard enough to crack the roof of his castle.

"Inferno!" Omnimon cried, and began rapidly firing his cannon.

"Heavy Heat Vulcan!" OmniShoutmon X cried, and began throwing fireballs.

As the attacks blasted against the Demon Lord, Susanoomon switched modes on his weapon and unleashed his Celestial Blade. As he swung the weapon through the air, DarknessBagramon thrust his demon arm into the sky. It grew in length before suddenly disappearing, as if having gone through an invisible portal, then reappeared, having warped through space and time to come down above Susanoomon, only now it was several hundreds of times as big.

It smashed down on the golden blade of light, dispersing it. Then half his arms detached from itself, the severed end regenerating as it retreated through the portal. DarknessBagramon pulled his arm back, completely intact, and the other giant portion that had detached remained behind and turned to stone, covering a good portion of the roof.

Omnimon, Gallantmon X, and OmniShoutmon X flew at the Demon Lord. DarknessBagramon dodged as Gallantmon X stabbed at him with his energy lance, then kicked the knight Digimon away. Omnimon lashed out with his T-Sword, and the Demon Lord caught the blade and tossed him away. OmniShoutmon X swiped at him with his Flare Rock Spirit, but DarknessBagramon blocked the initial swipe of the dragon Digimon's crystal claws with his demon arm, then hopped away as he was slashed at again.

OmniShoutmon X followed up with his Beat Slash, transforming his legs into blades and kicking out cutting shockwaves. DarknessBagramon performed some surprisingly mobile aerial and acrobatic moves to dodge the shockwaves, aided by his demon arm that changed in size and shape to allow him to avoid the attacks, then unleashed his God of Death Snatcher, sending his glowing demon arm at OmniShoutmon X, going right through his body, and the dragon Digimon froze.

Before DarknessBagramon could tear out OmniShoutmon X's DigiCore, Susanoomon flew at him, his ZERO-ARMS: Orochi falling apart to reveal the sword within. DarknessBagramon glanced at him and fired his Bale-Fire Eyes. Before the attack hit though, Susanoomon used his Heavenly Wings Beheading, splitting into the ten Legendary Warriors. DarknessBagramon pulled his demon arm out of OmniShoutmon X, the dragon Digimon's DigiCore still where it was supposed to be, and used it to block the sword swipes of the ten Digimon. He unleashed his Eternal Darkmare, and the ten of them were blasted back, but were drawn together to form Susanoomon again while they were still flying through the air.

"Hand of Doom!" DarknessBagramon cried, dropping his now giant demon arm to the ground. He spun around, swiping it over the ground, and all those in close proximity fled to avoid deletion.

As DarknessBagramon's arm shrank back to normal size, Ophanimon C's dragon suddenly landed in front of him from her Call Dramon and breathed a stream of fire. The Demon Lord was completely engulfed in flames as the dragon continued to breathe, but then his demon arm suddenly shot out of the fire and grabbed the dragon around the neck, cutting off the stream.

As the flames went out, DarknessBagramon stood grinning as smoke rose from his body. He continued to strangle the dragon when he suddenly shot out his other hand. At that exact moment, Ophanimon C burst up from the roof behind the Demon Lord, only to have DarknessBagramon tightly clasp her face. He looked up at her, chuckling.

"Nice try, my dear," he told her, and his ruby eye began glowing, "but my Extreme Invisible Snake-Eyes allows me to see anything anywhere in the Digital World." He squeezed the dragon's throat, crushing its neck, and the dragon disappeared. Jumping up, he came down hard, smashing Ophanimon C down. "And I have my gaze on all of you."

He suddenly whirled around, catching Seraphimon's Exclaibur with his demon arm. He sneered at him before head-butting the angel Digimon so hard he sent him flying backwards. Imperialdramon came flying in to take his place, delivering an Imperial Kick. DarknessBagramon released Ophanimon C and caught the much larger dragon Digimon's foot, halting him in his tracks. Then he threw Imperialdramon over his shoulder, sending him crashing into a tower.

While his back was turned, OmniShoutmon X collided into him from behind with his Omega Force Glide Drive. DarknessBagramon was slammed into the remnants of his giant petrified hand. OmniShoutmon X pulled back and fired his Victorize Banking. Gallantmon X, Omnimon, and Susanoomon flew over and began firing their Final Elysion, Graceful Cannon, and Glory Thunder. A few seconds passed where they continued to attack before all four of them were blasted back by the Demon Lord's Eternal Darkmare.

Emerging from the cloud of smoke, DarknessBagramon regarded the DigiDestined with genuine interest. "I must admit, your little team has impressed me. You're putting up a better fight than I thought."

He was suddenly struck by Seraphimon's Strike of the Seven Stars. "We tend to surprise a lot of people. Strike of the Seven Stars!"

The second attack of seven balls of light came at the Demon Lord again, but he held up his demon hand and caught the attack before it struck, deleting it. Ophanimon C then flew up, her flames extended outward. She swirled them around DarknessBagramon, then brought the fiery vortex together before firing a Holy Destroy into it.

Imperialdramon flew up to the sphere of fire the Demon Lord was confined in. "Time to make the big baddie go boom." He manifested his cannon. "Giga Crusher!"

DarknessBagramon's demon arm flew out of the flames, growing in size. His hand closed over the end of Imperialdramon's cannon just as he fired. The resulting explosion blasted the dragon Digimon back, and DarknessBagramon retracted his arm, swiping it through the air to disperse the flames.

"Damn it," Susanoomon swore. "We need more power." He glanced at OmniShoutmon X. "Should I use my Overwrite to give everyone a power boost?"

The dragon Digimon hesitated as he considered this, but then shook his head. No, that'll just backfire on us. Your Overwrite makes whoever it's used on to become violent. That'll empower DarknessBagramon as well. You'll just make him stronger along with us since he'll be absorbing the wickedness coming from all of us, giving him an even more power boost."

"It was just a suggestion. Heaven's Thunder!"

His streams of lightning dragons came down from the sky. DarknessBagramon looked at them as they circled around him. They came in and latched onto him, but the Demon Lord swiped his demon arm, dispersing them.

"Darn that arm of his," Gallantmon X growled. "He keeps neutralizing our attacks, and he's already hard enough to beat."

"Should I become MagnaAngemon and try to trap him in my Gate of Destiny like we did with Dexmon?" Seraphimon asked.

OmniShoutmon X shook his head. "He's too strong for us to try something like that. Besides, if we seal him away, I don't know if that'll free the last Sovereign or not. We need to destroy him to break his seal on the Sovereign's prison."

DarknessBagramon laughed at that. "You need to get your priorities in order. It's too late for the Sovereigns to help you now. I helped the Demon Lord to seal them away so that they could spread darkness across this world that I would one day seize control over it."

Imperialdramon flew back over. "Yeah, yeah, you already bragged about it. We're well aware of your warped plan."

"My dedication," DarknessBagramon clarified. "I am so committed to peace that I became the epitome of evil to obtain it."

"Yeah, by taking away free will," Ophanimon C muttered. "How noble of you. Truly a sacrifice on your part. This isn't a solution for peace, it's giving up on it by resorting to taking away free will. And you think that's the only way? Do you even hear yourself, or are you so blinded by your ambitions and delusions that you can't see the truth of how wrong this is?

"Would you be able to say the same thing if someone else was doing what you're doing?" Omnimon challenged. "If someone else were in your place, trying to dominate your free will and that of everyone else with their own, claiming it's all for the sake of peace, would you still be able to agree with their philosophy? Even Lucemon wanted to destroy the world and recreate it in his image with everyone subservient to him, all for the sake of his idea of a perfect utopia."

DarknessBagramon puffed out his chest. "Lucemon was a fool. This is something only I can do."

Susanoomon scoffed. "Yeah, that's what I thought. Of course it's something that only you can do. Talk about an overblown ego with a side order of god complex. Nice job trying to justifying what you're doing. Whatever helps you sleep at night, right? Even criminals have their reasons, as the saying goes."

"Can you even pull off your plan anymore?" Seraphimon asked. "Most of the Sovereigns are free, the Demon Lords are gone, and harmony has been restored to most of the world because of it. Will you even be able to spread your evil across the world to take control of everyone?"

The Demon Lord grinned. "Such naivety. Things may have gone off course, but the seeds of darkness have already been planted. As long as I, a being more horrible and more powerful than the Demon Lords endures and continues to reign, then those seeds will remain. There will still be those that serve, out of fear, out of a lust for power, or simply because they have no choice. The same chains of oppression that bound this world before you humans came here will lock once more, and my darkness will spread, even with the Sovereigns you freed on the loose. It will take longer than it would have had you not interfered, but in time, this world will belong to me. And once it does, I'll turn my attention to the human world."

"Not happening," Gallantmon X declared. "And can Digimon even survive in the human world? It's not made of data."

DarknessBagramon shook his head. "You misunderstand. I don't intend to rule the human world. I intend to destroy it."

"No, you won't!" Ophanimon C shouted. "We're not going to let you keep playing God like this!"

The Demon Lord laughed and held out his arms. "Foolish human, I've already overthrown the god of this world."

"No, you didn't," OmniShoutmon X countered. "You got completely annihilated and had half your body permanently deleted in your foolish attempt to overthrow him. The Digimon God chose to withdraw himself and not interfere with things anymore, but he still left those behind to carry out his will."

"Be that as it may, the Digimon God is still gone," DarknessBagramon replied. "I still achieved my goal, and nothing will stop me from doing it again. Bale-Fire Eyes!"

He fired beams from the eyes on his chest. OmniShoutmon X countered with his Zeal Magnum, his two beams colliding with DarknessBagramon. As the Demon Lord's attack pushed back his, Omnimon flew over to his side and fire his Graceful Cannon. DarknessBagramon's attack kept coming, and Gallantmon X and Imperialdramon came to their friend's aid, launching their Final Elysion and Super Positron laser, and the Demon Lord's attack came to a stop.

DarknessBagramon growled and increased the output of his attack, and began pushing the others' back. Seraphimon went to join his friends, firing his Strike of the Seven Stars to join the other attacks. Susanoomon used his Glory Thunder, directing the bolt of lightning at the gathering of attacks, slowing down the push once more. Ophanimon C used her Call Dramon, and her dragon appeared to breath a stream of fire alongside the other attacks, and then she joined in with her Shining Laser III.

DarknessBagramon's attack was halted again, the numerous attacks keeping it in a stalemate, he let out a roar, pouring out more power, and the DigiDestined gave battle cries of their own, unleashing everything they had. An explosion went off at the collision point, and everyone was caught up in the blast, Ophanimon C's dragon disappearing. DarknessBagramon's smoking body hit the ground, skidding across the rooftop, and the DigiDestined each made their own crash landings.

Letting out a groan, Omnimon looked up to see DarknessBagramon getting to his feet. He forced himself to stand up and pointed both hands at him. "Double Torrent!"

Blasts of fire and ice flew from his hands, and DarknessBagramon stumbled as he was struck. Omnimon fired again with his Graceful Cannon, but DarknessBagramon held out his demon hand, and Omnimon's cutting beam was deleted in his palm.

"Hallowed Ascension!" Seraphimon cried, and brought lightning down on the Demon Lord, bringing him down to his knees.

"Don't let him recover!" Gallantmon X cried. "Royal Saber!"

He fired a blast of lightning from his lance, knocking DarknessBagramon over. Susanoomon flew in before he could regain his bearings and delivered a Texture Blow to his jaw. The pixilation flowed over the Demon Lord, but he remained intact, and so the god Digimon followed up with his Glory Thunder attack.

"Flame Cannon!" OmniShoutmon X cried, firing flaming bolts from his chest that knocked the Demon Lord back down. DarknessBagramon growled and lashed out with his demon arm. It grew in size and grabbed hold of the dragon Digimon, squeezing him tightly.

"Volcano Napalm!" Ophanimon C cried, throwing a fireball at the Demon Lord. It struck right next to him and erupted into a pillar of fire, launching him into the air, and he released OmniShoutmon X in the process.

Using his speed, Imperialdramon met DarknessBagramon in the air, flying up above him and pointing his cannon down at him. "Giga Crusher!"

An explosion filled the sky, and DarknessBagramon went crashing down to the castle roof, causing sections of it to collapse.

"Now's our chance," OmniShoutmon X shouted. "Hit him with your strongest attack! Omega the Fusion!"

"Graceful Cannon!"

"Hyper Prominence!"

"Final Elysion!"

"ZERO-ARMS: Orcohi!"

"Holy Destroy!"

"Strike of the Seven Stars!"

Their attacks came in and struck the Demon Lord, creating an explosion that shook the entire castle. The DigiDestined retreated from the blast as towers came crashing down, regrouping in case a counter attack came.

"Ok," said Imperialdramon, "we all know from experience with these situations that that didn't beat him, because, let's face it, it never does."

"We had to have hurt him though," OmniShoutmon X told them. "Not even DarknessBagramon can walk away from that unscathed."

Hearing that from the dragon Digimon was encouraging at least, especially since he would know best. But as they looked on, they saw the silhouette of a figure rise. And with a wave of his hand, the smoke cleared.

"Nicely done," DarknessBagramon commented. "I actually felt that."

"Quit acting tough," Susanoomon snapped. "We know you're taking damage, so stop bluffing."

The Demon Lord chuckled. "I won't deny that you hurt me, but if it's a matter of who can take the most damage, I hold the advantage over all seven of you combined."

"That's what you think," said Imperialdramon. "Heaven's Light!"

He shined light upon his comrades, healing their injuries. Seraphimon returned the favor, healing the dragon Digimon with his Perfect Revival, then turned back to DarknessBagramon. "This is why you'll never win. We all work together and trust each other. We have each other, but you stand alone."

DarknessBagramon chuckled and spread his wings intimidatingly. "You fools actually believe that I need anyone to defeat you. My power is greater than you can comprehend. That is why I don't need anyone. I stand alone!"

He openly laughed as the DigiDestined stood their ground. But then his laughter was cut off as a thin-bladed sword suddenly burst from his chest, right between the eyes on it. The DigiDestined gasped in shock as the Demon Lord's mouth dropped open.

"What the?" Gallantmon X exclaimed.

Slowly, DarknessBagramon looked down at the blade protruding from his chest. He stared at it for a few moments before his wings drooped and he fell to his knees, still staring at the sword.

"Who did that?" Ophanimon C asked. "It wasn't one of us."

Behind his helmet, Seraphimon's eyes remained locked on the blade sticking out of DarknessBagramon. There was something familiar about it. It was a blade that belonged to a type of sword called a rapier. He had seen such a sword enough times to recognize it. It had a design and shape that almost made it look like a spine that had been sharpened to a point. The sight of it made him inhale deeply.

"Guys," he said slowly, "I know that sword."

From out from behind DarknessBagramon appeared the grinning face of Boltboutamon. "Surprise."

Notes:

(A/N: Ok, I know a few of you guessed it, but who saw Boltboutamon making a comeback? Don't worry, that will be explained next chapter. For now let's focus on the battle our heroes had fought. Bagramon had become DarknessBagramon, and has revealed the full extent of his plans, and why he was working with the Demon Lords. Speaking of which, yes, I used his original Japanese name of DarknessBagramon instead of the dub's MegaDarknessBagramon. MegaDarknessBagramon is actually the giant form of DarknessBagramon in the original version, whereas as the dub simply called that form MegaDarknessBagramon Giant. Yeah, that just sounded stupid, so I stuck with his original name. And after a lengthy fight with our heroes, he's suddenly been stabbed in the back, literally. Where will things go from here? Stay tuned to find out.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear or are mentioned.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/DarknessBagramon

Chapter 195: Ambitions

Notes:

(A/N: And we're back after a cliffhanger ending. Some of you may have seen something along these lines happening, or at least guessed that Boltboutamon wasn't out of the picture yet. And yes, you were right. And now he's literally stabbed DarknessBagramon in the back. What's going to happen next? Read on to find out.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 195: Ambitions

The DigiDestined stared as Boltboutamon stepped out from behind DarknessBagramon and held his arms out, as if presenting himself.

"What's wrong, everyone?" he asked cheerfully. "Didn't you miss me? I certainly missed you." He glanced at the Demon Lord. "And look at you, DarknessBagramon. Digivolved, I see. Thanks to MegaDarkKightmon's Fractal Code you absorbed. Nice." He leaned in closer, placing a hand on the Demon Lord's shoulder. "I like seeing you on your knees. It's a good look for you."

Gallantmon X shook his head. "No, it can't be. We destroyed you."

The demon Digimon glanced at him. "Did you now? And what makes you think that?"

"Because we killed you!" Imperialdramon insisted. "We saw you die!"

Boltboutamon chuckled and causally stepped forward. "You saw me die, you say? Just how can you be sure that you saw what you think you saw? After all," a second Boltboutamon stepped out of him, and they both spoke together, "there's so many of me to go around."

They knew what he was insinuating, but Susanoomon shook his head. "No, that wasn't a copy. That was the real you. You took a lot of hits. Of it were a copy, it would have disappeared after a single hit."

"He's right," OmniShoutmon X insisted, also baffled. "We were definitely fighting the real thing back then."

Boltboutamon's grin widened and he waved his hand, causing his copy to disappear. "Really? The whole time? Are you sure? Try thinking back to just before you 'killed' me. I seem to recall you knocking me into a cavern. Do you remember that? The Boltboutamon that you destroyed was the one that stepped out of that cavern, was it not? But was it the same one you had been fighting the whole time?"

Omnimon's eyes widened as he realized what he was implying. "Are you saying that you-"

"Pulled the old switcheroo," Boltboutamon finished for him. "Created a copy using more than the usual amount of power so it would last a little longer after it took a hit, a hit I allowed you to take, might I add, while the real me opened a portal to teleport away. Presto! Instant fake death." He cocked his head so far to the side that it was practically horizonal. "A clever little trick on my part."

The DigiDestined stared. During their fight with the demon Digimon, it had never occurred to them that Boltboutamon might use a copy to fake his death.

"But why?" Ophanimon C asked. "Why fake your death?"

Tilting his head back upright, Boltboutamon just chuckled. "Why indeed? Or should I say, why not? Well, the answer is simple. Because it was fun to see how everyone would react. And because I so very much wanted to see the looks on all your faces when I reappeared, and at such a crucial time too. And you want to know the irony, if your friend OmniShoutmon here, had absorbed the data of the Boltboutamon you destroyed instead of chickening out, he would have realized that it was a fake from the lack of data it contained."

He licked his lips lewdly. "I was fully prepared to pop out and reveal that I was still alive in a surprise attack, just when you thought you had defeated me, but the opportunity to drag this out presented itself, and I just couldn't resist taking it, so I let you all think you actually defeated me."

Imperialdramon stomped his foot. "Cut the crap. You couldn't have just planned all this out just for kicks. What's your real plan?"

A somewhat innocent look crossed the demon Digimon's face as he placed a finger to his chin. "My real plan? Whatever do you mean? Didn't I tell you all along that I wanted to see how the war between you and the Demon Lords played out. True, I was rooting for them, but it really didn't matter to me who the victor was. I never was truly loyal to them anyway. I just joined them for my own amusement."

Omnimon's gaze went to DarknessBagramon, who was still on his knees, gripping the rapier protruding from his chest with his left hand as he glared up at Boltboutamon while gritting his teeth in pain. "Then why are you helping us now? If you wanted them to win, even if you were only loyal to them for entertainment purposes, then why help us?"

"You mean this?" Boltboutamon asked, reaching back and flicking the end of the rapier in DarknessBagramon's chest, making the Demon Lord grunt. "Your fight was amusing to watch, and, truthfully, it really didn't matter to me if you won or he did. I could have waited to see the outcome, but I just couldn't resist the look of that smug arrogance being knocked off his proud face after getting stabbed on the back. I mean that literally by the way."

He suddenly moved quickly, turning around and crouching down beside the kneeling DarknessBagramon. "So how was it, my friend? You thought you had this fight in the bag, and then, oops, you got a sword through your heart. I'll bet that stings."

He gripped the length of the rapier and began wiggling it, making the Demon Lord groan. "You always thought that you were in complete control of everything all the time. And I know you knew that I was only being loyal for fun and was letting you use me, but you allowed it because I was still doing your bidding. The truth is, I let you let me let you use me." He chuckled. "Try saying that five times fast."

DarknessBagramon glared up at him, and then the eyes on his chest looked up at the demon Digimon as well and flashed. This, however, just made Boltboutamon laugh. "Did you just try and take control of me? How very cute. It's so amusing to know that you actually think that your evil is greater than mine and that you thought you could control me." He jiggled the rapier some more, and DarknessBagramon sputtered. "That's quite the ego you have."

Despite the fact that he had just attacked possibly their biggest enemy, OmniShoutmon X glared at Boltboutamon. "What do you mean, it doesn't matter to you which of us won? Were you just using us to get the Demon Lords out of the way and couldn't resist making the final strike yourself? Or were you using the Demon Lords to try to get rid of us?"

Boltboutamon raised an eyebrow at him. "Using you? I wasn't using you or them for any specific purpose other than my own amusement. I admit that it is fun using others, but I never needed to use anyone to achieve any specific goals. Anything I would have wanted to obtain I could have done so on my own. All my actions would have ultimately come to the same conclusion, with all of you dead; you and the Demon Lords alike. I was simply having fun along the way, and I sided with the Demon Lords because they were more entertaining. I even considered joining forces with you humans to help you fight the Demon Lords just to see what it's like to try to be a good guy. In fact, if you had asked me, I honestly might have joined you."

At the demon Digimon's words, something clicked in Omnimon's head, and his eyes widened as he fully understood Boltboutamon. "You're just screwing with us," he said quietly.

Boltboutamon snapped his fingers, the grin on his face grew wider than ever as he stood up straight. "And finally you get it. That's all I've ever been doing." He stepped towards them, holding his hands out. "Don't you see, it's always been my intention to replace the darkness of the Demon Lords with my new superior darkness. That's why it never mattered if you won the war or they did. In the end, I would have just taken out the victors myself, no matter who they were. I just fought for the Demon Lords because they were more fun. But in the end, they were just tools for my amusement. I could have taken them out at any time, and the same goes for you humans too. Why, back when I was simply the Malevolent Fist, I was already stronger than the Demon Lords. They were never even a factor. So why shouldn't I have fun with them, and with you for that matter?"

He glanced back at DarknessBagramon and grinned. "And the same goes for you. I could have let the humans destroy you, or let you destroy them, but killing you all instead feels rather poetic, don't you think?"

DarknessBagramon just grunted as Boltboutamon turned back to the DigiDestined, and four more rapiers appeared in his hands. "And that brings us to where we are now. It's been a fun and amusing ride, but I'm afraid our little game is at an end. It's time for you all to die." The DigiDestined took stances, and he chuckled. "Yes, that's it. Fight, resist. Let me enjoy this for as long as I can. You humans have made things more interesting than I could have ever imagined. And now, in your final hour, allow me to-"

Boltboutamon's chest and stomach suddenly burst open as DarknessBagramon's demon arm punched its way through his torso. The demon Digimon's eyes bulged out, his words getting caught in his throat before an agonized scream tore its way out of his mouth.

"Did you really think that I didn't know any of this?" DarknessBagramon asked. "I knew of your intentions from the very beginning, and I've had my eye on you all along. Or did you forget that nothing escapes my gaze."

His ruby eye flashed to emphasize his point. Reaching back with his other hand, he grunted as he pulled the rapier out of his back while getting to his feet. He glanced at the sword before tossing it aside and looking at Boltboutamon impaled on his arm.

"You never fooled me, Boltboutamon," he told him. "Not even when you faked your death. I knew you were lying in wait somewhere, ready for the opportune moment to strike. Someone with your personality wouldn't be able to resist making some grand entrance to deliver the final blow. And of course it would be against the one you've been serving over the ones you've been fighting. You would find that to be far more dramatic and amusing. But I've been a step ahead of you all this time. You think that you were allowing me to allow you to allow me to use you? Fool. I've been letting you let me let you let me use you. There's your real tongue twister."

He lifted his arm higher, lifting Boltboutamon off the ground. The demon Digimon cried out, dropping his swords as he dangled in the air, impaled on the Demon Lord's arm.

"Did you really think that you could overthrow me and rule this world?" DarknessBagramon asked. "Did you truly believe that your ambitions were greater than mine? How foolish. My ambitions have purpose and goals. I am actually trying to achieve something, and I'm willing to go to any lengths to accomplish those goals and to see them through to the end. Your ambitions are based on nothing more than your own amusement. With such weak motivations, your ambitions could never hope to take precipice over my own, and you could never hope to stand above me."

He lifted Boltboutamon higher until he was practically dangling over the Demon Lord's head. "This is the only way you'll ever be above me. I do hope you're enjoying your time on top, because it's about to end. You've proven useful to me in your servitude, even if it was on your own terms, but now your usefulness is over. Begone!"

His arm expanded. Boltboutamon bellowed as his torso burst open as DarknessBagramon's arm grew in size. The DigiDestined gasped in shock and astonishment as the top and bottom halves of the demon Digimon dissolved into data.

"Holy…" Susanoomon muttered. "I guess that's it for Boltboutamon."

"But was it really him?" Ophanimon C asked warily. "This wasn't another trick, was it? That wasn't just another one of his copies, was it?"

DarknessBagramon chuckled as he absorbed the demon Digimon's data. "Don't worry, humans. That was indeed the real Boltboutamon; this data confirms it. He was a nuisance that has now been relieved of all us."

"Great…" Gallantmon X muttered as he wondered what this meant since they had just shared in the defeat of a common enemy. "So what happens next?"

"Next?" DarknessBagramon repeated. "What comes next is that you all die. Boltboutamon's interference in our battle changes nothing."

"That hole in your chest says otherwise," Imperialdramon pointed out, attempting to intimidate the Demon Lord however he could.

DarknessBagramon glanced down to where he had been stabbed by Boltboutamon, then looked back at the DigiDestined. "A minor inconvenience, easily remedied. Terra Infusion!"

He sent out a wave of energy that tore apart the area around him. Large sections of his castle, including several of the surrounding towers, suddenly burst into data and flowed into DarknessBagramon, and the puncture wound in his chest from Boltboutamon's sword healed.

The DigiDestined glared at Imperialdramon, who took a step back. "Hey, come on, I didn't know he could do that. And he probably would have done it even if I hadn't said anything."

Omnimon sighed. "Whatever. Let's do this."

DarknessBagramon took a step forward. "Your resistance is pointless. Nothing can stop me from taking over. Even the Sovereigns can only delay the inevitable. This world is mine!"

He raised his demon arm, and it grew to a massive size. He brought his fist down, and the DigiDestined darted off from where they were as DarknessBagramon's fist smashed down on the castle roof. Ophanimon C circled around his arm and fired her Air Sefirot Crystal at him, and the Demon Lord stumbled back. Susanoomon followed up with his Magna Thunder, trapping DarknessBagramon in a cage of lightning. The Demon Lord's arm shrank back to its normal size, and he swiped it through the electric cage, causing it to disperse.

"Hyper Prominence!" Imperialdramon cried, firing a ball of energy from his chest.

DarknessBagramon turned to the attack and caught the ball of energy in his demon hand, and it was deleted in his grasp. Omnimon then attacked with his Fearsome Blade, whipping his energy sword at the Demon Lord. DarknessBagramon used his demon arm to deflect each strike, then fired his Bale-Fire Eyes at the knight Digimon. Omnimon tried to turn his body out of the path of the beams, but one of his wings was struck. It immediately began to decay, and the rot started making its way up his wing to his body. Omnimon didn't hesitate, using his sword to cut off his infected wing, letting out a cry of pain in the process.

DarknessBagramon raised an eyebrow, impressed by the knight Digimon's tenacity. But then he was struck by OmniShoutmon X's Victorize Banking, causing him to take a step back. He turned to the dragon Digimon, and OmniShoutmon X began throwing fireballs with his Heavy Heat Vulcan. The Demon Lord began swatting the fireballs away as Gallantmon X came to OmniShoutmon X's side and fired his Zeig Saber. His energy lance extended into a beam and flew at DarknessBagramon, slamming into his chest and pushing him back.

"Excalibur!" Seraphimon cried, flying in and manifesting his sword. He stabbed at the Demon Lord, but DarknessBagramon raised his demon arm, and Seraphimon's sword stabbed into it, the length of the blade getting deleted. The angel Digimon didn't hesitate as he pulled back and fire his Strike of the Seven Stars at him.

Skidding backwards from the blast, DarknessBagramon let out a growl as Susanoomon came flying in with his Heavy Tackle. The eyes on DarknessBagramon's chest locked onto him, and Susanoomon lost his senses, resulting in him skidding across the roof of the castle and coming to a stop several feet from DarknessBagramon.

Leaping into the air, the Demon Lord came down on Susanoomon's back, cracking the roof beneath him. He stepped off the god Digimon and placed his foot on his head, pressing down on it hard. Imperialdramon fired his Super Positron Laser, and DarknessBagramon looked up at the incoming beam, catching and deleting it with his demon arm. Seraphimon, Omnimon, and Ophanimon C came flying in, but DarknessBagramon flapped his wings and unleashed his Eternal Darkmare, the wave of dark energy blasting the three of them back.

Susanoomon's hands grabbed DarknessBagramon's ankle, and the Demon Lord gasped in surprise. Giving his foot a yank, Susanoomon pulled his foot off his head and leapt to his feet. He spun the Demon Lord around and threw him at Imperialdramon. The dragon Digimon flew at him and delivered an Imperial Kick that sent DarknessBagramon flying. OmniShoutmon X flew into his path and used his Omega Force Glide Drive to slam into him.

DarknessBagramon crashed into what was left of his giant petrified hand. Susanoomon, Gallantmon X, OmniShoutmon X, and Imperialdramon flew over and unleashed a series of attacks.

"ZERO-ARMS: Orcohi!"

"Final Elysion!"

"Omega the Fusion!"

"Hyper Prominence!"

The attacks struck and exploded, reducing the remnants of the stone hand to rubble. A few seconds later though, the smoke dispersed as DarknessBagramon used his Eternal Darkmare, blasting away his attackers.

"Bale-Fire Eyes!" he cried, firing beams from his eyes.

He fired at each of them, but lightning from Seraphimon's Hallowed Ascension came down, interrupting his attack. The angel Digimon flew at him, punching out balls of light with his Hallowed Knuckle. DarknessBagramon's demon arm grew in size and he held it up to block the attacks.

"Volcano Napalm!" Ophanimon C cried, throwing a fireball.

DarknessBagramon looked down as the fireball flew beneath him, but before he could react, it erupted into a pillar of fire that launched him into the air. Gallantmon X was higher above him, and he flew over top of him before performing a nose-dive with his energy lance thrust out. Before they collided though, DarknessBagramon reached out with his demon arm, grabbing the knight Digimon before he was impaled.

"Zeig Saber!" Gallantmon X cried, and his energy lance extended into a beam.

DarknessBagramon lost his hold on the knight Digimon as he was pushed back to the ground by the beam. He slammed into the roof of the castle, causing the structure to shake. He swiped his demon arm through the beam and it dispersed, and he rose to his feet.

"Double Torrent!" Omnimon cried, firing a blast of fire and ice at the Demon Lord.

The attack collided with DarknessBagramon's side, and he turned to the knight Digimon. As he did, Susanoomon flew up behind him and began raining punches against his back with his Fist of the Gods. DarknessBagramon grunted and whirled around, only to get a Flash Punch to the jaw that had him stumbling back. He was then hit by Seraphimon's Strike of the Seven Stars, and turned to the angel Digimon, firing his Bale-Fire Eyes. Seraphimon dodged the beam and Imperialdramon flew in, using his Imperial Kick.

DarknessBagramon caught his leg, but the dragon Digimon immediately slashed at him with his Imperial Claw. DarknessBagramon jumped back to avoid the strike. At this point, Susanoomon had manifested his ZERO-ARMS: Orochi and was using his Celestial Blade attack. DarknessBagramon spun towards him, swinging his demon arm as it extended in length. His fist collided with Susanoomon's weapon, shattering it to pieces, and the golden blade of light flickered out.

"Giga Crusher!" Imperialdramon cried, pointing his cannon at the Demon Lord.

DarknessBagramon began to turn to him to catch the attack with his demon arm, but there wasn't enough time, and he was blasted back. He bounced across the rooftop, managing to dig the fingers of his demon hand into the ground, skidding to a stop. Omnimon, Imperialdramon, Gallantmon X, Susanoomon, Ophanimon C, and Seraphimon all rushed at him, and DarknessBagramon rose to his feet.

"Eternal Darkmare!" he cried, unleashing a wave of dark energy.

The DigiDestined were blasted back by the attack, bouncing across the increasingly unstable rooftop. DarknessBagramon marched closer to them, and they looked up at the Demon Lord.

"Has it sunk in yet, humans?" he asked. "You cannot defeat me. You should not even be here; this isn't your world."

Seraphimon pushed himself up. "Maybe not, but we care about this world, and those in it. And we're not about to leave it to the mercy of an evil tyrant like you."

DarknessBagramon smirked. "How sweet, considering your main motivation all this time has been to get back to your world. Therefore, to show you that I'm not the monster you think I am, I'll offer you a deal. Surrender to me now, and I'll send you home."

Gallantmon X looked at him in surprise. "You'll what?"

"Just as I said. Cease this pointless attempt to defeat me, and I'll return you to your world, just as you've always wanted."

"Bull!" Imperialdramon snapped. "I've had more than enough experience in your kind's tricks and manipulation. Any deals you offer us are pure crap."

The Demon Lord's eyes narrowed. "I assume you're referring to what Laylamon did to you. Therefore, I can understand your suspicion. But I assure you, this is not a trick, nor is it an attempt to deceive or manipulate you. While you may be ignorant to the reality of the situation, I know you can't beat me. But like I said, this isn't your world, and this isn't your fight. OmniShoutmon and the Sovereigns have been using you to do their dirty work. You've been nothing but pawns this whole time. And you've been going along with it because it's what you needed to do to get back to your world. I am giving you the opportunity to do just that."

"Lies," Omnimon insisted.

DarknessBagramon shook his head. "It's no lie. You were brought here by a Sovereign. Do you think that I, who once served as the Digimon God's right hand, wouldn't be able to return you, especially with the additional abilities and increase in power I've obtained since then?"

Imperialdramon scoffed. "Even if you could, you'd probably dump us in the middle of the ocean or something."

Ophanimon C struggled to stay up. "Never mind us, what about our world? Even if what you say is true and you can return us to our world, and are actually willing to send us back safely, you've made it clear that you intend to invade it and destroy it."

"Yes," DarknessBagramon admitted, closing his eyes, as if in resignation. "That is my intention, and nothing will stop me from doing just that. But that is in the unforeseeable future. Even with my power, I do not know how long it will take for me to take over this world, only that it will eventually fall to me. Nothing can stop that. And then I will make my way to your world as well."

He opened his eyes again, giving them a serious look. "But until then, you can be back in your world. You can be with your family and friends. Enjoy your time with them for however long it lasts. I do not know when I will eventually make it to your world. It could be a long time from now. Perhaps you will have already lived full lives and met your end through natural means without ever seeing me again. Perhaps even your great grandchildren will be dust in their graves before I ever get to your world. Or perhaps only a short time will pass. With the time difference between our worlds, I cannot give you an actual timeframe."

He pointed at them. "But until then, you can be with your loved ones once more. You can see their faces and spend your remaining time with them. It's certainly better than dying here and never seeing them again, never letting them know what became of you after you suddenly vanished from their lives. Don't be stubborn, humans, make the wise decision. At the very least you'll be able to say goodbye to them before-"

"By the Sovereigns, will you just shut up!" a voice cried out from above. All heads looked up to see OmniShoutmon X floating in the air. "You're very good with words, DarknessBagramon, you always have been, but I know my friends, and I know that your words fall on deaf ears."

DarknessBagramon frowned in disapproval as he looked up at him. "Says the one who has been using them to gain back his position of power this whole time. Do you not care that your so-called friends will never see their world and loved ones again? Just how selfish are you?"

Omnimon forced himself to stand. "It's not him being selfish, it's the truth. We would never leave a friend behind. So thanks for your offer, but no thanks."

Susanoomon moved to stand beside the knight Digimon. "Yeah, it was a nice offer, but we'll take option C, the one where we kick your sorry butt and stop your evil plans."

"There is no option C," DarknessBagramon told him. "You either accept my offer, or you die here and now."

"Yeah, yeah," Imperialdramon muttered as he marched over. "That's pretty much the same thing everyone else who lost to us said. Or at least that's what they thought. Talk about a broken record."

Seraphimon joined him. "We're not surrendering. We're going to stop you."

"And save both of our worlds in the process," Ophanimon C insisted as she came up beside him.

"What they said," Gallantmon X agreed, joining the group.

DarknessBagramon's eyes narrowed. "Such foolishness. You continue to allow yourselves to be used, and it's going to lead too your deaths."

"I'm not using them!" OmniShoutmon X called down to the Demon Lord. "We're friends!"

Omnimon pointed his sword at DarknessBagramon. "That's right. And friends don't use each other, they help each other."

The Demon Lord chuckled. "So naïve. You mistake friendship for tactful manipulation."

"I'm not you, DarknessBagramon!" OmniShoutmon X declared. "My friends trust me and believe in me, and I believe in them!"

"Then you're all fools."

"You think so?" asked Gallantmon X. "Well, we say you're the fool."

Seraphimon took a step forward. "You like comparing ideals, right? Then let's match yours against ours."

He began glowing, and then one by one, each of the DigiDestined began to emit a golden light. DarknessBagramon's eyes widened as light particles began rising up from them, floating up to reach OmniShoutmon X, who began glowing as well.

"What is this?" the Demon Lord demanded. "What are you doing?"

"Friends share in each other's strength, DarknessBagramon," Omnimon told him. "You've made it clear that you stand alone, and everyone else is just a pawn for you to control. But we stand united. And that kind of power will always win."

The Demon Lord growled. "I'll crush your so-called united power. Bale-Fire Eyes!"

He shot beams at the DigiDestined. Up in the sky, OmniShoutmon X held out his hands and fired his Zeal Magnum. The beams flew out of his hands and intercepted DarknessBagramon's attack, mere feet from the others.

"I'm not letting you hurt them," the dragon Digimon declared. "You think I'm using them? I would die for them. Just like I would die for this world. Just like I have died for this world. You certainly can't claim the same. You've never experienced death at all. But that's about to change. I'm taking you out, DarknessBagramon, even if that means going down with you!"

He flew straight down towards the Demon Lord like a glowing golden missile of light. DarknessBagramon let out a bellow and unleashed his God of Death Snatcher. His demon arm shot out, stretching up towards the dragon Digimon as OmniShoutmon X flew at him.

Just before he was grabbed, OmniShoutmon X used his Hard Rock Spirit, unleashing a blast of fire from his hands like thrusters, allowing him to bounce off DarknessBagramon's arm to avoid the strike, and he sped down the length of it towards the Demon Lord.

"Omega Force Glide Drive!" he cried, surrounding himself in a swirling aura.

He plowed into DarknessBagramon, and a blinding burst of light flashed outward, throwing back the DigiDestined. The entire castle crumbled under the force of the impact and collapsed in a heap. And all those present were lost amongst the rubble as the castle came crashing down around them.

Notes:

(A/N: Whoa, big climax there. Or was it the climax? What, did you expect something more to happen with Boltboutamon? Sorry, but that was a bit of a red herring. He's gone now, for real this time. And after a fierce battle, OmniShoutmon X has seemingly made a decisive blow. But was it enough to take out DarknessBagramon, and is OmniShoutmon X alright? Stay tuned to find out what happens next time.)

Chapter 196: The Ultimate Deception

Notes:

(A/N: Phew, big chapter coming up. Well, longer than normal anyway. Last time, it seemed that OmniShoutmon X made the finishing blow to DarknessBagramon. Does this mean that our heroes' long journey is finally over? What comes next? Where do they go from here? But the real question is, are you ready for something unexpected to happen? Let's get to it.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 196: The Ultimate Deception

When things finally settled down and all was silent, the entirety of Castle Bagra lay in ruin, with the only sign of movement aside from the rising dust and smoke was the occasional piece of debris falling over.

For several minutes, there was nothing, but then a hand burst up from under the rubble. Susanoomon came crawling out of the ruins of the castle, breathing heavily. He looked around at all the debris, surprised at the level of destruction OmniShoutmon X's attack had caused.

"Whoa," he uttered, "that was quite an impact."

He lifted himself up and stumbled to his feet, dusting himself off. Looking around, he caught no sign of his friends, only destruction all around. It didn't really surprise him though; DarknessBagramon's castle had been massive. Like him, his friends had probably been buried as well.

Cupping his hands around his mouth, he called out. "Hey, where are you guys?"

There was no answer. He called for them a few more times before he finally detected some movement, and Imperialdramon came bursting up.

"I'm here," he grumbled, then looked down at his chest. "I mean, we're here."

Omnimon fell from being stuck to the dragon Digimon's chest, having been thrown into him from the shockwave. He let out a groan and brought a hand to his head. "I think we just went through the equivalent of a massive meteor impact."

Imperialdramon nodded in agreement. "Yeah, only with a lot more force and power behind it."

"Sounds about right," came another voice, and they turned to see Seraphimon limping over. "Where's everyone else?"

Susanoomon shook his head. "Not sure. They have to be around here somewhere."

At that moment, a beam suddenly flew into the sky from beneath the rubble a distance away. The DigiDestined turned to it, recognizing the attack as Gallantmon X's Final Elysion.

"Well, there's Gallantmon," Imperialdramon commented.

When the beam died down, the knight Digimon in question came crawling out of the rubble. He didn't even bother to get up, and instead just rolled over onto his back with his eyes closed. The others made their way over to him as he lay there, gathering around and looking down at him.

Feeling as if he were being watched, Gallantmon X opened his eyes to see his friends standing over him. "Hey, guys, glad to see you're ok."

"More or less," Omnimon replied.

Letting out a groan, Gallantmon X sat up. "So, who's still missing?"

"Ophanimon and OmniShoutmon," Seraphimon told him, a hint of worry in his voice. He began looking around. "They've got to be around here somewhere."

They began searching and calling their names, and it wasn't long before something burst up from beneath the rubble, sending debris flying. Ophanimon C flew straight up and began frantically looking around as she panted heavily. She caught sight of her friends a few moments later and visibly relaxed, letting out a relieved sigh.

"You're all alright," she said in relief. "Thank goodness."

"Same to you," Omnimon told her. "You almost had us worried."

"Nah," Imperialdramon remarked. "I knew everyone would be fine. We're all too tough to go down like that."

Ophanimon C smiled, then looked around at the ruins before looking back at her friends. "Did we just… win?"

Susanoomon looked around as well. "I think so. That was quite a hit OmniShoutmon delivered."

"Where is OmniShoutmon?" Gallantmon X asked.

No one answered. A few seconds of uncomfortable silence passed as they looked around for their friend.

"I'm sure he'll be along soon," Omnimon said reassuringly. "He was the one who delivered the final blow to DarknessBagramon. He's probably still digging his way out."

Imperialdramon's eyes narrowed. "That DarknessBagramon, I can't believe he was once the right hand Digimon of the Digimon God. And his plan was just so evil. As if rebelling against the Digimon God, joining the Demon Lords, and sealing away the Sovereigns wasn't enough, he actually wanted to take control of everyone's mind like that."

"I know," Susanoomon growled. "How could anyone be so evil? It's no wonder he's known as the biggest traitor in history. He was even going to betray the Demon Lords."

"Kind of makes you wonder what he was like when he was just a regular Bagramon," Gallantmon X commented. "I mean before he had half his body deleted and became the demonic Bagramon we know."

Omnimon let out a sigh. "People change. And in his mind, he thought he was doing the right thing. He couldn't see how evil and corrupt he had become. I almost feel sorry for him."

Imperialdramon stubbornly crossed his arms. "He got what he deserved. Now the last seal is broken and the final Sovereign will be free."

"And then we'll finally be able to go home," said Seraphimon."

"Human world, here we come!" Susanoomon cried excitedly. "I can't wait for this Sovereign, whoever they are, to send us back. Although I am going to miss being able to become a Digimon."

"Hmm," Omnimon mumbled, feeling a little skeptical. "That is, if they can send us home."

"They brought us here," Ophanimon C reminded him. "Logically, they should be able to send us back." She looked up at the sky, not seeing any clouds or distortion yet, but it was still early. "They'll probably be appearing soon. I hope OmniShoutmon gets back before they get here."

A horrible thought suddenly occurred to Gallantmon X. "Guys… you don't think that… You don't suppose he…"

Susanoomon's hand shot out, grabbing the knight Digimon and pulling him close. "Don't you even think it. He's not dead. We didn't come this far, go through all this, just to lose one of our own at the very end. We faced countless evil Digimon, including the Demon Lords and their Chaos Generals, and have finally reached the end of our journey. We didn't go through all that just to… just to…"

He couldn't say it, and he released his hold on Gallantmon X. The knight Digimon felt the exact same way he did, but he couldn't shake the possibility of the worry that was gripping him, especially when he remembered OmniShoutmon X's final words to DarknessBagramon.

"But you heard what he said," he told the god Digimon quietly. "He said he would die for us, and for this world. And then he… What if he sacrificed himself to-"

"No!" Susanoomon shouted. "OmniShoutmon is still alive! He's meant to be the Digimon King! He can't die now that he's finally reclaimed his title!"

Gallantmon X didn't reply, knowing that Susanoomon needed time to process the possibility that their friend hadn't made it out alive.

Slowly, Seraphimon approached the god Digimon, placing a hand on his shoulder. "It's too soon to make any assumptions. He could be unconscious, or maybe trapped beneath the debris. Let's look around, do some digging."

And so everyone spread out and began digging through the rubble. Deep down, they knew the search was impossible. It would take several weeks, possibly months, to search through all the debris. They couldn't even narrow down their search to where OmniShoutmon X's impact had been since everything had collapsed, so it impossible to tell where anything had been.

Minutes ticked by, but they found no trace of their friend. A wave of frustration came over Imperialdramon, and he punched the ground.

"This is ridiculous!" he shouted. "How long can he stay crushed beneath tons and tons of rubble? And if he died, we wouldn't even find a body since Digimon break down into data? Damn it, OmniShoutmon, where are you!? You just have to be ok! Come out!"

He fell to his knees in despair, his frustration giving way to hopelessness. His friends stared at him for a few moments before making their way over to comfort and reassure him, all while Susanoomon kept digging.

"It'll be fine," he insisted. "He's an X Digimon, so even if he dies, he'll leave his X-Antibody behind and we would find that. But we won't, because he's not dead. You'll see, we'll find him out cold with a big bump on his head. We just have to keep looking."

"I'm afraid you won't find your friend here."

Susanoomon froze at the unfamiliar voice and looked over his shoulder. The others turned to the speaker as well, and saw an angel Digimon descending from the sky. There was something familiar about him, but they couldn't quite place their finger on it.

"Who are you?" Omnimon asked. He looked the divine looking angel Digimon up and down. "Are you the last of the Sovereigns?"

The angel Digimon looked at him, a sad look on his face. "I am. My name is Bagramon."

"Bagramon!" the others shouted, and instantly regrouped and were on their guard.

Now they knew why he looked familiar. He was dressed in white priest-like robes, and his entire body was intact though; there were no wooden demonic limbs or parts of his body. His wings were pure white rather than blackened and burned, and he even had a pair of very large angel wings. He was far younger in appearance, lacking the beard and any other devilish features, and he had long flowing black hair.

The angel Digimon held up his hands. "Calm yourself, humans, I mean you no harm. I am not your enemy. In fact, I am eternally in your debt, as it was you who freed me from my imprisonment."

Gallantmon X slightly lowered his lance. "The Digimon God chose another Bagramon to be the leader of the Sovereigns?"

Bagramon sighed. "I was the replacement for the failure that was the original Bagramon who betrayed him." He closed his eyes in despair. "Simply being the same species as the greatest traitor in history is something I will always be ashamed of, but it was also a way to humble me and make sure I never go down a similar path. I do hope you will not hold me being the same species as that traitor against me."

Omnimon relaxed a bit, but was still on his guard. "No, we won't hold that against you. You're not your predecessor, and it wouldn't be right to put you in the same boat as him just because you're the same species."

"Is he though?" Imperialdramon asked warily. "What if he's actually the enemy Bagramon we've been fighting and he just took on his original form to trick us."

Ophanimon C shook her head. "No, it can't be. Remember what Shoutmon told us? Bagramon was smitted by the Digimon God during his rebellion and permanently lost half his body; that's why he replaced his missing parts with wood from the Sever Tree."

"Another truly blasphemous feat," Bagramon replied sadly. "Things had truly gone out of control with my predecessor joining the Demon Lords and sealing my fellow Sovereigns and I away."

"And that's why you brought us," Seraphimon finished for him.

Bagramon sighed and nodded. "Yes, and I do apologize for upending your lives and taking you from the human world, but we were desperate." He gave Omnimon a smile. "But your worries are unfounded. I do indeed have the power to send you home. It was wrong for me to bring you here and burden you with our troubles, despite our desperation. I shall amend that now."

He raised his hand to the sky, as if summoning power, and then pointed a short distance away. The air began to pixelate, and then those pixels spread apart and seemed to open, revealing a portal from which a tunnel of green light emitted.

"Behold, humans," Bagramon told them, "your pathway home."

Any and all hostility in the DigiDestined's stances seeped out of their bodies as they stared at the portal. At long last, what they had been seeking for the last year and three months, was within reach. Their ticket home.

"Home…" Gallantmon X whispered, feeling tears threaten to creep up in his eyes. "We can finally go home…"

"No, we can't!" Susanoomon insisted. "Not without OmniShoutmon!"

Imperialdramon was unable to take his eyes off the portal. "OmniShoutmon can't come with us."

"That's not what I meant!" the god Digimon snapped. "I mean we can't go back without finding him and making sure he's ok."

A deep sigh escaped Bagramon, and he gave Susanoomon a sorrowful look. "I am deeply sorry, my friend, but I'm afraid your worst fears are true. OmniShoutmon gave his life to destroy DarknessBagramon. It was his intention when he delivered his last attack. By now, both are Digi-Eggs back in Primary Village."

Susanoomon clamped his hands over his ears. "No! Don't say that! It's not true! It can't be true!"

Omnimon went over to him. "Susanoomon…"

"No!"

"Damn it, Susanoomon, listen to me. OmniShoutmon is dead. He's dead! He sacrificed himself for us!"

But Susanoomon shook his head. "Don't. He can't be. He can't."

"He isn't," Seraphimon insisted and everyone looked at him. "He's not dead. Remember, Digimon never really die; their data just gets reconfigured. Bagramon, um, this Bagramon, even said he's a Digi-Egg right now. That means he's basically just taking a long nap before he needs to start over again regaining his EXP. He's done it before after all."

But even as he said it, tears dripped from the bottom of his helmet. He still tried to be strong though, and Ophanimon C wrapped her arms around him, her own tears falling. Susanoomon stared at him for a few moments before collapsing to his knees.

"It can't be…" he whispered.

Imperialdramon gripped his sword tightly before letting out an angry bellow and slamming it against the ground. "Damn it!"

Gallantmon X was unable to look at his friends, afraid that he would crack if he saw their despair, but then a thought occurred to him. "Couldn't we… Couldn't we go see him? If he's back in Primary Village, couldn't we go there so we can say goodbye?"

"Do you know how long it'll take for us to go all the way back there?" Omnimon asked.

"So what?" Gallantmon X retorted. "Time works differently here, remember? And we have the strongest Sovereign of all with us." He looked at Bagramon. "You can, like, instantly take us there, right?"

Bagramon shook his head. "It's not a simple matter of transporting you there. It will still take several weeks for your friend to hatch."

"I… well… couldn't you just give him some power so he can resurrect, like what the Demon Lords did for MaloMyotismon and NeoMyotismon?"

The angel Digimon let out a sigh. "I'm afraid that after being sealed away for so long, I don't have the power to resurrect anyone right now, especially if you want me to have enough power to send you home. You'll have to wait for him to hatch naturally."

"S-So what? Time difference, remember? A week here is only seven minutes back home. We can stay for a few more weeks."

Bagramon gave him a sad look. "That is not the main issue." He motioned to the portal. "I cannot keep the portal open for this long. To even open a portal between worlds in the first place is incredibly risky and requires a tremendous amount of power, power that I have been keeping in reserves until now. I only opened one to bring you here because it was necessary, and again now because I owe it to you to send you back, regardless of the risk. To be honest, I don't know when or even if I will be able to open another one. If you wish to go home, it will have to be now."

Imperialdramon gave him a look of disbelief. "But we can't just leave without saying goodbye. Not after all we've been through together. It's out of the question."

"Yeah, I'm not going until we've said goodbye," Susanoomon agreed.

"Everybody shut up!" Omnimon cried, and the others fell silent, giving the knight Digimon a surprised look. Omnimon was practically shaking as he tried to keep his emotions in check. "We have to be realistic. This isn't some fantasy world where everything works out. This is real life. And sometimes things don't always go your way. We lost OmniShoutmon, and we aren't going to get the chance to say goodbye. That's…" he seemed to deflate, "that's just the reality of things."

No one said anything in response. There was nothing to say; they knew he was right. Reality could be cruel at times, and it seemed that now was one of them.

Looking remorseful, Bagramon cleared his throat. "Humans, I am truly sorry for your loss, and I deeply apologize for this, but I'm afraid I can't hold the portal open for much longer. Even if I could, it could cause an instability to the barriers between our worlds."

They all looked at the portal, and they saw that the pixelated rim did indeed seem to be trying to close. All their enemies had been defeated, and all the Sovereigns had been freed. The war was over. This was their chance to return home; they had to take it while they could. They simply wouldn't be able to bid their friend goodbye. And perhaps, in a way, maybe this was for the best. Goodbyes were never easy or fun.

Seraphimon looked at Bagramon. "Will you tell him for us? When he hatches, will you find him and tell him goodbye for us?"

Bagramon nodded, looking winded. "You have my word as a Sovereign, I will find your friend and tell him. What more, I shall help him become OmniShoutmon again and see to it that he becomes the Digimon King once more. Now please, you must hurry, my hold on the portal is slipping."

He began panting, and the portal closed a fraction. The DigiDestined gasped and shared a look with each other.

"Come on," Omnimon insisted, "we have to hurry!"

They rushed to the portal, their pathway home. But when they were right in front of it, a familiar attack suddenly whizzed by them, cutting off their path. The DigiDestined skidded to a halt and began looking around.

"That attack," said Imperialdramon. "That was OmniShoutmon's Victorize Banking. Where did…?"

He trailed off and gasped loudly. The others followed his line of vision, and then gasped as well. OmniShoutmon X was standing a distance away, alive and well, if looking a little worse for wear.

"Don't you move," he growled. "Not another step."

"OmniShoutmon!" the others exclaimed, not picking up on the hostility in his voice through their relief.

Even Bagramon looked surprised. "You survived? Even I thought you had perished fighting DarknessBagramon."

"Yeah, we all thought you scarified yourself to take him out," said Gallantmon X. He took a step forward. "Thank goodness you're alright."

"I said don't move!" OmniShoutmon X snapped. "Get away from the portal. You're not going anywhere. I'm not losing you guys."

The DigiDestined exchanged bewildered looks. This wasn't the OmniShoutmon X they knew. He had gotten angry at them before, but never like this. His entire demeanor was different, absolutely screaming hostility. And now he was stopping them from going back home.

"OmniShoutmon, what are you doing?" Imperialdramon asked. "Why are you stopping us?"

"I'm doing what I need to do," his fellow dragon Digimon insisted. "Now get away from the portal."

Bagramon stepped forward. "Why do you stop them?"

OmniShoutmon X turned his gaze to the angel Digimon. "So you're free at last. Good, now I can destroy you myself. I've been wanting to do this for as long as I can remember. Hard Rock Spirit!"

He threw a fireball at Bagramon. The angel Digimon smacked the attack away and glared at him, now looking angry. "You dare attack me!?"

OmniShoutmon X returned the glare. "You're damn right. And I'll do it again too. Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to see you die."

The DigiDestined stared, unable to believe what they were seeing and hearing. OmniShoutmon X, their friend, who had been with them from the beginning, had just attacked one of the Digimon Sovereigns. What more, he was trying to stop them from returning home. But why would he do that?

DarknessBagramon's words from their fight suddenly came back to them. He had claimed that OmniShoutmon X had actually been using them this whole time to overthrow the Demon Lords and rise to power once more. They had dismissed what he had said as utter nonsense, thinking he had just been trying to trick them. But now with this…

DarknessBagramon may have been pure evil, but was there truth to his words? Had he not been trying to turn them against their friend with lies, but with the truth? It sounded insane, but seeing OmniShoutmon X standing here, preventing them from going home, and attacking a Sovereign, declaring that he was going to kill him… It just couldn't be true. And yet they couldn't help but remember Grimmon and his betrayal. Had OmniShoutmon X been playing a similar game? No, it simply wasn't possible.

Bagramon came up behind the DigiDestined. "It seems your friend is unwilling to let you leave. Quickly, make a run for the portal, I'll distract him."

He pulled out a sword and flew at the dragon Digimon. OmniShoutmon X jumped back as Bagramon swiped at him, transforming his legs into blades with his Beat Slash. He kicked at Bagramon with his bladed legs, and the angel Digimon blocked with his sword. The DigiDestined looked on as OmniShoutmon X proceeded to attack the Sovereign, not sure what to do.

"Why's he doing this?" Ophanimon C asked in dismay. "Everything couldn't have been an act with him, could it?"

"Of course not," Seraphimon insisted. "There has to be some kind of explanation."

They looked to Omnimon for answers, and the knight Digimon felt the weight of leadership fall heavily on his shoulders. He closed his eyes in turmoil, not sure what to do. He wanted answers, but the portal home was right there, for now, and it could be their only chance. And from the looks of it, the portal wouldn't last much longer.

All the bad guys had been defeated and the Digital World would now be at peace. Whatever OmniShoutmon X's problem was, it would be something he would need to work out without them Their part was over; it was time to return home, while they still could.

"Damn it," he snarled. "Come on, let's go."

The others followed his lead, charging for the portal. OmniShoutmon X continued to duel against Bagramon, catching sight of them out of the corner of his eye.

"Oh no you don't!" he declared.

He held up his hand and fired his Zeal Magnum. A beam flew out of his hand, striking the ground in front of the DigiDestined when they were just a few feet away from the portal, and they were blasted backwards.

"You dare to attack them as well?" Bagramon demanded.

OmniShoutmon X glared at him. "I'll do what I must. Heavy Metal Vulcan!"

He fired bolts from his chest, creating a firewall between him and the angel Digimon, and flew over to the DigiDestined, landing between them and the portal. The DigiDestined sat up, looking at him in disbelief.

"You attacked us," Gallantmon X said in shock. "Why would you attack us?"

"I had to," OmniShoutmon X growled angrily. "It was for your own good."

"Our own good?" Imperialdramon exclaimed. "What the hell are you talking about? Has this really been a con this whole time? Are you trying to keep us here so you can keep using us? Are we too useful for you to let us go?"

OmniShoutmon X scoffed. "Come on, you're not actually telling me you bought that nonsense DarknessBagramon was going on about, are you?"

"Then what's going on?" Susanoomon demanded. "Why are you preventing us from going home? Why are you attacking a Sovereign? Explain yourself!"

The dragon Digimon stared at him for a few moments before blinking. "Stopping you from…? Attacking a…? What are you talking about?"

"Just what he said," Imperialdramon replied, and nodded at Bagramon. "Did you want to free him just so you could kill him? Do you want to take down the head Sovereign so you can take his place?"

"Sovereign?" OmniShoutmon X repeated, and looked at Bagramon. "You mean him?"

"Yes, the Bagramon that the Digimon God created to replace the one who betrayed him," said Omnimon.

The dragon Digimon gave him a blank look, then glanced at Bagramon. "What lies have you been telling them?" He received no reply, but didn't seem to be expecting one as he turned back to his friends. "Sorry to break it to you, but the Digimon God never created another Bagramon, and the last Sovereign is most definitely not a Bagramon. There's only ever been one. Even the Digimon who are capable of Digivolving to Bagramon would never do it; the form is considered too disgraceful and too taboo."

Gallantmon X blinked. "So he was lying?"

OmniShoutmon X glanced at the portal, which was no longer threatening to collapse and seemed perfectly stable. "And that's no portal to the human world. I'm sorry if I acted rashly, but I was trying to save your lives. Going in there would have been a death sentence. And like I said, I'm not losing you guys."

The DigiDestined now turned their attention to Bagramon, or the person who was impersonating the original angel form of Bagramon. Of course they had been lied to. OmniShoutmon X was their friend, he would never betray them. They'd been emotionally distraught thinking they had lost their friend, and everything had started happening so fast that they hadn't been thinking rationally and had jumped to some horrible conclusions.

Omnimon got to his feet. "OmniShoutmon, we owe you an apology. We never should have doubted you, not even for a second."

The dragon Digimon shook his head. "Looking back, I can see why you had your doubts; the situation certainly didn't look good one me. And in hindsight, I can see how what I said could have been taken out of context; I really should have worded things differently."

Ophanimon C looked at Bagramon. "Then who is this, and what's going on here? Explain yourself, whoever you are."

Bagramon stared at the blankly, not showing any signs of the fatigue he had displayed earlier when he claimed he couldn't hold the portal open for much longer. But then his lips started to tremble before curling into a smile, and he let out a bark of laughter. "Well, shoot, I guess I'm busted. And I was so close to getting you. Yes, I admit, I'm no Sovereign. Nor am I a Bagramon. I just took this form to deceive you."

Imperialdramon humphed. "Taking on that form was a stupid idea. If you were going to impersonate a Sovereign, then shouldn't you have disguised yourself as the real thing. What if we had known who the last Sovereign was?"

Bagramon sighed. "Cut me some slack; I was working with what I had. I've been imprisoned for so long that I don't know what's actually going on in the world. I didn't even know there were Sovereigns at all, let alone who they were. But upon overhearing you say that you didn't know either, along with that summary of how Bagramon betrayed the Digimon God, I made up a little story to fool you. And it almost worked."

Seraphimon gasped. "You were spying on us?"

Bagramon wobbled his head. "Well, yes and no. After I escaped from my prison when the castle collapsed, I overheard you talking, so I just stayed hidden and listened. So I suppose my crime was more eavesdropping than spying. And I must say, I learned quite a bit. Sovereigns, Demon Lords, humans, the Digimon King. You humans talk quite a bit."

"Bastard," OmniShoutmon X seethed. "You haven't changed a bit, have you?"

Susanoomon glanced at him. "So you actually know this guy personally? I guess so since you said you intend to kill him. He must be pretty bad. Who is he?"

Bagramon's eyes lit up. "Oh yes, do tell them, your majesty. Tell them who I am. But first, allow me to resume my true form."

He opened his mouth wide and leaned back. His mouth stretched open wider and wider, opening an impossible distance. Then his mouth folded backwards as he seemed to swallow his own head. His entire body was sucked up, turning him inside out, revealing a completely different creature.

"What the heck?" Gallantmon X gasped as he stared in disgust at the Bagramon impersonator's true form.

The Digimon before them had a long bluish-gray torso, and seemed to be lacking a lower body. It possessed four long, thin arms, and a large square-shaped mouth with uneven rectangular teeth like a jack-o-lantern on its stomach. It seemed to have a mask covering is face, containing six red eyes, giving it a rather unpleasant look.

"Yes, that's better," the Digimon said in a completely different voice. "My true form really does feel the most comfortable."

The DigiDestined stared at the strange looking Digimon. Overall, he didn't look that threatening, but by now they had learned not to judge a Digimon's power based on their appearance.

"OmniShoutmon," said Seraphimon uncomfortably, "who is this?"

The Digimon gave an amused chuckle. "Yes, OmniShoutmon, who am I? Tell them who I am."

OmniShoutmon X's eyes narrowed. "One of the most powerful of all Digimon. The first enemy of the Digital World after the D-Reaper, and the worst Digimon to ever exist. He's the Second Great Catastrophe, Quartzmon."

The globe Digimon laughed. "Me, the worst Digimon in history? How flattering."

"Quartzmon?" Omnimon repeated. The name wasn't really familiar, but he believed he heard it before. He definitely recognized the title of the Second Catastrophe. "Wait, you mean the one the Digimon who the Guardians' first came together to fight?"

Quartzmon cocked his head to the side. "The Guardians? Is that what those seven started calling themselves after they beat me? I suppose it's appropriate. And even though most of the forms are different, I still recognize that you humans are somehow wearing their bodies. How very interesting. How did that happen? And there's only six of you. Where's your last member?"

"We don't owe you any answers!" OmniShoutmon X shouted at him.

Ophanimon C looked at OmniShoutmon X. "But why is he here? I thought precautions were made to make sure that those like him would never become a threat again?"

"The Demon Lords must have resurrected or recreated him." Susanoomon guessed. "Just like they did with Millenniummon, Devimon, and Myotismon."

OmniShoutmon X shook his head. "No. You're right in saying that steps would have been taken to make sure he would never rise again, but Quartzmon was never destroyed."

"What?" Gallantmon X exclaimed. "But in the story, you told us that the Guardians destroyed him, and that's what established them as the Guardians."

The dragon Digimon shook his head again. "No, I said they defeated him. Defeated, not destroyed, and his Digivolution was the only form to ever be made illegal; him and Millenniummon's form. But Quartzmon was too powerful to be destroyed, so they imprisoned him."

"How'd they managed that?" Seraphimon asked.

OmniShoutmon X nodded at Quartzmon. "This isn't his complete form. He's like Ceresmon, he has a core body he can separate from his main body. He takes on the form of Digimon he's absorbed, then lures others into his trap while disguised, just like he tried to do to you."

He gestured to the portal. "Quartzmon can create a pocket dimension called the DigiQuartz. It's a fragile, unstable, mirror dimension of this one. Once he lures Digimon into it, he absorbs it, and the Digimon inside it, into his body. And it's not like absorbing the data of a destroyed Digimon. It's more of a forced Digi-Fusion. The Digimon he absorbs gets trapped within him, and he gains their power, and the ability to take on their form."

"If he needs to absorb other Digimon to take on their forms, then how did he become Bagramon if there was only ever one?" Ophanimon C asked.

"He must have absorbed a Digimon who can Digivolve to Bagramon. He gains access to their whole Digivolution line and can take on any of their forms. Then he tricks others into the DigiQuartz with these imitated forms. It's how he became so strong so fast."

Quartzmon openly laughed at that. "It was a very effective method. And no one knew what the DigiQuartz was back then, so I was able to use it to my advantage. But tell them the best part."

OmniShoutmon X growled. "It's true, no one knew what the DigiQuartz really was, just that he generated it. As far as anyone was concerned, it was just some fragile subspace he was creating. No one had any idea what he was really planning."

"What was his plan?" Seraphimon asked, knowing he wouldn't like the answer.

The dragon Digimon's fists clenched. "He began spreading the DigiQuartz across the entire Digital World. We never knew the danger it presented then, and sections of it could easily be destroyed, so what was the threat? It was almost like he was just providing additional space. There were even Digimon who made a home in the DigiQuartz. It was actually useful in that way, despite its fragility. So no one made an attempt to stop him, and he spread it practically across the entire Digital World."

"Which was no easy feat," Quartzmon admitted. "It took me 2,880 years to do it, and I got so close too. But then the Digimon God had to meddle."

OmniShoutmon X smirked, obviously relishing in the globe Digimon's acknowledgement of his defeat. "Yes, this was all before Bagramon's betrayal, before the Demon Lord's even arose, back when the Digimon God still got involved in the Digital World's affairs. He warned us of Quartzmon's intentions. Turns out he had planned to spread the DigiQuartz across the entire world, and then absorb it, and everyone in it, into himself in order to become Gaiamon."

"Gaiamon?" Susanoomon exclaimed. "As in who Galacticmon planned to become after merging with the planet?"

OmniShoutmon X nodded. "Exactly. Galacticmon was essentially trying to do what Quartzmon failed at. Had he been successful, everyone would have become a single being, with Quartzmon in control."

Gallantmon X inhaled deeply. "It's like the single collective conscious from Code Geass, and Quartzmon would be in the driver's seat."

The dragon Digimon raised an eyebrow. "I don't know what that Code whatever thing is you said, but a single collective conscious, yeah, that's about the long and short of it. Fortunately, the Digimon who would become the Guardians banded together to stop him."

"But in the end, it seems they only delayed me," Quartzmon declared, "because now I'm free. And best of all, the Digimon God has withdrawn from the world. Thanks for that bit of information. What more, the Guardians now have their roles being filled by a couple of lousy humans."

Imperialdramon pointed his sword at him. "Don't be so cocky. I may not know your anatomy, but it looks like you're still missing half your body. If the Guardians could imprison you as you are, then we, having Digivolved even further, should be able to take you down."

Quartzmon let out a mocking chuckle. "Yes, about that."

He snapped his fingers, and something massively large burst up from underground. It was enormous, larger than a skyscraper, and almost looked like a giant globe of the world. Quartzmon then floated up into the air, hovering over the enormous globe. It rolled in its stand-like legs until a giant eyeball was beneath Quartzmon, looking up at him. He came down, his lower body attaching to the center of the eye's pupil, his form somewhat reminding the DigiDestined of Apocalymon.

Quartzmon held out his arms and emitted a loud sigh. "Ah! Reunited at last, and it feels so good. I almost forgot what being complete feels like."

Imperialdramon could feel the others' eyes on him, and he rubbed the back of his head bashfully. "Yeah, yeah, me and my big mouth."

Gallantmon X glanced at OmniShoutmon X. "You kept his upper body and his lower body in the same prison? Why didn't you, like, keep them at opposite ends of the world or something?"

A growl escaped the dragon Digimon. "Bagramon was chosen to be in charge of Quartzmon's imprisonment before he betrayed the Digimon God. He wanted both parts of Quartzmon close so he could keep an eye on them and take care of things right away if anything happened with one of them."

Omnimon sighed. "Ok, I can see the advantage of that, but it was also risky, for this very reason."

Quartzmon laughed. "Oh, don't worry. Soon you'll all be a part of me. We'll be one big happy family sharing a single form."

'Don't count on it!" Imperialdramon told him. "You said it yourself, it took you over 2,800 years to spread the DigiQuartz across the digital World. There's no way we or anyone else will let that happen again, especially now that everyone knows what the DigiQuartz is."

Quartzmon's grin widened. "About that too."

He snapped his fingers again, and the portal he had created began expanding. Several other portals opened all around and began expanding as well. Everything was bathed in green light, and when the light faded, everything had changed. It was as if they were standing in an inverted mirror world of where they had been a few moments ago. Everything seemed to have a green hue, and much of things, including the air itself, had sections that seemed to be pixelating. Random patches of pixilation were present everywhere, on objects and even floating in the air itself, cubes of data rising up from them and floating away.

Quartzmon spread his arms. "Welcome to the DigiQuartz!"

Imperialdramon didn't even look at his friends. "I know, I know! Just keep your darn mouth shut, Davis."

The globe Digimon laughed. "The DigiQuartz has endured all this time, existing right next to this dimension behind its barriers. Had I been destroyed during my battle with the Guardians, the DigiQuartz would have been destroyed too. But since I was only imprisoned, it has remained intact this whole time, just waiting for me to call it back. And now, I can finish what I started and cover the rest of this world with the DigiQuartz."

He held out his hand, and in the distance, several large towers suddenly rose out of the ground. They burst open to reveal giant balls with eyes on them. These balls began floating along, pouring waterfalls of green pixels that covered areas of the land that hadn't been swallowed up by the DigiQuartz, and Quartzmon's mirror dimension spread.

The globe Digimon laughed. "It won't be long now. Very little of the Digital World doesn't already have the DigiQuartz covering it. I estimate that I'll be able to consume this world and everyone in it in less than an hour at most."

"I don't think so," Seraphimon declared. "You may not be a Demon Lord, but you're a monster, and an enemy to the Digital World."

"Yes," Susanoomon agreed, "And there's no way we're going to let you absorb everything. We'll finish what our predecessors started."

Quartzmon grinned. "Will you now? How poetic. Your final act of playing the roles of the Guardians will be facing off against the one who brought them together to begin with. Oh, the irony. It's practically destiny."

"Destiny, shmestiny," Gallantmon X growled. "This is as much of a war as the conflict with the Demon Lords, and we're gonna stop it."

An amused chuckle escaped the globe Digimon. "Then we better get a move on, the clock is ticking." He cracked his knuckles. "This is going to be fun."

Notes:

(A/N: What's this now? A surprise final villain? Didn't think we'd have Quartzmon suddenly popping up, did you? When I described the Great Catastrophes way back in Chapter 86, and every time I mentioned Quartzmon since, I always specifically said that he had been "defeated" never "destroyed". Yes, I've been planning this for that long. Way before that even. And now it looks like our heroes have one final test before they can go home. Speaking of which, was anyone fooled by what Quartzmon said when disguised as Bagramon? Did you think he was actually the last Sovereign, or that OmniShoutmon X had been using them this whole time and now didn't want to let them go? Let me know in the comments, and I'll see you next time for what might be our heroes' biggest challenge.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear or are mentioned.

wikimon.net/Bagramon_(Archangel_Form)

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Quartzmon

Chapter 197: Agents

Notes:

(A/N: .We're back again, but you knew I would be. We've come so far, and it looks like our heroes have one final villain to defeat, and it's possibly their biggest threat yet. Can our heroes defeat the one who not even their predecessors were able to fully take down? What more, can they defeat him before he finishes spreading the DigiQuartz. Let's find out.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 197: Agents

"Ok, OmniShoutmon," said Imperialdramon, "we can tell this guy's bad news. Do you have any advice on how to fight him?"

His fellow dragon Digimon shook his head. "Unfortunately, I don't. And to make matters worse, he can use his Copy to create artificial replicas of the Digimon he's absorbed, and he can even Digivolve and DeDigivolve them at will.

Quartzmon grinned. "You mean these?"

He closed his mouth and began moving his lips around, as if he were trying to dislodge something stuck in his teeth. Then he stretched his mouth wide open, and they saw a massive crowd of different Digimon squashed together inside it, clawing and screaming as they tried to get out. Quartzmon closed his mouth before they could and the screams were silenced, and he chuckled at the looks on the DigiDestined's faces.

"That would have been you had you fallen for my Bagramon rouse and entered the DigiQuartz," he told them with a large grin. "But don't worry, it will be you soon enough, once I swallow up this world. Well, unless I just end up killing you first."

Opahnimon C let out a grunt of frustration. "Great, so that means he can basically create a bunch of fake Digimon, just like Ordinemon."

Quartzmon mock pouted. "Aww, you already went through that with someone else? Well, that's no fun. Guess I'll have to do something else. How about this?"

He held out his hand. Data began to gather in the air, coming together in bunches. Once the data finished gathering, seven giant creatures manifested. They were large cylinders of glowing green light, each one with eyes and a mouth made up of red light, and at their top and bottom were rock formations.

"What the heck are those?" Susanoomon exclaimed. "They're huge!"

OmniShoutmon X growled. "Agents. Quartzmon can create agents to do his bidding, and they're as powerful as Megas."

"Of course they are," Omnimon muttered. "Things never can be easy."

Quartzmon chuckled. "It's just a little healthy competition. I want to see how you compare to the real Guardians, so I created a battle buddy for each of you."

"Don't underestimate us just because we're human," Imperialdramon told him. "We'll take down your giant cucumbers, then you're next."

The globe Digimon cocked his head to the side. "Giant cucumber?"

"Guess we're taking these things out first," Susanoomon grumbled irritably.

Omnimon glanced at the giant floating spheres pouring out the DigiQuartz. He knew what this really was, and it was no test of their strength. This was a ploy on Quartzmon's part to stall for time. He was trying to distract them while he finished his conversion.

"We'll have to make this fast. If Quartzmon is as strong as OmniShoutmon says he is, then we can't have any other enemies interfering. Take them out as fast as you can. Let's go!"

The DigiDestined flew at the agents. Quartzmon grinned and motioned forward. "Annihilate them!"

The agents flew forward to meet the DigiDestined and began firing beams of energy from their eyes and mouth. Fortunately, they weren't that fast, and their giant size and awkward cylindrical bodies made it difficult to move around, allowing the DigiDestined to maneuver around the attacks.

"Don't know what you are," said Imperialdramon, "but let's see how you like my Omni Sword!"

He flew into the agent of his choosing, plunging his sword in right between its eyes. The agent bellowed and then began spinning around. Imperialdramon was taken for a ride as he hung on, until he lost his grip on his sword and was sent flying.

Susanoomon flew up to his agent and unleashed his Fist of the Gods on it just beneath its mouth. The agent moved down to look at him and fired beams out of its eyes. Susanoomon pulled back to avoid them, then used his Heavy Tackle, slamming into the agent with such force that he pushed the giant creature back.

"Magna Thunder!" he cried, imprisoning the agent in a cage of electricity.

The agent's eyes narrowed and it pushed forward, struggling against the bars of electricity for a bit before bursting through and roaring loudly.

"Hallowed Ascension!" Seraphimon cried, ring down lightning on his agent.

The creature roared as it was struck by bolts from up above, then opened its mouth and unleashed a massive stream of energy. Seraphimon flew out of the attack's path and began circling around the agent while punching out balls of light with his Hallowed Knuckle. The agent rotated as Seraphimon flew around it. Though it didn't have much mobility, it could turn its body very fast, and Seraphimon soon fell into its line of vision. The angel Digimon began dodging the beams fired at him while continuing to fire balls of light.

Another agent fired beams from its eyes and mouth at the same time. OmniShoutmon X used his Heavy Metal Vulcan to create a firewall between him and the agent. This prevented the agent's attack from reaching him, but created an explosion that sent the dragon Digimon flying.

He recovered quickly though and flew towards the top of the agent. Using his Beat Slash, he began kicking out cutting shockwaves that left gashes on the agent's rocky forehead, but otherwise appeared to be ineffective. OmniShoutmon X let out an annoyed growl and used his Flare Rock Spirit, turning his hands into crystal claws. He then flew forward and began slashing at the rock of the agent's top.

The agent snarled and pivoted forward, rather fast for its enormous size. OmniShoutmon X was knocked back as he was essentially head-butted. The agent fired more beams from its eyes, and OmniShoutmon X blocked again with his Heavy Metal Vulcan before going on the attack again.

Ophanimon C had used her Call Dramon to summon her dragon. It was currently breathing a stream of fire at the agent as Ophanimon C flew to its other side and fired her Air Sefirot Crystal. The agent turned to her, ignoring the dragon, and unleashed a stream of energy from its mouth. Ophanimon C flew around the agent as it turned, the beam it was firing quickly following. She ended up flying past her dragon, and the agent's attack flowed over it. The dragon roared and burst into data, and Ophanimon C grunted in anger. Even though she could resummon her dragon at any time, she still hated it every time she saw it get destroyed.

"Volcano Napalm!" she cried, throwing fireballs beneath the agent.

The fireballs erupted into pillars of fire that rose up around and from under the agent, and it stopped attacking to roar.

Gallantmon X flew towards his agent head-on, avoiding the beams it fired from its eyes. When he reached the agent, he held up his shield, slamming into it, and causing the agent's whole body to tremble.

Keeping his shield pressed up against the agent, he used his Final Elysion. The agent roared as the beam pushed it back, and it actually ended up colliding with the agent fighting Omnimon. They both ignored the impact though and went back to facing their opponents.

"Inferno!" Omnimon cried, and began rapidly firing against the agent.

The agent scowled as the cannon fire blasted against it, and fired beams from its eyes. Omnimon avoided one beam and used his sword to cut through the other. He fired his Double Torrent, and the blasts of fire and ice exploded against the agent, causing it to roar.

"Graceful Cannon!" Omnimon cried.

The agent retaliated by unleashing a stream of energy from its mouth. Omnimon's attack cut through the center of it, tunneling through, but the rest of the attack kept coming and flowed over Omnimon.

The knight Digimon cried out and went spinning backwards. The agent roared and flew forward, seemingly intending to tackle him.

"Cross-Counter!" Omnimon cried, using the fact that he had taken the agent's attack as the opportunity to counter it. The agent grunted and was bounced back by the attack, and Omnimon flew in. It roared loudly as he approached, and Omnimon raised his sword.

Using his T-Sword, he slashed at the agent's cylindrical body. The agent's roar got caught in its throat, and a grumbling sound began to emit from it as the paralyzing effect of Omnimon's attack began to take hold.

"Fearsome Blade!" he cried, transforming his sword into a whipping blade of energy and bringing it up, then down.

It sliced through the air, cutting through the agent down the middle. The agent split in two, its left and right side falling away and bursting into data. Omnimon immediately turned his attention to Susanoomon. It would be best to help out the strongest of his friends first so they could help those not as powerful.

He fired his Graceful Cannon, and the attack struck the side of the agent. It roared as Omnimon's cutting beam tunneled its way through, causing it to roar even louder. Susanoomon used the opportunity to use his Heaven's Thunder, and the streams of lightning shaped like dragons came down and latched onto the agent.

"Celestial Blade!" the god Digimon cried.

He manifested his ZERO-ARMS: Orochi and swung it through the air. The giant blade of light cut through the agent, and its bottom half fell away and burst into data, followed shortly by its top half.

Without missing a beat, Susanoomon turned his weapon on the agent fighting Gallantmon X. Omnimon came up beside him, and they fired their Double Torrent and ZERO-ARMS: Orochi. The attacks blasted against the agent's backside, and it roared. Gallantmon X then attacked up with his Zeig Saber, his energy lance extended into a beam that struck the agent.

As Susanoomon's weapon disappeared, he flew forward and threw a Texture Blow. The pixilation from his attack flowed over the agent, and it became reduced to an 8-bit sprite. Gallantmon X's attack kept coming, causing the agent to burst into data.

Seeing both Omnimon and Susanoomon had defeated their agents, Gallantmon X gave them an appreciative nod. "Now we're rolling."

"How about rolling over here and giving me a hand!" Imperialdramon shouted as he fired his Super Positron Laser at his approaching agent.

His friends quickly came over to assist. They attacked with their Glory Thunder, Flame Sphere, and Final Elysion. The agent turned its attention from the dragon Digimon to them, and Imperialdramon stopped firing. He flew up to the agent's forehead, to where his sword was still buried.

Taking hold of his sword, he gave a loud battle cry as he used all his strength to drag the sword down the length of the agent's body. When he reached the bottom, he pulled his sword free and manifested his cannon. "Giga Crusher!"

The agent gave one final roar before bursting into data. That made four of them, and the DigiDestined turned their attention to the remaining three agents. Ophanimon C's flames didn't seem to be that affective against her agent, so they made their way over to her.

Omnimon used his Graceful Cannon, his cutting beam drilling a hole through the agent. It snarled and turned to him, firing beams from its eyes. Gallantmon X and Imperialdramon fired their Final Elysion and Super Positron Laser, their attacks pushing against the agent's beams. While its back was to her, Ophanimon C fired her Holy Destroy at it from behind.

The agent roared as it was struck from behind. Susanoomon flew forward, flying into the agent's mouth and manifested his weapon, aiming it up inside the agent. "ZERO-ARMS: Orochi!"

The agent gave one last roar as the attack was fired within it before exploding into data. The next closest agent was the one facing Seraphimon. He was flying around it, dodging its attacks as he punched out balls of light.

The DigiDestined flew over, surrounding the agent on different sides. The agent looked from one to the other, not sure who to attack. That wasn't a problem for the DigiDestined though, as all six of them began bombarding the agent with a series of attacks. It bellowed loudly before dissolving into data, leaving only the one fighting OmniShoutmon X remaining.

"Thanks, guys," said Seraphimon, and he turned to the last agent. "Now let's finish this. Excalibur!"

The last agent had its back turned to them as it proceeded to attack OmniShoutmon X. The DigiDestined came at it from behind, and in a near repeat of what happened in their fight with Boltboutamon, they each stabbed their weapons into the agent's back. Susanoomon even took it a step further using his Heavenly Wings Beheading to split into the ten Legendary Warriors, and each of the plunged a sword into the agent's back.

A loud roar escaped the agent. OmniShoutmon X didn't even need to see his friends to know that they were the cause. "Omega the Fusion! Omega Force Glide Drive!"

An aura shaped like Omnimon X flew out of his body. He then surrounded himself with his own aura and sped towards the agent. His attack blasted against it first, and then OmniShoutmon X collided with the agent immediately after. And with one last roar, the final agent burst into data.

"And that makes seven," said Gallantmon X.

"Looks like nothing is a match for our teamwork," Imperialdramon commented.

Susanoomon turned his attention to Quartzmon. "Don't forget who the actual enemy is. The real fight hasn't even started yet."

They flew over to the globe Digimon, and Quartzmon smiled as he began to applaud them. "Bravo, bravo. It looks like you humans really have control over the Guardians' powers."

Imperialdramon humphed. "If you hadn't been imprisoned, you would have heard about how awesome we are."

Quartzmon wobbled his head. "Perhaps. I got little to no information on what was happening in the world. But it doesn't matter. Soon the world will belong to me."

"I thought we told you that we won't let that happen," Susanoomon told him.

The globe Digimon laughed. "Yes, you're quite the broken record. Be that as it may, I'd like to see you try to stop me. Gyuputo Particle Cannon!"

The giant ball of his body began to glow. OmniShoutmon X gasped loudly and turned tail to fly away, grabbing the nearest of his friends and dragging them with him. "Fly away!"

Those he wasn't dragging didn't hesitate; when OmniShoutmon X told them to flee, they fled. Balls of light suddenly shot out of the giant globe that made up most of Quartzmon's body and flew at the DigiDestined. No, they didn't just fly at them, they flew after them, as if they were locked onto them.

"Do not let those touch you!" OmniShoutmon X shouted.

"What are they?" asked Ophanimon C.

"Gyuputo particles," the dragon Digimon replied. "That giant ball that makes up his body is a fusion reactor that produces them. Just one touch will destroy you; even the data you leave behind."

Omnimon glanced back at the particles chasing them. "They're chasing us, we can't fly away. We'll have to get rid of them. Inferno!"

He flew backwards as he fired back at the Gyuputo particles. When the blasts of cannon made contact with one of the particles, they were both instantly deleted, not even causing an explosion. The DigiDestined knew that would be their fate if the particles touched them, and began firing at them as they continued to flee.

"Forget this," said Imperialdramon, producing his cannon. "Giga Crusher!"

He fired his attack at the Gyuputo particles. It exploded in the air, and the particles flew into the attack. Whole portions of the explosion were deleted, but the attack succeeded in ridding them of the deadly particles.

"Nicely done," said Susanoomon. He looked back at Quartzmon. "Now, what are we going to do about him?"

Gallantmon X regarded the globe Digimon. "Well, he's been imprisoned for who knows how long. He's not going to be in top form."

"Doesn't matter," OmniShoutmon X told him. "He's so exceedingly powerful, and his attacks are deadly. Speaking of which, if you get close to him, watch out for his Ruin Blast attack. He stabs you with his tentacles and injects Gyuputo particles into you, causing an internal explosion."

Seraphimon shivered. "That sounds unpleasant."

"It is, but I'm just hoping he doesn't create any more of those agents."

They continued to watch Quartzmon, and he looked back at them as well. Gallantmon X cocked his head to the side. "Why isn't he attacking us?"

Omnimon was wondering that as well, until he noticed one of the giant balls pouring out the DigiQuartz and recalled his earlier assessment. "He's stalling. He's trying to quickly spread the DigiQuartz over what's left of the Digital World so he can absorb it."

OmniShoutmon X gasped. "By the Sovereigns, you're right! He wants to run down the clock. He doesn't want to take any chances when he's so close. We're on a ticking timer; we've got to defeat him, fast."

Ophanimon C bit her bottom lip in thought. "Ok, ok. Um… He kind of reminds me of Apocalymon with his design. Can we attack his little body the way we did with him?"

The dragon Digimon nodded. "We'll have to, it's our only chance. His terminal body is his true form. If we can destroy that, we'll destroy him."

"Then let's do it!" Imperialdramon cried, and recklessly flew at the globe Digimon.

OmniShoutmon X held out his hand. "Wait, it's not going to be that easy!"

But there was no time, and so the others flew after Imperialdramon. Quartznon regarded the incoming DigiDestined before unleashing his Gyuputo Particle Cannon again. Ophanimon C flew in front of Imperialdramon and brought up a wall of fire. Large holes appeared in the firewall she created as the Gyuputo particles touched it, and she kept producing more fire as they got closer.

"Ruin Blast!" Quartzmon cried.

He raised his hands, and his arms began to extend. They began branching out, with additional limbs growing out of them, before those limbs branched out as well. It was almost like watching a tree rapidly develop and seeing its branches grow.

Quartzmon lashed out with his branched-out arms, the fingers at the end of each hand extending into tentacles. Imperialdramon lashed out with his sword, slicing off the tentacles as he flew at the globe Digimon's terminal body.

"Omni Sword!" he cried, raising his sword and stabbing forward.

The glowing blade came down, stopping inches from Quartzmon's face as countless of his hands caught the sword. He chuckled as Imperialdramon tried to push his sword forward, and several of his hands closed into fists before several dozen of them slammed into the dragon Digimon, sending him flying.

"Call Dramon!" Ophanimon C cried, manifesting her dragon, and it began breathing fire at Quartzmon's terminal body as she circled around.

"Hallowed Ascension!" Seraphimon cried, bringing lightning down.

As Quartzmon was bombarded with fire and lightning, he used his Ruin Blast with the tentacles on his right branched-out arms, stabbing into the dragon. It roared as it was impaled before exploding from the inside. With his left hands, Quartzmon raised his countless left arms and brought dozens of open palms down on Seraphimon, smacking the angel Digimon from the sky.

"Royal Saber!" Gallantmon X cried, firing a blast of lightning from his lance.

Quartzmon turned to him and raised all his arms again to strike, but Omnimon used his Graceful Cannon, firing his cutting beam into the field of arms, severing the limbs.

"Royal Saber!" Susanoomon cried, flying past Quartzmon's terminal body from behind while slashing at him with holy fire.

"Volcano Napalm!" Ophanimon C cried, throwing fireballs around the globe Digimon's terminal body that burst into pillars of fire.

As Quartzmon wrapped his arms around himself to shield himself from the flames. OmniShoutmon X fired his Victorize Banking, hitting him from behind, and Quartzmon's terminal body bounced down. He righted himself up a moment later and opened his arms, and the moment he did, he was hit by a bombardment of attacks.

"Double Torrent!"

"Super Positron Laser!"

"Final Elysion!"

"Glory Thunder!"

"Shining Laser III!"

"Strike of the Seven Stars!"

"Hard Rock Fusion!"

The attacks blasted against Quartzmon's terminal body, obscuring it with smoke. Then his main body began moving, his stand-like legs walking like a spider. The DigiDestined pulled back as he got closer to them, and the globe Digimon's terminal body emerged from the smoke.

"So that's your plan," he said in amusement as his branched-out arms retracted until he only had four once more. "Attack my terminal body. Ordinarily, I wouldn't even let you get this close, but I'm a little distracted right now."

They knew he was referring to his spread of the DigiQuartz. His power and concentration were split as he tried to do that while fighting them off.

"A valiant effort," he continued, "but in the end, futile. Let's see you get to me now."

He suddenly sank down into the large ball of his body, completely hiding his terminal body from view. His mocking laughter echoed all around as the DigiDestined floated above him, at a loss.

"What do we do now?" Gallantmon X asked.

They all looked to OmniShoutmon X for direction, but the dragon Digimon just shook his head. Then they turned to Omnimon, but he too seemed uncertain.

"Um…" Susanoomon muttered. "Attack!"

With nothing else to do, the DigiDestined began firing a barrage of attacks on the globe Digimon. They heard Quartzmon laugh as the attacks bombarded against him, but he stood his ground. It was very reminiscent of their fight with Leviamon when the Demon Lord just took their attacks without even flinching.

"This isn't going to work," OmniShoutmon X told them. "He's too powerful, our attacks aren't doing enough damage. At this rate, we'll never defeat him before he finishes spreading the DigiQuartz."

"Then maybe we just need bigger attacks," Imperialdramon suggested. "Hyper Prominence!"

He fired a ball of black electricity from his chest that exploded against the globe Digimon. Quartzmon stumbled back a bit, but regained his footing and laughed once more.

"Give it up, humans," he called to them. "You could never hope to defeat me. This is destiny at work."

"Like hell it is," Susanoomon growled out. "If we can't blast through, then we'll cut through."

He manifested his weapon, turning it to unleash his Celestial Blade. Before he could attack though, one of Quartzmon's legs shot up, kicking the weapon, and Susanoomon's ZERO-ARMS: Orochi broke apart, the pieces flying.

Omnimon's eyes narrowed. "I guess that means that attack would be effective. Fine then, try this. Graceful Cannon!"

He fired a cutting beam at Quartzmon. The globe Digimon countered with his Gyuputo Particle Cannon, only this time he focused the particles at a single point, firing them in a beam. His much larger attack hit Omnimon's, and began deleting its way down the length of the beam.

Omnimon stopped attacking and dropped out of the path of the beam, then unleashed his Fearsome Blade. He whipped it at Quartzmon, but the globe Digimon unleashed his Gyuputo Particle Cannon again. The attack flew out in a ring, and as Omnimon whipped down at him, the energy blade crossed paths with Quartzmon's attack. The length of the blade was deleted, and Omnimon's sword retracted to its normal length.

Suddenly, Quartzmon leapt through the air, flying at the DigiDestined. They scattered as he landed, the impact shaking the ground. Then he fired his Gyuputo Particle Cannon as a beam again. The DigiDestined fled, but the focal point of Quartzmon's attack traveled over the surface of his ball.

He targeted OmniShoutmon X, directing the beam after him. The dragon Digimon realized he was being targeted and fired his Heavy Metal Vulcan. Quartzmon's attack deleted straight through it, but the obstruction of vision allowed OmniShoutmon X to get away.

"Heavy Tackle!" Susanoomon cried, coming in from below.

He slammed into Quartzmon's underside, and the globe Digimon was partly lifted off the ground. Omnimon, Gallantmon X, Ophanimon C, and Seraphimon fired at him from the same side with their Double Torrent, Zeig Saber, Air Sefirot Crystal, and Strike of the Seven Stars. Quartzmon began to tip over, having been forced up onto two legs, and then a blow from Imperialdramon's Imperial Kick finally had him toppling over onto his side.

"Now, let's get him!" Omnimon cried. "Graceful Cannon!"

"Giga Crusher!"

"Royal Saber!"

"Glory Thunder!"

"Hallowed Knuckle!"

"Holy Destroy!"

"Zeal Magnum!"

Quartzmon skidded slightly across the ground, but it was obvious that their attacks hadn't done much damage. They did have one advantage though. Quartzmon may have been bigger and stronger than them, but his physicality made it difficult for him to move around, and they had been able to use that against him.

All the same, when the attacks ceased, leaving the DigiDestined out of breath, laughter escaped the globe Digimon as he rose to his feet. And as infuriating as it was to be mocked in such a way, they couldn't exactly blame him for laughing at the gap between his power and theirs.

"Quit laughing at us!" Imperialdramon snapped. "So what if you're stronger than us. We've beaten guys stronger than us several times."

Quartzmon kept laughing as he stood up straight. "Oh, it's not that. I'm sure you have beaten those stronger than you. But that's not the case this time. I'm afraid you failed."

Susanoomon glared at him. "Not yet. As long as we're still breathing, we haven't failed."

The globe Digimon chuckled. "Yes, you have. It wasn't just me you were fighting. You were also racing against the clock. And I'm afraid you're out of time."

In the distance, the balls he had created stopped pouring out the DigiQuartz and disappeared. The DigiDestined looked around as they began to take in their surroundings, and a horrible realization settled in.

"Wait," said Ophanimon C, "does this mean that…?"

Quartzmon laughed once more. "That's right. My work is finally complete. I've spread the DigiQuartz across the entire planet. This world now belongs to me."

Notes:

(A/N: This isn't looking good for our heroes. Quartzmon has managed to finish spreading the DigiQuartz across the entire planet. Now he's about to absorb it all. Is there anything our heroes can do to stop him? Find out next time.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear or are mentioned.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Quartzmon_(Fusion)#Quartzmon_.28Agent.29

Chapter 198: Time's Up

Notes:

(A/N: And the cliffhanger comes to an end. Last time, Quartzmon finished spreading the DigiQuartz across the Digital World. Is there anything our heroes can do to stop it. Why am I even asking this? You know they're not just going to give up, so let's get to it.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 198: Time's Up

"No…" Gallantmon X whispered. "No, it can't be."

A triumphant laugh escaped Quartzmon. "But it is. The DigiQuartz has now completely surrounded and consumed this world. Soon I, no, we shall become one. We shall become Gaiamon. Beginning assimilation now."

A ray of light emitted from Quartzmon's underside. The large ball of his body began to glow before it seemed to detach from his leg-stands. The balls sank into the ground, almost as if it were tunneling through, sinking beneath the surface until it was out of sight, leaving a massive hole behind.

"No, no, no!" OmniShoutmon X cried. "It can't be, we're too late! He's going to absorb everything!"

"The we have to stop him," Ophanimon C insisted. "I don't know about you, but I have no intention of becoming part of him. So how do we stop him?"

The dragon Digimon shook his head. "I don't know! And even if I did, there's still the no attacking while your opponent is Digivolving rule."

"Are you serious!?" Omnimon exclaimed. "Screw the damn rule! There are more important things than following any stupid rules. Besides, he's not Digivolving yet, he's just absorbing everything so he can Digivolve. We can't let him though."

From out of the hole, a pixilation was occurring. The land seemed to be converting into glowing green cubes of data, and the process began spreading at a rapid rate, expanding outward from where Quartzmon had tunneled into.

Gallantmon X motioned with his lance. "That doesn't look good."

"The DigiQuartz is converting the land into data," said OmniShoutmon X. "Once he converts everything, he'll absorb it all into himself, and then he'll be able to Digivolve."

"Yes, we get it," said Seraphimon impatiently, "but how do we stop it?"

Imperialdramon clenched his fists, squeezing the hilt of his sword as a result. It shifted the position of his sword, and it fell into his line of vision. He stared at the blade for a few seconds before his eyes widened in realization as an idea occurred to him.

"OmniShoutmon," he said quickly, "you said that this process is basically like a forced Digi-Fusion, right?"

His fellow dragon Digimon glanced at him. "Yes, why?"

He held up his sword. "I can use my sword to reset an opponent's data. If he's assimilating the DigiQuartz, can I use it to stop him?"

OmniShoutmon X seemed confused for a moment, but then he inhaled deeply. "Yes, that could work! Follow me!"

He flew over to where Quartzmon had tunneled, and the others followed. They came up over the large hole, hovering above Quartzmon's legs that stood over the hole that went down so deep that they couldn't see the bottom.

"You'll have to go down there," OmniShoutmon X explained. "Don't touch the green data flow, you'll be absorbed into it."

Imperialdramon sweat-dropped. "Um, thanks for the warning. Wish me luck."

"You won't need it," Seraphimon told him encouragingly. "You've got this. We believe in you."

The dragon Digimon gave him an appreciative nod and looked back down into the hole. Taking a deep breath, he gripped his sword tightly and flew straight down. All around him was a sea of green pixilation. While he appreciated OmniShoutmon X's warning of not touching anything, the hole was so massive that there was no risk of touching the data conversion.

He flew so far down that the surface disappeared from sight, but the light from the conversion data prevented things from getting dark. He briefly wondered what it was he was looking for, but as he continued downward, he found it.

At the bottom of the hole was the mask-like face of Quartzmon, only now it was several thousand times larger. It sat at the bottom of the hole, looking up, the conversion data flowing out from beneath it as it made its way up the hole like a reverse waterfall.

"Well, well, well," said Quartzmon, sounding amused. "Look who it is. Have you come to accept your fate?"

"Are you ready to accept yours?" Imperialdramon asked as he flew down towards him.

Quartzmon laughed. "I know what my fate is, but there is nothing you can do to change yours."

Imperialdramon raised his sword. "That's what you think. Omni Sword!"

He stabbed his sword deeply into Quartzmon's giant face. The globe Digimon bellowed before the mask exploded into a shower of green pixelated cubes, sending out a shockwave that sent Imperialdramon flying back up the length of the hole. The shockwave traveled with him, dispersing all the conversion data and disintegrating it. Imperialdramon came spinning out of the hole, trying to regain his momentum as the shockwave ceased.

"He did it!" OmniShoutmon X exclaimed. "He stopped the assimilation!"

"I knew he could do it," said Gallantmon X.

They flew over to the dragon Digimon as he hovered in the air with dizzy swirls in his eyes. As he tried to regain his bearings, the blurry forms of his friends danced in front of his eyes.

"Hey, guys…" he muttered. "Did it work?"

"Like a charm," Omnimon told him. "Excellent job back there, Imperialdramon."

"Hold up, guys," said Susanoomon, turning back to the hole, "we're not done yet."

A few moments later, the large ball of Quartzmon's body rose up and reattached to his legs. His terminal body emerged from the ball afterwards, and he glared at the DigiDestined.

"Very resourceful," he growled, sounding frustrated for once. "Even though I've consumed this world with the DigiQuartz, you won't let me assimilate it. You're even bigger nuisances than I thought."

"We told you," said Seraphimon, "we're not letting you take over this world."

Quartzmon humphed. "You haven't stopped me, you've only delayed the inevitable. The solution is quite simple. If you won't let me assimilate the DigiQuartz, then I just have to destroy you, and then this world will be mine."

He sank back into the giant ball and began making his way towards the DigiDestined. They went on guard, but were at a dilemma. They may have prevented Quartzmon from assimilating everything for now, but they had only postponed the Digital World's doom. Unless they took Quartzmon down, the threat would always remain.

"Ok," said Omnimon, "good news and bad news. The good news is that we're no longer pressed for time. The bad news is that he's still super powerful, and now that his attention isn't split, he'll be able to focus on us entirely."

"Then let's split his attention a different way," Gallantmon X suggested. "We'll split up and hit him from different angles."

"Gyuputo Particle Cannon!"

He fired a beam of Gyuputo particles. OmniShoutmon X used his Heavy Metal Vulcan. He knew it wouldn't stop the attack, but it was intended to give them cover. The DigiDestined flew out from different spots of the firewall, and the ball of Quartzmon's body rotated around as if he were looking at each of them.

"Inferno!" Omnimon cried as he circled around the globe Digimon, rapidly firing his cannon.

Gallantmon X flew over Quartzmon, pointing his lance down at him. "Try this on for size. Zeig Saber!"

His energy-lance extended into a beam, and he waved it around as if it were a searchlight looking for something. Suddenly, dozens of branches of Quartzmon's arms emerged from the ball, flying up at the knight Digimon. The hands closed into fists, and they simultaneously slammed into Gallantmon X, knocking him away.

"Shining Laser II!" Ophanimon C cried, and began blasting apart the hands.

They all turned to her as if they were looking, and their fingers stretched into tentacles that flew at the angel Digimon as Quartzmon used his Ruin Blast. Ophanimon C used her Unicorn Shield, forming a barrier around herself. The tentacles stabbed and pierced, poking holes in the barrier. Ophanimon C twisted and turned her body within the barrier as the tentacles tried to stab her, eventually lifting up her shield to prevent herself from getting impaled.

Her shield cracked apart, and her barrier faded as a result. The tentacles all moved in to stab her, but were suddenly severed by Imperialdramon as he flew by, slicing the tentacles with his sword. He continued to fly along, staying low so he could drag his sword across the surface of Quartzmon's ball while firing his Super Positron Laser with his other hand.

The globe Digimon suddenly bounced on his feet, bumping into Imperialdramon. The dragon Digimon tumbled head over heels from the impact, then began sliding down the curve of Quartzmon's body. Several of Quartzmon's arms suddenly emerged from his body and grabbed hold of Imperialdramon, pinning him down.

"Gyuputo Particle Cannon!" Quartzmon cried.

Dread filled Imperialdramon's gut and he glanced beneath him. The area of Quartzmon's body that he was laying on began to glow, and he attempted to rise up, but the hands held him down.

"Beat Slash!" OmniShoutmon X cried, turning his legs into blades and kicking out cutting shockwaves.

The bladed shockwaves severed the arms holding Imperialdramon down, and the dragon Digimon flew off just as Quartzmon fired a beam that would have come right up from under him.

The arms that OmniShoutmon X had severed sank back into the ball. Suddenly, several hundred more rose out, stretching up high like a wave. The dragon Digimon attempted to fly off, but two more arms shot up, grabbing his legs and holding him in place as the wall of arms came down on him.

"Royal Slash!" Susanoomon cried, slashing with holy fire. He cut an opening in the wall of arms as they came down, creating a space for OmniShoutmon X to not be crushed. The dragon Digimon then used his Flare Rock Spirit, turning his hands into crystal claws and slashing at the arms holding his legs, freeing himself.

"Gyuputo Particle Cannon!" Quartzmon cried.

This time he fired individual particles, and balls of light shot out of his body and up into the air. They flew at the DigiDestined, who fled from the attack, but the particles followed them.

"Hallowed Ascension!" Seraphimon cried, bringing down his lightning.

Numerous bolts fell from the sky, striking the particles. He kept bringing them down until all the particles were gone, not realizing that several arms were rising up behind him.

"Ruin Blast!" Quartzmon cried, and the fingers on his hands stretched into tentacles and flew at the angel Digimon.

Seraphimon whirled around as the tentacles came at him, and he reflexively held up his arms to block. A cutting beam from Omnimon's Graceful Cannon suddenlyshot out, severing the tentacles moments before Seraphimon was impaled, and the severed pieces bounced harmlessly off the angel Digimon.

All the arms retracted back into the ball, and it began to glow. It glowed brighter than usual, and for a longer period of time to, and OmniShoutmon X gasped. "Pull back!"

"Gyuputo Particle Cannon!"

Quartzmon unleashed a wave of Gyuputo particles in a wave that emitted in a sphere from his body, like an explosion going off. The DigiDestined fled as the dome erupted outward, deleting everything the particles touched, leaving a massive crater behind.

"That was close," said Ophanimon C. "His attacks make it difficult to get in close."

"For all the good it did," Imperialdramon growled. "Did he even feel any of our attacks?"

"We need to get to his terminal body," said Seraphimon. "But how can we when it's inside?"

"We have to crack that ball open," Susanoomon told them. "Or get him to come out somehow."

"Yes, but how?" asked Gallantmon X. "Any attempts to get close aren't working, and our distant attacks are pretty much ineffective."

Omnimon glanced at Susanoomon. "He prevented Susanoomon from using his Celestial Blade attack before. Maybe that'll be enough to get through."

"It's an affective attack," Susanoomon concurred, "but it takes too long to use."

"Then we'll have to give you the opportunity to use it," said OmniShoutmon X. "Quartzmon may be big and strong, but he doesn't have the best mobility or coordination. Let's use that against him."

"Like when we knocked him over," Gallantmon X added. "We'll go for his legs."

"Gyuputo Particle Cannon!"

The globe Digimon fired off balls of Gyuputo particles that flew at the DigiDestined. Omnimon, Imperialdramon, Gallantmon X, Ophanimon C, and OmniShoutmon X fired beams at the approaching balls of light, getting rid of them with their attacks.

"Fine then, his legs it is," Omnimon decided. "Susanoomon, stay here and wait for your shot. Ophanimon, stay with him and give him cover with your fire so he doesn't see it coming. Imperialdramon, OmniShoutmon, you hit him from above when the time is right. Everyone else, go for a leg."

With their orders received, three of them flew down to Quartzmon while Imperialdramon flew over him. Ophanimon C sent her flames flying outward while Susanoomon manifested his weapon from behind the flames. Quartzmon fired his Gyuputo Particle Cannon in the form of a beam at those who approached him. They flew beneath the globe Digimon, each going after one of his four legs. Omnimon, Gallantmon X, and Seraphimon each flew into one, pushing his legs apart to force the globe Digimon to essentially do a four-legged split.

Hundreds of arms emerged from the underside of Quartzmon and reached for the DigiDestined. Still pushing, Omnimon raised his cannon and fired his Graceful Cannon, moving his arm left and right to cut off any reaching arms. Quartzmon's legs were pushed further and further apart, and he began to wobble as he started to lose his balance. That's when Imperialdramon and OmniShoutmon X flew straight down from up above, delivering an Imperial Kick and slamming into the globe Digimon with his Omega Force Glide Drive. Quartzmon's legs came out from under him, and he crashed to the ground.

"Susanoomon, do it now!" Ophanimon cried.

"You don't need to tell me twice," the god Digimon replied. "Celestial Blade!"

His blade of light emerged from his ZERO-ARMS: Orochi. He swung it through the air, and it cut through the wall of fire in front of him. There was no real reason to aim, as Quartzmon was so big that it was almost impossible to miss.

The blade of light cut through the ball of Quartzmon's body, slicing through the other side, but Susanoomon didn't stop there, and swung his Celestial Blade back the other way, cutting through Quartzmon again. He kept swinging, cutting the globe Digimon up like an apple as he struggled to keep his attack going.

The DigiDestined that had pulled Quartzmon's legs out from under him had flown up and were now launching attacks at the portions of Quartzmon's body that were falling away. Suddenly, with a bellow of rage, the globe Digimon's terminal body emerged from the ball.

"Damn you, humans!" he raged, and fired a barrage of Gyuputo particles up into the firewall Ophanimon C had created, and Susanoomon's attack ceased behind it as he was forced to dodge. Quartzmon then turned his attack on the others. "Die! Ruin Blast!"

His arms extended and branched outwards, his fingers stretching into tentacles. Before he could attack though, Omnimon lashed out with the energy whip blade of his Fearsome Blade, cutting Quartzmon's right arms from just before they had begun to branch out. He did the same with the globe Digimon's other side, leaving his terminal body with four severed stumps where his arms had been.

"Damn you!" he roared again, and began thrashing around on his own sliced up body.

A battle cry from up above drew his attention, and he looked up to see Susanoomon flying down at him, the broken pieces of his ZERO-ARMS: Orochi raining down around him, his sword in his hand. He stabbed downward, burying the blade deeply into Quartzmon's face and down into his torso.

Another pained roar escaped the globe Digimon as Susanoomon fled, leaving his sword buried in Quartzmon's face. Ophanimon C used her Call Dramon, and her dragon appeared to breathe fire at the globe Digimon's terminal body, engulfing it in flames. Seraphimon then flew in with his Excalibur. He flew past Quartzmon's terminal body, swinging his sword of light, and the globe Digimon's terminal body was severed at the waist from his main body.

"Zeig Saber!" Gallantmon X cried, firing a beam from his energy-lance.

It collided with Quartzmon's terminal body, pushing him up into the sky and away from his main body so he wouldn't be ablet to reattach to it. OmniShoutmon X followed up with his Heavy Metal Vulcan, the bolts he fired from his chest creating a firewall to cut the globe Digimon off from getting back to his main body.

"Now," the dragon Digimon declared, "attack the damaged parts of his body!"

They all turned to the sliced-up ball of Quartzmon's and began launching attacks at it. Chunks of the ball began bursting into data as they repeatedly assaulted it with their strongest attacks, turning it into a misshapen object that could no longer be called a ball.

Up in the sky, Quartzmon flew out from behind the firewall. He did not attempt to get back to his main body though, and instead flew through the sky away from the battle, his limbs still severed, Susanoomon's sword still buried in his face nearly down to the hilt

"This can't be happening!" he raged as he fled. "I've come too far, waited too long! I can't fall here! I'll never get a chance like this again! This simple can't be!"

Out of the corner of his eye, Imperialdramon spotted Quartzmon fleeing and turned to him. "And where do you think you're going? Take this!"

He threw his sword like a spear. It flew up in the air towards Quartzmon's terminal body, striking him in the torso. The globe Digimon let out a cry as he found himself impaled by the giant sword.

Susanoomon followed up with his Heaven's Thunder, his lightning dragon coming down to latch onto Quartzmon, holding him in place.

"Guys, someone's trying to get away," the god Digimon announced.

OmniShoutmon X turned towards Quartzmon's terminal body. "On no he's not. We can't let him. Come on, everyone, it's time to finish what your predecessors began. Omega the Fusion!"

"Graceful Cannon!"

"Giga Crusher!"

"Final Elysion!"

"ZERO-ARMS: Orochi!"

"Air Sefirot Crystal!"

"Strike of the Seven Stars!"

Quartzmon struggled in the in the grip of the lightning dragons as the attacks came at him. He let out one final cry of objection before the attacks struck. Quartzmon thrashed around in the blast for a few moments before dissolving into data. Down on the ground, what was left of the ball that made up the globe Digimon's body burst into data, and then his legs began to dissolve away as well.

As the last traces of Quartzmon broke down into data, something began to happen to the DigiQuartz. The green light it emitted started to flicker, and then it too began to dissolve away, as if a backdrop that had been draped over a stage were burning away. It was almost like watching it snow in reverse, with data particles rising up and disappearing, leaving only the Digital World behind. Even the massive hole that Quartzmon had tunneled into when he attempted to assimilate the Digital World's data disappeared.

The DigiDestined marveled in awe as they watched the DigiQuartz break down and disappear. In a strange sort of way, it was a rather beautiful sight to behold. Not just because of the visual appeal, but because of what they knew it meant.

"Quartzmon's gone," Gallantmon X whispered. "We did what the Guardians couldn't. We destroyed Quartzmon."

Imperialdramon looked at his fellow dragon Digimon. "Isn't it great, OmniShoutmon? The Second Catastrophe has been stopped, for good this time."

OmniShoutmon X didn't answer as he continued staring at the dissolving DigiQuartz, his eyes shiny with tears. "I never expected this. Any of this. I had hope that we would be able to defeat Bagramon, but I never expected us to face Quartzmon, let alone beat him. I didn't actually think we could beat him, but I knew what he was planning, and I couldn't just let him do it without putting up a fight, but I didn't think we could win."

"OmniShoutmon…" Ophanimon C whispered.

He wiped his eyes, but they immediately teared up again. "I thought, everyone thought, that the threat of Quartzmon and the DigiQuartz would always hang over us. He was imprisoned, yes, but there was always that underlining concern that he might escape one and day finish what he started. But now that he's finally been destroyed, not just imprisoned, actually destroyed, and the DigiQuartz is gone, that fear has finally been lifted. I can't even begin to tell you what a weight off my shoulders that is."

Imperialdramon looked back at the still dissolving DigiQuartz. "But we're sure it's gone now, right? It's not just going away like it did the first time but is still there behind dimensional borders, is it? Like, if Quartzmon somehow manages to Digivolve to that form again, or if another Digimon Digivolves to Quartzmon, they can't just bring it back and pick up where he left off like when he was freed from his prison, can he?"

OmniShoutmon X shook his head. "This is different. When Quartzmon was first defeated, the DigiQuartz just faded out, but still existed between dimensions. It didn't break down like this. Quartzmon's body fuels the DigiQuartz, it can't maintain itself without him. Even if he did somehow return to power, and we'll never let that happen, he'll have to recreate and spread it from scratch all over again, and that took him nearly 3,000 years, and he only managed to do that because no one knew what the DigiQuartz really was or knew what he was doing, so they just let him be. But that'll never happen again now that we're aware, nor will we ever let him or anyone else ever achieve the Quartzmon form again in the first place."

"Then it really is over," said Seraphimon. "We won."

The dragon Digimon nodded. "Yes, we've won."

They watched as the last remnants of the DigiQuartz broke down and disappeared. There was a distinction between the DigiQuartz's breakdown and Quartzmon's data, the former still lingering in the sky. Susanoomon was about to suggest that OmniShoutmon X go absorb it when he noticed something about it.

"Hey, OmniShoutmon," he said suspiciously, "does it look like Quartzmon's data is moving to you?"

Omnimon let out a snort of laughter. "It's just floating around, it's not…" He trailed off as he realized that the data did indeed seem to be moving in a certain direction rather than just randomly floating. "No, wait, it is moving. OmniShoutmon?"

The dragon Digimon's eyes narrowed. "It's being drawn somewhere. Come on."

They flew in the direction the data was flowing in, watching as it moved through the air and came down. It was floating down into the ground, disappearing beneath the rubble of Castle Bagra.

"This isn't the Digital World recycling Quartzmon's data, is it?" Ophanimon C asked uneasily.

OmniShoutmon X shook his head. "No, when that happens, it just disappears and the Digital World uses it for whatever. This is something else. Something is absorbing Quartzmon's data."

'Something' came up from beneath the rubble. It was a hand. A familiar hand. A familiar, demonic hand. A familiar, demonic, wooden hand that drew in the last of Quartzmon's data before closing into a fist.

"That hand!" Seraphimon exclaimed. "That's…"

Bursting up from beneath the rubble, DarknessBagramon rose to his feet. He stood at full height and turned to the DigiDestined, a sneer on his face. "Hello, humans. Did you miss me?"

Notes:

(A/N: And just when you thought it was over, it turns out it's not. I mean, you should have realized that he was still alive when the final Sovereign didn't appear, but I guess Quartzmon was a little distracting. I was trying to do what happened in Digimon Frontier during the battle with Cherubimon, where it looked like they defeated him, only for IceDevimon to show up as a new enemy, and then Cherubimon revealing he was still alive. That's what I was doing, except with Quartzmon instead. And now not only is DarknessBagramon still alive, but now he's absorbed Quartzmon's data, plus the data of the DigiQuartz. That's certainly not going to go over well. And don't forget, he also recently absorbed the data of Boltboutamon too. With this new power boost, will he be too much for our heroes? Find out next time.)

Chapter 199: Is This The End?

Notes:

(A/N: Uch, being sick sucks. Don't worry, it's not THAT, but still, no one enjoys being sick. And speaking of sick, I bet you're all sick of waiting for the next chapter, so here you go)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 199: Is This The End?

"Crap," Imperialdramon growled. "I thought OmniShoutmon beat you."

DarknessBagramon chuckled. "It was a valiant attempt, but it was all in vain. I can't be defeated so easily."

A snarl escaped OmniShoutmon X. "We should have known. Had he really been destroyed, then the last Sovereign would have appeared. We were fools not to notice."

"No, we were distracted by Quartzmon," Omnimon pointed out.

The grin on DarknessBagramon's face grew. "Yes, Quartzmon. I should thank you for destroying him. I hadn't anticipated him escaping, at least not before I could take control of him. When I realized he had escaped, I decided to let the battle between you play out while I kept watch." His ruby eye glowed to emphasize his point.

"So you were just watching?" Gallantmon X demanded. "What if he would have beaten us? He actually started to assimilate the world. What if he had? You would have been assimilated too."

The Demon Lord seemed to find this amusing. "Had that happened, I would have taken control of Quartzmon from inside his own body and taken over, but I wouldn't have let it come to that. In fact, when Quartzmon began his assimilation, I was going to step in an assist you, but then you came up with a solution."

Imperialdramon rolled his eyes. "Oh, gee, well thanks for that."

DarknessBagramon shook his head. "It's actually I who should be thanking you. And not just for destroying Quartzmon, and by extension, the DigiQuartz as well." He chuckled. "You were so caught up in your victory that you allowed me to absorb his data." He looked at his demonic hand. "And not just his. When you destroyed him, all the Digimon he had absorbed were destroyed as well. You really have no idea how much power was in that data."

With a sneer on his face, he held out his arms and spread his wing. "And now that I've absorbed the data of Boltboutamon, Quartzon, and all the Digimon he had trapped inside him, I now have enough power to do this. DarknessBagramon Digivolve to… MegaDarknessBagramon!"

In hindsight, they probably should have seen this coming, but who would have thought that Quartzmon would have so many Digimon trapped inside him ,or that all their data, along with the data of Quartzmon himself and Boltboutamon, would be enough for one to Digivolve? And MegaDarknessBagramon had done so in a big way.

True to his name, he had grown massive in size, almost as large as Quartmon had been, and while it may have been their imagination, he seemed darker, and his features looked even more demonic. The eyes on his chest had changed from yellow to glowing red, and he was now surrounded by a blood red aura.

Imperialdramon took a step back. "Oh great, what now?"

"Now he's one of the most powerful of all Digimon," OmniShoutmon X growled.

"Oh, only one of the most powerful," Susanoomon muttered sarcastically. "Well, thank goodness for small favors."

MegaDarknessBagramon chuckled. "Ironic, is it not? You humans came to stop me, and now, thanks to you, I'm more powerful than ever."

Omnimon suddenly found himself seething. The outrage at the injustice of the situation was getting to him, and he couldn't take it anymore. "No more. No more! I've had enough of this! I'm so tired of seemingly reaching the end of our struggles, just for things to become worse!"

The Demon Lord smirked at him. "Then put your concerns to rest, for this is the final stage of your journey. Whether you're victorious or I am, this is where things finally end."

"For you," Imperialdramon insisted. "We're going home."

"We'll see," MegaDarknessBagramon replied. "I gave you the chance to go back to your world, but you turned it down. So now you shall die in this one. Mega Darkness Snatcher!"

He held up his demon arm and fired a beam of dark energy. The DigiDestined fled as the attack struck and erupted in a blast. They flew at the Demon Lord and began firing a barrage of attacks. MegaDarknessBagramon jolted back with each blast, but was still grinning amongst the onslaught.

"You'll have to do better than that," he told them as they buzzed around him like flies. "Mega God of Death Snatcher!"

His demon arm stretched out towards them, and based on the attack's name, the DigiDestined assumed that it was an even more powerful version of his soul snatching God of Death Snatcher attack; although they weren't sure how there could be a more powerful version of an attack whose effects tore out a person's soul.

Most of the DigiDestined flew out of the way, but Imperialdramon continued forward. He dove beneath the giant reaching arm, swiping at it with his sword. Rather than cut through it though, his blade was deleted upon making contact with the arm.

MegaDarknessBagramon brought his arm down, knocking Imperialdramon to the ground. The Demon Lord raised his foot to stomp on him, but Gallantmon X, Ophanimon C, and OmniShoutmon X flew underneath his foot and fired their Zeig Saber, Shining Laser II, and Zeal Magnum. The beams pushed against MegaDarknessBagramon's foot as he brought it down, and the Demon Lord wobbled on his remaining foot. Omnimon, Susanoomon, and Seraphimon flew in front of him while he was off balance and fired their Giga Fire, Glory Thunder, and Strike of the Seven Stars.

MegaDarknessBagramon stumbled back several steps, almost falling over. He regained his footing though and let out a chuckle, sneering at the DigiDestined. "Evil Charm!"

The glowing red eyes on his chest flashed, and ripples flowed outward. The ripples flowed over the DigiDestined, and dark and violent thoughts began filling their heads.

"Gah! What is this?" Seraphimon exclaimed as he clutched his head, feeling revolted by the thoughts flowing through his mind. "What is he doing?"

OmniShoutmon X and the others flew up to them. "Resist it! MegaDarknessBagramon can not only take control of those who are evil, he can also manipulate the darkness in the hearts of others. Don't let it take you over. Omega Force Glide Drive!"

He flew at the Demon Lord, and MegaDarknessBagramon smacked him away with his normal hand. Ophanimon C sent a stream of fire at him, and he held up his demon arm, catching the flames, and they disappeared in his palm. Susanoomon then used his Magna Thunder, trapping the Demon Lord's demon arm outside of the cage of lightning he manifested, but MegaDarknessBagramon swiped his arm, and it caused the electric cage to disperse.

"This guy," Gallantmon X growled. "Final Elysion!"

Grinning, MegaDarknessBagramon held up his demon hand, catching the beam. Gallantmon X kept firing, but the attack just disappeared into the Demon Lord's palm. When the knight Digimon's attack ceased, MegaDarknessBagramon chuckled, and his own hand began to glow.

"Oh, crap," Gallantmon X muttered. "Go, go, go, go!"

"Mega Darkness Snatcher!"

He fired a beam of energy from his hand. The DigiDestined fled, and MegaDarknessBagramon calmly walked after them, turning his hand towards the DigiDestined to direct the beam. Everything the attack touched was reduced to data, and that data floated over and into MegaDarknessBagramon.

"Graceful Cannon!" Omnimon cried, firing his cutting beam at the Demon Lord's attack. His beam met MegaDarknessBagramon's, and, predictably, the Demon Lord's began to push his back, almost easily.

Susanoomon flew over and slammed into MegaDarknessBagramon's arm with the beam. MegaDarknessBagramon glanced at him and raised his other arm, swatting the god Digimon like a fly and grasping him in his hand. He brought Susanoomon up to his face, sneering down at him as he continued to fire his attack at Omnimon, the beam getting very close to the knight Digimon. MegaDarknessBagramon chuckled as he looked down at Susanoomon and began squeezing him tightly.

"Imperial Kick!" Imperialdramon cried, delivering a kick to the back of MegaDarknessBagramon's head.

The Demon Lord slouched forward from the blow and Seraphimon flew in, firing a Strike of the Seven Stars against the hand holding Susanoomon. MegaDarknessBagramon's grip loosened, and the god Digimon broke free, then used his Heaven's Thunder to bring down streams of lightning in the form of dragons. They latched onto the Demon Lord, coiling around him, and MegaDarknessBagramon's attack on Omnimon ceased. Ophanimon C then attacked from below, summoning forth her dragon with her Call Dramon, who set a fire at MegaDarknessBagramon's feet.

As the DigiDestined began launching attacks at the Demon Lord, MegaDarknessBagramon growled. With a burst of strength, he broke free of Susanoomon's attack, dispersing the electric dragons, then delivered a kick to Ophanimon C's dragon, sending it flying through the air, where it burst it data. The DigiDestined immediately retreated, and he reached out for them with his Mega God of Death Snatcher. His demon arm grew in size as they fled from his reaching grasp, and he just missed slashing at them.

Once out of range, the DigiDestined turned to him and fired an onslaught of attacks. They blasted against the Demon Lord, and he took a few steps back. His laughter emitted from the smoke a few moments later, and he stepped out of the cloud.

"Damn it, this is hopeless," Omnimon growled. "He's even stronger than Quartzmon." He hesitated for a moment before glancing at OmniShoutmon X. "Um, is he?"

To his surprise, the dragon Digimon shook his head. "Actually, Quartzmon was stronger than him. But unlike Quartzmon, MegaDarknessBagramon doesn't have a terminal body we can target. We have to take out all of him."

Imperialdramon eyed the Demon Lord up and down, taking in his enormous size. "And there's a lot of him."

MegaDarknessBagramon chuckled as he stopped walking. "Has it sunk in that you're out of your league? Are you regretting not taking me up on my offer to send you back to your world?" He sneered at them. "I'll tell you what. I'll give you one last chance."

"What? To send us home?" Gallantmon X asked mockingly. "So we can just wait around for you to invade our world and kill everyone?"

The Demon Lord laughed. "No. I'm afraid that ship has already sailed. But I will make you another offer." He held out his hands. "Come bow at my feet, and I'll give you a quick and painless death. You can all die together and take comfort that none of you will suffer alone."

"You really suck at making deals," Imperialdramon told him.

The Demon Lord's eyes narrowed and he lowered his arms. "You would do well not to reject mercy when it's offered to you. I offered you a quick and clean death when I could, if I so choose, give you a slow and agonizing one, and you throw it back in my face."

"Or, counter offer," said Gallantmon X, "we could keep fighting and take you out, saving both worlds in the process. So why don't you surrender to us? Literally everyone in the world will be happy about that."

MegaDarknessBagramon looked annoyed at first, but then his annoyance gave way to amusement. "Your defense is admirable, but I can recognize it as your determination to defend your ideals. We have that much in common."

"We have nothing in common with you!" OmniShoutmon X snapped.

"However," the Demon Lord continued, "you need to be taught a lesson about your place." He held up his demon hand and sneered at them. "I'm sure you remember when I turned a few of you to stone."

The DigiDestined instantly braced themselves. "Heads up, guys," said Omnimon. "We don't want a repeat of last time."

MegaDarknessBagramon chuckled. "You're misunderstanding. It's not you who shall feel my wrath, but your loved ones."

He held his demon arm straight up, and it expanded upwards into the sky. Then his hand disappeared, as if it had entered the surface of water.

"Behold," he declared, "I am reaching into the human world! Now even if you do manage to return to your world, you'll find only a city full of stone statues."

"No, cut it out!" Seraphimon shouted. "Hallowed Ascension!"

"Graceful Cannon!"

"Giga Crusher!"

"Royal Saber!"

"Glory Thunder!"

"Holy Destroy!"

"Zeal Magnum!"

The attacks blasted against MegaDarknessBagramon, and he stumbled backwards and fell over. His demon arm came down from the sky, out of whatever subspace it had entered to travel between realms, and retracted to its normal size.

"You bastard!" Susanoomon bellowed furiously. "You better not have actually did anything to any humans."

"Calm down," OmniShoutmon X told him. "Even if he did something, don't forget about the time difference between our worlds. A minute here is less than a second there. Of we defeated him, anyone he turned to stone will turn back to normal. So if we beat him in the next few minutes, only a couples seconds in your world will have gone by. No one there might even notice anything."

"I'm pretty sure they'll notice people around them turning to stone," Susanoomon pointed out, "even if it's only for a second or two."

MegaDarknessBagramon just chuckled as he got to his feet. "You humans are idealistic. That's admirable. But your ideals pale in comparison to my own."

"Enough about your stupid ideals, you egotistical maniac," Gallantmon X snapped. "Hitler had his own ideals, and look where that git him." He hesitated a moment. "You may not understand what that means, but it's not a good thing."

"Yeah, you can shove your philosophies so far up your butt that your wooden arm will never be able to reach them," Imperialdramon cried.

MegaDarknessBagramon sneered. "All you have left are your words. They are your only way of attacking now."

"I have some words for you," said Ophanimon C. "Air Sefirot Crystal!"

Her crystals flew at the Demon Lord. MegaDarknessBagramon demon hand came up and he snatched them out of the air. When he opened his hand again, it was empty. "As I said," he told them, "only words. And empty ones at that."

The DigiDestined let out frustrated noises, but they couldn't exactly argue with him. MegaDarknessBagramon was indeed far too powerful, they simply didn't know how to beat him.

"We're… We're not giving up," said Gallantmon X. "We can't. We simply can't."

The Demon Lord sneered at them. "Then stop me." He held out his arms in invitation and spread his wings. "Come on. Do something to stop me. Right here, right now. Put an end to me once and for all, or give up. I'll even give you the opening you need. You value your teamwork, right? So combined your power and take me down." He raised an eyebrow. "That is, if you can. Finish me off here and now, or surrender and accept your fate."

Omnimon's eyes narrowed. "You're giving us a free shot? Fine, we'll take it."

"Heck yeah we will," said Susanoomon, manifesting his ZERO-ARMS: Orochi. "Gather around, guys, let's blast this baddie."

The others gathered around the weapon. MegaDarknessBagramon just chuckled and stood his ground as they got ready. Then, together, they each fired their most powerful attack, putting all their power into it. MegaDarknessBagramon was true to his word, letting them attack while he took the blast. They knew it was a display of power, an attempt to crush their spirits when they failed to take him down while giving it their all, seeing how ineffective their power was compared to his own. And it was for this reason that they couldn't fail, putting everything they had into it. Their attacks swirled together in a beam, forming one massive attack that struck the Demon Lord square in the chest.

The combined attacks blasted into MegaDarknessBagramon, knocking the Demon Lord off his feet and engulfing him in a mighty explosion, whose radius expanded outward. The DigiDestined recoiled from the shockwave as it flowed over them, knowing that they had indeed delivered a direct blow.

"We got him," said Imperialdramon. "He couldn't possibly have withstood that."

They squinted as they looked at the brightness from the blast's still expanding radius lit up the night. There was no sign of the Demon Lord within it.

Then the demon hand of MegaDarknessBagramon cut through the dome, as if performing a karate chop. The arm lashed outward, and the blast completely dispersed. Even the smoke parted at the Demon Lord's command, and MegaDarknessBagramon was revealed to be standing tall and proud.

"No…" Gallantmon X whispered, shaking his head in disbelief. "He couldn't be, he can't have taken that and been completely unfazed."

"Unfazed?" MegaDarknessBagramon repeated. His hand came up and brushed his still smoking chest where the attacks had hit. "I was not unfazed, I'll give you that, but I am far from defeated. I will be honest with you, humans, that did indeed hurt, but if that is truly your best, then you are finished.

Imperialdramon fell to his knees. "It can't be. Is there really no chance for us?"

"There never was," MegaDarknessBagramon replied and held up his demon hand, "you're just realizing it now. Mega Darkness Snatcher!"

He fired a beam of energy from his hand. The DigiDestined took to the air, and the attack blasted where they had been standing. MegaDarknessBagramon lunged forward, swiping at them with his Mega God of Death Snatcher. They flew straight up, and his demon hand just barely flew by underneath him.

"I can't believe this is happening," Gallantmon X commented. "Our teamwork has never failed to come through before. Can we really lose on the final boss?"

"Why couldn't Quartzmon have been the final boss?" Imperialdramon wondered out loud. "That even would have poetically made sense, both story-wise and gameplay-wise if this were a game or story."

Ophanimon C agreed, and couldn't help the feeling of unfairness at the injustice of it all. She too had thought that Quartzmon was the end, only the guy ended up being a stepping stone to allow DarknessBagramon to become MegaDarknessBagramon. How were they supposed to beat someone like that?

But as these thoughts flew through her head, so did pieces of the puzzle. Her mind jumped back to their battle with Quartzmon, and then to their current battle with MegaDarknessBagramon. She couldn't believe she hadn't realized it before, and the realization actually had her halt in mid-flight.

"Ophanimon, what are you doing!?" OmniShoutmon X shouted as he looked back at her.

"Mega God of Death Snatcher!"

MegaDarknessBagramon's demon arm flew up at her. Seraphimon flew over, grabbing her by the wrist and pulling her along, the Demon Lord's arm just missing them as it shot by.

"What are you doing!?" he exclaimed. "Are you ok?"

Behind her helmet, Ophanimon C blinked, and her cheeks colored in embarrassment. "I'm sorry, I guess I was lost on thought."

Omnimon flew over. "Think latter, you need to get your head in the game."

She threw her brother a glare, but didn't argue the point. "I think I might have figured out how to beat him."

"Great, well, I'm all ears," Seraphimon replied as he pulled her along.

MegaDarknessBagramon fired his Mega Darkness Snatcher at them, and they scattered, then regrouped once more.

"So what's your plan, Ophanimon?" Gallantmon X asked. "How do we stop this guy?"

"The same way we beat Quartzmon," she replied.

Susanoomon cocked his head to the side. "Um, aren't we doing that now? What did we do different then that we're not doing now?"

A smile grazed the angel Digimon's face. "We need to hit him with some combination attacks."

OmniShoutmon X blinked. "Hit him with some… We already did that. Heck, we just did that. It didn't work."

She shook her head. "No, not combine our attacks together; he's too strong for that. We have to hit him with a bunch of combination attacks."

Ever the gamer, Gallantmon X's eyes widened. "Oh, you mean like combo moves."

"What's the difference?" Imperialdramon asked, looking confused.

Ophanimon C glanced at him. "We tried to attack him all at once to deliver a big blow, but he's too powerful for that to have any real affect. But don't you remember how we beat Quartzmon? I hid Susanoomon from view so he couldn't target him, Omnimon, Gallantmon, and Seraphimon threw him off balance, then you and OmniShoutmon knocked him down. That let Susanoomon hit him with his Celestial Blade to draw out his terminal body and cut up his main body."

Omnimon began to catch on. "And then we hit him with a bunch of other moves. I cut off his arms, then Susanoomon stabbed him with his sword."

"Then I severed him from his main body and Gallantmon pushed his terminal body away," Seraphimon picked up. "Then OmniShoutmon created a firewall to keep them apart."

Ophanimon C nodded. "Allowing us to attack the damaged parts if his main body. Then we finished off his terminal body, and that destroyed the whole."

OmniShoutmon X's eyes were wide as well now. "We used a series of attacks that didn't rely on causing big damage, but eventually added up to do extensive damage."

"Genius," said Seraphimon. "Kari, I could kiss you."

She beamed, color filling her cheeks. "Maybe later. We still have a job to do."

MegaDarknessBagramon suddenly rose up to their level. "Your time has come!"

He lashed out at the with his Mega God of Death Snatcher. The group flew in different directions, and his demon hand sliced through the air where they had been.

"Let's put an end to this," Omnimon declared. "Fearsome Blade!"

His sword extended into a whipping energy blade, and he swiped it at the giant eyes on MegaDarknessBagramon's chest. The Demon Lord moved his demon arm in front of his chest, and Omnimon's attack was deleted against it. At the same time, Ophanimon C flew above him and used her Call Dramon, summoning her dragon, and it breathed fire down into MegaDarknessBagramon's face.

The Demon Lord glanced up at it and reached for it with his other hand, and it closed on the dragon. As he did so, Ophanimon C shined brightly with her Holy Light III, shining her holy light down onto him, and then Seraphimon brought down lightning with his Hallowed Ascension.

A frustrated snarl escaped MegaDarknessBagramon, and OmniShoutmon X flew up the length of his body, using his Heavy Metal Vulcan, creating a firewall in front of the Demon Lord. Omnimon, meanwhile, had flown down to MegaDarknessBagramon's feet and fired his Flame Sphere, and a magic circle that unleashed flames burst up beneath the Demon Lord's feet.

MegaDarknessBagramon swiped his demon arm through the middle of the firewall, and it began to disperse. As this happened, Susanoomon used his Heaven's Thunder, and his lightning dragons came down and wrapped around the Demon Lord. OmniShoutmon X looped back down to where his firewall had cleared and used his Omega Force Glide Drive, plowing into MegaDarknessBagramon, and the Demon Lord slouched over slightly.

"Omni Sword!" Imperialdramon cried, flying towards MegaDarknessBagramon's head.

The last of OmniShoutmon X's firewall vanished, revealing the Demon Lord's face, and a surprised snarl escaped him at the sight of the dragon Digimon before Imperialdramon buried his sword directly into MegaDarknessBagramon's ruby eye. The Demon Lord threw back his head and bellowed as Seraphimon flew in, throwing a punch to his cheek while unleashing his Hallowed Knuckle. He then pulled back and he and Ophanimon C fired their Strike of the Seven Stars and Air Sefirot Crystal into his face. Imperialdramon had kicked off MegaDarknessBagramon's face by this point, leaving his sword stuck in the Demon Lord's eye, and followed up with a blast from his Giga Crusher to MegaDarknessBagramon's head.

"And now for the big guns," said Susanoomon as he manifested his weapon. "Or sword. Celestial Blade!"

He swung his weapon, and the golden blade of light that had protruded from it cut through the air. MegaDarknessBagramon used his Evil Charm, and the ripples of wickedness flowed over Susanoomon. He flinched as he was hit by them, but pushed onward, and his blade made contact with the Demon Lord.

MegaDarknessBagramon let out a furious roar and reached for the god Digimon with his demon arm. The other DigiDestined rushed over, taking hold of Susanoomon's weapon, and they all let out loud cries as they helped him push. The golden blade sliced through the Demon Lord, cutting through the eyes on his chest as they emitted his Evil Charm, and the evil ripples stopped flowing. MegaDarknessBagramon's demon hand was about to fall upon the DigiDestined, just as the Celestial Blade cut through, and MegaDarknessBagramon froze as his arm went still.

"Now!" OmniShoutmon X declared. "Now is the time to actually combined our attacks. Hit him as hard as you can. Omega the Fusion!"

His aura flared up around him, taking the form of Omnimon X, and it leapt off his body and flew at the Demon Lord.

Susanoomon repositioned his weapon and altered its mode. "You don't have to tell us twice. ZERO-ARMS: Orochi!"

Omnimon held up both arms. "Put everything into it. Double Torrent!"

Imperialdramon's chest opened. "We got this now. Hyper Prominence!"

Ophanimon C summoned her dragon with her Call Dramon, and it breathed a stream of fire. "We can do it. Holy Destroy!"

Gallantmon X raised his shield. "I know we can. Final Elysion!"

Seraphimon held up a hand. "This is our real power. Strike of the Seven Stars!"

The attacks flew at the Demon Lord. OmniShoutmon X's attack was ahead of the others, but they quickly caught up. They flew into the Omnimon X-shaped aura, and the mass of energy expanded exponentially. It collided with MegaDarknessBagramon and erupted in a massive blast, even larger than their last attempt to attack him together. They recoiled from the shockwave of the blast as the explosion expanded. And when it finally died down, a massive cloud of smoke was rising into the air, obscuring the Demon Lord.

"And we all know how this goes," Imperialdramon grumbled. "The smoke clears, and he's still standing."

Seraphimon held up his hand. "Wait."

The smoke slowly cleared, and MegaDarknessBagramon appeared within it. Much to the DigiDestined's surprise though, he was on his knees, his gaze downward. The DigiDestined stayed where they were, almost afraid to move and break the moment.

Suddenly, MegaDarknessBagramon's left arm fell away, bursting into data. Then his right demon arm fell away as well, also bursting into data, leaving only what seemed to be a small splinter of his wooden arm behind. His lower body dissolved into data next from where the Celestial Blade had cut through him, leaving only a portion of his upper body floating in the air.

And then the remainder of MegaDarknessBagramon's body began to crumbling apart, falling away in segments and dissolving into data, the breakdown making its way up what was left of his body towards his head.

"It can't be…" he whispered, and actual tears appeared in his eyes.

The breakdown continued, until all that was left of MegaDarknessBagramon was his ruby eye, still skewered by Imperialdramon's sword, and then that too burst into data. The only traces left of the final Demon Lord were his tears glittering in the air before they too faded away.

Notes:

(A/N: Can you hear it, baby? Victory bells are ringing. It looks like the last Demon Lord has finally, finally been defeated. I didn't just name the chapter what I did for no reason. But is this true, is this the end. With all the Demon Lords gone, and the last Sovereign now set to arrive, is our heroes' long, and difficult journey finally at an end? Find out next time.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear or are mentioned.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/MegaDarknessBagramon_(Giant)

Chapter 200: Freed At Last

Notes:

(A/N: Alright, here we go! Phew, it's been a long, hard journey, but finally our heroes have defeated the last of their enemies. Now all that's left is to wait for the final Sovereign to arrive and send our heroes home. Which means it's time for them to say goodbye. But will they be able to? Read on to find out what happens next.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 200: Freed At Last

The DigiDestined hovered in the air as if in a dream. They were afraid to move, lest they break the illusion, for it indeed felt like they had just been party to an illusion, as something so incredible seemed impossible to have taken place.

But then OmniShoutmon X slowly began to descend from the sky. He landed on the ground, but immediately fell to his hands and knees, his head hanging. The DigiDestined soon came down after him, landing around the dragon Digimon.

"OmniShoutmon?" Gallantmon X asked carefully. "Hey, OmniShoutmon, are you…?"

A tear fell, splashing to the ground between OmniShoutmon X's hands. It was followed by another, and then another, and soon a near continuous flow of tears began falling. The dragon Digimon's shoulders were shaking, and he slowly lifted his head. Tears were pouring down his cheeks, and his mouth seemed to be repeatedly shifting from a frown to a smile as he wept. This was soon followed by strange sounds escaping him that seemed to be whimpers crossed with laughter.

"Whoa, OmniShoutmon, you doing alright?" Imperialdramon asked uncertainly.

Another whimpering laugh escaped the dragon Digimon. "I'm sorry. I'm just… I'm feeling so many emotions right now, it's hard to process it all."

Susanoomon placed a hand on his shoulder. "Take all the time you need, pal. It's finally over. MegaDarknessBagramon's gone."

Seraphimon glanced at his fellow angel Digimon. "Thanks to Ophanimon. She figured out how to beat him."

She blushed at his words. "It wasn't much. I just came up with a strategy that worked. It's because we fight so well as a team that we were able to take him down."

"Don't sell yourself short," Omnimon told her. "You came up with a way for us to effectively use our attacks in a way that worked when our attempts to overpower him failed."

"Yeah, I still can't believe we beat him," Gallantmon X commented.

OmniShoutmon X sniffled loudly. "You guys really don't understand what we've done here. We didn't just defeat MegaDarknessBagramon, we didn't just put an end to the Demon Lords. This was the final obstacle in defeating the evil of this world. Darkness that has been growing and been a part of our reality since the Digital World began, something that has always been a constant, a simple fact of life. Water is wet, fire is hot, there's a great darkness out there. That's just always the way things have been. But we've just removed that from the equations. Guys, we've freed the Digital World from the forces of evil."

The impact of his words hit the DigiDestined like a ton of bricks, and the full reality of what he was saying began to sink in. To them, MegaDarknessBagramon and the Demon Lords had just been enemies they had to defeat, obstacles in their way in their attempt to return home, as well as just some baddies who needed to be stopped. But for the Digital World and all its residents, it was so much more. A war that had been waging since the beginning of time had finally come to an end, and true peace could finally come to the Digital World.

"OmniShoutmon," said Omnimon, "we-"

What sounded like thunder interrupted him, and they all looked up. Familiar clouds were starting to appear in the sky, and the DigiDestined inhaled as ripples began to appear in the air.

OmniShoutmon X coughed and wiped his eyes as he forced himself to stand up. "It's happening. The last Sovereign is coming."

The ripples continued to distort the air, and then a blinding light shined through, making the DigiDestined squint. A figure appeared high in the sky, and was seemingly the source of the light, which began to die down as the Sovereign descended.

The source of the light, they saw, was what appeared to be a miniature sun made of gold fire. Floating above this small sun was a humanoid Digimon that resembled some sort of shaman. Like the other Sovereigns, he was incredibly large. He had dark tan skin and dressed in robes of gold, and he wore a golden headpiece that doubled as a mask. Long silver hair flowed out behind him, hanging down to his waist, and attached to his back was what seemed to be a large, ornamental halo. He floated above the miniature sun in a cross-legged position, and 16 golden orbs rotated around him.

OmniShoutmon X bowed low. "Behold, the one closest to the Digimon God, who serves as his left hand. The greatest, wisest, and most powerful of the Digimon Sovereigns, who watches over the Digital World and all those in it, Shakamon."

"Shakamon…" Gallantmon X whispered in awe of the head Sovereign.

The tathagata Digimon hovered before the DigiDestined. Slowly, he held out his hands, and a smile grazed his lips. "Humans," he said in a grand voice that was both friendly yet divine.

Susanoomon felt overwhelmed being in this Sovereign's presence. "Wow, this guy is intense. Um, should we bow?"

"Of course you should," OmniShoutmon X snapped at him.

"Please," Shakamon told them, "do not. You do not bow to anyone. No amount of status can match what you have done on your journey."

For some reason, Seraphimon felt tears threaten to creep up in his eyes from simply hearing the Sovereign's voice, so divine he was. "Sir, are you the one who brought us here?"

Shakamon gave the smallest of nods. "I am, and I apologize for it. It was a decision made out of desperation." Behind his mask, his pure white eyes closed. "But it is something that I am not sorry that I did, for thanks to you, the Digital World can now enter an age of peace never before achieved since the forces of darkness first began to grow so long ago." He motioned with his hand. "OmniShoutmon, please rise. After what you aided your human friends in doing, I should be the one bowing to you."

The dragon Digimon's head shot up. "My lord, I am not worthy!"

A smile grazed the Sovereign's face and a light chuckle escaped him. "My friend, you have proved beyond a shadow of doubt that you are not only worthy of praise, but also of the title that has been bestowed upon you. Now so more than ever, I do believe that this is what the Digimon God saw within you when he chose you to be the Digimon King."

"Lord Shakamon…" OmniShoutmon X whispered humbly.

Gallantmon X suddenly gasped and pointed his lance at the Sovereign. "I recognize you now! It was in that church place when Asuramon almost married Beastmon. You and the original angel version of Bagramon were the two statues on either side of the image of the Digimon God."

OmniShoutmon X snorted. "Of course. They were the left and right hand of the Digimon God. Only Shakamon is greater. Not only is he one of the strongest of all Digimon, fighting him is completely pointless; he technically can't be beaten."

"Do not exaggerate, OmniShoutmon," Shakamon told him with a smile. "Not even I could have done what you and your friends have accomplished. I have been watching you on your journey from my prison since the beginning. There have been so many instances where I wished I could make contact with you to aid you. Alas, it took all my power just to deliver you the DigiCards containing the DDNA of the Guardians and to bring the humans here."

Imperialdramon sweat-dropped. "Yeah, thanks for those, we never would have survived without them."

A deep sigh escaped the Sovereign. "If only I could have given you some direction; I could have made your journey and your struggles much easier."

Gallantmon X cocked his head to the side curiously. "How so?"

Shakamon looked into the distance, as if he were lamenting. "Although you found your way, it was not my intention for it to go about things the way did. When the Guardians were first destroyed in the battle with ZeedMillenniummon, my fellow Sovereigns and I realized that we could not wait for them to unlock their power once more through natural means, not with the Demon Lords at large. That is why we came up with a plan to resurrect them quickly, and so gathered up their Digi-Cores into DigiCards containing their DDNA, entrusting them to Shoutmon."

A forlorn look crossed his face. "Alas, before we could go about our plan, Bagramon betrayed the Digimon God and assisted the Demon Lords in sealing away my fellow Sovereigns and I. It took us thousands of years to gather enough of our power and feel around our prisons to seep it through the cracks of the pocket dimension we were sealed in into the Digital World undetected so we could summon you here. But we were unable to provide you with the information you needed to fully use your power."

"I don't follow," said Omnimon. "What information?"

Shakamon lifted a hand and placed it over his heart. "The strength of the human heart is an amazing thing. You have discovered how to utilize that strength so that you could Digivolve very quickly. You accomplished in less than a year what should have taken Digimon several millennia. We intended to teach you to use your strength. Had we been able to properly guide you, could have reached your potential from the very beginning."

"Hold up!" Susanoomon exclaimed. "You're saying that this whole time, from the moment we got our Digivices and first Spirit Evolved, that we could have used the power we as humans possessed to Digivolve straight to the Mega level? Like from the very beginning!?"

The corners of Shakamon's mouth curved slightly. "That would have been the case, yes. Instead, you found your strength as you needed it, even though you could have gone further. This is why you were able to Digivolve when you most needed it, you had the power all along. But yes, under our guidance, you could have reached the Mega level and unlocked your true potential from day one. That had been our intention and plan to resurrect the Guardians when we first planned to bring you here."

"Are you freakin' kidding me!?" Imperialdramon shouted in outrage. "So we could have become Megas this whole time!? Like, against Devimon, Dragomon, Myotismon, all of them!?"

OmniShoutmon X delivered a punch to the dragon Digimon's stomach. "You do not shout at a Sovereign, especially Shakamon."

"I feel very disillusioned," Ophanimon C muttered in disbelief.

Shakamon held up his hands. "Children, do not sell yourselves short. You have managed to find and utilize your strength on your own without any guidance. That is your own accomplishment. In fact, I do say that Fate was at work. Look at you. You have reached stages higher than even my fellow Sovereigns and I intended you to reach, and you have your own efforts to thank for that. Had events played out the way we had intended, circumstances may not have allowed you to achieve your current forms."

Omnimon looked down at himself. "I suppose that's true. It's kind of like what AncientWisemon said about knowing our destiny."

Imperialdramon was still rubbing his stomach from where OmniShoutmon X had punched him. "Still, some instructions would have been nice."

"We intended to give them to you, but could not from our prison," Shakammon continued. "It took all our power just to contact those we chose from the human world, of which only you six responded to, and send a message to Shoutmon to tell him where to meet you. I do wish I could have given you more assistance, but it seems it was not needed."

"Debatable," Imperialdramon grumbled under his breath, earning him a scowl from OmniShoutmon X.

Omnimon sighed. "It wasn't your fault. You had a good plan to resurrect the Guardians. Things just went wrong."

"Hang on," said Gallantmon X. "You said that only six of us answered your call. What would have happened if someone for each Guardian hadn't replied, or if too many did?"

Shakamon inclined his head. "Had more than enough responded, we would have kept the most suitable and sent the rest home. As for if not enough answered, not enough did."

Susanoomon blinked. "Huh? What do you mean?"

"The last Guardian," OmniShoutmon X replied. "We spoke about him before. Alphamon, remember? No one came to claim him. I still have his DigiCard."

Shakamon nodded. "It is true, not enough of you answered the call. Fortunately, if you are willing, you humans can use your power to resurrect him before you go home."

Seraphimon stepped forward. "Of course we'll help. But this brings up the big question." He gave the Sovereign a desperate look that went by unseen behind his helmet. "Can you send us home?"

Everyone looked at the Sovereign expectantly. Shakamon simply floated in the air, not saying anything, his expression neutral. But then, slowly, his lips curled into a smile. "I can."

Happy gasps of disbelief escaped the DigiDestined. They could hardly believe it. After everything they had been through, all the disappointments they had faced, they had half expected something else to come up, or discover that some other task needed to be completed. Instead, the head Digimon Sovereign was telling them that he could send them home.

"Y-You… You can…?" Omnimon asked, almost sounding afraid.

Shakamon gave them a nod. "You have done a great service to this world. And now, your long journey is over. Your way back home is now available to you."

Imperialdramon let out a happy whoop, jumping up and punching the air. Omnimon fell to his knees, overwhelmed with emotion, his eyes shining with tears. Gallantmon X's legs seemed unable to support him as well, and he stumbled back before collapsing onto his rear. Ophanimon C made an intelligible joyful sound and grabbed hold of Seraphimon, who wrapped his arms around her and began spinning her around. Susanoomon remained where he was, seemingly in shock and not sure what to do.

As for OmniShoutmon X, at first he started to smile, but before his grin could fully form, it dropped from his face. This was it, he had known it was coming. After all, it had been what his friends had been striving for this whole time. And now their goal was finally within their grasp. Only now that it was actually happening was it beginning to truly sink in for him that it meant losing his friends forever.

Shakamon smiled at the DigiDestined's joy. "I can establish contact with the Eaters at any time and have a portal opened, just say the word."

What he said sounded like a bit of a red flag to Gallantmon X, and he looked at the Sovereign questioningly. "Um, did you say Eaters? What are Eaters? I don't like the sound of that. They sound rather ominous."

Shakamon chuckled. "Eaters are creatures that dwell in Cyberspace Eden, a space between your world and the Digital World. They exist in a higher dimensional space that link different worlds together. Their job is to observe and send data to the higher dimension. While they are indeed powerful and have the potential to be dangerous, they're really harmless. The probability of them ever being a threat is so low that it's incalculable, essentially impossible, so you have nothing to fear."

"Ok… I guess that's good," Susanoomon muttered. "I mean, I guess it doesn't change anything since they were always there; we just didn't know about them until now, so nothing's changed."

"Speaking of threats," said Seraphimon as he set Ophanimon C down and stepped towards Shakamon. "Now that MegaDarknessBagramon and the Demon Lords are gone, does that mean that there's really no more evil guys left? It sounds a little too good to be true."

The others looked at the Sovereigns expectantly. Shakamon stared back for several moments before letting out a sigh. "I'm afraid that, like in your world, there will always be evil. While the primary threat has ended, the forces of darkness will never truly be defeated."

Susanoomon wasn't sure he liked the sound of that. "Um, what does that mean exactly?"

Shakamon held out his hands. "Since the Digital World first began, the forces of light and darkness have continued to grow side by side, always warring against the other." He slowly raised his hands up, emphasizing his point. Then he made a fist with his left hand. "When the Demon Lords rose to power, they took command of the forces of darkness and made it their own. And with the Digimon God having withdrawn from this world, his rule that kept the forces of darkness and light balanced was gone, leaving us to our own devices. And when the Guardians, the primary warriors for the light, were destroyed, and my fellow Sovereigns and I were sealed away, the balance began to tip in favor of the darkness."

He slowly began to raise his left hand faster than his right before stopping and opening his fist, letting his left hand drop as he continued to raise his right. "However, when you destroyed the Demon Lords and then MegaDarknessBagramon, you greatly set the darkness back, tipping the balance in favor of the light. With this change in balance, we can permanently keep the balance in favor of the light."

He sighed deeply. "The darkness, however, has not been vanquished, nor can it ever be, just as the light never can be. I'm afraid the war between the light and the darkness will never end. But thanks to you, the forces of darkness can no longer take over after how far it has fallen. The light now reigns supreme and will keep the darkness at bay, forever preventing it from reaching a point where it can become a threat or tip the balance in its favor. The struggle between the light and the darkness is never-ending, and there will always be wicked beings in the world out to cause trouble, but with the scales now tipped so far in favor of the light, the Digital World can finally enter an ever-lasting age of peace. And it's all thanks to you brave children."

And then, much to the DigiDestined's astonishment, he bowed his head to them. To have such a supremely powerful being of such rank and authority bow to them, well, they weren't exactly sure how to feel. It almost made them uncomfortable.

Omnimon awkwardly cleared his throat. "Um, great Shakamon, we appreciate the praise and everything, but with all due respect, we've been gone from our world for a really long time, and we're very eager to get home and see our friends and families again."

Shakamon lifted his head and gave them a smile. "But of course. I shall have the portal open now."

He held up his hands and closed his eyes. A few seconds passed where nothing happened, but then the space between his palms began to ripple and distort, then it started to swirl together.

"I can't believe it," Imperialdramon exclaimed. "We're finally going home!" He turned to his fellow dragon Digimon. "Isn't it great, OmniShoutmon, we finally get to go… Oh…"

The dragon Digimon in question was standing a short distance away from the others, his head hanging down slightly. His friends were quiet as they stared at him, not knowing what to say. But then he lifted his head and put on a very forced smile that didn't meet his eyes.

"Hey, that's awesome!" he said a little too loudly and a little too cheerfully. "It looks like your journey is finally at an end. It certainly was tough, wasn't it? Phew. But, hey, we had some pretty good times too, right?"

"OmniShoutmon," Gallantmon X said quietly.

The dragon Digimon held up his hands. "Hey, hey, now. Come on, no sappy goodbyes. We all knew this was coming. It's what you've been striving for after all. Now you can finally go back to your world."

Susanoomon took a step forward. "OmniShoutmon…"

The dragon Digimon thumped is chest as he blinked tears out of his eyes. "Ah, don't worry about me. I'm back in business, baby. I'll be so busy that I won't even have time to miss you. The Digimon King is back and order is restored. Whoo-hoo! It's gonna be good times for everyone. Yeah… Good times…"

Seraphimon sighed sadly. "OmniShoutmon, we-"

He was cut off as a loud rumbling sound echoed all around them and the ground suddenly began shaking violently. They all looked back at Shakamon to see the tathagata Digimon staring at his hands with a bewildered look on his face. In the space between his palms, the distortion was rippling violently, and bolts of black electricity began slipping out of it.

The rumbling grew worse, and the distortion began floating away from the Sovereign, who continued to stare at it in confusion. The black bolts of electricity began flying out at a rapid pace as the distortion grew larger.

"Shakamon, what's going on?" Omnimon demanded.

The Sovereign shook his head. "I do not understand. This shouldn't be happening. Not unless…" Behind his mask, his eyes widened. "No, it can't be! Move away!"

He suddenly flew away from the distortion. A moment later, it was as if a hole had been torn in reality, and a flood of black water came bursting out of the vortex that had formed. The DigiDestined let out gasps of surprise and quickly joined Shakamon in the sky. Beneath them, a massive flood began covering the land, stretching as far as the eyes could see. The vortex had vanished though, as far as they could tell, but the water level continued to rise. It was almost as if an ocean had suddenly decided to appear out of thin air.

"What the hell was that?" Imperialdramon exclaimed. He looked at the Sovereign. "Hey, Shakamon, what is this?"

It was hard to tell with his mask covering the upper part of his face, but the Sovereign looked both confused and worried. "How could this be? It shouldn't be possible. But if it's…" He trailed off and closed his eyes, looking deep in concentration. When he opened them again, he gave the DigiDestined a look of the utmost concern. "I'm afraid I've made a terrible mistake. I overlooked something important, and now the Digital World is in grave danger."

"Danger how?" Susanoomon demanded, looking frustrated. "What happened?"

Shakamon closed his eyes again looking regretful. "Children, I have been watching you on your journey. Do you recall your battle with Millenniummon?"

Imperialdramon's eyes went wide. "Oh-ho, yeah. That's not a fight we'll soon forget."

"In your fight," the Sovereign continued, "he destroyed one of the Destiny Stones. Do you remember?"

Gallantmon X nodded. "Yeah, they're the things that anchor the Digital World and keep the dimensional barriers stabilized since they're unbalanced due to all the different layers that make up the Digital World, or something along those lines. But NEO created a Seed of Light to take its place. He said it will fulfill the same role as the Destiny Stone that was destroyed."

Shakamon looked down at the black water. "That may be so, but the Seed of Light he planted has not yet matured. The dimensional barriers aren't completely stable yet, and too much has happened."

"What too much?" Omnimon asked impatiently. "What happened?"

"The DigiQuartz returning and then breaking down, not to mention Quartzmon's attempt to assimilate everything while the DigiQuartz was still around. MegaDarknessBagramon reaching into the human world. The collapse of the pocket dimension my fellow Sovereigns and I were sealed in when we were all freed. And now, my attempt to open another portal to the human world. It was all too much of a strain on the dimensional barrier with one of the Destiny Stones gone. Someone has taken advantage of my attempt to create a portal to your world, and instead took control of it for another purpose."

"For what!?" Imperialdramon demanded in frustration. "They used your portal for what!?"

An annoyed growl escaped OmniShoutmon X. "I'll tell you what, to create a doorway to the Dark Ocean."

There was a dangerous edge to the dragon Digimon's tone, one underlined with fear. The DigiDestined looked at their friend and saw that he was indeed very on edge.

"The Dark Ocean," Gallantmon X repeated. "I feel like you've told us about that before. If so, refresh our memories. If not, fill us in."

OmniShoutmon X sighed in frustration. "The Dark Ocean is another layer of the Digital World. It's the layer just above the Dark Area."

"The Dark Area?" said Ophanimon C. "Where all the evil data gets deleted to?"

The dragon Digimon nodded. "All the evil in the Digital World comes from the Dark Ocean. It seeps out of the Dark Area and into its waters, and from there spreads to the rest of the Digital World. It shouldn't be possible for it to just appear like this though, but it looks like someone took advantage of the weakened borders when Shakamon tried to open a portal to your world."

A sound of disbelief and frustration escaped Susanoomon. "You know this freakin' figures. We final get to go home, and literally as we're doing it, something goes wrong. Typical."

Seraphimon looked at Shakamon. "So what exactly does this mean?"

Before the sovereign had a chance to answer, OmniShoutmon X let out a loud cry. The DigiDestined looked down to see that the surface of the water had begun to swirl. It began swirling more and more, creating a funnel. That funnel soon began stretching downward, forming a large whirlpool. It went deeper and deeper, impossibly deep; even further than as deep as the water could possibly be, yet it still seemed to go further, as if the ocean were somehow bottomless, or the vortex the whirlpool opened up into led into another realm rather than touch the bottom. The inside of the funnel led straight into complete and utter blackness.

"Great, what now?" Omnimon wondered out loud.

"The Dark Whirlpool," OmniShoutmon X whispered. "It's a connecting point between the two layers. It leads directly into the Dark Area."

How that was possible, the others weren't entirely sure, but it certainly didn't sound good. And that was nothing compared to what they felt. Looking down into the darkness the whirlpool led to, a feeling of the greatest, most immense evil overcame the DigiDestined. There was no other way to describe what they felt when they looked into the blackness. What the Dark Whirlpool led to was nothing short of truly, completely, and utterly pure evil in its rawest form.

"Dark Area, Dark Ocean, Dark Whirlpool," Imperialdramon growled. "It's all so generic. You guys need to come up with some more original names."

"Hey, if it's not broke, and it gets the point across," Gallantmon X pointed out.

"Look," Ophanimon C exclaimed.

The Dark Whirlpool was growing larger, its opening widening at an alarming rate. It continued to expand, stretching open wider and wider. And when it finally stopped, the opening had to have been at least a mile wide.

"I don't like this," Omnimon growled. "Everything about this is all wrong."

OmniShoutmon X looked up at Shakamon, worry clearly written all over his face. "My lord… Is it…?"

The Sovereign looked equally as worried as he gave the dragon Digimon a nod. "Yes."

Not liking being left in the dark, Susanoomon looked from one to the other. "What? What is it?"

OmniShoutmon X's gaze went back down to the abyss. "He's coming."

Notes:

(A/N: They really can't catch a break, can they? You know that games and movies where at the very end after the main villain is finally defeated a new surprise final villain suddenly appears to offer one last challenge? Yup, that's the scenario we're getting here. This isn't going to be a whole arc though, just one final battle, and it's not going to be like any of the others. How are our heroes going to deal with the Dark Area being opened, and what is it that's coming out that has both OmniShoutmon and even Shakamon on edge? Stay tuned to find out, the end true climax of the story is coming up next.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear or are mentioned.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Shakamon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Eater

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Dark_Ocean

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Dark_Area

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Dark_Whirlpool

Chapter 201: Full Resurrection

Notes:

(A/N: We're back, and we're coming down to the wire. Last time just when our heroes thought their journey was done, and unexpected twist happened that left OmniShoutmon and even Shakamon worried. Quite a cliffhanger ending to a chapter. Let's see what has them so concerned.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 201: Full Resurrection

"Who?" Omnimon demanded. "Who is coming?"

"A creature beyond us," OmniShoutmon X said quietly. "The one who took advantage of Lord Shakamon trying to open a portal to your world and instead opened one to the Dark Ocean."

"Who!?" Imperialdramon demanded, wanting clarity. "I hate the pronoun game. Just tell us who is it?"

"The ruler of the Dark Area," Shakamon told them. "He holds the titles if the Vampire King, the Ruler of the Night, and the Merchant of Death. He's the most dangerous of all demon Digimon, and he even naturally possesses an X-Antibody." He turned to the DigiDestined. "In your world, he would be the equivalent of the Devil."

Gallantmon X sputtered. "Hold up a second, you're telling us that the literal Digimon version of the Devil is coming!?"

"That's exactly what he's saying," OmniShoutmon X snapped before looking back down into the darkness. "He's dwelled in the Dark Area since the Digital World first began, and is, in fact, the one who created it. He even knows the mystery of Death-X Evolution, and seeks to force all Digimon, not just DexDorugoramon, to undergo it, and then force them into the Dark Area. Not just that, but he seeks to have it expand and swallow up all other worlds."

"Not one thing you said sounds even the least bit pleasant," Seraphimon told him. "Who is he?"

Shakamon sighed. "He is known as GranDracmon, a very powerful Mega level demon beast Digimon. In a way, you could consider him to be my opposite. He was meant to always remain in the Dark Area, never to leave that layer of the Digital World, but now he's found a way out."

Attempting to put up a brave front, Imperialdramon punched his palm. "Alright, no problem. One last baddie to fight. We'll just wrap things up here and be done with it. One final showdown."

Omnimon glanced at him. "I don't know if we can. We've been fighting a long time already. First against DarknessBagramon, then Quartzmon, then MegaDarknessBagramon. I don't know how much power we have left. Our Spirit Evolutions may not last much longer."

The dragon Digimon sweat-dropped. "O-Ok, so we'll be shorter on time than usual. We'll just have to be quick about it."

"Children," Shakamon said with a sigh. "I'm afraid you're out of your league. GranDracmon is, in fact, more powerful than all seven Demon Lords put together. Not even they can stand against his power and authority."

Susanoomon turned to the Sovereign in absolute astonishment. "You've got to be kidding me! As in Lucemon, Daemon, Barbamon, Leviamon, Belphemon, Beelzemon, and Laylamon altogether!? All seven of them!?"

"That's exactly what he's saying," OmniShoutmon X told him.

Gallantmon X was glad he was completely clad in armor, because he was now covered in a nervous sweat. "W-Well, if he's the Digimon Devil, I guess it makes sense that he would be stronger than the Demon Lords."

Susanoomon rounded on him. "All seven of them!?"

OmniShoutmon X let out a humorless laugh. "Oh, it gets better. That's just GranDracmon's default power from when he initially Digivolved. But he's been around since the Digital World first began, and all the evil data in the world gets deleted to the Dark Area. And guess who's been there absorbing it all this time."

Ophanimon C's eyes widened behind her helmet. "Are you saying that all the evil data that's ever been deleted, he's absorbed it all?"

"He'll have absorbed enough to be astronomically more powerful than is initial default strength," Shakamon told him.

Gallantmon X began to panic. "We can't beat that! How is anyone supposed to beat that?"

"Calm down," Seraphimon told him. "We'll find a way."

But OmniShoutmon X just shook his head. "I'm afraid not, not this time. We'll never be able to destroy him."

"Don't say that," Ophanimon C insisted. "We'll come up with something; we always do. You said the other Demon Lords couldn't be defeated either, but we beat them."

He shook his head more furiously. "No, you don't understand. I meant it literally this time. We can't destroy him. GranDracmon is immortal."

His words echoed through the air, and all the DigiDestined could do was stare. Slowly though, his words got through their stupor.

"What the hell does that mean!?" Susanoomon demanded. "What do you mean he's immortal!?"

The dragon Digimon glared at him. "Just what I said, he's immortal, as in he'll never die."

Shakamon gave a regretful nod. "I'm afraid he's right. GranDracmon cannot be killed. He possesses an undying body. It doesn't matter what you do to him, GranDracmon can't be destroyed."

Imperialdramon threw his hands in the air. "Oh, come on, that's just plain unfair. It's not enough that he's super powerful, but the guy is literally immortal? That's even worse than Ogudomon's ability to negate attacks. How is anyone supposed to beat him?"

"DeDigivolution," Omnimon found himself saying. "We would have to fight him for so long that he uses up so much energy that he DeDigivolves to a lower level, then we'll be able to destroy him."

OmniShoutmon X scoffed. "That's damn near impossible. While that would work in theory, a Digimon is far more likely to pass out from exhausting or damage taken, or even die, before they DeDigivolve. And did you forget about what we said about absorbing all that data that's been deleted to the Dark Area? He's got more than enough energy in reserves."

"Even if he didn't," said Gallantmon X, "our Spirit Evolution forms wouldn't last a fraction of the amount of time needed to pull odd that type of victory."

"Guys, hold on," said Seraphimon. "Don't forget that we have Shakamon here with us." He turned to the Sovereign. "Will you fight with us?"

The tathagata Digimon's shoulders slumped. "I'm sorry, children, but I'm afraid that I cannot help you here."

"Bull!" Imperialdramon snapped. "You're the head Sovereign, the strongest of all of them! OmniShoutmon even said that you're one of the most powerful of all Digimon, and that it's pointless to fight you! Don't tell me you can't help!"

Shakamon frowned at him. "My power may be great, but it cannot help you in this battle. May attacks are meant to subdue and pacify, not damage or harm. But GranDracmon cannot be subdued for long, and he will not be pacified. I'm afraid I will only be delaying the inevitable.

"Then how do we beat him?" Ophanimon C cried desperately.

OmniShoutmon X gave her a serious look. "We don't. We can't. He must not be allowed out of the Dark Area. No one will be able to stop him."

Gallantmon X looked back down at the Dark Whirlpool. "Can't you just close the portal? If he did this because the barriers were unstable when you tried to make a poral to our world, couldn't you just shut it again. We can wait until the Seed of Light matures and can properly anchor the Digital World's layers."

But Shakamon just shook his head. "I'm afraid it's too late for that. GranDracmon has already stabilized the Dark Whirlpool since it opened. Nothing short of an apocalyptic event can close the portal now." His eyes narrowed, and he looked down. "In any case, there's another problem, one even more serious than GracDracmon."

"Oh, perfect," Imperialdramon growled. "Perfect, more good news. And what, pray tell, could possibly be more serious than GranDracmon?"

"They're coming now!" OmniShoutmon X declared.

They looked back down into the whirlpool. From out of the darkness, several hundred Digimon came flying up towards the surface. They were purple and green with one eye, and there seemed to be three different versions of them.

"What the hell are these things now?" Susanoomon demanded.

"Gizumon," OmniShoutmon X shouted. "Do not let a single one of them get past us. Not one. Heavy Heat Vulcan!"

He began rapidly shooting fireballs, blasting he Gizumon. Based on how concerned he seemed, the DigiDestined thought that they would be powerful, but much to their surprise, they were destroyed with a single attack. The problem was that there were so many of them, and OmniShoutmon X was desperately trying to blast them all before they reached the surface.

"Ok," said Omnimon, pointing his cannon at the swarm. "Inferno!"

He began continuously firing his cannon. Gallantmon X gave a nod and unleashed his Zeig Saber. His energy-lance extended into a beam, and he began waving it around, destroying any Gizumon that came in contact with it.

"Forget the target practice," said Imperialdramon. "Let's just take them out in clusters. Giga Crusher!"

He fired an energy wave that erupted into a mighty blast. Changing to a different spot, he fired again, blasting away even more.

"This ought to take care of things," said Seraphimon. "Hallowed Ascension!"

Lightning came raining down. The Gizumon flew around to avoid it, but many were still struck by the bolts, bursting into data.

"OmniShoutmon, what level are these things at?" Susanoomon asked as he began using his Glory Thunder to zap them with bolts of lightning.

"Rookies, Champions, and Ultimates," the dragon Digimon replied as he continued to throw fireballs.

"So then what's the problem?" Ophanimon C asked. "They go down rather easily. Shining Laser II!"

"I'll explain later, just make sure none get by you."

"Do as he says, children," Shakamon told them. "It's imperative that none slip by."

Deciding that there must be a good reason if both OmniShoutmon X and Shakamon were telling them the same thing, the DigiDestined proceeded to destroy the Gizumon. They did so for the next two or three minutes, making sure none got by them, before the last Gizumon was destroyed.

OmniShoutmon X began looking around frantically. "Did we get them all? Tell me we got them all!"

"We got them, OmniShoutmon," Omnimon insisted. "We got all of them."

Shakamon nodded in agreement. "Yes, I was watching. None got by."

The dragon Digimon let out a sigh of relief before looking back down into the abyss. "More will come. A lot more. Sovereigns help us if we miss even one."

"What's the big deal?" Imperialdramon asked. "If the highest level these things are at is Ultimate, then what's so pressing?"

OmniShoutmon X let out another sigh and glanced at Shakamon. The Sovereign closed his eyes for a moment before addressing them. "Gizumon, Gizumon-AT, and Gizumon-XT are Rookie, Champion, and Ultimate level Digimon, in that order, each one a Digivolution of the last."

"Yeah, I kind of figured that," said Susanoomon impatiently.

OmniShoutmon X threw him a dirty look. "Gizumon are Digimon that are only meant to exist in the Dark Area. That's because when they kill a Digimon, they stay dead."

Gallantmon X did a double-take. "Wait, what does that mean?"

"Exactly what it sounds like. Any Digimon that's destroyed by a Gizumon doesn't come back to life. That's why it's so important that we don't let any escape."

"Why the hell do creatures like that even exist!?" Imperialdramon demanded.

Shakamon frowned. "Gizumon are data destroyers. That's their purpose. They dwell in the Dark Area because they're meant to erase the evil data that gets deleted there. They're never meant to reach any of the other layers of the Digital World."

Under that context, the DigiDestined could see the reason for the Gizumon, but the ability to permanently kill other Digimon was terrifying. Despite them only going up to the Ultimate level, they could indeed now see what a serious threat the Gizumon were.

"Ok, duly noted," Omnimon replied. "Priority one, don't let any Gizumon get out. Priority two, prevent GranDracmon from escaping. Priority three, find a way to close this portal."

"Priority one, priority one!" Gallantmon X shouted.

The others looked down to see another wave of Gizumon flying out of the darkness, even more than before. And now that the DigiDestined knew the true threat the unidentified Digimon presented, they began attacking them, this time with a level of desperate urgency, so as to make sure absolutely sure that none escaped.

The Gizumon swarmed up the Dark Whirlpool like a deadly flood. And while they weren't that hard to destroy, the sheer number of them was overwhelming. The DigiDestined used attacks that covered large areas with their destructive power, but there were those that slipped past the blasts and made their way up to the DigiDestined.

A group of Gizumon-AT reached them, and the unidentified Digimon turned their single eyes on the DigiDestined. "AT Laser!"

They worked as a unit, firing lasers from their eyes. Ophanimon C used her Unicorn Shield, flying in front of the approaching beams and creating a barrier.

"Nicely done," Omnimn told her, and aimed is cannon. "Inferno!"

He began rapidly firing his cannon, destroying a Gizumon-AT with each blast. It seemed like the Gizumon species wasn't high on thinking or self-preservation, as they simply allowed themselves to be destroyed as they kept attacking.

A swarm of regular Gizumon made an attempt to fly by. Gallantmon X flew forward to cut them off, and they began firing their PT Laser attacks at him. He held up his shield, and the lasers zapped against it, then began gathering energy in it. "Final Elysion!"

He fired a beam, obliterating the Gizumon in front of him. Turning his shield, he destroyed the others, then turned his attack on the Gizumon-AT attacking Ophanimon C, clearing them out as well.

Then the Gizumon-XT came flying in, firing their XT Laser attacks up at the DigiDestined. Seraphimon used his Hallowed Ascension bringing down lightning to counter the lasers, destroying several of the attackers in the process. A mixture of different Gizumon species flew up to take their place, and Susanoomon trapped them in a cage of lightning with his Magna Thunder, allowing OmniShoutmon X to destroy them with his Flame Cannon, but more kept coming in to attack.

"Hey, OmniShoutmon," said the god Digimon as he destroyed a Gizumon-XT with a Flash Punch, "just for reference so we know which of these are more dangerous, which Gizumon are which?"

"PT Helix!" a Gizumon cried, flying towards OmniShoutmon X while spinning around, its tentacles threatening to cut anything in its path to pieces.

The dragon Digimon made quick work of his attacker with his Flare Rock Spirit. "That was a Rookie level Gizumon. Zeal Magnum!"

He fired a beam at the Gizumon-AT that had been about to use its wings to stab the god Digimon with its AT Helix attack.

"That was a Gizumon-AT," he said. "The AT stands for 'attacker'. They're the Champions."

"Meaning this guy is Gizumon-XT, the Ultimate," said Gallantmon X, destroying the unidentified Digimon in question. "What's the XT stand for?"

"X-Terminal."

Susanoomon raised an eyebrow. "Whatever that means."

"Watch what you're doing!" Ophanimon C scolded, flying over and firing her Holy Destroy at the group of several dozen Gizumon that had flown by when they were talking.

Her attack destroyed a handful of the unidentified Digimon, but the rest flew up towards the opening of the Dark Whirlpool. Shakamon, however, suddenly flew into their path, cutting them off.

"Light of the Spider's Thread!" he cried.

The halo on his back suddenly shined brightly, unleashing a holy light that blinded all those present, even those who shut or covered their eyes. The Gizumon came to a stop, allowing Omnimon to fly up and use his Fearsome Blade, destroying them.

While he was attacking, a Gizumon-AT popped up behind him and unleashed its AT Hacking, wrapping its tentacles around the knight Digimon and shocking him. Shakamon glanced at them and used his Pilgrimage of Enlightenment Palm, and the Gizumon-AT suddenly disappeared, clearing out the last of them.

Omnimon relaxed and turned to the Sovereign. "Thanks for that."

Shakamon held up the ball of light he was now holding. "No thanks necessary."

The others flew in. "What was that?" Imperialdramon asked. "I thought you said your attacks are worthless."

OmniShoutmon X nudged him. "He said no such thing. He said his attacks don't cause harm, and they don't. His Light of the Spider's Thread shines a holy light that purifies and remedies evil. Gizumon aren't evil, they're a neutral threat, so it won't serve more than a distraction to them, and GranDracmon is pure evil, there's no goodness in him at all, so his evil can't be remedied."

"And that other attack?" Omnimon asked. "The one you just used to save me?"

Shakamon held out the ball of light he was holding. "My Pilgrimage of Enlightenment Palm enlightens those who challenge me that conflict is meaningless by having them endlessly fight against an illusion until their mind and bodies are spent. Gizumon's sole purpose is to destroy data, so it will not work on them, and GranDracmon's very nature goes against such philosophies."

"Which is why his attacks won't help us here," OmniShoutmon X growled as he reached forward and crushed the Gizumon-AT in Shakamon's hand into data.

Susanoomon grunted in annoyance. "You know what, this figures. We finally have a Sovereign who is willing to fight with us, and he's useless. No offense."

Shakamon lowered his hand. "No offense taken, my friend. My role is that of a protector and guide for this world and all those in it. As for my fellow Sovereigns, they have their own duties to fulfill, which is why we have always relied on the Guardians to fight evil."

"This is more than just fighting evil," OmniShoutmon X replied, looking down into the darkness. "More will be coming. They'll be drawn to the portal. Those we fought off just now were only the ones nearby."

Omnimon didn't like the sound of that. "We'll be overrun. We may be strong enough to defeat all of them, but to make sure that none of them get by…"

"We can't let them," Ophanimon C insisted. "If even one slips past us and kills someone it comes across, they'll be gone for good."

"We need help," Seraphimon replied. He looked around them at the opening of the Dark Whirlpool. "The area is too big; we can't cover all of it."

Shakamon floated over. "Children, we must take advantage of this momentary cease in battle."

"To do what?" Imperialdramon asked. "I'm open to anything that might help."

"To do what you were actually summoned here for."

Gallantmon X blinked. "What, you mean resurrect the Guardians?" He looked down at himself. "Didn't we do that already?"

Shakamon gave a nod. "For the most part, yes. But there is still one more, the one who did not have a human answer the call. The seventh Guardian."

OmniShoutmon X gasped. "You mean…"

Shakamon nodded again. "If we resurrect him, it will increase our chances of making sure no Gizumon escape."

At this point, Susanoomon was willing to accept any help. "Ok, so how do we resurrect him?"

The Sovereign motioned to OmniShoutmon X. "My friend, if you would produce the Digi-Card."

The dragon Digimon nodded and held up his clenched fist. There was a flash of light in his palm, and when he opened his hand, he was holding a Digi-Card. The others gathered around to get a better look.

"So that's the last Guardian," said Imperialdramon. He cocked his head to the side. "Just out of curiosity, why didn't any of us get him instead of who we did get."

"You got who was most compatible with you," OmniShoutmon X replied. Then his attention was drawn. "Victorize Banking!"

His attack flew past them, striking a lone Gizumon that had been flying up towards them. About a dozen more were right behind it, and the DigiDestined made quick work of them with a few attacks.

Susanoomon turned back to OmniShoutmon X. "Alright, let's resurrect this guy before another wave comes."

"Yeah," Imperialdramon agreed. And after a moment's hesitation, he asked, "How do we do that?"

Shakamon moved closer. "You already know how. Use the same power you found in your hearts when you Digivolved. Then transfer that power to the Digi-Card."

"Easier said than done," Gallantmon X remarked. "I don't even know how we did it. We just did. It was almost…"

"Instinctual?" Shakamon offered.

The knight Digimon nodded. "Yeah."

The Sovereign gave an understanding nod of his own. "The power is yours, children. You may not have realized you were using it before, but it is within you. Use your power."

Susanoomon felt a little foolish as he held out his hand. "If you say so…"

One by one, the each held their hand out towards the Digi-Card, then looked deep into themselves for the power Shakamon spoke of. They knew it was there, the fact that they had been able to Digivolve proved it. They sought out that power now, and focused it on the Digi-Card.

Slowly, their hands began to glow, and particles of light began drifting over to the Digi-Card. It became surrounded in a glowing bubble and rose into the air, and OmniShoutmon X floated away from it.

A smile grazed Shakamon's face. "You're doing it, children. Keep it up."

Small cracks of light began to appear over the Digi-Card, and the DigiDestined exchanged uncertain looks. "Is it supposed to do that?" Gallantmon X asked.

Suddenly, the Digi-Card shattered, unleashing a burst of light that made the DigiDestined gasp. A DigiCore manifested where it had been, looking identical to AxeKnightmon's. A few moments later, a Digi-Egg materialized around it. It hovering in the air for a few moments before it too began to crack. No, not crack, hatch.

The egg broke open, revealing a small purple Digimon that let out a cry of "Dodomon!". It had its eyes closed and appeared to be asleep, but after a few seconds, it began to glow, and even though its mouth didn't move, a voice cried out from it as it Digivolved.

"Dorimon!" it cried, taking on its In-Training form. And after a few more seconds, it started glowing again. "Dorumon!" And again. "Dorugamon!" And again. "DoryGreymon!" It had already reached the Ultimate level, and yet it still wasn't done as it made the jump to Mega. "Alphamon!"

OmniShoutmon X's eyes were wide with disbelief as he stared at the knight Digimon clad head to toe in glossy, black armor. "That's him! The seventh Guardian! Alphamon! You actually brought him back! You did-"

But then Alphamon began glowing yet again, and OmniShoutmon X's eyes somehow grew even wider.

"Alphamon Ouryuken!" the resurrected Digimon cried.

His appearance hadn't changed this time. Rather, he now had a pair of golden wings the color of the sky at sunset that now hung down from the thruster-like protrusions from his back, and he now wielded a sword-like weapon that looked like it could also pass for a spear or an axe.

"I don't believe it!" OmniShoutmon X exclaimed. "You Digivolved him further, beyond the level he was at when he died in the fight with ZeedMillenniummon."

Shakamon's smile widened. "So this is the power of the human spirit."

The DigiDestined lowered their hands as Alphamon stopped glowing. "We could actually do that this whole time!?" Imperialdramon cried in disbelief. "Like, not just with him, but with our own Digimon forms as well!?"

Shakamon gave a nod. "As I would have guided you into discovering had I been here."

"I can see why you brought us here if this was how it was meant actually meant to go down," Susanoomon replied. "I can't believe we basically did things the hard way this whole time."

"Do not fret, children," Shakamon told them. "It seems that everything happened the best way possible."

"Just like AncientWisemon was hoping," Gallantmon X found himself saying.

Imperialdramon glanced down into the darkness. "Yeah, maybe. Do you think this happening was what he had been hoping for though?"

"We'll make it work," Ophanimon C told him. "Somehow."

In front of them, Alphamon's eyes slowly flickered open. He blinked a few times and looked around, appearing to be confused. "What happened? I feel as if I was asleep for a long time." He slowly became aware of his surroundings. His confusions increased further, and he turned to the others in bewilderment. "My friends, where are we? What's going on? The last thing I remember is our battle with ZeedMillenniummon." Then he noticed OmniShoutmon X. "The Digimon King is here as well? What is going on?" Then he noticed his new form. "And when and how did I Digivolve? And all of you as well?"

The DigiDestined realized that, having been contained in the Digi-Card, he had no idea that 10,000 years had gone by, or of anything that had happened during that time.

Omnimon awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, a lot has happened. We don't really have time to go over it now though…"

Alphamon eyed him curiously, then studied the others as well. "There is something different about you all, and not just your Digivolutions." He continued looking them over, then suddenly noticed the Sovereign, and he placed his fist over his heart and lowered his head. "My Lord Shakamon!"

The Sovereign motioned for him to lift his head. "I'm afraid there is no time for that. The way to the Dark Area has been opened to the rest of the Digital World."

Alphamon's head snapped up. "The Dark Area? But how? Why? That would mean…"

"Yes," Shakamon replied. "GranDracmon s coming. The Gizumon are trying to escape too. Until we can close the portal, they must not be allowed to escape."

The knight Digimon didn't so much as hesitate. "Right, we shall see it done. I have many questions, but they can wait until this crisis is dealt with. My brethren and I won't let anyone get past until then."

Imperialdramon would have smirked if his mouth were capable of moving. "I like this guy. Wish we actually had him with us from the start. Oh, by the way, we're not actually your Guardian friends. We're actually humans who were given their power."

Alphamon blinked at him, clearly not knowing how to respond to that, but eventually shook his head. "You're going to have to explain that later as well. For now, let's focus on the task at hand."

"Couldn't agree more," Seraphimon replied.

With all the Guardians finally together again, they turned their attention back down to the darkness. A few minutes later, the next wave of Gizumon came flying up to meet them.

Notes:

(A/N: Ok, so, that was probably a lot to unpack. We now know who the final villain is. And yes, GranDracmon is the final villain, but boy is he a villain. This guy is bad news, and yes, he does rank above all seven Demon Lords, and he is immortal. He's essentially the opposite of Shakamon, which makes this almost poetic. And if he's not bad enough, we've got an army of Gizumon attempting to escape that our heroes can't afford to let a single one get by. But hey, at least they now have Alphamon to help them. How much help will he be against the literal Digimon devil? Well, you'll just have to wait and see. I hope you're ready, because this is the big climax.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear or are mentioned.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/GranDracmon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Gizumon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Gizumon-AT

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Gizumon-XT

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Dodomon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Dorimon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Dorumon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Dorugamon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/DoruGreymon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Alphamon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Alphamon_Ouryuken

Chapter 202: The Devil and the Sovereign

Notes:

(A/N: And here we go, we're back to the big climactic battle between our heroes and the literal Digimon Devil. Well, sort of, since we haven't actually seen GranDracmon yet. Will he be making an appearance this chapter, or will it just be more Gizumon? And if he does arrive, how will our heroes deal with someone who's immortal? Let's find out.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 202: The Devil and the Sovereign

The Gizumon were everywhere. They flowed out of the darkness like a flood, flying up to the surface. The additional help from Alphamon was greatly appreciated, but even with him, it was very hard to make sure none of the unidentified Digimon got out.

"XT Laser++!" a Gizumon-XT cried, firing an energy wave at the newest addition to the team.

Alphamon twirled around his weapon. "Ultimate-Battle-Blade-Ouryu-Sword!"

He brought the weapon up over his head, and it began glowing with purification power before he swung it downward. The blade easily cut through the Gizumon-XT, splitting it in half, and the shockwave from his slash continued onward, slicing apart other Gizumon that were close by.

More Gizumon flew at Alphamon; they all seemed more eager to attack rather than escape. The knight Digimon held his hand up to them. "Digitalize of Soul!"

He began firing multiple green beams from his hands, easily dispatching the Gizumon. Several more flew at him, and he drew a magic circle in the air. Light converged within it as he used his Divine Sword Grade Alpha, and a stabbing beam of light shot out of the circle, skewering all the Gizumon in from of him. Those that remained surrounded him, and began firing their laser attacks. He unleashed his Blade of the Dragon King and began rapidly swinging his Seiken Gradalpha sword around, slicing the unidentified Digimon to pieces.

"Said it before, and I'll say it again," said Imperialdramon as he hacked his way through the swarm of Gizumon with his Omni Sword and Splendor Blade, "I wish we had this guy from the start."

"Just focus on the here and now," Omnimon told him as he blasted Gizumon with his cannon.

Alphamon made a humphing sound, suggesting that he was smiling. "If you really are humans, then you haven't seen anything yet. Soul Digitalization!"

He spread his wings and a ring of light appeared around him. It rose up into the sky and suddenly expanded into a magic circle, expanding so far that it seemed to be even larger than the sky. From it, a large beast of some kind suddenly emerged. It let out a mighty roar and launched a massive beam. It completely cleared a path free of Gizumon straight down into the darkness before the beast retreated back into the magic circle and it disappeared.

"Whoa," Gallantmon X muttered. "An attack like that would have been useful to have before too."

"Perhaps," Alphamon replied as a new swarm of Gizumon took the place of those he just destroyed, "but these monsters are never-ending. Digitalize of Soul!"

Rather than launching individual beams, he created a single green ball of energy in his hand, and it began raining countless beams down on the Gizumon. Staying out of range of the knight Digimon's attack, Ophanimon C manipulated her flames to attack the Gizumon as her dragon that she had summoned flew around her, also breathing fire at them. But as a Gizumon-AT burst into data in front of her, she had a sudden realization.

"Wait, OmniShoutmon," she called, "maybe we shouldn't be killing these guys."

"We have no choice," the dragon Digimon replied as he kicked out cutting shockwaves with his Beat Slash and shot fireballs with his Heavy Heat Vulcan. "I told you the threat they present. We can't let them get out."

"But that's just it!" she insisted. "We're killing them. Won't they just start over again in Primary Village?"

Gallantmon X gasped. "She's right. They'll just become a threat later after they hatch."

"Heavy Metal Vulcan!" OmniShoutmon X cried, creating a firewall that cut off the Gizumon coming at him. "Don't worry about that. Gizumon have their data set so they'll start over again in the Dark Area. Their eggs won't manifest in Primary Village, so it's fine."

"Thank goodness for small favors," Seraphimon replied as he punched out balls of light with his Hallowed Knuckle.

Susanoomon punched a Gizumon-XT with his Texture Blow, turning it into an 8-bit sprite before it burst into data. "I'm more worried about this GranDracmon. When will he be coming?"

Higher up, Shakamon frowned. "Be grateful that he has not yet appeared. He among others."

Omnimon's eyes narrowed suspiciously as he cut a Gizumon in half with his T-Sword. "Others? What does that mean? Wait, no, don't tell me. One problem at a time. What can we expect from this GranDracmon?"

Shakamon closed his eyes. "Pure evil."

"That's vague," Gallantmon X grumbled. "I think he meant his attacks and abilities."

"Nothing good," OmniShoutmon X told him as he began blasting the Gizumon flying around his firewall with his Zeal Magnum. "His Crystal Revolution attack turns others into ice crystals. He's got a really twisted hobby of wanting to add others to his collection to keep them with him forever."

"That's sick, man," Imperialdramon grumbled. "But wait, how do you know that about him if he's been in the Dark Area since the beginning."

"Because it's in his nature, now shut up and listen, because you need to be prepared. His Gorgon Eye attack has the power to turn anyone who makes eye contact with him evil. That means any of you too. And his Death Scream attack unleashes all the wails of the damned all at once. You do not want to be in that attack's path. Those are his primary attacks. His last two attacks-"

He cut himself off with aloud gasp and whirled around. He didn't see anything, but for a second, he could have sworn that… But no, it couldn't be. He would know. If not him, then Shakamon would. But then again, there were a lot of Gizumon, and they were mostly focusing on them. But still-

"OmniShoutmon X, look out!" Omnimon shouted, and blasted the Gizumon-XT that had been about to attack the dragon Digimon.

OmniShoutmon X blinked, coming out of his thoughts. "I'm… I'm sorry. I just thought… I got distracted."

The knight Digimon struck down another Gizumon with his T-Sword. "You should know better than any of us to pay attention." He looked back at the others as they cleared out the last of the unidentified Digimon. "It looks like we're just about done."

"Yeah, with this wave," Gallantmon X grumbled. "But how many will there be?"

"Countless more, I'm afraid," Shakamon replied. "The entire Gizumon race dwells within the Dark Area, and they'll all be seeking to get out."

Before anyone could say anything to that, a sinister chuckle that sent chills down the DigiDestined's spines echoed around them. "You have more than Gizumon to worry about afraid."

The voice was calm and collect. In fact, it sounded rather pleasant, and very charismatic. However, there was something immensely wrong with it. The voice was the most terrifying and evil thing the DigiDestined had ever heard. There really was no other way to put it besides being purely and simply evil.

If Susanoomon were physically capable of it, he was sure that he would have goosebumps right now. "W-What was that?"

OmniShoutmon X was visibly shaken. "That was him GranDracmon. He's coming. He's coming right now."

They all looked down, but there was still only darkness to be seen. Another evil chuckle echoed all around, once again making them all shiver, including Shakamon. Then the voice spoke again. "I have been watching you as well, humans. From the depths of the Dark Area, I've watched you on your journey. I must say, I've become rather fond of you. I actually look forward to adding you all to my collection."

Imperialdramon wanted to give a snarky comeback, but he felt too unsettled by the evil voice that he was completely drawing a blank. Even so, there was something incredibly alluring about the voice as well, like it was drawing him in and he could just drown in it. "We… uh… stop you…"

Another evil chuckle. "There's no need for that, my precious ones. I have no desire to harm you. I want to keep you with me always. Please don't fight me; I don't want to have to hurt you. Or should I say, I'd rather not damage you; I'd prefer to keep you all intact."

"I don't feel so good…" Ophanimon C whispered.

"Neither do I…" said Seraphimon.

"You must drown out his voice!" Shakamon told them urgently. "GranDracmon has the power to manipulate darkness and turn others evil. Angel Digimon are especially susceptible to him. He possesses an enchanted voice that has a charm on it that can cause any angel Digimon who hears him speak to fall."

More laughter from down below. "You make it sound so horrible. The darkness is so embracing and accepting. Far more than the light. There are so many rules and requirements for the light. Compassion, justice, righteousness, all such limitations on life. But the darkness is open to all. No rules, no regulations, just what you take for yourself. Chaos, anarchy, that is true freedom. Why not let the darkness in? Let it claim you."

Omnimon covered his ears. "Shut up! Shut up, shut up, shut up! We're not falling prey to you!"

"Falling prey?" GranDracmon repeated. "But you already have. All beings in this world and any other are my prey. Behold, dear children, gaze upon the face of evil itself."

From down in the darkness, a figure began to emerge, and it wasn't a Gizumon, but a massively large creature that was terrifying to behold. He was colossal in size, so large that he could take Azulongmon and use him as a belt. His appearance seemed to be that of a centaur, but it was the body of a demonic beast rather than a horse, with a long stream of golden hair as his tail. What seemed to be the jaws of sharks with forked tongues grew out of his knees, drool dripping from their fangs.

Large bat-like wings protruded from his lower back around his midsection rather than around his shoulder area, though they didn't look like he should be capable of flight with how large he was compared to the size of his wings. His head, though human in appearance, had horns growing out of his long blond hair and a mask covered the upper part of his face. His lips were curved into a sinister, mocking grin, exposing his vampiric fangs, as if he took great amusement in what was transpiring.

"Th-Th-That's GranDracmon?" Gallantmon X stuttered.

"What the heck is he?" Imperialdramon cried fearfully. "Some kind of vampire-centaur-beast thing with sharks for knees?"

The smile on the demon beast Digimon's face spreads wider, revealing the rest of his sharp teeth. "Now, now, that was rather rude. Maybe it will be better if you never speak again. You'll know nothing but silence in my collection."

Omnimon had to take a few moments to regain his composure. "We're not interested in being a part of any collection. Everyone, let him have it. Double Torrent!"

"Hyper Prominence!"

"Final Elysion!"

"ZERO-ARMS: Orochi!"

"Holy Destroy!"

"Hallowed Ascension!"

"Digitalize of Soul!"

"This isn't going to work! Omega the Fusion!"

The attacks flew down at GranDracmon and blasted against him. The demon beast Digimon didn't so much as flinch, and instead let out an amused chuckle as he continued to rise up towards them.

"I told you it wouldn't work," OmniShoutmon X insisted.

"Maybe not," said Susanoomon, "but I know something that will. But first, Heaven's Thunder!"

His lightning dragons came down from above. They coiled around GranDracmon, who didn't so much as glance at them. Susanoomon didn't care as he unleashed his Celestial Blade, swinging it at the demon beast Digimon. GranDracmon just kept laughing, even as the blade of light struck his neck at an angle. It cut straight through, slicing downward through his chest and torso, cutting him in half.

Nothing happened. GranDracmon didn't fall apart. He didn't so much as have a single wound. It was as if his body had healed the exact moment it had taken damage. The demon beast Digimon just sneered and stretched out his wings, giving them a flap, and the lightning dragons wrapped around him dispersed.

"What part about him having an immortal body are you not understanding?" OmniShoutmon X shouted.

There was a loud roar as Ophanimon C's dragon flew down towards GranDracmon, breathing a stream of fire. GranDracmon just sneered at it and unleashed his Crystal Revolution. The dragon was instantly frozen in ice, and even the fire it had been breathing somehow froze. Its descent turned into a fall before it burst into data.

"Is that what he plans to do to us?" Gallantmon X asked fearfully.

"We will not have the mercy of death if he uses that attack on us," Alphamon replied. "We will be encased in his prison and become part of his collection."

"Over my dead body," Susanoomon growled.

"Somehow, I don't think that will bother him," Imperialdramon muttered.

Shakamon suddenly flew in front of the DigiDestined, placing himself between GranDracmon and them. Children, stay behind me."

GranDracmon laughed, looking amused as he slowly rose higher. "Shakamon, I have a special place in my collection for you as well, my friend."

"Return to your collection," Shakamon told him. Then he took a deep breath. "Mantra of Neglect!"

His voice erupted in a loud boom that actually shook the entire planet. A wave of sound flowed down the length of the Dark Whirlpool and flowed over GranDracmon. An annoyed scowl crossed his face and he grunted as he was pushed back down into the whirlpool's depths.

"Mantra of Neglect!" Shakamon cried again, his thunderous voice pushing GranDracmon farther down. "Mantra of Neglect! Mantra of Neglect!"

The demon beast Digimon grunted each time he was hit until he disappeared into the darkness of the abyss once more. Shakamon stopped shouting and his eyes narrowed as he floated in front of the DigiDestined.

"What the heck was that?" Susanoomon exclaimed.

"Lord Shakamon's Mantra of Neglect," Alphamon told him. "He crushes hostility with his voice and knocks them beyond the horizon."

The Sovereign frowned. "That will not keep him down long though, and I cannot do it indefinitely. We must close the portal as soon as possible."

"Still open to suggestions on that," Imperialdramon replied.

Alphamon's eyes narrowed. "Whatever we come up with, we won't be able to close it as long as GranDracmon is inside the Dark Whirlpool, otherwise he could open it again. We need to get him back into the Dark Area before we can close it.

Gallantmon X let out a dismayed noise. "This laundry list just keeps getting longer and longer."

GranDracmon's laughter once again greeted them. "Your bravery and determination are something to be admired. I really must have you for my collection. I love you even more now than I did before."

Ophanimon C felt sick as she was reminded of Myotismon. "You don't know the first thing about love."

"Such cruel words. You should know the sweet embrace of the darkness. Ophanimon, Seraphimon, come down to me. I'll show you the exquisite touch of the darkness."

Both angel Digimon groaned and clutched their heads as GranDracmon's enchanted words took effect on them, and Shakamon turned to them. "You must resist. Light of the Spider's Thread!"

His halo shined brightly, the light shining upon the angel Digimon, chasing away the evil that had begun to take over them.

Seraphimon let out a relieved sigh and lowered his hands. "Thank you for that."

The Sovereign gave him a nod. "It is a good thing you're humans, otherwise you likely would have fallen prey to GranDracmon's voice by now."

"Ah, Shakamon, why must you ruin my fun? Perhaps you need a distraction. Look, they come now."

The DigiDestined didn't need to look to know that more Gizumon were coming, but they were unprepared for the sheer number of them this time. This wave was more like a solid mass with so many Gizumon packed together as they came up the whirlpool.

"Look at them all!" Imperialdramon exclaimed. "I don't know if we can stop that many from getting away."

"We must," Alphamon replied. "We can't let any through."

"Omnimon glanced at Shakamon. "Maybe you should use your voice attack to knock them back."

The Sovereign shook his head. "If I push them back, they will continue to group up more and more as others arrive. I can't keep them back forever, and when they eventually breach, their number will be many times greater than what it is now."

"Fair point," said Susanoomon. "Fine then. ZERO-ARMS: Orochi!"

He manifested his weapon and fired it into the approaching gathering of Gizumon, taking out a portion of the crowd. Imperialdramon did the same with his Giga Crusher, and Gallantmon X and Ophanimon C with their Final Elysion and Holy Destroy. Seraphimon and Alphamon used their Hallowed Ascension and Digitalize of Soul, sending down random bolts of lightning and green energy beams while Omnimon and OmniShoutmon X randomly fired attacks into the mass.

By the time the Gizumon reached them, most of the mass had been destroyed, but there were still countless others flying about. The DigiDestined went from using their large-scale attacks to their smaller ones as the Gizumon attempted to either fly by or attack them.

"Behind me!" Shakamon cried suddenly, flying past the DigiDestined.

Down below, GranDracmon had begun emerging from the darkness once more, surrounded by several hundred Gizumon. Shakamon used his Mantra of Neglect, pushing the demon beast Digimon back down, into the darkness, and the Gizumon with him. While the unidentified Digimon disappeared into the abyss with a single attack, it took Shakamon several times to force GranDracmon back into it.

"Is he the Gizumon's master?" Gallantmon X asked. "How come they're not attacking him?"

"It wouldn't do much good since he's immortal," Alphamon replied. "And Gizumon serve no one. He must be directing them somehow."

GranDracmon's laughter echoed up the Dark Whirlpool. "You cannot keep me down here forever. I will get out soon enough, and then you will know my darkness. Until then, here is a new toy for you to play with."

Something new began to emerge from the darkness, something large. The DigiDestined weren't sure what to make of it at first, until it got closer. Then they saw that it appeared to be a giant purple spear, made entirely out of Gizumon-XT coming together to form the weapon.

"Gizumon Javelin!" OmniShoutmon X exclaimed.

Susanoomon gave him a blank look. "You say that like we're supposed to know what it is."

"It's their ultimate attack," Shakamon replied. "Countless Gizumon-XT come together to form it. They can destroy even some of the most powerful Megas with it."

A feeling of panic ran through Gallantmon X. "How do we stop it?"

"Allow me," Alphamon replied. "Alpha inForce!"

He flew down towards the Gizumon Javelin as it launched up at them. When he reached it, he threw a single punch. The DigiDestined didn't think the attack would do much, but then, much to their surprise, the entire Gizumon Javelin burst into data, leaving only a few dozen Gizumon-XT out of the thousands that had made up the weapon. Alphamon looked slightly worn out, but he immediately followed up with his Digitalize of Soul, raining down beams of energy on the remaining unidentified Digimon.

"The heck was that!?" Imperialdramon demanded. "Is he supposed to be some kind of One-Punch Mon? He destroyed almost all of them with just one punch."

"So it seemed to us," OmniShoutmon X replied. "Alphamon's Alpha inForce lets him repeatedly replay an attack in an instant. He repeated his attack over and over again to destroy all the Gizumon who made up the javelin."

"That had to be several thousand punches," Ophanimon C exclaimed. "No wonder he looks winded."

"What?" came GranDracmon's voice. "Tired already? But there's so many new toys for you to play with."

He chuckled sinisterly. A few moments later, several more Gizumon Javelins began to emerge from the darkness. The DigiDestined all exclaimed in horror as the living weapons slowly came up the length of the whirlpool.

"You're kidding!" Susanoomon cried. "Please tell me you're kidding! We can't stop all those!"

"We have to try," Seraphimon insisted. "We don't have any other choice."

The Gizumon Javelins came to a stop, as if they were preparing to launch. The DigiDestined looked to Shakamon, but he just shook his head. If he knocked them back down, they would just reform in greater numbers. It would be up to them to stop this assault, and they braced themselves for the attack.

Suddenly, there was the sound of thunder. The DigiDestined all looked up to see that dark clouds had formed in the sky. And then, much to their astonishment, Huanglongmon, Baihumon, Azulongmon, Zhuqiaomon, and Ebonwumon descended from the clouds.

OmniShoutmon X sputtered in disbelief. "The Sovereigns! The Digimon Sovereigns! They're here!"

Azulongmon looked at the DigiDestined. "Children, we are here to aid you."

Gallantmon X resisted the urge to cry out in relief. "Now that's a deus ex machina if I ever saw one. Not that I'm complaining."

"Good to see you again, laddies," one of Ebonwumon's heads greeted.

And then the other one spoke up. "Excuse us a moment. Misty Illusion!"

A dark mist flew out of the tree on his back. It flew down to the Gizumon and flowed over them, creating an illusion. The javelins began shifting about, as if they were no longer sure where to attack.

Susanoomon humphed. "Well, it's about time you got involved. I thought you guys had your duties to attend to and couldn't risk yourselves fighting evil Digimon."

"This takes precipice," Zhuqiaomon replied with a growl. "GranDracmon and the others must not be allowed to escape. It will cause disorder throughout the entire Digital World. Desolation Blast!"

He flapped his wings, and massive fireballs flew from them, flying past the DigiDestined and blasting against the javelins.

"Black Hail!" both Ebonwumon heads cried, and giant chunks of black crystal manifested and began raining down. They crashed into the javelins, breaking them apart, the crystals freezing anything they touched.

"Taiji!" Huanglongmon cried, firing a beam from his mouth that instantly destroyed the javelin it hit.

"Blue Thunder!" Azulongmon cried, bringing down a massive bolt of lightning that destroyed another javelin.

"Bronze Cannon!" Baihumon cried, and manifested a giant metal ball that launched at a javelin. The Gizumon Javelin broke apart from the impact, and all those who were smashed by the metal ball burst into data.

"Oh, wow," said Gallantmon X. "These guys are strong."

"Well, what did you expect?" OmniShoutmon X asked. "They are the Sovereigns."

The remaining Gizumon Javelins suddenly launched, flying towards the Sovereigns. Huanglongmon moved quickly, getting in their path, and the javelins stabbed into him.

Horrified cries escaped the DigiDestined, but OmniShoutmon X held up a hand to calm them. "Don't worry, he's fine. Remember, his body is made of Huanglong Ore. Only other Huanglong Ore can damage him."

True to his words, Huanglongmon appeared to be undamaged. Using his Fang of the Emperor, he leaned over with his long neck and chomped down on one of the javelins. All the Gizumon that were caught in his jaws were crushed into data, and the rest that made up the javelin scattered. Huanglongmon roared and spun around, swinging his tail as he used his Emperor's Mace, smashing apart the remaining javelins and sending the Gizumon scattering.

"Sonic Zephyr!" Zhuqiaomon cried as several Gizumon flew at him. He flapped his wings, sending out a shockwave that sent the Gizumon flying backwards. "Blazing Helix!"

He flapped his wings again, this time releasing a spiral of fire that reduced the Gizumon to data. Many of them began to form new javelins, and Baihumon flew at them. Using his Spine-Ringed Tail attack, he spun around, smashing the forming javelins and scattering the Gizumon once more. He then lashed out with his Iron Armored Claw, slashing at the other javelins.

"Lightning Whip!" Azulongmon cried, lashing out with his chains as they began cracking with electricity, and the chains reduced the Gizumon they struck to data.

"Purgatory Claws!" Zhuqiaomon cried, slashing at the air with his claws, creating a powerful rush of destructive wind that destroyed more of the unidentified Digimon.

Nearly all of the Gizumon had been destroyed by the Sovereigns, and those that remained flew for the exit of the Dark Whirlpool. Zhuqiaomon screeched at them and Baihumon roared as they flew after them.

"Phoenix Fire!" the former cried, breathing a stream of fire after the Gizumon, reducing them to data.

"Gold Strength!" Baihumon cried, emitting a wave from his mouth. It flowed over the last of the Gizumon, instantly turning them to metal, and they fell from the sky.

"Whoa, heads up!" Imperialdramon unnecessarily warned as the metal statues fell past them.

"What was that?" Gallantmon X asked.

"Baihumon's Gold Strength attack," Alphamon replied. "It turns his opponents to metal, trapping them in that state until they finally die by rusting away."

Susanoomon's eyes widened. "That may be the most disturbing attack I've ever heard."

"We can't afford to be nice," OmniShoutmon X told them. "We need to be effective. Whatever it takes to prevent them from leaving."

"It looks like someone else is trying to get out again," Seraphimon said urgently.

Indeed, GranDracmon was rising up again, only now he had a scowl on his face. "You Sovereigns and your harmony. Hear the sounds of chaos. Death Scream!"

He opened his mouth and let out a wail. But it was not his own voice that came out. Rather, it was the screams of all the tortured souls of the damned. Similar to Shakamon's attack, the sounds of the damned flowed up towards the others.

Shakamon rushed forward and unleashed his Mantra of Neglect. His cry met with GranDracmon's screaming voices, and all sound, save for a high-pitched ringing, ceased. It was as if sound itself could not accommodate both and had simply stopped.

It only lasted for a few seconds though before sound started working again, and Shakamon let out another Mantra of Neglect, and GranDracmon was knocked back into the darkness as Shakamon cried out again and again. And not long after, another wave of Gizumon came flying up.

"This will not end," Huanglongmon growled. "As long as this portal remains open, they'll just keep coming. And so will he."

"Then we'll just keep fighting, we will," said one of Ebonwumon's heads.

"Aye, too right, we will," the other head agreed. "Double Dragon Wave!"

Both heads opened their mouths and unleashed jets of water, the ends of which formed into dragons, blasting away the Gizumon, the water pressure destroying them. The other Sovereigns rained down attacks as well, destroying the Gizumon flying up towards them.

OmniShoutmon X growled. "Not even the Sovereigns can keep this up forever. Gizumon have no sense of self-preservation, they'll just keep rushing to their deaths in their attempt to get out and continue their spree of destruction, and GranDracmon just plain can't be killed."

A growl escaped Zhuqiaomon. "It's not just GranDracmon and the Gizumon we need to worry about. Soon he will come as well."

The DigiDestined all turned to the phoenix Digimon, not liking the implications of what he had just said. "And who is 'he' exactly?" Imperialdramon demanded. "Is this the 'others' you mentioned?"

Zhuqiaomon stubbornly didn't answer, and so they turned their attention to Shakamon, who let out a deep sigh. "There is another in the Dark Area who must not be allowed out. He may not be as powerful as GranDracmon, but he is an even greater threat, for he is like the Gizumon."

"You mean any Digimon he destroys doesn't come back?" Omnimon asked.

Shakamon closed his eyes. "In a manner of speaking, yes, but I'm afraid it's even worse than that. This Digimon is known as Abbadomon. He is a Digimon with two forms, much like Lucemon in his Shadowlord Mode and Ceresmon and her Medium, where he has a separate core that dwells within him."

"And what's so bad about him?" Ophanimon C asked. "What does 'in a manner of speaking' mean?"

The Sovereign opened his eyes again. "Abbadomon is like the Gizumon, where his purpose is meant to erase the data that's deleted to the Dark Area. Only he has a will and a purpose, unlike them. He despises all things that exist, and his one and only desire is the erasure of existence itself."

Imperialdramon scoffed. "He sounds like a hypocrite like Bagramon. If he hates all existence, does he hate his own as well?"

"He does," Shakamon replied, shocking the DigiDestined. "Abbadomon consumes all data, eating up its very existence and returning everything to nothingness. He was meant to remain in the Dark Area, but if he escapes, he will begin erasing all of the Digital World until only the blank data of empty space is left. And once everything is gone, then he will see to it that he too disappears, leaving nothing left. This is why he, like the Gizumon, are never meant to leave the Dark Area, and have their data to reset within it, but with the way open, then he too will come."

"Keeping GranDracmon out will be hard enough," Baihumon growled. "We won't be able to keep him and Abbadomon from escaping. And these cursed Gizumon aren't making it any easier. Once Abbadomon makes it to the Dark Whirlpool, either he or GranDracmon will get by us, and we can't allow that."

"Great," Gallantmon X mumbled. "One who wants to plunge the world into darkness, one who wants to erase it completely, and a bunch of little ones who seek to wipe out all living things. Is Abbadomon immortal like GranDracmon too."

Shakamon shook his head. "No, but he is immensely powerful. Even as Negamon, his In-Training level, he possessed the strength of a Mega. As Abbadomon, his strength is even greater, and his core is even stronger, and nearly impossible to reach. It would be very difficult to destroy him. And if we attempt it, we will not be able to stop GranDracmon from escaping."

"I doubt it will come to that," Azulongmon stated. "GranDracmon will see Abbadomon as a valuable tool during his reign to not just kill those who oppose him, but to get rid of them completely. Once Abbadomon comes, GranDracmon will protect him and make sure he escapes."

"Then we need to focus on closing the portal before they come," said Ophanimon C. "And if GranDracmon won't let it close, then we need to find a way to deal with him so we can close it."

"But that's the problem," Gallantmon X pointed out. "How do we stop someone who can't be killed?"

No one seemed to have no answer to that. After a few moments of silence though, Shakamon spoke up. "There may be a way."

"How!?" the DigiDestined all cried.

The Sovereign fell silent again, seemingly deep in thought, before appearing to come to a decision. "It seems that Fate itself is at work here. As the saying in your world goes, we may actually be able to kill two birds with one stone. Quickly, children, come with me."

He flew back up to the top of the whirlpool. Susanoomon looked back down into the darkness, from which more Gizumon were appearing. "Wait, what about all these guys?"

"We shall handle the Gizumon," Azulongmon replied. "Zhuqiaomon, with me; we shall be the first line of defense. Ebonwumon, Baihumon, you're the second. Huanglongmon, we'll rely on you to get any others."

He flew down towards the Gizumon. Zhuqiaomon glanced at the DigiDestined before following. "Be quick, humans." He flew deeper into the whirlpool, putting distance between himself and Azulongmon. "Crimson Blaze!"

He released a swirl of flames in a solar eruption that vaporized a great number of Gizumon. Azulongmon, meanwhile, curled up into a ball. "Wind of Thread and Flower of Electricity!"

An explosion of lightning erupted from his body, obliterating a good portion of the Gizumon swarm. The DigiDestined flew past Baihumon and Ebonwumon, who began attacking the Gizumon that got past the other two Sovereigns.

"Good luck, humans," Baihumon told them before unleashing his Gold Strength attack on the Gizumon coming up towards him.

"Aye, we believe in you," said one of Ebonwumon's heads as he dropped his Black Hail down on more Gizumon.

"We know you can do it, laddies," said the other head.

"I just said that," the first one told his brother.

"No, yeh didn't. You said that we believe in them."

"That means the same thing, ya twit."

"Aye, I suppose it does."

"Silence, both of you," Huanglongmon snapped as the DigiDestined flew past him, the last line of defense, and he glanced at them. "We owe you a great deal, humans. Be careful."

They nodded their acknowledgement and flew out of the Dark Whirlpool behind Shakamon, wondering what it was the Sovereign had planned.

Notes:

(A/N: Well, we now have a face to go with our final villain. I told you the guy was bad news GranDracmon. And it looks like all our heroes can do is keep him at bay, even with the other Sovereigns having arrived on the scene to help. But it looks like they're now on a time limit since GranDracmon and the Gizumon aren't the only one they need to worry about. Abbadomon is coming, and when he does, they won't be able to stop both of them. Do they let out the one who will cover the Digital World in darkness and evil, or the one who will erase the Digital World from existence? Neither option sounds good. Just what exactly is Shakamon planning that will allow them to deal with the immortal GranDracmn and close the Dark Whirlpool before Abbadomon arrives? Stay tuned to find out.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear or are mentioned.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Abbadomon

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Abbadomon_Core

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Negamon

Chapter 203: Into Darkness

Notes:

(A/N: Alright, here we go. Time to find out what Shakamon has planned in order to defeat GranDracmon. I won't take up any more of your time, because this is a lengthy one. It's actually my longest chapter for this story yet, which is really saying something since this story is over 200 chapters long. Wow. So, let's get to it.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 203: Into Darkness

They found Shakamon a short distance away, hovering over the surface of the Dark Ocean. It still baffled them as to how an entire ocean could just appear on this layer of the Digital World, but now was not the time to dwell on that.

The Sovereign glanced at them as they approached. "Over here, children. This may be our only chance."

The DigiDestined flew over to him. "So what's the plan?" Omnimon asked.

Shakamon closed his eyes. "GranDracmon is too powerful, made stronger still by all the data he's absorbed that's been deleted to the Dark Area that the Gizumon haven't disposed of since the Digital World first began. He, the Gizumon, and Abbadomon must not be allowed to escape. As long as GranDracmon keeps the portal to the Dark Area open, this world will be in danger."

Imperialdramon nodded impatiently. "Right, everyone keeps saying that. So what's the plan to stop them?"

The Sovereign opened his eyes again. "GranDracmon is immortal. He cannot be killed. However, there may be a way for us to cripple him in a manner in which he'll never recover; not without dying, which he cannot do."

Susanoomon crossed his arms. "Sounds a little barbaric, but I can't say the guy doesn't deserve it. But how would we do that with him being immortal and all? Any damage we deal to him instantly heals."

"If we cannot damage his body," Shakamon began slowly, hesitating only for a moment, "then we'll have to attack his soul."

"His soul?" Alphamon repeated. "You want us to attack his DigiCore? My lord, is that possible?"

Shakamon let out a deep sigh. "I did say that Fate seemed to be at work here. And it sees that Fate has given us the tool we need to do this."

"I'm not following," Gallantmon X admitted.

The Sovereign looked down into the black water. "The key is MegaDarknessBagramon." This earned him shocked gasps from the DigiDestined. "Not all of him was destroyed when you defeated him. I can sense it. A small remnant of the holy Server Tree that he used to sculpt the missing portion of his body still remains."

OmniShoutmon X blinked, then snapped his fingers. "I thought I saw something fall away when his arm broke down."

Shakamon nodded. "Indeed. That could be the key to our victory."

"How?" Omnimon asked. "I don't see how a piece of his arm would help us."

"His arm gave him spiritual powers," OmniShoutmon X explained. "He can reach right into a Digimon to touch their DigiCore, just like he did with Regulumon. You should remember, he briefly knocked your soul out of your body."

Shakamon nodded again. "Yes. With it, we can create a weapon to strike at GranDracmon's DigiCore." He frowned. "The problem is where it's at."

He looked down again, into the water. Imperialdramon followed his gaze. "What? You mean it's down there? No problem, I'll just dive in and-"

He had been in the process of diving into the water, but Alphamon grabbed him by the tail and yanked him back. "No, you fool! Don't you know what that is?"

"Um, water?"

"It's the Dark Ocean," OmniShoutmon X told him. "The very essence of darkness and evil. It'll corrupt anyone who enters it. Don't you remember me telling you how even Daemon and Laylamon were once a Seraphimon and Ophanimon before they entered it?"

The dragon Digimon sweat-dropped. "Um, not really."

Shakamon sighed again. "I'm afraid it's true. Any who enter the Dark Ocean will become a corrupt version of themselves. Not even I am immune."

"So then how do we get it?" Seraphimon asked.

The Sovereign hesitated. "As humans having Spirit Evolved, you're protected by the Guardians' forms, so the darkness will take longer to corrupt you, and you in turn will keep the Guardians from becoming corrupt. It won't make you immune, but it will delay the darkness' takeover of your being. One of you will have to go get it and resist the corruption long enough to get it out."

Imperialdramon pulled his tail free of Alphamon's grasp. "Ok then, like I said, I'll just go down and-"

"No," Shakamon interrupted. "It can't just be any of you. If you have one, the water will immediately force you to take on a dark version of your current form, and that will only speed up the corruption. You'll never be able to retrieve the arm before you lose yourself to the darkness. Imperialdramon, surely you remember BlackImperialdramon."

The dragon Digimon's shoulders slumped. "Oh, yeah, that guy. I hated that guy. I don't want to become him."

"And Omnimon," the Sovereign continued, "you do recall Omnimon Zwart, do you not?"

The knight Digimon growled. "He was a real handful."

"And I'm guessing I have ChaosGallantmon," Gallantmon X replied.

Shakamon nodded. "Him or Megidramon. Or based on your current form, Megidramon X." He glanced at Seraphimon and Ophanimon C. "And you were just told of Laylamon and Daemon."

Everyone was silent as Shakamon laid out the facts for them. Only Susanoomon looked from his friends to the Sovereign, then down at himself. "Well, what about me?"

Shakamon took a deep breath. "Susanoomon, you are a unique Digimon made up of all 10 Types. That includes the element of Darkness. But this form of Darkness is not tainted by evil. You are the only who stands a real chance." He gave him a serious look. "But your Darkness does have a corrupt side. You saw it in Duskmon. Be that as it may, since your Darkness element is only one-tenth of your code, you will be able to resist the darkness the longest." He fell silent for a moment. "But this is still a very dangerous task, one that can corrupt your body, mind, heart, and soul. I have asked too much from you humans already, I cannot ask for you to do anymore. This decision must be yours."

Susanoomon gulped and looked down into the Dark Ocean. It looked harmless, just like normal water, only black, like the water in a cup once you washed off a paintbrush after you had just painted with black paint. It didn't look dangerous, but it didn't look appealing either.

"Don't have much of a choice," he grumbled. "I'll be as fast as possible."

Shakamon nodded and put his hands together. He slowly pulled them apart, and bits of data began appearing between his hands. The bits of data came together and formed into an object of some kind. Susanoomon didn't have a clue what it was, but it was shaped like a sextant, and almost looked like the handle to something.

"Take this," Shakamon told him, and the object floated over to the god Digimon. "Attach it to the remnants of MegaDarknessBagramon's arm; it should be directly beneath us. With this, we'll be able to create the Brave Snatcher."

"The Brave Snatcher, great," Susanoomon replied and reached for it.

"Be careful though," Shakamon warned, "it's very-"

Susanoomon grasped the handle and nearly fell out of the sky as it dropped into his hands, the weight of it nearly tearing his arms out of their sockets.

"Heavy," Shakamon finished.

"Yeah, no kidding!" Susanoomon exclaimed as he struggled to hold onto it. "Geez, what's this thing made of?"

"Use its weight to help you sink faster," Imperialdramon suggested, but then he hesitated. "Wait, does an object's weight effect how fast it sinks?"

Alphamon floated over and placed a hand on Susanoomon's shoulder. "Try to keep your mind clear of dark thoughts. Think of your friends and loved ones. Keep your head full of positive thoughts."

The god Digimon gave him a nod. "Thanks for the tip."

Alphamon squeezed his shoulder. "I understand that you're not actually the comrade I know, but you have his heart." He looked at the others. "You all do."

"Taiji!" came Huanglongmon's voice from within the Dark Whirlpool, and the Gizumon who had just flown out of it were obliterated by the beam and came flying out.

Susanoomon gripped the handle tightly. "No time for sentimentalities. See you in a bit."

Bracing himself, he took a deep breath and dove into the water. The breath he held nearly escaped him in a gasp as he submerged. Absolutely nothing could have prepared him for this. The water was not only ice cold, it was… He didn't know how to put it. It was simply… evil. He didn't really know how to describe how a substance, how water, could feel evil, but that was the only word for it.

He didn't dwell on it, there was no time to, and instead he swam down deep, aided by the weight of the handle, or whatever this thing that Shakamon had created for him was supposed to be, helped him submerge. He didn't know how something so small could be so heavy, especially for someone like him, who was literally strong enough to destroy the world. But its weight helped him as he plummeted into the dark depths.

It was pitch black, and not simply because he was swimming down deep. Even when he had been right at the surface, it had still been dark. No, not just dark, but completely absent of light entirely, as if no light whatsoever had been allowed to enter it, and the surface of the water acted like a kind of barrier that prevented even the tiniest particle of light from going through it.

And the cold. The cold was unbearable. Susanoomon didn't know water could be so cold without becoming ice. His entire body was already numb, and still the cold penetrated him deeper, making him think he would never be warm again. Not just literally, but metaphorically too, like there would never again be joy or love in his life. It penetrated him to his very core, filling him with hopelessness and despair, and a sense of complete loneliness.

These feelings soon gave way to bitterness and anger, and his grip on the handle tightened as countless dark and negative thoughts filled his mind. Every little thing wrong in his life and with the world in general surfaced in his mind, only now they seemed far worse than they had ever seemed, and he was suddenly furious at the world and everything in it. Similar to how when someone lost their temper and just wanted to lash out at everyone or simply smash something, he felt that way towards the world as a whole.

And why shouldn't he crush everything in his path? He had the power to do so, why not use it? He was classified as a god of destruction, so why shouldn't he live up to his title. What was the point in having so much power if he wasn't going to put it to use? He and his friends had gone through so much grief for a cause that wasn't even their own. Why suffer for all these Digital monsters that had nothing to do with them, especially when so many of them tried to kill them?

And who cared about anyone else anyway, even his friends. He would be better off without them. He was the strongest member of their group after all; they should be bowing down to him. And if he ruled, then he could make things the way he wanted. Everyone should respect and fear him. If they didn't, then he should simply-

A pained cry suddenly escaped him as he hit the bottom, his fingers getting crushed beneath the handle. At first he was even more furious than before, but the pain was enough to clear his head, and he couldn't believe the thoughts that had been filling his mind. Never had he had such horrible thoughts before, not even when he had been hit by MegaDarknessBagramon's Evil Charm attack.

It was the water, he realized. The Dark Ocean was taking hold of him. Shakamon had warned him of this. He hadn't even been under that long; he could tell by how much longer he knew he could still hold his breath, even if the cold and the pressure were making it difficult. He had to get out of here, fast, and so he began feeling around in the blackness. Shakamon had said that MegaDarknessBagramon's arm was right around here.

He felt the darkness closing in on him, and he tried not to think about it, to clear his mind and be free of that. He realized very quickly though that that wasn't working. With a clear head, it was actually easier for the darkness to invade his mind, as if the Dark Ocean were simply filling up the empty space with wicked thoughts. He attempted to use his Status Barrier to cancel out any status disorders affecting him, but found that that did nothing.

Instead, he tried to focus on his loved ones. On his family waiting for him back home, even his annoying little brother. On his friends here, who had come to mean as much to him as family. On his other friends at home, who would never believe any of this. On his girlfriend, Zoe, and how much he missed her and felt bad for missing their date.

It helped a little, as he was able to focus on these fun, happy times rather than the unhappy ones the Dark Ocean was stirring up. But even that only bought him time. Not every moment with his loved ones were all sunshine and rainbows, and his thoughts of them turned to unpleasant memories. Arguments with his family, fights with his friends, lover's quarrels with his girlfriend, all these small, insignificant spats that were done and over with and were no longer important, were all brought to the forefront of his mind and amplified, making him remember all the bad times and making them seem much bigger than they were as the darkness that was poisoning his mind and tainting his memories, and he began to grow angry and spiteful towards the world again.

His wandering hand suddenly made contact with something that jolted him out of his thoughts. Whatever it was, he felt power radiating through it, a type of power that seemed to touch the depths of his soul. This had to be what he was looking for. Or it better be anyway, because he was running out of time. Not just from holding his breath, but also from holding onto who he really was. If he didn't get out of here right now, he was going to lose himself.

Taking hold of MegaDarknessBagramon's arm fragment, he brought the handle to the end. He fumbled with how it was meant to attach for a few moments, but once he had it right, he found that it fit perfectly into place as if it were made for it, and he felt a new power flow through both. There was no time to dwell on it though, and he kicked off the floor and shot up to the surface. It was difficult, not just because the weapon he was holding was weighing him down, but also because the water seemed to be trying to pull him back down into its depths. But now the anger the darkness was stirring up inside him worked in his favor, as it fueled his strength as he kicked for the surface.

He wasn't going to make it, he realized, and not just in running out of air, but keeping hold of himself. And he had no idea how much farther it was to the surface, the lack of light preventing him from judging the distance. But in a final desperate act, he used his Heavy Tackle attack, launching himself upward, knowing this was his last chance.

The surface of the water exploded, and the DigiDestined gasped as Susanoomon emerged. They had been worried about him; he had been down there for so long, and it had been impossible to see anything beneath the surface. But now he was out, hovering in front of then with a weapon of some kind in his hands.

More gasps escaped them as they took in the sight of the god Digimon. He was surrounded by a black aura and had become darker in color, and his eyes were glowing red. He gripped the weapon tightly in his hands as a growl escaped him, and he glared at them.

"Susanoomon?" Omnimon asked carefully.

"Move aside," Shakamon demanded urgently, and flew forward. "Light of the Spider's Thread!"

The halo on his back shined brightly. Susanoomon cried out as the light shined over him. The black aura surrounding him vanished like the flame of a candle being blown out, and his color returned to normal. His eyes stopped glowing, and he blinked a few times before one of his hands went to his head.

"Ah, geez, what the heck!?" he snapped.

"Forgive me," Shakamon told him. "I had to purify whatever darkness had affected you."

Susanoomon shook his head as his thoughts cleared. "What? Oh, uh, no, thanks for that." He looked back down into the water. "That was easily the worst experience of my life."

The Sovereign nodded. "You've touched evil in its purest, rawest form, but you did well."

"Shakamon!" Huanglongmon's voice rang out from the Dark Whirlpool. "We need you now!"

The Sovereign and DigiDestined turned back to the whirlpool and rushed over. To their horror, GranDracmon was a good way up the length of the whirlpool, and Zhuqiaomon and Azulongmon had already retreated back to where Baihumon and Ebonwumon were. Worse, Azulongmon appeared to have been frozen by the demon beast Digimon, and Zhuqiaomon was attempting to use his flames to melt him out of the ice, the dragon Digimon draped over his much smaller body.

Shakamon flew straight down, past the other Sovereigns, towards GranDracmon, and the demon beast Digimon sneered up at him. "Gorgon Eye!"

"Light of the Spider's Thread!"

Shakamon's light shined brightly, and GranDracmon snarled, looking away as he held up an arm over his face in a futile attempt to block out the light, the gesture interrupting his attack's effect.

"Mantra of Neglect!" Shakamon cried, pushing GranDracmon back down. He had to repeat his attack nearly a dozen times before the demon beast Digimon was forced back into the abyss, and his voice echoed up the length of the whirlpool.

"You can't keep this up forever," he called up to the Sovereigns. "Nothing you do can stop me."

Shakamon's eyes narrowed. "He's not wrong. We must disable him completely and destabilize the Dark Whirlpool. It's the only way to end this."

Susanoomon held up the weapon he had constructed. At first glance, it looked like little more than a broom, only instead of a bushy, straw head, it had a claw at the end, the pointed fingers sticking straight out, almost like it was a pitchfork. "Well, we have this thing." He hesitated for a moment. "What is it exactly?"

Shakamon glanced at the god Digimon and the weapon he held. "What you hold in your hands is the Brave Snatcher. With it, we can reach GranDracmon's DigiCore." He closed his eyes. "But that alone will not be enough. To truly put an end to this and see to it that the portal closes, we will have to put an end to his entire domain."

Omnimon glanced at Huanglongmon. "Can't Huanglongmon do that? He has that attack that destroys everything, doesn't he?"

The Sovereign in question shook his head. "My Taiji attack completely destroys whatever it comes in contact with, which is why I'm always so careful with it. The Dark Area is a layer of the Digital World. Even though it's separated from the rest of it, it's still connected. To use my attack on it would cause a chain reaction that would eventually destroy the Digital World as a whole."

"The Digital World would then be reset," Azulongmon added, as the last of the ice was melted off of him. "Everything would have to start over again from scratch. That includes the war between the light and the darkness."

"Well, screw that," Imperialdramon exclaimed. "We just won the war for the light." He glanced down into the whirlpool's depths. "Well, sort of. More to the point, we wouldn't be coming back if everything reset. Oh, more Gizumon incoming."

As the others began firing attacks down at the approaching unidentified Digimon, Susanoomon looked down at the Brave Snatcher. "Well then, what was the point of this thing?"

No one said anything, seemingly at a loss. Shakamon, however, looked at the DigiDestined as if he knew something, but then he diverted his eyes.

"GranDracmon, incoming," Imperialdramon announced as the demon beast Digimon emerged again with the still swarming Gizumon.

Seraphimon's fists clenched for a few moments before letting out a sigh. He flew over to Susanoomon and held out his hands. "Give it to me. I have a plan. It's risky, but I think it'll work."

Susanoomon nodded, handing it over. "Be careful, it's heavy as hell."

Seraphimon accepted the Brave Snatcher, nearly dropping it when the god Digimon let go. "Geez! Heavy, you said? Talk about an understatement."

Ophanimon C flew over as the others began launching attacks at the Gizumon. "What's the plan? I'll help."

Seraphimon shook his head, turning to her. "Not this time. It's better if I go alone. Plus, you'll be needed here to help fight the Gizumon."

"Which are coming closer," Gallantmon X called to them. "Royal Saber!"

As the others resumed firing attacks down at the Gizumon, Seraphimon pressed his forehead to Ophanimon C's. "It'll be ok. I know what I'm doing."

She placed her hand to the back of his head and pulled him in, pressing a kiss to where she surmised his mouth was behind his helmet, heedless of who might see. "Please be careful. Come back to me."

He took her hand, giving it an affectionate squeeze. "Don't worry, everything will be alright."

Letting her go, he gripped the Brave Snatcher tightly and looked down at the approaching demon beast Digimon.

"It won't be enough to just keep him down," Shakamon said. "We'll need to push him completely into the Dark Area once more." He turned to his fellow Sovereigns. "I'll need your help for that, my brethren."

"Aye, you can count on us," said one of Ebonwumon's heads.

"You humans deal with the Gizumon," Huanglongmon ordered. "The rest of us will focus on GranDracmon. Taiji!"

As he fired a beam down at the demon beast Digimon, Azulongmon curled his body into a circle, almost as if he were biting his tail, and the space between filled with energy and fired a massive lightning beam as he unleashed his Aurora Force. Both Ebonwumon's heads opened their mouths and fired their Double Dragon Wave, spouting out streams of water. Zhuqiaomon used his Blazing Helix, flapping his wings to send a spiral of fire. Baihumon manifested a large ball of metal and launched it with his Bronze Cannon. Lastly, Shakamon used his Mantra of Neglect, this time cupping his hands around his mouth before unleashing his cry in a concentrated path.

The attacks flew down and collided with GranDracmon, and the demon beast Digimon grunted. Thanks to his immortal body, he sustained no damage, but he still felt the pain of the attacks, and they succeeded in pushing him down, down, down.

Gripping the Brave Snatcher, Seraphimon prepared to fly down after him. If Susanoomon was almost corrupted going into the Dark Ocean, from which the evil of the Dark Area simply seeped into, he was not looking forward to flying into the evil realm itself. It was something he knew needed to be done though, and he braced himself to fly into the darkness.

Just as he was about to head down into the abyss, he suddenly heard Shakamon's voice in his head. "I know what you're planning. You're certain of this?"

His grip on the Brave Snatcher tightened as he thought back at the Sovereign. "You know it's the only way. You've known since you suggested it."

A few seconds passed where Shakamon said nothing, but then he spoke in his head once more. "You are very brave, Takeru Takaishi. I will keep a link open for you so you will not be alone."

Seraphimon appreciated that. He was already nervous enough, and could feel his heart racing as he watched the Sovereigns' attacks push GranDracmon back down into the darkness once more. He had to do this now before he lost his nerve.

"Thank you," he told the Sovereign, but hesitated as another thought occurred to him, and he wondered if Shakamon would know what direction his thoughts were taking. "Will everything be ok if I do this?"

Shakamon gave him a nod. "Yes."

The Sovereign's word was good enough for Seraphimon, and with that, he flew down after GranDracmon, flying past all the Gizumon. Some fired at him, but he dodged the attacks and ignored his attackers. There was only one target he had in mind.

The farther down he went, the darker it got, the colder it got. This place, this darkness, was not right. No living creature was meant to be in a place like this. He was grateful for the Sovereigns' attacks flowing downward, as they gave him a path to follow in the darkness, otherwise he would not have even known which way was up.

It was incredibly unsettling. He wanted nothing more than to turn around and go back to the surface, but he knew this needed to be done, so he pushed onward. He began humming to himself under his breath to help settle his nerves, but it brought him little comfort. There was nothing that could possibly make this journey any easier. While it was true that he and the others had been sent to Digimon Hell thanks to Bagramon, but the Dark Area was even worse, and he wasn't even in it yet.

It was ok though, he told himself. Soon this would all be over, and then the Digital World would be saved, and everyone could finally go home. He just had to steel his nerves to do this and do what needed to be done. He thought about his friends and reminded himself that he was doing this for them. For OmniShoutmon, for Tai, for Davis, for Takato, for Takuya, for Kari.

Kari. His thoughts focused on her specifically. It may have sounded cheesy, but she was the brightest light in the darkness. No, in his life in general. He would do anything for her, he knew that, and he felt his heart swell with love for her.

Even when they were kids, she had always been special to him, their bond growing deeper and becoming so much more as they got older. Now she was everything to him. He wondered when his feelings for her had begun to shift to love. The way his feelings changed had seemed so natural, until one day he realized what his feelings for her truly meant. And as he continued humming to himself, he found himself shifting to a different tune as he thought back on their lives together, and he found himself settling on a song that seemed to perfectly portray their relationship, and his humming was soon replaced by the actual song's lyrics slipping past his lips.

"Before I know it, I'm watching you.
Standing diagonally behind you.
Am I the focus of your heart?"

Higher up the whirlpool, the Sovereigns continued to fire, pushing GranDracmon further and further down. The DigiDestined were busy fighting off the Gizumon. Fortunately, the wave of unidentified Digimon was a manageable number, though they were still kept busy making sure none got out.

"Hey, do you hear something?" Imperialdramon asked as he destroyed another Gizumon with his Imperial Claw attack.

"We've been together since we were small.
Running and falling, we were always laughing."

"Sounds like someone's singing," Gallantmon X replied as he held up his shield to block the laser attacks a group of Gizumon were firing at him.

Susanoomon looked down into the whirlpool. "It sounds like Seraphimon singing."

"I'm not grown up yet,
but now I can run farther than I used to."

"It is Seraphimon," Ophanimon C replied, recognizing his voice.

Omnimon recognized the angel Digimon's voice as well. "She's right. But how can we hear him from way down there? He doesn't have telepathy."

"It would be better if I'd never noticed.
I can't get you off my mind."

Shakamon continued to unleash his Mantra of Neglect, the last syllable still being drawn out, and he sent his words directly into the DigiDestined's heads. "That is because I am projecting his voice to you. It's so he would not be alone while going into the darkness."

"Well, that's very thoughtful of you," Gallantmon X replied, though he wondered if Seraphimon knew the Sovereign was projecting to all of them like this.

"You used to cry all the time.
Now you're standing in the light.
All I want to know is,
who is the focus of your heart?"

"Ok, but why is he singing? Susanoomon wondered out loud. "And why such a sappy song?"

At his question, Ophanimon C's heart skipped a beat. She knew the song Seraphimon was singing, and she also knew the meaning behind it. He was singing about her. About them. About the unspoken feelings between them, those that had grown over the years of their friendship together. It was the perfect song for them. Even though they were sort of together now, they had never really, truly said out loud what their feelings were, having decided to put them on hold and not truly speak of them until they were safely back home.

"No matter how much I stretched, I couldn't reach,
but now I can open that door."

"Never mind what he's doing," Omnimon told the others. We have our own job to do. Stay focused on the Gizumon."

"We are doing well," Alphamon said. "Keep it up a little longer and this wave will be done. I'm confident your friend will take care of things on his end quickly."

Ophanimon C nodded. "Yes, he will. I know he will."

"The truth is, I have lots of things I want to tell you,
but it won't come out right."

"He better hurry it up though," Susanoomon commented. "I honestly don't know how much longer I can hold this form. I'm already struggling not to revert back to human."

Omnimon nodded. "So am I. We must be almost out of power. But have faith. Just a little longer."

"We can do it," OmniShoutmon X encouraged. "We can do it!"

"We were always protected,
but now the one I want to protect is…"

A feeling of unease, ran through Gallantmon X. Something seemed off with the way Seraphimon was singing. It felt too emotional, too personal, like he was trying to convey something rather than just singing some random love song. For some reason, it made him think of Jeri, and all the things he still wanted to say to her, and he planned to do just that when they got back home.

"Guys, does anyone else feel like he's singing this song for a reason? Like he's trying to say something?"

Susanoomon, who had just reformed after having split into the ten Legendary Warriors to strike down a group of Gizumon with his Heavenly Wings Beheading, nodded as he thought about his own girlfriend. "I was getting that feeling too. You think he's singing to someone? A girl he likes in the Real World?"

OmniShoutmon X rolled his eyes as he cut a Gizumon in half with his bladed legs. "You guys are oblivious idiots."

"Before I know it, I'm watching you.
Standing diagonally behind you.
Am I the focus of your heart?
I can't ask."

"TK…" Ophanimon C whispered, feeling her heart clench and tears prickle her eyes.

She couldn't take this. She knew that they had decided to put off using labels on their relationship or becoming an official couple until they were safely back home, but hearing his heartfelt symphony, she didn't care anymore. As soon as he came up, she was going to tell him exactly what was in her heart, and she didn't care what anyone else thought about it. She had been bottling up her feelings for too long, and it had gotten even harder after they'd had their first kiss. But she was done hiding what she was feeling. It was high-time everyone knew.

"You used to cry all the time.
Now you're standing in the light.
All I want to know is,
who is the focus of your heart?"

As the final words of the song left his lips, Seraphimon could finally make out the form of GranDracmon in the darkness, illuminated by the Sovereigns' attacks as they pushed against him, sending him deeper into the darkness. It almost seemed poetic that he would reach his target just as the song ended.

Gripping the Brave Snatcher tightly, he flew down past GranDracmon. The demon beast Digimon didn't seem to have noticed him just yet, but Seraphimon was sure that he was about to once he did what he was planning. He flew down behind him, down to his lower back, right where GranDracmon's wings were connected to his body, and raised the Brave Snatcher.

With a swinging motion, he brought the weapon down. The claw at the end of the Brave Snatcher cut into GranDracmon's flesh. It didn't leave a wound, not exactly, but a it opened up… something. He now seemed to have a tear in his back that was made of Fractal Code, and bits of data floated away from the incision. GranDracmon let out a grunt at the cut, and he attempted to look over his shoulder to see what he felt, but the angle prevented him from seeing anything.

Bracing himself, Seraphimon charged forward, straight into the strange, digital incision he'd made in GranDracmon's back. He suddenly found himself completely surrounded by Fractal Code, as if he were in a room whose ceiling, walls, and floor was all made up of it. The sole exception in his surroundings was the opening he had made in GranDracmon's body that led back out into the darkness.

Seraphimon could hardly believe it. He was inside GranDracmon's very being, the code that made the demon beast Digimon what he was surrounding him. It was an unsettling thought. It almost felt like he was possessing him by entering inside him. And with him being and angel and GranDracmon being a demon, the irony was not lost on him.

He looked around to see if he could see anything, and soon realized that protruding from the walls of Fractal Code were numerous bands of Fractal Code. They all seemed to be going in the same direction though, and so he followed them, going deeper into GranDracmon's being.

Far up above, the Sovereigns continued to unleash their attacks on GranDracmon as the DigiDestined destroyed the Gizumon trying to escape. But as they attacked, Shakamon's voice faltered for a moment as he gasped.

Noticing the brief lapse in the tathagata Digimon's attack, Azulongmon glanced at him. "Shakamon, what's happened?"

"Abbadomon," his fellow Sovereign telepathically declared since he could not speak while unleashing his Mantra of Neglect attack. "He's reached the Dark Whirlpool. He's coming through on the other side now."

And indeed he was. At the other end of the whirlpool, a large black sphere covered in red cracks of light with large jaws and numerous tentacles had flown into the vcortex. It flew up the length of the whirlpool, passing by GranDracmon as the Sovereigns' attacks proceeded to push the demon beast Digimon down.

"If Abbadomon has entered the Dark Whirlpool, then he will reach us in a matter of minutes," Zhuqiaomon declared.

Upon hearing this, Imperialdramon turned to the Sovereigns. "Abbadomon is coming? Right now?" He looked into the darkness. "Should we go down and fight him?"

"No, humans," Shakamon told them. "Continue to make sure the Gizumon do not get by. We will have to rely on your friend now."

Back down into the darkness, Seraphimon made his way through GranDracmon's very being. As he flew along, he saw that the countless bands of Fractal Code had started coming together, as if they had originated from a single point, and then branched out until they formed the walls of GranDracmon's being.

"Seraphimon," Shakamon's voice suddenly echoed in his head. "You must be fast. Abbadomon is making his way up the Dark Whirlpool, and we cannot cease out attacks on GranDracmon to stop him. You have only a few minutes left."

Seraphimon's grip on the Brave Snatcher tightened as he began flying faster. "Just hang on. I think I'm almost there."

He made his way further through GranDracmon's being. It was impossible to tell where to go, as everything looked the same, just walls of Fractal Code. It was only the bands of Fractal Code that he was following that gave him any direction. He continued to follow them as the number of bands decreased as more and more of them that came together the deeper he flew into the demon beast Digimon.

Finally, he stopped. He'd found what he was looking for. The hundreds or thousands of bands if Fractal Code had all come together until only six remained. And those six were attached to what could only be GranDracmon's DigiCore. It was a black sphere with zeros and ones flowing over the surface, the six Fractal Code bands emerging from it and branching off into all the others.

"Seraphimon," came Shakamon's voice from inside his head again, "GranDracmon has just been pushed out of the other end of the Dark Whirlpool. He's back in the Dark Area. The time to strike is now."

Seraphimon pointed the Brave Snatcher at GranDracmon's DigiCore. "Perfect timing."

He flew forward and stabbed the clawed end of the Brave Snatcher into the DigiCore. A blood-curdling roar escaped the demon beast Digimon as his entire being shook, but Seraphimon knew that it wasn't enough yet.

He kept the weapon buried deep into the DigiCore as he called out to Shakamon. "I got him. Shakamon, can you please relay something to my friends for me?"

"They have been able to hear you this entire time," came the Sovereign's reply.

Despite the severity of the situation at hand, Seraphimon felt his face redden behind his helmet. That meant that they had heard him singing!

"I told you that I would keep an open link," Shakamon told him.

"I thought you meant with you!"

"My apologies. But if you wish to speak to them, then do it now. Speak quickly though; I don't know how my longer my brethren and I can keep these attacks going, and Abbadomon is closing the distance faster than expected."

Before Seraphimon could say anything to that, he suddenly heard Ophanimon C's voice. "TK, what's going on down there?"

"And what was the whole singing thing about?" Imperialdramon asked.

Seraphimon felt himself blush again, but pushed his embarrassment aside; now was not the time. "Guys, listen to me, I'm about to end this. Then the Digital World will be safe, and all of you can go home."

"Great," Susanoomon cried. "Then hurry up and do what you need to do and get out of there."

"Wait a second," said Omnimon. "What you just said there, what do you mean 'all of you' can go home? Don't you mean 'us'?"

There was a moment of silence, and then Ophanimon C's voice asked, "TK?"

Seraphimon winced. Although he couldn't see her, he could hear the fear and concern in her voice. "Sorry, guys, but it doesn't look like I'm going to make it out of this one."

"What the hell does that mean?" Susanoomon demanded.

"Yeah, it sounds like you're giving up," said Imperialdramon. "You can't give up, you're TK. You're Mr. Hopeful. You're not allowed to give up."

Seraphimon let out a sigh. "It's not a matter of giving up. It's a matter of being out of other options. I knew it would come to this as soon as Shakamon told us what needed to be done to stop GranDracmon and destroy the portal."

"And what's that?" Omnimon demanded furiously. "Just what is it that you think needs to be done to stop GranDracmon?

The angel Digimon's grip on the Brave Snatcher tightened as he kept it buried in the demon beast Digimon's DigiCore. "I have an attack that I never used before. My most powerful attack. There's a reason why I've never used it, but now is the time."

"Stop being cryptic!" Imperialdramon snapped impatiently. "Wait, is that the right word? Yes, cryptic. What's this attack, and what's so bad about it?"

He couldn't see it, but Seraphimon could almost visualize Gallantmon X turning to OmniShoutmon X as he asked. "OmniShoutmon, what's he talking about?"

There was a few moments of silence before the dragon Digimon answered. "He's going to convert his life energy into power to create an explosion equivalent to what you humans call the Big Bang. But the attack requires him to sacrifice himself."

"NO!" Ophanimon C shouted. "Don't you do it! No, TK, you can't do this!"

He closed his eyes, the desperation in her voice alone nearly breaking his resolve. "It's ok, Kari. I-"

"No, it's not ok! Don't you do this! You come back up here right now! Right now, TK!"

"I can't do that, Kari. This is the only way. But it's ok. I've actually been expecting this ever since I got my reading from AncientWisemon."

"But that happened already," she objected. "Remember, it was that whole thing with you turning to stone to stop DanDevimon."

On reflex, Seraphimon shook his head, even though he knew his friends couldn't see it. "I think we can all agree that that was just wishful thinking. Back then, I realized I wasn't going to escape Bagramon turning me to stone, so I just took DanDevimon with me. But AncientWisemon asked if I would be willing to sacrifice myself to save all of you. The scenario back then didn't match the reading. AncientWisemon asked me if I would be willing to sacrifice myself to save all of you, and I told him that I was. That was true then, and it's true now. In fact, using this attack was actually the scenario I was expecting when he told me what my future held. That whole thing with DanDevimon, I think that was some desperate form of denial. But I see it now. This is the moment from my reading that AnientWisemon foresaw."

"No, it can't be!" Omnimon insisted. "There has to be another way. There has to."

"Shakamon," Gallantmon X said desperately, "please tell us there's something else that can be done."

He heard the Sovereign sigh. "I'm sorry, children, but I'm afraid that I see no other solution, and we're running out of time. Abbadomon is over halfway up the length of the whirlpool, and my brethren and I can't keep GranDracmon down for much longer."

In response to that, Seraphimon twisted the Brave Snatcher into the DigiCore, and he heard GranDracmon grunt in pain again. "Don't worry, I'll end things in a minute."

"Well hurry up, human," Zhuqiaomon growled. "Unless you want Abbadomon to escape."

"TK, please," Ophanimon C begged, and he could hear in her voice that she was crying. "I can't lose you. I need you. Please, don't do this. Come back to us. Come back to me. You can't just leave me like this."

Her plea almost made him abandon his plan, but then he remembered that the alternative was that GranDracmon would end up killing them all, and he steeled his resolve. "I'm sorry, Kari. This is why I didn't want us making any commitments or making anything official between us. But it's ok, I'm fine with this.

"I'm not!" she bellowed, now sounding angry. "You can't just go and sacrifice yourself like this! I won't let you!"

"Kari, stop, where are you going!?"

"Let go of me, Tai! We can't let him do this!"

"Stay away, guys!" Seraphimon warned. "You have to stay on the other side of the whirlpool for when it collapses, or you'll get caught in the blast. So keep away, I'm activating my attack now."

"No, TK, don't!" Ophanimon C shouted, and he could tell by her voice that she was struggling against Omnimon's hold on her. "Please! Please! Please!"

Seraphimon squeezed his eyes shut tight. The hardest part about this was not embracing death, he had been prepared for that for months, but knowing what it would do to everyone else. He thought about his family and friends back home, and pain gripped his heart at how much this was going to hurt them.

"I know this is asking a lot," he said quietly, "but please take care of my family. I know they'll never believe any of this, but at least tell them something. And make sure to let the know that I love them."

"Damn you," Omnimon growled, sounding close to tears. "Damn you for doing this. TK. Damn you for being so stupid and selfless and brave. Damn this whole situation. Alright, fine, we'll do it, but damn it all to Hell all the same."

Seraphimon couldn't help letting out a small sigh of relief. "Thanks, guys. You're the best friends anyone could ever have. I'll miss you all."

"TK, please," Ophanimon C wept. "Please, don't."

"And Kari…" he said, hesitating a moment. He wondered if he should say it now. at the end, if it was fair to do that to her, or if it would just be cruel. But no, she deserved to know, and he wanted to finally be able to say it. "You were the best thing to ever happen to me. You really were the light in my life, and I'm so sorry that things had to end this way. Just know that I love you. I love you, Hikari Kamiya. I always have."

He heard a few surprised gasps, but he wasn't sure from which of his friends. It wasn't Ophanimon C though, because he heard a tearful cry escape her instead.

"Human, we're running out of time!" Huanglongmon told him.

Seraphimon took a deep breath. "Right. Thanks for holding out this long. And guys, thank you too, for everything. I'll see you on the other side." And, not wanting his friends to have to listen to him die, he said, "Ok, Shakamon, that's enough. Cut the link."

He heard Ophanimon C gasp. "No, TK, wai-"

She was cut off as the connection was broken. And that was it, he was left with only his own thoughts. It was now up to him to take down GranDracmon, alone.

"You're not alone," said a voice in his head. "I've been with you the entire time."

He paused. He recognized that voice. It was his own. Not his human voice, but the voice of a certain angel Digimon he had come to know very well. "Seraphimon…" he whispered.

He felt his lips curl into a smile, but it wasn't him that was smiling. Rather, it was the angel Digimon he was inhabiting. "You've never been alone, TK. I've been fighting by your side all along. You've done well to fulfill my role. I'm very proud of you, and so very grateful." He felt their eyes narrow in determination. "Now, let's make sure GranDracmon can never harm anyone every again."

He nodded, and gripped the Brave Snatcher even tighter. "Yes, let's."

He tapped into the very depths of his power, summoning forth all he had. Above him, a halo of light appeared over his head. It stretched wide, expanding outward, then descended until it was hovering around his mid-section. From there, it began to gyrate, twisting and rotating around him as he filled it with his very life energy.

Then the halo multiplied, so there were now two gyrating around him. They multiplied again so that there were four, then eight, then sixteen, then more. The halos continued to increase in number as they gyrated around the angel Digimon until he was completely surrounded in a sphere of light.

"Well," he said with a sigh, feeling strangely calm for some reason, "I guess this is it."

"Looks like it," the voice of Seraphimon spoke in his head. "It was an honor working with you. Now, let's go out with a bang."

He nodded, and the sphere of light shined brighter and brighter as a humming sound filled the air, steadily getting louder.

"Rising Halo!" they cried together.

The sphere of light erupted, and the blast filled GranDracmon's inner being. The demon beast Digimon bellowed as the explosion burst from the opening Seraphimon had made in his lower back, completely consuming him and spreading across the Dark Area, obliterating all the Gizumon.

The explosion flowed up the length of the Dark Whirlpool, wiping out any Gizumon that were still in it. It soon caught up with Abbadomon, just as the Sovereigns and the DigiDestined were in his sight. He became distracted by the incoming explosion and looked down. A moment later, the blast flowed over him, blasting straight through his body and reaching his core body. A loud bellow escaped him as both his main body and his core body burst into data, and the explosion continued its way up the whirlpool.

The whirlpool became unstable as the blast flowed up it, and its walls began to come down. The DigiDestined and the Sovereigns were hovering at the entrance of the whirlpool, and as the explosion made its way up the funnel, they pulled back, racing for the opening.

The Dark Whirlpool became more and more unstable, losing its form, and finally its walls collapsed inward, the whirlpool imploding, and the opening closed. The water burst upward in a watery explosion, but the actual blast from Seraphimon's attack had been cut off from the whirlpool's collapse. The dark water came raining down over the Sovereigns and DigiDestined, but Shakamon's halo shined brightly with his Light of the Spider's Thread, purifying any evil the raining water may have infected them with.

The last of the black water stopping raining down, and the surface of the Dark Ocean slowly settled until it was calm and flat once more. Then it slowly began to fade out. And when the last traces of the Dark Ocean disappeared, the ground wasn't even damp.

Notes:

(A/N: And it looks like both Seraphimon and TK are going out with a bang. Did you really think what happened between him and DanDevimon was his prophecy? Nope, sorry, that was just meant to mislead you. This was the moment AncientWisemon spoke of during TK's reading. And he embraced it without hesitation. It also gave me the opportunity to his song Focus, which TK is known for singing on a Digimon music album. I left a link at the bottom if you want to hear it. I found a few different translations of the words, but the ones I included seem to be the best translation of it. I thought including the song really upped the drama and emotional impact with TK knowing he was going off to his death. But it seemed like it worked. But what's going to become of our remaining heroes? Will they finally be able to go home now that everything is over, or is something else going to go wrong. Find out next time.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear or are mentioned.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Megidramon_X

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Brave_Snatcher

youtube.com/watch?v=xp4J8Fzull0

Chapter 204: Focus and Reflection

Notes:

(A/N: After a rather emotional moment last chapter, Seraphimon sacrificed himself to unleash his Rising Halo attack that succeeded in taking down all the baddies and closing the portal to the Dark Area. And now it's time to see the aftermath of his choice. Is everything finally over? Can our heroes finally go home? And will it still be home without TK? Let's see what happens.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 204: Focus and Reflection

The Sovereigns and DigiDestined stared at the ground that had once been covered by the Dark Ocean. There wasn't so much as a drop of water left behind, and any entrance to the Dark Area was absent, as if the Dark Ocean had never appeared at all.

"It is done," Shakamon said quietly. "Both the Dark Ocean and the Dark Area have departed back to their respective layers. All is as it should be once more."

The DigiDestined continued to stare in silence, but it was soon broken by Ophanimon C as she flew down to the ground and began digging furiously. "TK! TK! TK!"

The others landed behind her, but she paid them no mind as she grabbed handfuls of dirt and tossed it aside.

"Ophanimon," OmniShoutmon X said sadly, "that's not going to work."

"I have to get to TK!" she cried as she continued to dig. "I have to get him out!"

"You can't," Alphamon replied. "The Dark Area and the Dark Ocean are on different layers of the Digital World. Digging won't do anything; you can't get there through physical means. They're separated by dimensional barriers."

Ophanimon C grabbed another handful of dirt, but rather than throwing it aside, she gripped it tightly in her fists and slammed them on the ground. "No!" She turned to the Sovereigns. "You have to send us there! Use whatever magic dimension warping powers you have and send us there!"

"Child," Azulongmon said softly, "we cannot."

Behind her helmet, her tear-filled eyes narrowed in determination. "Fine, I'll find a way myself. Mastemon had the power to cross dimensions, I'll go see her."

She stubbornly began to walk away. OmniShoutmon X went after her, stopping her when he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Ophanimon," he said quietly, "he's gone. He couldn't possibly have survived that blast. Even if by some miracle he could, the attack requires him to use his very life force to fuel it. He couldn't have used that attack unless he sacrificed himself."

His words hit home, and more tears began streaming down her cheeks. "No…"

She dropped to her knees and began weeping. She reverted back to her human form as the tears fell from her eyes. One by one, each of the DigiDestined resumed their human forms and approached her. Tai knelt at her side and put an arm around her, and she threw herself into his chest and began wailing out her grief.

"It's ok," he told her quietly, doing his best to hold back his own tears, and failing miserably. "It's ok."

Kari just shook her head as she buried her face into his shirt, soaking it through in no time. The rest of the teens had silent tears streaming down their own cheeks as they tried to be strong.

"That jerk," Takuya growled, sounding half angry, half grief stricken. "That selfish, selfless jerk."

Takato sniffed, on the verging of starting to ball himself. "That doesn't even make sense," he said, not knowing what else to say.

Davis' fists clenched, and he shouted loudly before dropping to his knees and began punching the ground. "Stupid, dumb, TS! How could he do that? He's such a… a… AH!"

OmniShoutmon X was crying as well, but he was in more control of himself than the teens. "I should have seen this coming. After he told us what AncientWisemon said to him, I should have guessed that it would mean he would use his Rising Halo attack at some point." His fists clenched. "I guess like him, I too was just fooling myself into thinking his reading meant something else. But, damn it, I should have stopped him! Once he said that he would take care of GranDracmon, I should have realized what he was planning and stopped him!"

Alphamon came over and placed a hand on his shoulder. "It wouldn't have done any good. I may not have known TK the human, but if he was able to embody Seraphimon, then you know there would have been no stopping him. He would have done whatever was necessary to stop GranDracmon, just like my fellow Guardians and I did to stop ZeedMillenniummon."

"He is correct," Shakamon replied. "Takeru was chosen to embody Seraphimon because he was the most suitable, and he had the most similar qualities."

Kari continued to weep into her brother's shirt, but pulled back enough to speak. "This is your fault. You brought us here to do your dirty work. You should have just left us alone and handled your own problems!"

Shakamon winced, but did not deny her words. And although Tai was having similar thoughts towards the Sovereign, he still gave him an apologetic look as he patted his sister's head. "You don't mean that, Kari."

"Yes, I do!" she insisted into his thoroughly soaked shirt. "If he hadn't had brought us here, then TK would still be alive!"

Tai sighed. "You know what TK's like. He wouldn't have been able to say no to someone in need. Even if he knew what he was getting into, I'm sure he would have done it all over again. And don't forget that he saved all of us. He saved the world."

"I don't care about the world!" she shrieked, squeezing his shirt in her fists. "I want TK! I want him back! Give him back to me!"

Shakamon closed his eyes, his own tears filling them. "I'm so sorry. She's right, I never should have involved you in any of this." He looked at OmniShoutmon X. "And the fault is my own. It is I who should have stopped him."

Takuya glared at the Sovereign. "Wait, you knew? You knew what he was going to do?"

A deep sigh escaped the Sovereign. "I knew it was something only he could do, but it was something I had no right to ask, which is why I did not voice it. Yet I saw him figure it out on his own. Even so, I still had to ask if he was sure about his decision, and he assured me that he was."

"So you did know!" Takuya shouted, not caring that he was yelling at the highest-ranking Sovereign. "You knew what was going to happen, and you just let him do it anyway! You knew he wouldn't be able to say no, but you let him do it anyway! You gave me that stupid handle thing and sent me down to get that dumb arm piece to make that… that… claw-spear thing, and then watched as I handed it over to Seraphimon, knowing full well what the outcome would be! How could you do that? You should have stopped him! Why didn't you stop him?"

Zhuqiaomon's eyes narrowed at the manner in which the teen was talking to the head Sovereign. "It was a necessary sacrifice, and it was your friend who chose to make it all on his own. Neither you or anyone else had the right to take that choice away from him. And had he not done what he did, we would all have been destroyed, and GranDracmon would be rampaging the Digital World right now rather than being permanently crippled and trapped in the Dark Area. And then there's what the Gizumon and Abbadomon would have done to consider."

"He still had no right!" Takato argued back in agreement with Takuya. "Especially knowing that TK would feel obligated to go. And especially not after everything we did for this world."

The phoenix Digimon's eyes flashed angrily, but Shakamon held up a hand to silence him. "They are right. I didn't have the right. We are the ones meant to govern this world and maintain the balance and harmony. But we allowed it to fall to the state it was in until we were forced to rely on these brave children. But none of them had anything to do with any of this. By rights, I should have stopped Takeru from sacrificing himself, regardless of the consequences."

"Shakamon," Baihumon growled in disapproval.

"However," the tathagata Digimon continued, "as the head Sovereign, I was obligated to do whatever was necessary for this world's sake, which is why I allowed him to make his sacrifice, Therefore, the fault lies with me, and I must live with that decision."

"At least you get to live," Kari said cruelly. "TK still had his whole life ahead of him." She whimpered some more, clinging to her brother. "Why did he have to be so noble?"

A growl escaped Davis. "He's such a moron. Other people besides the Digital World needed him. How could he just leave Kari like that? Doesn't he know how much he means to her? And after she picked him over me. Gah!"

He kicked a rock in frustration, and it flew off into the distance. Tai blinked at his outburst, looking from Davis to Kari. "Wait, am I missing something? I feel like there's more going on here than I know about."

OmniShoutmon X scoffed and rolled his eyes. "You really are an oblivious idiot. Didn't you hear TK's last words?" He nodded at Kari. "To her specifically."

Tai blinked again. "Yeah, he said that he… loved… her…" He slowly looked down at his sister. "Kari?"

"Idiot," OmniShoutmon X muttered.

Kari pulled back from her brother, still weeping as she futilely wiped her eyes. "We were together. Well, sort of. We decided to wait until we got back home before we made anything official or said anything to anyone, just… just in case something happened to one… to one of us." She began crying harder. "But it doesn't change anything. Being official or using labels didn't change how I felt. And it didn't change it for him either."

She once again grabbed fistfuls of Tai's shirt, burying her face in the ever-increasing wet spot. "He loved me! He said he loved me! And I loved him too! But now I can't even say it back to him! It's not fair! He deserved to hear it! He deserved to know how I truly felt about him! That I loved him, only him, always him!"

Davis winced at her words. He'd known of TK and Kari's feelings for each other, at least to an extent, but it still hurt to have his crush declare her undying love for someone else, even though he already knew that she didn't see him the way he saw her.

Takato placed a comforting hand on Davis' shoulder. "I guess now we know why he was singing that song. He must have been thinking of you, Kari. Right up until the end. He died protecting you."

This only made Kari cry harder. No one did anything or said anything. There was nothing that could be said. They had their victory, but it came at a great cost, and now the time came to grieve for their loss. So they let Kari weep as they all dealt with their grief in their own way.

As Kari continued to cry, she suddenly heard gasps from the others, but she didn't care enough to look at what the cause of it was. Not until a familiar voice she knew as well as her own spoke to her.

"Get up, Hikari Kamiya. You're stronger than this. You would not be my destined partner otherwise."

Slowly, Kari pulled away from her brother and looked up. She blinked away her tears and suddenly knew why the others had gasped, and she let out one of her own.

Standing above her was Ophanimon C. And not only her, but the rest of the Guardians as well. Omnimon Merciful Mode, Imperialdramon Paladin Mode, Susanoomon, and Gallantmon X. They were all standing before the teens in the flesh.

"O-Ophanimon…" Kari whispered.

The angel Digimon gave her a smile. "Neither TK nor Seraphimon gave their lives so that you may wallow in misery. I know that you are hurting, and I know that you will grieve, but you are strong, Kari." She held out her hand. "It may take some time, but I know you will get through this."

Kari stared at her for several long moments, the shock of seeing her and the rest of the Guardians momentarily surprising her out of her grief. Then she slowly reached out and placed her hand in the angel Digimon's, and Ophanimon C pulled her to her feet, then pulled her in for a hug, embracing her tightly.

"My friends!" Alphamon exclaimed, finally managing to find his voice, and he hurried over to them. "It's so good to see you again."

"Longer for us," Susanoomon told him. "While you've been sleeping, we've been fighting with our partners here." He looked at the teens. "And we couldn't have asked for better ones."

The teens were still flabbergasted. Takato looked at his Digivice, but only saw a blank screen; the device was out of power. Then he looked back at the Guardians. "But how? How are you here?"

Gallantmon X crouched down to his level. "Because you resurrected us, remember? In fact," he looked down at himself, "you brought us to even higher levels than before."

"But you're here!" Davis exclaimed. "How are you here now?"

"Because you no longer require our services or our power," Omnimon explained. "The war is over, and you've all made us so proud."

Takuya looked at each of the Guardians in turn. "Wait, so then, this whole time, when we were Spirit Evolved, you were awake and aware of everything?"

"We were," Ophanimon C replied as she held Kari close. "We gave you our power, and in return, you fueled our own. It was how we were able to reach our truest potential, together as one."

"And I can safely say that we had the best partners ever," Imperialdramon declared. "I'm really going to miss fighting with you, Davis."

The teen in question forced an awkward grin. It almost felt like he was talking to himself after having actually been the dragon Digimon for so long. "The honor was ours, man."

Alphamon stepped forward. "My dearest friends, I am so happy we're all together again. And with the main source of evil vanquished, keeping the darkness in check will no longer be such a grueling task."

"Indeed," Omnimon replied. He looked back at the teens. "We can't thank you enough for all that you've done. We will see to it that your hard work was not in vain. Never shall we let the darkness rise as it once did."

Alphamon thumped his chest. "The same goes for me. I may not know you the way my friends do, but I will uphold your efforts as well. This I swear as a Guardian."

"No," Susanoomon said seriously. "No longer are we the Guardians." He looked back at the teens. "From now on, we shall be known as the DigiDestined Data Squad."

There were murmurs of agreements from the others. Alphamon looked thoughtful as he considered the name. "Hmm, DigiDestined Data Squad, you say. Yes, I like it. I think that will do nicely."

"It is a name that will be spoken of throughout eternity," Azulongmon declared. He looked at the other humans. "As shall yours, children. Never shall we forget what you have done for us all."

"I just want to go home," Kari said miserably from within Ophanimon C's embrace. "I want to see Mom and Dad again. I just want everything to go back to normal."

A whimper escaped her as she realized that without TK that things never would be normal again. He had been such an integral part of her life, and now that he had been ripped from it, there was a hole in her life as big as the one in her heart.

Shakamon nodded. "Yes, it is high time that I allowed you children to return to your world."

He held up his hands and began the process of opening a portal to the Real World.

"Hold up," said Davis. "This isn't going to be a repeat of last time, right? I know Abbadomon and the Gizumon were destroyed, but GranDracmon's immortal, so he survived whatever it was TK did to him. He's not going to seize control of the portal, or whatever he did last time, and start all that with the Dark Ocean all over again, is he?"

Shakamon shook his head. "Seraphimon greatly damaged GranDracmon's DigiCore and unleashed his attack on his very being. GranDracmon will be too crippled to do anything. Such damage can only be fixed through his death by having his data reconfigured as a Digi-Egg, but…"

"But GranDracmon's immortal," Takato finished for him. "So he can't die."

"Looks like his immortality actually ended up working against him," said Tai.

"Even if he could," said OmniShoutmon X, "he would not allow all the power he had obtained since the beginning of time to go to waste through his death, especially since it would be seen to that he never rose to power again."

"Indeed," Shakamon agreed. "His time is over, as is the age of darkness in general. You have truly seen to its end. And now, children, I present to you…"

Just like before, a portal began to manifest in the space between his hands. He slowly held them up over his head as the distorted space grew, and it floated above him. When he suddenly spread his hands apart, a tear appeared in the sky, revealing a portal that led into a spiraling vortex of every color imaginable.

"Your way back home," Shakamon finished.

The teen stared at the portal. They could scarcely believe what they were seeing. Truth be told, they half expected something to go wrong. After their journey to Cherubimon's castle had led to a dead end, Quartzmon's attempt to trick them into the DigiQuartz, and Shakamon's first attempt to open a portal had gone wrong, part of them had expected something else to interfere.

But not this time. This time, their reward was at hand, the portal to the Real World was open. Finally, at long last, they could go back home. It almost didn't feel real.

"Wow," Takato said quietly. "This is really it. We can finally go back to our world. It feels surreal."

"I know," said Takuya. "I almost lost hope that we would ever get to go back."

Davis nodded in agreement. "Yeah. And in a way, this place kind of feels like home too."

Takato smiled at OmniShoutmon X. "I don't think we ever would have made it here if not for… Oh…"

He trailed off as the realization suddenly hit him, and it slowly registered to the others as well. Going back home meant saying goodbye to OmniShoutmon X. They had been with him for so long, they had almost forgotten that they wouldn't be able to stay together.

The dragon Digimon forced a smile. "Hey, we already went through this before GranDracmon appeared; let's not do the mushy stuff all over again."

"OmniShoutmon," Tai began, "we-"

He started towards the dragon Digimon, but as he did, his feet suddenly left the ground. The others let out surprised gasps as they were lifted into the air as well.

"Hey, what's happening!?" Takato exclaimed.

Takuya looked up. "It's the portal, it's pulling us in."

"No, not yet!" Davis cried as he flailed about. "I'm not ready yet! We haven't said our proper goodbyes! Make it stop!"

But Shakamon just shook his head. "I'm sorry, children, but I cannot control the portal. It seems it's sending you back now."

Kari was still clinging to Ophanimon C, even as she was drawn towards the portal. The angel Digimon released her, but Kari hung on as she slid down the length of the angel Digimon's arm, grasping her hand. "Ophanimon."

The angel Digimon smiled at her. "Kari, it's ok. We'll always be a part of each other. And don't forget, you're strong."

"Ophanimon," Kari said again as her hold on the angel Digimon's hand slipped away and she floated into the air.

As the teens floated up towards the portal, the full impact that this was goodbye, that everything they had known for over a year, was being left behind. Tai attempted to be strong for the others, but even he was at his breaking point, and he yelled out to their friend and guide. "OmniShoutmon, thank you for everything! We never could have made it without you!"

The dragon Digimon's fists were clenched, and he was shaking, as if he were physically holding himself back from flying into the portal after them. Finally though, as the portal began to swallow them up, it seemed he couldn't take it any longer, and he rushed over so he was standing beneath the portal, and he looked up at them with tears in his eyes.

"I'm the one who should be thanking you! I never would have made it without you! Not just in all we've accomplished, but in becoming a better person! I promise, I'm going to be an even greater Digimon King than I was before! I'll never forget you guys! You were the best friends anyone could ever have, and I'll miss you all! Take care of yourselves! Goodbye!"

And with that, the portal closed, and the teens could no longer see OmniShoutmon X or any of the others. A kaleidoscope of color and images swirled around them as they fell through space and time.

"He's gone," said Takato, his voice sounding distorted in the subspace they were falling through. "All of it, it's really gone."

"I know," Davis acknowledged. "But we're going home. We're finally going home."

Kari closed her eyes as they filled with tears again. "Nowhere is home without TK."

Tai glanced at her, his heart going out to her. TK was a good friend of his too, and he was feeling his loss as well, but not to the extent his sister was. TK meant so much more to her than friendship, and he couldn't even begin to imagine what she was going through.

He mentally kicked himself for not realizing the extent of both their feelings for each other sooner. Now that he was aware of their love, it seemed so blatantly obvious. He suspected that a good deal of his ignorance had been due to him always viewing her as his baby sister. Imagining her being in love, let alone in an actual relationship, hadn't even occurred to him. True, there was Davis' crush on her, but he knew that she didn't return his look-alike's feelings, and so it hadn't even registered that his little sister had already reached that age. When exactly had she grown up so much?

And to have her love ripped away, he couldn't even begin to think of how painful that would be. If he lost Sora, it would be devastating. And he could only imagine what it would be like. To actually have it happen…

"Kari," he said sympathetically, reaching for her hand.

She pulled her hand away and covered her eyes as she began to cry again. She still couldn't believe that TK was gone. It was so unfair. Going back to the Real World without him, no longer having him in her life, it just felt so wrong. It was supposed to be the two of them. TK and Kari. Kari and TK. Together forever. And to make matters worse, she didn't even get to say goodbye; not that that would have made it any easier. She at least wished she had been able to tell him that she loved him too; he deserved a response to his confession.

That made another whimper escape her as she thought about his song. Focus, that's what it was called, and it was a beautiful song. In fact, now that she thought about it, she remembered that there was a companion song that went along with it called Reflection that was meant to be an answer to the feelings sung about by the person in the first one. And almost without her being aware of it, she found the words to the song falling from her lips.

"I wonder about when it was?
When I realized that you were always by my side.
Because it was a day long ago."

Tai stared as he listened to his sister start singing. Despite her tears, she was singing loud and clear. He could hear the pain and longing in her voice, and he once again kicked himself for not realizing the truth about her feelings.

While he may not have considered the possibility of his sister falling in love, he had, realistically, known that it was bound to happen one day. And while he had, for some reason, thought that that day would be far in the future, he had always thought that he would hate whatever boy she brought home simply on principle.

With TK though, there's no way he would have been able to turn away TK. If there was one person he could give his blessing to, who he could trust to love and care for his sister unconditionally, it was Takeru Takaishi.

"Those days were mysterious, right?
Even though there were so many sad things,
I understand now.
They all disappeared when you were looking at me."

Listening to Kari sing the companion piece to TK's song, Takato felt his own eyes start to tear up once more. Not just because losing TK was painful for him too, but because he felt her pain through her words, and his heart went out to her.

While Takato may come across as childish at times, particularly due to his love for games and anime, he had a very mature side to him as well. And that part of him knew what love and loss was. Truthfully, Takato was a bit of a romantic at heart. He always hated it when love never worked out, and he couldn't think of anything more painful or more unfair than losing a loved one.

"Your eyes were very beautiful, you know.
When I looked back, you diverted your eyes, but…
I always felt your eyes on me.
That is my memory's reflection."

Takuya didn't even realize that he was crying. Kari had a very beautiful singing voice, and she was pouring her heart and soul into her song. It was as if she were trying to convey her feelings for TK through her song since she could not tell him herself.

Could he hear her now? Somehow, wherever he was, were her feelings for him somehow getting through? He certainly hoped so. He remembered back when he and Zoe had first started dancing around each other. It could be so hard to tell someone you liked them. While it sounded simple, it was anything but, and his attempts to confess often ended in awkwardness and embarrassment. But he was glad he had been able to tell her how he felt, or, more specifically, spontaneously kiss her. Fortunately for him, she had felt the same, and had kissed him back rather than slap him across the face.

The point was, he knew how hard confessing your feelings for someone could be, but he was glad he did it. It felt good to finally get your feelings out, even if it would have ended in rejection. So he understood Kari's desire to speak from her heart. Simply admitting that she was in love wasn't enough, she wanted to tell the person she loved how she truly felt. But since she could no longer do that, she was expressing her love a different way, however she could.

"You were always protecting me, weren't you?
You had helped me from the beginning, didn't you?
With the palms of your little hands,
I piled up my childish feelings."

It was painful for Davis to hear Kari pouring her heart out, possibly even more painful than it had been to hear her admit her love earlier, because he could truly feel the passion and depth of her love for his rival. There really was no denying how much she loved him.

TK's name truly was permanently etched into her heart. He really never did stand a chance, not against that kind of love. Even if Kari didn't think of him like a brother and did see him as more than a good friend, there was no way he could compete with that. And what more, those feelings were completely mutual, TK's running just as deep. His own crush seemed like a childish joke in comparison, like the two of them were destined for each other; true soul mates.

He had known all along that they had feelings for each other, but he hadn't realized the depths of those feelings. And now that he knew the meaning behind TK's song, he could look back on it and truly understand. He had been friends with both of them for a long time, though not as long as they had been friends with each other. Even when they were little kids, they had been drawn to each other. It should have been obvious that they would end up falling for each other.

AncientWisemon had been right, he should have given up on his feelings for Kari, for they would never be reciprocated. And while that hurt, he knew it was nothing compared to the pain Kari was feeling. He wished more than anything that he could take that pain away, that he could somehow turn back the clock and bring TK back to life. His own pain of losing a friend aside, he would rather suffer through the heartache of seeing TK and Kari happy together than see her sad and heartbroken.

"Because I will never forget your eyes.
It was something too cute to be called love, right?
The memory of your eyes is a treasure to me, even now.
I'm sure it's an eternal reflection."

Kari poured everything she had into her song. All her love, everything she felt. It was the only outlet she had. And she wished desperately that she could say what was in her heart to TK in person. Even though she hadn't said the words to him, she desperately hoped he had known the depths of her feelings, that he knew how much he meant to her and how much she loved him.

A particular line in this verse of the song really resonated with her, where it described what was being felt as something too cute to be called love, as it really was too pure and selfless to simply be classified as something like love.

And it was true. What she and TK had felt too precious and pure to simply be called love. Love seemed like too tame of a word, it paled in comparison to what she felt, and was simply the closest word she could use to describe her feelings. TK was the very hope in her life, just as he said she was the light of his. How was she supposed to live without hope? She knew that Ophanimon C said that she was strong and would get through this, but she didn't know how she would manage such a feat.

"Your eyes were very beautiful, you know.
When I looked back, you diverted your eyes, but…
I always felt your eyes on me.
That is my memory's reflection.
A reflection of the two of us when we were young."

Her voice was beginning to crack as her crying increased. She kept her eyes squeezed shut tight to keep them in, trying to be strong like Ophanimon C believed her to be. And suddenly, she felt a pair of arms circle around her, and she found herself in a tight embrace. She didn't need to open her eyes to know that it was her brother. One by one, she felt other arms embrace her as well as her friends gave her a group hug, trying to comfort her, letting her know that they felt her pain and were here for her.

Strangely enough, it helped. It didn't take away the pain, but it was comforting to know that they were there for her, and she was very glad for their company. If they weren't here now, she suspected that she would collapse under her grief, no matter how strong Ophanimon C said she was. Some things were just too much for one person, and they needed the love and support of those around them to get by. And she knew without a doubt that she would always have that with them. They would always be there for each other. Always.

She realized then that Ophanimon C was right, she would get through this. It hurt now, it always would, and she would never stop loving TK, she was certain of that. But as long as she had her brother and her friends, she knew that somehow, someway, she would make it through. One day at a time.

Notes:

(A/N: Well, it's finally happened. A lot of things actually. TK's reading finally came to pass, the final villain has been defeated, the Guardians have resurrected, and our heroes are on their way home. Quite a lot going on in this chapter. And a rather emotional chapter too. I'm sorry if anyone felt that the goodbye between the teens and OmniShoutmon X seemed short and cutoff, but I'm not good at emotional goodbye scenes. Besides, I already kind of covered that before GranDracmon appeared, so there was no need to go through that all over again. And since I did Focus last chapter, I had to include Reflection, which, yes, is the companion piece sung by Kari on the same Digimon music album that serves as an answer to TK's song. Like before, I included a link at the bottom if you want to hear it. And again, I found a few different translations for the words, and so chose what seemed to be the best translation of it. Ah, but don't worry, we're not done yet. Our hero's journey may be over, but the story isn't. We've still got a couple chapters to go, and they're important ones, so stay tuned.)

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

New Digimon that appear or are mentioned.

youtube.com/watch?v=ye4UmX7cT9w

Chapter 205: Home

Notes:

(A/N: We are coming down to the wire. After a rather heartbreaking previous chapter, our heroes were finally on their way home. This will be the last chapter featuring our human heroes, and then there will be one more after this. What kind of world will our heroes be coming home to? You waited 205 chapters to get here, so let's get to it.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 205: Home

Back in the Real World, the school was dark and quiet. All staff and students doing club activities had long since gone home for the day. The sun had set, and all signs of life were absent from the building.

Except for in the computer room. One of the computers had suddenly turned on all by itself, and the screen flashed brightly before the light came spilling out of it as if it were a physical substance. Like a glowing mass, it poured out onto the floor in a large bubble, and then suddenly burst apart into light particles that quickly faded out.

Tai, Davis, Takato, Takuya, and Kari all opened their eyes, finding themselves in the computer room at their school. They looked back at the computer from which they had emerged to see the same gate on the screen that they had seen when they were first drawn into the Digital World. A moment later though, the gate disappeared from the screen, and the computer powered down.

For several long moments, they stood there in silence, still holding onto one another. Finally though, Takato broke it. "Are we… Are we really back?"

They disentangled from each other and looked around. Even though it was dark, there was no mistaking the room for what it was.

"We are," said Davis in disbelief. "We really are. We're in the school! I've never been so happy to be in school!"

Tears of joy began to creep up in Takuya's eyes. "We're finally home. We're finally home."

"We are!" Takato cried. "We are!"

Despite the joyful time to celebrate, Tai was quiet. And that was because Kari was quiet. The others, in their joy of finally returning home, seemed to have momentarily forgotten about the tragedy that had occurred not too long ago.

Tai decided to let them have this moment. Soon they would remember the loss of their friend, and the grief and sorrow would set in again. It seemed though that Kari's depression was completely overshadowing any happiness or relief she felt at being back in the Real World. He could even see the truth in her eyes himself, that she would rather be lost in the Digital World with TK than safe here in the Real World without him.

He reached out and took her hand, giving it a comforting squeeze. She looked at him, and he saw the appreciation in her eyes, but she made no effort to hide her sorrows. Meanwhile, Davis was on the ground, kissing the floor, while Takato and Takuya were hugging each other, practically crying.

"I swear, I'll never complain about school again!" Davis cried, pressing his lips to the dirty floor again.

"I know," Takuya agreed. "It's been so long. How long have we been away?"

"472 days," Takato answered. "I've been keeping track."

Tai quickly did the math in his head. "So about a year and three and a half months. In Real World time that's…"

"Almost 8 hours. I've been keeping track of that too."

Almost on reflex, Tai's eyes sought out the clock on the wall. School had let out at 3:00, and they had gotten the call for help from the Digital World just after that. Looking at the clock, he saw that it was currently 11:06. If one day in the Digital World was equal to one minute in the Real World, then it seemed that Takato's tracking and math was accurate.

"That's not too bad," Davis said, getting to his feet. "Our parents will still probably ground us for staying out so late and not calling or anything, but at least we haven't been gone for as long as we were in the Digital World."

"Hey, I'm just glad we survived the whole thing," Takato replied without thinking.

He suddenly remembered TK and immediately realized what he said, clamping his hands over his mouth and giving Kari a horrified look. Tai scowled at him and Takuya punched his arm and whispered, "Idiot."

Takato could have kicked himself for his slip of the tongue. "Kari, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean… That just came out wrong. Well, I mean it didn't, I just… I wasn't thinking when I said-"

"It's fine," she said, her voice flat and devoid of emotion. "TK's gone. He's gone and there's nothing we can do about it. We should at least be happy that we survived and finally made it home."

She said as much, but she looked anything but happy. The mood had completely shifted, and the feeling of loss they felt had completely replaced any and all happiness they held at being back home.

For nearly a minute, no one said or did anything as they wallowed in their grief. They knew they couldn't stay here forever though, and so Tai eventually wrapped an arm around his sister, holding her close.

"Come on," he said quietly. "We should go. Our parents are probably worried sick."

Kari looked up at him as he tried to usher her out of the room. "And what about TK's parents? And Matt? What are we supposed to tell them?"

Tai frowned. He didn't have an answer for that. What would they say to TK's parents and brother about his death? They couldn't exactly tell them that he had merged with an angel Digital Monster and sacrificed himself to save them and an alternate dimension. And any lie they came up with would only bring more questions and cause more problems.

It would be cruel, but maybe they shouldn't say anything. Perhaps it would be better to feign ignorance and just let him be labeled as a missing person. There would be investigations and search parties, not to mention it would put his family through great strife until they finally accepted that he was gone and began mourning him, but he really didn't see an alternative.

"Maybe…" he began, hating himself for what he was about to suggest. "Maybe… we shouldn't say anything."

Takuya gave him a look of disbelief. "You mean just let everyone think he disappeared?"

Tai's fists clenched. "I don't like it any more than you do, but how would we explain what happened? We can't tell the truth, and anything we do say is just going to cast suspicion on us."

The others didn't respond. He wasn't exactly wrong. And while it would indeed be awful for TK's family, it really was the only logical solution.

"Maybe we should at least go to the cops," Takato suggested. "We could tell them that we were supposed to meet up with TK somewhere after school to hang out, but he never showed, and he wasn't answering his phone when we called. We could even tell our parents that we've been looking for him all this time and that's why we've been gone all day."

Davis made a face. "This feels so wrong."

Tai agreed, but it not only was the best scenario for them, it offered an explanation to their parents as for why they hadn't come home. "I know what you mean, but I don't see what other choice we have." He felt his sister let out a silent whimper and held her closer. "Come on, let's head to the station and report him missing."

"We should call his family too and pretend to ask if they know where he is," Takuya suggested. But then he remembered. "Oh, right, Takato and I only met you… well, technically today. One of you will have to call them."

Tai sighed. "Yeah, I guess I'll call Matt. Though he'll probably want to know why I didn't call sooner. Guess I'll just say it didn't occur to me while we were looking."

"Um, new problem," said Takato. He held up his Digivice. "Our phones turned into our Digivices, remember? We can't exactly make calls on these."

Davis took out his Digivice too. "Yeah, I guess we'll have to tell our parents we lost our phones or something." He looked at the blank screen. "Still no power. I wonder if they'll be able to recharge in the Real World."

He tapped the screen and jumped as the device began to glow. Takato's did as well, and the pockets of everyone else started also began glowing. They all took out their glowing Digivices and watched as each of them turned back into their regular cell phones, and then stopped glowing.

"Hey!" Davis exclaimed. "The things turned back into these things. I mean, our Digivices turned back into our phones."

"We can see that," said Takuya. "They even have power too."

He put in his password, and a message stating that he had numerous text messages, missed calls, and voicemails came up. He sweat-dropped and opened his messages, seeing that nearly all of them were from his parents and girlfriend, with a few being from his friends.

"Oh boy," he muttered as he stared at his phone with a nervus look. "I knew it, I'm a dead man."

"You and me both," Davis muttered, looking at his own notifications.

"Yeah, my parents are pretty mad too," said Takato as he scrolled through his texts.

Tai sighed at his own notifications and glanced at Kari. She was staring at her phone, not checking anything. He was sure she had just as many texts and voice messages as the rest of them, but was currently just staring at the phone screen, which was a picture of her, TK, and their other friends.

Sighing again, he put his phone away. "Come on, we should get out of here. We'll head to the police station and report TK missing. After that, we'll… Well, we'll decide what to do from there."

With a miserable air about them, they made their way out of the school. Naturally, everything was locked, but since they were on the inside, they were able to let themselves out, and soon exited the school and were outside again. All the while, Takuya began going through his texts and voicemails, particularly those from his girlfriend, listening as they went from her asking where he was and telling him that he was late for their date, to being furious with him for either standing her up or forgetting their date and demanding that he better have a good explanation and way to make it up to her, to her becoming worried as to why he wasn't responding to any of her texts or calls.

Takato sweat-dropped as he listened to Zoe rage at Takuya from one of her angry voicemails, and the phone wasn't even on speaker. "Wow, she sounds pretty upset."

Takuya cut his eyes at him. "Mind your own business. Don't you have your own list of messages you need to go through?"

Takato looked at his phone. "Yeah, but I was supposed to be helping out in my parents' bakery today, so I can pretty much guess what they'll all say."

Davis nodded. "I can say the same for my parents, so I'm just going to delete all these." He pressed a few buttons on his phone. "Aaaaand delete."

Tai let out a sigh and glanced at his sister. Neither of them were checking their phones either; she because she was too miserable to care right now, and he because he was too concerned about her. No doubt their parents would take note of her depression, he just hoped they would be able to convince them it was out of worry over TK's disappearance.

As they walked along, they walked past an electronics store that was open very late. A TV was in the display window playing a live news report. At first they were going to walk right by it, but upon hearing what the news report was about, they paused.

"Already those who bared witness to the event are referring to it as the Stone Second," the reporter was saying. "There have been numerous reports that have been coming in over the last half hour, claiming that they witnessed people seemingly turning to stone, but only for a second. While these claims would typically be considered as outlandish, images taken from security cameras show otherwise."

Several pictures of humans frozen in stone appeared, showing that MegaDarknessBagramon had indeed managed to turn people to stone when he reached into the Real World, even if it had only been for less than a second in Real World time.

"That was MegaDarknessBagramon's doing," Tai said unnecessarily. "It looks like because of the time difference, even though it took us some time to beat him, only a split-second passed by here where the people were petrified."

"The Stone Second," said Takato, using the reporter's name for the incident.

"Many are speculating that this was a direct result of what seemed to be a giant hand that came down from the sky," the reporter continued. "Indeed, the sightings of the giant hand do seem to have occurred at the same time as the Stone Second, disappearing just as quickly as the phenomenon ended."

More images appeared on the screen, these of MegaDarknessBagramon's demon hand. The teens sweat-dropped at the sight of it, wondering what the people would make of it.

"While some speculate that the appearance of the giant hand actually caused the Stone Second, others believe that it not only ended it, but prevented the petrifaction from spreading further than it did throughout the city. No one is really sure what to make of it, and there have been theories that it was the hand of God, or some alien creature, or maybe some otherworldly or extradimensional being. And while no one can as of yet say for sure what the giant hand or the Stone Second actually was, many are claiming it to be nothing more than an elaborate city-wide hoax. How such a hoax was accomplished is unknown. Perhaps some sort of airborne hallucination gas was spread across the city, or maybe a fancy hologram lightshow in the sky only made the hand appear to be there and made it look like people turned to stone. There's really no telling, as the incident occurred and ended in such a short period of time, and there's no physical evidence of the event having actually taken place aside from security camera footage."

Davis was now staring at the screen with hooded eyes. "So, they think it was a hoax, huh? Guess we should have seen that coming."

"Maybe it's for the best," said Takato. "That way the whole thing will go away quietly. They'll never figure out what actually happened."

Tai grumbled as he stared at the images of MegaDarknessBagramon's hand. "At least it happened late at night, so not as many people will have seen it. In any case, best to keep what we know to ourselves. Come on, let's get out of here."

He began walking away from the store, keeping an arm around Kari, who was walking along with a glazed look in her eyes. Davis and Takato followed, but Takuya stayed behind. He wasn't looking at the TV though. Rather, he was staring at his phone.

Davis noticed and waved to him. "Hey, Takuya, come on, let's go. We already know what that report is about anyway."

Takuya didn't answer, and just continued to stare at his phone with a look of stunned disbelief. Finally, he snapped out of his stupor and ran over to them.

"Guys! Guys! You're not going to believe this!" he shouted, waving his phone around. "So, I was going through all the messages on my phone, and the last one, it's… Well, look!"

He held his phone out, and they saw that it was a video message. That wasn't what had him so excited though. What really had him hyped up was the thumbnail of the message was of OmniShoutmon X's face.

The others gasped and crowded around, and even Kari seemed to snap out of her daze a bit.

Davis grabbed the phone in Takuya's hands. "Is that a video message from OmniShoutmon!?"

Takuya nodded. "Yes, I think so. But how did he send it?"

"Who cares?" Takato cried. "Play it, play it!

Nodding again, Takuya hit the PLAY button, and the others gathered around as the video started. OmniShoutmon X's face was taking up the entire screen, and he was staring at it curiously.

"Is it recording? It is? Ok, good. Hi, guys! I… What? Oh, I should back up? Ok."

The dragon Digimon backed up, and the teens saw that he wasn't alone. Omnimon, Imperialdramon, Susanoomon, Gallantmon X, Ophanimon C, and Alphamon were all standing beside him.

"Hi, guys!" he said again. "Hope you can see me, because this will probably be the last time. I wish I could see you too, but beggars can't be choosers. So, it's been a little over a month here, but that would probably only be, like, half an hour for you guys. I know, time difference, right? Geez, I miss you guys, but I hope you're all happy to be back home. In any case, I don't have much time to talk, because I didn't know how long I can make this video before it will be too big to send, so I'll just get straight to the important stuff. You'll be happy to know that I've been officially reinstated as the Digimon King. I've got a lot of work to do, but once things finally settle down, I plan to go back to File Island to try and win the heart of a certain Renamon."

He winked at the screen, then nodded back at the others. "The Guardians, or the DigiDestined Data Squad, as they now call themselves and are becoming known as, have been pretty busy too, cleaning up anyone left who's still loyal to the Demon Lords. Like Lord Shakamon said, the struggle against the darkness is never-ending. And as for Shakamon and the other Sovereigns, they've returned to their duties. And let me tell you, there's a very noticeable change that's come to the Digital World now that things are back to the way they're supposed to be. And even the Seed of Light has sprouted, so the dimensional barriers are completely secure once more."

"Well, that's good," said Takato. "Seems like everything is working out."

"Shh," Davis shushed him.

"Lord Shakamon still feels bad about what happened with TK," OmniShoutmon X continued. "But we have a surprise for you. Guess who's back."

The video shifted, as if whoever was recording was moving the camera, and suddenly, Seraphimon appeared on the screen, and the teens all gasped at the sight of him.

"Greetings, friends," the angel Digimon told them. "I'm sorry I was not able to be there with the others to see you off, but I was a little… indisposed."

OmniShoutmon X forced himself back into the frame. "I bet you're wondering how he's here and not an egg or a Baby right now. Well, it's all thanks to TK's Digivice. Remember what we said about the Digivices saving data on it. Well, after Seraphimon destroyed himself to stop GranDracmon, his data was still preserved in it. So when his egg appeared in Primary Village, the Digivice was attached to it. And when his egg hatched, he was able to Digivolve straight to Mega again, just as powerful as he was before. Seems like this was a one-time only thing though since TK's Digivice turned back into a phone after that. By the way, that's how we're sending you this video. Isn't this amazing? The whole DigiDestined team is back and at full power."

Tai smiled. "Hey, that's great! So Seraphimon is back as well. Good for him."

Takato nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I'm really glad they're all together again."

But while everyone else was all smiles, Kari was still frowning. She was happy for Seraphimon and the others, really she was, but she also couldn't help but feel like the whole situation was so very unfair.

"That's great for them," she said, unable to keep the bitterness at the injustice out of her voice. "But why only them?" Tears began pouring down her cheeks again. "How come Seraphimon gets to come back, but TK doesn't? Why is it that he's the only one who doesn't get to come home? Why is he… is he… is he…?"

She couldn't seem to finish speaking as her tears flowed. Tai wrapped an arm around her and held her close as she silently wept. The others watched her with sympathetic frowns, not knowing how to help her. Tai gave them a pointed look, silently thanking them for their unspoken support, and nodded to the phone, indicating that they should continue the video.

Takuya let out a sigh before hitting the PLAY button again, and OmniShoutmon X resumed talking, only now he was no longer smiling. "I know this probably comes across as unfair, and I don't blame you for feeling that way. After all, why should TK have to stay dead when Seraphimon doesn't? It must be extra devastating for you since we Digimon come back to life after we die while you humans stay dead, so death doesn't mean the same for us as it does for you."

The teens sweat-dropped as the dragon Digimon basically voiced all their thoughts, not to mention what Kari had just said. Tai felt her grip his shirt as she pressed her face into it.

"Hey," he told her quietly. "It'll be ok. You know he's watching over us right now."

A whimper escaped her. "I don't want him to be watching over us. I want him to be here with me."

She began weeping again, more vocally this time as OmniShoutmon X smirked on the screen.

"Here's the thing though," he said, and leaned in so he was close to the screen, dropping his voice to a whisper. "TK isn't dead."

Over the sound of Kari's tears, they barely heard the dragon Digimon's whispered tone. But as his words slowly sank in, Kari's weeping began to cease, and she lifted her head away from her brother's chest. "What?"

Takato stared at the screen. "Did he say what I think he said?"

"Play it back! Play it back!" Davis insisted.

Takuya did so, rewinding the video a few seconds, and the dragon Digimon repeated his message before stepping back away from the screen again and grinning. "Yup, you heard that right. TK isn't dead. Surprise. Seraphimon here managed to save him. Care to explain, big guy?"

The camera began to shift again as the angel Digimon turned the camera on himself again, as if he were taking a selfie. As the camera adjusted, Kari suddenly lunged for the phone, practically ripping it out of Takuya's hands, her tear-filled eyes wide and hopeful.

"It seems we made some assumptions about his reading that weren't entirely accurate," Seraphimon told them. "AncientWisemon had asked TK that if death was certain and he had to make a choice, that if he had to choose of whether or not he would lose all of you or die for you guys, if he would, and that he would need to make that choice before the war was over. No doubt the situation he was talking about was the one with GranDracmon, and TK was indeed willing to die to save you. Not just you, but everyone. Here's the thing though, AncientWisemon never actually said that TK would die, he only asked if he would be willing to. And to use my Rising Halo attack, he must indeed be willing to die, for death is certain since it uses my very life force for to power it."

Kari's heart was beating a mile a minute. The phone was shaking in her hands, but she and the others didn't even notice; their full attention was on the screen.

"But even if he was willing to die, I was not willing to let him," Seraphimon continued. "After all, it was my life force, not his, that powered the attack. And just as it was unleashed, I sent him back to your world, taking on the burden of the sacrifice myself. He should be back in the Real World with you. I left him at the closest hospital to your school just in case-"

Kari didn't even bother to hear anymore. Dropping the phone, she took off running in the direction she knew the hospital to be in. The others called after her, but she didn't even hear them, and they quickly gave chase, Takuya pausing to snatch up his phone.

It wasn't too far from the hospital, only a few blocks away. Kari ran as fast as her legs could take her. Was it really true? Was TK really alive? Could such a miracle be possible? She had to see it for herself. Right now, Seraphimon's words weren't enough, even though she trusted him. She needed to see him, to touch him, to know without a shadow of a doubt that he was indeed still in the living world.

She reached the hospital a few minutes later, bursting through the automatic doors, which had barely opened in time for her. She rushed up to the reception's desk, slamming her hands on the counter, making the receptionist jump with her sudden arrival.

"Please…" she panted. "I'm looking… for someone…"

At that moment, the others came in beside her, also out of breath. The receptionist looked at each of them in bewilderment, but Kari paid the questioning look no mind.

"Can you… tell me…" she said, trying to catch her breath, "is there… a TK… I mean… a Takeru Takaishi… here…?"

The receptionist blinked, regaining her composure. "Um, visiting hours have been over for quite some time."

Tai was huffing and puffing as well. "Please, ma'am… it's very important… Could you just… just tell us what room… what room he's in…?"

The receptionist hesitated, but upon seeing the desperate looks on their faces sighed and began typing. "Takeru Takaishi, was it?" At their nods, she entered the name in the computer. After searching for a few moments, she frowned. "I'm sorry, but there is no Takeru Takaishi here."

Kari's hands gripped the table so tightly that her knuckles turned white. "There has to be! Please, check again!"

The receptionist shook her head. "If he had been in the hospital today at all, he would be in the system." She frowned again, looking at the screen. "There is a listing of an unregistered patient who came in a little over a half hour ago. He was unconscious and alone, so no one knows who he is yet. We're still trying to figure out where he came from since it's like he just appeared out of thin-"

"Where!?" Kari demanded desperately. "Which room!?"

The receptionist seemed taken aback by her outburst. "Um, room 327. But like I said, visiting hours are over, and- Hey, wait, get back here!"

Kari hadn't hesitated. The moment the receptionist said the room number, she had taken off. She didn't even bother to wait for the elevator, and instead just rushed up the stairs. She could hear the others running up after her, but she paid them no mind as she burst out of the door to the staircase of the third floor. Her eyes darted for the signs hanging on the walls, indicating which hall was which. When she saw the one 327 should be down, she took off down it.

"TK," she said under her breath as she ran. The unknown patient had to be him. It just had to be. He had to be alright. She needed him to be. She needed him here, with her. They belonged together. They were meant to be together, always. He just had to be ok. "TK. TK. TK."

As she came up to room 327, she saw three doctors standing outside the door. One seemed to be ranting while another one was trying to calm him, and the third was looking impatient.

"How many times do I have to say it?" the ranting doctor practically shouted. "It was an angel! An actual angel!"

The impatient doctor sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Just listen to yourself. You do realize how crazy that sounds. You must have been seeing things."

"I know what I saw, and I'm telling you, it was an angel!"

"You've been saying that for a while now, but you're still not making sense. How could an angel be here?"

"Alright, enough," the third doctor said as she tried to calm her ranting co-worker. "Now, calmly this time, explain to us what you saw, and start from the beginning."

Letting out a frustrated cry, the ranting doctor took a few deep breaths to calm himself before speaking. "I already told you. I was doing my rounds when all the electrical equipment suddenly started going crazy. Then this light filled the room, and this transparent angel in blue and gold armor suddenly appeared carrying the boy. It put him in the bed, and then it disappeared."

"And I'm telling you, that doesn't make sense," the impatient doctor replied. "You must have fallen asleep."

"I never sleep on the job! And even if I did dream it, then explain how the boy is suddenly here!"

"That's what we're trying to get to the bottom of," the calmer doctor told him.

Kari didn't even realize she had stopped running as the doctors' conversation somehow gotten through her currently one-track mind. "TK…" she whispered, and rushed forward.

She pushed past the three doctors, ignoring their cries of "Hey!", and rushed into the room. The others were right behind her, also pushing past the doctors in their hast to get inside.

"What are you kids doing here?" the impatient doctor demanded.

None of them answered. They were all staring at the hospital bed in shock. Lying on the bed, propped up by its incline, was TK. He wasn't moving, but judging by the steady rise and fall of his chest, he was indeed alive.

New tears filled Kari's eyes as she stared at TK, only these were tears of relief and joy rather than grief and loss. Her hands came up and covered her mouth to stifle a whimper as he tears began flowing once more.

"TK…" she whispered, praying this was real. "TK!"

She rushed to his bedside, falling to her knees beside it. She rested her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat as she gripped his sheets tightly. The others stood behind her, each of them with looks of relief and joy on their faces.

"TK?" the female doctor asked. "Do you kids know him?"

Slowly, Tai nodded. "Yeah, he's a friend of ours. We've… we've been looking for him for the past several hours."

The impatient doctor sighed. "Then maybe you could answer a few questions for us." He gestured to his colleague. "We found this guy staring at him in a state of shock about a half hour ago. He seems to believe that an angel delivered him here."

'It was an angel!" the ranting doctor declared. "I'm telling you it was! Or something that looked like an angel."

"Is he alright?" Kari asked desperately. "Tell me he's alright!"

The female doctor looked at her clipboard. "Don't worry, he's fine. We ran a few tests and there's nothing wrong with him; he's just unconscious. It seems to be nothing more than a case of sever exhaustion. He'll be fine once he wakes up."

More tears of relief began pouring down Kari's cheeks as she nuzzled into TK's chest. "Thank God. Thank God."

Smirking, Takuya leaned towards Takato. "Or Seraphimon."

The ranting doctor's head turned towards them. "Seraphimon? That sounds like an angelic name. Have you kids seen the angel too?"

Takuya sweat-dropped. "Uh… no, that's not what I said. I said… uh… 'seriously… man'. Yeah, that's I said."

He gave a very forced grin, and the doctor looked back at his colleagues, the impatient one raising an eyebrow. "Maybe you've been working too hard."

"I have not been working too hard!"

Kari wished they would keep it down. All she wanted to do right now was to listen to TK's heartbeat. Even though she knew he was alive and with her, every thump of his heart made her want to jump for joy.

"I'm so glad you're ok," she whispered. "Now you have to wake up. It's my turn to tell you that I love you."

She had her eyes closed, so she didn't see the movement, but she certainly felt the fingers that ran through her hair. "Hearing that from you, now I know for sure that I'm in Heaven."

Kari gasped and looked up. TK's eyes were open, and he was sleepily smiling down at her fondly. "TK?"

His smile widened. "Hey, Kari."

"TK!" she cried, throwing herself at him, hugging him tightly.

TK let out an "oof" as the wind was knocked out of him. "Easy, easy."

He got no reprieve though as the others gathered around and hugged him as well.

"You big dummy!" Davis half-laughed, half-scolded. "Do you know what you put us through?"

"Yeah, we actually thought you were gone for good," Takuya added, "after you… uh…" he glanced at the doctors, and spoke in an almost emotionless voice, very obviously putting on an act, "after the way you didn't show up to our meeting place and then weren't answering any of our calls. We were so worried."

"What happened? Takato asked.

TK shook his head. "I'm not sure. I don't even know how I got here. The last thing I remember was…"

He trailed off as he tried to remember, and the skeptical doctor took the opportunity to address him. "Yes? What is the last thing you remember?"

TK glanced at him and his eyes widened. At the sight of another human, he seemed to register for the first time that they were finally back in the Real World. His friends could see that he was doing some quick thinking, and then he gave the doctors a frown.

"I don't know," he told them. "I was leaving school to meet up with my friends, and the next thing I know, I woke up here."

The female doctor sighed. "That doesn't help us. Well, perhaps it will come back to you later. The important thing is that there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with you. We'd like to keep you overnight and check you out in the morning, just to be sure. If all seems well after that, you'll be free to go."

The still frantic doctor pushed aside his colleague. "Do you remember anything about an angel? Anything at all?"

TK's eyebrows rose. "An angel?" He glanced at his friends, then back at the doctor, trying to hide a smile. "No, not that I can remember."

As the one doctor's face fell in disappointment, the female doctor cleared her throat. "In any case, we'll need to contact your parents or guardians to inform them of the situation."

Tai looked at her. "Could you please give us some time alone with our friend?"

She frowned at his request. "You kids shouldn't even be here. It's well past visiting hours."

"Please, ma'am," Takato begged. "Just for a few minutes?"

The doctor sighed in resignation and looked at her colleagues, then back at the teens. "Five minutes, then you need to leave."

She and her co-workers began heading out the door. Only one of the doctors remained behind, and he was just as amped up as before. "But what about the angel?"

"There was no angel," his impatient colleague said, taking him by the sleeve and leading him out the door.

Takuya hurried over and closed the door, then turned back to the others, glaring at TK. "You've got a lot of explaining to do, pal."

TK sighed. "I know, I know. You guys are mad at me."

"Mad at you," Tai growled. "I don't know if I'm more relieved or furious. How could you just sacrifice yourself like that?"

TK gave him a serious look. "The same way you would have if you were in my position, how any of you would have."

That affectively shut everyone up, as not one of them could argue against his point. Kari, however, who had still not released him, tightened her hold on him. "Well, I'm still angry. I can't believe you did that to me."

He gently stroked her hair, a sad smile on his face. "I know, and I'm sorry. I didn't want to do it, but I honestly didn't see another way. So if I had to die so all of you could live, then I was going to do it."

"Selfless idiot," she whispered.

He continued stroking her hair. "Remember out conversation we had when you first learned about my reading? Remember how neither of us could promise not to die for the other's sake? That was true then, and it was true when we faced GranDracmon."

She looked up at him. "Well, now that we no longer have any evil monsters to fight, can you now promise never to do anything like that again?"

He playfully tapped her nose. "I can promise you that I have no such plans to sacrifice myself, and hopefully that will never change. And I hope the same is true for all of you."

Tai chuckled. "I think it's safe to say that I don't think any of us have any plans to sacrifice ourselves."

TK smiled. "Yeah, but after that adventure, who knows what craziness life will have in store for us. I certainly didn't see any of this happening." But then he frowned. "Speaking of which, what did happen? I used my Rising Halo attack, and then the next thing I knew, I was waking up here. What happened with GranDracmon and the Dark Area? And what about OmniShoutmon, and the Sovereigns? Also, how am I not dead?"

Davis waved his hands. "Whoa, slow down there, pal. One question at a time. Whatever you did beat GranDracmon and closed the portal. Better yet, Abbadomon and all those Gizumon were wiped out in the blast too. The Digital World is safe and everyone there is fine. As for how you're not dead, well, you have Seraphimon to thank for that."

"Here," said Takuya, bringing up the video OmniShoutmon X had sent. "This should clear some things up."

He played the video, and they all gathered around to watch. The others got a recap of the dragon Digimon's message while TK watched it for the first time. This time, they all had smiles on their faces as they watched it. Eventually, they reached the part of the video where Seraphimon had announced that he left TK at the hospital, after which Kari had taken off. The teens continued watching, any video that remained now being new to them all. There wasn't much more that was said though before OmniShoutmon X moved onto his closing message.

"Well, I guess that's it. I'd love to say more, but I don't know how much longer I can make this video. I hope it's not too long already. I guess I just wanted to say that… that…" He started tearing up, and it became obvious that he was trying to hold himself together. "I just wanted to thank you guys for all that you've done. Not just for the Digital World, but for me personally. You guys were the best friends anyone could ever have. I love you guys, and I'm going to miss you. Don't forget about me, ok? I wish you guys all the best." He wiped his eyes and sniffed before approaching the camera again. "Ok, so how do I send this now?"

And that was it, the video was over. Their last contact with OmniShoutmon X. While they had all smiled throughout most of the video, now they were tearfully holding themselves together.

"I guess that's it then," said Takato. "That's the last we'll ever see of OmniShoutmon."

Tai nodded, managing a small smile. "Yeah, but it looks like things are going well for him. For everyone."

"And everything worked out for the best," said Davis. He glanced at TK and Kari, both who had their arms around each other. "More or less."

TK was all smiles. "Oh, I don't think this is over just yet. I feel really inspired."

Takuya raised an eyebrow. "With what?"

He chuckled. "Well, it's been a dream of mine to become a novelist. And now I think I have the perfect story to write about."

Kari beamed. "That sounds great. I'll be the first to get a copy."

"Me too," said Takato. "And you better autograph it."

TK laughed. "Will do."

At that moment, the door opened, and the female doctor entered; the other two doctors were absent. "Alright, times up. You've had more than five minutes. I'm going to have to ask you kids to leave now."

Kari frowned, and her grip on TK's hand tightened. He squeezed it back and gave her a reassuring smile. "Hey, everything's ok now. I'll be out of here tomorrow, and then we'll have our whole lives together."

She returned his smile with a loving one of her own. "I'll look forward to that."

The doctor cleared her throat. "Enough now, I already gave you your time and more. Now I need you to leave. Before you go though, I need you to go down to the reception's desk and contact your friend's parents or guardians."

Tai nodded. "Sure thing." He glanced at TK. "Don't worry, we'll tell your parents how you don't remember what happened after you left school, or how you ended up in the hospital. And we'll let our parents know that we spent the day searching for you since we couldn't find you or reach you on your cell phone that you lost, and that we forgot to call our parents in our worry."

TK's eyebrows rose as he understood that this was the story that they were going to stick to. That worked for him, and he gave an understanding nod. "Thanks, you do that. I appreciate it."

The doctor started ushering them out of the room. Kari was the last to leave TK's bedside, not wanting to leave him. The doctor was insistent though, and she let out a sound of protest.

TK chuckled. "Hey, it's ok. I'm here. I'll always be here. See you tomorrow?"

She gave his hand one final squeeze and nodded, then began heading towards the others. She held his hand for as long as possible, letting their fingers linger as she stretched out her arm while walking away until the distance separated them.

She walked past the doctor, who began to follow her out, as she headed over to her friends, who were waiting by the door, when her eyes suddenly widened and she came to a stop.

"Wait, I forgot something!" she exclaimed, and pushed past the doctor and rushed back to TK. He looked up at her in surprise as she came up to his bedside, but before he could say anything, she grasped his face and pressed her lips to his.

The others had very mixed reactions. Tai's mouth dropped open as he looked on in shock while the doctor's eyes widened in surprise and Takato diverted his eyes, looking embarrassed. Takuya smirked and let out a chuckle while Davis pointed at them and began to emit a continuous cry until Takuya's smirk became a frown and he smacked him over the back of his head.

Kari ignored them as she continued kissing TK. When she finally broke the kiss and opened her eyes, she looked into his surprised orbs and resisted the urge to chuckle at how off guard she had caught him.

"I love you too," she told him with a smile.

She made to move away, but TK caught her wrist and pulled her back so they were face-to-face once more. Cupping her cheek, he gave her a smile before kissing her. She responded a moment later, at first grasping his shirt, then her hands moved up to his shoulders before wrapping her arms around him and deepening the kiss, and his own arms wrapped around her as well, both uncaring of those present.

Tai finally seemed to snap out of his stupor. "Hey, that's my sister!"

Takuya chuckled. "I think you're going to have to get used to seeing them together as a couple."

Tai sighed. "I guess I can tolerate that, but I'm not ready to see the public displays of affection yet."

"I don't think Davis is either," Takato replied as he looked at Tai's look-alike, who was currently chewing on his shirt with tears of frustration in his eyes.

Next it was the doctor's turn to snap out of her surprise, and she cleared her throat. She did it louder when she got no reaction before giving a forced cough, then finally addressing the couple when they still didn't respond. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but I really must ask you all to leave."

TK and Kari finally broke apart at the doctor's request, resting their foreheads against each other as they looked into each other's eyes, smiling. "I'll see you tomorrow," he said.

She nodded. "I'll be here first thing in the morning." She giggled. "Provided I'm not grounded."

He chuckled. "After all we've been through, I think we can handle the wrath of our parents."

Kari giggled again, and the doctor loudly cleared her throat once more, very obviously reaching the end of her patience. With one last squeeze to TK's hand, she left his bedside, skipping right past her friends and practically hopping down the hall as she hummed happily.

"Kari," Tai called after her, now in protective big brother mode, "you know we're going to have a talk about this."

"No, we're not," she called back to him in a singsong voice.

Tai growled as he and the others followed after her. "I'm not kidding, Kari. This isn't over until we've set some ground rules for you and your new boyfriend."

Coming to a stop, she turned back to him, smiling confidently. "I look forward to the challenge."

Notes:

(A/N: NOT THE END, NOT THE END. I know this seems conclusive, but we're not finished yet. There's still an epilogue coming up, so be sure to stay tuned for that. We got to see how things ended for our human friends, and next time we'll see what happened with our Digimon ones. What? You didn't really think I would kill TK off for good, did you? If you had been paying attention, AncientWisemon never did say that TK was going to die, he just asked if he would be willing to, and that he would need to make that decision before the war was over. I was sort of going for what happened at the end of Digimon Frontier, which seems rather poetic considering I went with the Spirit Evolution theme. And now, wow, we're just about at the end. Just one final chapter and we're finished, so stay tuned for the end, there's something very important that's going to happen in it, so I'll see you then.)

Chapter 206: Epilogue

Notes:

(A/N: OMG, OMG, OMG, are we actually here? The final chapter of this story? Yes, it's true, this is it, the final installment. It almost seemed like we would never get here, but we are, after almost 7 years. Wow, that's a whole years of my life dedicated to this. never expected that when I started on this baby. So let's get to the big finish.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Epilogue

OmniShoutmon X had forgotten just how much work went into being the Digimon King. Not that he was complaining. Well, not much anyway. The role of Digimon King was one he took seriously, even more seriously than last time, and it kept him busy all the time.

Not that he minded too much. It felt good to know he was helping the residents of this world. And he had a lot of work to do to clean up the mess that had been caused over the last 10,000 years.

Speaking of years, today was the one-year anniversary since the day victory had been won for the light. Since the last of the Sovereigns had been freed. Since the return of the Guardians, now known as the DigiDestined Data Squad, or simply the DigiDestined for short. Since GranDracmon and MegaDarknessBagramon's defeat. Since he had been reinstated as the Digimon King.

Since his human friends had left.

By the Sovereigns, he still missed them like crazy. They had become such an important, integral part of his life during their time here. But he knew they didn't belong here. They belonged in their world, with their friends and family, that was where they were meant to be. And he tried to be happy for them.

He thought about how they were doing, and could resist chuckling. It may have been a year to the date for him, but it would have only been a little over six hours for his friends. He wondered how they were coping being back in their world. Had they reunited with their families? How would they explain their absence for the past several hours in their time? Surely no one would believe the truth. He wondered what kind of story they had come up with to explain their disappearance.

And what about his video message? Had they seen it, or had they not even realized he had sent it yet? He wasn't entirely sure he had used the cell phone correctly, but it seemed that the video had been sent. He hoped they would find it soon, if they hadn't already.

They hadn't really had time to say a proper goodbye before the portal had sucked them in. Even the video he had sent had been a rushed goodbye, but he was afraid of making the video file too big to be sent, whatever that meant. He didn't know all the ins and outs of how cell phones worked.

He glanced at the pedestal beside his throne. Upon it, protected by a glass lid, was TK's cell phone. It had long since run out of power, and unlike the Digivices, it hadn't recharged over time. When Seraphimon had returned with the cell phone, he had explained how he had saved TK and had then been able to Digivolve to Mega again, despite just hatching, thanks to the Digivice, which had soon reverted to a cell phone shortly after.

Remembering some of the things his friends had said their cell phones were capable of, he had played around with the foreign object until he figured out how to make and send a video with a quick update on how things were in the Digital World, news of TK's survival, and a tearful goodbye.

TK. It was a good thing Seraphimon had been able to send him back to his world while the borders between dimensions were still weak. He hoped his friends saw his video sooner rather than later so they wouldn't unnecessarily grieve for their still living friend for too long. Kari especially. The poor girl had been completely heartbroken. He wished he could be there for their reunion. Or maybe not, as it would probably be very mushy. He wondered how Tai and Davis would react to it. It would just have to be something they would have to deal with, because OmniShoutmon X had never seen two people more perfect for each other in his entire lifespan.

He let out a sigh as he continued to reminisce, but soon a frown crossed his face. He wondered if he should have told them about his suspicions. Suspicions that, when he had looked into further, had proven to be accurate. He had thought, hoped, it had just been his imagination back then, a paranoia he had been going through due to the seriousness of the situation, but after using his resources and having some heavy investigating done, his suspicions had been confirmed. And they were severe.

It was because of those confirmations that he was so on edge today. He knew it would be today, on the anniversary of the light's victory in the war with the darkness. Even if his sources hadn't confirmed that it would be today, he had known that it would be purely for symbolic purposes.

He nodded to himself that he had made the right decision in not telling his friends the truth. Better to let them think that all was well in the Digital World. Besides, if everything went according to plan, then things really would be well. Not only that, it would serve to send a different message, one that would echo across the entire Digital World. As soon as he had gotten word of what was supposed to go down today, he had made his own plans to counter it.

A knock at the double-doors leading to the throne room brought him out of his thoughts, and he glanced at them. "Enter."

The doors opened, and a group of Knightmon, the castle guards, entered the room. "My king," the one in the lead said, "you have visitors."

OmniShoutmon X raised an eyebrow, then motioned to the knight Digimon. "Let them in."

The four Knightmon bowed respectfully and exited the room. A moment later, Omnimon, Imperialdramon, Gallantmon X, Susanoomon, Ophanimon C, Seraphimon, and Alphamon entered the room. OmniShoutmon X's face lit up at the sight of them and he stood up, holding his hands out in greeting. "My friends!"

Omnimon bowed his head. "Your majesty."

The dragon Digimon waved this off as he sat down again. "Come now, there's no need for formalities here."

"Nonsense," Gallantmon X insisted. "You deserve to be addressed by the title befitting of your station."

OmniShoutmon X chuckled. "If you feel so inclined. May I ask as to why you're here?"

Imperialdramon cocked his head to the side. "Is it not obvious? We all know what day it is. We wouldn't let you face this alone."

OmniShoutmon X sighed. "I appreciate that, but you know your presence here is not necessary for this to work."

Alphamon nodded. "True, but we thought that us being here would send an even greater message."

"And it seems we weren't the only ones who thought so," Seraphimon added, and glanced over his shoulder. "Look who we ran into on the way over here."

The seven of them parted to reveal another familiar face. Two familiar faces actually, both of which OmniShoutmon X hadn't seen in over a year, and the taller of the two smirked at the dragon Digimon. "Yo, OmniShoutmon, long time no see."

The Digimon King was so surprised to see them that he jumped to his feet again. "Marcus! Agumon!"

The reptile Digimon waved. "Good to see you again. We were glad to hear that everything worked out."

OmniShoutmon X was still stunned. "What are you doing here?"

Marcus let out an arrogant laugh and gave him a thumbs-up and a wink. "Come on, you know that we can't resist a challenge."

OmniShoutmon X resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "This isn't going to be a challenge, this is going to be dangerous. Don't you know what's going to happen here?"

Agumon waved his arms. "Of course we do, that's why we're here.

Smirking arrogantly, Marcus placed his hands on his hips. "Like I said, we can't resist a challenge." He leaned forward, grinning broadly. "Come on, we helped you beat Beelzemon. You know what we're capable of."

Sitting back down, OmniShoutmon X let out a sigh as he rubbed his forehead. "I know what Agumon is capable of when he shares your strength, but what of you? We can't spare any worry over you trying to keep you safe. Not with what's going to happen here. You would have been better off assisting the way everyone else is."

But Marcus just chuckled, not looking the least bit concerned. "You don't have to worry about that. The truth is, there's another reason we came here. We've got something big to show you. You see, Agumon and I found a way to take our bond to the next level, and we wanted to show you in person."

OmniShoutmon X raised an eyebrow in interest. "What do you mean exactly?"

Both grinning, Marcus and Agumon turned to each other. "Ready, Agumon?"

"Ready, bro."

"Let's go!" they cried in unison, and slapped their hands together.

Light shined from their hands' contact and consumed them both. OmniShoutmon X looked on in amazement at the light of Digivolution as it flowed around not just Agumon, but Marcus as well.

"Agumon Bio-Merge to… Agumon – Bond of Bravery!"

The light faded, and both Agumon and Marcus were gone. In their place was a new Digimon, a Digimon who the sight of made OmniShoutmon X catch his breath. He knew who this was. Agumon – Bond of Bravery was an Ultra level Digimon, and the most powerful form of the entire Agumon and Greymon line that the reptile Digimon could reach on his own.

But he wasn't on his own, OmniShoutmon X realized. "But you… Where…? How…? Where's Marcus?"

The Ultra level Agumon grinned. "In here. Agumon and I found a way to truly fight as one. Pretty cool, right?"

That was an understatement. OmniShoutmon X was utterly floored. He knew what Bio-Merging was, he had explained it to his human friends when they had been discussing the different kinds of Digivolutions there were. However, he never dreamed that a human and a Digimon could achieve it together. This opened a whole new realm of possibilities to humans and Digimon sharing each other's strengths.

The unidentified Digimon chuckled. "I'm guessing by the stunned look on your face that you now think we can handle ourselves."

The Digimon King could only nod, and that settled the matter. With perfect timing too, as a moment later, an alarm sounded, and all those present turned to the doors.

OmniShoutmon X got over his shock and narrowed his eyes. "So, it's started."

The others gathered around his throne as he sat down again and waited. An intense feeling of déjà vu came over OmniShoutmon X, but he told himself that things would be different this time. Even so, he couldn't help the sliver of fear that went down his spine, regardless of how carefully he had laid out his plans. But there was nothing to be done about it now but wait.

He didn't have to wait long. A few minutes after the alarm had gone off, the giant double-doors opened, and the embodiments of sin entered.

"Well, well, well," said the one in the lead. "Here we go again. Only now it feels far more real. Wouldn't you agree, OmniShoutmon?"

The dragon Digimon's eyes narrowed. "Last time was real enough on my end, Lucemon."

The Demon Lord of Pride smirked, as did his six brethren. Only these were not the same Demon Lords that OmniShoutmon X knew, not really. Only one was the same, but even Beelzemon X was different from the one he had faced before.

Each of the other Demon Lords was in their X form as well. In addition to Beelzemon X, who wielded the flames of the underworld, along with an immunity to them, there were the others as well. Laylamon X, who possessed an enchanted beauty that could cause anyone who looked upon her to become her puppets. Belphemon X, who's destructive instincts to destroy had been amplified to even greater levels than before. Leviamon X, who sought to devour anything and everything on the land, air, and sea. Barbamon X, who's magic staff had fused to his body, greatly amplifying his dark magic powers. Daemon X, who's power grew with the angrier he got, and at the pinnacle of his anger, his power surpassed even that of the Ultra level. And, of course, Lucemon X, who's power and intellect had grown far beyond what they were before, turning him into a perfect being that was even rumored to surpass that of the Digimon God, and with his ultimate power and wisdom was stated to be able to, theoretically, potentially do anything at will.

OmniShoutmon X's claws dug into the armrest of his throne. These weren't simply X Digivolutions of the Demon Lords. Technically, they weren't even the same ones. These were the True Demon Lords, who, even in their base forms, were far more powerful than the ones OmniShoutmon X and his friends had faced. However, like GranDracmon, they had been sealed within the Dark Area as well by the Digimon God after they first rose to power.

But being the embodiments of the Seven Deadly Sins, their power transcended space and time. As such, they had been able to create avatars for themselves that they had unleashed into the Digital World to rule in their stead. It had been those avatars that OmniShoutmon X and his friends had fought and defeated. The real Demon Lords, even prior to their X forms, were the real thing, and were far stronger than their avatars were.

It had been when the Dark Area was open that OmniShoutmon X had detected it. While he and his friends were busy worrying about the Gizumon and the coming of GranDracmon, the True Demon Lords had slipped past them. They had made sure to hide their presence, not just from the DigiDestined, but from GranDracmon as well, intent on escaping his power and authority over them. But for the briefest moment, OmniShoutmon X had detected them when they made their escape.

After GranDracmon had been dealt with and the Dark Whirlpool was closed, when his friends had asked about the war with the darkness, he didn't have the heart to tell them of his suspicions, not after everything they had been through, and especially when he wasn't entirely sure that it hadn't just been his imagination. He had, however, discussed it with the Sovereigns later. And after some investigating, they had discovered that, yes, the True Demon Lords had indeed managed to escape the Dark Area while the Dark Whirlpool was open.

But then came the question. Why hadn't they made themselves known? And the answer became obvious. They were planning on making a grand entrance. And what better way to announce the return of the Demon Lords, even greater than before, in their truest sense, than on the anniversary of the day it was believed that the light had won the war. It was a surefire way to crush the public's spirit. And through his investigations, enough information had been gathered for OmniShoutmon X to determine that, yes, they were planning to do just that.

And now, here they were, more powerful than ever, ready to take over, and to plunge this world even deeper into darkness than their avatars ever did.

Lucemon X chuckled as his gaze landed on OmniShoutmon X's companions. "I see you were prepared for our arrival. And I thought we had kept our coming on the down low. I guess we didn't do a good enough job."

"We're going to stop you," Ophanimon C told him.

The Demon Lords all laughed at that, and Lucemon X returned his gaze to the Digimon King. "You really think you and your friends can stop us? When your human friends were here, it took everything you had just to defeat a single one of our puppets, and most of the time it was due to luck." He held out his hands, as if presenting himself and his fellow Demon Lords. "Do you actually think you can defeat all seven of us at the same time in our truest and most powerful forms?"

OmniShoutmon X's eyes narrowed. "So you're going to fight together now? I would have thought that you would be too proud for that."

Smirking, Lucemon X humphed and flipped back his hair. "Let's just say that we learned from when you and your human friends defeated our avatars. Might I mention how bothersome that was." He casually shrugged and shook his head. "But I guess it's no matter. Now that we're free of the Dark Area, we no longer need to rule through our avatars. And without GranDracmon to lord over us, we stand as the supreme beings of evil."

"You say that like it's a good thing," Gallantmon X growled.

The Demon Lord of Pride chuckled. "Well, it is for us. We spent this last year seeking out X-Antibodies, and now we stand in our most powerful forms. Well…" he smirked as he glanced at the Demon Lord of Wrath, "I'm sure Daemon would prefer to be at the Ultra level like he managed to achieve with his avatar, but our X forms seemed like a far more realistic goal."

Agumon – Bond of Bravery snorted. "This guy sure likes to hear himself talk."

Lucemon X's eyes turned to him. "Ah, yes, you're that other human. The one we never got to meet."

"I met him," Beelzemon X growled. "Indirectly. He helped those punk kids fight my avatar."

Lucemon X raised an eyebrow. "Did he now? Oh, that's right, he did. Such a shame your other human friends couldn't be here to help you fight again. And we were so hoping to pay them back for all the trouble they caused us."

"They're beyond your reach," OmniShoutmon X snapped. "They're safely back in their world where they belong."

"Hmm," Lucemon X muttered. "Yes, such a shame. But who knows, perhaps one day we'll make our way to the human world as well. After all, why settle for ruling just one world when we can rule them all."

OmniShoutmon X stood up. "Whatever delusions you have of ruling any world ends here."

The Demon Lord of Pride threw back his head and laughed. "Do you honestly believe that you can protect this world from us? Foolish king. You can't protect anything. You can't even protect the things that are precious to you."

He held up his hand, and the glass lid encasing TK's phone shattered to pieces, as did the phone inside. OmniShoutmon X gasped in horror as all that was left of his human friends' memento were a few bits of broken metal, glass, and plastic.

The Demon Lords laughed as Lucemon X placed an index finger to his chin. "Oh my, it seems I broke your little souvenir. Well, no matter. After all, it's the memories that go along with the item that are really important, right?"

OmniShoutmon X's fists clenched as he looked back at the Demon Lord of Pride. "You'll pay for that."

Lucemon X laughed again. "Oh, will I? I think it's time to remind you, remind this whole world, of what we're truly capable of. Bagramon may have been a self-absorbed fool, but he was right about one thing, we lost to you and your human friends because we didn't take you seriously, and that let you get the upper-hand. Not this time though. We're going to do what we should have done the first time around and crush any and all resistance so completely that no one will dare to rise against us ever again."

"You're wrong," Omnimon told him. "Even if we do fall here, we'll never stop fighting against the darkness. We'll return again and again, no matter how long or how many times it takes."

The Demon Lord of Pride's grin widened. "You only say that now because you have no idea of what you're in for. See, it wasn't just us we sought X-Antibodies for this past year. We also searched for an eighth for someone else."

He snapped his fingers and a new Digimon leapt out from behind the Demon Lords and snarled at OmniShoutmon X. The dragon Digimon's eyes narrowed as he recognized the newcomer for who he was. Diaboromon X, the most heinous of all Digimon, who seeked to repeatedly destroy cyberspace to prove his own delusional belief that he was an all-knowing, omnipotent god. But it wasn't just his species that OmniShoutmon X recognized.

Lucemon X chuckled. "You recognize him, don't you? You knew him back when he was just a regular Diaboromon. We sent him, along with Zanbamon, Reapermon, and AxeKnightmon to recruit Apocalymon. He almost killed you and your human friends by multiplying into a bunch of copies. Had it not been for your friend, Grani, he would have succeeded. So we gave him a bit of an upgrade. Now he can finish what he started."

He snapped his fingers again, and Diaboromon X let out a roar and held out his arms. A copy of him seemed to step out of his body on either side of him, resulting in there now being three. Then two more stepped out next to the two on the end, and then once more.

"So what?" Imperialdramon growled. "Copies are all fragile and go down with a single hit. We can handle this."

Lucemon X's smile was wider than ever. "You still don't see what's coming. But you will soon enough, and then you will know true despair." He snapped his fingers a third time. "Diaboromon, the time has come. Do it now."

The seven Diaboromon X all turned to the Demon Lord, their 12 eyes making contact with them. "Fatal Gaze!"

As the Demon Lords made eye contact with the Diaboromon X, their own eyes started to glow. Small bands of Fractal Code began to flow out of their eyes, branching off and entering the Diaboromon X's eyes. Then the rest of their bodies began to convert into Fractal Code as well, the conversion starting at their eyes and spreading to the rest of their bodies until they were just masses of Fractal Code. These masses of Fractal Code continued to flow into the Diaboromon X's eyes until the Demon Lords were gone.

And the others stood transfixed, feeling absolutely flabbergasted as they watched each of the Demon Lords get absorbed into a Diaboromon X. And once they were gone, the seven unidentified Digimon whirled around to face OmniShoutmon X and the others.

"W-What the…?" the dragon Digimon stammered.

The laughter of Lucemon X emitted from the middle Diaboromon X that he had been absorbed by. "Are you surprised? I was actually inspired by Daemon's plan with Arcadiamon. True, he may have tried to overthrow my avatar, but his plan gave me the idea for us all to obtain the ultimate power. Now, witness the birth of your doom!"

The seven Diaboromon X came together, and they were surrounded by the light of Digivolution. OmniShoutmon X's heart pounded in his chest as he realized what this meant.

"Diaboromon X Digivolve to… Ogudomon X!"

OmniShoutmon X's breath caught in his throat as he stared at the monstrosity before him. A being of pure evil, born from the Demon Lords X absorbed by seven Diaboromon X, who then Digivolved together to form a creature of unrelenting power and darkness, the ultimate embodiment of sin and evil.

Ogudomon X was a giant beast of a creature, the Crowns of the Seven Deadly Sins floating above him. The body of the incarnation Digimon was a large, grotesque, purple mass, somewhat akin to UltimateChaosmon with what seemed to be shuriken shaped wings of pink energy. He possessed seven tentacles, at the ends of which were misshapen claws, and OmniShoutmon X knew that each of those tentacles alone possessed the power and abilities of one of the Demon Lords X, and they could delete things with a single touch, similar to Bagramon's wooden demon arm, and they even subconsciously lashed out to destroy anything near them, be it friend or enemy. And if that weren't enough, he also had all the powers and abilities of the regular Ogudomon, including the ability to neutralize any attack used against him that contained even a hint of malice.

What more, OmniShoutmon X knew the true threat that Ogudomon X presented wasn't even one he could control. The very fact that he existed at all put everything at risk, for his evil power uncontrollably oozed out of him and was capable of causing the entire Digital World to collapse. Simply by him being here, floating around and idly doing nothing, was a threat. Not since ZeedMillenniummon's coming had there been a threat so great to the Digital World as a whole.

"Well now," Ogudomon X thundered in a booming, distorted voice that almost sounded like all seven of the Demon Lords were speaking at once, "have you come to terms with what you're up against? There is no one in this world who can stop me now. After Gaiamon, who has never come to be, and ZeedMillenniummon, I am the most powerful Digimon of all!"

OmniShoutmon X swallowed nervously, but stood his ground. Although he knew about him, never before had Ogudomon X come into being. And he had been born of the True Demon Lords too, not their avatars. When OmniShoutmon X had realized that they had escaped the Dark Area, he had known that he would have to face them, but he never would have imagined that they would come together like this. They truly were intent on making an impression on the Digital World of just how powerful they were.

But OmniShoutmon X had a plan, he reminded himself, and he was determined to stick to it. He would not lose heart, not even against the might of this unspeakable evil.

"You're wrong," he insisted with determination. "There is one stronger than you."

Ogudomon X laughed. "Oh, is there now? And who might you be referring to? The D-Reaper? That creature is trapped with no hope of escape. NEO? He won't get involved; he's just sleeping in his own little pocket dimension. The Digimon God? He withdrew from this world long ago thanks to Bagramon and has left us to our own devices; there's no reason to think he'll intervene now. So tell me, exactly who is left to stop me?"

Taking a deep breath, OmniShoutmon X puffed out his chest. "Me."

Ogudomon X stared at him for a moment before roaring with laughter. "I think your time as king this past year has gone to your head. You, stronger than me? Just look around, your majesty, you're not even the strongest one in this room. In fact, you're the weakest."

Shaking his head, OmniShoutmon X stepped forward. "No, I'm the strongest, even if you can't see it yet." He took to the air, flying up towards Ogudomon X, whom he was only a couple of inches to in size in comparison. "Like you, I've learned the power of sharing strength, and it's far greater than you could imagine."

Ogudomon X just sneered at him. "Is that right? So you think teamwork will save you?" He glanced at the DigiDestined and Agumon – Bond of Bravery. "You think that if you and your little friends fight me together that you'll be able to best me? Fool? I shall become the true Fourth Catastrophe, and this whole world will know my wrath. Behold, here is but a fraction of my power."

The claws at the ends of his tentacles suddenly transformed into spears. He pointed one up at the ceiling and fired a beam from the end. The entire upper portion of the castle was instantly obliterated, not even leaving a trace of data left as they now looked up at the night sky.

"And that was just the smallest tip of the iceberg," Ogudomon X told him. "If I wanted to, I could destroy this whole world in an instant. Neither you nor your friends stand a chance against me. I'm more powerful than all of you put together."

The dragon Digimon didn't disagree, he couldn't. "That may be, but being the Digimon King comes with certain privileges, and I invoke them now!"

He let out a loud battle cry, and the entire castle shook. Above them, the sky cracked open, and a kaleidoscope of colors was seen beyond it. Six giant silhouettes were seen within the broken sky, and Ogudomon X stared up at them for a few moments before looking back at OmniShoutmon X.

"The Sovereigns?" he asked, recognizing the shapes of the silhouettes. "They can't save you. My power surpasses them as well. At least they're not cowering in their realms this time while they let others do their fighting for them."

OmniShoutmon X gave the incarnation Digimon a hard look. "You still don't get it. It's not just me you're facing. It's not just me and my friends you're facing. It's not even just the Sovereigns you're facing. You seek to rule the world. You've declared war on everyone. So now you must face everyone."

All around the silhouettes of the Sovereigns, countless other silhouettes of other Digimon began appearing. The sky shattered further, filling it with countless Digimon in all directions as far as the eye could see as more and more silhouettes appeared.

"As my human friends once said," OmniShoutmon X declared, "you may be stronger than any of us, but you're not stronger than all of us. DigiFuse!"

Below OmniShoutmon X, his friends became engulfed in light before turning into actual beams of light that flew up into the dragon Digimon. Up above, the silhouettes of the Sovereigns lost their forms before flying down as beams of light as well. They were followed by millions upon millions of other beams of light flying down and into OmniShoutmon X as he began glowing brighter and brighter, increasing in size and changing shape until he had absorbed the final beam of light.

"Shoutmon X7F Superior Mode!"

The light surrounding him faded, and the most powerful form of Shoutmon stood, almost as large as Ogudomon X. The Super Demon Lord stared at him, clearly not having expected this turn of events.

"This is the form you took to defeat Millenniummon," he noted.

Shoutmon X7F stared him down. "It is. And just like with him, you present a threat to the entire Digital World and everything in it. But we're not going to take it, not anymore. We've all had enough of you. You thought you were going to come here to send a message that death will come to any who oppose you, but now we're the ones sending a message. We're all opposing you. Never again will we let the darkness rule. Not through you, or anyone else. Your reign of terror will never rise again. That is the will of all of us who oppose you, and as the Digimon King, I shall see to it that the wishes of my people are carried out."

Ogudomon X hissed at him, now clearly angry. "You think this changes anything? You still can't do anything to me, no matter how strong you are. I am the ultimate manifestation of all the sins of the Digital World. It doesn't matter how strong you are, you still can't even touch me."

Shoutmon X7F pointed his mic-staff at the Super Demon Lord. "That may be true, for all those that despise you, but they're all entrusting their wishes and their power to me. And in case you've forgotten, when my friends and I faced your avatar, I learned to see beyond my hate. I truly bear you no ill will any longer, Ogudomon. What I want, more than anything, if peace for everyone, even you. I hold no desire to harm you, only to end all the suffering. So tell me, is there any malice in that?"

The two stared at each other down for several long moments, then Ogudomon X suddenly lashed out with his Destiny Death Destruction attack, firing beams from the ends of his spear-tipped tentacles. Shoutmon X7F leapt up over the beams as they deleted everything in their path.

Spreading his massive wings, Shoutmon X7F came down like some kind of vengeful angel descending from the heavens, his mic-staff extending into a shining blade. The ground shook as he landed in front of the Super Demon Lord, and Ogudomon X raised his tentacles to stab him with the spears at the ends.

Shoutmon X7F twirled his blade, slicing off the seven tentacles before he was stabbed, and they burst into data. In one quick motion, he then stabbed straight through the Super Demon Lord with his Final Xros Blade. The attack was not neutralized, for there was indeed no malice within it, and Shoutmon X7F felt only a profound sadness and pity that anyone could possibly fall as low as Ogudomon X had, and a desire to put the evil beast out of its misery, for his own sake as much as the Digital World's.

Pulling his blade free, Shoutmon X7F jumped back, leaving a large gaping hole in the Super Demon Lord. He felt no satisfaction at the monster's suffering, and felt only a sense of inner peace that the reign of the Demon Lords, of the True Demon Lords, was finally at and end.

"Your time is over," he said calmly, pointing his mic-staff at the Super Demon Lord. "When you come back, I truly hope you will be at peace, because we will never let the darkness rule. That path is closed to you. So for your sake, I pray that you will seek out another."

Ogudomon X snarled furiously as he looked at the composition Digimon. "Shoutmon!"

"Double Flare Buster!"

He fired a beam from his staff. It collided with Ogudomon X, and the Super Demon Lord bellowed. A moment later, he burst into data, and the eight X-Antibodies the Demon Lords and Diaboromon X had held dropped to the ground. They and the lingering data were all that remained of the Super Demon Lord.

Shoutmon X7F lowered his mic-staff, the blade retracting back into it. "It is done."

He began glowing, and countless beams of light began flying out of his body as the Digimon he had fused with left him. The beams flew back up into the broken sky from whence they came, and the tears in the sky closed again, as if it had never shattered.

When the light died down, OmniShoutmon X, the DigiDestined, Marcus, and Agumon were present. They all stood in a circle, with OmniShoutmon X in the middle, his eyes closed and his face turned to the heavens.

For several long moments, no one spoke, but then Omnimon finally broke the silence. "Your majesty," he said quietly, "it's over. You've done it."

A few more seconds of silence passed before OmniShoutmon X opened his eyes, wet with tears. "Yes, it is. This time, it truly is."

Marcus and Agumon high-fived. "Boo-yah! I knew we could do it."

"Never had a doubt, bro."

Susanoomon looked around. "It seems your castle has taken quite a bit of damage."

OmniShoutmon X sighed, still feeling completely at peace. He didn't care about the damage, not as long as everyone was alright. He'd been thinking that the place could use some redecorating anyway. A few statues and stained-glass windows of his human friends would be a nice touch.

"If a destroyed castle is the only collateral suffered from the full wrath of the True Demon Lords, then we have truly been blessed," he replied.

Alphamon thumped his chest. "Have no fear. Now that the Demon Lords have truly been defeated, we'll make sure they never rise to power again, and the same goes for anyone who would fight for the darkness."

OmniShoutmon X gave him an appreciative smile. "Of that, my friend, I have no doubt. This war has been too long, cost too much suffering. We cannot afford to let our victory ever be in vain."

"Nor shall we," Omnimon assured him.

Agumon wandered over to the eight X-Antibodies. "And what about these?"

Seraphimon glanced at OmniShoutmon X. "Yes, what would you have us do with them, my lord?"

The dragon Digimon sighed again and walked over to the destroyed pedestal that had once held TK's phone. Bending down, he began to gather up whatever pieces he could find of it. "Give them to those who seem to need them. And choose carefully. Power can so easily go to one's head; that is a sad truth." He looked at the small pile of broken phone pieces in his hand. "Especially when there are more important things."

Marcus stared at him for a few moments before spotting something on the ground. Realizing what it was, he smiled and picked it up before making his way over to OmniShoutmon X.

"Hey, big guy, I know you miss your friends," he told him sympathetically. "And I know they miss you too, even if it hasn't nearly been as long for them. But, hey, it doesn't matter how much you miss someone or how far away they are, not as long as you hold onto the memories of your time together."

He placed what he had picked up into the dragon Digimon's hand with the rest of the pieces of the phone OmniShoutmon X had gathered. It was the phone's memory card, which had, miraculously, survived the phone's destruction.

OmniShoutmon X blinked down at the small chip, not knowing what it was or the symbolism Marcus was trying to make in what it represented, and he gave him a confused look. "Was this part of the phone?"

Marcus threw back his head and laughed. "I'm guessing your friends didn't fully explain how a phone works. I could tell you what I know about them, although, I admit, it's probably not that much."

The dragon Digimon gave him an appreciative smile and stood up. "I would like that. You'll have to enlighten me sometime." He walked over to his throne and sat down, giving Marcus a look of interest. "But right now, I'm more curious to learn more about your bond with Agumon and how it enabled the two of you to Bio-Merge like that."

Marcus shrugged. "Ok, what do you want to know?"

OmniShoutmon X's smile widened. "Everything. Something tells me that someday it's going to be quite beneficial to both our worlds."

THE END

Notes:

(A/N: Quite the epilogue. If you'll recall, back in Chapter 202, OmniShoutmon X was distracted by something during the fight with the Gizumon. That was meant to be him picking on the True Demon Lords escaping. Maybe their defeat this chapter seemed a little anticlimactic, but that was meant to be the point, that with everyone standing against them, the power of good could always win. What more, with Marcus and Agumon's discovery of Bio-Merging, it now opens a whole new world of possibilities. Of that will turn out, well, that can be left for you to decide, because this story is now O-V-E-R. Yes, it's hard to believe it, but at long last, it's finally finished. After nearly 7 years and 200 chapter, this story has drawn to a close. I was hoping to break a million words, and I actually got pretty close, but cutting out the Author's Notes, I'm only at about 902,000 words. Still impressive, and I never thought I'd ever get anywhere close to that when I started writing this. It's still hard to believe this story is finally over, it's been a part of my life for so long, and I want to thank all of you who have been with me on this journey. I certainly hope you enjoyed this very long tale, and this is your last chance to review, so let me know what you think. But this isn't an end to my fanfiction, I've still got many more stories in mind. In fact, my next one will be my 100th story, whoo-hoo! I'll be getting started on that once I finish the Pirates of the Caribbean story I'm in the middle of writing, so take a look at that if you haven't yet, and be on the lookout for the next story in the future after that one is done. I actually have the next three stories all planned out, so I'll be able to get to them one after another. But as for this story, it's finally come to an end. So hit that review button and tell me your final thoughts, and I hope to see you all again in the future.)

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New Digimon that appear or are mentioned.

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Agumon_(Bond_of_Bravery)

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Laylamon_X

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Belphemon_X

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Leviamon_X

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Barbamon_X

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Daemon_X

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Lucemon_X

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Diaboromon_X

digimon.wikia.com/wiki/Ogudomon_X